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See this partial public list of Wikileaks Cover Names for alternative URLs which have not yet been censored. More seriously and for the longer term, the brand name of WikiLeakS.org is no longer online, due to a Temporary Restraining Order issued by the California Northern District Court in San Francisco, aimed at a Domain Name Registrar , rather than just the actual publishers of controversial material, who happen to be outside of US legal jurisdiction.. It seems that there has been a fire in an Uninterruptible Power Supply, which took the WikiLeaks web servers offline for much of Saturday, at their Swedish co-location hosting company, PRQ Inet, which has experience of attempts at censorship, through their former hosting of the peer to peer filesharing and political phenomenon, The Pirate Bay . It looks as if the interesting and controversial, Wikileaks website, which promises "anonymous, untraceable, uncensorable" publication of leaked documents from whistleblowers, and which recently published the devastating No2ID Campaign annotated leaked UK National Identity Scheme document , is weathering some technical hitches and legal litigation attacks. The plaintiffs in the California case are a Swiss Bank bank - Bank Julius Baer and its associated Cayman Islands tax avoidance subsidiaries, egged on by their expensive Hollywood media celebrity shyster lawyers Lavely & Singer. Julius Baer have been pursuing a Swiss whistleblower, some of whose leaked documents have been allegedly published on WikiLeaks.org. Why this is a problem when the world's financial monitoring and tax authorities appear to have already had access to them, is a mystery. See Bank Julius Baer vs. Wikileaks WikiLeakS.org have also had legal threats from ineptitude in trying to censor blogs critical of the dubious Russian / Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov which caused much of the UK political and Arsenal football club fan blogosphere, to rally together in condemnation of the "collateral damage" which was to caused to innocent political bloggers, across the political spectrum. Schillings are acting against WikiLeaks.org because of their publication of a prospectus to potential rescue investors of the Northern Rock plc bank scandal, something which is now obsolete, but was of massive public interest to all UK taxpayers and investors, and which the mainstream media caved in to after Schillings shyster threats, and an expensive (effectively taxpayer funded) High Court Injunction. See Northern Rock vs. Wikileaks It is interesting that the first threats to this supposedly "uncensorable, anonymous, mass whistleblowing" project, do not come from Government Big Brother authorities, but from the private sector, and from equipment failures at a Single Point of Failure. As with the Alisher Usmanov affair, the tactics of the media celebrity shysters in the Bank Julius Baer case is to threaten parts of what should be neutral, exempt internet infrastructure companies, with potentially expensive litigation in court rather than just the actual publishers of the allegedly defamatory or confidential or copyright material. Even if such companies win in court, the expense of legal advice is such that it could cost them far more money in legal fees, than they are getting from a cheap domain name registration or webhosting package, so they are tempted to cave in to such shyster demands for censorship. Only by pointing out the damage to their own brand names and potential profits, as a result of the disgust that most active internet customers feel, when the rich and powerful and their shysters, try to bully individuals or small groups of activists, can this economic threat be counterbalanced. See the Censorship Threats from Lawyers category archive of blog postings on the WikiLeak.org blog, which comments on the technical, legal and ethical aspects of the WikiLeakS.org project. \|\|\|\|\| All right here is a new one. WikiLeaks.org got set up a while ago to offer a WikiPedia-style spot for edgy secret documents to get dumped. And they are getting some press. Now, a Situation has arisen, knocking the main server offline as their CA-based domain registrar folds under legal pressure. Because WikiLeaks was leaking.... suspicious bits about the Cayman Islands fronts of some bank or something. Apparently the UK server, among others, are still fine. Here is the list of mirrors. Some are more peculiar in that unencrypted URLs either time out or are not working, Some of the Cover Names presumably just re-direct traffic to the now missing www.wikileaks.org and so are effectively not working either i.e. Here is a list of Wikileaks Cover Name URL links which worked ok for us in the last few hours: There are some caveats about the secure proxy certificates and whatnot - I.E. what are these 'moskva orts' Russians really up to? [Something quite cool i would bet, anyway] There is a blog here: WikiLeak.org with more news on that. http://wikileaks.org.uk/wiki/Wikileaks_survives_censorship%2C_ddos%2C_fire : Spy Blog: Wikileaks survives a fire, but is under Temporary Restraining Order partial censorship Link http://spyblog.org.uk Country United Kingdom Date 2008-02-17 It looks as if the interesting and controversial, Wikileaks website, which promises "anonymous, untraceable, uncensorable" publication of leaked documents from whistleblowers, and which recently published the devastating No2ID Campaign annotated leaked UK National Identity Scheme document , is weathering some technical hitches and legal litigation attacks. It seems that there has been a fire in an Uninterruptible Power Supply, which took the WikiLeaks web servers offline for much of Saturday, at their Swedish co-location hosting company, PRQ Inet, which has experience of attempts at censorship, through their former hosting of the peer to peer filesharing and political phenomenon, The Pirate Bay. [editor: shortly before the fire unknown persons launched a 500Mbps distributed denial of service attack. It is not known if or how the attack is related to the other events described in this article]. More seriously and for the longer term, the brand name of WikiLeaks.org is no longer online, due to a Temporary Restraining Order issued by the California Northern District Court in San Francisco, aimed at a Domain Name Registrar, rather than just the actual publishers of controversial material, who happen to be outside of US legal jurisdiction.. See this partial public list of Wikileaks Cover Names for alternative URLs which have not yet been censored. The plaintiffs in the California case are a Swiss Bank bank - Bank Julius Baer and its associated Cayman Islands tax avoidance subsidiaries, egged on by their expensive Hollywood media celebrity shyster lawyers Lavely & Singer. Julius Baer have been pursuing a Swiss whistleblower, some of whose leaked documents have been allegedly published on WikiLeaks.org. Why this is a problem when the world's financial monitoring and tax authorities appear to have already had access to them, is a mystery. See Bank Julius Baer vs. Wikileaks WikiLeakS.org have also had legal threats from ineptitude lawyers Schillings -- who in tried to censor blogs critical of the dubious Russian / Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov] which caused much of the UK political and Arsenal football club fan blogosphere, to rally together in condemnation of the "collateral damage" which was to caused to innocent political bloggers, across the political spectrum. Schillings are acting against WikiLeaks.org because of their publication of a prospectus to potential rescue investors of the Northern Rock plc bank scandal, something which is now obsolete, but was of massive public interest to all UK taxpayers and investors, and which the mainstream media caved in to after Schillings shyster threats, and an expensive (effectively taxpayer funded) High Court Injunction. See Northern Rock vs. Wikileaks. It is interesting that the first threats to this supposedly "uncensorable, anonymous, mass whistleblowing" project, do not come from Government Big Brother authorities, but from the private sector, and from equipment failures at a Single Point of Failure. As with the Alisher Usmanov affair, the tactics of the media celibrity shysters in the Bank Julius Baer case is to threaten parts of what should be neutral, exempt internet infrastructure companies, with potentially expensive litigation in court rather than just the actaul publishers of the allegedly defamatory or confidential or copyright material. Even if such companies win in court, the expense of kegal advice is such that it could cost them far more money in legal fees, than they are getting from a cheap domain name registration or webhosting package, so they are tempted to cave in to such shyster demands for censorship. Only by pointing out the damage to their own brand names and potential profits, as a result of the disgust that most active internet customers feel, when the rich and powerful and their shysters, try to bully individuals or small groups of activists, can this economic threat be counterbalanced. See the Censorship Threats from Lawyers category archive of blog postings on the WikiLeak.org blog, which comments on the technical, legal and ethical aspects of the WikiLeakS.org project.	The website WikiLeaks.org has been taken off line in many parts of the world. Wikileaks is a website dedicated to leaking documents that are "anonymous, untraceable, uncensorable." Several factors have taken the site off line including DDoS attacks, which was followed by a fire which took out the main servers hosting the site in Sweden, and a restraining order on the domain name 'WikiLeaks.org' issued in the United States. According to the website ''HongPong.com'', ''Wikileaks'' experienced "a 500Mbps distributed denial of service attack" before the fire, but it is not known if the DDoS attack is connected to it. After the attack, a fire was reported in the Uninterruptible Power Supply of the servers which host the site. The third and final factor taking the site off line is a permanent injunction granted in the California Northern District Court in San Francisco, California to Bank Julius Baer, a Swiss Bank, which has caused the domain to be taken off line in the U.S.. Wikileaks previously published hundreds of documents obtained from a whistleblower of the Swiss Bank, "purportedly showing offshore tax evasion and money laundering by extremely wealthy and in some cases, politically sensitive, clients from the US, Europe, China and Peru." According to a ''Wikileaks'' press release received by e-mail, the injunction issued by the court states, "Dynadot Wikileaks host shall immediately clear and remove all DNS hosting records for the wikileaks.org domain name and prevent the domain name from resolving to the wikileaks.org website or any other website or server other than a blank park page, until further order of this Court." "The order was entirely written by Cayman Island's Bank Julius Baer lawyers and was accepted by judge White without amendment, or representations by Wikileaks or amicus. The case is over several Wikileaks articles, public commentary and documents dating prior to 2003. The documents allegedly reveal secret Julius Baer trust structures used for asset hiding, money laundering and tax evasion. The bank alleges the documents were disclosed to Wikileaks by offshore banking whistleblower and former Vice President of the Cayman Island's operation, Rudolf Elmer. Unable to lawfully attack Wikileaks servers which are based in several countries, the order was served on Wikileaks's California registrar Dynadot ("the power company"). The order also enjoins every person who has heard about the order from even linking to the documents," said ''Wikileaks'' in the release. Despite the injunction, ''Wikileaks'' states that they will "keep on publishing, in-fact, given the level of suppression involved in this case, Wikileaks will step up publication of documents pertaining to illegal or unethical banking practices." Despite the injunction, the site can still be accessed at http://88.80.13.160/wiki/Wikileaks.
Syria petrol station hit by deadly car bomb At least nine people have been killed by a car bomb at a petrol station in the Syrian capital, Damascus, say activists. The bomb reportedly hit the Barzeh al-Balad district, as large numbers of people were queuing for fuel. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights activist group said the death toll in Thursday's was likely to rise. The bombing comes a day after dozens of people were killed in an air strike on a petrol station south of the city. Syria is in the grip of chronic fuel shortages, and motorists often wait for hours in queues at petrol stations. 'Shocking' figures The opposition Revolution Leadership Council in Damascus said Thursday's explosion had been caused by a "a booby-trapped car", Reuters reported. One local activist told the agency he saw ambulances taking away people with severe burns. "The station is usually packed even when it has no fuel. There are lots of people who sleep there overnight, waiting for early morning fuel consignments," he said. On Wednesday, the UN's Human Rights Council said a new study suggested more than 60,000 people had died since the start of the unrest in Syria in March 2011, many more than activists have claimed. UN rights chief Navi Pillay said the number of casualties was "truly shocking". \|\|\|\|\| AMMAN (Reuters) - At least 11 people were killed and 40 wounded when a car bomb exploded on Thursday at a petrol station in the Syrian capital Damascus, opposition activists said. The petrol station was packed with people queuing for fuel that has become increasingly scarce during the country's 21-month-long civil war, the activists said. The bombing took place in the Barzeh al-Balad district, whose residents include a mix of majority Sunni Muslims and several other religious and ethnic minorities. The semi-official al-Ikhbariya television showed footage of 10 burnt bodies and Red Crescent workers searching for victims at the site. The opposition Revolution leadership Council in Damascus said the explosion was caused by a "a booby-trapped car". There was no immediate indication of who may have been responsible. An activist who lives in the area said he saw ambulances loading burnt bodies and wounded people with severe burns before he was ordered away by security forces surrounding the station. Tow trucks removed destroyed vehicles, he added. "The station is usually packed even when it has no fuel. There are lots of people who sleep there overnight, waiting for early morning fuel consignments," said the activist, who did not want to be named. He said brawls have increased lately at the petrol station between militia loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and ordinary citizens waiting for fuel, but it was not known who carried out the attack. (Reporting by Khaled Yacoub Oweis, Amman newsroom; Editing by Michael Roddy)	activists in Syria say nine or more people have died as the result of a car bomb explosion at a fuel station in the Barzeh al-Balad district of Damascus, the capital of the country, according to ''BBC News Online''. News agency ''Reuters'' has placed the minimum death toll at eleven while also reporting at least forty injuries. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights believes an increase in the number of fatalities recorded is probable. At the time of the incident, a large number of people were waiting at the station to collect petrol. Activists say Syria is short of petrol because of the ongoing , which started during 2011. ''BBC News Online'' says drivers queueing at fuel stations for hours is a frequent occurrence in the country. An unidentified activist told ''Reuters'' the fuel station was "usually packed even when it has no fuel. There are lots of people who sleep there overnight, waiting for early morning fuel consignments". The same person reported witnessing the bodies of burned people being placed onto ambulances, as well as those with wounds and severe burns, and vehicles the blast had destroyed being towed away. The activist, a local resident, said security workers at the station then told him to leave the scene. The Revolution Leadership Council, which is part of the Syrian opposition, cited "a booby-trapped car" as the source of the explosion. It is unclear at this stage as to who was responsible for the incident, although the local activist who spoke to ''Reuters'' said there had been increased conflict between civilians and militia supportive of Syrian Bashar al-Assad at fuel stations recently. == Sources == * *
According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and published in the journal PLoS Pathogens, the avian influenza virus has mutated. "We have identified a specific change that could make bird flu grow in the upper respiratory tract of humans," said lead researcher Yoshihiro Kawaoka. Natural News reports that one of the primary factors that keeps bird flu from infecting humans is that the virus has evolved to reproduce most effectively in the bodies of birds, which have an average body temperature of 106°F (41°C). Humans, in contrast, have an average body temperature of 98.6° (37°C), with temperatures in the nose and throat even lower (91.4°, or 33°C). This vast temperature difference makes it very difficult for the bird flu virus to survive and grow in the human body. In the current study, researchers found that a strain of H5N1 has developed a mutation that allows it to thrive in these lower temperatures. "The viruses that are circulating in Africa and Europe are the ones closest to becoming a human virus," Kawaoka said. However, he pointed out that one mutation is not sufficient to turn H5N1 into a major threat to humans. "Clearly there are more mutations that are needed. We don't know how many mutations are needed for them to become pandemic strains." \|\|\|\|\| (Adds WHO comment, updates figures)By Tan Ee LynHONG KONG, March 11 (Reuters) - A Chinese expert on respiratory diseases says the H5N1 bird flu virus has shown signs of mutation and urged vigilance at a time when seasonal human influenza is at a peak, newspapers reported on Tuesday."When avian flu is around and human flu appears, this will raise the chances of avian flu turning into a human flu. We have to be very alert and careful in March," Zhong Nanshan was quoted by the Ming Pao newspaper as saying."People who were killed by bird flu last year and this year were too poor to seek treatment. If you happen to have high fever and pneumonia, you must seek treatment fast," said Zhong, director of the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Diseases in China's southern Guangdong province.Experts are worried about seasonal flu, because it could get mixed up with a deadly novel strain, such as the H5N1 bird flu virus. Such a hybrid would not only become easily transmissible between people, but packed with great killing power."The bird flu virus has shown signs of mutation. If infected people don't get treatment in a timely manner, they can die easily," Zhong was quoted as telling reporters on the sidelines of the Chinese parliament's annual meeting.But World Health Organisation (WHO) spokesman Gregory Hartl played down Zhong's concerns."Mutations occur in influenza viruses. Separately from that, the (bird flu) virus continues to be deadly. But there is no new jump in deadliness," Hartl said in Geneva.Three Chinese have died this year of H5N1 bird flu and they were infected probably through contact with sick poultry. The World Health Organisation said there was no evidence of transmission between humans in all three cases.HONG KONG SHUTS SCHOOLIn Hong Kong, the government shut a primary school early ahead of the Easter holidays after one of its students, a 7-year-old boy, died at noon on Tuesday. The boy was admitted to hospital last week with flu-like symptoms and authorities are still trying to determine the cause of his illness.Thomas Tsang, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said five other pupils at the school have been admitted to hospital for respiratory infection and their conditions were stable. Three samples have tested positive for influenza A, Tsang said, without specifying the strain."The school will close early for Easter from tomorrow ... to facilitate disinfection," Tsang told a news conference. But he said there was no reason to close all schools in Hong Kong, although they would monitor the situation closely.Hong Kong, which lies at the south of China, is in the grip of a seasonal flu peak, with outbreaks reported in a growing number of schools.A 3-year-old girl died last week of human H3N2 flu and authorities have ordered schools to conduct fever checks and advise those who are unwell to stay home.Although the H5N1 virus has infected only 372 people around the world since 2003, its mortality rate has been high, killing 235 of them. (Additional reporting by Donny Kwok in Hong Kong and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)	Researchers involved in a study at the University of Wisconsin have discovered that the H5N1 Avian Flu virus has mutated into a strain that may make humans more vulnerable to the disease. Prior to the study, it was known that the virus could only thrive or live in a body which have temperatures of 106°F (41°C). A human's normal body temperature is 98.6°F (37°C). This difference in the temperatures of bodies makes the virus less likely to infect a human, but the recent study suggests the virus has adapted to survive in bodies with temperatures lower than 106°F. "We have identified a specific change that could make bird flu grow in the upper respiratory tract of humans," said Yoshihiro Kawaoka, the researcher in charge of the study. Kawaoka also stated that the "viruses that are circulating in Africa and Europe are the ones closest to becoming a human virus," but also stated that the H5N1 virus must undergo several mutations before it can infect a human, who can then spread the virus to other humans. "Clearly there are more mutations that are needed. We don't know how many mutations are needed for them to become pandemic strains," added Kawaoka. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that despite the study, influenza viruses are constantly mutating from season to season, but that the H5N1 virus is not anymore deadly to humans than before the study. "Mutations occur in influenza viruses. Separately from that, the (bird flu) virus continues to be deadly. But there is no new jump in deadliness," said Gregory Hartl, a spokesman for the WHO.
On February 18, James Hedges, a long-time activist in the Prohibition Party, declared his candidacy for the party’s presidential nomination in 2012. He is the only person who has won a partisan election as a Prohibition Party nominee in the last 50 years. He was elected Assessor of Thompson Township, Fulton County, Pennsylvania, in 2001, and re-elected in 2005. The Prohibition Party is ballot-qualified in one state, Florida. Hedges is 71 and lives in Big Cove Tannery, Pennsylvania, in Fulton County. He has been active in local government and in civic groups, and was once a member of the United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C. \|\|\|\|\| Time to Toast the Party? In 1892 the National Prohibition Party's presidential candidate garnered more than 270,000 votesor 2.2% of the total. Over the following decade the party was strong enough to elect several Congressmen, a few Governors and lots of local officials. In last year's election, a paltry 15,893 voters.02% of the totalpulled the Prohibitionist lever. Moreover, the party, which was formed in 1869 and is the nation's third oldest, has not elected anybody to anything since the days when people drank their whisky out of teacups. What to do? Last week the party did what many another stumbling enterprise has done: changed its name. The N.P.P. will henceforthat least on an experimental basis in some statesbe known as the National Statesmen Party. Whether the name change will hoist the party out of the category of political oddity is doubtful, but at least it may attract a few of the folks who take a drop now and then. \|\|\|\|\| DENVER - Earl Dodge, a perennial presidential candidate with the Prohibition Party, died Wednesday. A native of Malden, Mass., he was 74. Mr. Dodge, who lived in the Denver suburb of Lakewood, collapsed and died at Denver International Airport at the start of a business trip, said his daughter, Faith Nelson. The cause of death had not been determined. An activist in the Prohibition Party since 1952, Mr. Dodge ran for president in every campaign since 1984. Earlier this week, his family received campaign buttons for his seventh bid for the White House in 2008. He had mounted 13 campaigns across nearly every level of government beginning with a 1969 run for city council in Kalamazoo, Mich. He never won a race. Family and colleagues said he was undaunted even as the party's prominence continued to slip from its heyday before the 1933 repeal of the 18th Amendment, which had banned alcoholic drinks. "He firmly believed in the party, more so than many people believe in anything," said Howard Lydick, Mr. Dodge's running mate in 2004. "He was very concerned about personal integrity." Lydick, 78, of Richardson, Texas, said he and Mr. Dodge were working on strategies to get on the ballot in more states in 2008. In 2004, they had managed to make it on the ballot only in Colorado, which allows any political party to nominate a presidential candidate. They received 140 votes. After decades in the party, Mr. Dodge was the subject of a split among prohibitionists in 2004. A faction of the party spurned him and nominated the Rev. Gene Amondson for president. "He very much saw things as black and white," said Nelson, one of Mr. Dodge's seven children. "When he thought something was right, he did not care if he was the only person to stand up and say it." He was a Baptist Sunday school teacher, and his family said his faith permeated his politics. Mr. Dodge's love of politics and history led him to own a campaign memorabilia business. He was on his way to a memorabilia show in Pennsylvania when he died. Mr. Dodge was born in 1932. According to the party's website, he attended public school at Malden but dropped out at the 10th grade following the death of his father. He began volunteering with the Prohibition Party at 19 - two years before he could vote at the time, his wife, Barbara, said. Mr. Dodge also ran for vice president, governor of Colorado, senator from Kansas, and University of Colorado regent. © Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company. \|\|\|\|\| Mr. Dodge said he had no personal dislike for Mr. Amondson, who is making his first run for political office this year. A while back, Mr. Amondson wrote to Mr. Dodge to try to land a spot on the original Prohibition Party ticket, as vice president, Mr. Dodge said. But the party's elder statesman had already chosen a running mate. Mr. Dodge did say that while "I've never met this gentleman, Mr. Amondson," he admired the Billy Sunday routine, agreed with the message and said he might invite him to join the party after the election. "I think he may not have known exactly what he was getting into," Mr. Dodge said in a telephone interview from the original Prohibition Party headquarters, his home in Lakewood, Colo. "He's probably a very nice man." He added, though, that he was irked that Mr. Amondson and other splinter Prohibition Party candidates were using his party's name. As impractical as Mr. Amondson's quest may seem, historically, the Prohibition Party is not political chopped liver. Some have even considered the Prohibition Party -- which drew only 208 votes in 2000, down from 1,298 in 1996, according to Ballot Access News, which tracks third parties -- the Ralph Naderesque spoiler of the late 1880's and early 1900's. Before Prohibition, in 1920, the party once claimed more than 200,000 supporters. Its candidates may have drawn enough votes -- 25,000 in New York State in 1884 -- to cost Republicans the presidential elections of 1884 and 1916, when Grover Cleveland and Woodrow Wilson won by slim margins, said Richard Winger, editor of Ballot Access News. And in the early part of the 20th century, with a Florida governor and a California congressman elected, the Prohibition Party made a respectable showing on the political scene. But those heady days died with the speakeasy. Now, one of the rogue Prohibitionists who recruited Mr. Amondson, Jim Hedges, is the only anti-alcohol partisan in the nation known to hold elected office, as the tax assessor for Thompson Township in Pennsylvania.	Public domain image of Jim Hedges from the Partisan Prohibition Historical Society website U.S. presidential candidate Jim Hedges of , Pennsylvania took some time to answer a few questions about the Prohibition Party and his 2012 presidential campaign. The Prohibition Party is the third oldest existing political party in the United States, having been established in 1869. It reached its height of popularity during the late 19th century. The party heavily supported the , which banned the sale of alcohol, and resulted in the US period known as (1919–33). It was repealed in 1933. The party has declined since this period, but has continued to nominate candidates for the presidential election. In 2003, the party split into two factions. Preacher and perennial candidate were nominated for the presidency by their respective factions. After Dodge's death in 2007, the party reunified and named Amondson as its sole presidential nominee for 2008. During the election, Amondson was interviewed by ''Wikinews''. He died in 2009, leaving an opening in the party for 2012. Jim Hedges is a longtime activist, who holds the distinction of the first individual of the 21st century (and the first since 1959) to be elected to a political office under the Prohibition Party banner. In 2001, he was elected as the Thompson Township , and was re-elected to the post in 2005. He served until his term expired in 2010. Hedges declared his intent to run for the Prohibition Party presidential nomination on February 18, 2010. This marks his first run for the presidency.
Photo: AFP/GETTY "The White House has declared its wish to execute (Khaled Sheikh Mohammed and his co-accused). The day the United States takes such a decision, it would be also taking the decision that any of you falling into our hands will be executed," a voice identified as bin Laden said in the audio message. The tape said if the US decided to execute, al-Qaeda would also execute anyone it captured. Mohammed, the self-confessed mastermind of the 2001 attacks on the US, is expected to stand trial along with his four alleged conspirators in America next year. But White House officials have yet to decide if the trial will take place in a civilian or military court. In the brief 74-second tape aired, the al-Qaeda chief said that President Barack Obama was "still walking in the footsteps" of his predecessor, George W. Bush, by escalating the war in Afghanistan and being "unjust" to al-Qaeda prisoners. Bin Laden also condemned Mr Obama for "oppressing our prisoners that you are holding, beginning with the mujahid (holy warrior) hero Khaled al-Sheikh Mohammed." US politicians, he added in the audiotape, had "oppressed us and still do, especially by backing Israel, which occupies the land of Palestine". The latest statement attributed to bin Laden was the al-Qaeda leader's first since January, when a voice purporting to be his claimed responsibility for the botched Christmas Day bombing of a US airliner and promised to carry out further strikes on American targets. Bin Laden also referred to US support for Israel in the January message. "God willing, our attacks against you will continue as long as you maintain your support to Israel," he said. "America should not dream of security until we enjoy it as a reality in Palestine," said the al-Qaeda chief. Mohammed, who was captured in Pakistan in 2003, is the most senior al-Qaeda operative in US custody, and is currently being held at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In 2008, the US charged him with murder and war crimes in connection with the Sept 11 attacks. Pentagon officials have said they will seek the death penalty. \|\|\|\|\| The latest recording purportedly from the al-Qaeda chief was broadcast on Al Jazeera on Thursday. Osama bin Laden has in a new audio recording threatened to kill any Americans that al-Qaeda takes prisoner if Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, considered as one of the masterminds behind the September 11 attacks, is executed. "The day America will take such decision [to execute Mohammed and any others] it would have taken a decision to execute whoever we capture," Bin Laden said. The White House did not respond directly to the comments, but Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, said: "The president has rightly increased our tempo and put pressure on the al-Qaeda network. "We see that al-Qaeda has nothing to spread but hate and that's why the administration will keep up the pressure to destroy the al-Qaeda network." Military tribunal Mohammed and four other people allegedly involved in the 9/11 attacks are due to go on trial in the US, where prosecutors are expected to seek the death penalty. Mohammed was captured in 2003 by Pakistani troops and sent to the US prison facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2006, where he was expected to undergo a military trial. But last November, Eric Holder, the US attorney-general, said that he would try Mohammed in a New York civilian court. The US government is currently deciding whether to overturn that decision following opposition from Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York, and legislators in Washington. US officials have said that presidential advisers are nearing a recommendation that Mohammed, along with four others, be tried in a military tribunal. 'Occupation of Palestine' Bin Laden also said that Barack Obama, the US president, is "following in the footsteps of his predecessor", a reference to George Bush, the former US president. "The politicians in the White House were practicing injustice against us and still they are. Especially by supporting Israel in its continuous occupation of Palestine. "They used to think that America across the oceans is protected from the rage of the oppressed until our reaction was loudly heard at your home on the 9/11 with God’s help," he says in the recording. Nearly 3,000 people were killed at the World Trade Centre in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia and in a field in Pennsylvania during the co-ordinated attacks in 2001. Dual message The last audio recording attributed to bin Laden was released on January 24. In it, he claimed responsibility for alleged attempted attack on a US airliner on Christmas Day and vowed there would be further attacks on the US unless Obama took steps to resolve the Palestinian situation. Bin Laden threatened to kill Americans if Mohammed, pictured, is executed [Al Jazeera] Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of the al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper told Al Jazeera that bin Laden's mentioning of Obama in his latest recording indicates that the message has a dual meaning. "Osama bin Laden believes that the euphoria which erupted in most of the Arab countries, Muslim countries, after the Obama election now is eroding, is disappearing. "Obama is not really as popular as he used to be when he was elected. "So Osama sees the opportunity to say to the Muslim world: 'Obama is actually not going to deliver what you expect him to deliver; the peace process is completely dead; Jerusalem is boiling; al-Aqsa mosque is under threat of Israeli demolition - now the only way to treat Americans is the way we treated them on 11 September'."	Khalid Sheikh Mohammed after his capture. Osama bin Laden. In an audio tape posted on Al Jazeera, a voice identified as that of Osama bin Laden has warned the United States that al-Qaeda will retaliate if the US decides to execute the alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. "The White House has declared its wish to execute Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other alleged conspirators. The day the United States takes such a decision, it would be also taking the decision that any of you falling into our hands will be executed," said a voice on the 74-second-long tape, which is believed to be Bin Laden's. Osama also denounced US president Barack Obama, for "oppressing our prisoners that you are holding, beginning with the mujahid holy warrior hero Khaled al-Sheikh Mohammed." He said that US politicians "oppressed us and still do, especially by backing Israel, which occupies the land of Palestine". "God willing, our attacks against you will continue as long as you maintain your support to Israel. America should not dream of security until we enjoy it as a reality in Palestine," the tape continued. "They used to think that America across the oceans is protected from the rage of the oppressed until our reaction was loudly heard at your home on the 9/11 with God’s help." Khaled Sheikh Mohammed is expected to stand trial in the US, along with four accused co-conspirators, in 2011. It is currently unclear whether he will be tried in a civilian or military court; prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs responded to the message in a statement. "The president has rightly increased our tempo and put pressure on the al-Qaeda network. We see that al-Qaeda has nothing to spread but hate and that's why the administration will keep up the pressure to destroy the al-Qaeda network," he commented.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany rejected on Monday Iranian claims that it was interfering in the Islamic republic’s internal affairs, and summoned Iran’s ambassador for talks. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called at the weekend for a recount in Iran’s June 12 election. Tehran then stepped up allegations of foreign interference and accused the West of supporting “rioters” in the widespread unrest. A German government spokesman denied Merkel’s comments amounted to meddling. “This is to do with compliance with international law,” he said. “It is to do with basic human rights, freedom of thought, freedom of conscience and religious freedom as well as the right to take part in a general and secret ballots.” Official results handed hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a landslide victory, sparking mass street protests by his opponents. Ahmadinejad’s main challenger, moderate politician Mirhossein Mousavi, says the vote was rigged, a charge the authorities deny. A German Foreign Ministry spokesman said officials were calling in the Iranian ambassador to discuss claims of interference. “We will again ask him for clarification — clarification about comments that so far we have only learnt about through news reports,” he said. At least 10 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in demonstrations in Tehran on Saturday, state television said. \|\|\|\|\| Protests took place outside the UK embassy in Tehran The UK has ordered the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats in a tit-for-tat action after Tehran also ordered two UK diplomats to leave the country. Prime Minister Gordon Brown told MPs he had no choice but to respond after Iran had made allegations that were "absolutely without foundation". The two diplomats were accused by Iran of "activities incompatible with their status", the Foreign Office said. Mass unrest on the streets of Tehran has been blamed by Iran on the UK. Ambassador summoned The prime minister told the House of Commons: "Iran yesterday took the unjustified step of expelling two British diplomats over allegations which are absolutely without foundation. ANALYSIS Paul Adams Diplomatic correspondent, BBC News "One casualty of Iran's deepening political crisis has been Britain's already delicate diplomatic relationship with the Islamic Republic. "Iran's decision to expel two British diplomats follows days of anti-British rhetoric from the leadership in Tehran, including strong words last Friday from Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei - who described Britain as the 'most treacherous' of Iran's enemies. "Until recently, the United States was singled out as the Islamic Revolution's principal opponent. This has changed. "By offering an 'open hand' to Iran since taking over as president, Barack Obama has challenged Iran's traditional view of the 'Great Satan'. "Britain, almost by default, has emerged as the target of Iranian ire. " "In response to that action, we informed the Iranian ambassador today that we would expel two Iranian diplomats from their embassy in London." The protests, which erupted after the results of presidential elections were contested, have left at least 10 people dead in the capital. Mr Brown added that the outcome of the elections should reflect the aspirations and choices of the people there. "The onus is on Iran to show the Iranian people that recent elections have been credible and that the repression and curtailment of democratic rights that we've seen in the last few days will cease," he said. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) did not specify the identities of the individuals being expelled from Iran, except to say they are diplomats, rather than support staff, and the British Ambassador is not one of them. An FCO spokesman said the Iranian Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office earlier to be told two Iranian diplomats holding equivalent positions in London were also being asked to leave by the end of the week. He said the action was "regrettable" but the UK had been forced to respond. The spokesman added that Tehran had claimed the British diplomats had been "involved in activities incompatible with their status". Internal divisions The BBC's James Robbins said the allegation, which the UK rejected, is usually cover for an accusation of espionage. He added that the British Ambassador pressed Iranian authorities to give specific examples of what "incompatible activities" the British diplomats had been involved in, but they did not offer any. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. BBC News world affairs editor John Simpson says it is significant the Iranian action is not worse, such as throwing the British ambassador out or closing the embassy. He said that was down to divisions going right to the top of the Iranian government, with some elements wanting to calm the situation down. Conservative leader David Cameron supported the decision to expel the Iranian diplomats. He said: "The expulsion of diplomats by Iran is clearly not acceptable and the British government was absolutely right to respond." Iran has singled out the UK in its widespread condemnation of what it calls meddling by foreign powers in its affairs. The BBC's decision to start a Persian language TV service, earlier this year, has also angered the authorities. The service has no correspondent in Tehran, but on Sunday the government expelled the BBC's English language correspondent. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| 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 \|\|\|\|\| Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. US President Barack Obama has strongly condemned the "unjust actions" of Iran in clamping down on election protests. He said he respected Iran's sovereignty and it was "patently false" of Iran to say the West was fomenting the unrest. UN chief Ban Ki-moon had called on Iran to respect the "will of its people" after the disputed presidential poll but Tehran accused him of "meddling". Earlier, the opposition was told by Iran's Guardian Council the 12 June election would not be annulled. Electoral fraud But Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later agreed to extend by five days the amount of time allowed to examine complaints of electoral fraud. ANALYSIS Kim Ghattas BBC News, Washington DC President Barack Obama has taken it up a notch while heeding the advice of Democrats and Iran experts who have been talking to the White House: "Start using more forceful language against the violence but avoid taking sides in Iran's power struggle". So President Obama said he strongly condemned the unjust violence, that he was appalled and outraged by it, that he was struck by the courage of the demonstrators. But he added it was important to let the Iranian people know they were not alone in this process and that those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history. He didn't mention the name of a single Iranian leader and was careful to insist again that Washington respected Iran's sovereignty. And without withdrawing the offer of talks, he signalled that the violence would impact that dialogue - Mr Obama said that how Iran's leaders handle the dissent would shape Iran's future and its relations with the international community. In the 11 days since the election result, which saw incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad returned with 63% of the vote, opposition supporters have clashed with police on the streets of the capital Tehran. Mr Obama said: "The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days. "I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost." He said: "The United States respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not at all interfering in Iran's affairs. But we must also bear witness to the courage and dignity of the Iranian people, and to a remarkable opening within Iranian society." Mr Obama said of the allegations of meddling: "This tired strategy of using old tensions to scapegoat other countries won't work anymore in Iran. "This is not about the United States and the West. This is about the people of Iran, and the future that they - and only they - will choose." Referring to the recent clampdown on the foreign media in Iran, Mr Obama said: "In 2009 no iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to the peaceful pursuit of justice. "Despite the Iranian government's efforts to expel journalists and isolate itself, powerful images and poignant words have made their way to us through cell phones and computers, and so we have watched what the Iranian people are doing." Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Earlier Mr Ban had urged the authorities in Iran to respect fundamental civil rights, "especially the freedom of assembly and expression", and end arrests. However, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi said: "These stances are an evident contradiction of the UN secretary general's duties, international law and are an apparent meddling in Iran's internal affairs." He said the UN secretary general had "damaged his credibility" in the eyes of "independent" countries by "ignorantly following some domineering powers which have a long record of uncalled-for interference in other countries' internal affairs and colonisation". On Tuesday, the country's legislative body, the Guardian Council, said there had been no major polling irregularities and the result would stand. Guardian Council spokesman Abbas Ali Kadkhoda'i said there had been "no major fraud or breach in the election". Mourning call However, opposition supporters continued to call for the elections to be re-run, amid claims of vote tampering. Among them was opposition candidate Mehdi Karoubi, who urged Iranians to mourn for dead protesters on Thursday. We want a very good relationship with the Iranians, we also respect the fact that it's for the Iranian people themselves to choose who their government is Gordon Brown British leader His call echoed an earlier one from cleric Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri for three days of national mourning for those killed in the street protests. The protests in the last 24 hours are smaller than they have been over the past 10 days, amid the strong security presence on the streets. BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen said the protesters were talking about finding other ways to show their opposition, including strikes or civil disobedience. A spokesman for the US government said it "would not endorse" general strikes, but he added: "We've seen the beginnings of change in Iran." In a fresh diplomatic move, Britain is expelling two Iranian diplomats in response to Tehran's decision to order two UK diplomats to leave Iran following allegations UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown called "absolutely without foundation". 'Good relationship' Mr Brown told the BBC: "We want a very good relationship with the Iranians, we also respect the fact that it's for the Iranian people themselves to choose who their government is. "But when there is a sign of repression or where there is violence that's affecting ordinary people in the streets, we have a duty to speak out and to say we want Iran to be part of the world, we don't want Iran to be isolated from the world." The Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy commission responded to the expulsion of the diplomats in London by reconsidering ties with Britain. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki and the Iranian state broadcaster said certain decisions were made in the meeting that would be announced in due time. On Friday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned protests, prompting street violence in which at least 10 people died. Severe reporting restrictions placed on the BBC and other foreign media in Iran mean protest reports cannot be verified independently. Are you in Iran? What do you think of the current situation? Are you taking part in the demonstrations? 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	Iran has expelled two British diplomats. In response, the United Kingdom announced yesterday that in a tit-for-tat move it will be expelling two Iranian diplomats. The expulsions come in the wake of the recent Iranian presidential election, and subsequent hostility directed at the United Kingdom by Iranian leaders and official news services, including statements made by Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei calling the British government the "most evil" of foreign governments. Commenting upon the expulsion as it was announced, the Leader of the Opposition in the British House of Commons, David Cameron, urged people to remember that this was not a conflict between Iran and the United Kingdom, but was an internal Iranian conflict involving only the people of that country. Leaders in Iran have long-standing criticisms of what they view as interference by the United Kingdom in internal Iranian affairs. The Iranian government accuses BBC Persian Television, which is funded by the British Foreign Office, of being a propaganda service for the British Government. These criticisms have been repeated by official Iranian news services in the past few days. The Iranian government already expelled one BBC journalist on Sunday, Jon Leyne. The BBC has reported efforts to jam transmissions of BBC Persian Television by the Iranian government. The United Kingdom is not the only country who called in its Iranian ambassador yesterday. Germany summoned its Iranian ambassador for what spokesmen have described as "clarification" after similar accusations of foreign interference were leveled by Iran at Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel over remarks she made last weekend. Iran has also charged the United Nations with interfering in the country, with Iranian foreign minister Hassan Ghashghavi accusing Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon of "meddling in Iran's internal affairs" when Ban called upon Iran to respect the "will of its people". Hassan accused Ban of "ignorantly following some domineering powers which have a long record of uncalled-for interference in other countries' internal affairs and colonisation". News articles in ''Jamejam'' today include calls by Hossein Hashemian, minority leader in the Majlis of Iran, to reduce relations between Iran and the United Kingdom, and reports that the Iranian Public Relations Office has issued permits allowing student demonstrations, protesting interference in internal Iranian affairs, in front of the British embassy in Tehran.
Wayne And Coleen Give Birth - And It's A... Steve Davies, Sky News Online Wayne Rooney's wife Coleen has given birth at Liverpool Women's Hospital. Wayne and Coleen have become parents for the first time The boy, who the couple have named Kai Wayne Rooney, was born at 2.20pm. A spokesman for the couple said: "Mother and baby are both absolutely fine. "Wayne and Coleen are thrilled with the wonderful addition to their family life." Sources told Sky News that Wayne was present at the birth, which was natural - however she had to be induced. Relatives on both sides of the family have visited the couple and new son in hospital. In Welsh, Kai means keeper of the keys, while for babies given the name in Hawaii, where Kai is a unisex name, it means the sea. Read about the different meanings of the name Kai Wayne's brother Graham and cousin Claire, as well as his parents Wayne and Jeanette, were seen leaving. Coleen's mother Colette and brother Joe also paid a visit. In October, Coleen said that she would snub private healthcare and have the baby at Liverpool Women's Hospital. Wayne and Coleen grew up in the Croxteth area of Liverpool, but now live in the village of Prestbury in Cheshire and returned to the city for the birth. The fact the couple have chosen to have the baby there (Liverpool Women's Hospital) shows how determined they were for their child to be born in Liverpool. Sky source on the birth of the Rooney's baby Sky's North of England correspondent Tom Parmenter said: "The Liverpool Women's hospital has a first class reputation and is one of the leading maternity hospitals, not just in the UK, but all of Europe. "The fact the couple have chosen to have the baby there shows how determined they were for their child to be born in Liverpool." With the child nine days overdue, there was speculation Coleen was set to give birth when Wayne missed training with Manchester United on Monday morning. He will almost certainly be unavailable for the side's game against CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening. Wayne's brother Graham and cousin Claire arrive at the hospital The public will not be seeing many pictures of Kai Wayne in glossy magazines soon, though, as the new mum turned down a £1m deal with OK. Coleen insisted she wants to keep the couple's first birthday out of the public spotlight. Her spokesman told the News Of The World: "There are no bids being accepted - there won't be any picture deals." A friend of Coleen reportedly said: "She wants the little one to have a normal upbringing and so she's decided to turn down the deal. "It's part of her beliefs and ideals." \|\|\|\|\| Coleen Rooney's baby was delivered nine days over its due date Coleen Rooney, wife of Manchester United and England footballer Wayne Rooney, has given birth to a boy they have named Kai Wayne. Coleen, 23, had her baby at Liverpool Women's Hospital on Monday. Rooney, who scored for United on Sunday, had earlier missed his team's training session ahead of their Champions' League match on Tuesday. Coleen was nine days overdue. The child, the couple's first, was born at 1420 GMT, their spokesman said. He added: "Mother and baby are both absolutely fine. Wayne and Coleen are thrilled with the wonderful addition to their family life." The couple were married on the Italian Riviera last summer. Coleen is the eldest of four children and a television presenter on ITV2, while Wayne is the eldest of three. Both have large extended families. Following the birth, bookmakers have offered various odds on the couple's child achieving sporting success in future. Coral are offering odds of 66-1 that Kai Rooney will follow in his father's footsteps and play football for England. William Hill rate him at 100-1 to play Premiership football, 125-1 to play for Manchester United and 150-1 to gain a full England cap.	File photo of Wayne Rooney The wife of English football player Wayne Rooney has given birth to a baby boy in Liverpool, England. Coleen Rooney gave birth to the child in the Liverpool Women's Hospital at 1420 GMT, after being nine days overdue. The child has been named Kai Wayne Rooney. The father was present at the birth. The birth itself was natural, however Coleen did have to be induced. A spokesperson for the married couple has said: "Mother and baby are both absolutely fine. Wayne and Coleen are thrilled with the wonderful addition to their family life." Wayne Rooney is a striker player for Manchester United F.C. He had to abandon earlier training sessions due to the birth taking place.
Another day, another recall. The latest product to be recalled are the Children’s Fashion Sunglasses by Dolgencorp Inc., of Goodlettsville, Tenn. It is reported that about 51,000 units have been recalled with the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission announcing that consumers stop using the recalled products immediately. Yet again, these children’s sunglasses are being recalled due to high levels of lead in the yellow surface paint on the glasses. No other colours are effected in the recall. To see if your sunglasses are effected, check to see if the word CHINA is printed on the left side of the frame and the UPC #400007860896 and words “Fashion Sunglasses” and “Time to Play Every Day” are printed on the red hangtag. The glasses were sold at Dollar General stores nationwide from March 25 through to October 2007. If your child has a pair of the recalled sunglasses, take them from your child immediately and return them to a Dollar General store for a full refund. Source \|\|\|\|\| Children's Sunglasses Recalled by Dollar General Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 8, 2007 Release #08-080 Firmís Recall Hotline: (800) 678-9258 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 Children's Sunglasses Recalled by Dollar General Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Name of Product: Childrenís Fashion Sunglasses Units: About 51,000 Importer/Distributor: Dolgencorp Inc., of Goodlettsville, Tenn. Hazard: The yellow surface paint on the sunglasses may contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard. Incidents/Injuries: None reported. Description: The recall involves yellow childrenís sunglasses. No other colors of sunglasses are included in this recall. The word "CHINA" is printed on the left side of the frame. The UPC #400007860896 and words "Fashion Sunglasses" and "Time to Play Every Day" are printed on the productís red hangtag. Sold at: Dollar General stores nationwide from March 2005 through October 2007 for $1. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should take the recalled sunglasses away from young children immediately and return them to any Dollar General store for a full refund. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dollar General at (800) 678-9258 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.dollargeneral.com \|\|\|\|\| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About 380,000 Chinese-made toy cars sold at Dollar General retail stores are being recalled because their paint contains unsafe levels of lead, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Wednesday. The pull-and-release toy cars were sold from April through October this year for about $1 per pack of two or four cars, the safety agency said in a statement. Consumers should return the toy cars to any Dollar General store for a refund, it said. Dollar General was acquired in July 2007 by an investment group that included affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, GS Capital Partners and Citi Private Equity.	Dollar General stores have issued a recall of toys and sunglasses due to lead paint. Dollar General is the latest American company to recall unsafe Chinese-made products. All products affected by the recall contain "excessive amounts of lead" in the yellow paint. The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission has just recalled "pull and release" toy cars, as well as yellow children's size sunglasses. Products affected are: * a four pack of Super Wheels (UPC #400016576344) * a two pack of Super Racer cars (UPC # 883788965002, 380000) * "Time to Play Every Day" Fashion Sunglasses (UPC #400007860896, 51,000 units) The car toys were sold at the chain's stores from April through October; the glasses were sold from March 25 through to October 2007. Affected products should be taken from children immediately. Dollar General will provide full refunds on return. The Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based price-point retailer chain had 8205 stores, as of June this year.
София. Над 4 милиона и 600 хиляди са заразените с коронавирус в света, починалите са над 308 хиляди, а оздравелите са над един милион и 759 хиляди души показва справка на сайта Worldometers. Активните в момента случаи са над два милиона и 560 хиляди, като от тях 45 хиляди се намират в тежко или критично състояние, като този брой непрекъснато намалява. На първо място с над ед... \|\|\|\|\| BEFORE ENACTING the ``Detainee Bill " (otherwise known as the Military Commissions Act) two weeks ago, Congress should have spent more time learning from the Israeli experience. Compared with Israel's security measures during a long and difficult experience with terrorism, the US Congress has gone too far in its willingness to compromise human rights and civil liberties. Security considerations, as legitimate and forceful as they are, do not justify such excessive measures, as the Israeli practice demonstrates. Israel enacted its own Unlawful Combatants Law in 2002, with the purpose of providing a domestic legal framework for the prolonged detention of terrorists. Rejecting the terrorists' status as prisoners of war, the law instead provides for holding them ``until the end of hostilities." From its inception, it was intended not so much for the detention of Palestinian terrorists, who are either tried as criminals or held in administrative detention, but for others -- mostly from Lebanon or other Arab countries. Unlike the US bill , the Israeli law provides for a first hearing of the detainee before a high-ranking officer immediately upon his detention; a detainee has a right to legal representation; a first judicial review of the detention warrant has to take place in a district court no longer than 14 days after the first arrest, and every six months thereafter; and the detainee can appeal his detention before a Supreme Court j udge. The court must revoke the detention order if it finds that the release of the detainee would not threaten national security or if there are other special reasons that justify it. Regulations promulgated under the law stipulate conditions for detention. These include provisions on medical treatment, clothing, food (including the right to purchase items in a canteen), outdoor exercises, religious practices, correspondence with the outside world, and even cigarettes. Unlike the US bill, in Israel, the detainee also has a right to meet with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The chief of general staff can permit other visitors, such as family members. Most of the judicial safeguards and conditions of treatment stipulated under the Israeli law are absent from the American law . Judicial review by courts has been replaced by military commissions; appeal is limited to one court, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which would be barred from applying international humanitarian law to an appellant detainee's situation. Congress has specified that the president -- not the courts -- is the first and final arbiter on the interpretation of international humanitarian law. Again, unlike the law in Israel, the US law gives government officials immunity from prosecution for any maltreatment of detainees that does not amount to ``grave breaches" under the Geneva Conventions of 1949. This is especially striking, given the exposure of abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay and of the rendition of detainees to countries known to engage in torture. Neither the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 nor the recent Military Commission Act provide for visits by Red Cross delegates . These omissions are telling. Where the administration has allowed such visits to Guantanamo , it deemed such permission a goodwill gesture and not a legal obligation. In each of these respects, the law in Israel is more protective of individual rights -- without resulting in security risks . It would have been unthinkable for any Israeli governmental lawyers to devise a legal framework that would strip the courts of their powers of judicial review. The cost of overreaction by the US Congress is enormous. The Congress has abandoned c onstitutional commitments without evident need and made the commitments to individual rights and fair treatment dispensable. Moreover, the US Military Commissions Act sends to other countries facing terrorism the message that effective judicial review is null and void once the security alarm is sounded. It demonstrates a level of panic and irresponsible abandonment of principles that other nations, facing similar dangers, have avoided. As bad as this may be for America, it is potentially far worse for countries that look to the United States for leadership. Now, the US example will encourage other nations to throw away rights just when they are sorely tested. Gabriella Blum is a visiting assistant professor at Harvard Law School and a former legal adviser for the Israel Defense Forces. Martha Minow is the Jeremiah Smith Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. © Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company. \|\|\|\|\| The president Tuesday morning signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which he says is one of the most important laws passed during his administration. Now the law states that the military will be responsible for trying captured terror suspects — the guys in Gitmo. It works this way: A three officer military panel will determine a detainee's status. If the person is deemed to be an "enemy combatant," he can be held indefinitely. The military will also conduct trials for detainees accused of committing war crimes. If classified information is necessary, the detainee will not be able to see it, but he will get a summary of the evidence against him. Of course, the military lawyer — a JAG — will be provided to everything charged. If convicted, the detainee cannot appeal. Now obviously, this is controversial. Many liberals oppose the military justice system wanting captured terrorists to be tried in civilian courts. You can decide what policy is better for the country, but one thing is very clear: President Bush believes that terrorism can only be defeated by military means. And that if terror crimes are adjudicated in civilian courts, we'll lose the war. (Story continues below) Advertise Here Advertisements Advertisements That is the crux of the issue. And that is The Memo. Most Ridiculous Item of the Day In Georgia, 47-year-old Denise Greer got a $100 ticket for having a bumper sticker that said, "I'm tired of all the Bushit." A judge threw the ticket out on speech grounds, but now Ms. Greer is seeking damages, emotional distress damages. Why is she doing this? Because the ACLU told her to do it — lawsuit is filed under their banner. Ms. Greer is also seeking punitive damages, saying the police officer that ticket her acted with reckless disregard for her rights. Ridiculous? We'll let you know how it turns out. Also, two programming notes: Tomorrow, your humble correspondent will appear on "The View". Is that a TiVo moment, or what? I'm looking forward to seeing my pal, Rosie O'Donnell. And a week from this Friday, more humbleness as I will make a return visit to the David Letterman program. Remember, you told me in a BillOReilly.com poll to go back, so I am. Three TiVo machines will be needed for the Letterman program a week from Friday. All of this to support my new book, "Culture Warrior", which continues to be a huge best seller, and we thank you all very much. —You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com \|\|\|\|\| In the report below, we said that Iran's service providers had been told to restrict online speeds to "128 kilobytes a second". That should have been 128 kilobits per second (kbps). Iran's Islamic government has opened a new front in its drive to stifle domestic political dissent and combat the influence of western culture - by banning high-speed internet links. In a blow to the country's estimated 5 million internet users, service providers have been told to restrict online speeds to 128 kilobits per second (kbps) and been forbidden from offering fast broadband packages. The move by Iran's telecommunications regulator will make it more difficult to download foreign music, films and television programmes, which the authorities blame for undermining Islamic culture among the younger generation. It will also impede efforts by political opposition groups to organise by uploading information on to the net. The order follows a purge on illegal satellite dishes, which millions of Iranians use to clandestinely watch western television. Police have seized thousands of dishes in recent months. The latest step has drawn condemnation from MPs, internet service companies and academics, who say it will hamper Iran's progress. "Every country in the world is moving towards modernisation and a major element of this is high-speed internet access," said Ramazan-ali Sedeghzadeh, chairman of the parliamentary telecommunications committee. "The country needs it for development and access to contemporary science." Iran has not responded to a western incentive package that includes the offer of state-of-the-art internet technology in return for the suspension of a key part of the country's nuclear programme. A petition branding the high-speed ban as "backward and unprincipled" bearing more than 1,000 signatures is to be sent to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Scores of websites and blogs are censored using hi-tech US-made filtering equipment. Iran filters more websites than any other country apart from China. High-speed links can be used with anti-filtering devices to access filtered sites. The telecoms regulator declined to explain the decision but said it was taken by "a collection of policy-makers". However, Etemad, a pro-reformist newspaper, suggested it was part of an official campaign to stem a western "cultural invasion". "Unpleasant whispers are saying that the motivations behind the scenes are the same as those involved in the purging of satellite dishes," the paper wrote. Parastoo Dokoohaki, a prominent Iranian blogger, said the move was designed to foil the government's opponents. "If you want to announce a gathering in advance, you won't see it mentioned on official websites and newspapers would announce it too late. Therefore, you upload it anonymously and put the information out. Banning high-speed links would limit that facility. Despite having the telecoms facilities, fibre-optic technology and internet infrastructure, the authorities want us to be undeveloped." The crackdown comes in an atmosphere of increasing restrictions on the media. Last week, Mr Ahmadinejad launched a fierce attack on the head of the state broadcasting organisation, IRIB, which he blamed for stoking public fears about inflation. Iran's leading reformist newspaper, Shargh, was also closed last month. \|\|\|\|\| Iran Press News: The Islamic regime has now banned private residences and public locations access to high-speed internet with a bandwidth above 128K. According to FAVA NEWS a letter signed by Mahmoud Khosravi, the director of the radio communications regulatory organization of the Islamic regime to internet companies states: “You are hereby advised that until further notice, offering bandwidth above 128K to all private residences and public locations must be avoided.” \|\|\|\|\| An unidentified commuter is carried on a stretcher after two subway trains collided during morning rush hour in a central Rome station, Oct. 17, 2006. (Xinhua Photo/AP) Photo Gallery >>> Rescue operations have completed at the Piazza Vittorio underground station, where the collision took place, near the main railway station. Firefighters said two people, including a 30-year-old woman, were killed. An estimated 60 others were injured, 30 of them seriously. According to local media reports, the tragedy took place at 9:47 a.m. as a second subway train at low speed crashed into a stationary one at the Piazza Vittorio station. Mayor Walter Veltroni said at the scene of the accident that investigation is under way on the cause of the collision. Enditem [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]	A compilation of brief news reports for ===Annan Wants Quicker Hezbollah Disarmament=== ''October 20, 2006'' The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has urged the Lebanese government to speed up the process of disarming the Hezbollah. Annan said that transforming Hezbollah into a solely political party with no armed branch should bring the country a step closer to full sovereignty. ===Explosion in Paracin, Serbia=== ''October 19, 2006'' Early this morning at approximately 5 a.m. local time, the weapons warehouse in Paraćin, Serbia caught on fire. Most of the weapons in the warehouse were the explosives so there were explosions in the warehouse for more than 1 hour. Approximately 8 people were wounded in the accident; among them were a few policemen. ===President Bush signs 2006 Military Commissions Act into law=== ''October 18, 2006'' On Tuesday morning, United States President George Bush signed into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006. ===Iran reportedly bans high-speed Internet access=== ''October 18, 2006'' The government of Iran has banned service providers from offering high-speed internet access, of speeds above 128kbps. The telecom regulator declined to explain the reasons for the ban, which is seen by a pro-reformist newspaper, ''Etemad'' as part of an effort to counter western "cultural invasion". ===Two subway trains collide in Rome=== ''October 17, 2006'' A subway train in Rome collided with another in Vittorio station. At least one woman has died and 60 people are injured.
An Australian who is being held at a militaty base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Monday pleaded guilty to one count of supporting a terrorist organization. VOA's Brian Wagner reports from Miami the 31-year-old David Hicks is expected to serve his sentence in Australia. In this drawing by AP sketch artist Janet Hamlin, detainee David Hicks, (l), sits with his defense council in US military courtroom at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 26 Mar 2007 David Hicks appeared before a military judge at Guantanamo Bay to face charges of providing material support to a terrorist organization. The 31-year-old Australian has been awaiting trial at the U.S. military base for more than five years, following his capture in Afghanistan in 2001. Military prosecutors accuse him of belonging to the Pakistani Islamic group Lashkar-e-Toiba, and say he met al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. They also say he went to Kosovo in 1999, where he received weapons training and fought alongside Albanian Muslim fighters. His father says Hicks was on a religious pilgrimage in Afghanistan when he was captured. Hicks' trial had been scheduled to begin in 2005, but it was canceled while U.S. courts considered legal challenges to the system of military commissions authorized by President Bush in 2001. In a ruling last June, the Supreme Court set aside the commission system, saying the president did not have authority to create them. Since then, Congress has approved a new set of procedures for trying enemy combatants. "These military commissions are not something that previously existed," said Avi Cover, a senior counsel for Human Rights First. "This is the first time around in this second version of the commission, since the Supreme Court ruled the earlier version unconstitutional and illegal. We'll need to see what will transpire." Many human rights groups have welcomed changes to the commission system. But Cover says there are still concerns about whether detainees will receive fair trials at Guantanamo, and whether evidence gained through controversial interrogation methods will be allowed in the courtroom. Scott Silliman, a law professor at Duke University and former Air Force judge advocate, says the new commission rules are a marked improvement. "I think the procedures that Congress enacted into law last fall have more due process embedded in them, incorporated in them, than the prior system that President [Bush] created in 2001," he said. Silliman says the revised commission system is similar to the uniform code of military justice, which is used by all military justice personnel. Military officials say they plan to hold trials for as many as 80 of the 385 individuals being held at Guantanamo. They say 80 others are to be released or transferred to another country, if those nations are willing to take them. \|\|\|\|\| Hicks is the first detainee to face the new judicial process The 31-year-old Muslim convert was accused of attending al-Qaeda training camps and fighting with the Taleban. The plea means that Hicks, who has been at the camp for five years, is likely to return home to serve his sentence. Hicks is the first detainee at the detention camp to face terror charges under new US rules. There were handshakes, hugs and tears ... He looks bloody terrible Terry Hicks David Hicks' father Emotional family reunion He was charged under the new Military Commissions Act, which human rights groups condemn. Return 'fairly soon' Hicks appeared at the hearing wearing khaki prison fatigues and with hair down to his chest - grown, his lawyer said, to pull over his eyes at night to keep out the light and allow him to get to sleep. As the proceedings got under way, Hicks was formally charged and initially deferred entering a plea. But later on his lawyers told the judge he was pleading guilty. Other charges against him, including attempted murder, have been dropped. Prosecution and defence lawyers are expected to reach agreement this week on a plea deal establishing his sentence. US and Australian authorities have already agreed that Hicks will serve out his sentence in his native country. He faces a maximum sentence of life but after strong pressure from the Australian government there is speculation that he will receive a shorter sentence. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told local media that he welcomed the conclusion to a legal process which he said took "far too long". "My guess is he will be able to come back (to Australia) fairly soon," he told ABC radio. Before the hearing, which was opened to members of the press, Hicks was allowed a two-hour reunion with his father and sister. He last saw his father, Terry, at a previous hearing in August 2004. "There were handshakes, hugs and tears," Terry Hicks told journalists. "He looks bloody terrible." And Mr Hicks, who left the base before the plea was announced, said he would continue to support his son. "We will stand by him on anything he decides, whichever way it goes," he said. Criticism David Hicks arrived in Guantanamo Bay in early 2002 after being captured in Afghanistan a month earlier. The former farm hand and kangaroo skinner was charged and started a trial process previously in August 2004. However, the US Supreme Court last year ruled the system unconstitutional. The administration of President George W Bush then tabled a revised tribunal system that was passed by Congress. Hicks is the first person to be tried under the new procedures. Two others, Omar Khadr, a Canadian, and Salim Ahmed Hamdan, from Yemen, have been indicted but have not yet been read sworn charges, Cmdr Durand said. The US has said it plans to use the new system to prosecute about 80 of the remaining 385-or-so prisoners at the camp. Human rights campaign group Amnesty International has condemned the tribunals as "shabby show trials" and demanded that detainees be tried under the regular US judicial system.	' cell at Guantanamo Bay (reading room in inset). David Hicks of Australia became the first to be charged under the new Military Commissions Act as he appeared before a military judge at Guantanamo Bay to face charges of providing material support to a terrorist organization. The 31-year-old Australian's lawyers have been considering a plea bargain, in hopes he can be handed to Australian custody. It is alleged that Hicks, a convert, attended training camps and fought with the . He was captured in 2001 in Afghanistan where, according to his father, he was on a religious pilgrimage. Hicks sought to expand his defense team, but two of his lawyers were disqualified by the military judge. One of them, Joshua Dratel, refused to sign a document setting out the rules for the tribunal. Hicks said he was "shocked" to lose another lawyer.
It's true. JURI has voted to restart the procedure regarding software patents. From scratch. I heard it first from an email, and now Heise has it up online. Here is the FFII press release. Jan Wildeboer tells me that by invoking Rule 55 of the Rules of Parliament, JURI is now asking for a completely new directive. He says the proposed directive on so-called "computer-implemented inventions" was under heavy fire from the beginning of the intense meeting. By throwing away almost all amendments of the Parliament, the Council tried to push through a "compromise" that was not ultimately accepted, making a restart the only viable way left. So, says Jan, the proposed directive is /dev/null. "A fresh start will open the doors for constructive definitions of scope and exclusions from patentability", says Hartmut Pilch, founder and president of FFII, "We will now see rational arguments in this discussion and we are ready to bring in our experience and knowledge". Here's an enjoyable computer translation of the Heise story: The co-ordinators of the responsible legal committee of the European Union parliament approximately set today around the planned guideline over the patenting bar of "computer-implemented inventions" the switches to evening in the procedure seriously to restart. "we decided practically unanimously with only two abstentions that our president explained at the commission a Rekonsultation requested", to SPE Koordinatorin Maria Berger after the approximately three-hour session opposite heise on-line. As soon as parliament president Josep Borrell Fontelles follows that urge of the legal committee, the commission is requested to deal with itself again with the guideline. Concretely the commission is to send their original guideline suggestion either still once to the European Union parliament or submit a new. I say hear, hear. The Commission is requested to deal with itself again. Of course, that's the hard part. Here it is in German, so some of you can help us out with a translation that doesn't make us laugh. Not that I don't feel like laughing. I surely do: Die Koordinatoren des federführenden Rechtsausschusses des EU-Parlaments haben heute Abend im Verfahren rund um die geplante Richtlinie über die Patentierbarkeit "computerimplementierter Erfindungen" die Weichen nachdrücklich auf Neustart gestellt. "Wir haben praktisch einstimmig mit nur zwei Enthaltungen beschlossen, dass unser Präsident bei der Kommission eine Rekonsultation beantragt", erklärte SPE-Koordinatorin Maria Berger nach der rund dreistündigen Sitzung gegenüber heise online. Sobald Parlamentspräsident Josep Borrell Fontelles dem Drängen des Rechtsausschusses nachkommt, ist die Kommission aufgefordert, sich erneut mit der Richtlinie zu befassen. Konkret soll die Kommission ihren ursprünglichen Richtlinienvorschlag entweder noch einmal an das EU-Parlament übersenden oder einen neuen vorlegen. UPDATE: Here is a reader's translation: The co-ordinators of the responsible committee of legal affairs of the EU parliament pointed the way for a restart of the proceedings concerning the directive of "computer-implemented inventions" this evening. "We decided more or less unanimously, with only two abstentions, that our president [i.e. President of the EP] will move for a new conferral", SPE-coordinator Maria Berger told heise online after the conference which had lasted three hours. As soon as President Joseb Borell complies with the urging of the committee, the Commission is exhorted to deal with the directive again. Specifically, the Commission is expected to send the draft to the EP once again or to present a new one. Here is the FFII press release in full: **************************** European Parliament JURI Committee votes for restart with massive majority Brussels, 2 February 2005 - The Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament (JURI) has decided with a large majority to ask the Commission for a renewed referral of the software patents directive. With only two or three votes against and one abstention, the resolution had overwhelming support from the committee, and all-party backing. The decision is a powerful statement from MEPs that the current Council text, and the logjam of concern it has caused, is simply not a sustainable way forward. It is now up to the Commission to submit a new, or the same, proposal to the Parliament. Parliament will then hold a new first reading, this time under the guidance of Michel Rocard MEP as rapporteur. The European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Charles McCreevy, had in the morning assured the JURI Committee that the Council would finally adopt its beleaguered Common Position text. He announced that "the Luxembourg Presidency has now received written assurances concerning the re-instatement of this issue as an A point at a forthcoming Council". Given that A points are to be adopted without discussion, this left no possibilities for renewed negotiations in the Council. Consequently, the Parliament apparently decided that a restart was the best solution. Michel Rocard MEP gave a very strong speech at the meeting with the Commissioner. Apart from noting several "inelegancies" by the Commission, such as not taking into account any of the Parliament's substantive amendments in its recommendation to the Council, he also took issue with the Dutch and German governments ignoring their respective parliaments, the Irish Presidency's sponsorship by Microsoft and the attempted ratifications of the political (dis)agreement at several fishery Council meetings. He mentioned that at a meeting with the Polish government, the industry players confirmed that the Council text allowed pure software patents, and wondered how the Commission could continue claiming the reverse. He was also curious about how the Commission's perfectly tautological definition of the concept "technical" could help in any way to distinguish between what is patentable and what is not. Despite his own abstention when voting on the restart later that day, the fact that almost everyone else supported it is probably his personal achievement. The Commissioner made clear that "any agreement will need to strike a fair balance between different interests", and that "a constructive dialogue between the Council and Parliament will be vital for an agreement". He does have the option to deny a new first reading. But given the strength of feeling in the Parliament and the concerns of so many member states in the Council, the Parliament request looks like the best way to achieve a clean way forward for this Directive that everyone has been looking for. Comments Jonas Maebe, board member of FFII: The Commissioner can jumpstart the constructive dialogue by submitting a new and more balanced proposal to the European Parliament this time. By taking into account the countless new facts that have surfaced since the start of this procedure in 2002, the Commission has a great opportunity to give the Lisbon strategy the incentives it needs to succeed. Dieter Van Uytvanck, president FFII Belgium: We owe this victory for democracy to the members of the European parliament. Today they have shown once again that they really care about the concerns of the European citizens. And of course we would like to thank those as well. I'm sure that without their impressive support for an innovative climate that is freed of software patents, this step would not have been possible. \|\|\|\|\| BRUSSELS, Feb. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The European Parliament has asked for an important piece of legislation to be sent back to the drawing board striking a blow to the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU). The computer-implemented inventions directive, which critics say wrongly allows software to be patented, was voted down by members of European Parliament (MEP) in the legal affairs committee following a heated debate, said an online newsletter Euobserver on Thursday. "In the debate, broad agreement prevailed over the fact that the current proposal was counter-productive and far from a good basis for a decision," said Italian MEP Monica Frassoni. "We are in danger of reaching a stage that would radically limit the patentability of inventions," said German center-right MEP Klaus-Heiner Lehne. Whereas small and medium-sized companies fear they will be put out of business by the legislation, big companies have warned that billions in research and development spending would be wasted if they were denied access to patent protection. Both sides have been involved in intense lobbying of MEPs. It is up to the European Commission to decide whether to withdraw the legislation. Enditem \|\|\|\|\| EU software patent rejected by MEPs \| By Honor Mahony EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - MEPs have asked for an important piece of legislation to be sent back to the drawing board striking a blow to the EU's internal market commissioner, Charlie McCreevy. The computer-implemented inventions directive, which critics say wrongly allows software to be patented, was voted down by MEPs in the legal affairs committee following a heated debate on Wednesday (2 February). "In the debate, broad agreement prevailed over the fact that the current proposal on the Council's table was counter-productive and far from a good basis for a decision. It became clear to everybody that a way out was needed", said Italian MEP Monica Frassoni. Ms Frassoni also criticised Mr McCreevy for being "incredibly vague" about what the Commission's intentions were concerning the legislation. "We are in danger of reaching a stage that would radically limit the patentability of inventions", said German centre-right MEP Klaus-Heiner Lehne. "A restrictive patentability would harm innovative industries especially in the areas of medicine, automotive production, technical components and household goods", added the MEP. Latest twist This is just the latest twist in a bumpy ride for the software patent - which is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect. The legislation has been blocked in council twice by Poland, meaning the qualified majority needed was lacking - resulting in a deadlock. This meant that MEPs were entitled to call for a re-start of negotiations. Florian Müller from nosoftwarepatents.com described the decision as a "spectacular victory for democracy". Whereas small and medium-sized companies fear they will be put out of business by the legislation, big companies have warned that billions in research and development spending would be wasted if they were denied access to patent protection. Both sides have been involved in intense lobbying of MEPs. It is up to the European Commission to decide whether to withdraw the legislation.	Despite assurances from the European Commissioner for the Internal Market Charles McCreevy that the Council would adopt its controversial Common Position text covering Software Patents, members voted to restart the entire process with a new directive. MEP Michel Rocard noted several "inelegancies" by the Commission in his speech against the directive, such as not taking into account any of the Parliament's substantive amendments in its recommendation to the Council. He also took the Dutch and German governments to task for ignoring their respective parliaments. The Irish Presidency's sponsorship by Microsoft was also criticised, as were the attempted ratifications at fishery Council meetings. There was also confusion over the actual effects of the proposed directive with industry players confirming that the Council text allowed pure software patents, while the Commission claimed it would not. "In the debate, broad agreement prevailed over the fact that the current proposal was counter-productive and far from a good basis for a decision," said Italian MEP Monica Frassoni. The computer-implemented inventions directive was voted down by members of European Parliament (MEP) in the legal affairs committee. 19 MEPs voted in favour of re-starting negotiations, 2 against with one abstention.
By Peter Fraser Last updated: 30th March 2008 Bouazza celebrates his deflected strike The inevitable became reality at Pride Park on Saturday as a 2-2 draw with Fulham condemned Derby to Premier League relegation. Derby, who earned Championship play-off promotion last season, went into the contest well aware that they were facing the drop if they failed to beat Fulham and Birmingham recorded three points against Manchester City at St Andrews. But as Birmingham earned victory on the west side of the Midlands, Derby could not perform a similar feat in the east as honours were left even in a thrilling contest. The Rams took a 10th minute lead when Emanuel Villa deflected in a wayward effort from Dean Leacock, but Fulham hit back as Diomansy Kamara took advantage of some slack Derby defending to head in a 24th minute Simon Davies cross. Paul Jewell's Derby side then threw everything they could at Kasey Keller in the Fulham goal in the second half, but they found themselves behind on 78 minutes as the balance of fortune was restored as Leacock diverted a Hameur Bouazza shot into his own goal. Derby, though, then gave themselves hope as Villa headed in his second with 10 minutes to go from a Mile Sterjovski cross, but the required winner was not forthcoming to leave the Rams heading for an immediate return to the second tier of English football. The visitors, still with survival hopes very much intact, started best with the busy Jimmy Bullard whizzing the first of many free-kicks over Roy Carroll's bar. The Rams had their first chance in the eighth minute when Andy Todd whipped in a cross from deep near the right by-line, but Villa was bustled out of a shooting chance by Aaron Hughes in the box. Unlikely lead It took the home side only 10 minutes to grab an unlikely lead and there was a heavy dose of fortune about it as Leacock's harmless drive struck Villa and wrong-footed Kasey Keller in the Fulham goal. Bullard responded by directing another dangerous-looking free-kick over the bar as the visitors' early dominance threatened to wane. Robbie Savage scrambled a half-chance straight at Keller in the box and in the 23rd minute David Jones screwed a wonderful long-range effort which was heading for the top corner until the keeper saved well. But just as the Rams looked to have got on top, Fulham responded with a 24th-minute equaliser after a quick-fire counter-attack. Davies' cross from the right was met with a fine glancing header by Kamara which gave Carroll no chance. A bright game which was far surpassing its billing continued when Miller burst through only to be denied by Keller diving at his feet, and then there was a loud penalty appeal after a shot by Sterjovski appeared to strike the hand of Brede Hangeland. Bullard came close seven minutes into the second half after Hossam Ghaly gave away a free-kick in a dangerous area 25 yards out, but the former Wigan man lashed his set-piece against the bar. And the Rams almost stole back the lead moments later when Keller raced rashly from his goal and mis-kicked on the right edge of the box, allowing Rob Earnshaw a free shot which flashed across the face of the unguarded goal. The Rams began to press with Keller parrying a long-range Sterjovski effort just over his bar, and Eddie Lewis landing a dangerous cross from the left by-line on the roof of the net. Fulham came close in the 65th minute when Bullard flung in another threatening free-kick from the left, and Paul Stalteri stooped on the edge of the six-yard box to send his low header inches wide of Carroll's right-hand post. Spurned chance But Savage spurned the simplest chance of the lot in the 70th minute after finding himself in the clear on the edge of the six-yard box, only to trundle the tamest of shots straight at Keller. Fulham finally looked to have ended their long winless streak on their travels with their bizarre second goal in the 77th minute. Kamara raced clear and saw his shot superbly parried by Carroll, but Bouazza's long-range follow-up struck the luckless Leacock and looped over the keeper and into the net. Amazingly, before the visitors had stopped celebrating the Rams hit back. Two minutes later Sterjovski crossed from deep on the right and Villa rose brilliantly to nod his second past Keller. Derby County Team Statistics Fulham 2 Goals 2 1 1st Half Goals 1 9 Shots on Target 7 6 Shots off Target 5 7 Blocked Shots 1 4 Corners 5 18 Fouls 17 2 Offsides 5 3 Yellow Cards 4 0 Red Cards 0 67.8 Passing Success 74.7 21 Tackles 9 76.2 Tackles Success 88.9 55.3 Possession 44.7 54.4 Territorial Advantage 45.6 \|\|\|\|\| Last updated: 30th March 2008 Battle: Dunn and Doyle Reading maintained their recent run by picking up a point in a goalless draw against Blackburn at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday. The Royals finished the game with ten men after Marek Matejovsky picked up his second yellow of the game with 20 minutes to go. Neither side dominated in a game that was packed with seven other bookings including a yellow card for Jason Roberts who sarcastically clapped a decision from the linesman. Reading almost grabbed a late winner in the 85th minute when Nicky Shorey's free-kick found Andre Bikey only for his shot to be cleared off the line. Blackburn had the pick of the chances after 75 minutes when three players beat the offside trap to find themselves in space. Zurab Khizanishvili powered a shot at goal but it did little to trouble Marcus Hahnemann. Powered Reading did unsettle the Blackburn defence early, with Khizanishvili forced to deflect a Kevin Doyle cross away from Dave Kitson at the far post. John Oster kept the ball in play, nutmegged Steve Warnock and drove in a low cross and Stephen Hunt could only poke the ball wide under pressure at the near post from Andre Ooijer. Morten Gamst Pedersen was Blackburn's chief threat in the early exchanges and he headed a David Bentley cross back across goal towards Roberts. But the Grenada international had more time than he realised and Reading goalkeeper Hahnemann picked off his soft header. Rovers shot-stopper Brad Friedel was then forced to punch the ball clear, virtually off Hunt's forehead, and the American was out again to claim a catch ahead of Kitson's physical leap. Hunt almost latched onto a knock-down in the Blackburn area before Rovers broke clear with a 60-year run from Roberts before he was fouled by Matejovsky. Pedersen's drilled shot was tipped over the bar by Hahnemann, who claimed the subsequent corner and then clashed with Ryan Nelsen. Roberts created two openings either side of the break but first Liam Rosenior and then Bikey cleared Reading's lines. Reading were playing with tempo and Doyle jinked inside two defenders before feeding Hunt, whose cross was laid back by Oster but Matejovsky scuffed his shot. Rosenior then whipped in a dangerous cross to Hunt seven yards out but the Ireland international volleyed his shot high over the bar. Controversial Matejovsky received his first booking for jumping into a tackle on David Dunn and when James Harper's clearing header fell to David Bentley, the England international unleashed a dipping volley which Hahnemann tipped over the bar. Santa Cruz stole the wrong side of Bikey to latch onto a long ball from Dunn but poked his shot wide of the near post. Matejovsky was then sent off for a block on Roberts and if that decision was controversial, Coppell was then infuriated by two poor off-side decisions. The first of them allowed Santa Cruz a free header at goal which Hahnemann did brilliantly to parry clear from point-blank range. Despite being a man down, Reading still worked the best chances to win the game. Substitute Shane Long broke clear and picked out Hunt unmarked in the box but the energetic Reading striker could not connect with the volley. Reading then forced a corner which Bikey met with a powerful header but Friedel parried it clear. \|\|\|\|\| Last updated: 31st March 2008 Jones: Equalised Sunderland took a massive step towards Premier League survival thanks to Andy Reid's late, late goal. The Hammers deservedly went in front through Freddie Ljungberg on 18 minutes after his shot was deflected past Craig Gordon by Nyron Nosworthy. But the Black Cats got back on level terms through a Kenwyne Jones' tap-in on 29 minutes after Daryl Murphy back-heeled a Kieran Richardson cross into his path. Sunderland dominated the second half and Murphy blasted over an open goal before Reid won it with a left-footed volley with virtually the last kick of the game. Temporary respite The visitors might have taken the lead with just 10 minutes gone when former Newcastle skipper Scott Parker turned up on the left edge of the penalty area to square the ball to Dean Ashton. The striker needed no second invitation as he deftly side-footed the ball past Gordon, only to see it come back off the upright. Sunderland's respite, however, was only temporary, and they fell behind eight minutes later, largely as a result of their inability to clear their lines. Carlton Cole made the most of hesitation in the Wearsiders' defence to lay the ball off for Ljungberg, whose firm shot struck Nosworthy on its way into the bottom corner. But Roy Keane's men responded swiftly and having previously wasted a series of good openings with poor final balls, they eventually made the pressure tell. Richardson found space on the left to drill a low cross in towards the near post, where Murphy flicked on for Jones to score from point-blank range. The Hammers could not believe an offside flag did not put a stop to the Trinidad and Tobago international's celebrations, but replays showed the officials got a close call right. Michael Chopra and Reid both tested Robert Green as Sunderland took control, but it was Gordon who had to pull off a vital fingertip save eight minutes before the break to keep out Cole's curling effort. Danny Collins headed a 43rd-minute Reid cross wide, but the home side were grateful for referee Andre Marriner's lenience on the stroke of half-time when Parker went down under Nosworthy's challenge inside the box and the official waved play on. Sunderland, and Murphy in particular, emerged for the second half in determined fashion with the Irishman forcing a smart save from Green seconds before defender Jonathan Spector hurriedly hacked his cross away at the near post. Ljungberg agony Lucas Neill was then in the right place at the right time when he hacked Collins' 54th-minute header off the line. Keane made a double change with 19 minutes remaining when he replaced Richardson and Chopra with Carlos Edwards and Grant Leadbitter, but it was Murphy who should have won it 10 minutes later. Jones muscled his way into the penalty area to cross for his strike partner 10 yards out, but he fired high over as the Hammers escaped. Ljungberg's afternoon ended in agony when he was stretchered off with a hamstring injury which left his side to play out the closing stages with 10 men. But then substitute Edwards' 88th-minute cross flew across goal, where fellow replacement James Tomkins got a crucial touch to deny Jones a winner. However, there was nothing Tomkins or anyone else could do to deny Reid when he raced on to Anton Ferdinand's header and blasted a shot past Green. \|\|\|\|\| By Hayley Paterson Last updated: 31st March 2008 Ten-man Birmingham took all three points after a controversial penalty and a brace from Mauro Zarate gave them a 3-1 win over Manchester City. The Blues dominated possession but Man City had the best chance early on when Elano's through-ball found Benjani who struck the post. Zarate opened the scoring after he latched onto Franck Queudrue's testing pass and cutely lobbed the ball over the advancing Joe Hart. The Argentinian made it two for him and two for the home side as he netted a clinical effort into the far corner across Hart's outstretched left arm. Controversy struck when Benjani fell under the challenge of Queudrue in the box who was deemed the last man and saw red. Elano then tucked away the resulting penalty to give Man City hope. But Gary McSheffrey quashed the away side's comeback when he went down rather easily from Sun Jihai's shoulder challenge and the midfielder stepped up to slot home the penalty himself making it 3-1. Birmingham started brightly in the swirling wind and a fine pass from Queudrue picked out Mikael Forssell who chested the ball down to McSheffrey but he snatched at his shot as it bobbled wide. Shaky The home side had a let-off after seven minutes after Fabrice Muamba had given the ball away in midfield. Elano threaded the ball through to Benjani and his low shot beat goalkeeper Maik Taylor but struck the post and rebounded out before Queudrue cleared at the expense of a corner. Manchester City looked shaky at the back and Radhi Jaidi had a header cleared off the line by Elano after he had made good contact on his header from a McSheffrey corner. McSheffrey had gone 13 months without a league goal in open play and his anxiety surfaced when he volleyed over from 10 yards out when unmarked after Richard Dunne's unintentional back header from a teasing Sebastian Larsson cross fell into his path. Another superb ball into the box from Larsson almost caught out Dunne who was relieved when he toe-ended the ball over Hart, who was off his line, and onto the roof of his own net. Queudrue showed great technique with an overhead kick from the edge of the Manchester City area which was tipped over the bar by Hart. It seemed only a matter of time before Blues broke the deadlock and they finally went ahead after 39 minutes through Zarate's second goal in two games. The impressive Queudrue was the creator with a superb pass into the path of the Argentinian striker who calmly lobbed the ball over Hart into the corner of the net. No surprise It came as no surprise when another superb finish by Zarate doubled Birmingham's lead after 54 minutes. Forssell won the ball in the air and his flick-on found McSheffrey who slipped the ball into Zarate and he drilled a low shot past Hart from 15 yards out. But then Manchester City were handed a lifeline three minutes later as the home side were reduced to 10 men with the sending-off of Queudrue. Muamba's misplaced pass played Birmingham into trouble and Queudrue was adjudged to have been the last defender as he brought down Benjani in the penalty area. Queudrue was given his marching orders by referee Rob Styles before Benjani made no mistake from the spot. Manchester City enjoyed a spell of superiority for the first time but with 13 minutes left McSheffrey scored from the spot after it was adjudged he had been brought down by Sun Jihai. \|\|\|\|\| Last updated: 29th March 2008 Defoe: Fantastic buy Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe showed Fabio Capello just what he missed in Paris in midweek, as his sublimely taken brace saw off Wigan at Fratton Park. Overlooked by England on Wednesday, the diminutive front-man was hungry for goals from the start and once in each half he showed just why he is emerging as one of the buys of the season. While Defoe was ruthless, Wigan were toothless, as they missed two glorious opportunities to fight their way back into a contest they were never out of until injury-time, when Portsmouth grabbed their second. Defoe punctuated proceedings just past the half-hour mark with a quintessential striker's goal, prodding in from the angle after John Utaka's strike had rebounded into his path. Luis Valencia's goal bound effort was diverted onto the bar by Glen Johnson, before in the second period Ryan Taylor saw his penalty brilliantly repelled by David James, before firing the rebound horribly over. In the game's dying embers Defoe raced onto Niko Kranjcar's inch-perfect pass to register his eighth goal from seven games. Missed chances Pompey missed chances early on - even Defoe, skying an eight-yard chance after Latics goalkeeper Chris Kirkland kept out Hermann Hreidarsson's blast and Kranjcar was just wide with a free-kick. Yet it was Wigan, without an entire midfield in the suspended Michael Brown, Jason Koumas and Wilson Palacios and minus knee injury victim Erik Edman, who should have gone ahead in the 13th minute. Marcus Bent, recalled to replace £3million striker Marlon King, looked offside when he slipped Valencia through to slide a shot past James. Johnson looked certain to score an own goal but his desperate clearance thudded against the crossbar and away. It fell straight to Valencia but this time the South American's shot was deflected for a corner. Bent almost surprised James with a shot from distance that flew over the bar but there had been little sign of ingenuity on either side by the half-hour mark. But Pompey finally snatched the lead in the 33rd minute and, inevitably, it was Defoe who poached it. Utaka, the £7million Nigerian winger who has been accused of being too laid-back by boss Harry Redknapp, showed admirable determination, cutting in from the right to almost stumble through three challenges and then see his cross deflect off Emmerson Boyce and leave Kirkland and the covering Mario Melchiot stranded. Striker's finish Defoe nipped in on the far post to tuck home the chance - his seventh goal in seven games. Pompey certainly had the breaks but they almost had a second goal as well soon afterwards when Kranjcar let go from well outside the area and Kirkland had to fly across his goal to touch the ball away with his fingertips. The ever-willing Milan Baros, yet to score his first Pompey goal, should have buried Wigan after a delightful run, typical of his industry in the 51st minute. He tried to pick out Defoe's run but the ball came back to him off a Wigan leg and he failed to deliver the shot from a clear opportunity when a combination of Kirkland and Boyce put on the block. James kept himself warm by diving to save Scharner's long-range drive just before Hreidarsson, doubtful all week with a swollen knee, limped off to give the home side a Wembley scare. Horror miss But even that was forgotten when referee Alan Wiley pointed to the spot soon afterwards. Valencia went down in the area after running onto Bent's pass and Sylvain Distin appeared to make clear contact despite Pompey's protests. But James, atoning for his howler in Paris, flung himself in the way of Taylor's poorly-struck penalty and the midfielder, instead of potting the rebound, scooped it over the bar, holding his head in horror. But Wigan with just one defeat in their previous five games, pressed to the finish in search of another precious survival point and James had to make another outstanding stop five minutes from time, flying to keep out substitute Antoine Sibierski's cracking drive before Defoe broke clear again to settle it in stoppage time. \|\|\|\|\| Last updated: 31st March 2008 Gunned down: Arsenal secure victory at the death Arsenal produced an astounding second-half comeback in miserable conditions to beat Bolton despite going two goals down and having Abou Diaby sent off after half an hour. Despite The Gunners dominating the early stages, Bolton went ahead in the 14th minute when Matthew Taylor headed home from Gretar Steinsson's cross. And the visitors' problems increased when Diaby was sent off after half an hour for a horror challenge on Steinsson. Taylor then grabbed his second goal just before half-time when his shot took a deflection off William Gallas and went beyond the outstretched Manuel Almunia. Bolton dominated the opening stages of the second half and could easily have had a third, but an Arsenal corner just after the hour gave Gallas the chance to bring his team back into the game as he fired home from close range when the ball. When Gary Cahill brought down Alexander Hleb in the area minutes later following a neat piece of play, Robin van Persie made no mistake in drawing his team level, setting up a frantic end to the game. And in the 90th minute, Cesc Fabregas's twice-deflected shot found its way into the Bolton goal to complete a remarkable comeback for Arsene Wenger's men. Arsenal should have been ahead in the ninth minute when Hleb threaded a through-ball to Van Persie but with only the goalkeeper to beat he drove straight at Ali Al-Habsi. Made to pay Nicklas Bendtner then had a shot charged down by Cahill, before Arsenal were made to pay for not making more of their possession in the 14th minute. From a throw-in El Hadji Diouf played in Steinsson down the right and the full-back curled in a superb cross which Taylor headed powerfully past Almunia from six yards. Toure thought he had come close to scoring when his drilled effort from outside the penalty area took a deflection off Bendtner to wrong-foot Al-Habsi but as the goalkeeper watched the ball roll agonisingly wide of the post the assistant referee's flag had already gone up for offside against Gallas. Arsenal's problems worsened after 31 minutes when Diaby dived in studs-up on Steinsson's ankle and referee Chris Foy had no hesitation in showing a red card. And just when it looked like they would get to half-time without further mishap Taylor scored a fortunate second in the 42nd minute. Gavin McCann robbed Mathieu Flamini on the edge of his own penalty and when Diouf squared the ball Taylor's left-footed strike deflected off Gallas and past Almunia. Kevin Davies forced Philippe Senderos into conceding a corner in the second minute after the interval and when Taylor fired in his shot Cahill's backheel took it just wide of Almunia's near post. Title hope Cahill's header from a Taylor corner then produced a good reaction save from Gunners goalkeeper Almunia. Out of nowhere the visitors got themselves back in the match from Van Persie's 63rd-minute corner when Ivan Campo jumped but missed his header and Gallas stole in unmarked to score at the far post. Six minutes later the Gunners were level when Van Persie converted from the penalty spot after Cahill brought down Hleb. It was harsh on Al-Habsi, who had saved well from Flamini seconds earlier after the midfielder had collected substitute Emmanuel Adebayor's backheel. The confidence drained out of the hosts as Arsenal went for victory, although Campo did have one half-chance which he blazed over from outside the box. Van Persie twice had opportunities to snatch victory but fired well over on both occasions, once from seven yards. And with seconds to go Arsenal snatched victory when Hleb's cross from the left was helped on by Fabregas and took two deflections, the last off Samuel to give the Gunners' hope in the title race. \|\|\|\|\| By Chris Burton Last updated: 31st March 2008 United celebrate Ronaldo's opener Manchester United's title dreams remain firmly on track after they cruised to a 4-0 victory over Aston Villa at Old Trafford. Cristiano Ronaldo was once again among the goals, and was joined on the score sheet by Carlos Tevez and a brace from a rejuvenated Wayne Rooney. A bright start from Villa masked what was to eventually become a procession from United as Sir Alex Ferguson's men put on an eye-catching display. It took just 17 minutes for Ronaldo to stamp his authority on the game and once again prove that he is arguably the most precocious talent in the game at the moment. It appeared that there was little on for the Portuguese winger when a Ryan Giggs corner fell to his feet 10-yards from goal. However, it has become clear that Ronaldo's talents should never be underestimated and with one clever flick of his right foot United were in front and Villa were left bemused. He was again involved in the Red Devils' second as a free-flowing move, started by Tevez, was finished off by the Argentinean as he headed home a Ronaldo cross from the right. Eight minutes into the second period Rooney then put the result beyond doubt when he was allowed to waltz around Scott Carson before slotting into an empty net. With Villa's defence beginning to capitulate, Rooney grabbed a fourth on 70 minutes when he was given far too much room at the far post and made no mistake with a low finish. Tevez them missed a sitter when it appeared easier to score, while Rooney battled in vain for an elusive hat-trick before the final whistle put Villa out of their misery. Miserable Even though Ashley Young went close with a shot in the fourth minute Villa never looked like ending a miserable run of results at the ground, stretching back 25 years. That close shave only succeeded in getting United going and Rooney rattled in a shot from the edge of the area that was cleared by Stiliyan Petrov. Ryan Giggs then slipped the ball through to Tevez in the 10th minute but Mellberg made a crucial block. United almost took the lead a minute later when Michael Carrick released Ronaldo. He cut inside only to see his effort turned around the post by goalkeeper Scott Carson. Giggs swung in the corner and Brown peeled away from his marker only to head over the bar. Outrageous United went ahead in the 17th minute. Villa failed to clear Giggs' corner and Rio Ferdinand chested the ball into Ronaldo's path. The Portugal winger clipped an outrageous back-heel through Martin Laursen's legs and beyond Carson. Nigel Reo-Coker, drafted in at right-back instead of his usual midfield role, was struggling to settle and United made it 2-0 after 33 minutes with Ronaldo this time setting up the goal. He latched on to a clever pass from Scholes and delivered a cross to the back post. Reo-Coker had gone missing and Tevez was left with the simple task of heading the ball home. United were knocking the ball around with ease with Scholes at the heart of everything good about their play. United should have extended their lead in the 48th minute when Rooney was sent clear by Tevez. It looked as though he must score but the England striker sent his effort wide from close range. Rattled Villa substitute Shaun Maloney followed suit a minute later when he rattled his effort wide with only Tomasz Kuszczak to beat. United hit back and Ronaldo came close in the 52nd minute when his shot hit Wilfred Bouma and came back off the bar. However a minute later Rooney made it 3-0 when he rounded Carson after Ronaldo's flick-on split the Villa defence. It was Rooney's first goal in six games in all competitions for United and he savoured the moment after taking his tally to 16. However Maloney nearly reduced the arrears in the 55th minute only for Kuszczak to make a superb block. With Roma in mind next Tuesday in the UEAF Champions League, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson made three substitutions in the 62nd minute. Owen Hargreaves, Anderson and John O'Shea replaced Patrice Evra, Ferdinand and Michael Carrick. Impressive United remained in the driving seat and Tevez should have scored in the 66th minute only to head wide in front of the posts following a cross from Hargreaves before Rooney hit the post. Rooney made it 4-0 in the 70th minute with his second of the game after again being released by Ronaldo and Villa boss Martin O'Neill cut a miserable figure in the lashing rain. Rooney thought he had scored his hat-trick in the 78th minute, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside. Given his unselfish running it would have been well deserved in an impressive show by United. They played out the last four minutes with 10 men as Giggs came off with what appeared to be a knock. \|\|\|\|\| Last updated: 30th March 2008 Carvalho celebrates his goal Chelsea kept up their pursuit of Manchester United with a far from convincing 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge. Ricardo Carvalho's early goal proved to be enough for Avram Grant's men after a below-par display against Gareth Southgate's battling visitors. Chelsea were far from their best and rode their luck in the second half as Boro hit the woodwork three times, with Afonso Alves twice being denied. The win lifts Chelsea back above Arsenal into second spot in the table, five points behind leaders United. There was a nervous moment for the Boro fans early on when goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer fumbled Didier Drogba's 25-yarder but David Wheater was there to clear. A Chelsea opener was only seconds away, however, and came from the fifth-minute free-kick that resulted from Gary O'Neil's challenge on Michael Ballack on the left touchline. Opener Bridge floated it into a crowded penalty box where Ricardo Carvalho rose the highest to head past Schwarzer - despite the fact the defender was beyond the penalty spot as he did so. Boro were then back under pressure at the other end and Drogba lost his marker to plant a near-post header just wide from Salomon Kalou's corner. Stewart Downing was the next visitor to have a go from range but Carlo Cudicini in the home goal was able to dive to smother his low drive. Cole burst through the middle but Taylor had tracked him all the way and made a fine block but when Boateng impeded Kalou on the run Drogba saw his free-kick deflected just wide for a corner. Drogba could only head that away from goal but when Cole retrieved and sent it back into the danger zone the Ivorian should have done better than plant a free header over. Wheater impeded Kalou on the edge of the Boro box but when Drogba played the ball back to Mikel the midfielder's drive ended up bouncing back off an advertising hoarding. Cole won a corner to keep the pressure on and Essien's drive from the edge of the box only just cleared the Boro crossbar. Boro made a change in the 64th minute when Afonso Alves replaced Tuncay, with Chelsea then sending Shaun Wright-Phillips on for Ballack. Cole set up the newcomer straight away and watched him fire past Schwarzer but wide of the far post. Another chance came the substitute's way seconds later thanks to Kalou's pass and this time he fired lazily over. Boro almost made Chelsea pay but Alves nodded a free header wastefully wide after Downing, having switched to the right, had picked him out in the box. Luck Luck favoured Chelsea from the next attack when Cudicini came out to meet Cattermole's ball for Alves to chase - and failed to make contact. Defenders poured back but Alves calmly took aim at the empty goal before rolling the ball against the far post, with Cudicini gratefully grabbing the rebound on his return. Taylor blocked a much better Wright-Phillips effort before Schwarzer pulled off a reflex save to deny Kalou at the back post. There was another amazing let-off for Chelsea in the 83rd minute when first Alves and then Wheater headed against the crossbar - and Jeremie Aliadiere then blasted over as the home side remained vulnerable. \|\|\|\|\| By James Pearson Last updated: 30th March 2008 All smiles for Magpies Newcastle United fought back from a goal down to steamroll Tottenham 4-1 at White Hart Lane. Despite a lively start by the visitors it was the home side who forged ahead when Darren Bent headed home Steed Malbranque's cross past Steve Harper. The game changed on the stroke of half-time with Nicky Butt bagging a precious equaliser following a mistake by Jonathan Woodgate. The Magpies swamped Spurs after the interval with Geremi's free-kick giving them a lead they would not lose. Michael Owen's well-taken third gave the home side a mountain to climb before Obafemi Martins' late effort added the icing on the cake. The win virtually secures Newcastle's top flight status for another season, while Spurs fans will be wondering what went wrong on what appeared to be a promising afternoon. Woodgate welcomed the Newcastle staff he worked with at St James' Park - then almost gifted his former side a fifth-minute opener. Crossbar His careless clearance went as far as Habib Beye, who composed himself in the penalty area but cracked his finish off the crossbar. In Newcastle's bright opening, Paul Robinson was called into action to stop Martins' low drive when he found a yard of room on the edge of the box. It was an easy save from Robinson, but there was nothing straightforward about his stop to deny Joey Barton, who angled a drive towards the bottom corner after Spurs failed to deal with a throw. Keane had a penalty shout turned down when Abdoulaye Faye climbed on him to head clear and from the corner he was almost on the goalline when he stabbed wide, following in Woodgate's saved header. For all of Keane's invention, it was Bent who opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Steed Malbranque was given time on the left flank to switch the ball to his favoured right boot, then he swung over a cross that Bent glanced into the far corner. Denied It could have been worse when Bent raced through again. He was denied by Harper rushing out and Dimitar Berbatov blasted the rebound over the crossbar. Newcastle's equaliser came with seconds remaining in the first half, with Butt steering home after Geremi had pulled the ball back to the edge of the area. Free-kick Their second came in the 52nd minute after Woodgate had fouled Martins on the edge of the area. Geremi's free-kick went through the wall, leaving Robinson flat-footed. The third, however, arrived in the 65th minute from Owen, meeting Mark Viduka's flick with a first-time finish after Geremi played the ball into the danger zone. Martins added gloss to scoreline, with his finish delighting the travelling support. \|\|\|\|\| Last updated: 30th March 2008 Torres: Clincial as ever On an afternoon when more than Merseyside rivalry was at stake, Liverpool demonstrated they have the edge over Everton as Fernando Torres again proved the match-winner at Anfield. Everton's bid to usurp Liverpool in fourth has in the past few weeks faded and again on Sunday their exertions were languid, as Liverpool will feel they should have added to Torres' first half strike. When the goal arrived it was Yakubu Aiyegbeni who proved the inadvertent architect, as his dawdling in possession on the edge of his own box allowed Xabi Alonso and then Dirk Kuyt to feed in Torres. The Spaniard rarely misses and again his finish was unerring. Kuyt missed a glorious chance from close range as he directed a header wide, before Steven Gerrard rattled the post with a trademark strike from distance. Jose Reina, in Liverpool's goal, will rarely have an easier afternoon as he was not unduly troubled at any stage of the most comfortable of derby wins. Bright start Inside the first minute Liverpool worked half an opening down the right with Kuyt and Gerrard but when the captain crossed low to Torres the Spaniard's control, for once, let him down and the ball ran off the pitch. A swift counter-attack from an Everton throw-in saw Lucas release Ryan Babel down the left and although his cross was disappointing Liverpool were able to win a seventh-minute corner and take the lead. Gerrard's cross was half-cleared and when Alonso nicked the ball off Yakubu, Kuyt transferred it to Torres who clipped a shot past Tim Howard for his 21st league goal of the season. The first tackle worthy of this famous derby came a minute later and it earned Lee Carsley a booking for hacking down Torres, although Gerrard curled the 20-yard free-kick wide. The pressure was all Liverpool's and in the 16th minute they could have gone further ahead when Torres' pass inside saw Kuyt's shot blocked by the diving Tony Hibbert with the Dutchman's follow-up producing a low save from Howard. Everton's frustration at not being able to get a grip a foothold in the game was growing and Phil Neville was booked for a late challenge on Lucas in the 18th minute. Liverpool should have gone further ahead in the 28th minute when Rise's hanging cross from the left dropped invitingly for Babel but he failed to connect from close range. When Phil Jagielka fouled Torres wide on the right Gerrard curled in a free-kick which Leon Osman headed over his own crossbar under pressure from Lucas. The hosts got sloppy in the last 10 minutes of the half, needlessly giving the ball away to allow Everton to get themselves into the game. Sami Hyypia's foul on Yakubu wide on the right gave Arteta the chance to deliver a dangerous free-kick to the far post where Lescott headed against the Finn but the visiting fans' calls for handball were optimistic. At the other end a stinging Gerrard volley rebounded back off the post after Torres had headed the ball back into his path. Lull in action Gerrard's raking 50-yard crossfield ball allowed Jamie Carragher to head on to Torres but when he laid it off to Kuyt he volleyed wide just before the interval. Everton started the second half brighter and Yakubu won a corner off Hyypia in the 49th minute but Jose Reina punched clear and as Babel tried to break he was chopped down by Steven Pienaar, earning the South African a booking. There was some alarm, however, when Arteta swung in a left-wing free-kick but Osman, under pressure, diverted the ball wide. Jagielka was booked in the 71st minute for a high foot on Gerrard, before Moyes made his second change in replacing Neville with Baines. Kuyt curled a 20-yard shot just wide before Torres was booked for time-wasting in the closing stages. Gerrard's long-range effort forced Howard to tip the ball wide in the final minute of normal time as the hosts held on for an important win.	The 32nd round of the English Premiership took place this past weekend with both the battles for the league title and the battle against relegation still raging on. The fate of one team has been sealed for the rest of the season as Derby County has been mathematically guaranteed relegation, setting a new league record for earliest relegation. At the top of the table, nothing changed this week as Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool all won.
By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican John McCain's top two aides left his struggling U.S. presidential campaign on Tuesday, dealing a sharp blow to the Arizona senator and casting doubt on the future of his 2008 bid. McCain said he would continue his White House run despite the departures of manager Terry Nelson and longtime chief strategist John Weaver, which were announced as McCain took the Senate floor to defend President George W. Bush's strategy in Iraq. Once a front-runner in the Republican field, McCain has fallen behind as his staunch backing for Bush on the unpopular Iraq war and on an overhaul of immigration laws cost him support among both moderates and conservatives. "We've had ups and downs in other campaigns and we'll have ups and downs with this campaign. I'm very happy with where we are," McCain told a crush of reporters at the Capitol, promising to "out-campaign" his rivals. Nelson was Bush's political director during his 2004 re-election campaign and Weaver was McCain's top strategist during his unsuccessful 2000 race for the White House. In statements released by the campaign, neither man offered a reason for leaving. "I believe John McCain is the most experienced and prepared candidate to represent the Republican Party and defeat the Democratic nominee next year," Nelson said. Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager in 2000 and chief executive officer of this campaign, will take over managing McCain's White House run. FUND-RAISING PROBLEMS Continued... \|\|\|\|\| McCain Campaign Suffers Key Shakeups Tuesday July 10, 2007 5:31 PM AP Photo WX103 By LIZ SIDOTI Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - John McCain's campaign manager and chief strategist quit the campaign Tuesday in a major staff shake-up for the struggling Republican presidential candidate who is all but broke and trails in opinion polls. In a statement, the Arizona senator said Terry Nelson and John Weaver offered their resignations, ``which I accepted with regret and deep gratitude for their dedication, hard work and friendship.'' Nelson, a veteran of President Bush's successful 2004 re-election effort, said he stepped down as campaign manager and Weaver, a longtime aide who ran McCain's failed 2000 presidential bid, said he left his post of chief strategist. Both resignations were effective immediately. Other officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid discussing private conversations, said Nelson was fired. But several people close to Nelson disputed that characterization. Two officials said Rick Davis, a longtime aide to McCain, will take over the campaign and that other changes also were likely. The shakeup is the second in a week. It comes just six months before the first voting in Iowa and as McCain, once considered the front-runner, seeks to regain some momentum with a diminishing list of options to lift his candidacy. McCain's fortunes soured considerably this year as he embraced President Bush's troop increase for the Iraq war, an unpopular conflict with the public but one supported by most Republicans, and a bipartisan immigration bill that has divided the GOP. Over the past six months, his donors and supporters were turned off by what they viewed as McCain embracing the policies of a lame-duck president with abysmal approval ratings. That caused McCain's polling and fundraising to suffer. In his statement, McCain vowed that his campaign will move ahead, ``and I will continue to address the issues of greatest concern to the American people, laying out my vision for a secure and prosperous America.'' Other officials said Mark Salter, a senior aide whom some consider McCain's alter ego, will continue to advise him in a voluntarily role but will cease his day-to-day involvement in the campaign. McCain hired Nelson more than a year ago to start laying the foundation for the senator's long-expected second presidential run. Weaver has been with McCain for at least 10 years. ``It has been a tremendous honor to serve Senator McCain and work on his campaign,'' Nelson said. ``I believe John McCain is the most experienced and prepared candidate to represent the Republican Party and defeat the Democratic nominee next year.'' Weaver said: ``It has been my honor and a distinct privilege to serve someone who has always put our country first. I believe that most Americans will come to the conclusion that I have long known there is only one person equipped to serve as our nation's chief executive and deal with the challenges we face, and that person is John McCain.'' As word of the changes became public, McCain was on the Senate floor defending the troop buildup in Iraq and contending that reinforcements had only just been put in place. He made his sixth trip to Iraq last week. ``Make no mistake. Violence in Baghdad remains at unacceptably high levels,'' but the United States and Iraq seem to be ``moving in the right direction,'' McCain said. ``The progress our military has made should encourage us.'' Days ago, the candidate laid off dozens of staffers after lackluster fundraising and excessive spending left him with just $2 million. McCain raised just $11.2 million in the second financial quarter of the year, which ended Saturday. That was less than the $13.6 million he brought in during the year's first three months when he came in third behind Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani. In what would be a major strategic shift, the campaign said it was seriously considering taking public matching funds of about $6 million. But doing so could tie the campaign's hands by limiting the amount of money it can spend in individual states, particularly if his rivals forgo taxpayer money as expected. McCain's popularity among Republicans has dropped since the start of the year, in part because of his support for measures in Congress that don't sit well with the GOP's base, like the immigration bill. He declined to participate in an early test of organizational strength in the leadoff state of Iowa this summer, and, the 70-year-old is fighting the perception that he is yesterday's candidate. McCain's support in national polls has slipped. He is in single digits in some surveys in Iowa and South Carolina, trailing Giuliani, the former New York mayor; Romney, the ex-governor of Massachusetts, and Fred Thompson, the actor and former Tennessee senator who hasn't officially entered the race. \|\|\|\|\| For Immediate Release July 10, 2007 Contact: Press Office 703-650-5550 Statement by Rick Davis ARLINGTON, VA - John McCain's campaign today announced that Rick Davis will serve as campaign manager, having previously served as the campaign's chief executive officer. Davis was the campaign manager for Senator McCain's 2000 campaign. Rick Davis issued the following statement: "This campaign has always been about John McCain and his vision for reducing federal spending, defending traditional values, and winning the war against Islamic extremists. Today we are moving forward with John's optimistic vision for our country's future."	The top two aides in United States presidential candidate John McCain's campaign have resigned from their posts today. The resignation of campaign manager Terry Nelson and long-standing chief strategist John Weaver was announced while McCain was on the floor of the Senate debating strategy in Iraq. John McCain Nelson said, "It has been a tremendous honor to serve Senator McCain and work on his campaign," and "I believe John McCain is the most experienced and prepared candidate to represent the Republican Party and defeat the Democratic nominee next year." Weaver's statement echoed that of Nelson: "It has been my honor and a distinct privilege to serve someone who has always put our country first. I believe that most Americans will come to the conclusion that I have long known there is only one person equipped to serve as our nation's chief executive and deal with the challenges we face, and that person is John McCain." In a statement, McCain said the resignations were "accepted with regret and deep gratitude for their dedication, hard work and friendship." He further said, "I will continue to address the issues of greatest concern to the American people, laying out my vision for a secure and prosperous America." Rick Davis will step in as campaign manager. Davis served in this capacity during McCain's 2000 presidential bid. McCain has not performed well in recent opinion polls. He usually trails Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson, pulling only single digits in some surveys. Last week, McCain announced financial information for his campaign. The US$11.2 million that were raised in the last three months placed him third among Republicans. The $2 million the campaign reported as cash-on-hand was viewed as a relatively small sum by analysts.
June 2 (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian authorities said that a debris field spotted in the ocean today confirms that an Air France Airbus plane with 228 people on board crashed into the Atlantic. The material, including a plane seat, an orange life buoy and traces of oil, was discovered in an area about 650 kilometers (400 miles) northeast of Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha island, which is off Brazil’s northeastern coast, Colonel Jorge Amaral told reporters in Brasilia today. A Brazilian patrol ship will reach the wreckage tomorrow at about 11 a.m. New York time, according to a Navy statement. The debris also contained wire and metal pieces, Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim told reporters in Rio de Janeiro today. “A Hercules plane spotted a debris line stretching 5 kilometers, which confirms the plane crashed in that area,” Jobim said. Brazil and France had dispatched spotter planes, helicopters and navy vessels to locate the Airbus A330-200, which lost contact yesterday after hitting turbulence as it flew to Paris from Rio. The U.S. military is also assisting in the search, the Navy said in a statement. It could be “weeks or months” before any cause is determined, French Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau said in an interview on French radio station Europe One. The French government said there’s no evidence of terrorism. Automatic Alerts “No hypothesis is favored,” French Prime Minister Francois Fillon told the National Assembly today. “There were no distress calls from the plane, but regular automatic alerts for three minutes indicating that all systems went out.” Air France said it isn’t ruling out a lightning strike on the aircraft, which reported an electrical-circuit breakdown and sent 10 automated distress messages before it vanished. Amaral said the wreckage was found away from the flight path, suggesting the plane may have attempted to turn back. The plane probably flew into thunderstorms that stretched for 400 miles, towered as high as 50,000 feet and could have produced lightning, State College, Pennsylvania-based AccuWeather.com said today in a press release. Updrafts as strong as 100 mph may have resulted from the storms, creating “severe” turbulence, the service said. France has mobilized three sea patrol planes, a military surveillance aircraft and two warships, Fillon said. Emergency Beacons Emergency beacons on the aircraft and “pingers” on the so-called black boxes may be difficult to locate. “It’s a time trial in very difficult conditions,” Fillon said. The water in the area is about 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) deep, Amaral told Globo News, a Brazilian TV news channel. Air France said it may release the passenger list tomorrow. Those on board included 58 Brazilians, 61 French and 26 Germans as well as more than a dozen other nationalities, Air France said in a press release. Luis Roberto Anastacio, Michelin & Cie.’s chief executive for Latin America, and Erich Heine, chairman of ThyssenKrupp AG’s CSA steel mill in Brazil, were on board, the companies said. StatoilHydro ASA, Norway’s largest oil and natural-gas producer, said three employees were on the flight. Until now, the A330, a twin-engine airliner that carries about 250 people, had never had a fatal accident in commercial flight. A development model crashed after takeoff during testing, according to Paul Hayes, director of safety at Ascend, an aviation consultant in the U.K. Qantas Incident One high-profile incident with an A330 that didn’t include fatalities occurred on Oct. 7, 2008, when passengers and crew on a Qantas Airways Ltd. flight from Singapore to Perth were slammed into the cabin ceiling after the plane abruptly lost altitude. Fourteen people had serious injuries. Australian air-safety investigators said a month later that a fault in a flight system computer component may have caused the nosedive. In a preliminary report, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said one of three systems on the plane known as air data inertial reference units fed incorrect information to the main flight computer. The investigation is still under way. Airbus today said there’s no way of knowing yet whether there are similarities in the two cases. “It’s premature to link the incidents as long as the investigators don’t have the flight recorder to give more visibility on what happened,” said Stefan Schaffrath, a company spokesman, in a phone interview from Airbus’s Toulouse, France, headquarters. A330 Accidents He said there are more than 600 A330s flying worldwide that have logged a total of 30 million flight hours. There had been two accidents until yesterday: the crash of a test aircraft in 1994 and an incident with Air Transat where the plane ran out of fuel because of a maintenance issue. The second involved no fatalities. The missing Airbus was delivered to Air France in April 2005 and had flown about 18,000 hours on some 2,500 flights, the manufacturer said in a statement. The company said it is offering technical assistance in the investigation. Airbus declined to comment on the cause. The plane last underwent maintenance on April 16, Air France-KLM said. The last time Air France had a fatal accident was in July 2000, when one of its supersonic Concordes crashed. A metal strip that fell to the runway from another plane in Paris punctured one of the Concorde’s tires, sending debris into the fuel tank and starting a fire. 2009 Accidents This is the third fatal accident of 2009 involving scheduled airlines, Hayes, the aviation consultant, said. A Turkish Airlines plane on Feb. 25 crashed near Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, killing five passengers and four crew and injuring 28. The plane was a Boeing 737-800. On Feb. 12, a Bombardier Inc. Dash 8 Q400 turboprop crashed in Clarence Center, New York, as it approached Buffalo’s airport on a flight from Newark, New Jersey. The dead included one person on the ground and all 49 people on the plane, operated by Pinnacle’s Colgan unit for Continental Airlines Inc. To contact the reporters on this story: Francisco Marcelino in Sao Paulo at mdeoliveira@bloomberg.net; Laurence Frost in Paris at lfrost4@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Schoifet at mschoifet@bloomberg.net. \|\|\|\|\| Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, right, has said the prospect of finding survivors was 'slim' [AFP] Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, right, has said the prospect of finding survivors was 'slim' [AFP] The wreckage, which has still not been confirmed to be parts from Air France Flight 447, includes metallic objects and aircraft seats. Brazilian military aircraft have sighted wreckage 650km off the country's northern coast that could be part of an Air France jet that went missing on Sunday night, Brazil's air force says. Earlier, pilots from Brazil's largest airline said they had spotted what appeared to be fire in the Atlantic Ocean. Brazilian aircraft equipped with sensors are continuing to sweeping a part of the ocean where the airliner is thought to have disappeared. 'No trace' Jose Alencar, Brazil's vice president, confirmed the earlier reports from Brazil's TAM airlines. "A TAM airlines plane from Brazil supposedly saw something on fire in the Atlantic Ocean. This was an aeroplane that landed today," Alencar said on Monday. But a French merchant ship conducting a search of the area where TAM reported seeing fire did not identify "any trace of the flight", the French military said on Tuesday. The Air France jet, an Airbus A330-200, was carrying 228 people on its route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris when it is believed to have vanished in a severe thunderstorm on Monday. Authorities said they are still trying to determine what caused the accident, but that they fear there is no chance of finding survivors. Jean-Louis Borloo, the French environment minister, said officials did not believe the craft could have been brought down by something as simple as a bolt of lightning, which previous reports had suggested. "There really had to be a succession of extraordinary events to be able to explain this situation," he told RTL radio. He said "the race against the clock has begun" to find the aircraft's two black boxes, which emit signals for up to 30 days. Search and rescue The Pentagon said on Monday it had dispatched a surveillance aircraft and a search and rescue team to help Brazilian and French aircraft. The Air France passenger jet, pictured here in January, was flying from Brazil to France [AFP] France has also asked Washington to use its spy satellites and listening posts to help with the search.A French military aircraft dispatched from Senegal, a west African country on the Atlantic seaboard, has also been searching the area. Officials said the search was centred on an area more than 1,100km off the Brazilian coast and while search aircraft have managed to fly over the area, the first navy ships are not expected to arrive until Wednesday. Air France said the 216 passengers from 32 countries comprised 126 men, 82 women, seven children and a baby. There were also 12 French crew members on board. More than half of the passengers were either French or Brazilian. Electrical failure Flight AF447 had encountered a severe thunderstorm before sending an automated message saying that its electrical system had failed at 02:14 GMT on Monday. The plane lost radio contact over the Atlantic while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris Pierre-Henry Gourgeon, Air France's chief executive, said "several electrical systems had broken down". "It is probable that it was shortly after these messages that the impact in the Atlantic came," he said at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, where the flight had been due to land. Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, told relatives waiting for their loved ones at the airport that "the prospects of finding any survivors are very slim". "It's a catastrophe the likes of which Air France has never seen," he said. If confirmed that all 228 people on board are dead, it would be the worst loss of life in Air France's history and civil aviation's worst accident for more than a decade. \|\|\|\|\| RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Debris located early Tuesday in the Atlantic Ocean off the northeast coast of Brazil is wreckage from the Air France jet that disappeared Monday, Brazil's Defense Minister Nelson Jobim said. A French search and rescue crew scans the Atlantic for wreckage Tuesday. No survivors have been found, he said. Jobim made the announcement after meeting with relatives and friends of Brazilians who were among the 228 people aboard Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, France. Two debris fields were found about 650 km (400 miles) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 355 kilometers (220 miles) off the northeast coast of Brazil -- or at latitude 2 north, longitude 30 west, the Ministry of Defense said on its Web site. One of the fields was 5 km (3 miles) long and that both lie near the flight path between Rio de Janeiro and Paris. Among the wreckage was an airplane seat, metal debris, an orange float, a drum and an oil spill, the posting said. See map of suspected crash zone » Brazilian air force planes spotted the debris field Tuesday morning, but it was not until a French commercial vessel arrived on the scene that the debris' origin was confirmed. The planes searched 10,000 square kilometers (3,861 square miles) of ocean throughout the day and will continue to search for more debris overnight, the Brazilian Air Force Said. Two Netherlands-flagged vessels were expected to arrive in the area later in the day; a Brazilian navy ship was expected to arrive Wednesday, officials said. Brazilian air force jets were continuing to comb the area for other debris, and a U.S. P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft was assisting as well. Watch how wreckage has been spotted in Atlantic » The searchers also want to find the cockpit voice and data recorders, which might shed light on what caused the jet to disappear before any of the three pilots was able to issue a mayday. "That really is an ominous sign," said former U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Managing Director Peter Goelz. "It means, whatever happened, it happened so quickly that the pilots were not able to radio out. It probably indicates a catastrophic failure at altitude." He said that meteorologists have been checking weather data over the area "to see if there was some phenomenon that was taking place -- so far, we haven't seen it." The Airbus A330 encountered heavy turbulence early Monday, about three hours into what was supposed to be an 11-hour flight, according to the airline. The plane carried 216 passengers -- 126 men, 82 women, seven children and a baby -- and 12 crew members, Air France said. The majority of the people on the flight came from Brazil, France and Germany. Other victims were from 29 other countries, including three from the United States. Of the crew, 11 were French, and one was Brazilian. A team of approximately 20 Air France staff members, including two doctors and a nurse, arrived Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro to assist families of the victims, the airline said. An inter-religious ceremony is to be held Wednesday afternoon inside Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral for family and friends of the victims. Though it will be closed to news media, a sound recording of the ceremony will be broadcast into the square outside. An official list of victims by name was not available Tuesday afternoon, but two Americans on board -- Michael Harris, 60, and his wife, Anne, 54 -- were identified by the couple's family and his employer. Prince Pedro Luis de Orleans e Braganca, a member of Brazil's non-reigning royal family, was also on the flight, his family said Monday. Pedro Luis was 26. Also on the flight were two executives of the French tire company Michelin: Michelin Latin America President Luiz Roberto Anastacio and Antonio Gueiro, director of informatics. Read more about victims on Air France Flight 447 The jet was 4 years old and had last undergone routine maintenance April 16. The Air France plane has built-in homing devices, said Greg Feith, a former investigator with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Homing devices such as "pingers," which are underwater locator beacons attached to flight data and cockpit voice recorders, can transmit signals from as deep as 14,000 feet, about the maximum depth of the waters in the area. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is about 12,000 feet: more than 2 miles. "They're water-activated, so if they're sitting at the bottom of the ocean, of course, then the military assets will have to go in there with listening devices and try and home in on those particular signals," Feith said. Shortly before it disappeared, the plane's automatic system initiated a four-minute exchange of messages to the company's maintenance computers, indicating that "several pieces of aircraft equipment were at fault or had broken down," Air France CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon said Monday. The jet, which was flying at 35,000 feet and at 521 mph, also sent a warning that it had lost pressure, the Brazilian air force said. There was no contact with the crew during or after the time that the automatic messages were sent, Gourgeon said. "It was probable that it was a little bit after those messages that the impact of the plane took place in the Atlantic," he added. CNN's John Zarrella, Kim Segal and Nesta Distin and journalist Helena DeMoura contributed to this report. All About Airbus A330 • Air France-KLM Group • Rio de Janeiro • Accidents and Disasters	According to the Brazilian air force, Brazilian military aircraft have found wreckage of an airplane in the , about 650 kilometres off the northern coast of Brazil. The wreckage is suspected to have come from Air France Flight 447, a passenger jet that went missing over the Atlantic Ocean on June 1. The debris includes airplane seats and metallic objects. Pilots from TAM, a Brazilian airline had earlier said they saw what they perceived to be a fire in the Atlantic, but French officials say that no sign of wreckage had been found. Brazilian airplanes with sensors are currently scanning the area of the ocean where the debris was found. "A TAM airlines plane from Brazil supposedly saw something on fire in the Atlantic Ocean. This was an aeroplane that landed today," said Jose Alencar, the Brazilian vice president. Air France Flight AF447 was an Airbus A330 carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members that disappeared after it went into a severe thunderstorm. Authorities are not yet certain what caused the incident, but are pessimistic as to whether any survivors will be found.
18:55 The Gutsy Goose fined for selling alcohol A restaurant owner in Cardiff has been fined £2,000 for illegally selling alcohol at his Cathays restaurant. More » 18:39 Stop-start traffic on the M4 There is stop-start traffic on the M4 Westbound between J40 A4107 (Port Talbot / Taibach) and J43 A465 (Llandarcy). This is due to the sheer volume of traffic heading west this afternoon. More » 18:18 Accident investigations on the A494 The A494 is closed in both directions due to accident investigation work between A470 (Dolgellau) and B4416 (The Turning for Brithdir). Investigation work continues following a collision involving a lorry and a car which occurred near to the village of Bontnewydd at approximately 1.15pm. More » 17:56 More time to question Cardiff Bay murder suspect Police have been granted a 24-hour extension to question a man arrested on suspicion of murdering a 65-year-old woman. More » 17:25 A474 blocked near Neath Abbey The A474 is blocked and there is queueing traffic due to an accident involving two vehicles at A4230 Neath Abbey Road (Neath Abbey Roundabout). The collision is causing queues on all approaches to the roundabout so please be mindful of the area. More » 14:58 Katherine Jenkins to sing at the rugby Katherine Jenkins will be back on the pitch and singing for Wales when she performs ahead of the team’s game against England at Twickenham next weekend. Katherine Jenkins sings the Welsh national anthem prior to kickoff during the RBS Six Nations Championship match between Wales and Ireland at the Millennium Stadium on February 4, 2007 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) More » 13:52 Remains of woman who went missing 14 years ago are found The remains of a woman who went missing 14 years ago have been discovered at a South Wales quarry. Gwent Police say they belong to Margaret Llewellyn who was reported missing from her Chepstow home in 2002. Margaret Ann Llewelyn has been missing since May 6 2002 More » 13:26 New Cardiff restaurant opens tonight Cardiff newest restaurant opens its doors to the public for the first time tonight. Time & Beef will be a coffee shop by day and serve gourmet burgers and cocktails by night. Take a look at what to expect here. Rob Matthews Photography More » 12:47 More tickets to see Six Nations game at CASTLE Another 250 tickets have gone on sale for the screening of Wales v England in Caerphilly Castle. It comes after the first 500 on sale sold out in less than 24 hours. Find out more here. Priya Deonarain/Flickr More » \|\|\|\|\| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iranian weapons headed for Taliban fighters were intercepted in Afghanistan in the last month, according to the United States’ top general on Tuesday. Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, stopped short of saying Iran’s government had provided the weapons. Instead, he said he was not sure which Iranian “entity” was responsible. His comments mark the first U.S. accusations that Iran’s Shi’ite government could be helping the Sunni Taliban. The Bush administration regularly accuses Iranian forces of supplying and training insurgents in Iraq. “It is not as clear in Afghanistan which Iranian entity is responsible but we have intercepted weapons in Afghanistan headed for the Taliban that were made in Iran,” Pace told reporters in Washington. “We do not know with the same clarity we know in Iraq who is delivering those weapons, who is involved,” he said. During the years that the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, Iran supported Afghan groups fighting the group, including the Northern Alliance which played a crucial role in toppling Taliban after the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. In 1998, Iran almost went to war with Afghanistan after the Taliban government killed 10 Iranian diplomats. Pace said Iranian-made mortars and C-4 explosives were intercepted in Kandahar by coalition forces. He did not provide further details, saying he knew only that the weapons were made in Iran and were on their way to the Taliban. Tensions are high between Washington and Tehran. The United States and others accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons behind the cover of a nuclear energy program, a charge Tehran denies. U.S. officials and commanders also say Iran is fueling chaos in Iraq by providing weapons and training to Shi’ite militants. Last week, for example, the U.S. military said Iranian intelligence services were giving weapons to militants and that gunmen were being trained in Iran in the use of lethal roadside bombs. Iranian officials have dismissed such charges. \|\|\|\|\| Would you like to receive information from your local NPR member station? (see NPR's privacy policy ) May we contact you with information about NPR programming? (see NPR's privacy policy ) \|\|\|\|\| Palestinian Prime Minister Meets the Leader The visiting Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and his accompanying delegation met the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei on Sunday, December 10. Speaking at the meeting, which was also attended by the Iranian First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi, the Leader referred to the attempts made over the past sixty years to make the issue of Palestine fall into oblivion and obliterate the authentic name of that Islamic land. Ayatollah Khamenei noted that all these attempts have proved to be futile, which he described as a sign of divine favor. "Through struggle and resistance, the return of the Palestinian land in its entirety to the Palestinian people and the establishment of a Palestinian government there will become possible, and this will surely materialize," he added. Further in his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Republic hinted at the fact that during the first decades after the occupation of Palestine, the Palestinian Muslims lived under very difficult circumstances and received no support from Arab countries, and that serious attempts were made to integrate the Palestinian nation into other nations. "Despite all such attempts, today, some 60 years after the occupation of Palestine, the motivation and indigenous identity among the Palestinian people are stronger than ever. Besides, a Palestinian government has taken office which is persevering in its stances, and which is making increasing progress," the Leader observed. Referring to the divine promise of victory, Ayatollah Khamenei further stated, "The Palestinian nation is making headway every day, and I am sure that one day the land will be administered by the Palestinians themselves." Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader stated that the progress of the Palestinian people and their remarkable achievements in the face of all the hardships and pressures are the outcome of their resistance and struggle. "The Palestinian government, in view of the principles that it has announced and on which it is insisting, is fully supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran," the Leader pointed out. Ayatollah Khamenei described as exemplary the resistance of the Palestinian nation. "The Palestinian nation and government, having such morale and attitude, will surely achieve victory, about which there is no doubt whatsoever," he noted. Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, for his part, expressed great pleasure over his meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei, and he referred to the Islamic Republic of Iran as the real supporter of the Palestinian people and the main advocate of the liberation of the Holy Quds. The Palestinian prime minister further hinted at the role of the late Imam Khomeini in giving an impetus to the cause of Palestine in the Islamic world, especially by designating the last Friday in the holy month of Ramazan as the International Day of Quds. "You are also continuing the same path that was initiated by Imam Khomeini, since you have always supported the Palestinian people, and I hope that we will meet each other at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the near future," the Palestinian prime minister told the Leader. Prime Minister Haniyeh said that the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran was instrumental in giving rise to the Islamic awakening, especially in Palestine, an awakening which was followed by the first Intifada. "The young generation that is standing up to the Zionists and which has given rise to the first and the second Intifada comprises highly motivated youngsters, and this generation will liberate Palestine," he added. The Palestinian prime minister further said that the issue of Palestine is an Islamic issue, and that Palestine is an Islamic land. He emphasized that no individual or government in Palestine has the right to forego even a single inch of the Palestinian land. In conclusion, Prime Minister Haniyeh stressed that the incumbent Palestinian government would never recognize the Zionist regime. He said that all the Palestinians have opted for resistance, which is the only path to the liberation of Palestine. \|\|\|\|\| Iran has made clear its support for suicide bombings in Israel It finds that Iran's Revolutionary Guards and intelligence ministry are directly involved in planning and supporting terrorist acts. There was no immediate response from Tehran which is locked in a row with the US over its nuclear programme. The report also argues that al-Qaeda had been weakened. The US report says other state sponsors of terrorism include Libya, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and Cuba. Cuba, for example, is accused of harbouring members of Spain's Eta militant group and Colombian leftist rebel groups. Iraq, the report adds, is "not currently a terrorist safe haven" although Islamist militant groups view it "as a potential safe haven and are attempting to make it a reality". The international community's actions have degraded the core al-Qaeda leadership group Report in full (6.4MB) Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the reader here BBC State Department correspondent Jonathan Beale says that, by highlighting successes in disrupting the al-Qaeda network, the US hopes to convey the message that it is winning the war on terror. But the dramatic rise in the number of terrorist attacks paints a very different picture, our correspondent adds, even though the US puts that down to a new broader definition of what is a terrorist attack. Other findings include: Last year saw 11,000 terror attacks worldwide and 14,600 deaths, 8,300 of them in Iraq Suicide attacks increased in several countries and caused more than a fifth of all terror deaths worldwide The number of terror victims in Israel was 50 - half the total calculated by the US for 2004 Safe havens for terrorists include the Afghan border, the Celebes Sea in South-East Asia, Somalia; and the intersection of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil 'Years of war ahead' "The international community's actions have degraded the core al-Qaeda leadership group," the report says. "Its core leadership no longer has global command of its network." There is evidence, the report continues, that core leaders such as Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri are "somewhat frustrated by their lack of direct control". However, the report also argues that current terror groups are looser networks and therefore could pose greater danger. America, it says, is in "the first phase of a potentially long war". "The enemy's proven ability to adapt means we will go through several more cycles of action/reaction before the war's outcome is no longer in doubt," the US report says. "It is likely we will have a resilient enemy for years to come."	Seal of the U.S. State Department. In the latest report published by the United States State Department, it accuses Iran of being the top state sponsor of terrorism. The report contrasts Al-Qaeda's interest in "global jihad" against the interests which Iran is said to be sponsoring. Iran's focus is explained as Israel, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The report describes Iran's interest in Israel as, "encouraging anti-Israeli terrorist activity, rhetorically, operationally, and financially." Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are accused of lauding terrorist attacks carried out by anti-Zionist groups. The report notes that Iran's support for organisations involved in the Israel-Palestine conflict is not limited to Shia groups such as Hezbollah; Hamas and others are, like most Palestinians, Sunni muslims. Second, Iran is accused of playing a "destabilizing role in Iraq." In particular, Iran's providing of IED to rejectionist groups in Iraq were mentioned in the State Department report. The report also indicates that Iraq is "not currently a terrorist safe haven" but can become a "potential safe haven" for them. Iranian officials deny that they are supplying weapons to Iraqi insurgent groups. Third, Iran is said have aided the Taliban militarily according to General Peter Pace and other U.S. officials. In Afghanistan, Iran gainsays a military role; it only acknowledges that it has helped with the reconstruction and revival of the Afghan economy. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards and Iran's intelligence ministry were specifically named in the coordination of the activities of the Iranian government abroad. This statements of this State Department report are not novel. In fact, in 2006, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, "The Iranian regime is today the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism." Many Iranian officials accuse the United States of terrorism and a raft of crimes in return and "Death to America" chants are a regular scene at Friday prayers throughout Iran. Ayatollah Ebrahim Amini, the 2nd deputy chair of the Assembly of Experts has, for instance, said, Other countries on the state sponsors of terrorism list were Cuba, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.
Nine months on, Belgium finally gets its new government BRUSSELS (AFP) — Belgium's new government was finally sworn in Thursday more than nine months after elections, closing a troubling chapter in a political crisis that could yet resurface in a few months. Flemish Christian Democrat Yves Leterme and his 15-member cabinet gave the oath of office to King Albert II in a ceremony at the royal palace, a move Belgians have been waiting for since June 10. "Our country, Belgium, remains a country where it is good to live and which has plenty of things of which we can be proud," Leterme, 47, told parliament later, as he sought to win the confidence of both houses. But, he said, the kingdom can "only hope to have a prosperous future if it is ready for change." The confidence vote will officially be handed down on Saturday. Belgium's political crisis had turned on how much federal power should be devolved to the regions, with parties in the more populous and prosperous Dutch-speaking region of Flanders demanding more control over regional affairs. The five parties making up the new coalition -- three of them French-speaking formations and two from Flanders -- finally sealed overnight an agreement on how to share the portfolios. Seven women will be part of the government, which largely resembles the interim cabinet led by Guy Verhofstadt, who had pledged to step down, come what may, by March 20. The new cabinet list, endorsed by the king, retains Karel De Gucht and Patrick De Wael as foreign and interior ministers respectively. Pieter De Crem and Jo Vandeurzen will keep the defence and justice portfolios, while Didier Reynders will remain finance minister and Laurette Onkelinx health minister. Francophone centrist leader Joelle Milquet -- known in Flanders as "Madame No" for her hardline in governmental negotiations -- is the new face, taking on the role of employment and equal opportunities minister. A key task now will be to agree by July on how to devolve powers to the regions, although a series of other issues -- some left unresolved during the months-long search for a compromise -- will also have to be addressed. Observers had said that the current team has lacked cohesion and questions have been raised about whether the new cabinet, which is essentially the same, will last a year. According to a survey made public Wednesday for RTL-TVI/VTM television, 63 percent of Belgians do "not have confidence" in the new government. More than half of those questioned believe it will collapse by mid-2008. Dutch-speakers make up about 60 percent of Belgium's 10.5 million population. They live predominantly in Flanders, once the poorer half of Belgium but now one of the most dynamic corners of western Europe. The Francophones -- living mainly in Wallonia and the officially bilingual Brussels capital region and making up almost 40 percent of residents -- fear that handing down too much power could lead to the breakup of the country. Belgium also has a small German-speaking minority. Language differences -- and each community's insistence that they be able to communicate in their own tongue -- are a regular source of tension in Belgium. Leterme -- who once confused Belgium's anthem with that of France and failed in two previous attempts to form a government -- fuelled inter-communal anger in 2006 by suggesting that French speakers were not capable of learning Dutch. \|\|\|\|\| By Dominic Hughes Europe Reporter, BBC News Mr Leterme has put together a five-party coalition Yves Leterme of the Flemish Christian Democrats is the country's new prime minister, taking over from Guy Verhofstadt who stands down after nine years in office. But the negotiations leading to the formation of this coalition government have been long and tortuous. The key sticking point was constitutional reform. Mr Leterme, a clear winner from the elections in June of last year, had promised his supporters real and significant change. In Europe's most devolved state, he wants to pass yet more powers from Belgium's federal government to the regions. Matter of money But while there is strong backing for this in the Flemish Dutch-speaking north of the country, French-speakers in Wallonia in the south are unimpressed. Their region is much poorer, with higher unemployment and a stuttering economy. Some fear "constitutional reform" is a way of reducing the amount of money the wealthy Flemish transfer to impoverished Wallonia. For their part, Flemish politicians argue that it is only fair they have a say in how some of that money is spent. Why should they subsidise failed economic policies and high unemployment in Wallonia, they ask. So after the election came months of stalemate. Constitutionally - and practically - an administration must include members of both language groups in this linguistically-divided country. Deeply divided But once again the gulf that exists between the Dutch and French speakers was exposed. The two communities seem to exist side-by-side, but with little interaction. There are no national political parties or newspapers, radio or TV stations. Even the new prime minister has said it is only the king, a love of beers and the football team that unites Belgians - and the football team has not been that great in recent years. Mr Leterme has also described Belgium as "an accident of history" with "no intrinsic value", and went on to describe French speakers as "lacking the mental capacity to learn Dutch". He is nothing if not plain speaking. So in December last year, after more than 190 days of talks, King Albert II stepped in and called a halt. He asked the defeated Mr Verhofstadt to head an interim administration for three months with authority to pass legislation and to start work on a national budget. Deal struck In fact Mr Verhofstadt had been acting as PM anyway while negotiations went on, but with very limited authority. A bit of breathing space for the parties seemed to do the trick. At 5am on Tuesday, bleary-eyed journalists heard Mr Leterme announce a deal had been done to stitch together a five-party coalition, including French-speaking socialists and his own centre- right Flemish Christian Democrats. But the document that the deal is based on fails to address the main stumbling block of constitutional reform. That has been farmed out to a committee of "wise men" who have to produce proposals by 15 July. And if the Christian Democrats do not like what they see then, they have already warned they will walk out of the government. So a fresh political time bomb is ticking under the new administration even as it takes office. \|\|\|\|\| BRUSSELS, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Nine months after the general elections, Belgium's new government was finally sworn-in Thursday with Flemish Christian Democrat Yves Leterme appointed as the country's new prime minister. King Albert II swore in the new administration in the royal palace in the afternoon. Leterme, whose party was the biggest winner in the polls in June, succeeded Guy Verhofstadt as prime minister. Belgium's Yves Leterme (C) is sworn in as Belgian prime minister in the presence of King Albert II at the Laeken Palace in Brussels Mar. 20, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> The five coalition parties -- two Flemish parties and three francophone parties -- reached agreement early this morning on the allocation of ministerial posts. The new government consists of 15 ministers and seven deputy ministers, and there are few changes from the interim administration led by Verhofstadt, which has been in place since December, Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported. Belgium's King Albert II (C) poses with Finance Minister Didier Reynders (L) and Prime Minister Yves Leterme during a family photo with members of the new government at the Laeken Palace in Brussels March 20, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> Flemish Christian Democrats Jo Vandeurzen and Pieter De Crem stay on as justice minister and defense minister. Flemish Liberals Karel De Gucht and Patrick Dewael remain foreign minister and interior minister respectively. The leader of the francophone Christian Democrats, Joelle Milquet, is the new employment minister. Francophone Liberal Didier Reynders stays on as finance minister. The francophone Socialists are represented in the cabinet by Laurette Onkelinx as social affairs minister and Paul Magnette as climate and energy minister. The flemish Christian Democrats was the biggest winner in the elections in June last year, but Leterme failed twice to form a government because of the unbridgeable differences between Flemish and francophone parties over the devolution of powers to regions. Parties from the more prosperous northern region of Flanders, where 60 percent of the country's population live, insisted on transfer of more powers from the federal to the regional government, while parties from French-speaking Wallonia vehemently opposed the idea. In December, Verhofstadt was entrusted by King Albert II with the task of forming a new cabinet. An interim government, which involved the five major parties, was quickly set up, enabling the parties to continue their coalition talks while urgent national issues could be dealt with. Verhofstadt, who had been head of government for the past nine years, had said he would step down in March whether a new government was ready or not. On Tuesday, the five parties finally reached an agreement on a political program, ending the nine-month political stalemate which was unprecedented in Belgium's history. Belgian political parties reach agreement on coalition gov't BRUSSELS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Belgium's new government will be sworn-in Thursday after the country's main political parties reached an agreement on a political program Tuesday. \|\|\|\|\| Neem een abonnement of dagkaart Elke dag de krant, on line of op papier Toegang tot het archief van 350.000 artikels Extra regionieuws Speciale online dossiers. Neem een krantenabonnement Neem een digitaal abonnement Neem een dagkaart Aanmelden als abonnee e-mailadres: paswoord: bewaar paswoord ( help Paswoord vergeten? Bent u krantenabonnee en hebt u nog geen paswoord? Bent u krantenabonnee en hebt u noggeen paswoord? Klik hier Aanmelden met dagkaart Code:	After almost nine and a half months, government formation talks in Belgium have resulted in a new government. New Prime Minister Yves Leterme was sworn in by King Albert II today, together with 15 new Ministers and 7 Secretaries of State. After the election on June 10 last year, a confidence vote in the parliament in Brussels on Saturday is expected to confirm the coalition's promise of a government in time before Easter. In his inaugural speech, Flemish Christian Democrat Leterme replied to criticism from the media and opposition that his government's manifest was vague and that there was no mutual trust between the coalition partners: "We want to increase the faith in the government, not with empty promises, but with specific measures, by investing in health care, the environment, safety and governmental services." The coalition partners have set out several deadlines for major decisions on which agreement still could not be reached during the formation. By July 15, a council of 'wise men' has to fill the current empty space of the promised constitutional reforms. Yesterday, a survey published in the media showed that the majority of Belgians lacked confidence in the new government, and believed it will collapse within months. On a party convention yesterday, Leterme pledged he would keep his promise to his constituency, vowing to break up the government if more powers are not devolved to the regions. The record-breaking political stalemate had promised to be difficult from the start, after the Christian Democrats won the elections in Flanders in coalition with the nationalist party N-VA. The cartel promised more regional autonomy for the northern Dutch-speaking two-thirds majority of Belgium. Negotiations promised to be tough in a country where separate parties for the main ideologies exist in each half of the country. Political map of Belgium showing Dutch-speaking Flanders (yellow), French-speaking Wallonia (red), German-speaking area (blue striped) and bilingual Brussels Capital Region (orange). Leader of the separatist N-VA Bart De Wever expressed his disdain about the new government: "There are more Francophone than Dutch-speaking members in this administration, which doesn't respect the proportions: Flanders has two thirds of the population and three quarters of the wealth." During the political crisis the previous PM Guy Verhofstadt, who recognised his defeat in the elections and had seemingly withdrawn from the political stage, returned to head a caretaker government at the request of the Belgian King. In his inaugural speech today, the new PM expressed his gratefulness to Verhofstadt for his services. After almost 9 years as the Belgian PM, Verhofstadt presented his successor with the keys of his new residence at ''Rue de la Loi 16''/''Wetstraat 16'' ("16 Law St."), in Brussels. 'Madame No' Joëlle Milquet, leader of the Walloon Christian Democrats, gave her Flemish colleague Leterme a hard time during the coalition talks because she consistently resisted the Flemish demands for regional autonomy. In the new government she becomes the federal Minister of Work, a department that the Flemish nationalists want to devolve to the regional level. As the largest political fraction, the liberals seem to have weighed heavily on the coalition. They deliver the vice-Premier and the Ministers for Constitutional Reforms, Finances, Economy, Internal and Foreign Affairs, Asylum and Migration, Agriculture, Sciences and Humanitarian Aid. The French-speaking socialists joined the coalition talks late in the process, while the Flemish socialists remain in the opposition, giving an unprecedented asymmetry to the federal government.
Hopes of finding more survivors in the mud are fading The Red Cross has put the death toll from Thursday's tragedy at 406, with 398 missing, but the aid organisation said the toll could pass 1,000. Hopes of finding many more survivors are fading. The mudslides, triggered by the heavy rains of Typhoon Durian, struck near the Mayon volcano south-east of Manila. Mrs Arroyo released 1bn pesos ($20m, £10m) for reconstruction work and vowed further efforts to find survivors. "All resources of the government will continue to be mobilised without let-up as we pin hope against hope on the search of survivors," she said in a statement. Thick sludge The relief effort is progressing slowly, with soldiers having to walk for hours to reach affected areas. Whole villages were engulfed by mud that poured from the slopes of the volcano, some 350km (220 miles) from Manila. Dark mud surrounds villages and covers the usually green hills Enlarge Image The head of the local Red Cross, Richard Gordon, said the number of victims could well rise. "There are many unidentified bodies. There could be a lot more hidden below. Whole families may have been wiped out," he told the Associated Press news agency. The BBC's Sarah Toms, in the Philippines, says people have been using their bare hands to pull bodies from the thick sludge. About 100 miners have arrived to help with rescue efforts and army commanders have asked for dog teams to help with the search. The first funerals were carried out late on Saturday, as bodies decomposed in the heat. Some victims were buried in a mass grave as a precaution against the spread of disease. "We opted to do this because we might have an epidemic, which could be expected because of the high number of evacuees and homeless," local official Gene Villareal told AP. Foreign help Many of the survivors, who have lost not only their homes but their livelihoods after fruit trees and rice paddies were destroyed, have crammed into makeshift shelters in schools and churches. Disaster agencies say there is an urgent need for fresh water, food and medicine for the survivors, and more body bags. Canada has pledged more than US$800,000 to help the relief effort and Japan says it will give more than $170,000. Durian - named after a spiky Asian fruit - was the fourth typhoon to hit the Philippines in the last three months. \|\|\|\|\| By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer Sun Dec 3, 2:01 PM ET DARAGA, Philippines - The Red Cross estimated Sunday that up to 1,000 people may have died in the typhoon that unleashed walls of black mud on entire villages in the Philippines. The country's president declared a state of national calamity. Typhoon Durian struck the Philippines with winds reaching 165 mph and torrential rains on Thursday, causing ash and boulders from Mayon volcano on Luzon island to swamp villages around its base a scene Philippine Sen. Richard Gordon described Sunday as a "war zone." Hopes of finding any survivors beneath the volcanic mud, debris and boulders had virtually vanished. Bodies were buried in mass graves to prevent them from decomposing in the tropical heat. Gordon, who heads the Philippine National Red Cross, estimated the death toll could reach 1,000 people. "There are many unidentified bodies. There could be a lot more hidden below. Whole families may have been wiped out," he told The Associated Press by telephone. The Red Cross has thus far recorded at least 406 deaths, with 398 others missing, based on figures provided by mayors of devastated towns in Albay province, which was worst affected by the storm. The government placed the number of dead at 324, with 302 missing and 438 injured. The state of national calamity declared by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will allow the government to rapidly release funds needed to bolster search and rescue efforts. She was scheduled to fly for a second time to Albay province on Tuesday, her spokesman said. All but two dozen of the deaths occurred in Albay, with 165 in the flooded town of Guinobatan in the foothills of the Mayon volcano, about 200 miles southeast of Manila. More than 50 tons of relief goods, medicine, body bags and other aid have been flown to the province by air force C-130 cargo planes, officials said. Australia also made an initial pledge of $780,000 in immediate humanitarian relief. Canada earlier donated $876,000, while Japan said it would send $173,000. In Albay's battered capital of Legazpi City, residents lined up Sunday to buy drinking water, gasoline and food. Panic gripped one community due to rumors of an impending tsunami, but officials quickly reassured people that no earthquakes had occurred. Houses along the Yawa River in Padang, about seven miles from Legazpi, were buried under 5 feet of mud, with only their rooftops protruding. Some bodies had been washed out to sea, then swept by currents to the shores of an adjacent town. Glenn Lorica, 22, said his family's house in Albay's Daraga town was destroyed by a torrent of mud, uprooted trees, rocks and debris. Seven members of his family are missing; only he and his younger sister are known to have survived. He said he struggled to stay afloat in the rampaging mud flow by grabbing hold of trees while being battered by rocks and other debris. He removed his clothing to avoid being entangled in floating trees. "I told myself that if I would die, so be it," Lorica said from a hospital bed. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Gomez contributed to this report from Manila. \|\|\|\|\| Story Highlights • NEW: Death toll from Typhoon Durian rises above 400 • 489 people injured and another 398 reported missing • Canada pledges $870,000, Netherlands Red Cross $53,000 • Durian is fourth major typhoon in Philippines in as many months Adjust font size: MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- Relief efforts in the Philippines faced delays Sunday for survivors of Typhoon Durian, as fears grew of a rising death toll in the archipelago nation from last week's storm. The Red Cross put the death toll Sunday at 406, and another 489 as injured. Another 398 people were missing, the organization said. But the death toll caused by the typhoon could eventually be "in the thousands" as more people are believed to be buried under the mud, Red Cross Executive Assistant Gwendolyn Pang said Sunday. (Watch how destruction has left hundreds dead ) Meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a state of national calamity Sunday, news services reported. The move allows the government to more rapidly release funds needed to bolster search-and-rescue efforts. Relief efforts were facing challenges from roads blocked by debris, Pang said. "We are trying as much as possible to broaden our reach," she told CNN. (Watch as Pang describes Red Cross relief efforts ) Canada pledged $870,000 and the Netherlands Red Cross pledged $53,000, said the Red Cross' Pang. The United States also promised aid, she added, but did not say how much. The donations will help the country deal with the aftermath of the storm that triggered massive flooding and volcanic mudslides. Many provinces lost power, which made communication practically impossible and some of the areas were in "neck-deep" water, Pang said. In one of the worst hit provinces, Albay, two villages were buried by volcanic mudslides and volunteers were working to recover bodies from the wreckage. According to the Red Cross, rescue boats were used to survey the damage and usher people to the 305 evacuation centers. Pang said about 8,905 families were in the shelters so far. The Red Cross estimated about 66, 616 people were now homeless based upon the number of homes destroyed in the wake of Durian. Earlier, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said 38,473 displaced people were in evacuation shelters. Durian is the fourth devastating typhoon to strike the Philippines in the past four months. A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that occurs in the western Pacific or Indian oceans. CNN Radio's Lee Garen contributed to this story Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| Adjust font size: PADANG, Philippines (AP) -- Typhoon Alley took its toll again. Major storms have battered the Philippines time and again this year. Typhoon Durian was the fourth "super" typhoon in four months to hit the country, swamping the Mayon volcano with so much wind and rain that ash and boulders cascaded down its slopes in walls of black mud that swamped entire villages Thursday. Doomed by geography and hobbled by poverty, the Philippines has long tried to minimize the damage caused by the 20 or so typhoons that hit the sprawling archipelago every year. Despite a combination of preparation and mitigation measures, high death tolls and destruction persist. The Philippines' location in the northwestern Pacific puts it right in the pathway of the world's No. 1 typhoon generator, according to meteorologists. "We are often the first to experience typhoons before they go to China, Taiwan and Japan," said Thelma Cinco, senior weather specialist of the Philippine weather bureau. Durian punched the Bicol region -- which has gained a reputation as the welcome mat for the most destructive cyclones -- with gusts of up to 265 kph (165 mph) that blew away roofs, toppled trees, power and communication lines and sent tons of rocks and volcanic ash down the slopes of Mayon, the region's most famous landmark. Nationwide in 2001-05, 2,892 people were killed and 909 others went missing in typhoons and other storms, which caused damage totaling 26.05 billion pesos (US$521 million; euro395 million), the National Disaster Coordinating Council says. During the past century, bad weather has cost the country about 15 billion pesos (US$300 million; euro227 million) a year just in infrastructure, said Anthony Golez, the council's deputy chief, noting that the estimate doesn't include losses to employment and other economic opportunities. But how can Filipinos deal with typhoons? "The country would need a big umbrella," Golez quipped. "Figuratively, that umbrella is the knowledge that we should instill in our people -- knowing about disaster preparedness." He said Filipinos should be "bombarded" with disaster information, including stories of the Indian Ocean tsunami two years ago and the February 2006 landslide in the central Philippine village of Guinsaugon that killed more than 1,000. "They have to get scared, or else," he said. "We have to give them the reality, and it's a sad reality. We have to tell them the truth." But work should go beyond preparedness, Golez said. Too many people live close to danger zones like mountainsides or riverbanks, he said. "They are pushed there because they do not have any choice. If you develop their economy, then they would have more options," he said. Sen. Richard Gordon, who heads the Philippine National Red Cross, said better planning is needed. "We have to break the cycle of disaster and poverty by being smarter, by being sure we can plan our community smarter," he said. "The big problem here in our country is we don't plan our communities. It's every man for himself." He said the government has money for disaster mitigation but that politicians look to building projects that last only long enough for people to remember them during election campaigns. Mayor Jessie Robredo of Naga city in Camarines Sur, a province in Bicol often hit by typhoons, said his people are used to the yearly storms and began bracing for Durian a week before it arrived. The result was "zero casualty" this time, he said. But he laments that emergency funds, used to help his constituents get back on their feet after every typhoon, could be used for economic projects. "We would have been more progressive, more productive," he said. "The worst part of a typhoon is that instead of using our funds for livelihood, we use them for relief to help people rebuild their lives. Instead of building infrastructures, we repair buildings." The cycle seems unlikely to break soon. But Robredo said life goes on in Typhoon Alley. "The people of Naga are very resilient," he said. "Typhoons are like a way of life, a part of life. We do not like them, but our attitude is that there is still another day and we will rise again." Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared a state of national calamity Sunday in the wake of Typhoon Durian, allowing the government to more rapidly release funds needed to bolster search and rescue efforts. Relief efforts in the Philippines faced delays Sunday for survivors, as fears grew of a rising death toll in the archipelago nation from last week's storm. Red Cross officials recorded a death toll of at least 406, with 398 others missing and another 489 as injured, based on figures provided by mayors of devastated towns in the eastern Philippines, where Durian hit with 139 mph winds and torrential rains on Thursday. Canada pledged $870,000 and the Netherlands Red Cross pledged $53,000 to help the country deal with the aftermath of the storm that triggered massive flooding and volcanic mudslides. The United States also promised an undetermined amount of aid. Many provinces lost power, making communication virtually impossible. In one of the worst hit provinces, Albay, two villages were buried by volcanic mudslides and volunteers were working to recover bodies from the wreckage. According to the Red Cross, rescue boats were used to survey the damage and take people to the 305 evacuation centers. The Red Cross estimated about 66,616 people were now homeless based upon the number of homes destroyed in the wake of Durian. Earlier, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said 38,473 displaced people were in evacuation shelters. ===Often hit by storms=== The Philippines' location in the northwestern Pacific puts it right in the pathway of the world's top typhoon generator, according to meteorologists. Durian is the fourth devastating typhoon to strike the Philippines in the past four months, covering the Mayon volcano with so much wind and rain that ash and boulders cascaded down its slopes in walls of black mud that swamped entire villages Thursday. Hemmed in by geography and poverty, the Philippines has tried to minimize the damage caused by the 20 or so typhoons that hit the sprawling archipelago every year. Nationwide in 2001-05, 2,892 people were killed and 909 others went missing in typhoons and other storms, which caused damage totaling US$521 million, says the National Disaster Coordinating Council. Anthony Golez, the council's deputy chief, notes that the estimate doesn't include losses to employment and other economic opportunities, and that Filipinos should be "bombarded" with disaster information, including stories of the Indian Ocean tsunami two years ago and the February 2006 landslide in the central Philippine village of Guinsaugon that killed more than 1,000. Senator Richard Gordon, who heads the Philippine National Red Cross, said better planning is needed. "The big problem here in our country is we don't plan our communities. It's every man for himself."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican Party chief called on Senator Harry Reid on Sunday to step down as Senate majority leader over racial comments about President Barack Obama, while Democrats tried to put the issue behind them. Barack Obama Reid, a key figure in pushing Obama's agenda through Congress, apologized to the president on Saturday over remarks published in a new book calling Obama a "light-skinned" black man "with no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one." Both Obama and Reid are Democrats. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said Reid should step aside as Senate majority leader, saying if a Republican made the same remarks Democrats would be "screaming for his head." "Oh yeah, there's a big double standard here," Steele, who is black, said on the NBC program "Meet the Press." "There is this standard where the Democrats feel that they can say these things and they can apologize when it ... comes from the mouths of their own. But if it comes from anyone else, it's racism," Steele added on "Fox News Sunday." Steele said Reid used "anachronistic language," adding, "It harkens back to the 1950s and 60s, and it confirms to me a mind-set that's out of step with where America is today." Steele was asked about his use in a recent television appearance of the words "honest injun," seen as disparaging toward American Indians. Asked if his own words were a racial slur, Steele said, "Well, if it is, I apologize for it. ... I wasn't intending to say a racial slur at all." Reid's comments, made in private conversations, were quoted in a newly published book about the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, "Game Change," by Time magazine reporter Mark Halperin and New York magazine writer John Heileman. 'A POOR CHOICE OF WORDS' Reid on Saturday apologized for "using such a poor choice of words." Obama issued a statement accepting the apology. Reid, 70, has been a close partner of the White House on key Obama initiatives, and succeeded in helping to round up the 60 votes needed to win Senate passage on December 24 of a healthcare reform bill, Obama's top legislative priority. It is unclear whether this controversy will undermine Reid's influence in the Senate. Reid is also facing a tough re-election battle in Nevada this November. Democratic Party chairman Tim Kaine said "the comments were unfortunate and they were insensitive," but he said there is no reason for Reid to step down as majority leader. "I think the case is closed because President Obama has spoken directly with the leader (Reid) and accepted his apology. ... We're moving on," Kaine told "Meet the Press." "Harry Reid made a misstatement. He owned up to it. He apologized. I think he is mortified by the statement he's made. And I don't think he should step down," Democratic Senator Jack Reed told "Fox News Sunday." Republicans compared Reid's remarks to those made in 2002 by Republican Trent Lott, praising former segregationist presidential candidate and long-time senator Strom Thurmond. Lott stepped down as Senate majority leader over the comments. "If he (Lott) should resign, then Harry Reid should," Republican Senator Jon Kyl told "Fox News Sunday." (Editing by Todd Eastham) \|\|\|\|\| Michael Steele, the Republican Party chairman, called Sunday for Harry Reid to step down as U.S. Senate majority leader in the wake of revelations of Mr. Reid’s remarks in 2008 about Barack Obama’s skin color and dialect. A new book about the 2008 campaign quotes Mr. Reid as predicting that Mr. Obama could become the country’s first black president because he was “light-skinned” and had “no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” On Saturday, the senator issued a public statement apologizing for the remark. He also expressed his regret for the comment in a phone call to Mr. Obama, who accepted his apology. But Mr. Steele, who is black, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that an apology was not enough and “there has to be a consequence” for “anachronistic language that harkens backs to the 1950’s and 1960’s.” Asked by the moderator, David Gregory, whether an appropriate consequence is Mr. Reid’s resignation as majority leader, Mr. Steele said, “I believe it is.” The statement suggested that Republicans would not let the controversy pass quietly, while Democrats, from Mr. Obama himself to the Rev. Al Sharpton, worked to put the matter to rest. “There’s a big double standard here,” Mr. Steele said. “When Democrats get caught saying racist things, you know an apology is enough.” He recalled that Trent Lott had stepped down as Republic majority leader in 2002 after making a racially tinged remark. Had a similar statement been made by Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, Democrats would be calling for his head, he said. Mr. Steele made many of the same statements on “Fox News Sunday.” Appearing alongside him on “Meet the Press,” Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said Mr. Reid’s comments were “unfortunate and insensitive” but were made in the context of advocating a run by Mr. Obama for president. Mr. Lott’s remarks had been made in what appeared to be praise for Strom Thurmond for his segregationist candidacy. Mr. Reid’s remarks were contained in “Game Change,” a newly published account of the 2008 presidential race by political journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. The book reported that Mr. Reid privately urged Mr. Obama, then a freshman senator, to seek the presidency in the fall of 2006 despite his limited experience and the historical obstacles to making such a run. “I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words,” Mr. Reid said in a statement on Saturday. “I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African-Americans, for my improper comments.” President Obama quickly expressed support for Mr. Reid. “I accepted Harry’s apology without question because I’ve known him for years. I’ve seen the passionate leadership he’s shown on issues of social justice, and I know what’s in his heart,” Mr. Obama said in a statement, adding that the remark was “unfortunate.” “As far as I am concerned, the book is closed.” Mr. Reid, who is embroiled in a difficult re-election battle in Nevada and a bruising legislative fight over health care on Capitol Hill, had already been fighting speculation that he might step down. Congressman Pete Hoekstra of Michigan, appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday did not go as far as Mr. Steele, saying that the controversy “is an issue the Democrats are going to have to deal with internally.” “It is a Democrat issue, it is a personal issue Republicans ought to stand on the sidelines,” he said. While Mr. Obama has acknowledged that his race has played a role in his rapid national rise, he has long sought to prevent race from being a distraction to his political campaigns and his agenda. The White House swiftly issued a statement, aides said, in an effort to keep the controversy from interfering with a final push on health care legislation and from setting back one of the party’s leaders in the mid-term elections. The call from Mr. Reid was the latest in a string of apologies Mr. Obama has accepted over the years, underscoring the sometimes uneasy evolution of race and politics in America. Three years ago, then-Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware told the New York Observer that Mr. Obama was “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” Mr. Obama accepted Mr. Biden’s apology and more than a year later selected him as the Democratic vice presidential nominee. The relationship between the president and Mr. Reid has been strong since Mr. Obama arrived in Washington as a senator in 2005. One year later, Mr. Reid encouraged Mr. Obama to think about running for president. Mr. Reid made the remark to the authors in the context of praising Mr. Obama’s political skills. An aide to Mr. Reid said the comments about how he believed the country would accept Mr. Obama, whose father was black and mother was white, were not intended for use in the book. In Washington and in Nevada, the exchange set off something of a political furor for Mr. Reid. One adviser said that Mr. Reid’s aggressive response was an attempt to avoid the fate of Mr. Lott. The National Republican Senatorial Committee on Saturday circulated comments that Mr. Reid made during the Lott controversy. Mr. Reid said at the time: “If you tell ethnic jokes in the back room, it’s that much easier to say ethnic things publicly. I’ve always practiced how I play.” Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 Democrat in the House, was among the black leaders who received a call from Mr. Reid. Mr. Clyburn said that Mr. Reid should be judged on the merits of his record to respond to diversity and to advance the president’s agenda. “I am one of those who wish to one day live in a color-blind nation,” Mr. Clyburn said. “But the fact is that none of us do today.” Reverend Sharpton of New York offered his support for Mr. Reid after receiving a telephone call from him. He said that while Mr. Reid “did not select the best word choice in this instance,” the comments should not distract Congress or the White House. The remark from Mr. Reid is one of several items in the book that present new assertions from the 2008 presidential campaign. In another passage, the book says that Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York was among the Democrats quietly encouraging Mr. Obama to enter the race. Mr. Schumer later endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton, but he and Mr. Reid jointly urged Mr. Obama to run in late 2006. (Mr. Schumer said through a spokesman that he “had a high regard for President Obama, but he was a strong and devoted supporter of then-Senator Clinton from the day she announced her campaign to the day she withdrew.”) \|\|\|\|\| Washington (CNN) -- The chairman of the Republican Party and a leading GOP senator called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to give up his post Sunday, following the publication of remarks he made about President Obama's race in 2008. A new book quotes Reid, D-Nevada, as saying privately in 2008 that Obama could be successful as a black candidate in part because of his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." The remarks were "embarrassing and racially insensitive," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, head of the GOP's Senate campaign arm, in a statement to CNN. GOP Chairman Michael Steele, on NBC's "Meet the Press," said: "Racism and racist conversations have no place today in America." Steele also was on the defensive for a remark he made last week that members of both parties have called a racial slur. In an interview with Fox News, Steele used the phrase "honest injun." The Congressional Black Caucus has accepted Reid's apology and is dismissing calls for him to step down as majority leader. Rep. Barbara Lee, chairwoman of the caucus, issued the following statement: "I have had an opportunity to speak with Senator Reid and he apologized for his unfortunate remarks concerning the president, and he understands the gravity of such remarks. There are too many issues like the economy, job creation and energy for these regrettable comments to distract us from the work that must be done on behalf of the American people." Democrats also rejected the calls for Reid's dismissal. Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, chairman of the Democratic Party, said "the case is closed" following Reid's round of apologies. Douglas Wilder of Virginia, who 20 years ago became the nation's first elected African-American governor, also rejected calls for Reid's ouster. "I think that what Reid was giving was a personal opinion, which wasn't affecting the laws or the operation of the dispensation of justice in our country," Wilder told CNN's "State of the Union." But he said he believes the incident "illustrates the need for more open discussion about race." Reid's office made clear he has no plans to step down. Democrats rejected the calls for Reid's dismissal, and Reid's office made clear he has no plans to step down. "Sen. Reid will stay in his position as majority leader and will run for re-election," his spokesman said. "As the leader in the fight to pass the Voting Rights Act and legislation banning hate crimes, Sen. Reid has a long record of addressing issues that are important to the African-American community. His Republican critics who are looking to politicize the issue can't say the same." Reid's controversial quote is in the book "Game Change," due in stores Monday. The authors write that "Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination." In a statement to CNN, Reid said, "I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words." "I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African-Americans for my improper comments. I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama's legislative agenda," Reid said. In his defense, he pointed to his efforts to integrate the Las Vegas strip and the gaming industry, among other legislation favored by African-American voters. "I have worked hard to advance issues important to the African-American community," he said. And the senate leader called Obama on Saturday afternoon to apologize for the remarks. In a statement issued after the call, Obama said, "As far as I am concerned, the book is closed." "Harry Reid called me today and apologized for an unfortunate comment reported today," the president said. "I accepted Harry's apology without question because I've known him for years, I've seen the passionate leadership he's shown on issues of social justice and I know what's in his heart." An aide to the senator told CNN that Reid also offered apologies to several prominent African-American political figures, including House Democrats Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Barbara Lee of California; the Rev. Al Sharpton; CNN political contributor and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile; NAACP chairman Julian Bond; and the head of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Wade Henderson. Steele, the GOP's first African-American chairman, was asked about the remarks on both "Meet the Press" and "Fox News Sunday." He told NBC on Sunday he believes Reid is out of touch with "how African-Americans generally feel" about sensitive issues. Steele was asked by NBC whether he believes the situation is similar to one involving former Sen. Trent Lott, who lost his post as Senate majority leader in 2002 after saying that the nation would have been better off if one-time segregationist candidate Strom Thurmond had been elected president. "Oh, yeah. There is a big double standard here," Steele said on NBC. Steele added: "When Democrats get caught saying racist things, you know, an apology is enough." Steele said that if a Republican senator had made the same remark Reid did, Steele himself and the Democratic Party "would be screaming for his head very much as they were with Trent Lott." Cornyn, in his statement, also accused Democrats of following a "double standard," and noted that they had pushed Lott to step down. "As we await his explanation, Sen. Reid should do the right thing, follow the example that he himself set in 2002, and step down as majority leader," Cornyn said. Kaine shot back against those arguments. "Anybody looking at Trent Lott's statements praising somebody who had been a pro-segregation candidate for president will see that there is no comparison between those comments and those of Sen. Reid," Kaine told NBC. The comments "were in the context of praising the senator and acknowledging that the senator could be a great president, but they were still insensitive," Kaine said. Asked whether Reid should resign, he said, "Absolutely not. ... We're moving on." Nevada state Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, who is African-American, affirmed his support for Reid in a statement Saturday. "While I am disappointed in Sen. Reid's comment and choice of words, I accept his apology," said Horsford, a Democrat. "I have known Sen. Reid for many years and he has consistently been supportive of advancing the interests of the African-American community as he has for all Nevadans and all Americans." Steele, meanwhile, was asked about his remark in a Fox News interview last week that the GOP platform "is one of the best political documents that's been written in the last 25 years, 'honest injun' on that." "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace noted that lawmakers from both parties have called that a racial slur. "Well, if it is, I apologize for it. It's not an intent to be a racial slur. I wasn't intending to say a racial slur at all," Steele said. CNN's Dana Bash, Mark Preston and Rebecca Sinderbrand contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| Harry Reid taking heat for Obama remarks And you thought Harry Reid was in trouble BEFORE this weekend. The Senate Democratic leader --already looking at a tough re-election bid in Nevada -- faces Republican calls to step down after reports that in 2008 he said he thought that Barack Obama could win the presidency because he was "light-skinned" and did not use a "Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." "It's an old mind-set when you're using language in 2008 that harkens back to the 1950s and '60s," said Republican Party Chair Michael Steele on Fox News Sunday. Reid apologized Saturday to President Obama, who issued a statement in support of the Senate majority leader who is shepherding his health care bill and other items through Congress. "I accepted Harry's apology without question because I've known him for years, I've seen the passionate leadership he's shown on issues of social justice, and I know what's in his heart," Obama said in his statement. "As far as I am concerned, the book is closed." It was a book that disclosed Reid's comments -- Game Change, a chronicle of the 2008 campaign by journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. Democratic Party Chairman Tim Kaine cited Obama's acceptance of Reid apology in downplaying the incident on Fox News Sunday. "If you look at those comments, they clearly were in the context of praising Sen. Obama," Kaine said, predicting that Reid would stay on as Senate majority leader. "I don't think this is an issue that's going to affect his leadership at all." Steele and other Republicans such as Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona cited what they called a "double standard" when it comes to racial comments by Democrats as opposed to members of the GOP. Both cited the case ofÂ Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, who lost his leadership post after his 2002 comments. "I'd like to see the same standard applied to both" parties, Kyl said, also on Fox News Sunday. Kaine, who also appeared with Steele on NBC's Meet The Press, said Lott's comments appeared to support segregation, while Reid was trying to praise Obama's ability. (Posted by David Jackson)	Senator Harry Reid Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat who is US Senate , is under a lot of criticism over comments he made during the 2008 United States presidential election, toward US President Barack Obama. The highlighted comment made by Reid was calling Obama a "light-skinned" black man "with no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one." The remarks were released in a book co-written by '''' magazine reporter , and '''' magazine reporter John Heileman. Reid has since apologized for "using such a poor choice of words." President Obama quickly accepted the apology. Reid has been a partner with the Obama Administration on issues such as health care reform. chairman told '''' "the comments were unfortunate and they were insensitive", but "I think the case is closed because President Obama has spoken directly with the leader Reid and accepted his apology. ... We're moving on." Members of the have called on Reid to resign over his comments. Party chairperson told '''' "There is this standard where the Democrats feel that they can say these things and they can apologize when it ... comes from the mouths of their own. But if it comes from anyone else, it's racism,". Having appeared alongside Kaine, where the Democrat Party chairman stated the case was closed, Steele argued that there was a double standard, on the basis of then-Senator Obama calling in 2002 calling for , at that time the majority leader, to be ousted for supporting the views of , who stood as a segregationist Presidential candidate in 1948. The book '''' published today, also says that New York Senator encouraged Barack Obama to run in early 2006, even though he later endorsed his former colleague Hillary Clinton. Other revelations included that John McCain's aides were concerned about Sarah Palin's failure to understand basic facts prior to her '''' interviews with , including why North Korea and South Korea are separate countries. Co-authors Halpern and Heileman have a history of vocal criticism of media coverage of the 2008 Presidential election. In late 2008, Daily Kos reporter Jed Lewison drew attention to comments by Halpern, on-stage with Heilmen, asserting the reportage was, "extreme bias, extreme pro-Obama coverage"; he characterised election coverage as, "the most disgusting failure of people in our business since the Iraq war". Halpern's centrepiece example was an analysis of ''New York Times'' profiles on the prospective First Ladies; overlooking earlier NYT coverage that reported on Obama's Caucasian ancestors being slave owners.
Aslam Tarin, a Pakistani policeman, told Geo TV that the gunmen opened fire on the tankers and escaped after police returned fire, Twelve Nato oil tankers have been set alight and four policemen killed when unknown gunmen opened fire in Talagang, a town in Pakistan's Punjab province. Tarin said a nearby petrol station also caught fire due to Saturday's attack on the oil tankers. Most oil supply to Nato forces in Afghanistan is transferred through Pakistan. In a similar incident last October, six vehicles destined for Nato forces in Afghanistan, including one oil tanker, were attacked by about 30 gunmen in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. Logistical difficulties These incidents convey the difficulty of undertaking a war in a landlocked nation such as Afghanistan. About 75 per cent of supplies for the Afghan war are sent either through or over Pakistan, including 40 per cent of fuel for troops. Supplies have become a focus of attack for fighters who aim to stem the resources available to Nato and US forces in Afghanistan. Supplies along the Khyber Pass have regularly come under attack, forcing the US to find alternative supply routes. The Khyber Pass is the mountainous border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, notorious for its treacherous terrain and often lawless outlying regions. \|\|\|\|\| Posted Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:22:00 GMT by Linden VolsunA new nanoparticle technology that has been dubbed 'nano-Velcro' can detect even small amounts of mercury and other heavy metals in water and fish. Posted Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:00:00 GMT by Adrian BishopLung cancer sufferers with a history of smoking have 10-times more genetic mutations in their tumours than non-smokers with the disease, according to a new study. Posted Tue, 11 Sep 2012 18:42:45 GMT by Dave ArmstrongThe most threatened species are often therefore those that seem almost unnecessary, The 'Priceless or Worthless', title of a new conservation report says it all. Posted Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:18:51 GMT by Michael EvansEvery year a million people worldwide take their own lives. To help to raise awareness, at 8.00 pm local time on World Suicide Prevention Day, in every country of the world, people are invited to put a lighted candle near a window to commemmorate those who have died in this way. Posted Mon, 10 Sep 2012 13:23:54 GMT by Dave ArmstrongThe September update from the Panamanian Report on Caribbean coral cover and coral fauna has been published. From starfish to vertebrates, the IUCN and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network have published a number of reports on the health of Caribbean coral. Posted Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:31:20 GMT by Dave ArmstrongFrom orang-utan to giant catfish, the exotic animals of Asia are just about the most endangered, and loved, on earth. Posted Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:12:01 GMT by Dave ArmstrongLauren-Kristine Pryzant and John F. Bruno have written a book review on: Adapting to a Changing Environment: Confronting the Consequences of Climate Change, outlining what we will have to do as sea-levels rise and coastal areas disappear. Posted Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:44:00 GMT by Adrian BishopDinosaurs may have been wiped out by the effects of volcanic eruptions followed by an asteroid 300,000 years later, say American researchers. Posted Wed, 05 Sep 2012 14:31:39 GMT by Michael EvansLiteracy and Peace is the theme of International Literacy Day 2012. Literacy is a means of personal liberation that provides individuals with a method of developing faculties to improve their economic status and general well-being. One is five of the world's adults is illiterate and two-thirds of these are women. Posted Wed, 05 Sep 2012 08:59:13 GMT by Dave ArmstrongHow does white syndrome destroy coral reefs? Montipora White Syndrome and that of many Acripora and many other corals, is caused or rather associated with multiple infections of ciliates, helminth worms and together they cause multiple lesions and a horrific loss of cells and biomass. The Earth Times site and content have been updated. We do apologise, as this may mean that the article or page you were looking for has changed. The Earth Times now focuses on producing and publishing our own unique content on environmental issues, which is written by our own team of expert authors and journalists. We now publish environmental news articles and information on various environmental problems. You can use the site search at the top of each page, otherwise there are links to some of the main site categories and green blogs we publish included on this page. Some of the environmental topics and categories that we now focus on include climate change and the effects of global warming, including their various impacts on both people and the planet as well as conservation issues and news articles relating to nature and wildlife. The site puts an emphasis on sustainability issues, including the use and technological progress made with various types of alternative or renewable energy. Earth Times runs several eco friendly blogs (environmentally friendly) on various topics such as ecotourism (sustainable travel and tourism), eco fashion, green living, green gadgets and clean technology, plus various other environment based news categories including pollution and science news. If you have any questions or queries please contact us.	Several NATO oil tankers were set on fire in the Punjab province of Pakistan, and four policemen were killed in a gunfight with unknown gunmen yesterday, reports say. The (DPA) news service attributes the attack to the Taleban. The incidents occurred in the town of . Aslam Tareen, the regional police chief, said that "around a dozen" tankers were set on fire after being attacked with rocket-propelled grenades. "Later on, they exchanged intensive fire with the police and killed four of our officers while two more were injured," Tareen said, adding that a petrol station nearby the oil tankers also caught fire. DPA says the attack was the deadliest on NATO supply convoys in the province. Close to three quarters of all oil, food, and military supplies to landlocked Afghanistan first pass through Pakistan.
Bidding reaches $30,000 for ‘holy’ pebble The bidding on TradeMe for a pebble with what appears to be an image of the Virgin Mary on it, has shot up to almost $30,000. Lisa Coolett found the small stone while fossicking on the Kaikoura coast 18 months ago. She says although she is not religious, she has had a string of good luck since the find - and is now selling the pebble to raise money for a dentist's visit. \|\|\|\|\| Posted Sat, 05 Mar 2016 10:50:00 GMT by JW DoweyFrom cougars to tree frogs and tiger to elephant, we protect the wild from many threats. It is not only orangutans that are affected by lack of planning and knowledge in wildlife reintroductions. The situation on the ground and in the labs that unearth genetic mistakes is made clear with painstaking research. The future could leave us with little wildlife in Africa, SE Asia or in fact, anywhere, unless the planning is logical and forward-looking. Posted Wed, 02 Mar 2016 13:10:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongThe lists for leading nations in annual growth dont often include Central Asia. The slow but steady investment in private enterprise and international partnerships with aid have brought some environmental improvements and greater water security in the dry, extreme climates found in the region. Posted Tue, 01 Mar 2016 12:37:01 GMT by Dave ArmstrongSolar or biofuel? Well, we know which plane will get you there quicker at the moment. Posted Mon, 29 Feb 2016 19:59:00 GMT by Paul RobinsonPlants such as Rafflesia spp. are closest to the Euphorbias, but literally stand out as amazing examples of evolution to attract insects for pollination and mammals for dispersal. We take off our hats, and place it round our noses to a plant that parasitizes and almost paralyses us, and perpetually pleases flies!!! Posted Wed, 24 Feb 2016 09:25:34 GMT by Dave ArmstrongWe have a record for being obsessed with camouflage in the sea or on land. The incredible lengths that species will go to (evolve) in order to resemble an object that is either dangerous or inedible. The name is mimicry (Batesian or otherwise) and the game here is masquerade. Posted Mon, 22 Feb 2016 11:20:00 GMT by JW DoweyWhy do we allow the rainforest to die? How can we possibly encourage the regeneration of large stretches of the habitat needed for organisms large and small? Posted Sat, 20 Feb 2016 10:50:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongAn important step for many countries now is relieving the strain on health services from the heavy but invisible pollution, not only from our cars but actually drawn into our vehicles. Posted Thu, 18 Feb 2016 11:42:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongThe revealing of the oceans wealth probably postdates the almost-total human exploitation of perhaps our most valuable resource. Here is an important indication that wealth remains deep below our puny explorations. The hope must be that it can be preserved or conserved and not canned. Posted Tue, 16 Feb 2016 10:00:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongThe genome is already possibly the most useful tool in fighting disease, enabling conservation, and improving our scientific efficiency all round. Here the most ancient organisms are investigated and found absolutely amazing, if just a little small and hard-to-get! Posted Mon, 15 Feb 2016 09:20:26 GMT by Paul RobinsonIt is impossible to judge exactly how global warming will affect all of us. This includes remote populations of plants and animals, many of which could be important in predicting how climate is changing. We now know just how complex the rainfall, the temperatures, the sea ice and the desertification can become. Posted Tue, 09 Feb 2016 10:47:50 GMT by JW DoweyHow do we evaluate modern humans in their approach to high fidelity learning. We are barely adequate in evaluating teaching, so maybe it is about time we looked more closely at how children really learn. The so-called professionals, from areas that are barely concerned, have failed to agree for generations, even on defining true teaching, instruction, coaching or mentoring properly. That leaves the field wide open for novel or ingenuous suggestions about early (or even late) learning and the teaching that successfully provides it. Posted Fri, 05 Feb 2016 10:50:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongThe joy of mutualism is in forever finding new connections although in this case, we should have listened to the seers at least as long ago as 1653. Many crows and their relatives hoard food n activity known as scatter-hoarding. Even the giant of the family, the raven, has been recorded as encouraging the limited tree growth in isolated patches of almost-Arctic Shetland. No wonder the Norse regarded the species as among the gods. Posted Wed, 03 Feb 2016 10:50:01 GMT by Dave ArmstrongMore important than food, if you are not starving; more important than children, if you are currently without; the sustainability of civilisation from the ancients to the International Space Station, is connected to waste and recycling, whether it is water or solid obstructions. Here is a compendium of current problems caused by yours truly in his or her own home. Posted Mon, 01 Feb 2016 09:08:19 GMT by JW DoweyThe world's water problems do not simply include the Aral Sea and this Bolivian lake. Whole states and nations are suffering from droughts that go unnoticed internationally. If we can alleviate the suffering of people and renovate some of the environmental conditions, then these neglected regions could achieve some of their former glory. In this case, ancient civilisations thrived in these high, inhospitable mountains, while we fail to maintain even a potable supply of water. Posted Wed, 27 Jan 2016 21:09:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongThe distribution of animals and plants can be absolutely fascinating. While fossils may not interest everybody, the mammals that occupy our earth currently give us a wealth of information. This concerns climate and geological change, as their ancestors, and those who didnt make it, show us the details of the climate changes that concern us very deeply at this moment in time. Posted Mon, 25 Jan 2016 18:00:00 GMT by JW DoweyAs Parisand April promises yet further promises, how are the pollution and carbon footprints decreasing over some of the major players in world climate change? Posted Fri, 22 Jan 2016 12:11:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongWhether we eat vegetables or meat, tofu or McDonalds, the basis of human and animal ingestion is the producers. These are the plants that are eaten by us all, in all their incredible varieties, providing food and drink to every living thing on the planet. Wouldnt it be a good idea to safeguard all the variety for our future needs. You bet your fat bottom! Now Norway and Germany are leading the way, along with 137 other nations to conserve what we have, in case we havent much left in 2017. Posted Wed, 20 Jan 2016 01:00:00 GMT by JW DoweyMost recent among a mass of work appearing on dolphin and whale society alongside the equivalent in birds and primates, among many others, the language of sperm whales could well be translated soon as a fascinating set of clan chats. Posted Sun, 17 Jan 2016 15:57:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongWhatever you think of deadbeat species or lost causes, the kakapo certainly isnt one of them. This year may see an upturn in their fortunes finally after years of dedicated effort on New Zealands islands in the cold, unfruitful and uninspiring situations we have placed this bird in. Posted Tue, 12 Jan 2016 12:36:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongYou wouldnt want to meet up with the common puff adder. This African species is not only visually camouflaged but your dog (or even a mongoose) would find it more or lesstoo. The Earth Times site and content have been updated. We do apologise, as this may mean that the article or page you were looking for has changed. The Earth Times now focuses on producing and publishing our own unique content on environmental issues, which is written by our own team of expert authors and journalists. We now publish environmental news articles and information on various environmental problems. You can use the site search at the top of each page, otherwise there are links to some of the main site categories and green blogs we publish included on this page. Some of the environmental topics and categories that we now focus on include climate change and the effects of global warming, including their various impacts on both people and the planet as well as conservation issues and news articles relating to nature and wildlife. The site puts an emphasis on sustainability issues, including the use and technological progress made with various types of alternative or renewable energy. Earth Times runs several eco friendly blogs (environmentally friendly) on various topics such as ecotourism (sustainable travel and tourism), eco fashion, green living, green gadgets and clean technology, plus various other environment based news categories including pollution and science news. If you have any questions or queries please contact us. \|\|\|\|\| Pebble found on South Island beach with image of the Virgin Mary. Its genuine and I will be contacting the university geology department in the very near future to have authenticity proved. Check out The Press Newspaper, Tuesday 23rd of Wednesday 24th October to view more photos and find out more about this tiny pebble. Please read the questions and answers for this auction below. Click to enlarge \|\|\|\|\| Buyer's remorse after offer for `Virgin Mary' pebble A Trade Me bidder may be praying for salvation after receiving a call to confirm they had just clicked the $50,000 "Buy Now" tag on a auction for a pebble. Trade Me business manager Mike O'Donnell said a phone call to the bidder to verify the offer was met with "a serious intake of breath," followed by a long silence. Mr O'Donnell said the person had not expected the bid to be taken seriously. The pebble, said to be of elevated value as it bears the image of the Virgin Mary, was put up for auction by Christchurch woman Lisa-Marie Corlet . Ms Corlet told The Press newspaper she discovered the pebble on a Kaikoura beach last year. She said her $50,000 "Buy Now" tag (which allows bidders to purchase the item for a price specified by the seller, ending the auction) was not unreasonable as a toasted cheese sandwich showing the Virgin Mary had recently sold America for $US28,000 ($NZ37000). The highest bid prior to the $50,000 click was for $5000. "In contract terms this person made an offer that was accepted because of the `Buy Now'," Mr O'Donnell said. "We have been in touch with the seller to see whether she wants to take further action against him, which she can through the disputes tribunal, or if she just wants to relist the item." In July a bidder reneged on an offer to buy Prime Minister Helen Clark's old family car after the auction had appeared in the news. However, Mr O'Donnell said illegitimate bids on high profile items were decreasing as "the penny dropped" and people realised they were making a binding offer. Ms Corlet could not immediately be reached for comment.	The pebble which is no bigger than a nail. Lisa-Marie Corlett, a woman who lives in Christchurch, New Zealand has found a one centimeter wide pebble that supposedly shows the image of the Virgin Mary. She found the pebble while walking on a beach on the South Island of New Zealand. Since finding the pebble, Coolett has stated that she has had some "good luck" lately, despite the fact that she does not practice any religion. Coolett put the pebble up for auction on the popular New Zealand internet auction site ''Trade Me'' with a buy now of NZ$70,000. Later, she lowered the buy-now price to NZ$50,000. An American woman clicked the buy-now. "Trade Me business manager Mike O'Donnell said a phone call to the bidder to verify the offer was met with "a serious intake of breath," followed by a long silence. Mr O'Donnell said the person had not expected the bid to be taken seriously.". The highest bid prior to the $50,000 click was for $5000. The highest bid at the moment sits at NZ$30,900.50. Rumors that Coolett had decided to sell the pebble to an American lady who previously bought a piece of toast that supposedly had an image of the Virgin Mary on it, have been denied by her as mere hearsay. "If someone is willing to pay 28,000 dollars for a piece of toast, I'm sure someone out there would pay at least that for a rock," said Coolett. Skeptics generally attribute such appearances to pareidolia.
(CNN) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thursday that Canada's governor general has allowed him to suspend Parliament, postponing a no-confidence vote from his opponents that he was likely to lose. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Parliament will resume on January 26. Harper called on his opponents to work with his government on measures to aid the nation's economy when Parliament returns on January 26. "The first order of business will be the presentation of a federal budget," Harper told reporters outside the governor general's residence in Ottawa, Canada. "Those who were elected here to serve the interest of Canada as a whole should work together -- at least to some degree -- on planning an economic plan for Canada." Had Governor General Michaelle Jean -- who represents Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as head of state -- denied Harper's request, Monday's vote would have likely brought down Harper's government, less than two months after his Conservative Party strengthened its minority position in federal elections. The Liberal Party and the leftist New Democratic Party announced plans earlier this week to form a governing coalition with the support of the Bloc Quebecois, which supports independence for French-speaking Quebec. Liberal Party Leader Stephane Dion, the man who would fill Harper's role under the planned coalition, said the coalition would look to replace Harper unless he makes "monumental change." Don't Miss Canadian leader plans to fight ouster "For the first time in the history of Canada, the prime minister of Canada is running away from the parliament of Canada," said Dion, accusing the premier of placing "partisan politics ahead of the interest of all Canadians." New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton said Harper had used a "maneuver to escape accountability." "He refuses to face the people of Canada through their elected representatives," he said. "The prime minister is choosing to protect his own job rather than focusing on the jobs of Canadians who are being thrown out of work today." The news comes one day after Harper appealed directly to Canadians for support, vowing in a nationally televised address on the economy to halt his opponents, whom he accused of imposing their own agenda on the Canadian people. "Unfortunately, even before the government has brought forward its budget, and only seven weeks after a general election, the opposition wants to overturn the results of that election," said the prime minister, whose Conservative Party strengthened its minority position in federal elections on October 14. iReport.com: Outrage brewing in Canada Harper rejected the idea of a "power-sharing coalition with a separatist party," referring to the Bloc Quebecois, and insisted the country must stand together. "At a time of global economic instability, Canada's government must stand unequivocally for keeping the country together. At a time like this, a coalition with the separatists cannot help Canada," he said Wednesday. "The opposition is attempting to impose this deal without your say, without your consent, and without your vote. This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists; it is the time for Canada's government to focus on the economy and specifically on measures for the upcoming budget. This is a pivotal moment in our history," he said. Harper, 49, has served as prime minister since February 2006. All About Canada • Stephen Harper • Quebec \|\|\|\|\| GG agrees to suspend Parliament House prorogued until Jan. 26, budget expected Jan. 27 David Akin, Canwest News Service Published: Thursday, December 04, 2008 OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper did his best Thursday to douse a political fire that threatened to consume his young government, inviting his opponents to give him advice on a new federal budget minutes after he won a request to have Parliament suspended until Jan. 26. "The opposition criticism is that we have to focus on the economy immediately," Harper said. "Today's decision will give us an opportunity . . . to focus on the economy and to work together." Harper's best, though, may not be good enough. The Liberals and NDP vowed to push ahead with their plans to form a coalition government even as some Liberals voiced doubts about the wisdom of their strategy or the abilities of the man who would lead that coalition, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion. Harper's ace-in-the-hole, so far, may be public opinion. A new poll done this week exclusively for Canwest News Service and Global National shows that not only do most Canadians reject a Liberal-NDP coalition, many would punish the opposition parties by voting Conservative. Indeed, pollster Ipsos Reid found that the Conservatives enjoy the support this week of 46 per cent of voters, an improvement of 10 percentage points from the general election results, and enough to give them a whopping majority should the country go to the polls. The Conservative party has been doing its own polling over the past few nights and has been getting similar results, said a party official speaking on condition of anonymity. "Last Friday, I asked Canadians to give us their opinions on the parliamentary situation. That feedback has been overwhelming and very clear. They want Canada's government to continue to work on the agenda that Canadians voted for - our plan to strengthen the economy," Harper said. Still, Harper's aggressive and unprecedented steps to defend his government may leave some long-term scars. Quebec nationalism is on the rise in the wake of Harper's fierce attacks on the notion of "separatist" Bloc Quebecois MPs propping up a coalition. Some Conservatives are also privately questioning Harper's political and strategic judgment, something that could weaken him politically. In agreeing to Harper's request to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament just days after a throne speech, Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean set a historical precedent that could affect future Parliaments. The remarkable day began at Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor General. After meeting with Jean there for more than two hours, Harper emerged to say the Governor General had, on his advice, suspended Parliament. Then, speaking to reporters, Harper seemed, for the first time, to accept some responsibility for the crisis. "The public is very frustrated with the situation in Parliament," he said, speaking French. "We are all responsible." Later, speaking English, he said, "Obviously we have to do some trust building here on both sides." Harper's admission that he helped stoke the political rhetoric came the day after one of his caucus members, Ontario MP Bob Dechert, said the Liberal and NDP effort to form a coalition government supported by the Bloc Quebecois was "close to treason and sedition." The ferocity of those attacks has galvanized many Liberals and NDP MPs who say they simply don't trust Harper. "Nothing has changed for us," said Dion. "We are more committed than ever with the coalition." NDP Leader Jack Layton called it a "sad day for parliamentary democracy," and accused the prime minister of trying to "escape accountability." "He's put a lock on the door of the House of Commons and he refuses to face the people of Canada through their elected representatives," Layton said in the foyer of the Commons. But one Liberal MP, Toronto's Jim Karygiannis, told reporters he thinks the coalition is finished and called on Dion to resign immediately. Karygiannis was later publicly admonished by leadership candidate Michael Ignatieff. But other Liberal MPs said the two-month break from Ottawa should be used to focus on building bridges to political opponents. Because Parliament is prorogued, all the official business of the House of Commons is suspended. MPs will next return to the House of Commons at the end of January. Another throne speech will be read on Jan. 26 followed by the tabling of a federal budget on Jan. 27. "The government's work, my work, over the next few weeks will be focused almost exclusively on preparing the federal budget," Harper said as he emerged from Rideau Hall and spoke to reporters during a windy hailstorm. "I hope the other parties will be concentrating on exactly the same thing. Regardless of the machinations in Parliament, Canadians expect us to get on with this and that's what we're doing. That's the opportunity today presented to all of us." The government will be unable to avoid confidence votes on both the throne speech and the budget, the first of which would likely happen in the first week of February. Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe reaffirmed his support for the Liberal-NDP coalition in order to rid Quebec of what he referred to as Harper's ideological policies. Duceppe accused Harper of inciting hatred against Quebecers in the rest of Canada by questioning the legitimacy of its elected representatives through his attacks in the House of Commons earlier this week. "Stephen Harper has wittingly and brutally launched into the worst kind of politics - those of division, fear and lies," Duceppe said. "He has pushed his supporters into launching the worst attacks against Quebec that we have seen since the events of Meech (constitutional negotiations in the 1990s)." Turning around an accusation levelled at the opposition this week by Conservatives, Duceppe said that, in proroguing Parliament and avoiding a confidence vote, Harper was being anti-democratic. "It was a gesture that was unbecoming of a prime minister, unbecoming of a statesman and unbecoming of a democrat," said Duceppe. The decision to prorogue two days before the government was to face a confidence vote in the House of Commons that it was almost certain to lose is sure to become a precedent future prime ministers may turn to, to keep their governments alive in similar circumstances. "For the first time in the history of Canada, the prime minister of Canada is running away from the Parliament of Canada," Dion said. Prior to Harper's meeting with Jean, the three opposition leaders submitted a petition to her signed by 161 MPs urging her to deny Harper's request to prorogue Parliament. Constitutionally, Jean had a choice: She could have granted prorogation with restrictions, preventing the government, for example, from making Senate or judicial appointments or negotiating foreign treaties until the prorogation ends. The prorogation, though, was granted with no restrictions. She also could have refused Harper's request and sent him back to the Commons for a confidence vote Monday night that he would almost certainly have lost. Had that occurred, constitutional experts said Jean would most likely have invited Dion to form a government. With files from Mike de Souza, Meagan Fitzpatrick and Juliet O'Neill © Canwest News Service 2008 \|\|\|\|\| Statement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper Ottawa, Ontario Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement: “Good evening, Canadians take pride in our history as one of the world’s oldest continuous democracies. During the past 141 years, political parties have emerged and disappeared, leaders have come and gone, and governments have changed. Constant in every case, however, is the principle that Canada’s Government has always been chosen by the people. And following the light of this democratic tradition, Canadians have built one of the most peaceful and prosperous countries the world has ever known – a land of hope and opportunity that inspires others around the globe, and has drawn millions as new immigrants to our country. On October 14, for the 40th time since Confederation, Canadians voted in a national general election. We are honoured that you returned our Government to office with a strengthened mandate to lead this great country through the most difficult global economic crisis in many decades. Canada’s Government is acting to deal with the crisis, right now. Further personal and business tax reductions are coming into effect; We are doubling spending on infrastructure; We are ensuring credit for businesses and consumers by injecting liquidity into financial markets; We are helping seniors who rely on RRIR income; And securing pension plans. We are implementing the Automotive Innovation Fund and, working with the Government of Ontario, we are undertaking due diligence on any further requests for assistance from the auto industry. We are increasing support and incentives for manufacturers, the forestry sector, and others to pursue business opportunities. We are implementing agreements with the provinces to enhance labour mobility. And, next month on January 27, we will bring in a budget which will contain additional measures to boost Canada’s economy, while making sure we avoid a long term structural deficit in Canada’s finances. In preparation for that budget we are consulting widely with Canadians, meeting with premiers of our provinces and territories, and working in collaboration with our international partners in G20. The Minister of Finance will be consulting with the business community and interest groups. We are consulting with, and expect to hear more from, the opposition parties in Parliament. We hope they bring forward specific proposals - we have invited them to do so. In fact, we have already changed some of our proposals to meet their concerns. Unfortunately, even before the Government has brought forward its budget, and only seven weeks after a general election, the opposition wants to overturn the results of that election. Instead of an immediate budget, they propose a new coalition which includes the party in Parliament whose avowed goal is to break up the country. Let me be very clear: Canada’s Government cannot enter into a power-sharing coalition with a separatist party. At a time of global economic instability, Canada’s Government must stand unequivocally for keeping the country together. At a time like this, a coalition with the separatists cannot help Canada. And the Opposition does not have the democratic right to impose a coalition with the separatists they promised voters would never happen. The Opposition is attempting to impose this deal without your say, without your consent, and without your vote. This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists; it is the time for Canada’s government to focus on the economy and specifically on measures for the upcoming budget. This is a pivotal moment in our history. We Canadians are the inheritors of a great legacy, and it is our duty to strengthen and protect it for the generations still to come. Tonight, I pledge to you that Canada’s Government will use every legal means at our disposal to protect our democracy, to protect our economy, and to protect Canada. Thank you, and goodnight.” All News Related Items Video Vault - Statement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper Audio Vault - Statement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper	The has been suspended until January 26, 2009, by Prime Minster Stephen Harper. On Thursday, Harper obtained the consent of the Governor General, , to Parliament, a procedure which suspends the legislature without dissolving it. This prevents the Parliament from overthrowing the government and avoids calling a new election. Michaëlle Jean, file photo A coalition of the and the had looked ready to overthrow the 's minority government led by Harper. "The first order of business will be the presentation of a federal budget," Harper told reporters outside of the Governor's residence. "Let's get on with actually working on a package. That's what I think Canadians want us to do, is work on the economy and work together, work together in the interest in Canada." Stéphane Dion, the leader of the Liberal Party, who was positioned to become the new Prime Minister, said the coalition would still seek to replace Harper barring a "monumental change" in his policies. "For the first time in the history of Canada, the prime minister of Canada is running away from the Parliament of Canada," Dion said. He said Harper has "placed partisan politics ahead of the interest of all Canadians." "Nothing has changed for us," added Dion. "We are more committed than ever with the coalition." New Democrat leader Jack Layton said it was a "sad day for parliamentary democracy," and that Harper was trying to "escape accountability." "He's put a lock on the door of the House of Commons and he refuses to face the people of Canada through their elected representatives," Layton said, addressing press at the . On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Harper spoke to Canadians in a televised address. "The Opposition is attempting to impose this deal without your say, without your consent, and without your vote. This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists; it is the time for Canada’s government to focus on the economy and specifically on measures for the upcoming budget. This is a pivotal moment in our history," Harper said.
Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times Sen. McCain, left, Dr. Rick Warren, center, and Sen. Barack Obama address the audience at the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. today. McCain and Obama are meeting on the campaign trail for the first time tonight. CAMPAIGN '08 Barack Obama, John McCain discuss faith, issues at Saddleback Church forum Email Picture Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times Sen. McCain, left, Dr. Rick Warren, center, and Sen. Barack Obama address the audience at the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. today. McCain and Obama are meeting on the campaign trail for the first time tonight. Pastor Rick Warren conducts back-to-back hourlong interviews with the candidates, and some stark differences emerge. The Republican candidate had the easier task in the back-to-back interviews before about 2,800 members of the evangelical church in Lake Forest. He drew frequent applause with crisp answers intended to reinforce his conservative credentials. Obama offered more nuanced and analytical answers on some issues important to conservative voters: abortion, same-sex marriage and stem-cell research. But Obama, a Christian who until recently attended Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, was more revealing about his faith. Explaining what it meant to him to be a Christian, the Democrat talked of "walking humbly with our God." "I know that I don't walk alone, and I know that if I can get myself out of the way that I can maybe carry out in some small way what he intends," he said. He used a line from the New Testament to answer Warren's question about what had been America's greatest moral failure. "We still don't abide by that basic precept of Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me," Obama replied. Asked about his own moral failure, the Illinois senator cited his use of drugs and alcohol as a young man: "When I find myself taking the wrong step, I find that a lot of the time it is because I am trying to protect myself and not do God's work." McCain, an Episcopalian who attends a Baptist church in Phoenix, has frequently been criticized by evangelical leaders for failing to speak as openly about his faith as Obama and for relying on well-worn stories about how he found God as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He did not diverge from that practice Saturday night. Asked what it meant to be a Christian, McCain said: "It means I'm saved and forgiven." He quickly moved on to a story about a prison guard who approached him and secretly drew a cross in the sand. "For a minute there -- there was just two Christians worshiping together. I'll never forget that moment," McCain said. Without elaboration, he said that his greatest moral failure was his first marriage. The candidates met briefly between interviews. Obama greeted McCain with a handshake and hug. They did strike some common themes, such as the importance of rising above self-interest to serve one's country. But they also offered starkly different answers to Warren's question: "At what point does a baby get human rights?" Obama said: "I think that whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade." He added that he supports the landmark decision Roe vs. Wade but said the issue has "moral and ethical content" and stressed his commitment to reducing the number of abortions. McCain, however, immediately responded that a baby's rights begin at conception. Perhaps seeking to tamp down alarm among conservatives over his recent comment that he's open to a running mate who favors abortion rights, he continued: "I will be a pro-life president, and this presidency will have pro-life policies." After sustained applause, Warren quipped: "OK, we don't have to go longer on that one." Though the candidates came down on opposite sides of the California initiative that would ban gay marriage, both stressed that they opposed same-sex marriage. Obama called marriage "a sacred union," drawing applause when he added, "God is in the mix." Obama and McCain gave sharply divergent answers on which justices they would not have nominated to the Supreme Court. Obama named Clarence Thomas, who he said was not a "strong enough jurist or legal thinker," and Antonin Scalia, though he said he didn't doubt "his intellectual brilliance." \|\|\|\|\| Jake Tapper is ABC News' Senior National Correspondent based in the network's Washington bureau. He writes about politics and popular culture and covers a range of national stories. « Obama Accuses Anti-Abortion Opponents of "Lying" \| Main \| McCain’s War Stories » McCain at Saddleback: His Wise Men, and His Moral Failure Three whose counsel Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would seek: Gen. David Petraeus, “one of great military leaders in American history who took us from defeat to victory in Iraq”; civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, “who can teach us all a lot about the meanings of courage and commitment to causes greater than ourself”; and his economic adviser and eBay CEO Meg Whitman. Asked his greatest moral failure, McCain said, with some emotion, “my greatest moral failing, and I have been a very imperfect person, is the failure of my first marriage. It's my greatest moral failure.” America’s greatest failure, he said, is that “perhaps we have not devoted ourselves to causes greater than our self interest although we've been at the best at it of anybody in the world.” - jpt TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/433071/32452432 Listed below are links to weblogs that reference McCain at Saddleback: His Wise Men, and His Moral Failure: User Comments Posted by: clarity \| Aug 18, 2008 3:50:38 AM Posted by: kat \| Aug 18, 2008 2:49:27 AM Posted by: Nickyle \| Aug 17, 2008 11:40:49 PM Posted by: d. jones \| Aug 17, 2008 9:51:43 PM Posted by: alison \| Aug 17, 2008 8:54:48 PM Posted by: pennycyn \| Aug 17, 2008 6:08:27 PM Posted by: notafool \| Aug 17, 2008 3:54:38 PM Posted by: KW \| Aug 17, 2008 3:51:52 PM Posted by: country voter \| Aug 17, 2008 1:28:23 PM Posted by: notafool \| Aug 17, 2008 1:01:01 PM Posted by: notafool \| Aug 17, 2008 12:57:41 PM Posted by: Mary \| Aug 17, 2008 12:27:58 PM Posted by: i am so I can!!!! \| Aug 17, 2008 11:43:42 AM Posted by: counting crows \| Aug 17, 2008 11:27:47 AM Posted by: James Danley \| Aug 17, 2008 10:25:12 AM Posted by: associate \| Aug 17, 2008 10:16:53 AM Posted by: Retiree \| Aug 17, 2008 10:11:27 AM Posted by: Richard \| Aug 17, 2008 9:58:59 AM Posted by: Mike \| Aug 17, 2008 9:36:47 AM Posted by: Mrs.Phoenix \| Aug 17, 2008 9:34:47 AM Posted by: Common Sense \| Aug 17, 2008 9:20:02 AM Posted by: Mike \| Aug 17, 2008 9:18:30 AM Posted by: S. Lukacs \| Aug 17, 2008 9:15:30 AM Posted by: pedestrian \| Aug 17, 2008 9:10:36 AM Posted by: washbasin \| Aug 17, 2008 9:09:12 AM Posted by: young_voter \| Aug 17, 2008 8:56:49 AM Posted by: BRinChicago \| Aug 17, 2008 8:46:21 AM Posted by: Anne \| Aug 17, 2008 8:42:14 AM Posted by: Frank Lynch \| Aug 17, 2008 8:26:20 AM Posted by: Ann \| Aug 17, 2008 8:24:27 AM Posted by: markymark \| Aug 17, 2008 8:16:53 AM Posted by: Mike \| Aug 17, 2008 8:13:59 AM Posted by: geevill \| Aug 17, 2008 7:48:15 AM Posted by: BJ \| Aug 17, 2008 7:46:49 AM Posted by: commonsensewins \| Aug 17, 2008 7:25:39 AM Posted by: doug \| Aug 17, 2008 6:23:53 AM Posted by: Beto \| Aug 17, 2008 6:15:41 AM Posted by: It Ain't Mebay \| Aug 17, 2008 5:59:59 AM Posted by: mummblemouth \| Aug 17, 2008 5:00:48 AM Posted by: Tom \| Aug 17, 2008 4:40:50 AM Posted by: Ted \| Aug 17, 2008 3:53:40 AM Posted by: G Davis \| Aug 17, 2008 3:03:23 AM Posted by: sonia trevino \| Aug 17, 2008 3:02:19 AM Posted by: decentAmerican \| Aug 17, 2008 2:46:43 AM Post a comment	Rick Warren United States Presidential candidates Senators Barack Obama and John McCain each participated in a live forum broadcast from Saddleback Church in Lake Forest. The forum, moderated by pastor Rick Warren, was scheduled to showcase the candidates to an evangelical segment of the population, who account for 26.3% of the American public. During the forum the candidates were each individually asked a series of identical questions by the pastor, with Senator Barack Obama going first and Senator John McCain taking his turn second. Senator McCain traveled to the church and waited in a green room while Obama was speaking, and by agreement did not listen to the questions or Senator Obama's responses. On some questions the candidates differed in their interpretations. When asked whom they believed were the three wisest people to rely on as president, Obama answered that his wife and grandmother were at the top of his list along with a mix of Republican and Democratic Senators. McCain comprised his list of a range of people: the architect of the troop surge in Iraq, General David Petraeus; Democratic Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis; and the former CEO of eBay, Meg Whitman. In response to being questioned about their toughest decisions in life, Obama answered that deciding to oppose the Iraq War in 2002 was his toughest, while McCain cited his refusal to leave his men behind in a POW camp in Vietnam when given the chance. On some philosophical questions the candidates differed in their moral stances. When asked when they believed individuals should be given human rights, Obama responded that the question was "above his pay grade" while McCain decisively replied that he believed it should occur "at the moment of conception." On the concept of evil, Obama related it to the situation in Darfur and on America's streets. McCain related it to radical Islamic extremism relaying that he believed evil should be "defeated." He then promised that as president he would hunt Osama bin Laden to the "gates of hell." On a few questions the candidates had similar responses. They both answered that the biggest moral dilemmas in their lives were personal mistakes they had made when they were younger. For Obama, it was his drug use, for McCain it was his failed first marriage. Both candidates were on the stage together briefly between the interviews and shook hands and hugged in a moment symbolic of Warren's call for civility at the beginning and end of the forum.
The hostages include a man named as Jason (left) and IT worker Peter Moore Two bodies feared to be those of British hostages held in Iraq have been handed over, Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said. Mr Miliband said forensic tests were being carried out on the remains to see if they were of two of the five Britons who were captured in Iraq in May 2007. The mother of one, who cannot be named for security reasons, said she was "anxious" but "hoping for the best". There had been speculation earlier this year a deal to free the men was close. 'Distressing development' IT consultant Peter Moore, from Lincoln, and four security guards were captured by armed militants at the Ministry of Finance in Baghdad in 2007. Their captors are a group called the Islamic Shiite Resistance in Iraq. Security experts understood there had been positive diplomatic moves behind the scenes to free them, including the release of a prisoner whose freedom was being demanded by the hostage-takers. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Mr Miliband said: "This is a very distressing development. "We have never speculated on the outcome of this case although we have been working intensively on it, so the overriding feeling today is one of deep sadness and fear." He said forensic examinations are under way to establish the identities of the bodies and how they died. "Our immediate thoughts are clearly with the families of the five Britons taken hostage in Baghdad in May 2007," he said. "As would be the case with any development of this kind, they will fear the worst for their loved ones. "This is terrible moment of uncertainty and fear for them." Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "saddened and dismayed" by the news. The mother of one of the guards, who is from South Wales, said: "We are anxious about the situation, yes. "We have heard nothing new from the Foreign Office, but we are hoping for the best." Joe Gavaghan, a spokesman for the security company GardaWorld which employed the four guards, said families were not giving up hope. He said: "The announcement is very concerning. We are certainly not giving up hope that Peter and our four security people are still alive." BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner Almost everyone involved in trying to resolve this, Britain's longest-running hostage crisis for a generation, is in shock. Only a few days ago it was thought that most, if not all, of the five hostages were alive and well and would eventually be released. In March the kidnappers had released a video of one hostage, Peter Moore, in which he appeared in good health and good spirits. On 6 June a key Shia militant linked to the kidnappers was released by the US military. It had been hoped this could pave the way for the Britons' release. Instead, the hostage-takers appear to have responded by delivering bodies. Mr Miliband called for the immediate safe release of the remaining hostages. He said he believed those involved in trying to gain the release of the two people whose remains had been handed over had "failed". "I think British people understand why no British government makes concessions in return for hostage-taking," he added. "Hostage-taking is never justified in any cause. "Today's terrible news underlines the gravity of the crimes associated with it," Mr Miliband said. He also praised the help the Iraqi authorities had given in attempts to free the Britons. "I urge those working for peace and progress in Iraq to redouble their efforts to secure the release of all the hostages held there." Little is known about the identities of the men because of a media blackout during a large period of their captivity. The blackout originally came came on the instruction of the hostage-takers who said they did not want publicity. The militants have released videos of the captives, including one - broadcast on Dubai-based TV station Al-Arabiya - warning that a hostage would be killed unless British troops withdrew from Iraq. Mr Moore had been working for American management consultancy Bearingpoint when he was kidnapped, while the other men were contractors employed to guard him. The names of the four security guards are understood to be Jason, Alan, Jason and Alec. Little else is known about them, other than that the guard Alan is from Dumbarton in Scotland and at least one other is from South Wales. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, described the news as a “distressing development” and said that the Government was trying to establish the identities of the dead men. Foreign Office sources on Saturday night said, however, that the condition of the bodies appeared to suggest that the hostages had died several months ago. The Foreign Secretary added that the Government had failed in trying to secure the safe release of the hostages but added that despite the deaths, Britain would never negotiate would the kidnappers. He continued: “Our immediate thoughts are clearly with the families of the five Britons taken hostage in Baghdad in May 2007. "As would be the case with any development of this kind, they will fear the worst for their loved ones. This is terrible moment of uncertainty and fear for them. “Hostage-taking is never justified in any cause. Today’s terrible news underlines the gravity of the crimes associated with it.” Mr Miliband reiterated Britain’s call for the immediate safe release of “all the remaining hostages”. He added: “I also confirm that we are working intensively towards that goal but I also have to say the threat to them remains very high indeed.” Computer expert Peter Moore and his four private security guards, whose names have never officially been released, were kidnapped at the Iraqi Finance Ministry in Baghdad in May 2007 by heavily armed men in police uniforms. The men, who were sized in an audacious raid involving up to 40 insurgents, were taken to Sadr City, a notorious Shia slum in eastern Baghdad where they were paraded by their captors. Within hours of the abduction, the kidnappers demanded the release of nine Shia militiamen held by the Americans. The Foreign Secretary added that he was grateful for the Iraqi government’s efforts to secure the release of the hostages. “I urge those working for peace and progress in Iraq to redouble their efforts to secure the release of all the hostages held there," he said. "I think today the hearts of every person in this country will go out to the families of the hostages. They and their loved ones are at the forefront of our thoughts and actions.” Asked how surprised he was by the news, Mr Miliband said: “This is a very distressing development. "We have never speculated on the outcome of this case although we have been working intensively on it, so the overriding feeling today is one of deep sadness and fear.” Iraq became infamous as a hunting ground for foreigners at the height of the insurgency, led by Sunni Islamist al-Qaeda, after the 2003 invasion. Names such as those of Kenneth Bigley and Margaret Hassan became synonymous with the terrifying threat of kidnap and execution by al-Qaeda-associated groups. Mr Bigley, a British civil engineer, was abducted and beheaded in October 2004. Mrs Hassan, a British-Irish aid worker, was seized weeks later and shot dead. \|\|\|\|\| The remains of two bodies feared to be those of British hostages held in Iraq have been passed to Britain by the Iraqi authorities, the foreign secretary, David Miliband, said today. There was no immediate confirmation of who they were, he said, but the government's thoughts were with the families of five British hostages who were taken captive in Baghdad in May 2007. "This is terrible moment of uncertainty and fear for them," said Miliband, who described the developments as "distressing". "We do not yet have confirmation of who they are. Forensic examinations are under way to establish their identities and the causes of death as soon as possible. "Our immediate thoughts are clearly with the families of the five Britons taken hostage in Baghdad in May 2007," he said. There had been speculation earlier this year that a deal to free the men was close, but it is now clear that any agreement has failed, raising fears for the lives of the remaining three hostages. The deal, which was revealed in March by a Shia-aligned group called Leagues of the Righteous, appeared to show almost two years of covert negotiations between the British government and the hostage-takers. Miliband said that, following today's news, the Foreign Office was in close touch with the hostages' families and urged the media to "give them as much space as possible in these very difficult hours and days". "Hostage-taking is never justified in any cause. Today's terrible news underlines the gravity of the crimes associated with it." He reiterated Britain's call for the immediate safe release of "all the remaining hostages". "I also confirm that we are working intensively towards that goal, but I also have to say the threat to them remains very high indeed." The foreign secretary added that he was grateful for the Iraqi government's efforts to secure the release of the hostages. "I urge those working for peace and progress in Iraq to redouble their efforts to secure the release of all the hostages held there. "I think today the hearts of every person in this country will go out to the families of the hostages. "They and their loved ones are at the forefront of our thoughts and actions." Asked how surprised he was by the news, Miliband said: "This is a very distressing development. "We have never speculated on the outcome of this case although we have been working intensively on it, so the overriding feeling today is one of deep sadness and fear." Mr Miliband admitted that everyone involved had "failed" in their efforts to secure the release of the two men whose bodies have been passed to the British authorities.	The British government has said it fears that two bodies handed back by the Iraqi authorities are those of two Britons captured in 2007. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that forensic tests were currently being conducted to determine whether they were indeed those of the hostages. In May 2007, four security guards and an IT consultant, Peter Moore, were kidnapped at the Ministry of Finance by armed militants of the Islamic Shiite resistance. The kidnappers released a video of the captives, saying that one will be killed if British forces do not withdraw from Iraq. Miliband said that "we have never speculated on the outcome of this case although we have been working intensively on it, so the overriding feeling today is one of deep sadness and fear. Our immediate thoughts are clearly with the families of the five Britons taken hostage in Baghdad in May 2007." Foreign Office sources have suggested that the bodies have been dead for several months.
JUNCTION CITY, Calif. Nine people were presumed dead and four were injured after a helicopter ferrying firefighters battling one of several wildfires in Northern California crashed and burned Tuesday night. It was one of the deadliest wildfire accidents in the nation’s history. It is believed that all but one of the dead were firefighters, but the authorities were still working on Wednesday to confirm the identities of the victims, said a spokesman for Carson Helicopters, the company that owned and operated the helicopter, a Sikorsky S-61N. It crashed about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a remote area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest near here, about 35 miles northwest of Redding, said Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The helicopter carried 11 firefighters and 2 pilots, said Bob Madden, a spokesman for Carson Helicopters. \|\|\|\|\| By TERENCE CHEA and MARCUS WOHLSEN, Associated Press Writers Wed Aug 6, 7:07 PM ET Northern California forest SAN FRANCISCO - Eight firefighters and a pilot are presumed dead in the crash of a helicopter that had just picked up workers battling a blaze in a, officials said Wednesday. The helicopter had lifted off from a clearing in a remote, rugged region of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, said Jennifer Rabuck, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service. The aircraft was carrying 11 firefighters and two crew members when it went down Tuesday night in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. Four people were flown to hospitals with severe burns, including two in critical condition, according to the Forest Service. The Sikorsky S-61N chopper was destroyed by fire after crashing "under unknown circumstances," said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. FAA and NTSB investigators were headed to the scene, about 215 miles northwest of Sacramento. Firefighters who were waiting to be picked up helped rescue the injured after the helicopter crashed around 7:30 p.m. and caught fire, Rabuck said. About three dozen firefighters had to spend the night on the mountain because it became too dark for other helicopters to land, she said. Nine people a co-pilot and eight firefighters were still missing in the wreckage and presumed killed. Recovery efforts have been complicated by the remote location, and the wreckage is still burning, Rabuck said. "It's difficult to access," she said. "It's very remote, very steep and heavily forested." Three of the injured were at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento on Wednesday; two were in critical condition and one was in serious condition, officials said. The fourth was in Mercy Medical Center in Redding in serious condition. The firefighters had been working at the northern end of a fire burning on more than 27 square miles in the national forest, part of a larger complex of blazes that is mostly contained. Some of the firefighters, including those in the hospital, were employed by firefighting contractor Grayback Forestry, based in Merlin, Ore. Mike Wheelock, founder and owner of Grayback, said he was in Sacramento handling notification of families. He would not confirm any deaths. The helicopter was owned and operated by Carson Helicopters Inc., a Pennsylvania company whose firefighting operations are based in Grants Pass, Ore. All 12 of the company's helicopters are being used for firefighting in Oregon and California, said Bob Madden, Carson's director of corporate affairs. The helicopter's two co-pilots were Carson employees, Madden said; one was hospitalized and the other was among the missing. "We are praying for the swift recovery of all the victims, and our hearts go out to their loved ones," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Wednesday. Before Tuesday's crash, three firefighters had been killed while on duty in California this year, including one firefighter also assigned to battle the Shasta-Trinity blazes who was killed last month by a falling tree. On July 2, a volunteer firefighter in Mendocino County died of a heart attack on the fire line. Another firefighter was killed July 26 in when he was burned while scouting a fire. ___ Associated Press writers Don Thompson in Sacramento and Jeff Barnard in Grants Pass contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- Nine people were missing and presumed dead and four were hospitalized Wednesday after a helicopter carrying firefighters crashed the night before in northern California, aviation spokesmen said. This Wednesday image shows the crash site, according to GPS coordinates given by the U.S. Forest Service. The Sikorsky S-61 helicopter entered a remote area to pick up firefighters battling wildfires, said Ian Gregor of the Federal Aviation Administration. The crash happened about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 35 miles northwest of Redding in the Trinity Alps Wilderness area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Two crew members and 11 firefighters were aboard, Gregor said. Three of the injured were contract firefighters, and the fourth was the pilot, said Sharon Heywood, the forest's supervisor. All of the injured initially were taken to Mercy Hospital near Davis, California. A firefighter in critical condition and two people in serious condition -- a firefighter and the pilot -- were transferred to the University of California Davis Medical Center, Heywood said. The third firefighter remained at Mercy in serious condition Wednesday, she said. Heywood said the crash site was difficult to access because of its terrain. U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Daria Day said the helicopter, assigned to a group of four fires burning in the forest, went down near the north end of the so-called Buckhorn fire. She said she didn't know if the helicopter was landing or taking off. Don't Miss KCRA: 9 believed dead in helicopter crash The helicopter was operated by Carson Helicopters, which has offices in Grants Pass, Oregon, and Perkasie, Pennsylvania, according to Sacramento, California, TV station KCRA. "We don't know what occurred," Carson Helicopters' Bob Madden told KCRA. "We haven't examined the aircraft yet. We've never had a copter go down due to firefighting efforts." The crash was being investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board, Gregor said. The Buckhorn fire -- part of the Iron Complex fires in the forest -- has burned more than 18,500 acres since it started June 21, the Forest Service said. It was 25 percent contained Wednesday, according to the service. The four Iron Complex fires have burned more than 84,000 acres since they started on or about June 21, the service said. All About USDA Forest Service • Federal Aviation Administration \|\|\|\|\| 9 firefighters missing in California helicopter crash SAN FRANCISCO: Nine people are missing and feared dead in a helicopter crash in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said Wednesday. The crash happened Tuesday night as the helicopter was transporting firefighters battling a wildfire north of Junction City. An aviation agency spokesman, Ian Gregor, said the helicopter was carrying 11 firefighters and two crew members when it went down. Four people have been taken to the hospital with severe burns, including two in critical condition, according to the Forest Service. Gregor said the Sikorsky S-61 chopper was destroyed by fire after crashing "under unknown circumstances" in a remote mountain location. Investigators for the agency and for the National Transportation Safety Board were headed to the scene, about 215 miles, or 345 kilometers, northwest of Sacramento. The nine were presumably killed in the fire that destroyed the helicopter, Gregor said. The two firefighters airlifted in critical condition were at the UC-Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, a Forest Service spokesman, Mike Odle, said Wednesday. The other two were taken to Mercy Medical Center in Redding in serious condition, he said. The firefighters had been working at the north end of a fire burning in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, part of a larger complex of blazes that was about 87 percent contained. Another firefighter assigned to battle the same series of wildfires died late last month when he was hit by a falling tree.	On Tuesday, a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter crashed northwest of Redding, California. The helicopter had been carrying 11 firemen who had been battling a wildfire just north of Junction City, and two crewmen. Eight of the firefighters and one of the crewmen are missing and presumed dead. A Sikorsky S-61 similar to the one involved in the crash. Four out of the 13 members of the flight were rescued from the crash, though they received severe burns. Sharon Heywood, a United States Forest Service spokesperson said that the three firefighters and pilot had been initially airlifted to Mercy Medical Center in Redding. However, because of the critical condition of two of the firemen and the pilot, the three of them were transferred to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. The remaining firefighter remains at Mercy Medical Center in serious condition. The helicopter, which is owned by Carson Helicopters, crashed "under unknown circumstances," according to Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The helicopter crashed 35 miles northwest of Redding in the Trinity Alp region, at roughly 7:30 p.m. Tuesday evening, said Gregor. Both the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board investigators were on the scene of the crash. The firefighters had been fighting flames covering more than 27 square miles in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. They had been working near the north end of the fire, which is reportedly 87% contained.
Reaction from around the world to the retirement of Cuban President Fidel Castro has been mixed and cautious. From Washington, VOA's Michael Bowman reports. Fidel Castro (15 Jan 2008 file photo) Fidel Castro's retirement formally ends the rule of the world's longest-serving leader. But it is hardly unexpected; the 81-year-old Mr. Castro has not been seen in public for more than a year and a half, and he recently wrote that he would not "cling to power." For more than four decades, U.S. policy has stood in opposition to Mr. Castro's communist rule. Yet there was no hint of triumphant jubilation in President Bush's voice as he reacted to news that the long-standing U.S. nemesis is stepping down. Mr. Bush seemed focused on Cuba's road ahead as he spoke during a visit to Rwanda. "I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of democratic transition," he said. "The first step, of course, will be for people [Cuban dissidents] put in these prisons to be let out." The president added that the political transition in Cuba should lead to genuinely free and fair elections. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte was asked if the end of Fidel Castro's rule would prompt an end to the decades-old U.S. trade embargo of Cuba. Mr. Negroponte said he cannot imagine that happening anytime soon. Elsewhere, a European Union spokesman John Clancy is quoted as saying the bloc will encourage a peaceful transition to pluralistic democracy in Cuba, and is willing to engage with Cuba in constructive dialogue to that end. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen says Fidel Castro will not be missed, while Sweden's foreign minister Carl Bildt says Mr. Castro's departure marks the end of an era that began with freedom and ended with oppression. But a spokesman for Vietnam's foreign ministry praised Mr. Castro as a great friend, comrade, and very close brother, while the leader of Russia's Communist Party hailed him as a fantastic political leader who hosted high the flag of freedom. Raul Castro (file photo) Mr. Castro's younger brother, Raul, temporarily took the reins of power in 2006 when the elder Castro underwent emergency gastrointestinal surgery, and many Cuba-watchers expect Raul Castro will succeed his brother as president. Spanish foreign ministry officials are quoted as saying they believe Raul's ascension to power will allow him to undertake reforms on the island. Raul Castro has spoken of economic liberalization and pursuing a possible thaw in relations with the United States. Some dissidents in Cuba appear cautiously optimistic about the future. Eloy Gutierrez-Menoyo, a former Cuban exile, says he has hope that economic and political change can be accomplished without destabilization. The dissident says that any change in Cuba will be positive, mainly if people understand that democracy comes from diversity. \|\|\|\|\| Fidel Castro has not been seen in public since his operation in July Castro's career The 81-year-old handed over power temporarily to his brother Raul in July 2006 when he underwent surgery and has not been seen in public since then. Cuba's new parliament will meet on Sunday to elect a new president. Washington has called for Cuba to hold free elections, and said its decades-long embargo would remain. This should be a period of democratic transition for the people of Cuba US President George W Bush Reaction in quotes Cold War to thaw? Send us your reaction President George W Bush said the US was ready to help the "people of Cuba realise the blessings of liberty". A senior US state department official, John Negroponte, added that the 1962 embargo would probably not be lifted "any time soon". The European Union said it hoped to relaunch ties with Cuba that were almost completely frozen under Mr Castro, while China described Mr Castro as an old friend and said it would maintain co-operation with Cuba. Mr Castro has ruled Cuba since leading a revolution in 1959. The BBC's Michael Voss reports from Havana that most Cubans will be saddened by news of their leader's retirement, but many hope the political transition will bring economic improvements. Soldiering on Mr Castro made his announcement in a letter published on the website of the Cuban Communist Party's newspaper Granma in the middle of the night, Cuban time. He said he would not accept another five-year term as president when the National Assembly met on Sunday. "It would betray my conscience to take up a responsibility that requires mobility and total devotion, that I am not in a physical condition to offer," he wrote. Mr Castro said he had not stepped down after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in 2006 because he had had a duty to the Cuban people to prepare them for his absence. But retirement, he added, would not stop him from carrying "on fighting like a soldier of ideas", and he promised to continue writing essays entitled Reflections of Comrade Fidel. "I will be one more weapon in the arsenal that you can count on," he said. Search for new leader The National Assembly is widely expected to elect Raul Castro, 76, as Fidel's successor. FIDEL CASTRO Born in 1926 to a wealthy, landowning family Took up arms in 1953, six years before coming to power Brother Raul was deputy and Che Guevara third in command Has outlasted nine American presidents Target of many CIA assassination plots Daughter is a dissident exile in Miami Castro's life in pictures He has mooted major economic reforms and "structural changes". But some analysts see a possible generational jump, with Vice-President Carlos Lage Davila, 56, a leading contender. Anyone hoping that Fidel Castro's departure from the political scene would bring about the end of the communist regime was disappointed, the BBC's Nick Miles reports. Whilst Cuban exiles celebrated in Miami, Florida, there were no protests on the streets of Havana calling for political change. In part, our reporter says, this is because the regime does not tolerate dissent - but it is also because many in Cuba are wary of what change will probably mean: a mass influx of exiles returning from Miami. Raul Castro has worked to ensure a smooth political transition, keeping the army loyal to the regime and strengthening the Communist Party's hold by introducing reforms and weeding out corrupt officials. He has also had the advantage of continued economic support from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in the form of millions of barrels of cheap oil, our reporter adds. Mixed legacy It is not clear whether Mr Castro's retirement was prompted by a further decline in his health - the state of which is an official secret. Though Fidel Castro has not been seen in public for 19 months, the government occasionally releases photographs and pre-edited video of him meeting visiting leaders from around the world. The retiring leader will be remembered as one of the most distinctive and enduring icons from the second half of the 20th Century, the BBC's Paul Keller writes. With his olive green fatigues, beard and Cuban cigars, Fidel Castro was the original Cold Warrior. Under his leadership Cuba established the first Marxist-Leninist state in the Western hemisphere, almost within sight of the US coastline. Embracing communism and the patronage of the Soviet Union, Fidel Castro transformed Cuba economically and socially but had to struggle when it collapsed. He leaves his country with universal free healthcare and a much-admired education system, which has produced doctors for the developing world, but also a failing economy. \|\|\|\|\| Cuba's Fidel Castro tries to capture Asian readers By Anthony Boadle HAVANA (Reuters) - Fidel Castro may have retired after 49 years as Cuba's leader, but he is still busy preparing editions of his memoirs, now aimed at Asian readers. The Communist Party newspaper Granma said on Tuesday that editions in Hindi, Farsi and Sinhalese are underway, following publication of his memoirs in China last week. "Many of the great challenges facing humanity will have no solution without the active and pivotal role of China," Castro wrote in the prologue to the Chinese edition, which was published in Mandarin. The memoirs, written in question-and-answer style, give a definitive account of Castro's views on major events since he seized power in 1959, from the Cuban missile crisis to Cuba's military role in Africa and the fall of Soviet communism. Castro, 81 and convalescing from an undisclosed intestinal illness that had sidelined him since July 2006, was formally replaced by his brother Raul Castro on February 24 in Cuba's first change of leader since their 1959 revolution. Although he has not appeared in public for 19 months, he retains a public presence through a constant flow of articles and musings on world politics in Cuba's official media. The writings of the "Comandante" are no longer banner headlines on Granma's front page. They appear inside on the second page entitled "Reflections by comrade Fidel." His enemies among the Cuban exile community in the United States believe Castro is still pulling the strings of power from behind the scenes. The U.S. government says Cuba has merely changed one "dictator" for another it dubs "Fidel Lite." Castro retains the powerful position of first secretary of the Communist Party, but most Cuba watchers agree it is Raul Castro, 76, who is effectively running the country and trying to fix the inefficient state-run economy he inherited. Fidel Castro has only appeared in pictures looking frail and wearing pajamas in his secret convalescence quarters where he receives the occasional foreign dignitary. His main ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said he found Castro "happy, splendid and full of ideas" during a visit on Saturday. Castro's writings mostly appear to be aimed at setting the historical record on the leftist firebrand's long career. "Fidel Castro: My Life - A Spoken Autobiography" was published in the United States in January. The book is based on 100 hours of interviews with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, editor of Le Monde Diplomatique. The book has appeared in French, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Turkish and Danish, and German, Czech and Korean editions are on their way, as well as a pocket edition in English, Granma said. Castro said the interviews gather his "modest ideas" and there may be more to come. Last week, he said he plans to write his memoirs "if time allows me." (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Kieran Murray) \|\|\|\|\| Fidel Castro resigns as President and Commander in Chief of Cuba Comments (1) Email this to a Friend Printable Version The Cuban President Fidel Castro has finally resigned as leader of the country and the commander in chief of the army. Laterst reports say he has handed over to his brother Raul. In a statement issued to a Cuban newspaper he said he would not be returning to the Presidency. Castro has not been seen in public for 18 months since he underwent emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006.Born into a wealthy landowning family, he turned to Marxism because of the poverty he saw around him in Cuba. He came to international prominence in 1959 when, along with Che Guevara, he led the uprising which overthrew the corrupt government of President Fulgencio Batista, who had turned Cuba into a decadent playground for America's rich. Promising to give the land back to the people, he received the backing of the Soviet Union, driving a wedge between Cuba and the US that has never been removed. In April 1961 the US tried to topple the Castro government by recruiting a private army of Cuban exiles to invade the island. At the Bay of Pigs, Cuban troops repulsed the invaders, killing many and capturing 1,000.As money flowed from the Kremlin the Caribbean island became a cold war battleground.But it was not just cash that headed west to Cuba from the Soviet Union.In 1962 US reconnaissance planes discovered Soviet missiles on their way to sites in Cuba and the world stood on the brink of an apocalyptic nuclear war. It was Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev who blinked first, turning his weapon-laden ships around.The Cuban missile crisis confirmed Castro, in American eyes, as the enemy in their own back yard.The CIA tried to assassinate him on many occasions - one plan involved filling his much-loved cigars with explosives.The collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1980s meant the financial plug was pulled on Castro. Still blockaded by the US, conditions in Cuba deteriorated, with food and fuel shortages and an economy in ruins.Soon thousands of Cubans were fleeing to Florida in makeshift rafts, hoping for a better life in the arms of Castro's arch-enemy. He did however bring about real change in Cuba with free health care for all and one of the highest literacy rates in the world. And his ability to needle the Americans has never diminished.Castro's brother Raul is his designated successor, but many observers believe Cuba's communist state will not outlive the man who has divided international opinion for almost half a century. Posted on: Tuesday, 19, February, 2008 Source: Skynews Bookmark this story with: Post Your Comments Name ( required ) Location (eg. Kumasi) ( required ) Subject Click to View Comments (1) >> \|\|\|\|\| MEXICO CITY Fidel Castro stepped down Tuesday morning as the president of Cuba after a long illness, ending one of the longest tenures as an all-powerful, communist head of state in the world, according to Granma, the official publication of the Cuban Communist Party. In late July 2006, Mr. Castro, who is 81, handed over power temporarily to his brother, Raúl Castro, 76, and a few younger cabinet ministers, after an acute infection in his colon forced him to undergo emergency surgery. Despite numerous surgeries, he has never fully recovered but has remained active in running government affairs from behind the scenes. Now, just days before the national assembly is to meet to select a new head of state, Mr. Castro resigned permanently in a letter to the nation and signaled his willingness to let a younger generation assume power. He said his failing health made it impossible to return as president. “I will not aspire to neither will I accept I repeat I will not aspire to neither will I accept the position of President of the Council of State and Commander in chief,” he wrote. \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- Fidel Castro announced his resignation as president of Cuba and commander-in-chief of Cuba's military on Tuesday, according to a letter published in the state-run newspaper, Granma. Fidel Castro, shown in an undated file photo, took power in Cuba in 1959 and reigned with an iron hand. Castro, 81, temporarily handed power to his younger brother Raul Castro in July 2006 after undergoing intestinal surgery. He hasn't been seen in public since his surgery, but he has appeared in numerous videos and photos in state media. In December 2007, a Cuban television news anchor read a letter reportedly written by Fidel Castro promising he would not "cling to office" or be an impediment to rising young leaders. Castro took power in Cuba in 1959 and has ruled the island nation ever since, governing the first communist nation in the Western Hemisphere. Fidel Castro captured the world's attention and imagination at 32 when the bearded revolutionary led a band of guerillas that overthrew a corrupt dictatorship -- and then became an irritating thorn in Washington's paw by embracing communism and cozying up to the Soviet Union. For the next 47 years, Castro reigned in Havana with an iron hand, outlasting nine American presidents and defying a punishing U.S. economic embargo designed to dislodge him. E-mail to a friend	Fidel Castro, the Cuban president who seized power in a 1959 revolution, has stated in a quote in Cuba's state-run newspaper ''Granma'' that when the National Assembly of Cuba meets on February 24 he "will not aspire to or accept... the positions of President of Council of State and Commander in Chief." 81-year-old Castro handed over control to his 76-year-old brother Raúl when he underwent surgery in July 2006. "It would betray my conscience to take up a responsibility that requires mobility and total devotion, that I am not in a physical condition to offer," Castro explained. United States President George W. Bush said, "I believe that the change from Fidel Castro ought to begin a period of democratic transition." Although, John Negroponte, Deputy Secretary of State, said that this does not mean that the 1962 trade embargo will be lifted "any time soon." European Union said that it hopes to improve relations with Cuba, which were almost at a standstill under Castro. Spokesperson John Clancy said the EU is willing to engage with Cuba in constructive dialogue to foster a peaceful transition to pluralistic democracy in Cuba. China said it will maintain its current cooperation with Cuba and termed Fidel Castro an old friend. A spokesperson for the foreign ministry of Vietnam similarly praised Castro as a great friend and comrade. BBC reports that Raúl Castro is seen by analysts as the likely choice as successor by the National Assembly, though some see 56-year-old Carlos Lage Dávila as potential candidate. Lage is currently Vice-President and Executive Secretary of the Council of Ministers. The decision is scheduled for February 24, 2008.
Analysis: Why Biden's securities regulator faces climate crackdown challenges With Democrats at the helm, the U.S. securities regulator is pledging to crack down on companies and funds that mislead investors over climate change risks, but that may be easier said than done, more than a dozen attorneys and former agency officials say. \|\|\|\|\| Cardinals are set to go into conclave on Monday in the Sistine Chapel to find a successor to Pope John Paul II Favourites emerge in Pope betting 6.01PM, Thu Apr 14 2005 Punters are backing three specific cardinals to be the next Pope, according to bookmakers. Paddy Power has said Germany's Joseph Ratzinger, 77, and France's Jean-Marie Lustiger, 78, are its joint favourites, both at 4-1. Cardinal Lustiger, the only Jewish-born prelate of modern times, has come from nowhere to top the list - two weeks ago he was at 20-1. Meanwhile, William Hill has Nigerian candidate Francis Arinze as its 9-2 favourite. If chosen he would become the first African pope for over 1,500 years. Cardinal Arinze, who works as the Vatican's liaison for relations with Islam, is the subject of William Hill's largest bet so far - £500. William Hill has nine Italians in its Top 20 favourites, and has cardinals Lustiger and Ratzinger as second and third favourites. Cardinals are set to go into conclave on Monday in the Sistine Chapel to find a successor to Pope John Paul II. Initially a two-thirds majority among the 115 electors is required to select a new pontiff - but this can be changed to a majority vote if no decision can be made. The selection of the new Pope will be marked by white smoke from the Vatican's chimneys. This will be accompanied for the first time by the ringing of bells. Black smoke means no decision has yet been reached. \|\|\|\|\| Betting on papal race heats up 17/04/2005 16:05 - (SA) London - Punters betting on the election of the next pope are unlikely to make a killing on any of the favourites - British and Irish bookmakers were Sunday offering short odds on the front-runners with Germany's Joseph Ratzinger heading the list. Both Dublin's Paddy Power bookmakers and London's William Hill had Ratzinger in the lead - at 3-1 and 9-2 respectively - followed by French Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger. Paddy Power was offering 9-2 on Lustiger and 5-1 on liberal hope Carlo Maria Martini in third place. With William Hill however Martini was tied for third with fellow Italian Dionigi Tettamanzi at 7-1. William Hill, Britain's largest bookmakers, has taken bets on the papal race since the last Vatican conclave in 1978. The company said that betting stretches back as far as 1994, when one man put 30 pounds on Lustiger, now one of the clear favourites. Should Lustiger win the foresighted punter stands to collect £1 000 pounds. The Catholic Church last year however condemned gambling on the papal succession calling	The Sistine Chapel; Papal conclave starts later this week The Irish bookmaker, Paddy Power, has described this weeks conclave in the Vatican as ''"getting to be a bigger non-sporting betting event than the Oscars Hollywood movie awards."'' The bookmaker has been taking bets all week on who will be the next Pope, with Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger the 3-1 favourite. Second favorite was a Frenchman; Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger. The betting firm revealed that one customer has placed €1,000 (US$1,287) on the former Jew. In third place is a 78 year old Italian, Carlo Maria Cardinal Martini. Like the late Pope John Paul II, Martini has Parkinson's disease and is quite conservative. He was also a close confidante of John Paul II who debated with the theologian on Church dogma.
By Ben Collins Last updated: 9th April 2008 Toure: Celebrates his goal A 43rd-minute strike by Yaya Toure gave Barcelona an unconvincing 1-0 win over Schalke and sealed their passage into the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Barca were firm favourites at the Nou Camp having won the first leg 1-0 in Germany, but the visitors gave them a real scare as they went close to levelling the tie on numerous occasions during the opening half-hour. Toure pounced just before the break to give Barca an undeserved lead and that proved to be enough for the Spanish giants as Schalke offered little resistance in the second half. Barca will now face Manchester United for a place in the final, with the first leg to be played at Camp Nou on Wednesday, April 23. Barca started brightly and could have gone ahead after just two minutes, when Samuel Eto'o fed Bojan Krkic in the area, but the youngster miscontrolled his effort and Xavi volleyed over the bar following a series of rebounds. But Schalke - in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history - were not intimidated by the occasion or the hostile Camp Nou atmosphere. Gerald Asamoah drove wide from outside the box after four minutes and Halil Altintop saw his dipping effort scrambled away by Victor Valdes at the second attempt in the visitors' next attack. At the other end, Andres Iniesta picked out Xavi with a perfectly-weighted through-ball after 11 minutes, but the latter's low drive was brilliantly pushed wide by Schalke keeper Manuel Neuer. Schalke should have gone ahead after 21 minutes, when Kevin Kuranyi shot wide from point-blank range at the far post. The hosts came close themselves through a well-worked free-kick after 25 minutes, but Bojan shot straight at Neuer from just inside the area. Opener Schalke looked to be holding firm until Toure put the home side ahead with a scrappy strike two minutes before the break. The Ivory Coast midfielder released Bojan on the right, but the youngster's cross was headed high into the air by Schalke defender Marcelo Bordon. When it came back down, Mladen Krstajic headed off the line, but the ball fell to Toure, who scuffed his shot underneath Neuer and into the net from six yards out to give Barcelona a lead they barely deserved. Soon after the restart Bojan squared neatly for the unmarked Henry after 49 minutes, but the former Arsenal striker curled a side-footed shot inches over the bar. Barcelona then came close again a minute later, when Iniesta's long-range drive was pushed just past the post by Neuer. Substitute Giovani Dos Santos fired a rasping drive at Neuer after 78 minutes. Henry should then have set up the unmarked Eto'o after 81 minutes and also failed to find Giovani when the Mexican stood alone at the far post in the hosts' next foray forward. Schalke too had their moments late on, but were unable to recreate the excellent form they showed in the first period and Barcelona held on comfortably. Captain Carles Puyol will miss that match after picking up a second-half booking for a foul on Asamoah. \|\|\|\|\| Last updated: 9th April 2008 Tevez: Goal scorer A 70th minute Carlos Tevez goal sealed Manchester United's progression into the UEFA Champions League semi-finals at the expense of Roma. United were two-nil up from the first leg and Sir Alex Ferguson rested several players for the game. His policy may have back-fired as in the 28th minute when Alessandro Mancini went down under a Wes Brown challenge for a dubious penalty. But Daniele De Rossi skied the resulting spot-kick over to the relief of Old Trafford. Tevez then netted the vital goal after Owen Hargreaves supplied a great cross from the left for the Argentinean to nod in. It was his fourth goal of the European campaign and his 17th of the season and set up a clash with Barcelona in the last four. Ferguson decided to leave Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney on the bench with a crucial Premier League match to follow against Arsenal on Sunday. It looked a bit of a gamble but it paid off and Owen Hargreaves was outstanding on his return to the side. He was recalled along with Mikael Silvestre, Anderson, Ji-Sung Park and Gerard Pique to emphasise the depth in quality in the squad. Domination United showed their intentions from the outset and a cross from the right by Hargreaves was cleared by Philippe Mexes. Park sent his effort across the face of goal and wide in the sixth minute following good work by Ryan Giggs. A minute later Tevez was unmarked but headed wide from a cross from Park. United kept up the pressure and Wes Brown head over the bar following a corner from Giggs in the ninth minute. The hard-working Mirko Vucinic stung Van der Sar's fingers with a shot in the 29th minute before Roma were awarded a controversial penalty. Brown was adjudged to have brought down Mancini but referee Tom Henning's decision infuriated Ferguson. However Daniele De Rossi blasted his spot-kick high over the bar to United's relief. Roma re-grouped and Vucinic came close to making the breakthrough in the 48th minute when van der Sar spilled his shot. He tried to muscle in on the rebound but Rio Ferdinand, showing no sign of his foot injury, stood firm and made a crucial block. Roma stepped up the pace and Taddei rattled in a shot that was deflected to safety by Silvestre in the 57th minute. The home supporters were keen to see United extend their lead and Giggs released Tevez in the 67th minute but he had strayed into an offside position. Breakthrough The goal eventually came in the 70th minute thanks to Tevez' fourth goal in the Champions League and his 17th of the season. He peeled away from his marker to head home following as cross from Hargreaves to put United 3-0 ahead on aggregate. Four minutes later Rooney was brought on in a bid to increase the misery on Roma. He was given a rousing reception but that was nothing compared to the roar that greeted Gary Neville in the 81st minute. It was first run out for a year after ankle injury and he took the armband. Then in the 89th minute Park saw his effort blocked by Doni as United finished in style.	Manchester United and Barcelona will face off in the Champions League semi-finals after both teams won their quarterfinal matches. Both sides came into their second legs having won their away legs, Barcelona having defeated Schalke 04 1-0 in Germany, and United coming out of Italy with a 2-0 decision.
Dozens of girls killed in Sri Lanka fighting Relatives mourn during the funeral of a Sri Lankan army officer Monday in Anuradhapura. RELATED YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Sri Lanka Civil Unrest or or Create Your Own COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) -- Fighting between the government and Tamil insurgents and a suicide bombing killed dozens Monday, including youths at what the rebels said was a school and the government insisted was an insurgent base. The clashes along the frontiers dividing government and rebel territory in the north and east, and the blast in Colombo appeared to dash hope for a quick end to fighting that has worsened over the past month, undermining an already shaky cease-fire. The 2002 truce was intended to halt more than two decades of bloodshed between the government, dominated by Sri Lanka's 14 million Sinhalese, and the rebels, who have been fighting since 1983 for an independent homeland for the country's 3.2 million Tamils. In fighting Monday, Sri Lankan air force jets bombed the northeastern Mullaitivu district, deep inside rebel territory. The pro-rebel TamilNet Web site, citing officials from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, reported that 61 girls who were studying there were killed and another 60 were injured. However, Air Force spokesman Group Capt. Ajantha Silva said the military had proof that the site was a rebel base. An official from a Nordic cease-fire monitoring team, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, said the site appeared to be a home for 17- to 20-year-old students. The official said a monitor who visited the site saw 19 bodies at a nearby hospital but believed more were killed. Hours later in Colombo, a suicide bomber in an auto rickshaw blew himself up as a car carrying Pakistan's high commissioner, Basir Ali Mohmand, passed along a crowded road. At least seven people were killed, including four army commandos guarding the envoy, the government said. Another 10 people were wounded in the bombing less than a mile from the residence of President Mahinda Rajapakse. But the diplomat, who was believed to be the target of the blast, escaped unhurt. Pakistan is a major supplier of arms to Sri Lanka's military, and the Tigers were suspected in the attack. Tamil Tiger officials were not immediately available to comment, although in recent months they have often kept quiet after such attacks, neither confirming nor denying involvement. Pakistan said it was the first attack on any of its diplomats in Sri Lanka. A day earlier, at least 15 people died in fighting around the St. Philip Neri Church in Allaiiddy, a predominantly Tamil village located on an island just west of the Jaffna Peninsula. The island, like the peninsula, is held by the government. TamilNet said the dead were civilians killed when government artillery and rocket fire hit the church, where they were sheltering. While TamilNet stopped short of saying government forces intentionally targeted the church, it alleged that no help was sent to the wounded for hours. But the military countered that guerrillas in the church fired on troops as they tried to enter the building, and that the civilians were killed in the fighting. The latest round of fighting began in late July over a rebel-controlled water supply near the eastern port of Trincomalee, and had in recent days spread to other parts of the east and the Jaffna Peninsula, the scene of intense fighting during Sri Lanka's two-decade-long civil war. \|\|\|\|\| The Tamil Tigers said the victims had been at a first aid seminar The rebels said the air strike took place in the rebel-controlled northern district of Mullaitivu. The government has denied the attack, saying the air force had targeted an LTTE training camp. Hours later, a bomb explosion in the capital Colombo killed seven people and injured 17 others. The Tamil Tigers' military spokesman, Irasaiah Ilanthirayan, told the BBC they were not responsible for the blast. There has been fierce fighting between government forces and Tamil Tigers in the north and east in recent days. 'A lie' Military officials said the rebels had infiltrated the Jaffna peninsula and hit residential areas in their attacks on the army, and that the air force was attacking to support ground troops fighting rebel advances in the area. The military said it was using the air force against rebel positions "It is a lie to say that schoolchildren were targeted," government spokesperson Chandrapala Liyanage told the AFP news agency. "The air force had bombed a LTTE training centre. We don't know if they had moved child soldiers there." The Tamil Tigers said the victims, who were aged between 15 and 18, were attending a first aid seminar. Thorfinnur Omarsson, spokesman for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, told AFP it had received a complaint from the rebels and a team was on its way to investigate. Junko Mitano, of the United Nations children's agency Unicef, told the BBC it had confirmation children had been killed in Mullaitivu. She declined to give further details, saying a statement would be issued on Tuesday. The government has also denied rebel accusations that its forces killed at least 15 people in an attack on a church in the predominantly Tamil village of Allaipiddy on an island just west of Jaffna. 'Target' HAVE YOUR SAY Being a young Tamil, I don't know very much about the war, but it makes me very sad and angry Niv, UK Send us your comments The Pakistani ambassador, Bashir Wali Mohamed, was returning from a flag-raising ceremony for Pakistan's Independence Day when the explosion happened. He was not injured. Mr Mohamed told the BBC's Urdu Service he believed he was "surely the target". He said he thought this was because of the Pakistani government's support of the Sri Lankan government in its war against terrorism. The Tigers have ruled out peace talks with the government while heavy fighting continues between the two sides. The Pakistani ambassador said he believed he was the target Aid agencies say about 100,000 people have been affected by the latest fighting - 60,000 people have fled their homes and 30,000 are trapped in the east. Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula has seen more heavy shelling and artillery fire as government forces and the Tigers battle for control of key areas. The recent flare-up in fighting has alarmed Sri Lanka's key foreign donors - the US, Japan, the European Union and Norway - who have called for an immediate end to the hostilities, which they said was "seriously unravelling" the 2002 ceasefire agreement. The ceasefire aimed to halt more than two decades of war between the government and the rebels, who are fighting for an independent homeland for the country's minority Tamil people in the north and east. It remains officially in effect, despite months of violence. \|\|\|\|\| Thailand braces as refugees from Myanmar coup flee to border regions Hundreds of people have fled Myanmar's towns and cities since last month's military coup and are sheltering in areas controlled by ethnic militias on the Thai border, an official from one of the groups said on Thursday, as Thailand prepared for a surge of refugees.	The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam accused the air force of Sri Lanka of deliberately bombing an orphanage, killing 50-60 children and injuring 150 more. The Tigers said that the victims were between the ages of 15 and 18 and were attending a first aid seminar. The air strike in took place in the rebel-controlled northern district of Mullaitivu in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. The military denied the charges that they bombed an orphanage. They say that they can prove that it was training camp for the Tamil Tigers. The air raid was in support of government ground troops that are fighting rebels who are advancing on the Jaffna peninsula. "It is a lie to say that schoolchildren were targeted," government spokesperson Chandrapala Liyanage told the AFP news agency. "The air force had bombed a LTTE training centre. We don't know if they had moved child soldiers there." Since the early 1980s, there has been an ongoing ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka between the Sri Lankan government and members of the Tamil ethnic group in the northeast of the island. A ceasefire was declared in 2002, but violence has continued despite this.
Manchetes Dom, 14 Nov - 17h41 Advogados de Beira-Mar são presos em flagrante Agência Estado Dois advogados do traficante Luiz Fernando da Costa, o Fernandinho Beira-Mar, foram presos em flagrante por tentativa de suborno a policiais federais num restaurante da zona sul do Rio. Lydio da Hora e Wellington Menezes tentavam comprar a liberdade de um traficante identificado como Marco, que segundo a Polícia Federal (PF), foi tesoureiro de Beira-Mar. Quando eles entregaram o dinheiro aos agentes, foi anunciada a prisão. Toda a ação foi filmada e um policial que não se identificou contou que Marco atuava de forma independente, mas também agia sob ordem de Beira-Mar que está numa prisão de segurança máxima no interior de São Paulo. Os dois advogados estão na sede da superintendência da PF, na zona portuária do Rio. Envie para um amigo \|\|\|\|\| Comunicar erros Enviar por e-mail Imprimir 21/04/2001 - 17h32 Exército colombiano captura Fernandinho Beira-Mar da Reuters, em Bogotá (Colômbia) As Forças Armadas da Colômbia capturaram hoje o maior traficante de drogas do Brasil, encerrando a caçada humana por Luis Fernando da Costa, o Fernandinho Beira-Mar, acusado de trocar armas por cocaína com guerrilheiros colombianos. Detalhes da prisão ainda não foram disponibilizados pelas autoridades, mas fontes no Exército disseram que o traficante foi preso em uma floresta próxima à fronteira da Colômbia com a Venezuela e com o Brasil. Beira-Mar escapou de uma prisão no Rio de Janeiro em 1996. Autoridades suspeitam de que o traficante gerencie seus negócios da Colômbia há mais de um ano. As Forças Armadas da Colômbia acusam Beira-Mar de trocar armas por cocaína com a maior guerrilha do país, as Farc (Forças Armadas Revolucionárias da Colômbia), que tem 17 mil homens e controla a área onde o traficante opera. As Farc negam a suspeita, mas admitem que cobram taxas de traficantes que trabalham dentro de suas áreas. A guerrilha diz que usa o dinheiro para financiar sua guerra contra o governo para impor um Estado comunista na Colômbia. O conflito armado que já dura 37 anos matou 40 mil pessoas, a maioria delas civis, na última década. Leia mais sobre a prisão de Beira-Mar da Reuters, em Bogotá (Colômbia)As Forças Armadas da Colômbia capturaram hoje o maior traficante de drogas do Brasil, encerrando a caçada humana por Luis Fernando da Costa, o Fernandinho Beira-Mar, acusado de trocar armas por cocaína com guerrilheiros colombianos.Detalhes da prisão ainda não foram disponibilizados pelas autoridades, mas fontes no Exército disseram que o traficante foi preso em uma floresta próxima à fronteira da Colômbia com a Venezuela e com o Brasil.Beira-Mar escapou de uma prisão no Rio de Janeiro em 1996. Autoridades suspeitam de que o traficante gerencie seus negócios da Colômbia há mais de um ano.As Forças Armadas da Colômbia acusam Beira-Mar de trocar armas por cocaína com a maior guerrilha do país, as Farc (Forças Armadas Revolucionárias da Colômbia), que tem 17 mil homens e controla a área onde o traficante opera.As Farc negam a suspeita, mas admitem que cobram taxas de traficantes que trabalham dentro de suas áreas. A guerrilha diz que usa o dinheiro para financiar sua guerra contra o governo para impor um Estado comunista na Colômbia. O conflito armado que já dura 37 anos matou 40 mil pessoas, a maioria delas civis, na última década. Comunicar erros Enviar por e-mail Imprimir Visita de Bush Iraque sob Tutela Angola Iraque sob tutela Visita do império terrorismo	Two lawyers of accused drug dealer Luiz Fernando da Costa (also known as Fernando Beira-Mar) were arrested Sunday November 14 in a restaurant located at Rio de Janeiro city in Brazil. They have been accused of bribing Brazilian federal police officers. Luiz Fernando da Costa, known as Fernando Beira-Mar or Fernandinho Beira-Mar, is one of the biggest drug dealers of Latin America according to police. Beira-Mar was arrested by the Colombian army at April 20-21, 2001, in a FARC camp located at a forest near Colombia and Venezuela and then transferred to Brazil where he is been in prison until now. According to officers the lawyers had offered R$200,000 (US$71,658.9) to police officers asking them to release Marcos José Monteiro Carneiro, another man accused of being a drug dealer.
Justin Trudeau, the eldest son of Pierre Trudeau, will run for the Liberals in the Montreal riding of Papineau. Justin Trudeau celebrates the results of the vote to select the Liberal candidate for Montreal's Papineau riding on Sunday. (Peter McCabe/Canadian Press) Party members in the east-end Montreal riding gave Trudeau, 35, a slim victory on Sunday for the nomination over two rivals on the first ballot. Needing 634 votes to win, he received 690 from voting members, or 54 per cent. His two opponents, Montreal city councillor Mary Deros and former city councillor Basilio Giordano received 350 and 220 respectively. "For me, to represent people who represent the future of Canada and the great challenges we will face over the coming decades — this is where I wanted to start," Trudeau said after his victory. His opponents had complained that Trudeau — whose first home was 24 Sussex Drive and who grew up in luxury — had no connection with the gritty, blue-collar Papineau district. But the former drama teacher suspended his current university studies and spent several weeks hitting the pavement, selling memberships and getting to know local leaders. Trudeau is attempting to begin his political career in a riding currently held by Bloc Québécois MP Vivian Barbot. Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said Sunday he called Trudeau to offer his congratulations. Dion said Trudeau will be an asset for the party. In his victory speech, Trudeau invoked the legacy of his famous father, and drew parallels between his current fight and his father's career. In the fall of 1965, he said, his father ran in the neighbouring Mount Royal riding, part of which is now included in the Papineau district. Trudeau told voting members that some of them helped nominate his father who eventually gave Canada one of the most evolved tools for human rights in the world — the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. "What you were part of 40 years ago changed Canada forever," he said. "We are all children of the charter. You can understand how fiercely proud I am to be able to say that your prime minister was also my dad." But Trudeau said his political dreams are based on ambitions, not nostalgia. Tight race expected Observers were expecting a tight three-way race among Trudeau and two political veterans Deros and Giordano, who is editor of an Italian-language newspaper. Justin Trudeau had to overcome criticism that he had no connection to the gritty blue-collar Papineau district. (Peter McCabe/Canadian Press) Various sources in the riding said the three candidates had each sold about 1,000 memberships. Trudeau said a lot of people have mistaken impressions of what he's like from seeing him in the media. But since announcing his intentions in February, he has been meeting people on streets, trying to cultivate an image of someone who listens. "I'm a teacher; I'm a convenor; I'm a gatherer; I'm someone who reaches out to people and is deeply interested in what they have to say," he said. "And people see that I'm not faking it. I'm actually genuinely committed to this dialogue that we're opening up, and this understanding that needs to happen in order to be an effective MP." Papineau a multicultural, working-class riding For many in this ethnically diverse riding, Trudeau's father was a hero, and the two people running against his son are immigrants themselves, who say they have something important to contribute to Canada. Basilio Giordano came from Italy as a young man and says immigrants idolized the late former prime minister. "Having said that, it doesn't mean that today an immigrant cannot represent this riding," he said. Mary Deros, the local city councillor, was born in Greece, but has lived most of her life in Papineau riding. "I don't have the name, and in order for my name to be known today, it's because I've worked very hard to bring it there," she said. "I think that means something. It means something to every immigrant who came to Montreal, who came to Canada with hopes and dreams." With files from the Canadian Press \|\|\|\|\| MONTREAL – The most famous family in Canadian politics celebrated a victory Sunday as Liberals chanted their name and waved red-and-white posters emblazoned "Trudeau." Justin Trudeau hugged his mother, brother and wife after securing a first-ballot victory in his battle to represent a Montreal riding in the next election for the party his father led through 16 years and three majority governments. The 35-year-old called his win at the nomination meeting a reminder that he's more than just Pierre Elliott Trudeau's son. The outcome on the crowded floor of a college gymnasium came after a weeks-long fight in the gritty Papineau riding that Trudeau now hopes to represent in Parliament. He received no endorsement from the party brass and defeated two challengers with deep roots in a lower-middle-class community that is an economic galaxy away from his own upbringing at 24 Sussex Drive. "Listen, I'm carrying the Trudeau name, yes. I'm also carrying my own name," he said after the results were announced. "I think what was achieved here in this process was to demonstrate that I'm not just a last name. I'm someone who has a first name, who is able to reach out and represent people." He ducked behind the stage to take a congratulatory phone call from Liberal Leader Stephane Dion once the results came in. His win was a slim one – with 54 per cent of the vote and just 56 ballots more than he needed – but averted a second ballot amid rumours that his rivals might join in an anybody-but-Trudeau alliance. The longtime municipal councillor and Italian-language newspaper editor he defeated both said they would support Trudeau's bid to dislodge the Bloc Quebecois incumbent in the next election. To the left of the stage his younger brother Alexandre was locked in a celebratory bearhug with a family friend, after spending much of the day wandering through the gymnasium and cradling his four-month-old son. The boy's name is Pierre Trudeau. Alexandre joked that the late prime minister would have had a mixed reaction Sunday. "He would have said, `I guess I can't control my son,' " Alexandre said. "My father would be worried about his son going into politics but he would have blessed him, of course. Politics has its ups and downs – it's good and bad. "But he would be proud, of course." Dressed in a smart white business suit, his mother Margaret energetically worked the bustling room and signed her name on campaign posters. Dion said Trudeau would be an asset to the party and that he was pleased the candidate entered politics "by the front door in a very proud way." Earlier in the day, Trudeau's opponents at the nomination meeting drew attention to their longstanding ties to the area in an unspoken reference to his newcomer status. But the former drama teacher and current environmental geography student reminded the crowd during his opening speech Sunday of something they had in common: pride in his father's legacy. In the fall of 1965, he said, Pierre Trudeau ran in the neighbouring Mount Royal riding – part of which is now in Papineau. He told the crowd that some of the people present Sunday helped nominate the man who eventually gave Canada one of the most evolved tools for human rights in the world, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. "What you were part of 40 years ago changed Canada forever," he said. "We are all children of the charter. You can understand how fiercely proud I am to be able to say that your prime minister was also my dad." But he quickly pointed out that his political dreams are based on future ambitions – not nostalgia. He said he wants to wrest the riding back from a Bloc Quebecois that seeks to "divide and destroy Canada." And he also wants the Liberal party to defeat the Conservatives, who he described as plagiarists stealing policy from the U.S. right-wing and dividing Canadians over social-justice and environmental issues. But his carefully choreographed speech hit a snag when he tried switching from the podium to a handheld microphone that would allow him to roam the stage. "And just who am I? I am . . . ." Then there was dead air as the microphone failed. After an awkward pause, Trudeau recovered and went on: "I am Justin Trudeau. I am a man with a dream for our riding, our province, and our country." \|\|\|\|\| Click for a look at the rocks before and after the collapse an official says was likely caused by recent temperature swings. \|\|\|\|\| Son of the late PM no shoo-in for Liberal nod in Montreal riding Apr 25, 2007 04:30 AM Allan Woods Ottawa Bureau OTTAWA–Justin Trudeau's bid for the Liberal nomination in Montreal's working-class riding of Papineau could be derailed this weekend by a common front against him by his two opponents. He decided to seek the nomination in February, initially running afoul of party leader Stéphane Dion, who had a preferred female candidate lined up for the riding. Since then, the 35-year-old has also angered his opponents in the nomination battle. Because he's seen as an interloper from his tony Outremont neighbourhood, there are suggestions of a backroom deal in which the likely second- and third-place candidates would combine to upset Trudeau on a second-ballot vote Sunday. "It's an anybody-but-Trudeau story," a local Liberal organizer told the Star. "The thing that will make the difference is the deal making." Trudeau said in an interview yesterday that he knows he has critics but that he has worked hard to build "street cred" in the urban riding by meeting with cultural groups and listening to their concerns. "That's been my entire focus for the last two months. Being present, being very real, meeting as many people as I can – not just shaking hands, but sitting down and listening to them," he said. "There's going to be naysayers on any decision. One of the things that I didn't want was for it to appear like I'd been handed anything on a silver platter. I work for things and I've never taken anything handed to me." Trudeau's competitors for the Liberal nod are Mary Deros, a city councillor and community activist who has worked in the area for 20 years, and Basilio Giordano, a former city councillor and publisher of the local Italian-language newspaper. The federal Liberals held Papineau from 1957 to 2006 when former foreign affairs minister Pierre Pettigrew lost by 990 votes to Vivian Barbot of the Bloc Québécois. Pettigrew suggested that Deros run for the nomination at last year's Liberal leadership convention in Montreal. She followed through after hearing Dion plan to ensure one-third of his candidates in the next election are women. She is baffled by Trudeau's decision to run against her. "He's young, he's popular, he can be groomed, from what I understand and from what many people are saying, to be a future prime minister," she said. "But I would have thought that he would at least have considered the party line that they're trying to increase women candidates." Both Giordano, who is Italian, and Deros, who is Greek, say they are playing to their ethnic roots in search of an advantage. Party sources said the fight among candidates to sign up new members has brought in 1,200 Italian-Canadians, 700 Greek-Canadians and 275 French-Canadians. One thousand who identified themselves as "other" are believed to be of Asian, Indian and Pakistani background. That would seem to favour Deros and Giordano, but it could just as easily work in Trudeau's favour, Giordano said. "For some old immigrants, the name of Trudeau is still a myth. His father was a great prime minister and the people still remember his father's name," he said. "But, having said that, I think Justin agrees that he has to start somewhere to show and to prove that he can win and start a political career." As for any deal on combining forces to upset Trudeau on a second ballot, Deros and Giordano said it was too early for such speculation. "We are planning to win this in the first round, if possible," said Deros. "If we don't ... we will make any deal necessary over there on the floor." Trudeau's camp asked Deros' team about the rumours this week in a meeting, and said they had heard such a deal had already been formalized. "I'm very wary of deals like that," Trudeau said. "Any time there is a coalition that is based on anti-Trudeau or anti-anyone it worries me, particularly here in a nomination fight." Even without the party infighting, the eldest Trudeau son remains a polarizing figure in his home province, if only because of his name. The former prime minister was a staunch federalist who shook up Canadian politics and forged a national identity based on multiculturalism. But he also inflamed some francophone Quebecers and ignited western alienation. One party organizer recalled a recent conversation he had with a Conservative party supporter, which he said demonstrates the two views of Trudeau. "If Trudeau wins, it will be the most beautiful news for us in Quebec," the federal Tory said. That may be so, the Liberal allowed, but a Trudeau win would boost party fortunes in Ontario. "He's the saviour for Toronto," the Quebec Liberal said.	__NOTOC__ Justin Trudeau Justin Trudeau, son of the late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, has won his riding nomination for the Liberal Party of Canada in Papineau, Montreal, Quebec. To win he needed 634 votes. He received 690. This is his first attempt at running for politics. His father was Prime Minister of Canada from the 1960s until the mid-1980s. His two other competitors for the nomination were natives from the town; Mary Deros, a city councillor and Basilio Giordano, a former city councillor and journalist for a local Italian newspaper. Competitors for the other federal party's have not yet been chosen. According to reports Deros received 350 votes and Basilio Giordano received 220. Trudeau will run in the 40th Canadian federal election, which must be called no later than February 13, 2011. "I'm a teacher; I'm a convenor; I'm a gatherer; I'm someone who reaches out to people and is deeply interested in what they have to say," Trudeau said. "And people see that I'm not faking it. I'm actually genuinely committed to this dialogue that we're opening up, and this understanding that needs to happen in order to be an effective MP." Trudeau does not live in Papineau. It is the poorest riding in Canada and the smallest. It consists of blue-collar residents. The riding has a long history of Liberal MPs. In the 1949 federal election an Independent MP held the riding. Liberal Adrien Meunier was re-elected three times holding the riding from 1949 to 1962. Liberal Guy Favreau was re-elected once holding the riding from 1963 to 1965. Liberal André Ouellet was re-elected six times holding the riding from 1967 to 1984. Liberal Pierre Pettigrew was elected in 2004, he came in second to current Bloc Québécois MP Vivian Barbot, who won by 17,775 votes. Trudeau, 35, is the second child born to a Prime Minister during his term in office to Canada's first, Sir John A. Macdonald, who had a his daughter Margaret Mary Macdonald during his time in office. He has a Bachelor of Arts of English literature from Montreal's McGill University and the Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia. He eventually became a teacher there. He married French-Canadian television personality Sophie Grégoire on March 18, 2005. In April this year they announced they are expecting their first child. Since his youngest sibling Michel Trudeau died in an avalanche in 1998, Trudeau has been an active campaigner for winter sports safety. His younger brother Alexandre Trudeau is a journalist. His father died on 28 September 2000 at the age of 80. During the state funeral, Trudeau, then 28, delivered an emotional speech which led to speculation in the media that a career in politics could be his future. He has also openly stated that he opposes Quebec nationalism. Trudeau put his support behind Liberal leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy during the 2006 Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention. Kennedy dropped out of the second ballot of voting and both he and Trudeau went on to support now leader Stéphane Dion. ===Results=== +Votes needed to win: '''634''' Candidate Votes Justin Trudeau 690 Mary Deros 350 Basilio Giordano 220
Brandy Slapped with 50M Wrongful Death Lawsuit Singer Brandy faces 50-million wrongful death lawsuit from the family of the victim who died in car crash. Brandy faces a 50-million lawsuit filed by a family of a woman who was killed in a four-car freeway crash involving R&B; star. A wrongful death lawsuit was against the Grammy Award-winning singer-actress Brandy in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The parents of Awatef Aboudihaj are seeking $50 million in compensatory and punitive damages. The lawsuit by the came a day after the California Highway Patrol (CHP) recommended that prosecutors charge Brandy with a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter for her part in a December 06 freeway car crash that killed Aboudihaj and injured another woman. According to a highway patrol report, Brandy, 27, whose full name is Brandy Norwood, had failed to see traffic slowing in front of her while driving her Land Rover along the 405 freeway on 30 December 2006. She collided with Aboudihajís Toyota in front of her. The 38-year-old woman's car slammed into another vehicle, slid sideways into the freeway's center divider and was then hit by another car, the report said. Aboudihaj was transported to Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre with blunt-force injuries and died the next evening. Alcohol, drugs and other distractions as factors in the crash were ruled out. There was no evidence that Brandy was using a cell phone, police investigations found. A misdemeanor offense, which is less serious than a felony charge, carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. And, charging the entertainer with misdemeanor offense means that prosecutors determine the death did not result from gross negligence. The lawsuit, filed as a three-page form complaint on behalf of Aboudihaj Ahmed and Labridi Zohra, claims Brandy was driving recklessly. Brandy has publicly expressed condolences to the victim's family as a fellow motorist involved in the crash revealed the singer admitted fault at the scene. "The accident was a terrible tragedy, and Brandy's heart goes out to Awatef Aboudihaj's family," Brandy's spokeswoman, Kelly Mullens of the 42West agency, said in a statement. "But for legal reasons we cannot comment on this lawsuit." The Los Angeles City Attorney's office will review the case and decide whether to file the charge against the singer. If charged and subsequently found guilty, Brandy could face one year in jail. \|\|\|\|\| Brandy Sued by Crash Victim's Parents AP Photo/Chris Carlson Brandy is being sued for $50 million by the family of a woman killed in a car crash that's being blamed on the singer/actress. Awatef Aboudihaj's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit at Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday after police recommended the singer be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. Their 38-year-old daughter was killed in a four-car freeway crash in California on December 30. The California Highway Patrol has ruled Brandy was at fault because she failed to prevent her Land Rover from hitting the car in front when traffic slowed down. The Aboudihajs' lawsuit accuses Brandy -- real name Brandy Norwood -- of "reckless driving" and seeks $50 million in compensatory and punitive damages. If found guilty of criminal charges, Brandy faces a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The 27-year-old last week issued a statement through her publicist offering her condolences to Aboudihaj's family.	Piers Morgan (far left), Brandy (left), David Hasselhoff (right), and host Regis Philbin (standing up on the far right) after the Season 1 winner of ''America's Got Talent'' was announced. American singer, Brandy Norwood, known for her role as a judge on ''America's Got Talent'' amongst other roles, has been sued for US$50 million by the family of a woman who was killed in a car crash. California Highway Patrol (CHP) said that Brandy, 27, should be charged with a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter for being part of the fatal car crash that killed Awatef Aboudihaj, 38. Aboudihaj's family lawsuit accuses Noorwood, known as Brandy, of "reckless driving". Brandy, in a Land Rover SUV on December 30, 2006, bumped into the Toyota which had Awatef Aboudihaj in it. The Toyota slammed into another vehicle and slid on the freeway's center divider. Aboudihaj was sent to Providence Holy Cross Medical Centre but died the next evening. "The accident was a terrible tragedy, and Brandy's heart goes out to Awatef Aboudihaj's family," spokeswoman, Kelly Mullens, said in a statement. "But for legal reasons we cannot comment on this lawsuit." If Brandy is charged, she could face one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Print Share + Times Square Van Deemed Nothing More Than Nuisance Huge Police Response Owed To New Year's Eve Preparations; Festivities Will Be Unaffected Crossroads Of The World Deemed Safe, Reopened After Suspicious Van Found To Be Harmless NEW YORK (CBS) ― A security scare shut down Times Square a day before its New Year's Eve celebration. Buildings were evacuated, and traffic and tourists were cleared out.The NYPD had an unintended test run of its Times Square emergency response, as a flood of cops pushed crowds away from the suspicious vehicle in all directions.The size of the response was due partially to its proximity to Times Square on the day before New Year's Eve, as many of the same officers on the scene Wednesday will be part of the crowd control for Thursday's celebration.The focus of the alert was a suspicious van, and the bomb squad sent in a robot to investigate.A suspicious, unattended van on Broadway, between 41st and 42nd Streets, sent police into high gear Wednesday. They herded pedestrians behind steel barricades and ordered office workers out of their Times Square buildings and into the street."Around eleven o'clock, they started making announcements that they were investigating something," evacuee Marvin Perry said. "Then, about 11:30, they said 'evacuate.'""We had to go through the freight elevator, and now they're kicking us out of the building," evacuee Ken Wang said.The cause of the drama was a 1992 Dodge van with no license plates, tinted windows, and a homemade parking placard from an agency no one had ever heard of the Detective's Crime Clinic of New York and New Jersey.The bomb squad's robot couldn't figure out what was inside, nor could the bomb-sniffing dog. It was a little unnerving for workers and passersby."It makes me very nervous," evacuee Arlene Hislop said. "I work right here, in this building, and I went out for lunch."Police kept moving people back, block-by-block, until bomb squad members finally opened the van and found nothing inside but bags of clothing, junk, and a temporary registration.The vehicle was, thankfully, nothing more than a nuisance, but it still caused problems. Since it was parked a block from Thursday night's New Year's Eve Ball Drop, it even delayed the rehearsal for the party."We're actually the camera that shoots the ball for the world feed, the robotic camera," New Year's worker Chuck Goslin said. "We're just trying to get up there and set up, and unfortunately, it's right at our position."Police said they are especially vigilant in advance of Thursday's celebration."Its presence in Times Square just before New Year's Eve causes us concern, and that's why we're taking extra precautions," said chief NYPD spokesman Paul J. Browne.Managing the New Year is something New York City has down to a science safe, but not necessarily comfortable."You know, you're bumping, you're trapped," Valley Stream resident Joseph Ostram said.It may look like one big crowd from above, but Times Square on New Year's Eve is really separated into a lot of smaller crowds, segmented by steel gates that are already in place. Revelers enter through a side street and spend the evening in their designated pen, under close watch.The counter-terrorism police who responded to the possibility of a bomb on Wednesday will also be on-duty for New Year's Eve. Some will be watching the crowd through remote cameras and monitoring sensors that can detect radiation or biological agents.As many as 60 officers will be on horseback for more traditional crowd control methods.No alcohol is allowed for the Times Square New Year's celebration, and revelers are cautioned to arrive early.The city's transit agency said several train lines were bypassing 42nd Street, including the N, R and W lines, during the investigation. The crosstown shuttle train had been suspended as well. All service has been restored. (© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) \|\|\|\|\| (Corrects lead to show closed building was not Nasdaq headquarters) NEW YORK, Dec 30 (Reuters) - New York City's Times Square was closed briefly and three buildings including a Nasdaq NDAQ.O building were evacuated in a security scare on Wednesday, a day before the traditional New Year's Eve festivities in the famed intersection. The street closings and evacuations were prompted by a police investigation of a suspicious van that local media reported had been parked on Broadway for two days. No explosives were found in the van, which police examined with robots and remote cameras. The typically busy Times Square intersection, Nasdaq building and two other buildings were cleared of people during the investigation which lasted about two hours. Times Square was already crowded with tourists and a heavy police presence ahead of the traditional New Year’s Eve festivities and the dropping of a large lit ball at midnight on Dec. 31. Trade on the Nasdaq .IXIC stock market went uninterrupted and the impact was minimal. “There was a quick small sell-off in equities which would be more attributable to people closing some positions in fear of an electronic breakdown rather than initiating speculative short positions,” said Joe Kinahan, chief derivatives strategist at TD Ameritrade. The incident took place less than a week after a botched attempt on Christmas Day to blow up a U.S.-bound airliner. The airline incident has prompted heightened air travel security. (Reporting by Doris Frankel, Ellen Wulfhorst and Elinor Comlay; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Vicki Allen) \|\|\|\|\| Times Square Security Scare Over NYPD: No Bomb Inside Abandoned Van with Tarp Covering Windows; Street Reopened Police officers on patrol noticed the van around mid-morning Wednesday. (CBS) CBSNews.com On Digg A van parked in the heart of Times Square with tinted windows, no license plates and a bogus law enforcement placard led the police to briefly evacuate the tourist hot spot and send in a bomb squad on the day before the area's New Year's Eve gathering.No explosive devices were found inside the white van Wednesday afternoon, and the area was reopened to traffic about two hours after the incident began.The van was spotted by patrol officers around 11 a.m. Wednesday on Broadway between 41st and 42nd Streets, and counterterrorism and bomb squad crews responded. The area was blocked off and two high-rise buildings home to Nasdaq and publishing company Conde Nast were partially evacuated but allowed back in around 1 p.m.Nasdaq said its trading was unaffected. Conde Nast was in the process of evacuating when the order was lifted.There were no corresponding terror threats involving the vehicle, said chief NYPD spokesman Paul J. Browne.But police take extra care around New Year's Eve when the ball-drop celebration draws hundreds of thousands of revelers to the heart of Times Square from around the world. Squads routinely patrol for suspicious vehicles and do sweeps in garages before the annual event."Its presence in Times Square just before New Year's Eve causes us concern, and that's why we're taking extra precautions," he said.The 1992 Dodge van was parked in a row of cars beneath some of the large billboards that ring the square. Police used a robot to examine the vehicle, then approached on foot and peered in the windows. The van was opened and clothing was discovered inside, along with a temporary registration. Police were looking for the van's owner.Shouting and putting up wooden barricades, police began clearing several blocks, directing thousands of Times Square tourists to move south. Investigators also towed a parked car several yards from the van. A tarp partially covered the van, and the placard said "detective's crime clinic, New York/New Jersey area," a nonexistent law enforcement agency.The city's transit agency said several train lines were bypassing 42nd Street, reported WCBS . The crosstown shuttle train was also suspended.It wasn't clear how long the van had been parked there, although New Yorkers who work in the area said the van had been there at least two days. A similar-looking van in the same location appeared on Google Street View in warmer weather, which suggests it could have been there for a while. \|\|\|\|\| What's New We post photos taken by our news team in-studio and in the field. Send us your interesting photos with #NBC4NY. Read more	Photo of suspicious van Times Square was shut down today due to a suspicious vehicle parked on 42nd Street and Broadway in New York. Police cordoned the area surrounding the white 1992 Dodge van to investigate the auto. The van has temporary license plates and tinted windows with tarps covering them. Photo of the van from the back with doors open The nearby NASDAQ building was evacuated, and reports from CBS said the Conde Nast building had been partially evacuated. The investigation disrupted preparations for the New Year's eve ball drop atop One Times Square, although it still appears that the celebration will continue unaffected. The investigation comes a day after police commissioner Raymond Kelly was interviewed by local TV outlet, WNBC, about how the city is after recent terrorist activity. "Reality is that New York is the number one target in this country ... But it has been doing more than any other city in America and probably the world," he said on the topic that New York had adequate counter-terrorism procedure. ''Wikinews'' contacted the New York City Police Department, but they had no comment about the specific issue at this time.
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It’s ideal for industry analysts, managers and executives who need a snapshot of the latest news, analysis and data from our global team, with the ability to export or email PDF reports in one click. 5000+ airports 3000+ airlines 1600+ suppliers 800+ airport investors 250+ countries/territories and regions And more CAPA Membership also gives you access to a customised selection of more than 400 global News Briefs every weekday, as well as a comprehensive Data Centre, Analysis Reports and Research Publications. You can also choose from our range of premium add-ons, including MRO Matrix, Route Maps, Fleet Data and more. \|\|\|\|\| Links for Saha Airlines To see details about aircraft, click on to the number in the appropriate column in the table below. Download Saha Airlines fleet in PDF format directly to your computer. \|\|\|\|\| Crash: Saha B703 at Fath on Jan 14th 2019, landed at wrong airport By Simon Hradecky, created Monday, Jan 14th 2019 07:52Z, last updated Monday, Jan 14th 2019 08:50Z A Saha Airlines Boeing 707-300 freighter, registration EP-CPP performing a freight flight from Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) to Karaj (Iran) with 16 crew and a cargo of meat, was on approach to Karaj's Payam Airport's runway 30 (length 3660 meters/12,000 feet) when the crew descended towards and landed on Fath's airport 31L (length 1000 meters/3300 feet), overran the runway, broke through an airport perimeter wall, crashed into houses past the end of the runway and burst into flames at about 08:30L (03:00Z). So far one survivor (the flight engineer) and 16 bodies have been recovered. A number of houses were damaged. Emergency services reported 16 bodies (15 male, 1 female) have been recovered so far. One survivor was taken to a hospital. Another aircraft had confused the same airports but gone around in time, see Incident: Taban MD88 at Karaj on Nov 16th 2018, went around from very low height at wrong airport. Iran's Air Force confirmed the aircraft belonged to Saha Airlines. The only survivor recovered so far was the flight engineer on board of the aircraft. Metars Karaj: OIIP 140400Z 16010KT 4000 BR FEW025 SCT035 OVC090 00/M01 Q1012 RERA= OIIP 140300Z 12010KT 3000 SN RA FEW025 SCT035 OVC080 M00/M01 Q1012= OIIP 131800Z 14008KT 6000 SCT035 BKN100 M01/M07 Q1014= Scene at Fath Airport later the day: Scene at Fath Airport (Photo: jemalrasheed): Detail Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth): Map (Graphics: AVH/Google Earth): By Biscayne Bay on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 13:11Z By Joe Momma on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 12:59Z By hitchhog on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 12:45Z By Harald on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 12:44Z By jkLPPR on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 12:35Z By Babajide Oni on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 12:26Z By dElliott on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 12:25Z By Tom on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 12:23Z By harpyeagle on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 11:09Z By Carlos Veigas on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 11:08Z By Umid Sodikov on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 10:50Z By SC1976 on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 10:50Z By jerry311 on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 10:36Z By c.t.g. on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 09:32Z By Simon Hradecky on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 08:30Z By (anonymous) on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 08:30Z By Clipper on Monday, Jan 14th 2019 08:14Z Add your comment: (max 1024 characters) Your Name: Your Email: Subject: Your comment: The Aviation Herald Apps Android and iOS Support The Aviation Herald one time Monthly support 1 €/month Interview: The human factor named "Simon Hradecky" and the team of man and machine \|\|\|\|\| DUBAI (Reuters) - A Boeing 707 military cargo plane crashed in bad weather on Monday west of the Iranian capital, killing 15 out of the 16 people on board, the Iranian army said. A flight engineer survived and was taken to hospital, the army said in a statement carried by the semi-official Fars news agency. The plane went down near Fath airport, near Karaj in the central Iranian province of Alborz. “A Boeing cargo 707 place carrying meat from Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan had an emergency landing at Fath airport today ... the flight engineer has been dispatched to the hospital,” the army said. “It exited the runway during the landing and caught fire after hitting the wall at the end of the runway,” the army. The army’s statement came after some confusion over who owned the plane. Earlier on Monday, a spokesman for Iran’s civil aviation told had told state TV that the plane belonged to Kyrgyzstan, while a spokeswoman for Kyrgyzstan’s Manas airport said the plane belonged to Iran’s Payam Air. State TV said rescue teams had been sent to the area, between the airports of Fath and Payam. It showed footage of burning wreckage of the plane and a plume of smoke rising from the crash site. \|\|\|\|\| Image copyright AFP Image caption The aircraft was transporting meat from Kyrgyzstan At least seven people have died in a cargo plane crash near the Iranian capital, Tehran, media have reported. The Boeing 707 reportedly hit a building while trying to land at Fath airport in Karaj, west of Tehran. The Fars news agency said 16 people were on board and one survivor has so far been found. The plane "overshot the runway during its landing", Reza Jafarzadeh, a spokesman for Iran's aviation organisation, told broadcaster IRIB. Officials are continuing to search for bodies in the wreckage. The cargo aircraft was transporting meat from the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, local agencies report. It is not clear who owned the plane. A spokesman for Iran's civil aviation said the plane belonged to Kyrgyzstan, while Kyrgyzstan's Manas airport said it was operated by Iran's Payam Air. \|\|\|\|\| Tehran, Iran (CNN) A Boeing 707 cargo plane crashed in Iran Monday, killing at least eight people on board, according to Iranian state media. The plane went down at about 8:30 a.m. local time in the capital Tehran, Iran's emergency services chief Pir Hossein Koolivand told state media outlet IRIB. The Farsi News Agency reported that a Boeing 707 cargo plane crashed when it ran out of runway while attempting to land at an airport in the city of Karaj, which is near Tehran. "Due to a mistake by the pilot, it came down at the Fath airport," Farsi News reported, citing Iranian officials. The report said that the plane hit a building near the airport after the pilot lost control of the aircraft and ran out of space to land. Read More	A cargo plane, reported by local press as belonging to the Iranian military, crashed into houses in , near Tehran, the Iranian capital, yesterday. All but one of the sixteen on-board died; no deaths were reported on the ground, with local media reporting no-one was in the houses. File image depicting Karaj. The aircraft came down into a residential area between , where it was attempting to land, and . Fath Airport is owned by the . State media reported the cockpit voice recorder was recovered. The army said the plane was bringing meat from , Kyrgyzstan "to help the country's economy." said the crash involved pilot error. The lone survivor was a flight engineer. The entire crew were Iranians, the army said. said the crash was followed by a fire. Photographs showed the aircraft, ''sans'' wings, with the cockpit buried within a house and twisted engine parts strewn around. '''' reported the failed landing at Fath, which has a much shorter runway than Payam, was a mistake and the jet was supposed to land at Payam. The industry publication stated the aircraft overran the runway and broke through a perimeter barrier. It cited the as stating owned the plane, and claimed a reported sixteenth death. In 2018 another aircraft confused the two airports, performing an emergency at "very low height" according to ''The Aviation Herald''. The Centre for Aviation's database of air carriers lists Saha as belonging to the Air Force and states it runs flights with Boeing 707s and s, but uses s for freight. Airfleets, a database detailing the aircraft operated by commercial carriers, states the aircraft uses the A300 and 747 as well as the . It does not, however, list any 707s. ''The Aviation Herald'' states the 707 was a freighter, despite photos showing a row of windows along each side; it lists a of EP-CPP. ''Wikinews'' contacted Boeing in an effort to establish the plane's initial configuration when manufactured. Boeing did not release any specific information about the initial build, telling ''Wikinews'' the company "extends its profound condolences to the families and friends of those lost... as well as our best wishes for the recovery of those injured." Boeing referred to the 707 involved as a "cargo plane". Iran's air fleet is ageing, with sanctions restricting the purchase of both new planes and parts to maintain those already owned. == Sources == * * * * * *
TORONTO - Mark Hamill will be bringing the force to Fan Expo Canada over Labour Day weekend. The "Star Wars" icon will travel to Toronto to greet fans in what is being billed as his first-ever Canadian appearance. Meanwhile, "Star Trek" hero William Shatner will be joined by cast members George Takei and Nichelle Nichols as the sci-fi franchise marks its 50th anniversary. Organizers say Marvel Comics visionary Stan Lee is slated to make his final Canadian convention appearance at the event. Other notable guests include actor John Cusack, "The X-Files" star Gillian Anderson, filmmaker Kevin Smith, Adam West and Burt Ward of the original "Batman" TV series, "Orange is the New Black" star Kate Mulgrew and cast members from the Netflix series "Daredevil." Fan Expo Canada is billed as the largest comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming event in Canada. It takes place Sept. 1 to 4 in Toronto. \|\|\|\|\| Mark Hamill is having a big year. J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens pulverized the box office, grossing over $900 million during its 168-day domestic run in theaters. Just three weeks after its release, the film (which, besides being a stellar money-maker, delivered the kind of nostalgic fun fans have been waiting for since the original trilogy) already experienced the highest-grossing domestic release of all time. Despite the fact that Luke Skywalker (Hamill) only shows up, without a word, at the very end, the character is the life-blood of the film; having brought balance to the Force, his popularity precedes him, and the old Jedi’s absence is what propels the plot forward as both good guys and bad race to recover a map with his galactic whereabouts. While Hamill may have had a small (in terms of screen time) role to play in The Force Awakens, the 64-year old actor will be headlining the guest list for Fan Expo Canada over Labor Day weekend, ensuring that there will be plenty of Luke Skywalker to go around. Significantly, this marks Hamill’s first appearance in the country. Canada’s largest comics, sci-fi, and gaming event – and the third largest pop culture convention in North America – Fan Expo Canada, now in its 22nd year, will run from September 1 to 4. Hamill joins an already impressive guest of television, movie, and comic celebrities, including Haylee Atwell (Agent Carter), John Cusack, Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Jack Gleeson (the malicious former King Joffrey on Game of Thrones), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter franchise), Orange is the New Black star Kate Mulgrew, and Adam West and Burt Ward (Batman and Robin, respectively, in the original 1960s live-action television series). Also joining Hamill is William Shatner, Star Trek‘s Captain Kirk, who will appear alongside cast members George Takei and Nichelle Nichols as the (other) iconic sci-fi franchise marks its 50th anniversary. Notably, Fan Expo Canada will mark Marvel Comics visionary Stan Lee’s final Canadian convention appearance. The scope of Hamill’s work in the pop culture arena makes him an ideal headliner for the convention. In addition to his iconic portrayal of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016), Hamill is an extensive voice actor best known for lending his menacing vocals to the Joker, a long-standing role that began with Batman: The Animated Series (1992). We won’t hope to see many bombshells concerning Episode VII dropped, since production is locked down tight. But with such a high-profile role in one of Hollywood’s hottest properties, anything Hamill has to offer will be must-hear for fans. Source: Fan Expo Canada	Toronto, Ontario's 2016 , scheduled for September 1–4, includes farewells to some icons, and the debut of a new work by a Canadian icon. The first batch of programming was announced in a media release late last week. File photo of The Expo floor in 2015. Saturday, September 3, acclaimed Canadian author is to launch her graphic novel ''Angel Catbird'', with illustrator Johnnie Christmas. The panel includes a question and answer session and an opportunity to purchase the book before its general release date. Other recent firsts from the 76-year-old -winning Atwood include a chamber opera that debuted in 2014, participating in the Fiction Festival in 2015, and being the first writer included in the , her ''Scribbler Moon'' not to be read until 2114. , now 93, is in the midst of what he claims to be his final convention tour. As first announced in February, the ''Spider-Man'', '''', and '''' creator is to make his final Canadian convention appearance at Fan Expo. Also bidding adieu to the convention circuit are and , from the original '''' television series, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The remainder of the announced schedule includes various programs for the 50th anniversary of ''Star Trek'', including appearances by actors , , and , the four day long ''Geekfest Film Festival'', and a live script reading of '''' by voice acting legends , , , and . Panels include ''The Dark Knight III'' team, including a rare appearance by , the cast of '''', and an exclusive panel of and . The 750,000 square foot event projects "over 140,000" attendees this year to Toronto's .
This story is from August 6, 2011 Allahabad: A 15-member team of district unit of India Against Corruption under the leadership of Shimlashri met the lawyers of Allahabad high court on Friday and urged their support in Anna Hazare 's agitation against corruption. They also distributed copies of the letter addressed to the people of country by Hazare. Joint secretary, Allahabad unit, Sunita said that lawyers were of the view that the present format of Lokpal Bill of the Central government would not serve the purpose to eradicate corruption from the country. They also condemned the stand of the Centre and its ministers that no organisation should be allowed to encroach upon the functioning of the parliament. It is the parliament which can enact the law and no one else. The lawyers added that the stand of the Central government was against the desire of crores of people of the country who want removal of corruption from the country through a strong Lokpal Bill. They accepted that the parliament can enact laws but is also true that the parliament is made by the people and for the people to maintain the democratic set up of the country. But the present format of Lok Pal Bill shall not serve the purpose to eradicate corruption from the country, they said. \|\|\|\|\| related stories DMK supports bringing PM under Lokpal A sitting Supreme Court judge on Friday said the prime minister should come under the purview of the lokpal bill. "There is no substance in the discussion that the prime minister should be out of the lokpal bill,” justice AK Ganguly said at a book release function of Corruption and HumanRights in India by C Raj Kumar, vice-chancellor of OP Jindal Global University. He, however, added that this was his personal view. Though justice Ganguly did not specifically comment on bringing the judiciary under the lokpal, he said: “Anyone holding a public office can’t shy away from public scrutiny.” Justice Ganguly, who is a part of the bench monitoring the 2G scam probe, criticised the Prevention of Corruption Act, saying it had an in-built mechanism to protect the corrupt. "Unless there is sanction, you can’t prosecute a corrupt person. But who will give the sanction?” he said, adding that prosecution requests are either kept pending or refused. Vice-president M Hamid Ansari, who released the book, Congress MP Naveen Jindal, other judges and academic personalities were also present. \|\|\|\|\| ‘Centre's neo-liberal policies themselves create, sustain corruption at highest level' The Lokpal Bill that has been introduced in Parliament will set up “a very weak Lokpal,” Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said here on Friday, while calling upon supporters of the party to combine the struggle against corruption with the one against the neo-liberal policies of the Centre. “This Bill will set up a very weak Lokpal — a Lokpal that has no effective powers…We have a number of issues with the Lokpal Bill,” Mr. Karat said, adding that it exempted the office of Prime Minister, empowered the government in his removal, and included government officials in the appointment of the Lokpal — all of which would affect the independence of the Lokpal. Mr. Karat emphasised that the “overall policy framework under the neo-liberal regime itself creates and sustains corruption at the highest level.” The problems of corruption, price rise, unemployment, farmers' distress, land grab and illegal mining are being created today because “the ruling class and government have adopted neo-liberal policies and transfer resources from the poor to the rich.” He also said the government was refusing to act and change the policies on fuel prices, futures trading and the public distribution system that are essential in containing the escalation in prices of commodities. He pointed out that in Parliament the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has been protesting against the government's failure to curb price rise, voted with the Congress on a resolution on price rise. Only the Left and some secular parties said that they were against the draft and demanded a roll back on the increase in fuel prices, which has “only burdened the people,” he said. Speaking at a function to mark the birth anniversary of one of the pioneers of the Left movement in India, Muzaffar Ahmed, Mr. Karat said those who believe in this ideology “must fight against the exploitative system.” Mr. Karat said the country had witnessed two decades of liberalisation, which had brought growth to a narrow stratum of society. “We have had growth that has led to deprivation among the vast masses of our people — inequalities have grown,” he said, adding that the government “was facilitating the loot and plunder.” He said the imprisonment of the former Union Telecom Minister A. Raja, top bureaucrats and executives of corporations “was only the tip of the iceberg.” \|\|\|\|\| Indian anti-corruption bill tabled in parliament A recent survey said corruption in India cost billions of dollars Continue reading the main story Related Stories A controversial bill which aims to set up an anti-corruption watchdog has been introduced in the lower house of the Indian parliament. Activists have criticised the Lokpal Bill for failing to include the prime minister and senior judiciary within the remit of a new ombudsman. Activist Anna Hazare has called the bill a "cruel joke". He said he would go on hunger strike from 16 August. India has recently been hit by a string of high-profile corruption scandals. Scandal allegations Activists led by Mr Hazare have been pushing the government for a strong ombudsman who will have the power to investigate corruption charges against the prime minister, senior judges and MPs, among others. Last Thursday, the government approved a draft of the law which allows citizens to approach the ombudsman with complaints against federal ministers and bureaucrats, who are protected under India's present anti-corruption laws. But the campaigners and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have criticised the government's decision to keep the prime minister and senior judges out of the proposed law. Mr Hazare went on a hunger strike in April to protest against government inaction on corruption. Some of the recent corruption allegations to have rocked India include a multi-billion dollar telecoms scandal, financial malpractices in connection with the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games and the diversion of houses for war widows to civil servants. Critics of the government say the recent allegations point to a pervasive culture of corruption in Mr Singh's administration - adding to the difficulties of a politician once seen as India's most honest. A recent survey said corruption in India cost billions of dollars and threatened to derail growth.	A bill to eliminate corruption has been introduced into the lower house of India's parliament, but critics including lawyers and human rights activists are skeptical of the measures contained. The Draft , introduced into parliament on Thursday, seeks to establish an ombudsman, or Lokpal, to investigate wrongdoing by government and officials. It comes after decades of campaigning against government corruption and the hunger strike of anti-corruption activist earlier this year. But the bill has been heavily criticized by Indian activists and lawyers who claim that it does not meet the needs of the people and will not free the country from corruption. The exemption of the prime minister and other members of parliament from being investigated will prevent it from working successfully, they argue. "There is no substance in the discussion that the prime minister should be out of the Lokpal Bill," a judge on the said on Wednesday, speaking outside his official capacity. Following his hunger strike in April, Hazare pushed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to re-introduce the Lokpal Bill into Parliament. But he has condemned its current form calling it "a cruel joke." Hazare will again protest to have the draft bill revised and changed. "I will start my hunger strike from August sixteenth," he said. , general secretary of the , yesterday said that the bill will set up "a very weak Lokpal – a Lokpal that has no effective powers". He also said that allowing government officials to appoint the Lokpal would affect its independence. After meeting with lawyers of the Friday, members from , a citizen's movement, said that the lawyers agreed that the introduced Lokpal Bill would not get rid of corruption in India. Mark Dummit, from ''The BBC'', said that there is no guarantee that the bill will be passed. Past attempts have been denied by the upper house of Parliament since 1969. == Sources == * * * * *
The poster for this year’s Beyond Fest depicts an escalator extending through a series of Rocky Horror-esque lips, and finally into a black plasma ball. Designed by ILOVEDUST, the imagery is a trippy and appropo promo for the genre film festival, which routinely blows the minds of its Los Angeles attendees with multi-dimensional works, many that defy categorization. Approximately 15,000 attendees are expected to attend the Hulu-sponsored event making the festival one of the biggest in the world for horror, sci-fi, comedy, crime, and fantasy. Screenings take place Sept. 25 – Oct. 8 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. In advance of the festival, whose proceeds go to the 501(c)3 nonprofit American Cinematheque, L.A. Weekly spoke with legendary filmmakers Richard Stanley and Oliver Stone. Stanley will be joining producers Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, Lisa Whalen at the West Coast Premiere of their highly anticipated H.P. Lovecraft adaptation The Color Out of Space on opening night, Sept. 25. The film will be on a double bill with Daniel Isn’t Real (which shares the same trio of producers and will also feature an appearance by director Adam Egypt Mortimer). Stone will appear with actors Juliette Lewis, Woody Harrelson, and producer Don Murphy for the 25th anniversary screening of the satirical crime classic Natural Born Killers on closing night, Tues., Oct. 8. “Our first obligation is to make certain that people are entertained. I don’t like to be put to sleep. And I think the subtext should never get in the way of the emotion and the action,” says Stanley of his approach to filmmaking. “But at the same time, I’m a great subscriber to the sort of Roger Corman recipe for genre films. I mean, we’re in a more politically correct time now. So I know Roger set this up. He always liked to have maybe a car accident, some breast nudity, and a slight social comment. Probably a guy in a monster suit too. But there was always that slight social comment, which is always, I think, an essential ingredient. So I think everything I do, I like to make certain is connected to the present day in some way that it’s something with a fear or a possibility that the audience can in some way recognize them in their own life.” Stone of course, has always been concerned with social commentary in his work, and Killers in particular, is more relevant than ever, showcasing the media’s obsession with violence, exploitation and fame. “I remember definitely having had my fill of the culture at that time. I thought it was going to shit. Television was absorbed in the sensationalist violence phenomena,” Stones recalls. “The O.J. Simpson trial was like the first in the sense that it crossed a volume threshold of luridness in terms of, let’s call it unproductive things… the darker side of human nature. That trial choked up the television airwaves in America like no other had ever done in terms of volume of advertising capacity. I would estimate ten billion dollars in that era- nothing had been seen like it. It exemplified a time when sensationalism went to the headlines, even the top newspapers. It’s disgusting. The bigger issues are war and peace, national health, education, health, welfare- these are the important issues. They’re always overlooked in favor of crime. [It seems like the] big tabloid of our time, one of the biggest selling things is violence.” As Stanley and Stone exemplify, an enormous spectrum of influences fuel the colorful narratives of genre films. This year’s Beyond Fest line-up showcases as much through a variety of films, touching upon our guilty pleasures as well as the collective failures of humanity and much that resides in between. For a full list of the festival’s various screenings and live presentations — as well as ticketing information (heads up, some of the programming is free) — visit their site. In the meantime, here are some of promising genre titles that will have premieres at the festival (many great ones didn’t make this list). In Search of Darkness David A. Weiner directed this documentary, which serves as a love letter to ‘80s horror films. This world premiere is a film marathon unto itself.ith a running time of four hours and 20 minutes, it’s a trip through arguably the best era of genre films (hell, half of today’s genre films and series’ are homages to this era). It’s got interviews with John Carpenter, Joe Dante, Tom Holland, Cassandra Peterson, Sean S. Cunnigham, Greg Nicotero, Barbara Crampton, and many more, plus it’s fully loaded with choice clips from iconic films of the period, need we say more? Sun., Oct. 6, 6 p.m. Jojo Rabbit This German / American production of director Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, What We Do in the Shadows) uses a fantasy spin to turn a WWII war drama into a comedy. Festival attendees will get the first West Coast look at this highly anticipated film, which casts a buffoonish Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi) as the imaginary friend of young Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis). Scarlett Johansson stars as Jojo’s mother, who is hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in her attic. Navigating their way through a world of blind nationalism, Jojo and his imaginary friend must come to terms with what is right. Thur., Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m. Portals Four directors helmed this sci-fi horror hybrid, which will have its world premiere at Beyond Fest. Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto and Liam O’Donnell each take a turn in this anthology film. Each of the four segments showcase a scenario in which cosmic anomalies occur following a series of global blackouts. All of the episodes are uniquely flavored as per the respective styles of the storytellers involved. Fri., Oct. 4, 8 p.m. Little Monsters This is the West Coast premiere of Australian director Abe Forsythe’s sophomore effort, and it sounds like it’s gonna be a doozy! Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o stars as Miss Caroline, a kindergarten teacher, who must keep her class safe from a horde of zombies. Miss Caroline is assisted in this task by field trip chaperone / washed-up millennial musician Dave (Alexander England) and TV personality Teddy McGiggle (Josh Gad). It appears as though this horror / comedy explores the age old question: “Who are the real monsters: the zombies or a classroom full of children?” Sat., Sept. 28, 10 p.m. Mister America Eric Notarnicola’s comedy takes a documentary approach to follow the journey of an unlikely character’s political career. After having beat a murder charge for selling bad e-cigarettes at a music festival, Tim Heidecker (portrayed by himself) runs a revenge campaign to unseat the San Bernardino D.A. The film expands upon a narrative from “On Cinema,” a podcast cum web series cum TV series cum touring production created by Heidecker and Mister America co-star Gregg Turkington. World Premiere on Fri., Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. (Appearing at the screening: Nathan Fielder [moderator], and stars Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington) Dolemite is My Name This comedy, drama, biopic by Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Black Snake Moan) stars Eddie Murphy as real-life comedy and rap pioneer Rudy Ray Moore. The film centers on Moore’s adventures writing and starring in the 1975 film Dolemite, which will be screened afterwards as part of a double-bill. Bear witness as Murphy and an all star cast, including Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock, Snoop Dogg, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and many more envision what it was like to make a blaxploitation film about a framed pimp who seeks revenge with the aid of his martial arts expert “hoes.” Advance screening Thu., Oct. 3, 7:30 p.m. (Appearing at the screening: Stephanie Allain [moderator] with writers Larry Karaszewski and Scott Alexander) See full Beyond Fest schedule at beyondfest.com/2019-films/ \|\|\|\|\| Magnolia Pictures has nabbed North American rights to “Mister America,” a feature-length comedy that’s being billed as an extension of the world of “On Cinema,” the cult Adult Swim show. The film stars “On Cinema” hosts Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington and follows Heidecker’s attempt to enter the world of politics. Eric Notarnicola, who previously oversaw several episodes of the show along with its 2018 Oscar special, directs. Magnolia is eyeing a fall theatrical release. In the movie, Heidecker beats a murder charge for selling faulty e-cigarettes at an EDM festival, and mounts a campaign to unseat the San Bernardino District Attorney. His effort to win voters tries to overcome a lack of experience and funding by leaning into the candidate’s personal likability. It does not go well. “We unleashed Tim into the real world to run the worst campaign in modern history, and document the process,” said Notarnicola in a statement. “I’m thrilled that Magnolia is bringing Tim Heidecker’s message to the masses. Related Box Office: 'Shoplifters' Hits $2 Million to Become One of 2018's Highest-Grossing Foreign Films Magnolia Pictures Acquires Rights to Merce Cunningham Documentary Since launching in 2011 as an independently released podcast,”On Cinema” has undergone several iterations. It later became a web video show, a television series, and a touring production, one that has also inspired spinoffs such as the action series spoof “Decker.” “On Cinema” ostensibly began as a review show, but later focused more on its central podcasters. “’Mister America is a wonderful tribute to our political process at work,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles in a statement. “It makes me proud to be an American.” Heidecker’s credits also include roles in “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and “Us,” as well as work as one half of the comedy duo Tim & Eric. Turkington appeared in “Ant-Man” and the indie drama “Entertainment.” “Mister America’ was written by Heidecker, Notarnicola and Turkington. The film is produced by Andrew Porter. Executive producers are Dave Kneebone, Tim Heidecker, and Eric Wareheim. The deal was negotiated by Magnolia executive VP Dori Begley and Magnolia senior VP of acquisitions John Von Thaden with Mark Wetzstein of Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern LLP representing the filmmakers.	Additional cast (from left to right): Alessandro Serradimigni, Terri Parks, Curtis Webster, and Manuel Giusti. The panel discusses making the film. Friday evening, '''' had its world premiere at in , California as part of 's Beyond Fest film festival. ''Mister America'' is a continuation of the elaborate multimedia universe of and 's web series ''''. ''Wikinews'' attended the premiere. The film follows a fictionalized version of comedian Tim Heidecker who hosts the absurd and shallow ''On Cinema'' film review Web series with purported film expert Gregg Turkington. When Heidecker narrowly avoids a murder conviction, he sets out to run for District Attorney of and fails to even be on the ballot. The premiere was accompanied by a question-and-answer session moderated by Canadian comedian , delving into the logistics of shooting with a five-person crew over the course of three days on a shoestring budget. Fans in the audience probed the stars about their comedic backgrounds, including Turkington's alias of insult comedian and Heidecker's interest in political comedy. In addition to the cast of the film, additional ''On Cinema'' alumni including Alessandro Serradimigni, , and Manuel Giusti were in attendance. The Beyond Fest 2019 continues through October 8 and ''Mister America'' debuts to a wider audience on October 9. == Sources == * * *
Bond offshore helicopters confirmed one of its Super Pumas had ditched All 18 people aboard a helicopter which ditched in the North Sea have survived and have been rescued from two life-rafts, the coastguard has said. The Super Puma came down near a platform in the ETAP field 125 miles east of Aberdeen. The alarm was raised at about 1840 GMT. Three were rescued by a Bond company helicopter while the other 15 were recovered by a platform lifeboat. The coastguard said there were no serious injuries. However, there were some people with minor injuries, described as walking wounded. British military spokesman James Lyne, from the RAF base at Kinloss, told the BBC that the helicopter, which is owned by Bond offshore helicopters, was still floating on the surface of the water. He could not explain why it had gone down but said an investigation was underway. He said all those on board would have been wearing immersion suits that would have protected them from the cold of the sea for some time. Lifejacket lights People on board the installation saw the incident unfold, and raised the alarm with the coastguard. There were initial reports of lifejacket lights being seen in the water, and signals being picked up from personal locator beacons, which are attached to lifejackets. Three flares were also reported to have been seen from the platform, and parts of helicopter fuselage were seen on the surface. Four helicopters, including three in-field aircraft and a Sea King from RAF Lossiemouth, took part in the rescue. A Nimrod from RAF Kinloss was also scrambled. NHS Grampian said A&E; staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary were now on full alert and they were expecting 18 patients. Have you been affected by this story? Are you in the Aberdeen coastal area? Send us your comments below. In most cases a selection of your comments will 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 \|\|\|\|\| A widepread search operation was launched after the Super-Puma aircraft went down 120 miles east of Aberdeen. ALl 20 on board were rescued. It is believed the helicopter was approaching an oil installation when the accident happened. ASea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth and a Nimrod jet from RAF Kinloss swept area but poor visibility hampered the search. Helicopters from neighbouring platforms also joined in the operation. The four-blade twin engine Super Puma is used frequently to take workers form the mainland to North Sea oil rigs. \|\|\|\|\| A crew of 18 on board a helicopter which crashed into the North Sea off the coast of Scotland has been rescued. Super Pumas are used to ferry oil workers between the shore and rigs A full scale rescue operation using four more helicopters was launched after the Super Puma aircraft went down in the sea whilst approaching an oil platform. The two crew and 16 passengers escaped into three rubber dinghies which were equipped with beacons, pinpointing their exact location by satellite. According to Flight Sergeant James Lyne of the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre at RAF Kinloss, those aboard would have been wearing cold water immersion suits and life jackets. The helicopter landed upright and floated due to the emergency flotation bags which inflate during a waterborne ditch. He said: "It was all very quick. Within a few minutes of the aircraft ditching we had rescue aircraft en route." He added: "They all managed to get out safely. It is a very good result." It is understood that some suffered injuries however none are life-threatening. Grampian Police said: "An emergency telephone number will shortly be made available and relatives are asked to remain where they are. Further information will be made available in due course." "Grampian Police are currently working with the other emergency services, search and rescue and representatives of BP and Bond to co-ordinate their safe return." \|\|\|\|\| Accident description This information is added by users of ASN. ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information 18.40 EC225LP Bond Offshore Helicopters G-REDU 2690 Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 18 Substantial 125 miles east off Aberdeen - United Kingdom Approach Passenger The Super Puma helicopter, carrying at least 18 people, ditched on approach to an installation in the North Sea. Added by harro (2009-02-18 12:46)Corrected/updated by emil (2009-02-18 13:38)Corrected/updated by harro (2009-02-18 13:39)Corrected/updated by rotorspot (2009-02-18 23:26)Corrected/updated by 86.166.166.204 (2009-02-19 20:59)Number of views: 1498	A Super Puma helicopter, similar to the one involved in the incident A British helicopter with eighteen people on board ditched in the water while approaching an oil installation in the North Sea on Wednesday. According to Her Majesty's Coastguard, everyone on board the aircraft survived the crash, and have been picked up by two life-boats. The helicopter, a Super Puma registered (G-REDU) to Bond Offshore Helicopters, crashed about 125 miles miles east of the Scottish city of Aberdeen. A Nimrod jet from the RAF Kinloss, a Sea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth, and several choppers from nearby oil platforms searched the area after the alarm was raised at 18.40 GMT. The search effort, however, was hampered by limited visibility and low clouds in the area. Dave Webster, a squadron leader with the Royal Air Force, said that this type of accident is a very rare occurrence. The helicopter that ditched would have been equipped with survival suits to shield the passengers from the cold waters, as well as a flotation device.
"It's amazing, I can’t describe my feelings because it’s not even a dream to win here 11 times. It’s impossible to think something like this." @ RafaelNadal # RG18 pic.twitter.com/68MfcWmyqQ \|\|\|\|\| Paris (CNN) Rafael Nadal described his performance at the French Open last year, when he didn't surrender a set, as "perfect." The world No. 1 wasn't as invincible this year but he was still plenty good enough at the grand slam where he is virtually unbeatable. Nadal won a record-extending 11th title at Roland Garros and 17th major overall Sunday when he defeated his spirited challenger, Dominic Thiem, 6-4 6-3 6-2 in Paris. When a return went long on a fifth match point, Nadal raised his arms in joy. He wept when holding the trophy minutes later. The score may have looked rather routine but there was some drama in the third set when Nadal called for the trainer at 2-1, 30-0. He removed the tape from his left wrist and seemed to take a tablet. The trainer came back a few moments later, again to attend to the left forearm. When the trainer visited Nadal in his quarterfinal for a similar issue, Nadal said it was simply to prevent sweat from traveling to his hand. Still, Nadal was able to complete the job on court Philippe-Chatrier. More history made No stranger to rewriting the record books along with his friendly rival, Roger Federer, here is another feat for the Spaniard: He joined Margaret Court in becoming the only tennis players in history to win the same grand slam 11 times. Court claimed the last of her 11 at the Australian Open in 1973. Thiem was considered the stiffest test for Nadal at the French Open and understandably so. The Austrian is one of just three players to down Nadal on clay at least three times. The world No. 8, too, was the last man to overcome Nadal on clay, last month in Madrid. But that's the best-of-three sets and in different, faster conditions. Over the best-of-five sets on clay, Nadal improved to 111-2 -- it is a figure almost as imposing as the nearby Eiffel Tower -- his lone reverses coming against Robin Soderling in 2009 and Novak Djokovic in 2015 at the French Open. The Austrian -- competing in his first grand slam final after a pair of semifinal showings in Paris -- needed to win the first set to have any realistic opportunity of ending Nadal's reign. Why? Nadal was 95-0 when capturing the opener on clay in the best of five format. Slow starts have plagued Nadal in several of his matches this fortnight, most notably against 11th-Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals. He lost the first set, then turned things around after a rain delay. But against Thiem, there was nothing wrong with Nadal's start. He won the first six points and broke for 2-0. His lead was reminiscent of their semifinal at the French Open last year, when Nadal also held the early advantage. Thiem's start Unlike last year -- when those first few games realistically settled things -- Thiem bounced back, breaking straight away. The problem for the 24-year-old was that his serve wasn't co-operating. Serving at less than 50%, Nadal got plenty of looks at second serves. Thiem dug in -- especially in the roughly 13-minute sixth game -- but he crumbled attempting to stay in the set, making four unforced errors. In a 10-minute second game of the second set, Thiem suffered more trauma. He dropped serve on a fifth break chance. Thiem however was able to hold serve regularly and had a chance to get back on serve but his break chance at 2-4 evaporated when Nadal hit a sublime drop shot, then passing shot. His lone opportunity of the set indeed vanished. Thiem courageously saved three break points to start the third, yet dropped serve in his next service game. Seemingly cruising to victory, that's when Nadal called for the trainer. He removed the tape from his left wrist -- the Mallorcan suffered a wrist injury that ruled him out in the first week of the 2016 edition -- and the trainer came out again at 3-2. Nadal appeared to take more tablets. Yet he just wouldn't be denied. \|\|\|\|\| One By winning his 11th title here, Nadal has become only the second player in history to win 11 singles titles at a single Grand Slam event, equalling Margaret Court’s record set at the Australian Open when she won seven straight titles between 1960 and 1966, three more between 1969 and 1971 and a final triumph in 1973. Two Rafa’s triumphs have come in three spells too, starting with a four-win streak between 2005 and 2008 and then another five between 2010 and 2014. The bad news for his opponents? He’s now started another streak, having won the last two titles... and, doubtless, counting. Three Rafa is the only man ever to have won 11 titles at the same event - and he has now done this at three separate tournaments, having also won 11 times in Monte-Carlo and Barcelona. Martina Navratilova’s all-time record of 12 wins in Chicago between 1978 and 1992 will be his next target. \|\|\|\|\| Rafael Nadal finally sealed victory on his fifth match point French Open 2018 Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 27 May-10 June Coverage: Daily live radio and text commentaries on BBC Radio 5 live, the BBC Sport website and app. World number one Rafael Nadal won an 11th French Open title by beating Austrian Dominic Thiem in straight sets. Nadal, 32, won 6-4 6-3 6-2 to earn his 17th Grand Slam, three adrift of Roger Federer's all-time men's record. The Spaniard edged an intense opening set, tightening his grip in the second. And despite having cramp in the third he increased the tempo further, beating Thiem in his first major final when the 24-year-old returned long. "It's a dream to win 11 times," Nadal said. "It was important to play the way I did. It was a tough moment when I got cramp. He is a player who pushes you to the limit." The victory means the past six Grand Slam titles have been won by either Nadal or Federer with the next generation of players finding it hard to break the veterans' stranglehold on the game. Nadal is the only second player in history to win the same Grand Slam on 11 occasions after Margaret Court, who won 11 Australian Open titles between 1960 and 1973. However, it was not all smooth for Nadal, who missed four match points on his own serve before clinching victory when Thiem went long on the fifth. Nadal dropped his racquet at the baseline in celebration before turning to his box and raising both hands skywards. Favourite Nadal at his relentless and destructive best Even though it was the 11th time he has got his hands on the trophy, it was still an emotional moment The Spaniard had been the hot favourite to win the second Slam of the year, after warming up with three clay-court titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome. The Majorcan has an air of invincibility at Roland Garros, losing only twice in 87 matches since making his debut in 2005, and again he delivered on his favourite stage. He had breezed through his opening four matches without dropping a set - extending his own personal best to 37 consecutive sets here - though falling short of Bjorn Borg's all-time record of 41 by losing the opener of his quarter-final against Diego Schwartzman. That was about as disheartening as it got for the world number one. Against seventh seed Thiem he was at his destructive best, using his athleticism and mental resilience to wear the Austrian down with his relentless shot-making. Thiem, playing in his first Grand Slam final, simply had few answers to Nadal's brilliance. Nadal stamps authority from the start Rafael Nadal needed treatment for what looked like cramp in the third set Nadal had made slow starts to his service games against Schwartzman and in his semi-final with Juan Martin del Potro, but imposed himself straight away against Thiem by holding to love in the opening game and backing it up with a break in the next. Thiem did break back in the third game, but had to fend off more chances for Nadal on his own serve - particularly in a 13-minute sixth game - before the Spaniard struck in the final game of the set. Nadal also stamped his authority early in the second set, breaking again at the first opportunity, as Thiem started to become frustrated. The Austrian had a chance to break back for 4-3, but his opponent saw it off with a backhand down the line and closed out the set as the inevitable loomed. Only one player had ever beaten Nadal from two sets down at a Grand Slam - Fabio Fognini at the 2015 US Open. Thiem never looked like becoming the second. Nadal refused to ease off at the start of the third, missing five break points in two long service games for the Austrian, who eventually buckled with a wide forehand to trail 2-1. Nadal broke again for a 5-2 lead, then served out - after suffering cramp in his left arm and missing those match points - to win in two hours and 42 minutes. Thiem falls short in quest for first Slam Dominic Thiem had beaten Rafael Nadal last month in Madrid but was repeatedly left frustrated here Thiem has long been heralded as a future Grand Slam champion - with the French Open seemingly his best chance on his favoured surface. The Austrian is the only man to have beaten Nadal on clay in the past two years, winning in two sets in the Masters events - the tier below the Grand Slams - in Rome and Madrid. But this was over best-of-five sets. And this was Roland Garros. Thiem showed a few nerves as he failed to find his rhythm in the opening two games and, after he briefly started to look like he could turn it into a contest, was eventually overwhelmed by the favourite. The world number eight started making mistakes on his backhand - usually his most potent weapon - as it disintegrated under heavy pressure. It left him standing with his hands on hips after losing energy-sapping points, wondering what more he had to do to break down Nadal. "What you have done - to win this tournament 11 times - is one of the greatest things in sport," Thiem told Nadal on court afterwards. "I hope I soon get another chance here - maybe against you. But it has still been a great two weeks for me here." 'Another relentlessly brilliant performance' - Analysis BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller The one set which Nadal did lose in Paris this fortnight turned out to be merely a footnote. This was another relentlessly brilliant performance: he won the first six points of the match, and at no stage did he offer Thiem any real encouragement in his first Grand Slam final. Nadal's serve was only broken once, and he granted a measly three break points. He exercises near total domination on clay and will now head to Wimbledon, via the Queen's Club, to resume his dual with Roger Federer. The Swiss is back in action in Stuttgart this week after an 11-week break from the Tour: Federer has 20 Grand Slams, but it feels as if Nadal - who is five years younger - is breathing down his neck once more. Nadal's 11 French Open final victories \|\|\|\|\| It's his second straight Roland-Garros title and extends his winning streak on Parisian clay to 16; his last loss at the tournament came in the 2015 quarter-finals to Novak Djokovic. Many expected this match to be an absorbing, evenly-matched affair. Yet Nadal began the match dialled in, scoring an early break against a tentative Thiem to open a 2-0 lead. The Austrian settled, and, much to the delight of the capacity crowd, broke back and eventually levelled scores at 2-2. The remainder of the first set was a competitive, physical slug-fest until then 10th game when, trailing 4-5, Thiem sprayed errors and surrendered serve at love. With the first set in his pocket, Nadal played even more purposefully and relentlessly, peppering Thiem's one-handed backhand and breaking serve en route to a 3-0 lead. Thiem was unable to claw it back, and in less than two hours, the Austrian trailed two sets to love. With the sun emerging, Nadal continued to thrive, while Thiem immediately went down 0-40 in his first service game of the third and looked increasingly disheartened. While he fought gamely and escaped for a hold at 1-0, Nadal promptly broke in the third game. Then, in the fourth game, leading 30-0, Nadal served a fault and marched straight to his court-side seat, calling for the trainer. After flexing the middle finger on his left hand and having his left wrist taping removed, he proceeded to double fault, but held serve for a 3-1 lead. Apparently unhampered, Nadal proceeded to complete victory in two hours and 42 minutes. With his Roland-Garros and US Open titles in 2017, Nadal has now won three of the past five Grand Slam tournaments, and remains at world No.1. More to follow ...	On Sunday at the stadium in Paris, the "King of " Rafael Nadal defeated Austrian tennis player 6–4 6–3 6–2 to claim his eleventh French Open title at the Philippe-Chatrier Court. Defending champion Nadal became the second athlete to win a particular event on eleven occasions, the first being at the Australian Open. 24-year-old Dominic Thiem was playing his first ever Grand Slam final while Nadal, who won his first French Open title in 2005 at the age of nineteen, had never lost a French Open final. Thiem won the toss, choosing to receive the service. In the set lasting just over the one-hour mark, Thiem served two aces. The Austrian missed all four chances to win any of the , while Nadal won three out of four net points. Thiem committed three double faults in the set. In the second set, Thiem served three aces and committed just one double fault. Nadal won all but one net points in the second set lasting for 53 minutes. In the last set, Nadal Thiem's serve twice, and won all five net points in the set. The match lasted for two hours and 42 minutes. Just like last year, Nadal did not drop a single set in the final. Last year, Nadal defeated Stan Wawrinka 6–2 6–3 6–1 in the final to win his tenth French Open. Nadal extended his record at the French Open to 86–2, losing just two matches in fourteen seasons on the French soil. After the match, Nadal said, "It's amazing, I can't describe my feelings because it's not even a dream to win here eleven times. It's impossible to think something like this." Former French Open winner , the first player to win the French Open in the open era, presented the awards. Rosewall said, "Words can't express what we feel for Rafa's game and what he's done for the game on a worldwide basis". With this victory, Nadal now has seventeen Grand Slam titles. Only Roger Federer has three more titles than the Spaniard. Nadal is the only athlete to win a particular Grand Slam on eleven occasions in the open era. ''' MEN'S SINGLES FINAL''' '''61'''' '''53'''' '''48'''' '''(1)'''link= '''Rafael NADAL''''''ESP''' '''6''' '''6''' '''6''' '''(7)''''''link= Dominic THIEMAUT 4 3 2
Leslie Nielsen, comic actor and Airplane! star, dies Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Veteran comic actor Leslie Nielsen, star of Airplane! and The Naked Gun, has died at the age of 84. He died in hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was being treated for pneumonia, his agent John S Kelly said. Canadian-born Nielsen started out as a serious actor but in 1980, his role as a hapless doctor in the disaster spoof film Airplane! made him a comic star. In all, he appeared in more than 100 films and had a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. "With his friends and his wife by his side, he just fell asleep and passed away," his nephew Doug Nielsen said, the AFP news agency reported. 'Don't call me Shirley' Born in the Canadian city of Regina in 1926, Leslie Nielsen enjoyed an acting career which spanned six decades. He started as a television actor in New York in 1950, performing in about 150 live dramas. In the mid-1950s, he moved to Hollywood, where he initially carved out a film career as a leading man, capitalising on his craggy good looks and 6ft2in (194cm) height. Then in 1980 his deadpan delivery in the comedy disaster movie Airplane! marked him out as a gifted clown, says the BBC's Rajesh Mirchandani in Los Angeles. It was in this role that he became known for the line "Don't call me Shirley". The success of Airplane! led to another TV role in the spoof crime show Police Squad where he first played accident-prone detective Frank Drebin. He went on to make three films as the same character in the Naked Gun series, starring opposite Priscilla Presley. He continued working into his eighties. Nearly two weeks ago - at the age of 84 - Nielsen was taken into hospital in Florida where he lived, suffering from pneumonia. His condition had worsened over the last two days and relatives said he passed away peacefully, our correspondent says. Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions \|\|\|\|\| Leslie Nielsen, the Canadian-born actor who in middle age tossed aside three decades of credibility in dramatic and romantic roles to make a new, far more successful career as a comic actor in films like “Airplane!” and the “Naked Gun” series, died on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84. The cause was complications from pneumonia, said his agent, John S. Kelly. Mr. Nielsen, a tall man with a matinee-idol profile, was often cast as an earnest hero at the beginning of his film career, in the 1950s. His best-known roles included the stalwart spaceship captain in the science fiction classic “Forbidden Planet” (1956), the wealthy, available Southern aristocrat in “Tammy and the Bachelor” (1957) and an ocean liner captain faced with disaster in “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972). In the 1960s and ‘70s, as his hair turned white and he became an even more distinguished figure, Mr. Nielsen played serious military men, government leaders and even a mob boss, appearing in crime dramas, westerns and the occasional horror movie.	in 2008 , a Canadian-born US actor, has died at the age of 84. Nielsen appeared in over 100 films in which he played several different roles ranging from romance and drama to comedy. The cause of death was announced as . His death was announced by his agent, John S. Kelly. Nielsen was in being treated for the illness at the time of his death. Born February 11, 1926 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Nielsen started his film career in the 1950s. He starred in the science fiction film in 1956 and went to on gain several other roles including the captain in in 1972. One of his biggest appearances was in the 1980s disaster-parody . After that appearance he gained more of a reputation as a comic actor. One of his most notable roles came in 1988 when he played Lt. Frank Drebin in . He also appeared in the in 1991 and in 1994. Nielsen was the younger brother of , who was deputy prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1986. Erik died in 2008. Leslie Nielsen is survived by his fourth wife Barbaree Earl, and his two daughters from his second marriage, Maura Nielsen Kaplan and Thea Nielsen Disney.
LONDON \| LONDON (Reuters) - Virgin Money completed its acquisition of bailed out Northern Rock on Sunday, despite calls for the sale to be delayed while the national auditor investigates whether the deal is good value for money. The government agreed in November to sell Northern Rock to Virgin Money -- the banking arm of billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Group -- for between 747 million pounds and 1 billion pounds. The deal does not recoup all of the 1.4 billion pounds spent by the authorities to keep the bank afloat during the credit crisis. The Labour Party wanted the deal to be put on hold while the National Audit Office investigates the sale. Northern Rock, the victim of the first run on a British bank in many decades, was nationalised three years ago after nearly collapsing during the credit crunch. David Clementi, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, will be chairman of the new banking group and Jayne-Anne Gadhia will be its chief executive, Virgin said, announcing the deal's completion. "We have a unique opportunity to build a new kind of bank in the UK, a bank that will aim to make a real difference and provide enhanced competition in UK retail banking," Gadhia said. (Reporting by Matt Falloon; Editing by Ruth Pitchford) \|\|\|\|\| Northern Rock sale investigated by National Audit Office The government has strongly defended the timing and value of the sale Continue reading the main story Related Stories The £747m sale of Northern Rock to Virgin Money is to be investigated by the National Audit Office (NAO). NAO head Amyas Morse confirmed the audit in a letter to shadow financial secretary Chris Leslie, but added that he had no power to intervene. The sale of the state-owned bank is likely to mean a loss of between £400m and £650m and Labour is urging the government to delay the sale. However, ministers insist they got taxpayers the "best possible deal". Mr Leslie had asked the public spending watchdog to delay the sale so it could pre-assess the deal. However, in a letter to the Labour MP, Mr Morse said the NAO could only investigate a completed sale and could not stop the deal going through. "I can confirm that I have decided to conduct a value-for-money study in relation to the creation and sale of Northern Rock plc," said Mr Morse. 'Matter of urgency' "However, my role in conducting value for money studies is to act as an auditor, in this case of the completed sale transaction." He added that the probe would be carried out "as a matter of urgency". Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Ministers haven't thought through this deal carefully enough” End Quote Chris Leslie Shadow financial secretary It is thought the investigation will report back before the Commons summer recess next year. Virgin Money struck a deal to buy Northern Rock for £747m in November, with the government saying it had got the "best possible deal" for taxpayers. It argued it was the right time to sell because Northern Rock was predicted to remain loss-making well into 2012. But Labour criticised the move, saying the government should have sought an extension on an EU deadline which requires the bank to be sold by the end of 2013. Chancellor George Osborne has said the deadline was negotiated by his Labour predecessor, Alistair Darling. Taxpayers originally injected £1.4bn into Northern Rock in 2010, meaning at face value the sale represents a loss of £650m. Mr Leslie said on Saturday: "There is clearly strong evidence to suggest that this Northern Rock firesale represents poor value for money for the taxpayer. 'Asset-stripping potential' "This investigation by the independent National Audit Office confirms that serious questions hang over George Osborne's deal. "At present there is the possibility that those buying Northern Rock could asset-strip so much from the firm that they get back virtually every penny they invest within a matter of months. "Ministers haven't thought through this deal carefully enough - they have a duty to do better than this." Northern Rock was nationalised during the start of the global credit crunch in 2008. In 2010, the Labour government split the bank into two - Northern Rock plc, and Northern Rock (Asset Management). The bank's bad debt was placed in the latter, which remains saddled with the cost of being bailed out. It owes the Treasury £21bn. The government has said it has no plans to sell Northern Rock (Asset Management). \|\|\|\|\| Northern Rock sold to Virgin Money Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Continue reading the main story Related Stories Northern Rock is being sold to Virgin Money for £747m, the government has announced. The bank was nationalised in 2008 following its near collapse at the onset of the global credit crunch. The government subsequently split the bank into two, Northern Rock plc, and Northern Rock (Asset Management), into which was placed its bad debt. Northern Rock plc will be rebranded as Virgin Money, which has pledged no compulsory job cuts for three years. The bank currently employs 2,500 people, down from 5,500 when it was nationalised. Sources at Northern Rock told the BBC that there were cheers at the bank's Newcastle headquarters when the news of the Virgin Money deal was announced. Taxpayer loss The government said Northern Rock customers would see no change to their accounts and services and would not need to take any action. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote What perhaps is most interesting is that the chancellor has decided to crystallise the loss now, rather than suspend the sale in the hope that markets recover enough to break even on the deal” End Quote BBC business editor Robert Peston said taxpayers had injected £1.4bn into Northern Rock plc. He added that, in addition to the immediate £747m the government would get back following the completion of the sale, there was the potential for the Treasury to receive a further £280m over the next few years. "So on paper, taxpayers end up with a loss of somewhere between £400m and £650m," said our business editor. The size of the potential losses contained in the bad bank part of Northern Rock is still uncertain and it still owes the Treasury £21bn. 'Safeguards jobs' Chancellor George Osborne said: "The sale of Northern Rock to Virgin Money is an important first step in getting the British taxpayer out of the business of owning banks. "It represents value for money, will increase choice on the High Street for customers, and safeguards jobs in the North East." The sale of Northern Rock plc is expected to be completed on 1 January 2012. The government said it had no plans to sell Northern Rock (Asset Management). Virgin Money has pledged to maintain its operational headquarters in Newcastle, where Northern Rock is based. It has also agreed not to close any branches and instead to increase their number "as the business' growth allows", and support Northern Rock's charitable foundation for a year. In addition to paying £747m on completion of the sale, the government said Virgin Money was "expected" to pay an additional £50m within six months, and then a further £150m. If Virgin Money sells or lists the combined business on the stock exchange in the next five years, it will have to pay the government an additional £50m to £80m. Virgin Money chief executive Jayne-Anne Gadhia confirmed to the BBC that the bank intended to float its shares on the stock market within two to five years. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. She added: "The great thing about this business combination is that the two businesses lock together very well. "Virgin Money has credit cards, insurances and investments, and Northern Rock has mortgages, savings and current accounts. "There is no need for any jobs to be merged together, in fact this is a story for growth." 'Message of confidence' Ron Sandler, Northern Rock executive chairman, said: "The return of Northern Rock to the private sector has always been one of our key objectives. "We said that this would be done at the right time and when there was a proposition in the best interests of taxpayers and other stakeholders. "It is a very positive outcome for the company following a significant restructuring process." The Unite trade union said it hoped the announcement of the sale to Virgin Money "will be the start of a secure future" for Northern Rock's workforce. The leader of Newcastle City Council, Nick Forbes, said it was "delighted that the future of Northern Rock has now been decided". Continue reading the main story Northern Rock timeline 1965: Northern Rock Building Society founded after merger of Northern Counties Permanent Building Society and Rock Building Society 1997: Northern Rock goes public September 2007: The BBC learns the Bank of England has given Northern Rock emergency financial support. Its shares drop 32% in a day and customers queue to withdraw their savings November 2007: Virgin says it would be interested in taking over the bank February 2008: Northern Rock is nationalised, the first such case since the 1970s. Chancellor Alistair Darling calls it a "temporary measure" December 2009: The UK government splits Northern Rock into a "good" bank and "bad" bank, paving the way for a sale of its "good" assets to a third party June 2011: Chancellor George Osborne confirms that he will sell Northern Rock to a single buyer November 2011: Northern Rock plc is sold to Virgin Money for an initial £747m. "The decision by Virgin Money to make Newcastle their home sends a message of confidence in our city and the wider North East," he said. Adrian Coles, director general of the Building Societies Association, said the announcement of Northern Rock's sale was a "bittersweet moment". "On the plus side, de-nationalising this bank is a positive step. However, we would have welcomed Northern Rock's return to the mutual sector after 14 years' absence," he said. "Northern Rock had over 100 years as a successful building society, but only 10 years as a plc bank before the queues formed outside its branches." A savings and mortgage bank, Northern Rock currently has more than 70 branches. The bank was formed in 1997 when the former Northern Rock Building Society floated on the London Stock Exchange. It was delisted following its nationalisation. Virgin Money had approached the Treasury about making a bid for Northern Rock back in 2008, but it was rejected. Virgin Money is part of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group.	The clock outside this branch, on , Newcastle upon Tyne, is emblazoned with the bank's name and has become a popular image in print and television coverage of the Northern Rock crisis. Today finalised a deal with the British Government to acquire the nationalised Newcastle upon Tyne-based bank for £747 million. During 2012, the bank will be rebranded as a Virgin company and the current Northern Rock customers will become customers of the enlarged Virgin Money. The Northern Rock bank had been following the revelation that the company had received emergency support from the UK Government. Northern Rock had required support due to its exposure during the in 2007. Sir 's had a bid for the bank rejected prior to the bank’s nationalisation. In 2010, while nationalised, the current high street bank Northern Rock plc was split from the ‘bad bank’, . Virgin have only purchased the ‘good bank’ of Northern Rock, not the asset management company. The deal which could have additional payments to put the total value of the sale to over £1 billion had been first announced on 17 November 2011 and was criticised by some as not being a good enough deal for taxpayers. Opposition such as the requested that the investigate the sale, and for it to be put on hold. By the beginning of 2012, the deal had been approved by the and the for merger clearance. Jayne-Anne Gadhia will be Virgin Money's CEO and former deputy governor of the Bank of England, Sir , will be Chairman. Virgin have also pledged to maintain an operational headquarters in Newcastle upon Tyne as well as maintaining the current branches.
LATEST NEWS Report: Spurs 2, Celtic 0 David Bentley scored on his first Spurs appearance as we began the Feyenoord Jubileum Tournament with a 2-0 win over Celtic in Rotterdam. The England midfielder, who joined us from Blackburn Rovers during the week, made it a day to remember as he tapped in at the back post 11 minutes from time to seal a comfortable win over the Scottish champions. Darren Bent had earlier opened the goalscoring with his ninth goal in four pre-season friendlies this summer. Our first chance came when Lennon began to tease his marker and released Bent into space ahead of him down the right flank. The striker delivered a decent cross but Jenas couldn't quite get enough purchase on his header to trouble Artur Boruc in the Celtic goal. But it was a Celtic slip that opened the gates on 25 minutes when Paul Hartley weakly attempted back pass was seized on by Bent, who proceeded to round Boruc and once again his execution was precise. He could have added to this tally three minutes before the break after Modric slipped a clever pass beyond Celtic's defensive line. Quick as a flash Bent was bearing down on goal and only a fortunate block by Boruc prevented him extending the lead. Bentley entered the fray at half-time and was joined by Gareth Bale, with Woodgate and Lennon making way. He showed his range of passing straight away with a deep ball that proved just a little too powerful for Berbatov, before Modric probed and played through Bent, but the forward was shouldered off the ball on approach to goal. The clever feet of Berbatov provided Modric with a chance to add to his pre-season tally following a smart low cross from Bent, but the little Croatian just lost his footing at the crucial moment. One thing is clear, this squad does not look like it will be lacking in creativity as we head into the new season. Celtic were struggling to make any sort of impact on the game as we hit the hour mark, and Heurelho Gomes remained untroubled as the boys established dominance with slick passing and interchange. Ledley King was then entered into the mix in place of Huddlestone before, on 72 minutes after a further period of patient pressure, a Bentley cross just cleared the head of Bale after good work from Modric. It was turning out to be a very one-sided 1-0, with the team not able to find the goals to match the superiority they were enjoying. But this all changed on 79 minutes when Bale fired across goal, Boruc could not grab and it was Bentley waiting to slot home at the far post before enjoying an enthusiastic first greeting with the travelling support. It was a dream start for him and the perfect start for the Club at this prestigious tournament, where we next face Borussia Dortmund on Sunday. Teams: Spurs: Gomes; Zokora (Gunter, 83), Dawson, Woodgate (Bale, 45), Assou-Ekotto; Lennon (Bentley, 45), Huddlestone (King, 62), Jenas, Modric (O'Hara, 83); Berbatov, Bent Subs: Jansson, Gilberto Celtic: Boruc; Hinkel, McManus (O'Dea, 45), Caldwell, Wilson (Naylor, 61); Hartley (Donati, 73), S Brown, Robson (Caddis, 56), McGeady; McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink (Samaras, 62) Subs: M Brown, Balde \|\|\|\|\| Bentley kissed the Tottenham badge after scoring on his debut David Bentley made the perfect start to his Tottenham career by scoring in the 2-0 win over Celtic at the Feyenoord Jubilee Tournament in Rotterdam. The £15m winger came off the bench at the interval and rolled home a close range effort on 80 minutes. Tottenham went ahead in the 24th minute thanks to Darren Bent's seventh goal in three warm-up games. The striker latched on to a poor back-pass from Celtic's Paul Hartley and rounded keeper Artur Boruc to net. Aiden McGeady was Celtic's liveliest player but the Scottish champions were second best for long spells and posed little attacking threat. After a sluggish start to the game from both sides, Bent sneaked in to intercept Hartley's pass and slotted home from a tight angle. 606: DEBATE Bent went close in the 74th minute but his curling shot was well saved by Boruc. Bentley sealed the win for Juande Ramos' team when Gareth Bale raced down the left flank, cut inside and his cross eventually found its way to Bentley for the easiest of finishes. Spurs take on Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, while Celtic face the host club on the same day.	takes a corner for Blackburn Rovers against Arsenal FC during the 2006/2007 season.Tottenham Hotspur defeated Scottish team Celtic Football Club 2 – 0 with goals coming from Darren Bent and new signing David Bentley. The game was a pretournament friendly exhibition game between the English and Scottish sides at the Feyenoord Jubilee Tournament in
One in two Romanian high school pupils failed their university exemption exams this year, a record low level after new anti-fraud measures cut back on cheating, new figures showed Monday. Only 45 percent of pupils managed to get the A-level diploma required for university admission -- down from 69.3 percent last year and 81.4 percent in 2009, the education ministry said. Described as a "disaster" by the media, the figures revealed that 20 schools could not boast a single 12th-grader among the 90,765 who passed the exam out of some 200,000 who took it nationally. In Bucharest the success rate was barely 42 percent, a far cry from the nearly 80 percent recorded in past years. "These results are a mirror of our society. Romania is now at a crossroads", Education Minister Daniel Funeriu told journalists. "The nation should choose to encourage people who like to work rather than those who prefer cheating," he said, hailing the anti-fraud controls put in place earlier this year. Cameras were installed in examination centres and students were strictly forbidden from trying to buy teachers' leniency. In previous years, each student was asked to contribute the equivalent of up to 40 euros to a "class fund" that was either divided among teachers supervising and correcting their tests or spent on lavish meals for them. "Romania would have been different if young people aged today between 18 and 38 had not cheated at exams," Funeriu had said last week, accusing his predecessors of having done nothing to curb widespread fraud. But Gheorghe Isvoranu, leader of the Spiru Haret teachers' union, blamed the poor results on a shortage of funds. "The budget of the education system dropped from 4.7 percent of gross domestic product in 2007 to 2.7 percent this year," he told AFP. "It is obvious that we cannot reform a system unless we finance it properly." While he did not excuse teachers who turned a blind eye to cheating, Isvoranu said their wages "are hardly motivating", especially after drastic austerity cuts last year. Figures from the anti-corruption prosecutors' office (DNA) show that 145 persons, including 23 high school teachers and inspectors, were sent to court over graft in 2010. They are accused of having received some 150,000 euros ($220,000) in bribes over 2008-2010. "We must note the continuity of this form of corruption having a serious impact on the education system," the DNA told AFP. This year, 665 high school students were disqualified after they were caught cheating, twice as many as last year. In one high school, the test answers were distributed to 111 pupils before the exam. The police has launched an investigation. In another school, teachers discovered that nearly 100 students had submitted identical manuscripts in the Romanian language test. "The moment of truth has come," Liliana Romanciuc, a school inspector in Iasi (north-eastern Romania), told Mediafax news agency. "Success rates topping 80 percent were not possible. We were simply deluding ourselves." \|\|\|\|\| BUCHAREST, Romania - Authorities say only 40 per cent of Romania's high school students have passed the final exams that would allow them to go to university — the country's worst result in two decades. Education Minister Daniel Funeriu said Monday that outcome is a "mirror of our society" and it's time "to change attitudes and mentalities." The result triggered a wave of indignation in Romania, where successive governments have failed to reform an education system entrenched in learning by rote. Critics say students don't get to develop skills preparing them for life and are not encouraged to think independently. Many pupils in Romania complain that education is boring and old-fashioned. Romanian teachers also are poorly paid. \|\|\|\|\| După înscrierea pe site-ul HotNews.ro, poţi deschide secţiunea MyHotNews ca să completezi sau să schimbi profilul de utilizator. Atenţie! Logarea pe site se face cu adresa de email, nu cu nickname-ul. Adresa ta de email va rămâne confidenţiala şi nu va fi niciodată dată unor terţe persoane sau instituţii. Înainte de a te înscrie pe site te rugăm să parcurgi „termenii şi condiţiile” ataşate unui cont HotNews.ro.	Only 44.47 percent of Romanian high school students passed last week's 2011 , according to the results published by Romanian education authorities on Sunday. The baccalaureate exam in Romania is the secondary school educational qualification test, and passing it attests that a student has graduated high school and may be admitted to a university. This is dramatically different from 69.3 percent last year and 81.4 percent in 2009. Sunday's passing figures are a record low since the exam was introduced in Romania and comes after new anti-fraud measures cut back on student cheating. These included installing cameras in examination centres and forbidding students from paying teachers to obtain higher scores. For this exam, 665 high school students were caught cheating, double the number from last year, and at one high school it was found that the exam answers were given to 111 pupils prior to the exam. reported the lowest rate with 24.82 percent graduation, and reported the highest with 65.03 percent, down from 87.39 percent in 2010. In Bucharest the rate was 42.03 percent, the lowest since the . The release of the results started a national debate on the possible causes of the drastic drop in scores, from the failure of parental participation, poor teacher pay and pay cuts, to student disinterest and lack of motivation. Critics say the educational system depends on rote learning and students are not taught to think independently. Students say the school curriculum is boring and out-of-date. At a press conference on Monday, Education minister Daniel Funeriu said, "These results are a mirror of our society. Romania is now at a crossroads...The nation should choose to encourage people who like to work rather than those who prefer cheating". Cristian Alexandrescu, chief education inspector for Bucharest, argued that the exam was not taken seriously by students and the results prove that a student cannot obtain a diploma without effort. "The moment of truth has come," Liliana Romanciuc, a school inspector in north-eastern Romania, told ''''. "Success rates topping 80 percent were not possible. We were simply deluding ourselves." == Sources == * * *
Poland's president and first lady lie in state Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. The bodies of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and First Lady Maria Kaczynska are now lying in state in the capital, Warsaw. Maria Kaczynska's body arrived earlier from Moscow amid emotional scenes after Saturday's plane crash in Russia that killed the couple and 94 others. Parliament has held a special session to honour those killed in the disaster. The first couple are to be buried on Sunday, a day after a memorial service for the victims in the Polish capital. US President Barack Obama has said he will attend the funeral on Sunday. Weather warning A guard of honour stood to attention in the rain at Warsaw airport as the body of the first lady arrived on a military plane. President Kaczynski's remains were repatriated on Sunday. After a brief religious ceremony, mourners took turns to kneel at Maria Kaczynska's casket and pay their respects as it stood on the tarmac. AT THE SCENE Adam Easton, BBC News, Warsaw Warsaw's neo-classical white presidential palace has become the focal point of national mourning in Poland. Crowds have gathered outside the building every day since Saturday's crash to light candles and lay flowers. Flickering flames in red or yellow glass pots cover the road and pavement in front of the palace. There's so many that street cleaners have to remove large swathes of them every morning leaving streaks of dried candle wax across the pavement flags. Poles are getting on with their daily working lives now, but the people of Warsaw are still taking time in their busy days to make their way in their thousands to the palace to pay their respects. The streets around the palace are thronged with families with pushchairs, senior citizens and teachers leading schoolchildren in single file. Some, like 26-year-old teacher Karolina Czurak, made a special 320-mile round-trip from her home in Bialystok, in north-east Poland, just to spend a few minutes outside the palace. Russia-Poland thaw grows They included the late first couple's only child, daughter Marta, and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, identical twin of the late president. Maria Kaczynska's coffin, draped with Poland's white-and-red flag, was then driven through the streets of Warsaw to the presidential palace. Thousands of Poles lined the 10km (6 mile) route to the city centre, covering the hearse with flowers, then took turns to file past the coffins. The first couple will be laid to rest on Sunday at Wawel Castle in the southern city of Krakow, according to Poland's PAP news agency. A special session of both chambers of parliament was held on Tuesday to pay tribute to those who died in the disaster. An investigation is ongoing into the crash; the plane clipped tree-tops as it tried to land in fog at a former air base north of Smolensk city on Saturday morning. Russian officials say the pilots of the Soviet-built Tu-154 airliner had ignored weather warnings and repeatedly tried to land. Polish prosecutors have stressed there is no evidence the crew were pressured by those onboard to ignore the advice. The president and his party of senior Polish military and political officials had been due to attend a memorial for the Polish victims of a World War II massacre by Soviet secret police at Katyn, near Smolensk. Relatives are in the Russian capital helping forensic scientists identify the bodies. Family members are being supported by Polish and Russian psychologists. Forty-five of the victims have been identified, the Russian health minister said on Tuesday, reports AFP news agency. Some of the bodies are so badly disfigured that DNA evidence will be needed. Poll date President Kaczynski's body was identified on Saturday in Smolensk by brother Jaroslaw, who is a former prime minister. Poland is in the middle of seven days of mourning over the tragedy. Russia observed a day of mourning on Monday. In pictures: First couple mourned President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have devoted much time to dealing with the aftermath of the crash. The Russian president is expected to be among leaders attending Sunday's state funeral for Mr Kaczynski, who was an outspoken nationalist known for his distrust of Russia. Moscow's handling of the tragedy has been widely appreciated in Poland, though others suggest the thaw in relations may not last, the BBC's Duncan Kennedy reports from Warsaw. Meanwhile, Acting President Bronislaw Komorowski said he would announce on Wednesday the date of the country's presidential election, expected in May or June, reports Reuters news agency. Mr Komorowski, who is parliamentary speaker, had been expected to run against the late president. Opinion polls before the crash indicated Mr Komorowski, the official candidate of Prime Minister Donald Tusk's governing Civic Platform Party, would have comfortably beat Lech Kaczynski, who had become increasingly unpopular. There is now speculation that Jaroslaw Kaczynski may step in to represent the Law and Justice party. Analysts say he may benefit from an outpouring of public sympathy following his brother's death. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Polish president and first lady lie in state as plans for state funeral are unveiled By Mail Foreign Service Last updated at 4:29 PM on 13th April 2010 Poland's president and first lady will be buried this Sunday in a state funeral at the the historic resting place of the country's kings and former leaders, Krakow's Wawel Cathedral. Lech Kaczynski and his wife, Maria Kaczynska, were among 96 people killed Saturday in a plane crash in Western Russia. Investigators are pointing at human error as the cause. Stanislaw Kracik, Krakow province governor, said the presidential couple will receive a funeral at 2pm on Sunday in the 1,000-year-old cathedral. The last Polish leader killed in office, General Wladyslaw Sikorski, the exiled World War II leader who perished in a mysterious plane crash off Gibraltar in 1943, is also interred there. A front window of the hearse carrying the remains of late Polish First Lady Maria Kaczynska is covered with flowers in front of the presidential palace in Warsaw today A Poland flag flutters in the wind as a procession with the coffin of first lady Maria Kaczynska makes its way to the Presidential Palace Leaders expected for the funeral include Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. Kaczynska's body was flown home from Russia this morning, and Parliament held a special observance in memory of the president and lawmakers who killed in the plane crash. Her body, in a coffin draped with Poland's white-and-red flag, arrived in a military CASA plane shortly after 10.30am at Warsaw's Okecie airport. It was met by Kaczynska's only child, Marta, and by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, her brother-in-law who was also the twin of the late president. Her daughter knelt by the casket and wept as a Polish honour guard stood by silently. Kaczynska's body was then ferried to the Presidential Palace in the back of a Mercedes-Benz hearse, just like her husband's was on Sunday. Thousands of Warsaw residents lined the route. Write caption here The daughter of the late Polish President Lech Kaczynski, Marta, kneels in front of the coffin with her mother, the President's wife Maria, as Kaczynski's twin brother Jaroslaw stands beside, during a ceremony at the airport 'I'm here because it's such a tragedy for Poland,' said Maja Jelenicka, 63. 'I'm in despair. I feel as if I've lost a close relative. Maria Kaczynska was a wonderful woman, kind, with a heart of gold and a real first lady.' The bodies of the first couple are lying in state in closed coffins in the Columned Hall of the Presidential Palace. The body of Ryszard Kaczorowski, the last president of Poland's government-in-exile in London, will be brought back on Wednesday and his coffin will also be put on public display, said Senate Speaker Bogdan Borusewicz, the top lawmaker in the Polish senate. Investigators have suggested that human error may have been to blame in Saturday's crash that killed the Polish president and 95 others, saying on Monday there were no technical problems with the Soviet-made plane. The Tu-154 went down while trying to land in dense fog at Smolensk in western Russia. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, twin brother of late Polish President Lech Kaczynski, stands next to empty chairs with pictures of victims of Saturday's Tu-154 plane crash Mourners kneel at the coffins of late Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria that were lying in state at the Presidential Palace today All aboard were killed, including Kaczynski and dozens of Polish political, military and religious leaders. They had been traveling in the Polish government-owned plane to attend a memorial in the nearby Katyn forest for thousands of Polish military officers executed 70 years ago by Josef Stalin's secret police. The pilot had been warned of bad weather in Smolensk, and was advised by traffic controllers to land elsewhere - which would have delayed the Katyn observances. He was identified as Captain Arkadiusz Protasiuk, 36, and the co-pilot as Major Robert Grzywna, 36. Also in the cockpit were Ensign Andrzej Michalak, 36, and Lieutenant Artur Zietek, 31. Russian traffic controllers said the crew refused to follow their recommendations, a popular Russian daily reported. A member of the Polish Parliament reacts during a memorial service at the Parliament building in Warsaw Mourners emerge carrying portraits of late Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria after viewing their coffins in state at the Presidential Palace Former Polish Presidents Aleksander Kwasniewski (front row R), Lech Walesa (C) and Polish officials attend a memorial service at the Parliament building in Warsaw Traffic controller Anatoly Muravyev, who was part of the team that handled the plane, told Komsomolskaya Pravda that the crew ignored their warnings about worsening weather at the Smolensk airport. The crew 'started landing with confidence and with no swerving,' Muravyev was quoted as saying. 'But then the traffic controllers had doubts (about the weather).' He said the head controller three times ordered the plane to re-attempt the landing and then advised the pilot to fly to another airport. 'The crew did not listen, although the controllers warned them about bad visibility and told them to get ready to fly to a reserve airport,' he said. Polish Prosecutor General Andrzej Seremet said that Polish prosecutors were still reviewing data from the flight recorders and would discuss their findings on Thursday when Chief Military Prosecutor Krzysztof Parulski returned to the country this week. So far, 87 bodies have been recovered and 40 of them identified, Seremet said. Russian Interior Ministry soldiers secures the site near the wreckage of the Polish presidential plane, that crashed Saturday just outside the Smolensk airport, western Russia \|\|\|\|\| Poland's president and first lady will be buried on Sunday in a state funeral in Krakow's Wawel cathedral, the historic resting place of the country's kings and former leaders, officials said. Lech Kaczynski and his wife, Maria Kaczynska, were among 96 people killed on Saturday in a plane crash in western Russia, thought to have been caused by human error. Stanislaw Kracik, governor of Krakow province, said the couple's funeral would be at 2pm (1200 GMT) in the 1,000-year-old cathedral, the main burial site of Polish monarchs since the 14th century. The last Polish leader killed in office, General Wladyslaw Sikorski, the exiled second world war leader who died in a mysterious plane crash off Gibraltar in 1943, is also buried there. Leaders expected for the funeral include the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev. Kaczynska's body was flown home from Russia today, and parliament held a special observance in memory of the president and MPs killed in the plane crash. Kaczynska's body, in a wooden casket draped with Poland's white and red flag, arrived in a military plane shortly after 10.30am at Warsaw's Okecie airport. It was met by Kaczynska's only child, Marta, and by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, her brother-in-law, the twin of the late president. Her daughter knelt by the casket and wept as a Polish guard of honour stood by. Kaczynska's body was taken to the presidential palace in a Mercedes-Benz hearse, as was her husband's on Sunday. Thousands of Warsaw residents lined the route. "I'm here because it's such a tragedy for Poland," said Maja Jelenicka, 63. "I'm in despair. I feel as if I've lost a close relative. Maria Kaczynska was a wonderful woman, kind, with a heart of gold and a real first lady." The bodies of the first couple are lying in state in closed coffins in the presidential palace, where the president appointed and dismissed governments. The body of Ryszard Kaczorowski, the last president of Poland's government-in-exile in London, will be brought back today and his coffin will also go on display. Investigators have suggested human error was to blame in Saturday's crash, saying there were no technical problems with the Soviet-made plane. The Tu-154 went down while trying to land in dense fog at Smolensk in western Russia. All aboard were killed, including Kaczynski and dozens of Polish political, military and religious leaders. They had been travelling in the Polish government-owned plane to attend a memorial in the nearby Katyn forest for thousands of Polish military officers executed 70 years ago by Josef Stalin's secret police. The pilot had been warned of bad weather in Smolensk, and was advised by traffic controllers to land elsewhere, which would have delayed the Katyn observances. He was identified as Captain Arkadiusz Protasiuk, 36, and the co-pilot as Major Robert Grzywna, 36. Also in the cockpit were Ensign Andrzej Michalak, 36, and Lieutenant Artur Zietek, 31. Russian traffic controllers said the crew refused to follow their recommendations, a popular Russian daily reported. Traffic controller Anatoly Muravyev, who was part of the team that handled the plane, told Komsomolskaya Pravda that the crew ignored their warnings about worsening weather at the Smolensk airport. The crew "started landing with confidence and with no swerving", Muravyev was quoted as saying. "But then the traffic controllers had doubts [about the weather]." He said the head controller three times ordered the plane to re-attempt the landing and then advised the pilot to fly to another airport. "The crew did not listen, although the controllers warned them about bad visibility and told them to get ready to fly to a reserve airport," he said. \|\|\|\|\| Obama to Attend Kaczynski Funeral in Krakow Photo: AP The White House has announced that President Barack Obama will attend Sunday's state funeral for Polish President Lech Kaczynski, killed last week in a plane crash. Mr. Obama's press secretary says he will travel to Krakow to express the depth of U.S. condolences to an important and trusted ally. Mr. Obama led a moment of silence for President Kaczynski Tuesday at the start of the second day of the nuclear summit in Washington. In Warsaw, the Polish parliament held a special session to honor Mr. Kaczynski, his wife Maria, and other high-ranking Polish officials killed in Saturday's crash. Polish lawmaker Eugenuisz Klopotek told VOA that if anything good came out of the tragedy, it is seeing people and politicians from all walks of life uniting instead of focusing on divisions. Tuesday's parliamentary observance began just after the flag-draped coffin bearing the body of first lady Maria Kaczynska arrived in the capital to lie in state next to her husband at the presidential palace. They were among 96 people killed when their plane crashed in heavy fog last Saturday near the Russian city of Smolensk. Acting President Bronislaw Komorowski says he will announce a date for presidential elections on Wednesday. Polish law requires the vote to take place within 60 days of the announcement. The Kaczynski entourage was going to Russia for a memorial service for 22,000 Polish military officers and others executed under orders from Soviet dictator Josef Stalin during World War Two. Others killed in the plane crash include the chief of Poland's armed forces, the director of the central bank, the deputy foreign minister and Ryszard Kaczorowski. He was 90-year-old Polish president-in-exile from World War II until the collapse of communism 50 years later. \|\|\|\|\| We have sent an email to: Please check your email for a message from the Globe and Mail online with the subject line "Globe and Mail Member Information Request". To protect your privacy, we only send this information to the email address on file for this account \|\|\|\|\| SMOLENSK, Russia – The crash of an aging Russian airliner ravaged the top levels of Poland's military, political and church elite Saturday, killing the Polish president and dozens of other dignitaries as they traveled to a ceremony commemorating a slaughter that has divided the two nations for seven decades. Poles wept before their televisions, lowered flags to half-staff and taped black ribbons in their windows after hearing that President Lech Kaczynski and the upper echelons of the establishment lay dead in woods a short drive from the site of the Katyn forest massacre, where 22,000 Polish officers were killed by Soviet secret police in one of Poland's greatest national traumas. Thousands of people, many in tears, placed candles and flowers at the presidential palace in central Warsaw. Many called the crash Poland's worst disaster since World War II. Twenty monks rang the Zygmunt bell at Krakow's Wawel Cathedral — the burial spot of Polish kings — a tolling reserved for times of profound importance or grief. The crash also shocked Russia. Sensing the depth of the tragedy for Poland, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin personally took charge of the investigation and very quickly and publicly offered condolences, along with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. "On this difficult day the people of Russia stand with the Polish people," Medvedev said, according to the Kremlin press service. Chunks of the plane were scattered widely amid leafless trees and small fires in woods shrouded with fog. A tail fin with the red and white national colors of Poland stuck up from the smoking debris. Early indications pointed to pilot error in heavy fog as a factor in the crash, officials said. On board were the national bank president, deputy foreign minister, army chaplain, head of the National Security Office, deputy parliament speaker, Olympic Committee head, civil rights commissioner and at least two presidential aides and three lawmakers, the Polish foreign ministry said. Kaczynski's wife, Maria, also died. "This is unbelievable — this tragic, cursed Katyn," Kaczynski's predecessor, Aleksander Kwasniewski, said on TVN24 television. It is "a cursed place, horrible symbolism," he said. "It's hard to believe. You get chills down your spine." Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and some cabinet members flew to Smolensk from Warsaw. The president's twin brother, former Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, headed to the area in a chartered plane along with party members. Television showed Jaroslaw kneeling and praying at the crash site. Tusk, joined by Putin, placed a wreath at the site and knelt. When he stood up, Putin hugged him. Afterward, Putin and Tusk held a video conference with members of a special commission in Moscow, who told them that doctors, psychologists and other specialists were ready to assist relatives of the victims. They said some bodies have already been flown to Moscow for identification and were being taken to the morgue. The Polish military suffered the deepest losses. Among the dead were the army chief of staff, the navy chief commander, and heads of the air and land forces, who were all making the emotional trip to honor the Polish officers slain by the NKVD, the acronym for the Soviet secret police at the time of the killings in 1940. Some on board were relatives of the officers slain in the Katyn massacre. Also among the victims was Anna Walentynowicz, whose firing in August 1980 from the Lenin Shipyards in Gdansk sparked a workers' strike that spurred the eventual creation of the Solidarity freedom movement. "This is a great tragedy, a great shock to us all," former president and Solidarity leader Lech Walesa said. Polish Parliament Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski, who became acting president, addressed his country on television: "Poland is in mourning, we have suffered a dramatically painful loss." He said he would announce early elections within 14 days of the president's death, in line with the constitution. The vote must be held within another 60 days. Russia's Emergency Ministry said there were 97 dead, 88 in the Polish state delegation. Poland's Foreign Ministry said there were 89 people on the passenger list but one had not shown up for the roughly 1 1/2-hour flight from Warsaw's main airport. Poland called for two minutes of silence across the country Sunday and declared a week of mourning. Medevedev declared Monday a day of mourning in Russia. In the village of Gorzno, in northern Poland, the streets were largely empty as people stayed home to watch television. "It is very symbolic that they were flying to pay homage to so many murdered Poles," said resident Waleria Gess, 73. The deaths were not expected to directly affect the functioning of Polish government: Poland's president is commander in chief of its armed forces but the position's domestic duties are chiefly symbolic. No top government ministers were aboard the plane. Polish-Russian relations had been improving recently after being poisoned for decades over the massacre of some 22,000 Polish officers in and around Katyn forest. Russia never has formally apologized for the deaths but Putin's decision to attend a memorial ceremony earlier this week in the forest was seen as a gesture of goodwill toward reconciliation. Kaczynski wasn't invited to that event because Putin, as prime minister, had invited his Polish counterpart, Tusk. Rossiya-24 showed hundreds of people around the Katyn monument, many holding Polish flags, some weeping. Kaczynski, 60, was the first serving Polish leader to die since exiled World War II-era leader Gen. Wladyslaw Sikorski in a mysterious plane crash off Gibraltar in 1943. The president was a conservative and a lifelong skeptic of Russia with many detractors at home and abroad. Condolences from world leaders paid tribute to his patriotism and defense of freedom during Communist rule in Poland. Putin and Medvedev promised Tusk they would work closely with Poland in investigating the crash. Initial signs pointed to an accident, possibly due to the fog that is very common in the area in spring and fall, as well as pilot error. Both black boxes have been found. Preliminary data indicated that the plane hit the treetops as it was making the approach to the airport in poor visibility, the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Marina Gridneva, an official with the Russian general prosecutor's office, as saying. Andrei Yevseyenkov, spokesman for the Smolensk regional government, said Russian dispatchers had asked the Polish crew to divert from the military airport in North Smolensk and land instead in Minsk, the capital of neighboring Belarus, or in Moscow to the east because of the fog. While traffic controllers generally have the final word in whether it is safe for a plane to land, they can and do leave it to the pilots' discretion. Air Force Gen. Alexander Alyoshin confirmed that the pilot disregarded instructions to fly to another airfield. The Smolensk airfield is not equipped with an instrument landing system to guide planes to the ground. "But they continued landing, and it ended, unfortunately, with a tragedy," Alyoshin said. He added that the pilot makes the final decision about whether to land. The Tu-154 was the workhorse of East Bloc civil aviation in the 1970s and 1980s. Poland has long discussed replacing the planes that carry the country's leaders but said they lacked the funds. According to the Aviation Safety Network, there have been 66 crashes involving Tu-154s in the past four decades, including six in the past five years. The Russian carrier Aeroflot recently withdrew its Tu-154 fleet from service, largely because the planes do not meet international noise restrictions and use too much fuel. The presidential plane was fully overhauled in December, the general director of the Aviakor aviation maintenance plant in Samara, Russia told Rossiya-24. The plant repaired the plane's three engines, retrofitted electronic and navigation equipment and updated the interior, Alexei Gusev said. He said there could be no doubts that the plane was flightworthy. Kacyznski became president in December 2005 after defeating Tusk in that year's presidential vote. The nationalist conservative had said he would seek a second term in presidential elections this fall. He was expected to face an uphill struggle against Komorowski, the candidate of Tusk's governing Civic Platform party. Poland has become a firm U.S. ally in the region since the fall of communism — a stance that crosses party lines. The European Union member nation of 38 million people sent troops to the U.S.-led war in Iraq and recently boosted its contingent in Afghanistan to some 2,600 soldiers. U.S. Patriot missiles are expected to be deployed in Poland this year. That was a Polish condition for a 2008 deal — backed by both Kaczynski and Tusk — to host long-range missile defense interceptors. The deal, which was struck by the Bush administration, angered Russia and was later reconfigured under President Barack Obama's administration. Under the Obama plan, Poland would host a different type of missile defense interceptors as part of a more mobile system and at a later date, probably not until 2018. _____ Scislowska reported from Warsaw. Associated Press writers Deborah Seward in Paris, Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Katarzyna Mala in Gorzno, Poland, and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.	President Lech Kaczynski and his wife died along with 94 other people The bodies of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and first lady Maria Kaczynska are lying in state ahead of their funeral on Sunday. The couple died along with 94 other people when the plane they were travelling in crashed in Russia. They will be buried after a memorial to the crash victims. President Kaczynski’s body was repatriated from Russia on Sunday while the first lady’s was flown to Warsaw airport on Tuesday. Kaczynska’s coffin was driven to the Presidential Palace while draped in Poland’s flag. Thousands of mourners lined the six mile route as her coffin was transported. The first couple will be buried at Wawel Castle on Sunday. Both chambers of parliament held special sessions to honour the crash victims. Poland is currently in seven days of mourning while Russia held a day of mourning on Monday. The couple were travelling to Russia to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre when their plane clipped trees and crashed in Smolensk, Russia. The couple died along with many other senior politicians and military commanders. Other victims included the president of the central bank of Poland, the head of the Polish Olympic Committee and last President of Poland, from the Polish government-in-exile which existed in London during the Nazi and Communist period, Ryszard Kaczorowski. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is expected to attend the funeral. President of the United States Barack Obama and Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper have both announced that they will also attend.
Al-Shabab has been fighting Hizbul-Islam A senior commander of the Somali Islamist group, al-Shabab, has been shot dead at close range as he left a mosque in the city of Kismayo. Unidentified gunmen shot Sheikh Daud Ali Hasan several times, inside an area of Somalia held by his own forces. Sheikh Hasan was in charge of front-line operations in the town of Dhobley, near the Kenyan border. Al-Shabab said it arrested several people and would bring them before a court, but did not identify them. Al-Shabab - Alleged to have links with al-Qaeda - Has foreign fighters in its ranks - Well organised militarily and logistically Hizbul-Islam - Led by Hassan Dahir Aweys - Aweys led al-Itihad al-Islamiya, put on US terror list in 2001 - Home-grown Islamist movement Rival Islamist groups in the vicinity, including Hizbul-Islam, have not said whether they were behind the killing. A witness, Ahmed Daud, said: "At least three masked men armed with pistols shot Sheikh Daud Ali Hasan several times in the head and the chest as he was coming out of a mosque in Kismayo." The BBC's Mohamed Olad Hassan in Mogadishu says Hizbul-Islam fighters launched an attack in Dhobly hours after the assassination - and claimed they had killed number of al-Shabab militants. Al-Shabab and Hizbul-Islam are fighting against the UN-backed, weak Somali government and the African Union soldiers. They have fought together in the capital against government forces and the AU peacekeepers, but in the southern Jubba regions the groups continue to fight each other. The dispute began last year when al-Shabab forcibly took control of Kismayo from Hizbul-Islam. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Sheikh Daud Ali Hasan, a senior commander of al-Shabab, an armed group fighting to topple Somalia's government, has been shot dead near Kismayo. At least three masked men armed with pistols shot Hasan several times in the head and chest as he was coming out of a mosque on Friday night. Abdi Hasan Ise, a witness, was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying: "I heard gunshots and saw two men running; we rushed to the scene and there was a body lying there in a pool of blood." Hasen has been leading the fighting against rival groups in the town of Dhobley, close to the border with Kenya. Al-Shabab and Hizbul-Islam, another group fighting against the government, have been battling alongside each other in the capital, Mogadishu, but in the south they have been at loggerheads for months. Hizbul-Islam denied having a hand in the killing, but said it would step up attacks on Dhobley after a raid on Friday night in which it said it killed a number of al-Shabaab militants. The two groups have fought for control of Kismayo, the main port in southern Somalia, as well as Dhobley on the main road linking the port to Kenya. "We have already arrested several suspects and we should bring them to the justice soon," Sheikh Abukar Ali Adan, al-Shabab's chairman in the area, told a news conference in Kismayo on Saturday. Somalia has had no effective government for 19 years and Western nations and neighbours say the anarchic country is used as a shelter by fighters planning attacks in east Africa and further afield. The US state department says al-Shabab militants have links to al-Qaeda. At least 21,000 Somalis have been killed in violence since the start of 2007, 1.5 million have been uprooted from their homes and nearly half a million are sheltering in other countries in the region	According to reports, a senior commander for the Somali Islamist group al-Shabaab, Sheikh Daud Ali Hasan, was shot dead on Friday night in Kismayo. The incident happened as Hasan was leaving a mosque in the city, when gunmen, whose identities are not known, approached and shot him in the head and chest, killing him. Hasan was in control of al-Shabaab's operations in Dhobley, near the Kenyan border. Abdi Hasan Ise, who was a witness to the shooting, commented about the incident. "I heard gunshots and saw two men running; we rushed to the scene and there was a body lying there in a pool of blood," he said, as quoted by Agence France-Presse. Another witness, Ahmed Daoud, said that "at least three masked men armed with pistols shot Sheikh Daud Ali Hasan several times in the head and the chest as he was coming out of a mosque in Kismayo," as quoted by the BBC. There are several rival groups in the area, but none of them have yet indicated whether they were responsible for the attack. Sheikh Abukar Ali Adan, who is al-Shabaab's chairman in the vicinity, commented that the gunmen might have been apprehended, saying to a news conference that "we have already arrested several suspects and we should bring them to the justice soon."
Klinsmann is one of the most decorated of German footballers Klinsmann will replace Ottmar Hitzfeld, who is due to step down from the post at the end of the current campaign. The appointment marks Klinsmann's first foray into club coaching after he guided host nation Germany to third place at the 2006 World Cup. He had been linked with the vacant Newcastle job and, earlier in the season, with Chelsea and Tottenham. The 43-year-old was also viewed as a dark horse to succeed Steve McClaren as England national coach before the appointment of Fabio Capello. 606: DEBATE How good a coach is Klinsmann? There's not a lot on his CV BBC Sport's Oliver Brett He won 108 caps for his country. He scored 47 goals for Germany, 11 of which came in three World Cup campaigns. Klinsmann featured in the 1990 World Cup-winning team and was then captain for the successful Euro 96 campaign. He enjoyed a successful stint as a player with Bayern between 1995 and 1997, winning Uefa Cup and Bundesliga honours. His managerial career is still in its infancy. After a period involved in Major League Soccer in the USA he returned to coach Germany in 2004. The Bayern job is his first with a high-profile club. \|\|\|\|\| NEWS \| LATEST NEWS back Breaking news Jürgen Klinsmann to succeed Hitzfeld at Bayern MEHR ZUM THEMA Interview: Jürgen Klinsmann exclusively on FCB.tv > ISDN > DSL1 > DSL2 11.01.2008 Former Germany boss Jürgen Klinsmann will succeed Ottmar Hitzfeld as Bayern head coach on 1 July 2008, the club announced on Friday. The appointment sees Klinsmann return to the club where he won UEFA Cup and German championship honours in a two-year stint as a player between 1995 and 1997. Hitzfeld: a first-class solution The former world-class striker, a 1990 World Cup winner who captained his country to Euro 1996 glory and scored 47 goals in 108 international appearances, spent two years at the Germany helm and guided the host nation to third place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The 43-year-old will now take on the challenge of leading Bayern to domestic and European success. “Congratulations to Bayern Munich. This is a first-class solution. Jürgen Klinsmann is an outstanding coach and a tremendous man-motivator, who had an excellent World Cup with the national team,“ Hitzfeld commented at Bayern’s Säbener Strasse headquarters on Friday. “He also speaks English, French and Italian, and will be able to communicate well with the players.“ Positive reaction from dressing room General manager Uli Hoeneß informed the squad of the board’s decision to appoint Klinsmann ahead of a scheduled morning training session. “This is an absolutely superb choice. We’re delighted Jürgen Klinsmann is to be our new coach,“ Germany striker Miroslav Klose declared. “I think it’s great the board have already come to a decision,“ added Willy Sagnol. “We did very well under him with the national team,“ remarked Lukas Podolski. The new role will be Klinsmann’s first experience of coaching at club level, “but he did an extremely good job for Germany,“ Sagnol observed. “The Germany internationals know what kind of a guy he is, so we view this very positively,“ confirmed Bastian Schweinsteiger. Already immersed in the club As a player, Klinsmann set a club record with 15 goals in the 1996 UEFA Cup winning run and earned his championship winners’ medal the following season. “He knows his Bayern Munich,“ Hitzfeld commented. “I hope we have a couple of trophies to defend when he arrives,“ added Schweinsteiger. RELATED TOPICS Chancellor Merkel joins chorus of approval for Klinsmann back	Former German national coach Jürgen Klinsmann has been signed as the new Bayern Munich coach for the 2008/2009 Bundesliga season. This will mark Klinsmann's first managerial position at club level, succeeding current coach Ottmar Hitzfeld. Over the past few months Klinsmann was being considered for various coach positions after reforming the German national team and finishing 3rd at the 2006 Football World Cup as coach of the German national team. Previously there had been reports that he was looking at Newcastle, Chelsea, Tottenham and there also was a possibility for him to be Steve McClaren's successor as the national coach for the English football team. Klinsmann will be returning to the club where he played from 1995 till 1997 and won a UEFA Cup, a German league championship and a League Cup. Klinsmann's contract will start on July 1, 2008.
The following is an e-mail sent to IPR by Darcy Richardson: FWIW, I qualified for the February 7th Democratic presidential primary in Missouri yesterday. An “illegal immigrant” — I detest that term — from Iowa traveled to Jefferson City to pick up my receipt for the qualifying fee from the Democratic State Committee’s headquarters and delivered it to the Secretary of State’s office! How cool is that? By the way, it looks like anti-abortion activist Randall Terry also filed for the primary. Hope all is well. With best wishes, Darcy Because of Darcy’s past association with IPR and because of his status as one of the premier chroniclers of third party history, there is general agreement among IPR writers that we should cover Darcy’s primary challenge of Obama. I would like to do so in the future without always having to use this disclaimer. Speak now or forever hold your peace. \|\|\|\|\| For any Democrats unhappy with President Obama , Darcy Richardson says he's your man.The Jacksonville , Fla., native is one of 11 Democrats whose name will appear along with Obama's on the New Hampshire primary ballot next January.In 2008, 21 names were on the Democratic ballot, a contest ultimately won in stunning fashion by Hillary Clinton Though the state fashions itself as one in which even the biggest of underdogs can compete and win, few are expecting anyone other than Obama to prevail. But that's not the point, Richardson says."I appreciate New Hampshire's welcoming attitude toward candidates, most political dreamers with no realistic chance of winning the presidency, who would otherwise be completely shut out of the nominating process," Richardson wrote in a letter to New Hampshire's secretary of state, mailed along with his one-page declaration of candidacy form and $1,000 filing fee.Richardson quotes the late Sen. Eugene McCarthy, who once said that candidates running in New Hampshire shouldn't get excited if they sense a groundswell of support, because "it might just be a frost heave.""While I fully expect to receive a somewhat cold or chilly reception from the state's Democratic voters, especially since I'm challenging a sitting president of my own party, I nevertheless cherish the opportunity to run in your fine state," he continued.Richardson, an author who has run for local office in Pennsylvania, said in an email that "if ever an incumbent president deserved an intraparty challenge," it's Obama.He hadn't intended to run -- he hoped former Labor Secretary Robert Reich would -- but decided to do so when it became clear that no "progressive Democrat of some national stature" would."I personally like President Obama, but I think he's in way over his head when it comes to dealing effectivey with the U.S. economy," he said.Richardson will file in some other states as well, but New Hampshire's requirements are among the most welcoming for a long-shot like him -- intentionally so, state leaders say.The focus when New Hampshire voters do head to the polls will be, of course, on the Republican race. Twenty-four candidates had filed by Thursday, and at least two more -- former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- were slated to do so Friday. It'd break the record for Republicans on the ballot.Along with Perry and Johnson on the GOP ballot will be Joe Robinson of Newton, Mass. The "self-employed inventor" filed in person on Tuesday, paying his $1,000 filing fee in cash.When Mitt Romney had come to file a day earlier, the small office was jammed with supporters and members of the media there to document the moment. When Robinson did so, the only camera rolling was the one belonging to the secretary of state's office -- they record every filing, no matter how famous the entrant.Robinson, a Republican, had not campaigned at all yet in the state. Asked about his chances, he said: "In one sense they could be zero, in the other sense they could be very high.""It depends how fed up the people are." \|\|\|\|\| IPR does not usually cover duopoly races, but we’re making an exception for occasional IPR contributor Darcy Richardson, who has filed in the NH Democratic primary to challenge Barack Obama for the presidential nomination. In a phone conversation, Darcy said his slogan is “no fourth term for George W. Bush.” At BostonTea.US Darryl Perry notes BTP member Darcy G Richardson (Darcy2012.com) has filed as a Democratic Party candidate for the New Hampshire primary. According to articles here and here Darcy will be seeking primary ballot access in more States aside from New Hampshire. Darcy says, “I hope that my candidacy, as limited as it may turn out to be, might in some small measure restore a belief in American politics and American government, reinforcing the notion that real change can be achieved at the ballot box.” As Chair of the BTP National Committee, I wish Darcy the best of luck in his campaign! In Peace, Freedom, Love & Liberty, Darryl W. Perry \|\|\|\|\| While it was my fervent hope that a candidate of national stature and credibility would challenge President Obama in the 2012 Democratic primaries, I have entered my name in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary to offer my fellow disillusioned Democrats a choice. The growing sense of political hopelessness, frustration and alienation symbolized in the fledgling Occupy Wall Street movement represents a much larger national trend. I hope that my candidacy, as limited as it may turn out to be, might in some small measure restore a belief in American politics and American government, reinforcing the notion that real change can be achieved at the ballot box. In addition to New Hampshire, I intend to enter several other Democratic primaries, including my birthplace of Pennsylvania, which votes in late April. I had originally hoped that somebody like Robert Reich, the former Secretary of Labor, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs, U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio or Florida firebrand Alan Grayson would carry the progressive banner against the Obama Administration. I have personally encouraged several of them to run, without success. I simply didn’t anticipate the kind of paralysis that seems to have immobilized the party’s progressives when it comes to challenging a sitting President of their own party. Sadly, there’s no Gene McCarthy on the horizon. Yet we need, perhaps now more than ever, someone with the courage to stand up and fight for the progressive values and causes that President Obama paid so much lip service to in 2008. While I did not see any great threat to the Democratic Party’s unity and strength in mounting such a seemingly quixotic challenge to an incumbent president, I thought a candidacy by one of those mentioned above could have served as an important and healthy counterbalance to an administration too often willing to forsake the party’s proud progressive legacy in its haste to compromise with the “Party of No.” Government isn’t the enemy. I think it’s fair to say, and should be said, that President Obama needlessly squandered his first two years in office, saddling the nation with health care legislation that nobody really wanted instead of fighting for a single-payer Medicare-for-All program that would insure the basic health needs of every American. While pushing for legislation seen by many on the Left as a boon to the private insurance industry, the President virtually ignored the country’s mounting jobs crisis — until he started running for re-election, that is. Extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy added insult to injury and, in no small measure, helped to give rise to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Unlike the last Democratic administration, the gap between rich and poor has widened substantially during Obama’s presidency. The recipient of a staggering $37.6 million in Wall Street money between 1998 and his election in 2008, the President has been about as effective in turning this recession-ravaged economy around as Herbert Hoover in 1932. That was, of course, the year when the beleaguered Republican President tried to rescue the ailing U.S. economy with the passage of the relatively modest Emergency Relief and Construction Act and the creation of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, neither of which came close to ending the Great Depression. Instead of modeling his economic policy agenda after Herbert Hoover, President Obama and his advisers should have instead studied FDR and the New Deal. The President’s $787 billion stimulus package in 2009 — much of which was used by Republican governors and GOP-controlled legislatures to balance state budgets — did little for the private sector and was simply too meager to pull the country out of the depths of the “Great Recession,” a devastating economic downturn that millions of Americans believe never ended. The President’s paltry and late-in-the-game $447 billion son-of-stimulus — if approved — will have the same minimal effect. However, it’s proving to be a powerful campaign weapon for a President desperately trying to reclaim his dispirited base. A cynic might say that’s its real purpose. As should be clear to everybody, the President is now in full campaign mode. Progressives shouldn’t be fooled again. The Democratic Party needs a bold and decisive leader, somebody who will fight for poor, working and middle-class Americans — those who have been mercilessly pummeled throughout this seemingly never-ending economic crisis. More than 25.8 million Americans are out of work or only marginally employed, and millions have tragically lost their homes. Small businesses, the backbone of the U.S. economy, are struggling while cash-rich major corporations amass record profits and park hordes of cash overseas. The American people are hurting, and they’re hurting badly. Working together, let’s send our President a message he can‘t ignore. ————————————– To learn more about Darcy Richardson’s campaign for the Democratic nomination, visit www.darcy2012.com. \|\|\|\|\| Battleground Blog was launched under a different name in May of 2010 as a website dedicated to covering the stories the major media often misses. Over time we have broadened our focus to the battleground of poltics and ideas. We proudly cover Republicans, Democrats and those working outside the major parties. The site was founded by Darcy G. Richardson and Austin F. Cassidy. DARCY G. RICHARDSON Darcy G. Richardson is the author of six books, including five volumes of a planned seven-volume history on independent and third-party politics in the United States. A freelance writer and former editor of Consumers Voice, the bi-monthly publication of the Consumers Education & Protective Association (CEPA), he is also the author of A Nation Divided: The 1968 Presidential Campaign, published in 2002. A seventh book, The Spirit of ’76: Eugene McCarthy’s Struggle for Open Politics, will be released shortly. He is also working on a biography of Pennsylvania’s Gifford Pinchot, the nation’s first Chief Forester, environmentalist, and fiercely-independent progressive Republican who twice served as governor of the Keystone State. Long active in independent and third-party politics, Richardson has rubbed shoulders with some of the best-known political figures of the past three decades. In addition to managing one of the late Minnesota Senator Eugene J. McCarthy’s presidential campaigns and serving as a senior advisor in another, Richardson ran for Pennsylvania Auditor General in 1980 and for the U.S. Senate eight years later on the Philadelphia-based Consumer Party ticket. A resident of Jacksonville, Richardson has been quoted in major publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer, and has written numerous articles for a wide range of publications. He has also been a guest on several nationally-syndicated radio talk shows, ranging from the progressive “Thom Hartmann Show” to Joseph Farah’s conservative “WorldNetDaily Radioactive” program. Richardson’s books, one of which earned a Choice magazine Outstanding Academic Title (OAT) for 2005, were recently cited in the “What You Need to Read Now” feature in the August 9, 2010, issue of Newsweek magazine. Darcy can be reached via email at Darcy@BattlegroundBlog.com AUSTIN F. CASSIDY Austin is the founder and publisher of The Jacksonville Observer. Cassidy been active in state and local Republican politics in Florida. He was the co-founder of the websites Independent Political Report, Third Party Watch and Conservative Pulse, attending and blogging from the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. In 2006, Cassidy was elected to the Duval County Soil and Water Conservation Board, a nonpartisan county-wide office. He received over 90,000 votes and nearly 54% in that winning campaign. Aside from being personally active in local politics, Cassidy has volunteered for and helped to manage a number of local campaigns and is also a member of the Duval County Republican Executive Committee and the Jacksonville Young Republicans. Cassidy has been a guest on local and national radio programs, including a nationally aired panel discussion on public radio. He has been quoted as a political expert in articles for The Hill, the Press of Atlantic City, and the Portland Oregonian. Austin can be reached via email at Austin@BattlegroundBlog.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Battleground Blog is proud to maintain a select group of contributing authors who submit original and timely articles for publication. If you need to contact any of our contributors, please email Austin Cassidy. OTHER CONTACT INFORMATION For advertising information, email us. If you need to reach someone immediately, call (904) 868-5963. \|\|\|\|\| Info Darcy G. Richardson is the author of six books, including five volumes of a planned seven-volume history on independent and third-party politics in the United States. A freelance writer and former editor of Consumers Voice, the bi-monthly publication of the Consumers Education & Protective Association (CEPA), he is also the author of A Nation Divided: The 1968 Presidential Campaign, published in 2002. A seventh book, The Spirit of '76: Eugene McCarthy's Struggle for Open Politics, will be released next year. He is also working on a biography of Pennsylvania's Gifford Pinchot, the nation's first Chief Forester, environmentalist, and fiercely-independent progressive Republican who twice served as governor of the Keystone State. Long active in independent and third-party politics, Richardson has rubbed shoulders with some of the best-known political figures of the past three decades. In addition to managing one of the late Minnesota Senator Eugene J. McCarthy's presidential campaigns and serving as a senior advisor in another, Richardson ran for Pennsylvania Auditor General in 1980 and for the U.S. Senate eight years later on the Philadelphia-based Consumer Party ticket. He was also an alternate delegate to the Citizens' Party founding national convention in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1980, and served as campaign manager for Dr. John J. Logue, founder and director of Villanova University's Common Heritage Institute, during his 1982 bid for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination from Pennsylvania. A former Democratic precinct committeeman, Richardson co-founded the "New Democrats" in 1989, a progressive faction within the national Democratic Party whose advisory board included ex-Senator McCarthy, Larry Agran, the former mayor of Irvine, California, and longtime left-wing political activist Zolton Ferency, a former Michigan State University criminal justice professor. Relocating to northeast Florida in 1993, Richardson later managed antiwar activist Brian Moore's independent campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2006. A resident of Jacksonville, Richardson has been quoted in major publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, and the Philadelphia Inquirer, and has written numerous articles for a wide range of publications. He has also been a guest on several nationally-syndicated radio talk shows, ranging from the progressive Thom Hartmann Show to Joseph Farah's conservative WorldNetDaily Radioactive program. Richardson's books on American politics have been cited in numerous scholarly works, including Scott Merriman's Religion and the Law in America: An Encyclopedia of Personal Belief and Public Policy (ABC-CLIO, 2007), Joseph R. Conlin's The American Past: A Survey of American History (Wadsworth Publishing, 2009), Encyclopedia of U.S. Campaigns, Elections, and Electoral Behavior, Kenneth F. Warren, editor (SAGE Publications, Inc., 2008), and The Strategy of Campaigning: Lessons from Ronald Reagan & Boris Yeltsin (University of Michigan Press, 2007), co-authored by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and three others. Richardson's books are available in more than 750 academic and public libraries throughout the world. A former senior specialist for a major financial brokerage firm, Richardson has more than a dozen years experience in the financial services industry and recently began working on a book about the country's current economic crisis, tentatively titled, Collapse: How the Managerial Class Plunged the Nation into the Greatest Depression. \|\|\|\|\| About Third Party and Independent Daily is a multi-partisan group weblog that aggregates news and blog items from across the political spectrum on the third party and independent web.	Democratic Party presidential candidate . U.S. presidential candidate of Florida took some time to answer a few questions from ''Wikinews'' reporter William S. Saturn. Richardson, 55, is a political activist that helped form the in 1989 and founded the ''Battleground Blog'' earlier this year. He is also a political historian, and has authored six books covering and presidential elections, including ''A Nation Divided: The 1968 Presidential Campaign'' (2002). His current work, ''The Spirit of ’76: Eugene McCarthy’s Struggle for Open Politics'', chronicles the late Democratic Senator 's for which he volunteered. Richardson admires McCarthy, and served as manager for his run. Recently, Richardson advised 's in 2008. In addition, Richardson himself has sought political office, albeit unsuccessfully. In 1980, he ran for Pennsylvania , and in 1988, vied for one of Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seats as a member of the Consumer Party. Last year, he ran for as the running mate of gubernatorial candidate . Richardson has criticized President Barack Obama's policies for being too similar to those of former President George W. Bush. He hoped to convince several prominent progressives to challenge Obama in the Democratic primaries, but none were available to do so. Last month, Richardson decided to begin a campaign himself and announced through his ''Battleground Blog'' that he would challenge Obama in the Democratic Party primaries as a progressive candidate. So far, he has qualified for the New Hampshire in January and the Missouri primary in February. In an interview with the '''', Richardson proclaimed his campaign slogan as "no fourth term for George W. Bush."
Two French special forces troops and a US soldier were among 34 combatants killed in Afghanistan in a fresh upsurge of the deadliest fighting since the removal of the Taliban in 2001. In the worst clash, militants hiding in a vineyard ambushed an Afghan army convoy, shooting dead four soldiers but losing 15 of their own. Fears of a resurgence of the Taliban have been fuelled by a sharp rise in violence during recent weeks, much of it in Helmand province, where 3,300 British troops are deploying. Some 120 people died in 24 hours last week before a brief respite, but attacks resumed on Friday, claiming another 34 lives by Saturday afternoon. The two French died yesterday while fighting the Taliban in Kandahar province, the French Defence Ministry said. It gave no further details. France has had 200 special forces officers in south-eastern Afghanistan since 2003 as part of the US-led coalition. The American soldier was killed and six others wounded on Friday in Uruzgan province, also in the south, when a joint patrol with Afghan forces encountered enemy fighters. Uruzgan had seen some of the heaviest fighting within the past year, but militants suffered high losses in battles with coalition forces. Helmand, the main opium poppy-growing region, where drug profits are believed to fund the insurgency, has become the main focus of violence, but the past week has also seen attacks in Zabul province and the western city of Herat. \|\|\|\|\| KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, May 20 -- Taliban fighters ambushed an Afghan army convoy Saturday, setting off a gun battle that resulted in the deaths of four soldiers and 15 insurgents. Clashes elsewhere killed 15 others, including two French soldiers and a U.S. soldier. Six American soldiers were wounded just days after a 24-hour surge of violence across Afghanistan killed about 120 people. The fighting was some of the heaviest since the ouster of the Taliban by U.S.-led forces in late 2001. The fiercest clashes erupted late Friday in Helmand province, the country's main opium-producing region. Six insurgents, an Afghan soldier and one civilian were killed, said Gen. Rehmatullah Raufi, head of the Afghan military's southern region. After the convoy attack Saturday, hundreds of reinforcements were deployed to the area and the rebels fled on motorbikes and foot, an Afghan military official said on condition of anonymity. Gen. Zahir Azimi, a Defense Ministry spokesman, confirmed that four Afghan soldiers had been killed. Rebels ambushed another army convoy in Zabol province Saturday, and four fighters were killed as the troops returned fire, Raufi said. In the western city of Herat, meanwhile, an explosion ripped through a vehicle and wounded Amanullah Khan, a former warlord, said Gulam Sarwar Haydari, the city's deputy police chief. It was not immediately clear what caused the blast. An American soldier was killed in southern Uruzgan province Friday morning when U.S. forces encountered enemy fighters during a patrol. The six wounded soldiers were in stable condition, said Lt. Tamara Lawrence, a U.S. military spokeswoman. In the past year Uruzgan has seen some of the heaviest fighting in Afghanistan. Two French troops were killed Saturday while fighting Taliban rebels in the Kandahar region, the French Defense Ministry said. France has had 200 special forces personnel in southeast Afghanistan since 2003, as part of a U.S. command fighting the Taliban. At least 235 U.S. military personnel have died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan since the invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Pentagon. \|\|\|\|\| NEW YORK A U.S. watchdog agency is preparing to investigate whether the Federal Reserve and other regulators are too soft on the banks they are meant to police, after a written request from Democratic lawmakers that marks the latest sign of distrust between Congress and the central bank.	right Two French special forces troops and a US soldier were among 34 killed in Afghanistan in a violent upsurge in recent days. General Rahmatullah Raufi, military commander for the southern provinces, said the clash erupted when militants ambushed a military convoy. Fears of a resurgence of the Taliban have been boosted by a sharp rise in violence in the past few weeks, much of it in Helmand province. Around 120 people died in 24 hours last week. Attacks on Friday have claimed another 34 lives. Officials say the fighting was some of the heaviest since the Taliban were ousted by the US-led invasion in 2001. The French Defence Ministry said two French soldiers were killed on Saturday in a battle with Taliban forces in . France has had 200 special forces officers in south-eastern Afghanistan since 2003. A US soldier was killed and six others wounded after a bloody clash on Friday in , when a joint patrol encountered Taliban fighters. The Taliban have stepped up attacks on foreign and government forces recently as NATO increases its peacekeeping force from 9,000 to 16,000 - as they prepare to take over from US forces in the South. Helmand, the main poppy-growing region, has become a major focus of violence. Over the past week there has also been attacks in and the western city of . Scattered clashes in the southern provinces in the past four days have killed around 150 people, including Taliban, Afghan police and military personnel and civilians.
Chris Langham left jail after his prison term was reduced Langham statement The Bafta award-winner was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court in September after he was convicted on 15 counts of downloading images of children. Langham, 58, who denied all charges, left Elmley Prison, Kent, on Wednesday after the term was cut by four months. As he left, he said: "My life has been ruined but my conscience is clear." In a prepared statement, the comedy actor said that reporting of the case had "completely ignored" the court's "acceptance based upon all the evidence and expert opinion that I have no sexual interest in children". But he added: "Perhaps the media cannot be blamed for this misrepresentation when the judge, having accepted that I'm not a paedophile, then sent me to prison for 10 months as if I was." I saw a tiny number of images of child abuse which I have always said were distressing, sickening and atrocious Chris Langham He said: "To set the record straight, I never paid to look at the material. "I saw a tiny number of images of child abuse which I have always said were distressing, sickening and atrocious. "I looked because I was writing about the subject of child abuse. "My own abuse as a child made it important for me to attempt to address this subject in my writing. "I was wrong to do so but I believe the price I have been asked to pay is out of all proportion." When he was asked what the future held for him, he said: "I just don't know." Abuse videos During the trial, Langham claimed he viewed the images as research for a paedophile character. The father-of-five, from Golford, near Cranbrook, Kent, had been due for release early in the New Year, when he would have served about half his sentence. The comedy actor is well known for his starring role in the television drama The Thick Of It. The jury in the trial cleared Langham of a further charge having sex with an under-age girl. Langham was arrested in November 2005 when video files of child abuse were found on a computer, a laptop and an external hard disk drive at his home. His appeal was allowed by Lord Justice Gage, Mr Justice Openshaw and Dame Heather Steel. \|\|\|\|\| Chris Langham was released from jail on Wednesday night after winning a new appeal against his 10-month prison sentence for downloading child pornography. The Thick Of It actor has had his sentence reduced by four months by three Court of Appeal judges. Until yesterday’s ruling, he had been due for release from Elmley Prison, Kent, early in the New Year, when he would have served about half his sentence. His wife, Christine Cartwright, had claimed Langham had been verbally abused in jail, where other prisoners threw missiles at him and flooded his cell. The 58-year-old actor was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court in September after he was convicted of 15 counts of downloading sick images of children. He denied the charges, saying he viewed the images as research for a character in the BBC Two comedy Help, and did not want to be branded a ‘paedophile’. Police said many of the downloads found on Langham's computer were of the worst category, ‘level 5’, and had titles such as Kiddy 11-year-old and Pre-Teen Sex Education. The father-of-five, from Golford, near Cranbrook, Kent, last month lost an application to appeal his sentence, but the second appeal was granted by Lord Justice Gage, Mr Justice Openshaw and Dame Heather Steel. Steel said the court regarded his explanations as ‘highly improbable’ but added that it could not reject his claims that he was not a paedophile. She said: ‘The major ground of appeal is that the sentence was manifestly excessive ... and that Langham's motivation for downloading the indecent images was not one of sexual gratification.’ \|\|\|\|\| LONDON (Reuters) - Chris Langham was released from jail on Wednesday after winning an appeal against the length of his sentence for downloading child pornography. The Appeal Court ruled that the 10-month sentence imposed on the Bafta-award winning actor was too long, and reduced it to six months. Speaking to reporters after his release, the star of BBC's "The Thick of It" said the court's acceptance that he had no sexual interest in children had been completely ignored in the reporting of his case. "To set the record straight -- I never paid to look at the material. I saw a tiny number of images of child abuse which I have always said were distressing, sickening and atrocious. "I looked because I was writing about the subject of child abuse. My own abuse as a child made it important for me to attempt to address this subject in my writing," he said. "I was wrong to do so, but I believe that the price I have been asked to pay is out of all proportion. My life has been ruined, but my conscience is clear." The father-of-five had been due for release at the end of December after being jailed at Maidstone Crown Court in September. In the appeal ruling Dame Heather Steel said that a prison sentence had been inevitable. Nevertheless, she said that taking Langham's explanation into account, along with his character, the court was satisfied the sentence could be cut. Continued...	British comedy actor Chris Langham has won an appeal to have the sentence reduced in his conviction for downloading indecent images of children from the internet. Originally sentenced to 10 months in prison, Langham's sentence has now been cut to 6 months, and he is set to be released today. Langham, 58, had been found guilty on 15 counts for downloading child pornography. Police claimed that several images found on Langham's computer were of the worst category, "Level 5" severity. However, Langham claimed that he was using the images for researching a character in a TV series called ''Help''. Dame Heather Steel, one of Britain's most senior female judges agreed that the sentence could be cut. Langham was arrested in 2005. During his original trial, Langham was found not guilty of indecently assaulting an underage girl. He had appealed his sentence previously, but was rejected in October 2006.
Aid arrives in Myanmar as death toll passes 22,000, but worst-hit area still cut off YANGON, Myanmar: Aid began to trickle into cyclone-ravaged Myanmar late Tuesday but the worst-hit Irrawaddy delta, where nearly 22,000 people perished, was largely cut off from the rest of the world four days after winds, floods and high tidal waves tore through the densely populated region. With more than 40,000 still missing and as many as 1 million possibly left homeless, the international community was struggling to deliver aid in the military-ruled country, which normally seeks to shut out foreign officials and restricts their access inside the country. Concerns mounted over the lack of food, water and shelter in the delta as well as diseases spawned by Cyclone Nargis in a country with one of the world's poorest health systems. "Our biggest fear is that the aftermath could be more lethal than the storm itself," said Caryl Stern, who heads the U.N. Children's Fund in the United States. The U.N.'s World Food Program said late Tuesday it has begun distributing aid in damaged areas of Yangon, the largest city, where 800 tons of food had arrived, although the coastal regions were mostly out of reach due to flooding and road damage. Even in Yangon, electricity remained cut for almost all 6.5 million residents, while water supply was restored in only a few areas. Some residents had to wait for nine hours to fill up their gas tanks. Buddhist monks and Catholic nuns wielding knives and axes joined residents in clearing roads of ancient, fallen trees that were once the city's pride. And soldiers were out on the streets in large numbers for the first time since the cyclone hit, helping to clear trees as massive as 15-feet (4.5 meters) in diameter. U.S. President George W. Bush called on the country's junta to allow the United States to provide disaster assistance, saying Washington was prepared to move naval assets to help search for the dead and missing. The U.S. Navy has three ships as well as troops in the Gulf of Thailand, within an easy sail of Myanmar, as part of joint military exercises code-named Cobra Gold scheduled for May 8-21. Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore will also take part in the annual war games. The Myanmar military, which regularly accuses the United States of trying to subvert the regime, is unlikely to allow U.S. military presence in its territory. But reflecting the seriousness of the crisis, the government has appealed for foreign aid and also announced Tuesday that it is delaying Saturday's crucial constitutional referendum in the hardest hit areas. State radio said Saturday's vote on the military-backed draft constitution would be delayed until May 24 in 40 of 45 townships in the Yangon area and seven in the delta. It indicated that the balloting would proceed in other areas as scheduled. Pro-democracy advocates, including the political party of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi, have denounced the constitution as a tool to perpetuate the grip on power of a military that has become increasingly unpopular. At least 31 people were killed and thousands more were detained when the military cracked down on peaceful pro-democracy protests in September led by Buddhist monks and democracy advocates. Inadequate warnings about the approaching storm and poor reaction by authorities once it struck is expected to further alienate the general population. The radio said that most of the 22,464 who died, as well as the 41,000 missing, were in the Irrawaddy delta region. It said 671 were killed in the Yangon area. Images from state television showed large trees and electricity poles sprawled across roads as well as roofless houses ringed by water in the delta, a lacework of paddy fields and canals regarded as Myanmar's rice bowl. Brig. Gen. Kyaw San, the information minister, said tidal waves killed most of the victims in the delta. The government said it was trying to move in aid and some foreign agencies had managed to send assessment teams, including five from UNICEF. Richard Horsey, Bangkok-based spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid, said the airport closest to the delta region was located in Yangon. "The biggest problem will be to reach the affected areas. There will be a huge logistical problem," he said. Helicopters and boats would be needed to reach many areas. The delta is riddled with waterways, and Horsey said they are not easily accessible, even during normal times. "The big concern is waterborne diseases. So that's why it's crucial to get safe water in. Then mosquito nets, cooking kits and clothing in the next few days," he said. "Food is not an emergency priority. Water and shelter are." \|\|\|\|\| A Myanmar Buddhist Monk makes his way past a fallen tree following a devastating cyclone, Sunday, May 4, 2008, in Yangon. The death toll from the cyclone has risen to almost 4,000, a Myanmar state radio station has said. The radio station broadcasting from the country's capital Naypyitaw said Monday that almost 3,000 more people are unaccounted for in a single town in the country's low-lying Irrawaddy River delta area. (AP Photo/Barry Broman) Myanmar state radio says cyclone death toll soars above 22,000 YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — The death toll from the cyclone that battered Myanmar last weekend has risen above 22,000, state radio has reported. A news broadcast on government-run radio said Tuesday that 22,464 people have now been confirmed dead from Cyclone Nargis, which tore through the country's heartland and biggest city of Yangon early Saturday. The broadcast added that thousands more are missing. Relief efforts for the stricken area, mostly in the low-lying Irrawaddy River delta, have been difficult, in large part because of the destruction of roads and communications outlets by the storm. The first assistance from overseas arrived Tuesday from neighboring Thailand. Officials had said today that the toll could continue to climb higher than the 14,000 already feared dead from the Southeast Asian nation's devastating cyclone as the international community prepared to rush in aid. In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, state radio reported that the government was delaying a constitutional referendum in areas hit hardest. Myanmar's Information Minister Maj. Gen. Kyaw Hsan confirmed at a news conference that some 4,000 people had died in Yangon and the low-lying Irrawaddy delta region. He added that another 10,000 people could be dead in the delta. Kyaw said tidal waves killed most of the victims in that region. Earlier, Foreign Minister Nyan Win was quoted by state-run television as saying that more than 10,000 people had perished in Irrawaddy while a smaller number died in and around Yangon, the country's largest city. "News and data are still being collected, so there may be many more casualties," he said. It was not known why the two ministers presented different death tolls. The World Food Program, which was preparing to fly in food, added its own grim assessment of the destruction: Up to 1 million people may be homeless, some villages have been almost totally eradicated and vast rice-growing areas are wiped out. A state television report gave two different numbers — 59 and 130 — for the dead in what is known as Yangon division. It did not explain the differing tolls. The country's ruling junta, which has spurned the international community for decades, urgently appealed for foreign aid at a meeting Nyan Win held with diplomats Monday in Yangon. The U.N.'s emergency relief coordinator said Tuesday the government had indicated it was ready to start accepting international aid. The U.N., Red Cross and other aid organizations have been organizing supplies in preparation for shipping them to the country. Some aid agencies reported their assessment teams had reached some areas of the largely isolated region but said getting in supplies and large numbers of aid workers would be difficult. A military transport plane flew from Bangkok to Yangon Tuesday with emergency aid from Thailand while a number of other countries and organizations said they were prepared to follow. Richard Horsey, Bangkok-based spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid, said Yangon's airport is the closest to the region hardest hit. "For those places accessible by land, there will be cars and trucks from those areas to meet at the halfway point with vehicles from Yangon," he said. "For remote areas, assessment teams and assistance teams will need to go by helicopters and boats." The delta is riddled with waterways but Horsey said they are not easily accessible, even during normal times. Based on a satellite map made available by the United Nations, the storm's damage was concentrated over about a 11,600-square-mile (30,000-square-kilometer) area along the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Martaban coastlines — less than 5 percent of the country. But the affected region is home to nearly a quarter of Myanmar's 57 million people. Images from state television showed large trees and electricity poles sprawled across roads and roofless houses ringed by large sheets of water in the delta region, which is regarded as Myanmar's rice bowl. "More or less all the landlines are down and it's extremely difficult to get information from cyclone-affected areas. But from the reports we are getting, entire villages have been flattened and the final death toll may be huge," said Mac Pieczowski, who heads the International Organization for Migration office in Yangon, in a statement. State radio reported Saturday's vote on a draft constitution would be delayed until May 24 in 40 townships around Yangon and seven in the Irrawaddy delta, which bore the brunt of the killer storm. It indicated that in other areas the balloting would proceed as scheduled. The appeal for assistance was unusual for Myanmar's ruling generals, who have long been suspicious of the international organizations and have closely controlled their activities. Foreign governments were poised Tuesday to rush aid to the devastated nation. The United States, which has slapped economic sanctions on the country, said it likewise stood ready. The U.S. Embassy is providing $250,000 in immediate aid from existing emergency fund. But first lady Laura Bush said Monday the U.S. would provide further aid only if one of its own disaster teams is allowed into the country. The European Commission was providing $3 million in humanitarian aid while the president of neighboring China, Hu Jintao, promised $1 million in cash and supplies. The government had apparently taken few efforts to prepare for the storm, which came bearing down on the country from the Bay of Bengal late Friday. Weather warnings broadcast on television would have been largely useless for the worst-hit rural areas where electricity supply is spotty and television a rarity. "The government misled people," said Thin Thin, a grocery story owner in Yangon. "They could have warned us about the severity of the coming cyclone so we could be better prepared." Yangon was without electricity except where gas-fed generators were available and residents lined up to buy candles, which have doubled in price since the storm hit. Most homes were without water, forcing families to stand in long lines for drinking water and bathe in the city's lakes. Most telephone landlines appeared to be restored by late Monday, but mobile phones and Internet connections were down. Some in Yangon complained that the 400,000-strong military was only clearing streets where the ruling elite resided but leaving residents, including Buddhist monks, to cope on their own in most other areas. Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. Its government has been widely criticized for 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. At least 31 people were killed and thousands more were detained when the military cracked down on peaceful protests in September led by Buddhist monks and democracy advocates. \|\|\|\|\| The death toll from the cyclone that slashed through Myanmar has soared to more than 15,000 people, official sources said late Monday. Sources said casualties from Cyclone Nargis are expected to reach at least 10,000 in the city of Bogalay alone, with another 1,000 dead in the city of Laputta, both in the country's Irrawaddy delta region, Xinhua reported. The state-run Chinese news agency also cited government sources saying at least 20,000 homes had been destroyed on Haing Kyi island in the river delta, leaving more than 97,000 people without shelter. The Myanmar government also said thousands more were injured and missing in the aftermath of the storm, which slogged through Yangon and the Irrawaddy delta packing dangerous rains and winds of more than 130 miles per hour, Radio New Zealand reported Tuesday. Foreign Minister Nyan Win said the government would accept international assistance, and aid shipments were being prepared. The United Nations says Myanmar's military government agreed to allow U.N. aid agencies to operate in the country formerly known as Burma to help survivors. "The U.N. will begin preparing assistance now to be delivered and transported to Myanmar as quickly as possible," said Paul Risley of the World Food Program. © 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form. YANGON, Myanmar, May 5 (UPI) --	In a radio broadcast, government officials in Myanmar say that 22,464 people have been confirmed dead from Cyclone Nargis which struck the nation on May 2-3. As rescue workers reach the most hard hit areas of the storm, they only began to realize the damage it caused. At least 10,000 people died in one town alone, Bogalay in the Pyapon District of Myanmar. Hundreds of thousands are homeless and another three thousand have been injured by the storm. Drinking water is contaminated and food is becoming scarce as the United Nations (U.N.) and other organizations try to get supplies to the region. "The U.N. will begin preparing assistance now to be delivered and transported to Myanmar as quickly as possible," said Paul Risley, a World Food Program (WFP) spokesman. Aid began to arrive in Myanmar on Tuesday, where more than 40,000 are still listed as missing. However, the delta-region of the Ayeyarwady River remains cut off from the rest of the world. Caryl Stern, head of the United Nations Children's Fund, said "Our biggest fear is that the aftermath could be more lethal than the storm itself." George W. Bush called on the government of Myanmar to allow the United States to provide disaster assistance. The United States Navy reportedly has three ship in the Gulf of Thailand which are within a short distance of the area. The country has had strained relations with both the United States and the European Union. Richard Horsey, spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid, said "The biggest problem will be to reach the affected areas. There will be a huge logistical problem." Helicopters and boats would be needed to reach many areas. Horsey said, "The big concern is waterborne diseases. So that's why it's crucial to get safe water in. Then mosquito nets, cooking kits and clothing in the next few days." "Food is not an emergency priority. Water and shelter are," Horsey added.
AIRS: 3-6 p.m. ET Monday-Friday Coming Monday The Situation Room, anchored by Wolf Blitzer, assembles top CNN correspondents, analysts, contributors and guests for complete, up-to-the minute coverage of the day's events. Modeled on the concept of the White House Situation Room, the program combines traditional reporting methods with the newest innovative online resources, making the entire process of newsgathering more transparent and placing the latest news and information at the viewers' fingertips. The Situation Room airs weekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (ET) to watch the promo. The Situation Room, anchored by Wolf Blitzer, assembles top CNN correspondents, analysts, contributors and guests for complete, up-to-the minute coverage of the day's events. Modeled on the concept of the White House Situation Room, the program combines traditional reporting methods with the newest innovative online resources, making the entire process of newsgathering more transparent and placing the latest news and information at the viewers' fingertips. The Situation Room airs weekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (ET) Click Here to watch the promo. ABOUT THE SHOW Watching your world to tell you what’s happening as it happens and how to deal with it. "The Situation Room" starts Monday at 3 p.m. ET. \|\|\|\|\| Sunday, November 12, 2006 - Page updated at 12:00 AM E-mail article Print view President Bush's approval rating fell to 31 percent, declining 4 percentage points in the week during which he saw the Republican Party lose control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, according to a Newsweek magazine poll. Sixty-three percent of the 1,006 adults surveyed Thursday and Friday said they disapproved of the job Bush is doing as president. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points. Likewise, 63 percent said they were dissatisfied with the direction of the country, while 29 percent said they were satisfied. The last time 50 percent of Americans said they were satisfied was at the start of the Iraq war in 2003. Even with the Democratic gains, those polled expressed concern about what the changes to Congress may entail. Forty-three said they were "very" concerned and 26 percent said they were "somewhat" concerned that Democrats may keep Bush from doing what is necessary to combat terrorism. After the election, the poll found that large percentages of those surveyed said they supported programs that had been mentioned as part of the Democratic agenda, with 92 percent saying negotiating directly with drug companies for lower prices should be a priority. Of those surveyed, 89 percent said raising the minimum wage should be a priority, and 86 percent said there should be new laws to limit the influence of lobbyists, according to the poll. With maneuvering prior to the 2008 presidential election under way, the poll found that 33 percent of registered voters said there was a "good chance" they would vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., 24 percent backed Republican Rudolph Giuliani, former New York mayor, and 24 percent supported Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a Republican; 20 percent said there was a good chance they'd vote for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Of those who said there was "no chance" they'd vote for a particular candidate, 45 percent were against Clinton, 43 percent were against Rice, and Giuliani and McCain were opposed by 32 percent.	A CNN news program, ''The Situation Room'', today reported that George W. Bush's job approval rating has dropped to 31 percent, with 63 percent disapproving of the job he is doing. ''The Situation Room'' also reported that leaders of Iran and Syria have said that if the president were to ask for help from them, "...all their problems will be solved." President Bush has not yet responded to the announcement made by the leaders of Iran and Syria, but ''The Situation Room'' said that Bush should definitely "take the deal".
Analysis: Why Biden's securities regulator faces climate crackdown challenges With Democrats at the helm, the U.S. securities regulator is pledging to crack down on companies and funds that mislead investors over climate change risks, but that may be easier said than done, more than a dozen attorneys and former agency officials say. \|\|\|\|\| Premier Hari Kostov van van de voormalige Joegoslavische deelrepubliek MacedoniŽ heeft zijn aftreden aangekondigd. Hij zei dat politieke geschillen binnen de coalitie ten gronslag lagen aan het besluit. "Ik ben niet bereid genoegen te nemen met inefficient werk binnen de regering, inclusief het stellen van voorwaarden bij en het blokkeren van het hervormingsproces, in de politieke sfeer en bovenal in de economische sfeer," zei hij tegen verslaggevers. Referendum Het aftreden van Kostov komt een week nadat een referendum, gericht tegen een omstreden decentralisatiewet, wegens een te lage opkomst ongeldig werd verklaard. De decentralisatiewet had de Albanese minderheid meer rechten moeten geven. Het referendum werd afgedwongen door de nationalistische, Slavisch-Macedonische oppositie. Die vindt dat de wet te veel concessies doet aan de Albanezen. De regering, een coalitie uit gematigde Slaven en gematigde Albanezen, had opgeroepen tot een boycot. Gevechten De decentralisatiewet had het sluitstuk moeten worden van het vredesakkoord van Ohrid dat in 2001 een eind maakte aan maandenlange gevechten tussen Albanese guerrillastrijders en het door Slavische MacdoniŽrs beheerste regeringsleger. Gevreesd wordt dat het conflict nu weer oplaait. De niet-partijgebonden Kostov trad minder dan zes maanden geleden aan als premier van zijn land. Het parlement neemt morgen een besluit over het verzoek van Kostov te mogen opstappen.	Prime minister Hari Kostov of Macedonia has resigned from his position as of Monday, November 15. The Macedonian parliament will meet on Thursday to decide whether or not to accept his resignation. The ''BBC'' quoted Kostov, who was appointed last May, to have said that "there is no will for genuine teamwork" within the coalition, and that one of the parties in the current government has been promoting corruption and nepotism. Kostov also claimed that the preoccupation with the rights of Albanian ethnic minority in Macedonia was obstructing economic modernization, according to Reuters. Kostov himself was not a member of any of the coalition's parties. Kostov's resignation was preceded by a referendum organized by the Macedonian opposition, aimed against a decentralisation law which would have given the Albanian ethnic minority in Macedonia additional rights. The referendum was declared null and void due to a low turnout. According to the ''NOS'', some now fear that fights between Albanian guerrillas and the Macedonian army, which came to a halt in 2001, will start again.
Israel has given the go ahead for the construction of 900 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem, rebuffing a reported US request that it block construction at the Gilo settlement, officials have said. Israeli officials had earlier on Tuesday declined to comment on a report in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that said George Mitchell , the US envoy to the Middle East, had asked an aide to Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, to halt the process. Gilo sits on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed to its Jerusalem municipality. Under international law, all Israeli settlements built on occupied land are illegal. A spokesman for Nir Barkat, the Israeli mayor of Jerusalem, issued a statement saying the mayor "strongly objects to the American demand to halt construction in Jerusalem". But Mark Regev, the Israeli government spokesman, declined comment on the report, which also said Netanyahu's negotiator had rejected Mitchell's request at a meeting in London on Monday. Washington 'dismayed' Relations between the US and Israel have been soured by Washington's repeated calls for a freeze on settlement expansion, a move Israel has so far refused. The US said it was "dismayed" over the approval to expand the Gilo settlement and sharply criticised the ongoing evictions and demolition of Palestinian homes. Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, said in a statement: "At a time when we're working to relaunch negotiations, these actions make it more difficult for our efforts to succeed."Regev repeated Israel's refusal to include areas it annexed to Jerusalem as part of any accommodation of calls by Barack Obama, the US president, for "restraint" in West Bank settlement growth."Prime Minister Netanyahu, in order to get the peace process back on track, is willing to adopt the policy of the greatest possible restraint concerning growth in the West Bank - but this applies to the West Bank," Regev said. "Jerusalem is Israel's capital and will remain as such," he said, stating an Israeli position not recognised by world powers and contested by Palestinians who want to establish a state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland in Jerusalem said: "What we are seeing is Israel's strategy of trying to differentiate between East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied West Bank. "We have seen the government repeatedly claim that Jerusalem is its so-called united capital and the government said just today that whereas it planned to exercise what it called maximum restraint in the West Bank, it claimed that Jerusalem was a different case." The plan for the housing units was cleared at a local level in April and passed by a committee of the interior ministry on Tuesday, Rowland said. "It [Gilo] is one of these Jewish settlements across the green line in occupied Palestinian land which is attached to Jerusalem basically as a way of Israel trying to strengthen its grip on the capital, and literally create 900 more facts on the ground," she said. 'Two-state solution' Israel rejects the international description of Gilo as a settlement and says it is a neighbourhood of Jerusalem. Tel Aviv's refusal to halt settlement construction in the Occupied Territories has stalled any hopes of resuming peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis. Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh, reporting from the West Bank city of Ramallah, said the announcement would be "very disappointing" for the Palestinians, who have set a complete freeze on settlement expansion as a precondition for resuming peace talks. "This announcement in many ways validates the Palestinian argument that you have an Israel government that is not committed to the two-state solution; that does not even recognise that East Jerusalem is occupied land," Odeh said. The Palestinians swiftly condemned the approval of the housing units, saying Israel is "not interested in peace". Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson of the Palestinian president, told Al Jazeera: "We condemn this step as it sends a clear message that Israel is not interested in peace and that it wants to ensure the failure of international efforts to reach peace and protect the two-state solution. "Israel wants, through its actions, to secure the invalidity of establishing an independent Palestinian state. The international community's continued acceptance of these Israeli measures threatens stability in the region and the foundations of peace we seek." The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority has expressed frustration at Israel's refusal to concede in order to get peace talks back on track and on Sunday said they would take steps to get the UN to back their right to an independent state. While calling on Israel to show restraint in settlement expansion as a gesture of goodwill, the US has also urged Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, to drop his demand for a total freeze. Netanyahu has offered a temporary restriction on projects that have not already started in the West Bank, but Abbas says this is insufficient and that it does not include areas Israel annexed to Jerusalem. \|\|\|\|\| The Israeli government considers Gilo an integral part of Jerusalem The US and UN have criticised Israel's approval of 900 extra housing units at a Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the move would hamper Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Their remarks came after Israel's interior ministry approved planning applications for the new units. The planning and construction committee authorised the expansion of Gilo, which is built on land captured in 1967. The land was later annexed to the Jerusalem municipality. US 'dismay' With the project yet to be reviewed, the public can still make objections. Settlements on occupied territory are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. Jerusalem is Israel's capital and will remain as such Mark Regev Israeli premier's spokesman Mr Gibbs said: "We are dismayed at the Jerusalem Planning Committee's decision to move forward on the approval process for the expansion of Gilo in Jerusalem. "Neither party should engage in efforts or take actions that could unilaterally pre-empt, or appear to pre-empt, negotiations." It is the second time in two months that the Obama administration has spoken out on settlements. In September the White House said it regretted reports that Israel planned to approve new construction in the West Bank. The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says the conventional wisdom in the US is that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has successfully thwarted Barack Obama's first foray into the stalled Middle East peace process, rebuffing American calls for a complete settlements freeze. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. But some Washington observers say it's too early to write off the president's efforts, he says. They believe Mr Obama is playing a long game and that the frosty relations between Mr Netanyahu and the White House could cause problems for the Israeli leader in the future, our correspondent adds. Mr Ban's spokeswoman said the UN chief believed the Israeli action would "undermine efforts for peace and cast doubt on the viability of the two-state solution". 'Envoy's request' Israeli media reported earlier that the government had rejected a request from Washington to freeze the construction work at Gilo. Mr Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, is said to have made the request to Mr Netanyahu at a meeting in London on Monday. Mr Netanyahu replied that the project did not require government approval and that Gilo was "an integral part of Jerusalem", according to Israel Army Radio. His spokesman, Mark Regev, declined to comment on the reports, but repeated Israel's refusal to include areas annexed to Jerusalem as part of any accommodation of Mr Obama's call for "restraint" in settlement construction. "Prime Minister Netanyahu... is willing to adopt the policy of the greatest possible restraint concerning growth in the West Bank, but this applies to the West Bank," he told the Reuters news agency. "Jerusalem is Israel's capital and will remain as such." The Palestinian Authority has demanded a halt to all settlement construction before it will attend new peace talks, which were suspended last year. The BBC's Tim Franks in Jerusalem says Tuesday's announcement represents by far the largest batch of planning approvals for building on occupied territory since Mr Netanyahu became prime minister. The 900 housing units, which will be built in the form of four-to-five-bedroom apartments, will account for a significant expansion of Gilo. The interior ministry said construction work would be unlikely to start for another three or four years. A spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the planning approval was "yet another step that shows and proves Israel is not ready for peace". Nearly 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built on occupied territory in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Do you live in the area? Will you be affected by the planned construction of extra housing? Send us your stories using the 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	The Gilo settlement The Israeli Interior Ministry has announced today that 900 new housing units are slated to be built by Israeli officials at the Gilo settlement located in East Jerusalem. A press release by the Interior Ministry read, "The planning and construction committee has authorised the construction of 900 housing units in the Gilo neighbourhood in Jerusalem." Annexed after the 1967 war, East Jerusalem is what Palestinians still hope to make the capital of their future state. However, the current Israeli government has made claim to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. "Jerusalem is Israel's capital and will remain as such," said government spokesman Mark Regev. Earlier this month the Palestinian Authority insisted that all negotiations with Israel would be put permanently on hold until settlement expansion and home demolitions were halted. The UN reports that 1,500 home demolition orders in East Jerusalem are currently pending in Israeli courts. At least 600 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes in East Jerusalem since the beginning of this year. Nearly 500,000 Israelis live in more than 100 different settlements located in Jerusalem and the West Bank. U.S envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, asked President Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel settlement expansion plans, however his request went unheeded. Settlement expansion has soured relations between the U.S and Israel, however Israel is still the largest recipient of U.S aid annually. Responding to requests by the U.S government that settlement expansion be halted Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said that he, "strongly objects to the American demand to halt construction in Jerusalem and will allow construction for Jews, Muslims, and Christians in any part of Jerusalem without prejudice. The demand to halt construction by religion is not legal in the United States or in any other free place in the world." Under international law building settlements in occupied territory is illegal. The UN has deemed Israeli settlements to be a violation of the Geneva Convention.
By Chris Bevan Barnsley players celebrate after their dramatic FA Cup win at Anfield Ryan Babel set up Dirk Kuyt to put the Reds ahead and only some super saves by Luke Steele kept Barnsley in the game. The Tykes levelled when Stephen Foster headed home Martin Devaney's cross and, although Liverpool poured forward, they could not beat Steele on his debut. Harry Kewell hit the bar for the home side before Howard's low shot into the bottom corner won it for Barnsley. Liverpool had already been held by Luton Town of League One in the Cup this season and also had to come from behind twice against non-league Havant & Waterlooville in the previous round. But the way Rafa Benitez's men started this game did not suggest they would suffer any sort of shock result against Simon Davey's side, who are in the bottom half of the Championship. The home side had all the early possession and Peter Crouch forced an early save out of Steele after Yossi Benayoun had teed him up in the area. Steele, only signed on an emergency loan from West Brom on Thursday because Barnsley's other keepers were injured or ineligible, was fast becoming a thorn in Liverpool's side. He made two more stops in quick succession, saving acrobatically from Xabi Alonso and collecting Babel's low shot. The former Manchester United goalkeeper was finally beaten on 32 minutes when Babel pulled the ball back for Kuyt, who took a touch before burying his shot into the back of the net. But Steele also did brilliantly to keep out a Crouch header on the stroke of half-time and Barnsley capitalised when they equalised out of nowhere after the interval. Devaney produced the cross of his life from out wide on the right and Foster rose highest to nod the ball past the flailing figure of Charles Itandje, who could only help it into the net. Barnsley goalkeeper Luke Steele was making his Tykes debut The Barnsley defence was soon back under pressure with Bobby Hassell and Foster clearing a Benayoun shot off the line before Howard's block kept out Crouch's follow-up. And Liverpool threw everything at the visitors, forcing Steele into another smart stop from Benayoun before he tipped a Lucas header on to the bar. There was drama at the other end too when Itandje somehow escaped without being penalised after colliding with Kayode Odejayi as he chased down a long ball on the edge of the Liverpool penalty area. But Liverpool were still looking like the only winners and the visitors were defending desperately when Kewell saw his rasping shot hit the bar late on. There was still time for one last Barnsley attack, however, and Howard made it count. The Tykes captain felt he should have had a penalty after being caught by Sami Hypia but picked himself up to collect the ball on the edge of the area before firing into the bottom corner to clinch a famous victory. Liverpool: Itandje, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise, Benayoun, Lucas (Gerrard 75), Alonso, Babel (Kewell 69), Kuyt, Crouch. Subs Not Used: Martin, Pennant, Arbeloa. Booked: Alonso, Carragher. Goals: Kuyt 32. Barnsley: Steele, Hassell, Souza, Foster, Kozluk (Van Homoet 60), Devaney, De Silva, Howard, Leon (Campbell-Ryce 71), Ferenczi, Nardiello (Odejayi 55). Subs Not Used: Coulson, Togwell. Booked: Van Homoet. Goals: Foster 57, Howard 90. Att: 42,449 Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire). BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Barnsley's Luke Steele 8.55 (on 90 minutes). • Please note that you can still give the players marks out of 10 on BBC Sport's Player Rater after the match has finished. \|\|\|\|\| RESULTS FA Cup Results Sixth Round Proper No Home Away 1 Charlton Athletic FC 0 - 0 Middlesbrough FC 3 Chelsea FC 1 - 0 Newcastle United FC 4 Birmingham City FC 0 - 7 Liverpool FC 2 Manchester City FC 1 - 2 West Ham United FC Fifth Round Proper No Home Away 7 West Ham United FC 2 - 1 Bolton Wanderers FC 3 Manchester City FC 2 - 1 Aston Villa FC 1 Preston North End FC 0 - 2 Middlesbrough FC 3 Aston Villa FC 1 - 1 Manchester City FC 4 Chelsea FC 3 - 1 Colchester United FC 8 Stoke City FC 0 - 1 Birmingham City FC 2 Newcastle United FC 1 - 0 Southampton FC 5 Charlton Athletic FC 3 - 1 Brentford FC 6 Liverpool FC 1 - 0 Manchester United FC 7 Bolton Wanderers FC 0 - 0 West Ham United FC SEARCH SEARCH GO \| powered by	Four games were played in the fifth round of the FA cup on February 16 , 2008. Information on each match can be found below. Bristol Rovers, Chelsea, Barnsley and Manchester United have qualified for the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup.
Russian authorities say two anti-terrorism officers have been killed in Ingushetia and a Muslim spiritual leader who worked against Wahhabism was killed in a nearby region. Much of the rising violence in Russia's Caucasus republics is connected to insurgents apparently inspired by Chechnya's separatists. Ingush Interior Ministry spokeswoman Madina Khadzhiyeva said the two officers were killed by gunfire while traveling on the region's main highway at midday Sunday. Karachayevo-Cherkessiya's Interior Ministry said the deputy head of the region's Muslim spiritual authority, Islam Bostanov, was shot early Sunday. The ministry said the killing is believed connected to his work to eradicate Wahhabism, the fundamentalist Muslim creed that Russian officials blame for inspiring Caucasus militants. \|\|\|\|\| MOSCOW, Sept 20 (Reuters) - A leading Muslim cleric was shot dead in his car in southern Russia on Sunday, a state investigator said, in an attack another religious leader blamed on Islamist militants. Gunmen shot dead Ismail Bostanov, the second most senior Muslim cleric in Karachayevo-Cherkessia region, as his car arrived in the regional capital Cherkessk, investigator Vyacheslav Taranenko said. Karachayevo-Cherkessia is one of the least violent of Russia’s mainly Muslim North Caucasus regions and has largely escaped a recent surge in violence in nearby Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia. The killing was likely carried out by adherents of the Wahhabi strain of Islam, whose influence Bostanov had tried to curb, another senior cleric in the region Ismail Berdiyev was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. A police officer and two of his brothers were shot dead in a separate attack in Ingushetia on Sunday, Interfax reported, citing a police spokesman. (Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Angus MacSwan)	According to officials, a Muslim religious leader and two anti-terrorism officers were killed in the Ingushetia region of Russia on Sunday in two separate gun attacks. Ingush Interior Ministry spokesman Madina Khadzhiyeva said that the officers were killed by gunfire while driving along a highway in the region at around noon on Sunday. a spokesperson said. The RIA news agency reports that searches are ongoing to apprehend the attackers. Meanwhile, the Karachayevo-Cherkessiya Interior Ministry reported that Ismail Bostanov, a leading Muslim cleric, was was gunned down on the same day, in a separate attack. The Ministry said it believes the attack was carried out by adherents of Wahhabism, a fundamentalist branch of Islam, a group whose influence Bostanov had attempted to reduce.
In January four days of inter-religious clashes in Jos left about 300 people dead [AFP] In January four days of inter-religious clashes in Jos left about 300 people dead [AFP] Police sources on Sunday put the number of dead at just eight, but witnesses reported many more bodies, with one estimate rising to up to 200 people. Scores of people are thought to have been killed in clashes between pastoralists from the surrounding hills and villagers close to the central Nigerian city of Jos. Some of the bodies were reported to be charred and scarred by machete blows and the AFP news agency reported there were many children among the dead. Yvonne Ndege, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Abuja, said: "There is conflicting information about the number of people who may have been killed. "Police are saying about eight people have been killed but I have spoken to a number of people in Jos who said the number is higher." The Associated Press news agency quoted witnesses saying 200 people were killed in the violence. Security alert Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria's acting president, put security forces on red alert, ordering them to hunt down those behind the violence. "The acting president has placed all the security forces in the plateau and neighbouring states on red alert so as to stem any cross-border dimensions to this latest conflict," a statement from Jonathan's office said. Witnesses said that the pastoralists staged an overnight raid in the village of Dogo Nahawa, firing into the air and then attacking those who came out of their houses. "They came around three o'clock in the morning and they started shooting into the air," Peter Jang, a Dogo Nahawa resident, said. "The shooting was just meant to bring people from their houses and then when people came out they started cutting them with machetes," he said. Ndege reported: "A senior police chief said the perpetrators of this attack came in from Bauchi state. [He said] the fighting exploded between herdsmen from Bauchi and villagers. "The Red Cross, is reporting that as a consequence of this violence at least 5-600 people are leaving the area in fear of their lives." Sectarian clashes Nearby Jo, which lies at the at the crossroads of Nigeria's Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, has been the scene of sectarian violence before. Hundreds of people were killed in four-days of violence in January. Patrick Wilmot, a sociologist and African affairs analyst based in London, told Al Jazeera that the problems in the area of Jos stem from a lack of economic development. "People from all over Nigeria came and settled in the area [of Joss]. There was hardly any trouble in the area 15 or 20 years ago, but [since] then the population has increased tremendously, [but] the resources have not increased. "There are hardly any industry in the town. There is only one large factory. most of the economy is based o commerce and farming and as a result of huge unemployment the people have become very attached to their religious and ethnic identities. "The political leaders are irresponsible, they manipulate these fears of religious and ethnic differences and as a result its a kind of tinderbox." \|\|\|\|\| Nigerian Troops on Alert After 200 Killed in Clashes (Update1) (Adds acting president’s action in first paragraph.) By Paul Okolo and Ardo Abdullahi Hazzad March 7 (Bloomberg) -- Nigeria’s acting President Goodluck Jonathan placed security forces on “red alert” around the north central city of Jos after renewed sectarian violence in the city claimed about 200 lives. The victims, most of them Christians, died in attacks early today in the village of Dogo na Hauwa, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Jos, which has been at the center of deadly Christian-Muslim tension, according to Mark Lipdo, the spokesman for a Christian non-governmental organization. “The security services are on top of the situation,” Ima Niboro, spokesman for Jonathan, said today in an e-mailed statement from Abuja, the country’s capital. Jonathan is consulting with security chiefs on the situation and has directed troops to deal with those responsible for the violence, the statement said. More than 400 people died and 4,000 people were injured in three days of clashes between Christians and Muslims that occurred in Jos in mid January, according to Civil Rights Congress, a Nigerian human-rights group. There are conflicting accounts of why that violence broke out in the city, which is about 200 kilometers northeast of the West African country’s capital, Abuja. Some reports blame a dispute over the rebuilding of a house destroyed in a clash more than a year ago, while the city’s police said it was the result of an attack by Muslims on Christians in a church, according to Human Rights Watch. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, with more than 140 million people, is divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south. --Editor: John Simpson, Ben Livesey To contact the reporter on this story: Paul Okolo in Abuja at pokolo@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Hirschberg at phirschberg@bloomberg.net To contact the reporter on this story: Ardo Abdullahi Hazzad in Bauchi, Nigeria, via Johannesburg at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin in Johannesburg at asguazzin@bloomberg.net. Related Articles \|\|\|\|\| Central Nigeria attacks lead to 'at least 100 deaths' Many of the victims were cut with machetes, doctors said At least 100 people have been reported killed in suspected religious clashes near the central Nigerian city of Jos. Witnesses said several villages just outside of the city were attacked simultaneously overnight. Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has put security forces in central Nigeria on full alert. In January hundreds of people were killed in riots in Jos, which lies between the mainly Muslim north and the more Christian south. Ethnic and religious riots also broke out in 2008, killing hundreds. Military deployed The attack happened before dawn on Sunday morning when gangs of men descended on several communities, centred on the village of Dogo-Nahawa, and attacked people with machetes, reports say. A resident of Dogo-Nahawa said the attackers had fired guns as they entered the village. "The shooting was just meant to bring people from their houses and then when people came out they started cutting them with machetes," Peter Jang told Reuters. JOS, PLATEAU STATE Deadly riots in 2001, 2008 and 2010 City divided into Christian and Muslim areas Divisions accentuated by system of classifying people as indigenes and settlers Hausa-speaking Muslims living in Jos for decades are still classified as settlers Settlers find it difficult to stand for election Divisions also exist along party lines: Christians mostly back the ruling PDP; Muslims generally supporting the opposition ANPP An aid worker with the Christian charity Stefanus Foundation, Mark Lipdo, said at least 100 people had been killed. He told the BBC he went to the villages of Zot and Dogo-Nahawa after daylight on Sunday and recorded the names of 77 victims and said there were at least two dozen more bodies. "We saw mainly those who are helpless, like small children and then the older men, who cannot run, these were the ones that were slaughtered." He said Zot had been almost wiped out. Other witnesses said they had also seen at least 100 bodies and a Plateau state official told Reuters news agency that more than 300 people had died. A doctor at a hospital in Jos told news agencies that victims had been cut by machetes and burnt. The military, which already has a presence in Jos, has sent troops to Dogo-Nahawa. "The acting president has placed all the security forces in Plateau and neighbouring states on red alert so as to stem any cross-border dimensions to this latest conflict," Mr Jonathan's office said in a statement quoted by Reuters news agency. He also ordered those behind the violence to be found. Analysts say the attack seems to be in reprisal for the clashes between Christians and Muslims in January, which claimed the lives of at least 200 people and displaced thousands of others. Hundreds of people have fled from Jos in the aftermath of the fighting, the Red Cross says. Robin Waudo, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, told the BBC his volunteers were assisting people wounded in the latest fighting. "We know that late this morning there was some fighting in the south part of the city and it seems like there are reprisal attacks from what happened a few weeks ago," he said. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Location of Jos in Nigeria According to witness and media reports, at least two hundred people in Nigeria have been killed after pastoralists and villagers clashed near the city of , which has been the source of repeated tension between Christians and Muslims. Local authorities, however, contradicted witness reports, saying that there were eight casualties, as did Mark Lipdo, an aid worker for the Stefanus Foundation charity, who reported that at least a hundred people were dead. Witness reports state that pastoralists started firing into the air in the village of Dogo Nahawa, about five kilometres south of Jos, at night, and attacked those who emerged from their homes. "They came around three o'clock in the morning and they started shooting into the air. The shooting was just meant to bring people from their houses and then when people came out they started cutting them with machetes," commented Peter Jang, who lives in the village, as quoted by Al Jazeera. According to the news agency, some of the victims were children. Acting Nigerian president said he had placed national troops on "red alert" following the clashes. "The acting president has placed all the security forces in the plateau and neighbouring states on red alert so as to stem any cross-border dimensions to this latest conflict," read a statement released by his office. Armed forces are already present in Jos. "The security services are on top of the situation," said Jonathan's spokesman Ima Niboro in an email statement to the news service. In January, at least 400 people were killed and a further four thousand injured in the city of Jos after tensions between Christians and Muslims.
Emily whipped up waves in the popular resort of Cancun Strong winds have felled trees, flooded streets and knocked out power and telephone lines in areas along the coastline popular with tourists. Emily passed 160km (100 miles) to the south of Jamaica, but left at least four dead after rains caused flooding. The storm weakened as it moved towards the Gulf of Mexico, but forecasters say Emily could strengthen before reaching Mexico's north-east coast. Oil rigs have been evacuated and production suspended. Two pilots died in the Gulf of Mexico when their helicopter crashed during an evacuation of a rig. Mass evacuation The second major storm of the season hit Mexico's coast as a category four hurricane - the second highest on the scale of intensity - with winds of 215km/h (135mph). The US-based National Hurricane Center said the storm made landfall just north of Tulum at 0230 on Monday (0630 GMT), with the eye of the storm passing over the island of Cozumel. The resort city of Playa del Carmen was also among the most affected areas. Tens of thousands of tourists and locals were evacuated from the region before Emily's arrival. About 30,000 tourists were moved inland to better-protected hotels, or packed into emergency shelters in community centres and schools. Cancun's international airport was closed. Jamaica battered Emily is expected to make landfall again in north-eastern Mexico or southern Texas, on Tuesday night. Jamaica was spared a direct hit, but the island still suffered flooding and landslides. About 70,000 households lost power and several homes and roads were washed away. The bodies of a man, woman and two children were found inside a car swept over a cliff by flood water, Jamaican police said. The Cayman Islands also felt the force of the storm early on Sunday. Last week, Emily battered the eastern Caribbean island of Grenada, leaving one person dead. Emily comes less than a week after Hurricane Dennis caused more than two dozen deaths as it rampaged through Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and Florida. Have you been affected by Hurricane Emily? Send us your experiences using the form below. If you have any pictures of the hurricane's impact you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk. The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far: We had been vacationing in the Riviera Maya before it was evacuated. I just read a news report that the roof of the hotel lobby had blown off and windows had been shattered. We are so sad about the destruction of this beautiful place that we had just enjoyed so much. We are praying for the people of Mexico. Nicole, Russell, KY By this weekend it seems it will be business as usual Mark Temple, Houston, TX I was in the resort strip of Playa del Carmen as of Saturday night, but luckily was able to leave before the airport shutdown. Before I left, the entire resort area and town was preparing, boarding up windows, evacuating the area. There were the beginnings of a storm taking place and waves were extremely choppy compared to the normal there. Ben Kelso, Toronto, Canada I returned from Mexico on Saturday morning. Nineteen of my friends are still out there. Having spoken to them, most of them have been put up into gymnasiums or colleges. As far as I am aware, everyone is okay but are frightened by the experience. Phil, London My girlfriend is staying at a Spanish school near Cancun. She sat the storm out in the school house with about 8 other students. She said it was very loud and scary, but they were all fine, except for the loss of all but one TV channel. Paul C Dunn, London We have been taking it pretty calmly. Even though others have been preparing by taping up windows, buying water, etc, my family has been going on with life quite normally. I even went swimming today. There are rumours that the local schools may be opened up as public shelters, should the need arise. Rene Hinojosa, Alice, Texas By Saturday night a curfew had been declared and everyone was inside waiting Elaine, George Town, Grand Cayman My Godmother and her boyfriend are staying in the Marriott Hotel in Cancun. We phoned them yesterday before the storm, they were to be taken downstairs into the ballroom with all the other guests at about midnight their time, to wait out the storm. I hope she is OK. We are awaiting their txt message. Rebecca Greaves, Tockwith, York, England This year has been real hectic here in the Caribbean. Last year was incredible with four big hurricanes going through; this year we have narrowly avoided these latest five. We were hit hard by Hurricane Lenny in 2001, since then we are simply praying and keeping alert. These hurricanes are getting worse, and if global warming is true, then we are going to get more of these. We here in St Kitt's are as prepared as we are going to be. It seems that no amount of preparation, prepares for the emotional and mental shock of actually experiencing one of Nature's wonders and terrors. Jason Graves, St Kitt's, West Indies (originally from the UK) Stephen, my nephew, and his girlfriend Ellie are on holiday in Mexico and have been evacuated inland. They have only the clothes they were wearing and we have not heard anything from them for some time as they need to preserve the phone battery. Stephen Saberton, Pymoor, Ely, Cambs, England I live in Edinburg, about 60 miles west of Brownsville TX. We are getting worried that the path of Emily may come within 50 miles of Brownsville and we are braced for the threat of flooding rain, heavy winds and tornados. We have already bought bottled water, canned food and other supplies. The locals are pretty laid back about it, some were out mowing their lawns this morning and nobody on my street has boarded up their windows or taken any other visible precautions. Brian Edwards, Edinburg, Texas, USA Name: Email address: Town and Country: Phone number (optional): Comments: The BBC may edit your comments and cannot guarantee that all emails will be published. \|\|\|\|\| BULL BAY, Jamaica — Fishermen dragged skiffs ashore and surfers rode enormous waves as Hurricane Emily's winds strengthened yesterday to 155 mph, passing south of Jamaica and on track to make a direct hit on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. The Category 4 storm was on track to pass close to Grand Cayman Island overnight before smashing into the Yucatan Peninsula on its way to the Gulf of Mexico and possibly southern Texas this week. Dave Roberts, a meteorologist with the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, said it was the strongest storm to form this early in the Atlantic season since record-keeping began in 1860. Mexican officials launched the evacuation of 85,000 people yesterday across more than 100 miles of coastline, including the resorts of Tulum and Playa del Carmen, and ordered the relocation of 30,000 tourists in Cancún. The state oil company, Petróleos Mexicanos, evacuated its platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. In Mexico, long lines choked the Cancún airport as tourists rushed to leave. Businesses boarded over and taped windows to protect them from shattering. "The locals seem pretty nonchalant about it," said Becky Hart, 29, a teacher from Madera, Calif., as she waited to board a plane. "But then at the hotel they started chopping down the coconuts from the trees and moving people from the top floors." Emily's winds strengthened yesterday afternoon to near 155 mph and the storm could at times become a Category 5 hurricane — the strongest storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale once sustained winds top 155 mph, the hurricane center said. Howling gusts kicked up 8-foot waves and bent palm trees double in Kingston, Jamaica's capital, last night. Torrential rains drenched parts of Jamaica's south coast and began spreading over the Cayman Islands, the hurricane center said. Jamaican officials sent buses to evacuate hundreds of residents in flood-prone communities along the southern coast, but all refused to leave, said Nadene Newsome, spokeswoman for Jamaica's emergency management office. In the seaside fishing village of Port Royal, on a peninsula just south of Kingston, storm-weary locals again boarded up windows and tied down metal roofs, just over a week after Hurricane Dennis sideswiped the island. Hurricane-force winds extended up to 60 miles and tropical-storm force winds extended up to 150 miles. The hurricane center warned the storm could dump up to 15 inches of rain over parts of Jamaica, raising the danger of flash floods and mudslides. If Emily remains on track, it's likely to strike land in the eastern Yucatan tonight, lose some strength as it moves overland, then regain its dangerous energy in warm waters over the Gulf of Mexico, said hurricane specialist Jack Beven. He said Emily was likely to make landfall again sometime Wednesday, but cautioned it was too early for a precise prediction. Emily has unleashed heavy surf, winds and torrential rains across the Caribbean, hitting Grenada hard Thursday even as the island was recovering from the devastation of last year's Hurricane Ivan. Grenada declared a national disaster Friday after Emily's winds ravaged hundreds of homes and killed at least one man. Associated Press writers Jorge Rueda, Michael Bascombe and Mark Stevenson contributed to this report.	The outer bands of the Category 4 storm Hurricane Emily started to affect Jamaica shortly before 8:00am Saturday. Increasing winds and rain swept the island nation throughout the afternoon as the eye of the storm passed 100 miles off the southern coast. Utility poles were downed and storm debris closed the seaside highway to the international airport. Other roads were reported closed as well. While islanders did not get through the two storms unscathed, and 4 people were left dead, the Land and Environment Minister Dean Peart told reporters, "Mercifully, Jamaica was spared the worst". Buses were sent by officials to southern coastal areas to evacuate residents from the flood prone region, but most refused to leave and preferred to ride it out beside 8 foot waves that pounded areas of the coast line. Wind gusts of 155 mph doubled over palm trees in the capital city of Kingston. At a southern penninsula seaside fishing villiage, Port Royal residents boarded up and prepared for the worst again, as surfers gathered nearby to take on the challenge of 15 to 18 foot waves. "If I'm going to die, it's going to be right here," said a local resident Gordon Murphy, 39, with his 2-year-old son. "What's next?" he joked, "Hurricane Franklin?" Many shops and businesses stayed open as long as they could, classifying it as another inconvenience despite its near Category 5 strength. Instead of the possible disaster that many prepared for, by late afternoon, Emily had all but disappeared. Light scattered showers in some areas of the island were the only remnant, as residents went about their lives after the second hurricane scare in as many weeks. Supplies that many stocked for Dennis and Emily may yet be put to use. Many wonder what storms are yet to come. Authorities say this will be one of the most active hurricane seasons in history. Emily was the strongest and earliest to form this year since records, dating back to 1860, have been kept. Earlier, Emily stuck Grenada on Thursday with nearly a direct hit. A national disaster was called the day after its winds ravaged hundreds of homes and killed at least one man.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces have taken control of areas previously held by Kurdish forces in Mosul’s Nineveh province in northern Iraq, a military statement said on Wednesday. The areas were evacuated by Kurdish Peshmerga fighters before the arrival of the Iraqi forces on Tuesday, the statement said. The Peshmerga had taken them over the past three years as part of the war against Islamic State militants. The Mosul Dam, northwest of the city, is among the positions retaken from the Peshmerga, the military statement said. Responding to a Kurdish referendum on independence held last month, Iraqi government forces backed by Iranian-trained paramilitary groups captured the Kurdish-held oil region of Kirkuk on Monday, transforming the country’s balance of power. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the retaking of Kirkuk on Monday, as well as all disputed areas claimed by both the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government and the central authorities in Baghdad. \|\|\|\|\| The 48-hour offensive saw Kurdish forces entirely confined to their long-standing three-province autonomous region. Iraq’s military says it achieved its objectives in a lightning-quick operation that saw troops sweep through disputed Kurdish-held territory in a punishing riposte to an independence vote last month. Iraqi troops and allied militia retook the northern province of Kirkuk and its lucrative oil fields on Monday and Tuesday, as well as formerly Kurdish-held areas of Nineveh and Diyala provinces – all outside the autonomous Kurdish region. {articleGUID} Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Kurdish hopes for an independent state were now “a thing of the past”. “Security has been restored in sectors of Kirkuk, including Dibis, Al-Multaqa, and the Khabbaz and Bai Hassan North and South oil fields,” Iraq’s Joint Operations Command said on Wednesday. “Forces have been redeployed and have retaken control of Khanaqin and Jalawla in Diyala province, as well as Makhmur, Bashiqa, Mosul dam, Sinjar and other areas in the Nineveh plains.” The 48-hour operation saw Kurdish forces almost entirely confined to their long-standing three-province autonomous region in the north. It dealt a body blow to the region’s finances by depriving it of the output from the Kirkuk oil fields, which had made up much of its exports. Many people who fled the region continued to return on Wednesday. “We are about to enter [the city], but we don’t know if it is safe or not,” resident Hassan Khader told Al Jazeera. “Where else can I go? It’s better to go back to our house and our city.” Iraqi security forces advance in Kirkuk [Alaa al-Marjani/Reuters] It remains unclear how many Peshmerga fighters were killed in sporadic clashes during the takeover. “Since last night we’ve received 25 corpses of Peshmerga troops killed in battles of Kirkuk and its suburbs,” Barzan Mohammed, a morgue official in the Kurdish region’s second city of Sulaimaniyah, told Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, Iraqi Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaybi called on British energy giant BP on Wednesday to help develop fields in the northern province. The Iraqi oil ministry signed a consultancy contract with BP in 2013 to help the state-owned North Oil Company develop the Havana and Baba Gurgur fields. Luaybi appealed to the firm – whose origins lie in the development of oil in then British-ruled Iraq nearly a century ago – to “quickly make plans to develop the Kirkuk oil fields”. But it was never implemented as Baghdad lost control of the fields to Kurdish forces the following year during the chaos of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s (ISIL, also known as ISIS) capture of the region in 2014. \|\|\|\|\| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Iraqi federal police advance towards disputed city of Kirkuk Iraqi government forces have taken control of the two largest oilfields near the disputed city of Kirkuk after Kurdish forces left the area. Iraqi troops began a takeover of Kirkuk on Monday. The actions come three weeks after a Kurdish referendum on independence, which was declared illegitimate by the central Iraqi government. Voters in the Kurdish autonomous region and Kurdish-held areas overwhelmingly backed secession. On Tuesday, Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani released a statement calling for peace and pledging to keep working towards independence. "The loud voices you raised for the independence of Kurdistan, which you sent to all nations and world countries, will not be wasted now or ever," he said, according to Irbil-based Rudaw news site. He also blamed the loss of Kirkuk on internal disputes between Kurdish politicians. The speed with which Iraqi forces reached the centre of Kirkuk has led the two main armed Kurdish parties to accuse each other of "betrayal". Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the latest operation was necessary to "protect the unity of the country", having previously denounced the referendum as unconstitutional. A sudden switch By Orla Guerin, BBC News, Kirkuk A large statute of a Peshmerga fighter still looms over the entrance to Kirkuk, but otherwise there's little sign left of Kurdish control. Iraqi forces are now firmly in command, manning new checkpoints on the road to the city. The city was peaceful but Kurdish areas looked like a ghost town, with shops and homes sealed shut. The thousands who fled the Iraqi advance have not rushed back. The few people we found on the streets spoke of uncertainty, and loss. Some were angry at Peshmerga fighters for not defending the city. Others blamed the Kurdish leader, Massoud Barzani, for triggering the Iraqi takeover with last month's independence vote. A large poster of President Barzani has been damaged by fire. Locals told us Shia militia, officially controlled by Baghdad, set it alight when they entered the city. The burnt portrait is a potent symbol of his loss of authority here. Why is Kirkuk at the heart of this crisis? Kirkuk is an oil-rich province and its oilfields are vital to the Kurdish economy. It lies outside the official Kurdistan region and is claimed by both the Kurds and the central government. It is thought to have a Kurdish majority, but its provincial capital also has large Arab and Turkmen populations. Kurdish Peshmerga forces took control of much of the province in 2014, when Islamic State (IS) group militants swept across northern Iraq and the Iraqi army collapsed. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Shooting breaks out at a checkpoint in Kirkuk On Tuesday, Iraqi forces captured the Bai Hassan and Avana oilfields run by state-owned North Oil Company, north of Kirkuk. A day earlier, troops had captured other key military bases and other oilfields, as well as the governor's office. Forces pulled down the Kurdish flag, which had been flying alongside the Iraqi national flag, reports said. Which areas are affected? Kurdish forces have also left an area on the border with Iran, reports say. Iraqi troops are also preparing to take control of the Khanaqin area, where a small oilfield is located, security sources were quoted by Reuters news agency as saying. Meanwhile, a Yazidi militia retook the town of Sinjar, in the northern Nineveh province, without violence. Peshmerga forces had established control over Sinjar while battling IS. The town was the site of one of the group's worst atrocities, when thousands of Yazidis were killed and enslaved after the jihadists seized control in 2014. Territorial control before 16 Oct 2017 The United States said it was "very concerned" by reports of violence around Kirkuk and urged "calm". The Peshmerga General Command, which is led by President Massoud Barzani of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), accused officials from the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of aiding "the plot against the people of Kurdistan". The PUK denied being part of ordering any withdrawal, saying dozens of their fighters had been killed and hurt, but noted "not even one KDP Peshmerga has been martyred as of yet in the fighting in Kirkuk". \|\|\|\|\| BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi described the Kurdistan region’s planned referendum on independence as “unconstitutional” on Tuesday, hours after parliament voted against the regional plebiscite. “I call upon the Kurdish leadership to come to Baghdad and conclude a dialogue,” Abadi said at a news conference.	Yesterday, the Iraqi army said they had regained control over the city of , which was occupied by fighters of 's autonomous regions. After a 48-hour long operation to regain control, Iraqi joint operation command said, "Security has been restored in sectors of Kirkuk, including Dibis, Al-Multaqa, and the Khabbaz and Bai Hassan North and South oil fields". They named areas in 's as under army control as well. The oil fields of Bai Hassan and Avana were captured by the army on Tuesday. Iraqi Prime Minister gave orders on Monday to capture disputed areas between the Kurdistan autonomous regions and Iraq. The city of Kirkuk has oil fields, and the signed a contract with UK oil company for consultancy in 2013. But, the following year, while Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant was fighting the Iraqi army, Peshmerga gained control over much of the area. In the operation to re-gain the control, at least 25 Peshmerga fighters were killed, reported '''' citing morgue official Barzan Mohammed. The Prime Minister said Iraq had to regain control of the oil fields and other areas occupied by Peshmerga to "protect the unity of the country". Three weeks ago, Kurdistan held an independence referendum, which the prime minister called "unconstitutional". After regaining control, Al-Abadi said plans of an independent Kurdistan were "a thing of past".
Native Group Locks Gate of Historic Palace In Bid To Restore Hawaii Nation April 30, 2008 10:07 p.m. EST Windsor Genova - AHN News Writer Honolulu, HI (AHN) - A group of Hawaii natives locked the gates of the historic Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu on Wednesday in a bid to reclaim and restore the former seat of the islands' monarchy and traditional government. The group, composed of about 60 people calling themselves the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, prevented workers of the palace-museum from leaving and non-natives from entering. There was no response from the state police when the group's action were reported, but the group learned that warrants for their arrest were being prepared. The Associated Press quoted HKG leader Mahealani Kahau as saying that the group doesn't recognize Hawaii as a U.S. state. Kahau, whom the group recognizes as the head of state, told AP, "The Hawaiian Kingdom Government is here and it doesn't plan to leave. This is a continuity of the Hawaiian Kingdom of 1892 to today." The report also quoted her as saying they will keep the protest peaceful and would return later if evicted. The Iolani Palace was built in 1882 with King Kalakaua as its royal resident followed by his sister and successor Queen Liliuokalani. The monarchy ended in 1893 with the queen as the last ruler. In 1959, Hawaii became part of the U.S. as the 50th state. \|\|\|\|\| A sign is posted on the gate of the Iolani Palace, Wednesday, April 30, 2008 in Honolulu. A Native Hawaiian group that advocates sovereignty locked the gates of a historic palace Wednesday in downtown Honolulu, saying it would carry out the business of what it considers the legitimate government of the islands. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia) Hawaiian sovereignty seekers take over palace in Honolulu HONOLULU (AP) — A Native Hawaiian group that advocates sovereignty locked the gates of a historic palace in downtown Honolulu on Wednesday, saying it would carry out the business of what it considers the legitimate government of the islands. State deputy sheriffs weren't allowing anyone else to enter Iolani Palace grounds as unarmed security guards from the Hawaiian Kingdom Government group blocked all gates to the palace, which is adjacent to the state Capitol. The group said it learned from Honolulu Police Chief Boisse Correa that arrest warrants were being prepared for the 60 or so protesters and would probably be served later in the day. Police have not confirmed that to The Associated Press. Protest leaders said they were prepared to be arrested and would go peacefully. Protest leader Mahealani Kahau said the group doesn't recognize Hawaii as a U.S. state. Supporters planned to keep the protest peaceful and if evicted would return later, she said. The group is one of several Hawaiian sovereignty organizations in the islands, which became the 50th U.S. state in 1959. The ornate Iolani Palace is operated as a museum. Hawaiian King Kalakaua built it in 1882, and it also served as the residence for his sister and successor, Queen Liliuokalani, the islands' last ruling monarch. It was neglected after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 and restored in the 1970s as a National Historic Landmark. It includes a gift shop and is open for school groups and paid tours. "The Hawaiian Kingdom Government is here and it doesn't plan to leave. This is a continuity of the Hawaiian Kingdom of 1892 to today," said Kahau, who was elected head of state of the group seven years ago. The protesters aren't damaging anything in the palace grounds, Kahau said. Workers inside the palace itself had locked the doors and were not letting them inside. "We will not resist, we won't fight, we won't be aggressive. But we'll be back for sure," Kahau said. No matter what happened Wednesday, the protesters planned to return to the palace Thursday, she said. State Sen. Kalani English — a Native Hawaiian and a Democrat from East Maui-Lanai-Molokai — came over from the Capitol to speak with some of the protesters, and had his staff take them food. "This is the manifestation of the frustration of the Hawaiian people for the loss of sovereignty and land," English said. "It is symbolic. This made a statement. It got the word out about the plight of the Hawaiian people," he said. Richard Kinney, who described himself as an independent Hawaiian nationalist, said he went to the Capitol to show his support. He carried an upside-down Hawaii state flag, signaling distress. "The sovereignty of these islands is inherent to the Hawaiian people, and we've never relinquished that," he said. "Occupying any land, including Iolani Palace, is the beginning," Kinney said. Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of Iolani Palace, issued a statement that said the protesters delivered a written message to palace officials claiming the grounds as the seat of their government. "While we respect the freedom of Hawaiian groups to hold an opinion on the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, we believe that blocking public access to Iolani Palace is wrong and certainly detrimental to our mission to share the palace and its history with our residents, our keiki (children) and our visitors," Chu said. \|\|\|\|\| Hawaii News > Local News > Hawaii News Native Hawaiians occupy Iolani Palace grounds Email: "Native Hawaiians occupy Iolani Palace grounds" * To: \|\|\|\|\| Members say protest will go on today but gates will stay open A Hawaiian sovereignty group occupied the grounds of 'Iolani Palace, locked the gates and blocked non-Hawaiians from entering for about eight hours yesterday to protest the U.S.-backed overthrow of the Hawaiian government more than a century ago. The protest was conducted by the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, one of several groups that claim to be the successor government of Hawai'i. The group said it will return to the palace today but will not lock the gates. No arrests were made yesterday and the protest ended peacefully with the group removing the locks it had placed on the gates at around 5:30 a.m. Extra security will be on hand this morning to ensure the gates will not be locked again, said Laura Thielen, head of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, which has jurisdiction over the palace grounds. A number of symbolic protests have been staged on the palace grounds to draw attention to Native Hawaiian issues, some with the consent of palace officials. But yesterday's action went further than most by actually locking the gates to the palace grounds and shutting down not just the former residence of Hawaiian royalty but also the State Archives Building. Thielen said it has not been decided what, if any, charges would be filed against the group or its members. "That depends. We'll remain assessing the situation and see what happens," she said. "We wanted to have a peaceful end to the protest. We wanted to make sure that the open area remained open to the public, and we wanted to make sure that these historic buildings remained safe and secure," Thielen said. Honolulu Police Department Chief Boisse Correa, wearing a suit, arrived on the property at around noon accompanied by police spokesman Maj. Frank Fujii in an aloha shirt. Correa sat cross-legged on the grass and spoke with Mahealani Kahau, leader of the group, for about 10 minutes and left without speaking to reporters. Kahau said Correa told her that because palace grounds are under the jurisdiction of the state, HPD is not required to take any action against the group. "HPD is going to stay away because ... he (Correa) is still a friend of the Hawaiian kingdom and he understands our beliefs. He support," Kahau said. Sen. Will Espero, D-20th ('Ewa Beach, Waipahu), blasted the administration of Gov. Linda Lingle for failing to stop the action. "As chairman of the Public Safety Committee, I was concerned that our law enforcement division the sheriffs and the Honolulu Police Department were not present," Espero said in a news release. Espero said he was told by those at the gates that the state knew in advance that the Hawaiian Kingdom Government would be taking action. Espero said that while he supports peaceful protests, "when these actions affect state government operations and personnel, our state leaders must be held accountable for their action or inaction. The DLNR controls the state property that is under siege, and the sheriff's office protects state property." 'not going to go away' The palace was shut down to business for the day and roughly 35 employees sent home except for two security officers. The state archives office also was closed to the public for the day and about 10 employees sent home. Thielen and Lingle spokesman Russell Pang said neither they nor other state officials knew members of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government would lock the gates to the palace grounds. Kahau and other leaders of the group began meeting with state officials earlier this week. Kippen de Alba Chu, executive director of Friends of 'Iolani Palace, said he and DLNR officials were given papers from the Hawaiian Kingdom Government on Monday "claiming that they are the legitimate government and not subject to state law." "This is the seat of government; we're not going to go away," Kahau said. "The Hawaiian Kingdom Government has resumed its lawful status as the functioning government." Between 50 and 70 people claiming to be part of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government arrived at the palace grounds at about 5:30 a.m. yesterday and began locking each of the roughly eight entrances. They also placed signs stating, "Warning! No Trespassing; This is private property" on the famous wrought-iron gates surrounding the palace. Group security guards stationed at the gates allowed in people with Hawaiian blood and members of the news media. Non-Hawaiians were told they would be allowed entry only if they "registered" with the government. The group did not enter the palace itself, where two 'Iolani Palace personnel stayed in place throughout the day, Thielen said. The state leases the palace to the nonprofit Friends of 'Iolani Palace. At about 2 p.m., DLNR law enforcement chief Gary Moniz met briefly with Kahau. Shortly thereafter, the gates to the grounds were reopened. Thielen, who arrived on the scene a short time later, said the group's members would be allowed to stay through the day, like all other members of the public. Kahau and her group stayed on the site until about 4 p.m. "We'll be here at 6 o'clock in the morning," Kahau said, as others in her group began packing up. Kahau said the members of her group were unarmed and that they neither intended to occupy the palace itself or get themselves arrested. "We've been told that warrants are being issued to have us arrested," Kahau said around noon, shortly after a huddle with Correa. "Let it be known that when they come we're going to leave graciously but we're going to be back tomorrow." The Hawaiian Kingdom Government is one of the lesser known groups that claim to be the legitimate representatives of Native Hawaiians. The group does not recognize U.S. or Hawai'i state authority. Other sovereignty groups include the Reinstated Hawaiian Government headed by Henry Noa, and the Independent and Sovereign National State of Hawai'i (Nation of Hawai'i) headed by Dennis Pu'uhonua "Bumpy" Kanahele. The Hawaiian Kingdom Government is one of the few groups to have an actual office from which its leaders hold regular hours. For at least the past two years, it has operated out of an office at 210 'Iolani Ave. According to its Web site, its goals include quality housing for the Hawaiian people and lowering the cost of education and healthcare for residents. Calls of support The Office of Hawaiian Affairs several years ago granted $10,000 to the group for a meeting that took place on the palace grounds to discuss the issue of nationhood for Native Hawaiians. Chu, of the Friends of 'Iolani Palace, said the Hawaiian Kingdom Government asked to take over the old 'Iolani barracks, also known as Halekoa, and the Kana'ina Building, formerly the archives building and now occupied by Chu and his staff. In response, "I said we have a lease agreement with the state," Chu said. The agreement calls for the Friends group to occupy and maintain the palace for five years. Kahau said that her group does not want to occupy the palace "because that's a sacred place." The group received several calls of support from the leaders of other sovereignty organizations yesterday, Kahau said, including Kanahele and Noa. "They all support what we're doing today," Kahau said. "We're walking the same path with them." Several members of Hui Pu, a loose-knit group of sovereignty organizations, came to the palace to show support. Andre Perez, a Hui Pu member, said "all Hawaiians seeking self-determination and self-governance should support these kinds of actions." Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com. \|\|\|\|\| Richard Kinney held an upside-down Hawaii state flag, a sign of distress, in support of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, a group that blocked off Iolani Palace yesterday. DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Richard Kinney held an upside-down Hawaii state flag, a sign of distress, in support of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, a group that blocked off Iolani Palace yesterday. Group of Hawaiians occupies Iolani Palace, vows to return Native Hawaiians occupy palace grounds STORY SUMMARY » Iolani Palace, home of Hawaiian monarchs and one of Honolulu's most popular attractions, was closed for several hours yesterday as a Hawaiian sovereignty group occupied the grounds peacefully. State sheriffs and special agents responded as members of the self- described Hawaiian Kingdom Government turned away the public beginning around 9 a.m. Several dozen state workers and tourists were inconvenienced. The protest ended after 2 p.m., but the group promised to return this morning. FULL STORY » A native Hawaiian organization blocked the grounds to Iolani Palace for most of the day yesterday in a move to declare its status as the Hawaiian kingdom's government. The gates surrounding the palace were reopened to the public after 2 p.m., following negotiations with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. However, the group's leaders vowed to return at 8 a.m. today. About 70 members of the organization, called the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, locked themselves in the grounds with padlocks and chains, state officials said. The group claimed the state had placed the locks. Following an hours-long standoff at Iolani Palace yesterday, a group called the Hawaiian Kingdom Government emerged from behind locked gates after negotiations with state land officials. DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Following an hours-long standoff at Iolani Palace yesterday, a group called the Hawaiian Kingdom Government emerged from behind locked gates after negotiations with state land officials. Its head of state, Mahealani Kahau, said the group was operating as a government as of yesterday, with executive, legislative and judicial branches present on the grounds. Yesterday, the group's guards put up yellow "No Trespassing" signs at the palace's several gates to "give awareness and notice to everyone that passes that the Hawaiian Kingdom Government has resumed its lawful status as the seat of government," Kahau said. The incident ended peacefully with no arrests. However, the grounds were surrounded for most of the day by state sheriffs and special agents from the state attorney general's office. State security for the palace grounds will increase this morning, DLNR Director Laura Thielen said, adding that she hopes that talks will continue with the group. She said the members could face charges. "We'll remain assessing the situation and see what happens," Thielen said. "Clearly, they're going to be remaining on the property for a while." Thielen said the state's main concerns were: » Keeping the land open to the public. » Ensuring the safety of all involved. » Securing the historic building and its contents. The executive director of the Friends of Iolani Palace, Kippen de Alba Chu, decried the group's actions. Chu said the palace was the royal residence and that government activities were carried out in the now-demolished courthouse, then later in Aliiolani Hale. "It is historically wrong for any individual or group to state that the palace is to serve as a government building," Chu said. "The removal of government functions from the palace and its restoration as the place of residence of the Hawaiian alii were, in fact, significant steps to acknowledge its true and proper position." The west gate had been barred and a "Warning!" sign posted. DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM The west gate had been barred and a "Warning!" sign posted. Kahau disputed Chu's comments, saying the kingdom used the palace for legislative purposes after the 19th-century American overthrow. "What they thought they took over was the Hawaii kingdom government, but they did not," Kahau said. "As long as we have a breath to speak, we are here." The group said it intends to use the palace grounds to operate its government, including the State Archives. Thielen said the group needs to obtain authority from the court before operating out of any state building. Kahau said the group hopes to create programs to benefit education. When asked where it would get funding, she said, "We have ways" and declined further comment. Maui Sen. J. Kalani English (D, Hana-Kahoolawe) walked over from his state Capitol office to show support and brought the group food. "I'm here as a Hawaiian to let them know that they're acknowledged and that they're heard," he said. While on the palace grounds, Kahau was flanked by about a half-dozen unarmed bodyguards sporting sunglasses and using push-to-talk phones. Panakonaue Kahau, Hawaiian Kingdom Government's interior minister, said the organization began with 45 people who elected the leadership. "The only lawful government here on the islands is us," said Kahau, brother of Mahealani Kahau. To become a part of the kingdom, a person must watch a video presentation and pray for guidance, he said. Kippen de Alba Chu, left, Friends of Iolani Palace executive director, greeted Mahealani Kahau, head of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, after the gates opened. DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Kippen de Alba Chu, left, Friends of Iolani Palace executive director, greeted Mahealani Kahau, head of the Hawaiian Kingdom Government, after the gates opened. The incident inconvenienced dozens, including the palace's 28 employees and about 24 volunteers with the Friends of the Iolani Palace who did not work yesterday. State Capitol workers also were told to park elsewhere, while three group tours and about 40 reservations for guided tours were canceled yesterday morning. Kahau said that if her group's actions inconvenienced other people, "it's probably because they don't have the understand of who we are and why we did what we did today." Former Alaska resident Fred Salter, who recently moved to California, has visited Hawaii five times before. The only tourist spot he never visited was Iolani Palace, which he and his wife hoped to accomplish yesterday. Salter said he is a history buff and sympathizes with the plight of native Hawaiians. He compared it to the protests of native people in Alaska. "If you don't have a resolved situation, you're going to have people that are always at each other's throats," Salter said. Star-Bulletin reporter Robert Shikina contributed to this report.	The 'Iolani Palace, located in the Hawaiian capital of Honolulu. According to reports, a group of Hawaiian natives, referring to themselves as the "Hawaiian Kingdom Government" under leader Mahealani Kahau, entered the historic 'Iolani Palace Wednesday to allegedly restore the former self-governing nation, overthrown over a century ago. At about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, an estimated 70 members of the organization padlocked the eight entrances of the palace, once the home of the Hawaiian monarchy, and peacefully occupied the property for about eight hours. Several dozen employees, volunteers and tourists were prevented from entering. The protest ended peacefully by 2 p.m. following negotiations with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. No arrests were made, though the group vowed to return in the morning. "We will not resist, we won't fight, we won't be aggressive. But we'll be back for sure," Kahau said. "The Hawaiian Kingdom Government is here and it doesn't plan to leave. This is a continuity of the Hawaiian Kingdom of 1892 to today." The palace was constructed for King Kalakaua and later his sister, Queen Liliuokalani. The monarchy ended in 1893 and, in 1959, Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state.
KABUL, Afghanistan A Taliban suicide bomber wounded eight American soldiers in Kabul on Tuesday afternoon, in what appeared to be an attack on their convoy during the evening rush just outside the gates of a United States military base, Camp Phoenix. At least eight civilians were wounded as well, but there were no confirmed reports of fatalities. The Taliban immediately said it had carried out the attack, and a spokesman for the group, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed in a telephone interview that the bomber had succeeded in “killing and wounding” 10 American soldiers and destroying three military vehicles. The American military, however, said none of its troops had been killed, although eight American service members had minor wounds. “There has been no indication of any fatalities associated with this incident, despite reported claims by the Taliban,” the military said in an e-mailed statement. Agence France-Presse reported that the Kabul police chief, Abdul Rahman, said that three American military interpreters were among the wounded. The suicide bomber approached the main gate of Camp Phoenix, located on Jalalabad Road, a busy highway in the eastern part of the capital, about 4:45 p.m. and detonated the explosives in his Toyota minivan. Sayed Abdul Ghafar, head of the criminal investigation division of the Kabul police, said the explosion damaged 11 civilian vehicles in the immediate area and wounded eight civilians, mostly day laborers who at that time would normally be heading out of the base at the end of the workday. All were in stable condition, said an Interior Ministry spokesman, Zemary Bashary. “The target of the suicide attacker seemed to be foreign forces, but we couldn’t see any American vehicle damaged there, because the road was blocked by American forces,” Mr. Ghafar said. “We don’t know exactly the casualties among the foreign forces.” The American forces blocked off the area, closing the highway to all traffic. “They won’t even let the Afghan National Police near it,” said an Afghan policeman about 300 yards from the camp gates. The Taliban had previously attacked Kabul on Jan. 18, when militants detonated at least four suicide bombs and battled against Afghan commandos 50 yards from the gates of the presidential palace, an attack aimed at unnerving the Afghan capital. The attack was repulsed, but not before three members of the security forces and two civilians were killed. On Monday night, four police officers were killed at a checkpoint outside a government office in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan, officials said. Dawoud Ahmadi, a provincial spokesman, described the attacker as someone who had been a guest at the police post a few hours earlier, and after leaving, he returned to kill the officers, escaping with their weapons and vehicle. Mr. Ahmadi said authorities believed the attacker had ties to the Taliban. The location was less than 300 yards from the governor’s office. Taliban militants frequently carry out ambushes on Afghan police posts throughout the country, and particularly in Helmand. More American and NATO personnel have been killed in Helmand than in any other Afghan province, and some of the additional 30,000 United States troops being sent to the country are expected to be deployed there. \|\|\|\|\| Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan - A car bomb blew up Tuesday at the gates of a U.S. military base on the outskirts of Kabul, and Afghan officials said at least half a dozen people were hurt. The Taliban claimed responsibility.The attack, the second major strike in Afghanistan's capital in just over a week, appeared intended as a reminder of the insurgency's strength in advance of a major international conference on the country's security.President Hamid Karzai is to meet in London on Thursday with senior representatives of countries contributing troops and aid to Afghanistan, with the aim of bolstering support for the war effort and his beleaguered government. He also is expected to voice support for trying to bring the Taliban into the political process and persuading foot soldiers to lay down their arms in exchange for jobs and other incentives.Tuesday's attack took place just outside an installation known as Camp Phoenix, used mainly by U.S. troops who are helping to train Afghan security forces. Building up the nation's army and police force is considered a cornerstone of the West's eventual exit strategy, though military officials acknowledge that it will be a difficult undertaking.Camp Phoenix, on the main road leading out of Kabul toward the eastern city of Jalalabad, is a frequent target of insurgent attacks, in part because it is close to a main roadway, and suicide bombers often try to strike convoys that are arriving or leaving. Such an attack in mid-November injured about two dozen people, nine of them Western troops.U.S. and other Western military officials did not immediately disclose whether any troops were among those wounded in Tuesday's attack, which came during evening rush hour. Afghan officials reported that at least six people were; all or most of the injured were believed to be civilians.The latest bombing came eight days after insurgents paralyzed the capital with an hours-long assault on government buildings and other targets in the city center. Seven attackers were killed, and although the toll was relatively low -- five other deaths -- the insurgents' demonstrated ability to infiltrate heavily guarded parts of Kabul was a major symbolic blow to the Karzai government and added to a growing sense of insecurity felt by many city residents.On Tuesday, Afghan intelligence officials provided the most detailed information yet about the Jan. 18 attack in the capital.At a news conference, they showed a video of an Afghan man arrested last week on suspicion of helping to carry out the attack.In it, the man, identified as Kamaluddin, said he received his orders from the Haqqani network, a virulent militant organization whose leadership is based in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal area. Speaking in calm, measured tones, he said he housed the seven attackers before the strike, providing them with suicide vests and other weapons.	Map of Afghanistan A car bomb exploded today at the gates of a U.S. military base, just outside the Afghan capital of Kabul. According to officials, at least twelve people received injuries. The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident occurred just outside an US installation dubbed "". This is mainly used by American troops which train Afghan security forces. Camp Phoenix is often attacked by insurgents, particularly suicide bombers. In mid-November, an attack in Camp Phoenix, injured 25 people, half of them American soldiers. The Taliban was the group that claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesperson for the bombers, , claimed in a telephone interview that the bomber had allegedly "killed and wounded" ten American soldiers and demolished three military vehicles. Asked about that claim, an American military spokeswoman, Air Force Master Sgt. Sabrina D. Foster, said that a statement would be issued soon but that in the meantime she could confirm only eight United States personnel with minor wounds. According to Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman, three of those injured were American interpreters. Sayed Abdul Ghafar, head of the criminal investigation, Kabul police, said the explosion demolished at least eleven civilian vehicles in the adjoining area. Eight were wounded, most of whom were day laborers who generally would be leaving the base after a day's work. All were reported to be stable by Interior Ministry spokesman, Zemary Bashary. "The target of the suicide attacker seemed to be foreign forces, but we couldn’t see any American vehicle damaged there because the road was blocked by American forces. We don’t know exactly the casualties among the foreign forces," said Ghafar. The American troops soon blocked the area, and barred access to the highway. "They won’t even let the Afghan National Police near it," said an Afghan policeman near the place where the attack occurred. It was the first suicide bombing in Kabul since January 18. In the previous attack, several bombs had been detonated by the attackers, who also fought with Afghan commandos. The situation was brought under control soon; however five people were killed. Earlier today, Afghan intelligence officials provided another statement about this attack; this statement is probably the one with most details. During a news conference, they showed a video which was about an Afghan man arrested for allegedly assisting in the attack. In the video, the man, named Kamaluddin, claimed that he received his orders from the . The latter is a militant organization based in Pakistan's tribal area. He calmly clarified that he had housed the seven attackers before the attack and had provided them with several weapons.
Eccentric music producer Phil Spector was sentenced yesterday to 19 years to life in prison for the murder of a Hollywood actress. Spector, 69, who revolutionized pop music in the 1960s with his layered "Wall of Sound" production technique, was convicted in April of second-degree murder after a second trial. The first trial ended in a deadlock in 2007. Lana Clarkson, 40, a B-movie actress, died of a shot to the mouth, fired from Spector's gun in the foyer of his mock castle home outside Los Angeles on Feb. 3, 2003. The sentence means that Spector must spend at least 19 years in prison before being eligible for parole. If not paroled, he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. (Reuters) Homes in Mumbai Government officials in Mumbai said yesterday that the city will give the two impoverished child stars of the hit movie "Slumdog Millionaire" new homes. Rubina Ali, 9, and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, 10, lost their homes this month when authorities demolished parts of their slum. The filmmakers have also promised them apartments. Rubina was delighted by the prospect of a new home. "I'm very happy," she said yesterday. "I can have a place of my own. It will be much cleaner." (AP) Government officials in Mumbai said yesterday that the city will give the two impoverished child stars of the hit movie "Slumdog Millionaire" new homes., 9, and, 10, lost their homes this month when authorities demolished parts of their slum. The filmmakers have also promised them apartments. Rubina was delighted by the prospect of a new home. "I'm very happy," she said yesterday. "I can have a place of my own. It will be much cleaner." (AP) Spears sued A former TMZ photographer is suing Britney Spears over an incident in which his foot was run over. The lawsuit, filed yesterday by Ricardo Mendoza, claims that Spears negligently operated her car and committed assault and battery in Beverly Hills in October 2007. (AP) A former TMZ photographer is suingover an incident in which his foot was run over. The lawsuit, filed yesterday by, claims that Spears negligently operated her car and committed assault and battery in Beverly Hills in October 2007. (AP) Real live celebrities? 'It's going to be action packed. There's going to be some surprises - nothing I can divulge, but it will involve celebrities.' Andy Samberg describing the MTV Movie Awards, which he'll host tomorrow 'It's going to be action packed. There's going to be some surprises - nothing I can divulge, but it will involve celebrities.'describing the MTV Movie Awards, which he'll host tomorrow © Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. \|\|\|\|\| Phil Spector sentenced, may spend life in prison LOS ANGELES (AP) — There was no soundtrack for the final scene of pop maestro Phil Spector's criminal case. Spector, 69, said nothing as he was sentenced Friday to 19 years to life in prison for the second-degree murder of Lana Clarkson, a one-time B-movie actress who was shot through the mouth in Spector's castle-like mansion six years ago. Now Spector, the difficult genius whose "Wall of Sound" production technique turned pop songs into mini-symphonies in the 1960s, may spend the rest of his life in prison. Spector, who would not be eligible for parole until he is 88, showed no emotion before being led away to prison. Spector's lawyers spent two trials and millions of dollars arguing that Clarkson killed herself while battling depression. They vowed to appeal. His family seemed as divided as the jurors who had deadlocked at his first trial. "This is a sad day for everybody involved," said Spector's 28-year-old wife, Rachelle. "The Clarkson family has lost a daughter and a sister. I've lost my husband, my best friend. I feel that a grave injustice has been done and from this day forward I'm going to dedicate myself to proving my husband's innocence." "I'm torn about this," said Spector's son, Louis. "I'm losing my father who is going to spend his life in jail. At the same time, justice is served." Superior Court Judge Larry Fidler sentenced Spector to the mandatory 15 years to life in prison, added a four-year enhancement for personal use of a gun and imposed more than $26,000 in restitution fees. Spector's attorney, Doron Weinberg, asked that his client quickly be transferred from Los Angeles County jail to a state prison. Weinberg said Spector had surgery this week for precancerous polyps on his vocal cords and correctional authorities are prepared to deal with his multiple medical issues. "The faster he can get to his ultimate destination, he can get organized and start to live the rest of his life," Weinberg said. "He will be a very high-profile inmate and there's a question of how others will treat him." In his heyday in the early and mid-1960s, Spector produced dozens of hits, including The Ronette's "Be My Baby," The Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron" and The Righteous Brothers' classic, "You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin.'" Spector also worked on the Beatles album "Let It Be" and John Lennon's album, "Imagine." His "Wall of Sound" used orchestrations and sometimes dozens of microphones to producer a dense, echoing sound that influenced everyone from The Beach Boys to Bruce Springsteen. But Spector also had a troubled reputation. In the 1970s, he got probation for possessing and brandishing a gun. Singer Leonard Cohen once said the producer held a gun to his chest. Clarkson, 40, didn't know Spector's musical legacy when she met him only hours before she died at his Alhambra "castle" in February 2003. The star of Roger Corman's 1985 cult film classic "Barbarian Queen" was working as a hostess at the House of Blues nightclub on the Sunset Strip, where she had to be told by a manager that Spector was an important man. She was later found at his mansion in suburban Alhambra, slumped in a chair in a foyer. A gun had been fired in her mouth. Spector's chauffeur, the key witness, said he heard a gunshot, then saw Spector emerge holding a gun and heard him say: "I think I killed somebody." Spector had two trials with essentially the same evidence. The first ended in a jury deadlock and the second with his conviction for second-degree murder. Much of the case hinged on the testimony of five women from Spector's past who said he threatened them with guns when they tried to leave his presence. The forewoman of the jury that convicted Spector was at the sentencing Friday. "It's still sort of heavy on the heart," Irma Soto-Lopez said. "I feel sorry for both families." Deputy District Attorney Alan Jackson had no sympathy for Spector. "He's getting exactly what he deserved," Jackson said. Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.	Phil Spector Music producer Phil Spector has been sentenced to life imprisonment, of which he will serve a minimum of nineteen years in prison. This for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson who was shot through the mouth in Spector's Los Angeles home in 2003. The 69-year-old man had spent two trials and millions of dollars before conviction, with his defense being the claim Clarkson had killed herself due to depression. Spector's chauffeur testified he heard a gunshot before Spector told him "I think I killed somebody" and five separate woman said Spector had previously threatened them with guns. Spector had a previous conviction for brandishing a gun in the 1970s, and received probation at the time. In addition to the mandatory 15 years imprisonment for second-degree murder he will spend another four years in jail due to the use of a firearm, making him 88 when he is eligible for parole. He was also ordered to pay over $26,000 restitution costs. Wife Rachelle Spector maintained her husband's innocence, saying "This is a sad day for everybody involved. The Clarkson family has lost a daughter and a sister. I've lost my husband, my best friend. I feel that a grave injustice has been done and from this day forward I'm going to dedicate myself to proving my husband's innocence." Son Louis Spector, however, felt that his father was guilty. "I'm torn about this. I'm losing my father who is going to spend his life in jail. At the same time, justice is served."
The jackal is said to have been attacked for its meat and teeth. (Photo: India Today) In a shocking incident in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli, authorities have arrested a gang which used explosives to kill a jackal. The forest department arrested 12 Narikuravars for killing a jackal using explosives near Jeeyapuram. The Narikuravar is an indigenous community from Tamil Nadu. The main occupation of the people, who originally belong to the indigenous tribes, is hunting. The jackal reportedly consumed meat which was stuffed with explosives. Eating the meat led to the jackal’s jaws being ripped open because of the explosive. The jackal is said to have been attacked for its meat and teeth. There have been multiple incidents of animals being attacked for their meat, teeth or claws. Vijayaragavan, a police constable who found the 12 people in suspicious circumstances at a tea shop, started probing them and in the process found the jackal’s carcass in a bag. The accused have been identified as Ramraj (21), Saravanan (25), Yesudas (34), Sarathkumar (28), Devadas (41), Pandian (31), Vijayakumar (38), Sathyamoorthy (36), Sarathkumar (26), Rajamanikam (70), Raju (45), and Patampillai (78). READ \| Pregnant cow's jaw blown off by explosive in Himachal, owner blames neighbour; accused arrested READ \| Elephant may have accidentally consumed cracker-filled fruit: Environment Ministry READ \| People take out procession with leopard's body in Guwahati, probe on WATCH \| Pineapple bomb kills pregnant elephant in Kerala, triggers outrage \|\|\|\|\| Chennai Tamil Nadu Forest Department has arrested 12 gypsies for killing a jackal in a Trichy village by packing explosives in meat and blowing up its mouth when it took a bite, said an official. "The 12 men had gone to collect honey in a village and found a jackal roaming around. In order to hunt it for its meat and its teeth, the gypsies had packed explosives inside meat pieces and strewn at several places that the jackal frequents," a forest department official told IANS over phone from Tiruchirappalli or Trichy as it's known. "The bombs are similar to what is called 'onion bomb' that are burst during Diwali. The explosive chemicals are packed and when pressure is applied it will burst," he said. He said when the animal bites the meat, the bomb will explode ripping its jaws apart. Recently in Kerala a pregnant elephant was killed when it ate a fruit packed with explosives. According to the forest official, the gypsies had killed the jackal at night and they were having tea at a tea stall in the morning. The jackal was in their bag. A police constable attached to Jeeyapuram station questioned the gypsies and on checking their bag he found the dead jackal. An official of Jeeyapuram police station told IANS that after inqury, the gypsies were handed over to the forest department officials. \|\|\|\|\| Jayakumar Madala By Express News Service TIRUCHY: In a horrific incident, a gang of 12 Narikuravars were arrested by the forest department for killing a jackal using explosives near Jeeyapuram in Tiruchy on Monday. According to forest officials, the jackal died as the explosive stuffed inside meat ripped its jaws upon eating. Even as the outcry regarding the killing of an elephant using explosives in Kerala is yet to fade out, a new incident comes to light in Tiruchy in which a group of Narikuravars killed a jackal by stuffing explosives in meat. The miscreants allegedly killed the jackal for its teeth and meat. "The group of miscreants went for honey harvesting to a village. While returning, they spotted the presence of a jackal roaming around. So in an attempt to hunt it down, the accused used country-made bombs and blew its jaw off," said a senior forest official. Reportedly, the incident came to light after a police constable spotted the group of Narikuravar drinking tea at a stall with the carcass in a shady bag. "A police constable attached to the Jeeyapuram station spotted the group of Narikuravaras in a tea stall. Seeing their suspective behaviour, he enquired with them. During the initial inquiry, it was found that they had hunted the jackal. Later the information was passed on to us," added the forest officer. The 12 people accused includes Ramraj (21), Saravanan (25), Yesudas (34), Sarathkumar (28), Devadas (41), Pandian (31), Vijayakumar (38), SAThyamoorthy (36), Sarathkumar (26), Rajamanikam (70) Raju (45) Patampillai (78). All the accused belong to Pulankudi Colony near Thiruverumbur. Following the arrest, the forest officials conducted further investigation regarding how they had country bombs in their possession. \|\|\|\|\| TIRUCHI The Forest Department officials on Monday arrested 12 persons on the charge of poaching a fox allegedly using a country bomb stuffed in a bait. The 12 persons were noticed near Perur a few kilometres away from Tiruchi by local police personnel on rounds and on suspicion they informed the police station. The 12 persons were thereafter taken to the Jeeyapuram Police where they were inquired. Since they had a dead fox in their possession, they were handed over to the Forest Department to carry out further legal action. Forest Department officials said the 12 persons hailed from Poolangudi village near Tiruchi and had resorted to poaching the fox near Mekkudi on Sunday. Thereafter, they left for Perur where they were noticed by police personnel on rounds. The dead fox in their possession was seized and an inquiry is being conducted with the arrested persons. \|\|\|\|\| The coronavirus pandemic has returned the spotlight to wildlife trade and zoonotic diseases, with other countries often held more accountable for the issue. A recent publication by a group of scientists, however, shows that poaching and trade in golden jackals may be widespread in India. The study titled “Do wildlife crimes against less charismatic species go unnoticed? A case study of Golden Jackal Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758 poaching and trade in India” was conducted as part of the Wild Canids-India Project, and published in a recent edition of the Journal of Threatened Taxa. Researchers involved with the study are associated with the Wildlife Conservation Society-India, University of Florida in the U.S., the Ashoka Trust for Ecology and the Environment, the Wildlife Conservation Trust, and the National Centre for Biological Sciences, among others. The scientists collected publicly available information from government seizure data, news reports, social media posts, blogs and e-commerce platforms to create a database on jackal hunting, poaching and trade incidents from 2013 to 2019. The study showed that 126 skins, eight tails, more than 370 “jackal horns”, 16 skulls and two live jackals were seized by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (Government of India), a statement by WCS India said. Superstition The analysis by the researchers brought to light a widespread demand for a talisman that appears to be derived from the jackal skull, known as “jackal horn” in English, siyar singhi in Hindi and nari kombu in Tamil/ Kannada/ Telugu. “The ‘jackal horn’ trade is fuelled by extensive online endorsement and unsubstantiated claims made by religious practitioners. Demand based on superstitious and ritualistic beliefs points to a largely ignored threat to India’s wildlife,” the researchers pointed out. Responding to an email query from The Hindu, Arjun Srivasta, one of authors of the paper, underlined that there are more discussions on wildlife trade in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. “Our research uses the jackal as a case study, but there are many more such species that suffer similar pressures. Combating illegal trade will require a multi-pronged approach. Citizens will need to be better aware of the legal consequences and the ethical issues,” Mr. Srivasta said. He also added that there are different reasons behind the trade and consumption of wild animals. “Some are difficult to counter using ‘awareness’ as the only tool. Religious or cultural practices, and traditional medicine that uses wild animal parts, cater to a population that is not easily swayed by better awareness,” the researcher at the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, said. Often overlooked Malaika Mathew Chawla, lead author of the study, said that the database of open source reports could fill knowledge gaps on jackal trade in India.“Our preliminary assessment is an important first step to understanding the type and nature of poaching threats to a relatively common but often overlooked species,” she added. The study is crucial because the India’s efforts in countering wildlife crimes has generally focused on large, iconic species such as tigers, rhinocereses and elephants. The paper indicates that lesser-known, less-charismatic and relatively abundant species may form a large part of illegal wildlife trade in the country.	Authorities on Monday arrested twelve people in Tamil Nadu, India after a died trying to eat a bomb embedded in meat that subsequently exploded. Jackals are protected in India. File photo of a jackal. Officials said a police constable, reportedly one Vijayaragavan, saw the twelve with the dead jackal in , decided to question them after they aroused suspicion at a tea stall, and learned they were responsible for the jackal's death. The forestry department arrested them. According to local news sources, the constable found the jackal's bagged carcass after inquiring. The suspects range in age from 21 to 78 and were identified as from the village of Poolangudi. They were taken into the custody of the forestry department. Authorities said the killing occurred in forest in a bid to gain jackal meat and teeth. The lists jackals as a protected species. India's jackals face attention from poachers, who sell the parts. One study in the '''' from March noted authorities seized 126 skins, eight tails, 16 skulls and two live jackals from 2013 to 2019. The same study also noted over 370 "jackal horns" seized in the same period. Jackal horns are crafted from skulls of jackals and are considered . Last week, in the neighbouring state of Kerala, one suspect was arrested in connection with the death of a pregnant female elephant suffering from explosive injuries. Authorities said they believed a fruit filled with firecrackers had exploded in the elephant's mouth, damaging her jaw and ultimately leading to her death.
The Australian doesn't play nicely with your current browser. Please take a moment to upgrade to the latest version. \|\|\|\|\| AAP If you cannot be bothered queueing for Apple's latest must-have gadget the iPad, take to the skies instead. From later this month, Jetstar Airways will offer the iPad for passengers to rent for $10 on selected domestic routes. The gadget, which went on sale in Australia last Friday, will have movies and television programs as well as games, e-books and music. The iPad would be offered on a trial basis, Jetstar said in a statement on Tuesday. Jetstar chief executive Bruce Buchanan said he expected the iPads to prove very popular onboard. "Given the demand for the iPad so far, I anticipate it will have strong appeal amongst our passengers," Mr Buchanan said in the statement. "Based on demand for the iPads as part of the trial, we'll be looking to roll out the devices across our entire domestic and international network later in the year." Jetstar, which is owned by Qantas Airways Ltd, said it would be one of the first airlines in the world to trial the iPad. \|\|\|\|\| For Tuesday, June 1, 2010 By Star-Bulletin Staff and News Services POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jun 01, 2010 iPad sales top 2 million CUPERTINO, Calif. » Apple Inc. said yesterday that iPad sales have topped 2 million since its launch almost two months ago. The Cupertino, Calif., company began selling the iPad on Friday in Asia and Europe. The iPad launched April 3 in the United States. The company does not publicly break out sales figures by region, according to Natalie Harrison, an Apple spokeswoman. The company previously said it sold 1 million iPads in the United States just 28 days after its launch. The iPad can be used to send e-mails, draw pictures and play games. It can also be used as an electronic reader. The basic model costs $499 in the United States, not including extras. Hawaiian brings in second Airbus Hawaiian Airlines, which will unveil the interior of its first leased Airbus A330-200 today, brought in its second Airbus Saturday following a 16-hour nonstop flight from Toulouse, France, to Honolulu. The latest aircraft is scheduled to begin commercial service with its inaugural flight on June 17 from Honolulu to Los Angeles. Hawaiian's first A330, which was delivered last month, will begin service Friday and also will serve the Honolulu-Los Angeles route. Hawaiian expects to bring in an additional A330 in November. Altogether, Hawaiian plans to have up to 27 new Airbus aircraft in its fleet by the end of the decade. Jetstar to offer iPads onboard Jetstar, the budget carrier of Qantas Airways Ltd., will commence a trial of Apple Inc.'s iPad tablet computers for in-flight entertainment later this month. The airline will charge passengers $8.40 to use the iPads for movies, books, games and television programs, Melbourne, Australia-based Jetstar said yesterday. Internet browsing will be disabled in keeping with the airline's policy on use of mobile phones and computers, spokeswoman Andrea Wait said. Mesa to fly for Delta through August Mesa Air Group Inc. will continue flying Delta Connection, the regional carrier for Delta Air Lines Inc., until Aug. 31 to allow for an orderly wind-down of their relationship. Phoenix-based Mesa, parent company of interisland carrier go! Mokulele, lost a lawsuit last month when a federal judge ruled that Delta had the right to cancel a contract where Mesa was flying 22 aircraft as Delta Connection. The judge determined that Mesa's substandard performance permitted Delta to cancel. ON THE MOVE Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa has appointed Lisa DeCambra-Morrill to director of sales and marketing. She is a former director of sales and marketing at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and director of leisure sales for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii. NAIOP Hawaii, a commercial real estate development association, has presented Castle & Cooke Hawaii the 2010 Ku Ho'okela Award and named the company developer of the year at the annual Kukulu Hale Awards program. Retired A&B Properties executive Robert K. Sasaki was honored with the Holo Pono Award for Lifetime Achievement, and Timothy E. Johns, president and chief executive officer of the Bishop Museum, received the Outstanding Service Award. The Best Lawyers of America and Chambers USA have recognized Deborah M. Chun and Janel M. Yoshimoto as top attorneys. They are partners in Chun Yoshimoto LLP. The William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii at Manoa has announced that professor James H. Pietsch was awarded the Secretary of the Army Public Service Award for extraordinary contributions to the Law and Order Task Force, Multi-National Force in Iraq in 2007. \|\|\|\|\| Jetstar chief information officer (CIO) Stephen Tame believes Apple's iPad tablet may end airlines providing in-flight movies and television to stave off boredom. Speaking to ZDNet.com.au, Tame said the tablet "may lead in the future the end of airline in-flight entertainment systems". "A lot of airline customers do this now with iPods [and] MP3 players; however, the usage take-up was limited by size of the screens," he said. Tame, who would be waiting for mark II of the tablet before he purchased one for himself, said the new platform would move Apple's App Store "from toys to true functional business and consumer applications". The larger screen size, when compared to the iPhone, would "significantly change the capability of available applications", he said. The iPad tablet was unveiled in San Francisco yesterday. There are two models, one of which was confirmed to be available in March by an Australian Apple spokesperson. Only the Wi-Fi version has been confirmed for Australia. The Wi-Fi and 3G iPad would be available in April in the US and could not be confirmed for down under. \|\|\|\|\| iPad recruited for the latest inflight entertainment (Credit: Apple) Talkback To post comments, you need to become a member. It's FREE. Log in or sign in Far from being a killer of in-flight movies, Apple's iPad could soon become a central part of an airline's in-flight entertainment system.When news of the iPad first hit the world in January, Jetstar chief information officer Stephen Tame had speculated with ZDNet Australia that the iPad "may lead in the future the end of airline in-flight entertainment systems" as everyone started to take their own devices onto the plane for entertainment.Yet, even those who don't possess their own iPads could get an in-flight taste of the swanky devices if Bluebox Avionics, which provides technology and content to enable in-flight entertainment, has its way.Bluebox Avionics has announced it will soon provide iPads to airline passengers in the US as part of its in-flight entertainment service. According to a press release, the Bluebox Ai, as the company calls it, will be "the industry's only in-flight entertainment system to utilize the Apple iPad".The customized iPads will include a select number of games, magazines and ebooks from the iTunes store, as well as Bluebox Avionics's own movie player application designed specifically for airlines.The company announced that the iPads will be launched in July on one yet-to-be-named "international carrier" and will be available to other airlines shortly after.Via CNET.com.au \|\|\|\|\| Jetstar will launch a trial of of new in-flight entertainment system featuring the new iPad tablet computer. The program will roll out later this month on on selected domestic routes across Australia. The iPads will loaded up with in-flight entertainment such as videos, e-books, magazines, games and music. The devices will be rented out at a cost of $10. Flight Control on an iPad ... but will this game be included in Jetstar's offerings? Photo: Digital Manipulation Karl Hilzin "Given the demand for the iPad so far, I anticipate it will have strong appeal amongst our passengers," said Jetstar CEO Bruce Buchanan in a press release. Jetstar is teaming up with the British company Bluebox Avionics and Stellar Inflight to implement the trial. Bluebox has previously provided hardware and software for viewing content for in-flight entertainment systems. The company says the system will even allows for the iPad to be used during take-off and landing, when other electronic devices have to be shut off. With a screen size of 9.7-inches, the iPad is almost the exact dimension of many built-in entertainment units currently being used by airlines. One game that probably won't be on offer is Flight Control, a game made by the Melbourne-based developer Firemint. The game requires players to land a number of planes without crashing them into one another. \|\|\|\|\| Qantas’s Jetstar to Test Apple IPads for Inflight Entertainment By Robert Fenner June 1 (Bloomberg) -- Jetstar, the budget carrier of Qantas Airways Ltd., will commence a trial of Apple Inc.’s iPad tablet computers for inflight entertainment later this month. The airline will charge passengers A$10 ($8.40) to use the iPads for movies, books, games and television programs, Melbourne-based Jetstar said in an e-mailed statement today. Internet browsing will be disabled in keeping with the airline’s policy on use of mobile phones and computers, spokeswoman Andrea Wait said. Apple, which introduced the iPad in Australia last week, has sold more than 2 million globally in the first 60 days since the computer made its debut on April 3. Jetstar has bought “several hundred” devices, which will be available on flights lasting more than 90 minutes, according to Wait. “Given the demand for the iPad so far, I anticipate it will have strong appeal amongst our passengers,” Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Bruce Buchanan said in the statement. “Based on demand for the iPads as part of the trial, we’ll be looking to roll out the devices across our entire domestic and international network later in the year.” The iPad has a 9.7-inch touch-screen display that lets users read books and magazines, view videos and play games. Apple is now the world’s most valuable technology company, with a market value of about $234 billion. It last week surpassed Microsoft Corp., the world’s largest software maker, which is worth about $226 billion. --Editors: Ian Rowley, Aaron Sheldrick. To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Fenner in Melbourne rfenner@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Neil Denslow at ndenslow@bloomberg.net	, a Qantas owned Australian low-cost airline, has announced plans to trial Apple as an in-flight entertainment option. This trial would make Jetstar one of the first airlines in the world to offer the iPad. Starting later this month, Jetstar plans to begin a two-week trial, during which passengers will have the option to rent iPads for 10 on domestic flights longer than an hour. Thirty iPads would be available on each test plane. These devices would be preloaded with games, e-books, music and video content. Internet access however will be disabled as per Jetstar's policy on internet connected devices, said spokeswoman Andrea Wait. The iPads offered by Jetstar, will be specially customized by . Bluebox Avionics, at present, is the only company to offer iPads as part of an in-flight entertainment system. Jetstar will be the first to offer the Bluebox Avionics iPad based systems, though, Bluebox Avionics has said the system will be available to other airlines soon. Shortly following the initial release of the iPad, Jetstar chief information officer Stephen Tame speculated that the iPad "may lead in the future the end of airline in-flight entertainment systems". Depending on the results of the trial, iPads may replace existing Jetstar in-flight entertainment systems. Jetstar chief executive Bruce Buchanan said he expected the iPads to be very popular during the trial. If the trial is successful, the airline would “be looking to roll out the devices across our entire domestic and international network later in the year", said Buchanan.
Originally published September 8, 2011 at 6:07 AM \| Page modified September 8, 2011 at 3:49 PM Authorities say active flames from a massive Central Texas wildfire are behind containment lines and some residents evacuated from unburned areas can return to their homes. BASTROP, Texas — Authorities say active flames from a massive Central Texas wildfire are behind containment lines and some residents evacuated from unburned areas can return to their homes. Smoldering hot spots remain across the 45 square miles blackened by the massive Bastrop County wildfire. But a spokesman for an interagency team assisting the Texas Forest Service says flames are inside the lines surrounding about 30 percent of the fire area. Rudy Evenson says Thursday' major concern is wind sparking more flames beyond those boundaries. Nearly 1,400 homes have been destroyed about 25 miles east of Austin and about 5,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes. Neighborhoods outside the area where the fire has burned will reopen Thursday. Evenson couldn't immediately say how many of the evacuees live in those neighborhoods. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. Hundreds more homes have been razed by a deadly wildfire burning for days in Central Texas, the most destructive blaze of dozens raging across the parched state, but cooler weather Thursday had officials again hoping firefighters could make further progress. Nearly 1,400 homes have been destroyed in Bastrop County, about 25 miles east of Austin, up from around 800 the day before, according to the Texas Forest Service. The fire, which forced about 5,000 residents from their homes, remains about 30 percent contained. "The fire didn't really move last night," Rudy Evenson, an information officer for an interagency team brought in by the forest service, said Thursday morning. "There's still a lot to do." The National Weather Service said temperatures dipped to near 60 degrees before dawn, but could later peak in the low 90s. "Our temperature is going to drop down very low, which will increase our firefighting efforts dramatically. We will be able to do a lot of work," Troy Ducheneaux, a regional fire coordinator for the forest service, said Wednesday. Firefighters still can't use one of their biggest weapons against the blaze: a converted DC-10 jetliner from California capable of dropping 12,000 gallons of fire retardant. It arrived Wednesday in Austin, but won't be used until Friday because authorities need time to assemble the equipment and prepare the retardant, forest service spokeswoman Holly Huffman said. The fire in and around Bastrop has left at least two people dead, blackened about 45 square miles and cast a haze over the state capitol to the west. One of the two people killed was identified Wednesday as Michael Troy Farr, 49, who died at his home in Smithville. On Thursday morning, resident Janet Merrill stood close to a map posted at the fire's command center that showed the Bastrop fire's perimeter, trying to pinpoint her street amid what appeared to be a tight cluster of squiggly, unmarked thoroughfares. She burst into tears when she thought she found it inside the fire's pink perimeter, then breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing it was just a couple blocks outside. "We've been pretty in the clear, but it looks like it's getting close," said Merrill, 43. "It's in God's hands." Everson confirmed Thursday that fire officials hope to begin pushing back barriers that have prevented residents from checking on their homes, but said there was no timeline for when that would happen. Frustrations have been growing and officials have reported incidents of residents running roadblocks or sneaking down back roads to get into neighborhoods. The Bastrop area blaze is among more than 170 wildfires the forest service says ignited across Texas this week that have left nearly 1,700 homes in charred ruins, killed four people and forced thousands to evacuate. It's one of the most devastating wildfire outbreaks in Texas history and has made this fire season the costliest on record, with an estimated $216 million in firefighting expenses since late 2010. Gov. Rick Perry left the state Wednesday to participate in a Republican presidential debate in California. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, acting governor in Perry's absence, said he would sign a request that the federal government declare Texas a major disaster area. President Barack Obama told Perry on Wednesday that requests for additional assistance would be quickly assessed. The White House said Obama made clear that the federal government will continue to provide assistance to state and local officials fighting the fire. \|\|\|\|\| Page 1 of 1 UPDATE: Crews continued to make progress on Thursday against the massive Bastrop County fire and finalized plans to deploy a converted DC-10 jetliner capable of dropping 12,000 gallons of retardant on the blaze. But there are still concerns about wind sparking flare-ups or fanning flames outside the area, the AP said. Despite four days of exhaustive work to stamp out the wildfire burning across three counties north of Houston, it continues to rage and gain ground today. Texas Forest Service reported the blaze had consumed at least 12,000 acres in Montgomery, Grimes and Waller counties, incinerated 75 structures and remained 60 percent contained. In fact, most of the state's wildfires are now concentrated in East Texas. "There were 176 fires burning in Texas on Wednesday and 120 of them were in East Texas," said Warren Bielenberg, Texas Forest Service spokesman. "Of 20 new fires in Texas on Wednesday, we found 19 of them in East Texas." The leading edge of the fire near Houston began moving into the parched, dry forests of Waller County late Wednesday. Fire authorities have pulled out all the stops, using helicopters, bulldozers and all kinds of fire vehicles to fight the stubborn blaze. But as the scope of the fires expanded, resources were being stretched too thin and reinforcements were being called in to help, authorities said. That's why a "type one" incident management team was flown in from the West Coast today to manage the fire here, said Bielenberg. "These teams are specially trained in handling complex situations," he said. In addition, the U.S. Forest Service announced it is working with Texas officials to see if its aircraft, which includes a giant air tanker with a capacity for 12,000 gallons, can be of assistance along with various federal firefighters. A flare up in Montgomery County was announced late this afternoon, and a voluntary evacuation was given for those living in the area of Shady Oaks Blvd south to Sandy Hill off of FM 1486 north of FM 1774. Fire crews are working to extingthish this fire and bring it under control. Meanwhile, Houston school officials temporarily turned off the air-conditioning at Halpin Early Childhood Center, 10901 Sandpiper, because of outdoor smoke contamination. Crews have been sent to test the air quality there and other school facilities to see if similar action is needed. Smoky conditions also caused the Lamar High School sub-varsity games set to take place in Brenham to be rescheduled, and the Jones High School versus Montgomery High School game for tonight to be canceled. As of Wednesday afternoon, about 8,000 homes and businesses just east of the Texas Renaissance Festival grounds near Magnolia were under evacuation orders. The Riley Road fire, which started in Grimes County on Monday, has destroyed at least 80 homes and was about 80 percent contained, officials said. Some residents in Montgomery County who fled their homes were allowed to return to their neighborhoods today. Residents in the Ranch Crest subdivision could return to the area beginning at noon today, according to Montgomery County Emergency Management. They will need to provide identification. People should be aware that no running water and electricity may be available and hazards - such as downed power lines, damaged utility poles, downed or charred trees as well as smoky air - are possible. Officials said portions of the blaze in Montgomery County are about 85 percent contained while areas burning in Grimes County are about 60 percent contained. Smoke from the wildfires north of Houston drifted above portions of the city this morning. Northerly wind at about 10 mph pushed the smoke toward Houston, according to the National Weather Service. The smoky haze was draped above several areas, including southwest and west Houston as well as near the Galleria. Ericka Mellon and Dale Lezon contributed to this report. dale.lezon@chron.com \|\|\|\|\| Special Report: The Pastry Engineer In July, KETK reported on a local cake baker who has made himself known as 'The Pastry Engineer.' …	A wildfire burning in north-central Anderson County, Texas on September 4th, 2011 Parts of Texas have been scorched by sweeping this week. Officials state that a wildfire which swept much of central Texas this week destroyed at least 1,400 homes and forced about 5,000 people to evacuate to safety. An official with the told news sources on Thursday that much of that fire has been contained. Officials have speculated that this fire alone has destroyed more homes than any other wildfire on record in the state. Officials are welcoming dropping temperatures, stating this will increase their ability to fight the fires effectively. A converted aircraft was recently made available to fire authorities, but cannot be used until Friday as workers still need to time to prepare on-board equipment. One of the two fatalities in the central part of the state has been identified as Michael Troy Farr, 49, who died at his home. Earlier in the week, a woman and her infant died in a related blaze that quickly engulfed their home located near the city of , located in the eastern part of the state. On Thursday, officials warned that East Texas has become the center of wildfire activity in the state. At least 170 wildfires have ravaged much of the state over the past week. On Tuesday, a thick haze of smoke enveloped the city of Tyler for several hours, forcing school officials to cancel all outdoor sports activities. Since late 2010 the overall devastation of wildfires in the state is estimated to cost at least in firefighting expenses. The state's Lieutenant Governor, , who is the acting governor in Governor Perry's absence, indicated he will ask the federal government to declare Texas a major disaster area. President Obama has also promised to provide needed assistance to local officials.
Video-hosting site LiveLeak pulled the controversial anti-Quran film Fitna Friday afternoon, citing a barrage of threats. The 17-minute film by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, posted Thursday, received more than 3 million views before being taken offline. Fitna juxtaposes passages from the Islamic holy book with graphic footage of terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe. In one scene,the sound of paper ripping can be seen as a reader pages through the Quran. Put together as a warning that Islam poses a threat to the Netherlands, Fitna includes newspaper headlines about terror attacks, graphic images of beheadings at the hands of Islamic radicals, and a riot-provoking Danish cartoon from 2005 that depicts the prophet Muhammad with a bomb in his turban. In place of the video Friday afternoon, a brief and poignant message appears on-screen: "Following threats to our staff of a very serious nature.... LiveLeak has been left with no choice but to remove Fitna from our servers. "This is a sad day for freedom of speech on the net.... We would like to thank the thousands of people from all backgrounds and religions who gave us their support." Wilders released the 17-minute film via LiveLeak despite concerns voiced by the Dutch government and international organizations. UPDATE: A copy of Fitna can still be seen on Google Video. See also: \|\|\|\|\| From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the film Fitna. For the article about the Arabian word, see Fitna (word) Fitna is a film created by Dutch politician Geert Wilders that will offer a critical view on the world of Islam and the Koran. It is expected to be released in March 2008. The name comes from the Arabic word Fitna which is used in Islam to describe "disagreement and division among people"[3]. (Originally the word was used to describe testing the authenticity of gold with varying methods.) At the moment it is unclear who will publish the final film to the public, but Wilders has stated he will make the film available for free through the Internet site YouTube. edit] Expected content Wilders has said the film is literarily "accurate" and will elaborate on verses from the Quran accompanied by documentary footage from the world of Islam.[4] Wilders has called the film "a call to shake off the creeping tyranny of Islamization" [5] edit] International worries The Dutch government has expressed great concern about the upcoming film release and has made immediate emergency evacuation plans available to all its consulates and embassies worldwide and is hardening security measurements around military installations abroad. [6] It is feared that the film will lead to violent extremist Muslim mob protest such as previous protests against the Jyllands-Posten Mohammed cartoons that were displayed in the Danish newspaper 'Jyllands-Posten' in 2005.[7] This Muslim violence resulted in the burning of the Danish embassy in Syria and violent Muslim uprises around the globe, as well as various hate messages against America and Europe and the killing of catholic clergy and people from different ethnic origins.[8] Egypt is closely monitoring the situation.[9][10] The European Union has alerted its diplomatic missions around the world to expect a reaction to the release of the film.[11] French President Nicolas Sarkozy has officially declared that France will provide every necessary support to aid the Netherlands in the suppression of any Muslim violence that might be the result of the film. [12] NATO has said it fears that the consequences of the Fitna film will affect the safety of troops stationed in Afghanistan. [13] edit] Critique and censorship In February 2008, Pakistani regulators banned YouTube for several days due to a blasphemous video clip believed to be a trailer for Fitna. Google eventually complied to the Muslim protest and the material was removed due to being offensive to Muslims worldwide.[14][15][16] In their attempt to censor, Pakistan accidentally caused the YouTube site to be unavailable worldwide for hours.[17] [18] Critics and fighters for free speech as well as various European governments argue the decision made by Google was taken in fear of terrorist attacks against Google headquarters.[citation needed] Indonesia is afraid tensions will rise to a new level, resulting in a clash of violence between Muslims and non-Muslims due to the release of Fitna.[citation needed] edit] Threats and consequences Zabihullah Mujahid has stressed that the Taliban will increase their attacks on Dutch military and humanitarian peacekeepers in Afghanistan, if the film was ever aired.[19] Wilders received a fatwa by Al-Qaeda, calling all Muslims around the world to assassinate Wilders in the name of Islam. [20] Syria's Grand Mufti, leader Ahmad Badr al-Din said that if Geert Wilders pictures the image of a burning Koran in his film, the Dutch people will be held responsible and possible attacks against Western public interests are not out of the question.[21] Iran has threatened it will review its diplomatic stance with The Netherlands, should the film be aired. [22] Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands is worried about possible repercussions for Dutch citizens and economic interests.[23] The publication of the film is currently under investigation by the Dutch ministry of Justice in an attempt to prevent the film from being published. [24] Wilders accuses Dutch leader Minister-President Balkenende of succumbing to professional cowardace for capitulating to Islam. [25] On March 6th 2008, the Dutch government has raised its national terroristic threat level from status 'limited terroristic threat' to 'substantial terroristic threat' because it fears Muslim terrorists will launch attacks against European targets because of the film.[26] edit] Planned release Wilders stated that the film is ready and will be broadcast in March 2008.[27] At this stage it appears that no Dutch broadcaster wants to show the film in its entirety, without interruptions. Wilders has said that he would "Rather have [the film] entirely on the internet, than half on television". Press centre Nieuwspoort now appears to be willing to show the film, a solution Wilders called "second best".[28] A preliminary version of the film's website was put online on March 5th, 2008[29] though there is not yet an announcement on the means of distribution of the film. FitnaTheMovie.com is hosted on the same server as MSCcompany.com, the makers of Purina pet foods and PuppyChow at Network Solutions and is capable of streaming video.[30] There is no broadcast company willing to distribute the work and internet distribution has wider scope than distribution to movie theaters. edit] Possible hoax It has been suggested by some Dutch blogs that the film is a hoax and that it's used by Wilders to provoke responses by suggesting that a film that is critical of the Islam will be made. [31][32] Some have suggested that it could be an April Fools joke if Wilders announces on April 1st that no film exists and that the responses so far are enough to prove his point. edit] References \|\|\|\|\| This graph that network-monitoring firm Keynote Systems provided to us shows the worldwide availability of YouTube.com dropping dramatically from 100 percent to 0 percent for over an hour. It didn't recover completely until two hours had elapsed. (Credit: Keynote Systems) A high-profile incident this weekend in which Pakistan's state-owned telecommunications company managed to cut YouTube off the global Web highlights a long-standing security weakness in the way the Internet is managed. After receiving a censorship order from the telecommunications ministry directing that YouTube.com be blocked, Pakistan Telecom went even further. By accident or design, the company broadcast instructions worldwide claiming to be the legitimate destination for anyone trying to reach YouTube's range of Internet addresses. The security weakness lies in why those false instructions, which took YouTube offline for two hours on Sunday, were believed by routers around the globe. That's because Hong Kong-based PCCW, which provides the Internet link to Pakistan Telecom, did not stop the misleading broadcast--which is what most large providers in the United States and Europe do. This is not a new problem. A network provider in Turkey once pretended to be the entire Internet, snarling traffic and making many Web sites unreachable. Con Edison accidentally hijacked the Internet addresses for Panix customers including Martha Stuart Living Omnimedia and the New York Daily News . Problems with errant broadcasts go back as far as 1997. It's also not an infrequent problem. An automatically-updated list of suspicious broadcasts created by Josh Karlin of the University of New Mexico shows apparent mischief--in the form of dubious claims to be the true destination for certain Internet addresses--taking place on an hourly basis. So why hasn't anyone done something about it? False broadcasts can amount to a denial-of-service attack and, if done with malicious intent, can send unsuspecting users to a fake bank, merchant, or credit card site. To understand why this is both a serious Internet vulnerability and also difficult to fix requires delving into the technical details a little. How to pretend to be YouTube.com When you type a domain like "news.com" into your Web browser, it uses the Domain Name System to cough up a numeric Internet address, which in our case is 216.239.113.101. That IP address is handed to your router, which uses a table of addresses to figure out the next hop toward the news.com server. Network providers--called autonomous systems, or ASs--broadcast the ranges of IP addresses to which they'll provide access. One of the functions of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is managing the master list of AS numbers, which it does by allocating large blocks of 1,000 or so at a time to regional address registries. Kim Davies, ICANN's manager of route zone services, says ICANN isn't able to revoke the AS number of a misbehaving network provider. "It's best to think of them as similar to post codes or ZIP codes," Davies said. "We maintain a registry of them to ensure that they aren't conflicting." If the address information provided by AS is reliable, all is well. But if an AS makes a false broadcast, because of a configuration mistake or for malicious reasons, all hell can break loose. This is what happened with YouTube, which Pakistan's government ordered blocked because of offensive material, apparently a video depicting the cartoons about Muhammad that had been posted in a Danish newspaper. Some reports have said the video featured several minutes of a film made by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, an outspoken critic of Islam. A spokesman for the Pakistani embassy said on Monday that the order to block access to YouTube came from the highest levels of the government. It would have been passed along to Pakistan's Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and then to Pakistan's telecom authority, the spokesman said, which in turn would have issued the formal order to the Internet providers. Pakistan Telecom responded by broadcasting the false claim that it was the correct route for 256 addresses in YouTube's 208.65.153.0 network space. Because that was a more specific destination than the true broadcast from YouTube saying it was home to 1,024 computers, within a few minutes traffic started flowing to the wrong place. A timeline created by Renesys, which provides real-time monitoring services, says that it took about 15 seconds for large Pacific-rim providers to direct YouTube.com traffic to the Pakistan ISP, and about 45 seconds for the central routers on much of the rest of the Internet to follow suit. YouTube took countermeasures within minutes, first trying to reclaim its network by narrowing its 1,024 broadcast to 256 addresses. Eleven minutes later, YouTube added an even more specific additional broadcast claiming just 64 addresses--which, under the Border Gateway Protocol, is more specific and therefore should overrule the Pakistani one. Over two hours after the initial false broadcast, Pakistan Telecom finally stopped. How could this have been prevented? First, Pakistan Telecom shouldn't have broadcast to the entire world that it was hosting YouTube's IP addresses. Second, Hong Kong-based PCCW could have recognized the broadcast as false and filtered it out. An employee of PCCW, who wished to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak for the company, said that as soon as the false broadcast occurred, PCCW started receiving a flurry of phone calls from global ISPs wondering what had gone wrong. A YouTube representative also called. Even Pakistan Telecom contacted PCCW. "I don't think they understood what was going on," the employee said. A spokesman for PCCW's U.S. operations, based in Herndon, Va., declined to provide details. At the moment, large network providers tend to trust that other network providers are behaving reasonably--and aren't intentionally trying to hijack someone else's Internet addresses. And errors that do arise tend to be fixed quickly by manual intervention. But as the number of suspicious broadcasts grows, and the potential for fraud increases, so does the justification for more aggressive countermeasures. (Besides, some government will eventually order its network providers to broadcast false information about the Internet addresses of "offensive" Web sites. We've already seen domain name blocking in Finland and Web page blocking in the United States, both supposedly enlightened Western democracies.) One way to handle this is for network providers to be automatically notified when the virtual location of an Internet address changes, which is what some researchers have suggested in the form of a "hijack alert system." Another is to treat broadcasts with changes of addresses as suspicious for 24 hours and then accept them as normal. Simple filtering of broadcasts may not always work because some networks provide connectivity to customers with thousands of different routes. Probably the most extensive countermeasure would be a technology like Secure BGP, which uses encryption to verify which network providers own Internet addresses and are authorized to broadcast changes. But Secure BGP has been around in one form or another form since 1998, and is still not a widely-used standard, mostly because it adds complexity and routers that understand will add additional cost. At least that's been the conventional view. A high-profile incident like YouTube being knocked offline may accelerate this process, said Steven Bellovin of Columbia University. "I know there are serious deployment and operational issues," Bellovin said. "The question is this: When is the pain from routing incidents great enough that we're forced to act? It would have been nice to have done something before this, since now all the world's script kiddies have seen what can be done."	Wikileaks logo The Wikileaks website, which publishes sensitive and censored material submitted by anonymous contributors, has experienced unprecedented levels of Internet traffic today through public interest. This interest has caused the website's servers to be unable to meet the demand of over 164 gigabytes of download traffic within twenty-four hours, leading the site to be temporarily inaccessible. The film , directed and produced by Dutch politician , has caused controversy for its presentation of Wilders' negative view of Islam as being committed to world domination and acts of terrorism. A trailer for the film was widely uploaded to many video sharing sites, including ''YouTube'' and ; this met with anger from Islamic nations, the debacle culminating in Pakistan's government ordering the nation's internet service providers to block the YouTube site. This caused YouTube to be inaccessible to residents of other countries whose Internet service providers' equipment automatically began routing traffic to YouTube via Pakistan Telecom's servers, due to their ban accidentally propagating to other providers. Ultimately, YouTube acquiesced to the demands made by Pakistan and other organisations, in exchange for access being restored. The site '''' originally hosted a copy of the trailer, which has now been replaced with a video message stating that the lives of their staff have been put at risk due to hosting it. As a consequence of this censorship, Wikileaks mirrored the video, receiving heavy access traffic through hosting one of the few copies remaining on the Internet. ''Wikinews'' has obtained an exclusive statement from a representative of Wikileaks, affirming that the site has not been taken off-line due to external pressure, and is instead suffering technical problems due to this high demand. The representative gave the following statement: Wikileaks gained recent public attention in the ''Bank Julius Baer vs. Wikileaks'' lawsuit, following publication of leaked documents that were alleged to provide evidence of money laundering, tax evasion and asset hiding by Swiss financial institution Bank Julius Baer. The documents are said to have been uploaded by Rudolf Elmer, a former chief operating officer of the bank's Cayman Islands division, who was sacked following an investigation by the bank that involved polygraph testing. Wikileaks has not, however, stated that Elmer was the source of the documents. Bank Julius Baer sought an injunction against the operator of Wikileaks' domain name, Dynadot, to remove access to the site from the Wikileaks.org domain; this was granted by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The site was consequently inaccessible through this domain, although access could be obtained through many alternate addresses. Following activity by organisations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union, who sought to defend the right to free speech that Wikileaks relied upon, the lawsuit was dropped and access was restored.
China has been rapidly expanding its armed forces China has said its military spending will increase by 7.5% in 2010, ending a long run of double-digit growth. It will spend 532.1bn yuan ($77.9bn:£51.7bn) over the year, the spokesman of the country's annual parliamentary session announced. Li Zhaoxing said that, as a proportion of GDP, China still spends less than other countries, such as the US. Washington has repeatedly urged China to be more open about its rapidly rising military spending. Speaking at a news conference, Mr Li claimed China was increasing transparency on this issue. He said the extra money being spent on the military would help it meet various security threats, without specifying what those threats were. But he added: "The only purpose of China's limited military strength is to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Better trained According to Chinese figures, this is the first time in more than 20 years that the military budget increase has dipped below 10%. ANALYSIS By Michael Bristow, BBC News, Beijing It is not instantly clear why, for the first time in more than 20 years, China's annual defence budget increase has fallen below 10%. There could be a belt tightening following the world economic slowdown, or China might not want to scare its neighbours with another major increase in spending. The man who announced this year's increase, parliamentary spokesman Li Zhaoxing, said China was now more transparent about its military budget. But he did not shed much light on why the increase was down this year. And just to show the limits of China's transparency when it comes to the military, he declined to answer a question about whether the country is developing its first aircraft carrier. The spending spree began in the late 1980s, when China embarked on an ambitious programme to upgrade its armed forces. Since then it has bought and produced its own high-tech weapons, and reduced the number of personnel in an attempt to have fewer, but better trained, troops. Salaries and other benefits for officers and ordinary soldiers have also been improved. Previous large spending increases could explain the smaller increase this year. "China has achieved its targets in the past by providing continuous double-digit budget increases," said Andrew Yang, an expert on China's military who is now Taiwan's deputy defence minister. Many experts believe the actual amount spent by China on its armed forces is far higher than the published amount. And Washington, among others, worries about what the country's ultimate goals may be. In a recently published book, called The China Dream, a senior officer in China's People's Liberation Army said the country should aim to build a major military force that could challenge the US this century. Other officers attending the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), an advisory body that holds a meeting at the same time as the parliamentary session, rejected that idea. But the comments underscore the military tension that currently exists between China and, primarily, the United States. That relationship was not improved when Washington announced earlier this year that it intended to go ahead with the sale of weapons worth $6.4bn to Taiwan, a self-governing island that China considers its own. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| BEIJING — China’s official military budget will rise by just 7.5 percent in 2010, a government spokesman said Thursday, a rate that is about half the official increase in recent years and the first to fall below 10 percent since 1989. The announcement by Li Zhaoxing, a spokesman for the National People’s Congress, China’s legislature, gave no explanation for the slowdown. Some analysts speculated, however, that China’s huge economic stimulus program and other efforts to address unemployment and welfare had eaten into monies that in a normal year would go toward defense. It is also possible that China reduced the growth of its publicly acknowledged defense spending to help allay international concerns about its rising power. While China’s government has disclosed more information about military spending in recent years, much of its spending remains secret, and, in the past, military experts in the United States and elsewhere have said Beijing’s real military spending is at least double the announced figure. A 2009 Pentagon report estimated China’s total military spending to be between $105 billion and $150 billion. While growing rapidly, China’s military spending is still dwarfed by that of the United States, which has about $719 billion in outlays this year for national defense. American military spending amounts to about 4 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product — compared with about 1.4 percent for China — and, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, accounted for 48 percent of the entire world’s military spending in 2008. At a news conference before Friday’s opening of the legislature, Mr. Li said that the government had always tried to limit military spending and that it had “set the defense spending at a reasonable level to ensure the balance between national defense and economic development.” The legislature must approve the government’s 2010 budget at its session this month, but the vote is a formality. A budget report submitted to the legislature said the government had earmarked about $77.9 billion for the military in 2010, an increase of about $5.4 billion from actual spending last year. Military spending in 2009 had been forecast to expand by 14.9 percent over the 2008 total, but Reuters reported that spending grew at a slightly greater rate because the military spent about $2 billion more than anticipated. On Thursday, Mr. Li said that the budget increase would go toward “enhancing the military’s capability to meet various security threats,” advances in China’s military affairs and addressing the needs of the armed forces. Some of the money will be spent to raise the living standards of military officers in line with improvements in national living standards, a spokesman for the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a government advisory body that is also meeting in Beijing, said this week. The slower growth could be linked to the maturing of costly weapons programs that have reached the end of expensive development cycles, said David Shambaugh, the director of the China Policy Program at George Washington University and a noted expert on the Chinese military. But he said it was equally possible that the smaller increase followed an internal debate over “guns or doufu” — the dietary staple known commonly in the West as tofu. “Given other demands on state expenditures from various sectors — the stimulus, unemployment, insurance — to continue giving the military 15 percent increases year on year does cause some Chinese to raise questions,” Mr. Shambaugh said in a telephone interview. “There have been complaints from some other sectors that it has been distorting expenditures. Maybe some of those arguments have come home to roost.”	China's military spending will increase by 7.5% for 2010, the first single-digit increase since 1989, a spokesman for the Chinese parliament, Li Zhaoxing, said. Mr. Li said that China would spend 532.1 billion yuan ($77.9 billion) on the country's military over the course of 2010, an increase of about 36.9 billion yuan ($5.4 billion) over 2009's spending. Regardless of the increase, China still spends significantly less on its military as a proportion of its gross domestic product (GDP) than other countries around the world. China spends about 1.4% of its GDP on the military, while the United States spends about 4% of its GDP on the military. The US, which accounts for 48% of the world's military spending, has frequently encouraged China to be more transparent about its military spending, a challenge which China said it was meeting. At a press conference, Mr. Li said that the increase was in response to various security threats to China, although the nature of the threats were not specified. He did, however, say that, "The only purpose of China's limited military strength is to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." He also said that the government has limited military spending to the best of its ability, and had tried to ensure a balance between the military and other needs. According to US military analysis and official Chinese reports, China has been steadily increasing military spending since the late 1980s, when the country began a program of improving its entire armed forces, including developing and producing weapons and equipment. The US Pentagon issued a report in 2009, saying that military spending had increased by an average of 12.9% annually since 1996. Based on this, analysts say that the earlier large spending increases could explain the slower increase for 2010. China in the past few years has seen dramatic spending increases in other sectors, especially costs related to the global financial crisis, and these sectors have complained about the amount of military spending. As one analyst, David Shambaugh from George Washington University, put it, "There have been complaints from some other sectors that it has been distorting expenditures. Maybe some of those arguments have come home to roost."
The Canadian Press 6/29/2008 9:05:32 PM VIENNA, Austria - Fernando Torres finally lived up to his billing as one of the world's great strikers by scoring Sunday to give Spain a 1-0 win over Germany in the European Championship final. Torres, who had been overshadowed by teammate David Villa all tournament, scored in the 33rd minute to down the three-time European champions and earn his nation's first major title in 44 years. Touching a sliding pass from Xavi Hernandez past Philipp Lahm, Torres turned and ran past his marker on the opposite side, collected the ball and lifted a shot over sliding goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and into the far corner. Spain had more chances but the goal was enough to give the country its first title since the 1964 European Championship. Read More... \|\|\|\|\| Cannot play media. Sorry, this media is not available in your territory. By Phil McNulty Spain claimed their first major title for 44 years after winning Euro 2008 with a deserved victory over Germany. Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was Spain's goal hero, striking after 33 minutes when he cleverly lifted Xavi's pass over Germany keeper Jens Lehmann. Spain dominated the final throughout, with Torres heading against the post and Marcos Senna almost adding a second from close range after 80 minutes. Michael Ballack came close for Germany, shooting narrowly wide after the break. 606: DEBATE I'm delighted that the best team, playing the best football in one of the best tournaments ever, wins it SM Spain have long had a reputation as under-achievers on the big occasions, but this was a richly-merited victory for veteran coach Luis Aragones and a team that played outstanding football throughout the tournament. Germany were outclassed, and for captain Ballack his catalogue of misery in major finals continues having lost two Champions League finals and also been suspended for the 2002 World Cup final when they lost to Brazil. Match-winner Torres enhanced the reputation he forged at Liverpool last season, but this was an all-round effort for a side that is young enough to already be marked down among the favourites for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Germany were lifted by Ballack declaring himself fit after a calf injury - but he had little impact on a first 45 minutes in which Spain were the vastly-superior side. Andres Iniesta almost created the opening goal for Spain in the 13th minute when his driven cross took a deflection off Christoph Metzelder, but Lehmann pulled off a fine reflex save. And they came even closer nine minutes later when Torres rose to meet Sergio Ramos's cross, but his header bounced to safety off the post. But he was not to be denied and put Spain ahead with a trademark piece of sharpness in front of goal after 33 minutes. Xavi's pass created uncertainty for Germany defender Philipp Lahm and Torres shrugged him off the ball to lift a superb finish beyond Lehmann. Germany's problems threatened to worsen when Ballack needed lengthy treatment for an eye wound after a clash of heads with Marcos Senna. David Silva then wasted a perfect opportunity to double Spain's advantage when he was set up by Iniesta, but he rushed his finish and shot wildly over the top. Germany made a change at half-time, sending on Marcell Jansen for Lahm, but it was still Spain who dominated. Xavi and Silva were both off target - but Germany were sticking to their task and almost grabbed an equaliser when Ballack shot just wide after Carles Puyol had conceded possession in a dangerous area. Spain continued to look the more threatening side, but there was still the lingering prospect of Germany's refusal to accept defeat yielding an unlikely equaliser. Cannot play media. Sorry, this media is not available in your territory. Silva was fortunate to stay on the pitch when he appeared to motion to head-butt Germany's Lukas Podolski, but Italian referee Roberto Rosetti decided against taking any action. Ramos should have put the game beyond Germany's reach after 66 minutes when he headed straight at Lehmann from point-blank range as he got on the end of Xavi's free-kick. Iniesta then had a shot cleared off the line by Torsten Frings and another effort saved by Lehmann as Spain looked in the mood to add a second. And Germany had a remarkable escape after 80 minutes when substitute Daniel Guiza - on for Torres - headed the ball straight into Senna's path right in front of goal, but he could not apply the final touch. Spain were not made to pay for their generosity in front of goal and ran out worthy winners. Germany: Lehmann, Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm (Jansen 46), Hitzlsperger (Kuranyi 58), Frings, Podolski, Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Klose (Gomez 79). Subs Not Used: Enke, Adler, Fritz, Westermann, Rolfes, Neuville, Trochowski, Borowski, Odonkor. Booked: Ballack, Kuranyi. Spain: Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila, Senna, Iniesta, Fabregas (Alonso 63), Xavi, Silva (Santi Cazorla 66), Torres (Guiza 78). Subs Not Used: Palop, Reina, Albiol, Fernando Navarro, Villa, Sergio Garcia, Arbeloa, Juanito, De la Red. Booked: Casillas, Torres. Goals: Torres 33. Att: 51,428 Ref: Roberto Rosetti (Italy). BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Spain's Cesc Fabregas 8.36 (on 90 minutes). Please note that you can still give the players marks out of 10 on BBC Sport's Player Rater after the match has finished. Player Rater TRIVIA Spain have won the European Championship for the second time. In 1964, they also lifted the trophy after beating the Soviet Union 2-1 in the final. In 1984, they also reached the final but lost 2-0 against France. Just as Greece four years ago, Spain have kept clean sheets in all three knock-out rounds after the group phase. As well as winning the European Championship three times (1972, 1980, 1996), Germany have now also lost three European Championship finals (1976, 1992, 2008). With four goals, David Villa has become top scorer at Euro 2008 without having played in the final. That is the fewest goals for a European Championship top scorer since 1992, when Dennis Bergkamp, Tomas Brolin, Henrik Larsen and Karl-Heinz Riedle all scored three goals. At the age of 38 years and 232 days, Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann became the oldest player ever to appear in the European Championship final, breaking the record set by Arnold Muhren (37 years, 23 days) in 1988. At the age of 69 years and 337 days, winning coach Luis Aragones has become the oldest coach ever to appear in the final of a European Championship. Aragones is more than four years older than Otto Rehhagel (65 years, 327 days) was four years ago when Greece beat Portugal in the Euro 2004 final. Trivia stats source: Infostrada Sports Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these?	Spanish fans are getting excited in Vienna's "fan zone". Spain has won its first since 1964 by defeating Germany in the final match. Fernando Torres scored the lone goal of the match in the 33rd minute. The match started at 19:45 , and although the score was only 1-0, BBC Sport has reported that Spain dominated the match. Germany got close to scoring at some points in the game, one shot by missed the goal by a narrow margin.
McCain Savors NH Comeback NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — John McCain rode the Straight Talk Express straight into first place in New Hampshire, and back into the thick of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. "I hate to use to the word kid, but I think we showed the people of this country what a real comeback looks like," the Arizona senator told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday, savoring victory in the state he won eight years ago during his first White House bid. "I'm grateful to the people of New Hampshire. I'm committed to keeping this country safe, and we're going to move on to Michigan and South Carolina and win the nomination," he added. It was, indeed, a stunning comeback for the four-term senator who went from presumed front-runner a year ago to seemingly finished last summer after his campaign all but imploded. McCain not only stayed alive, but now heads into the next contest Jan. 15 in Michigan with momentum and the potential to raise much-need money. \|\|\|\|\| By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer Wed Jan 9, 4:45 PM ET Barack Obama Hillary Rodham Clinton New Hampshire John McCain WASHINGTON -talked of introducing some Chicago smackdown to his politics of hope Wednesday, seeking a rebound aftergrasped victory in theprimary. In the wide-open Republican contest,pressed to build on his New Hampshire win and named experience, knowledge and judgment as his calling cards in the races ahead. Clinton pored over election strategy in the first blush of her surprising success and indicated she'd compete in every big Democratic contest coming up this month rather than try to cherry pick her way to the nomination. "I'm going to keep going as we take on all the rest of the contests between now and February 5th," she said, back home in New York to "get grounded and take a deep breath" after a victory that surprised her own campaign, confounded the pollsters and shocked nearly everyone else. Two dozen states vote Feb. 5. Obama responded not just to his Democratic rival's New Hampshire primary win but to attacks on him by her husband, former President Clinton "I think that Senator Clinton, obviously, is a formidable and tough candidate, and we have to make sure that we take it to them just like they take it to us," the Illinois senator said. "I come from Chicago politics. We're accustomed to rough and tumble." Obama is bidding for resurgence in South Carolina and Nevada, which vote this month. On Wednesday, he received the endorsement of the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union local in Nevada in addition to the backing of the state's chapter of the Service Employees International Union. Bill Clinton complained in New Hampshire that Obama was getting a free pass from the scrutiny turned on Hillary Clinton and likened the Illinois senator's campaign to a "fairy tale." Obama shot back Wednesday that "the real fairy tale is, I think, Bill Clinton suggesting somehow that we've been just taking a cakewalk here." McCain campaigned in Michigan, hoping to reprise his win there in 2000 just as he did in New Hampshire. staggering one-time poll leader Mitt Romney. "I can throw a dart at a map of the world and show you a place where there's national security challenges," McCain said before a Grand Rapids rally. "I'm the only one that's been involved in these issues for the last 20 years." In Boston, Romney sought to assure his top financial backers that he can win in Michigan and beyond, after disappointing second-place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. Romney was born in Michigan and his father was governor. "It's just getting started," he told hundreds of supporters gathered at a convention center for a follow-up to his campaign's "National Call Day" that raised an unprecedented $6.5 million a year ago. The former Massachusetts governor misstated results when he told them he's received "more delegates than anybody else." An AP analysis of primary results shows he is second in the delegate count, with 19. Mike Huckabee has 31. Huckabee, winner of the Iowa GOP caucus and third-place finisher in New Hampshire, also is in contention for the Jan. 15 Michigan contest. He campaigned in South Carolina on Wednesday, eager to capitalize on a polling lead he enjoys there on the strength of the state's religious conservatives, a bigger bloc of voters than he encountered in New Hampshire. The former Arkansas governor discounted McCain's foreign policy credentials, saying that quality didn't help two Democratic Senate veterans who dropped out after getting negligible results in Iowa. "The idea that he's had longer experience ask Joe Biden and Chris Dodd what it did for them," he said. Huckabee plainly likes McCain and, from Iowa and New Hampshire respectively, the two amounted to something of a tag team against Romney. In South Carolina, they'll be going head to head for the first time, yet Huckabee said he doubted nasty words would pass between them. "I don't see us going out there and taking the gloves off." Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson set South Carolina as his firewall for a campaign that has yet to take off. "I'm proud to say I am drawing a line in the sand in South Carolina," Thompson said Wednesday in Sumter. He bypassed New Hampshire's GOP campaign and finished last there. He said he won't change his style for political expediency. "What you see is what you get," he said. "If they like that, I'll be in great shape." New Hampshire placed Clinton squarely back in the contest for the Democratic nomination after her third-place finish in Iowa and revived McCain's hopes seven months after his campaign had seemed to be down for the count. In 2000, McCain was knocked out of the race after a brutal South Carolina campaign during which he was the subject of a whisper campaign and so-called push polling. Voters were called and asked about McCain's daughter, insinuating she was illegitimate. She was adopted from a Bangladeshi orphanage. Now, his South Carolina supporters have set up a "truth squad" to counter any negative campaigning against him. "Our goal is to set the record straight," said state Attorney General Henry McMaster, a campaign co-chairman. "As soon as one of these negative attack ads goes up on the air or hits the mailboxes, we'll let the voters know the truth." The victories for McCain and Clinton were evidence of New Hampshire's prickly habit of rejecting those chosen by Iowa voters a few days earlier and raised the prospect of a drawn-out nomination battle between two history-making candidates: Clinton, who would be the first woman to hold the presidency, and Obama, who would be the first president of African-American descent. Third place on the Democratic side went to former Sen. John Edwards, who said he would not drop out. Instead, he hoped to keep the race a three-way contest. "Two races down, 48 states left to go," he declared. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani bolted New Hampshire even before the ballots were counted and headed to Florida, the state he expected to propel him in the polls. With 99 percent of the New Hampshire vote tabulated before counters shut down for the night, Clinton had 39 percent, Obama 36 percent and Edwards 17 percent. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson trailed with 5 percent. On the Republican side, McCain had 37 percent, Romney 31 percent, Huckabee 11 percent, Giuliani 9 percent and Rep. Ron Paul 8 percent. Thompson got 1 percent. ___ Associated Press writers Liz Sidoti in Grand Rapids, Mich., Glen Johnson in Boston and Jim Davenport in Sumter, S.C., contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| Clinton wins Posted: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 10:32 PM by Domenico Montanaro Filed Under: , , NBC News reports, in the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton is the winner -- very narrowly, but she's the winner. Obama is second. Edwards is third. \|\|\|\|\| Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won New Hampshire's Democratic primary Tuesday night in a startling upset, defeating Sen. Barack Obama and resurrecting her bid for White House. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Arizona Sen. John McCain won the New Hampshire primary Tuesday night, completing a remarkable comeback and climbing back into contention for the Republican presidential nomination. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton moved out to a startling lead over Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic race. "We showed the people of this country what a real comeback looks like," McCain told The Associated Press in an interview as he savored his triumph. "We're going to move on to Michigan and South Carolina and win the nomination." Later, he told cheering supporters that together, "we have taken a step, but only a first step toward repairing the broken politics of the past and restoring the trust of the American people in their government." The Arizona senator rode a wave of support from independent voters to defeat former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, a showing that reprised his victory in the traditional first-in-the-nation primary in 2000. It was a bitter blow for Romney, who spent millions of dollars of his own money in hopes of winning the kickoff Iowa caucuses and the first primary - and finished second in both. Even so, the businessman-turned politician said he would meet McCain next week in the Michigan primary, and he cast himself as just what the country needed to fix Washington. "I don't care who gets the credit, Republican or Democrat. I've got no scores to settle," he told supporters. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the leadoff Iowa GOP caucuses last week, was running third in New Hampshire. With votes counted from 51 percent of the state's precincts, McCain was winning 37 percent of the vote, Romney had 32 and Huckabee 11. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani had 9 percent, Texas Rep. Ron Paul 8. Clinton, the former first lady who finished third in Iowa, was mounting an unexpectedly stiff challenge to Obama in the nation's first primary. Polling place interviews showed that female voter - who deserted Clinton when she finished third in last week's Iowa caucuses - were solidly in her New Hampshire column. She also was winning handily among registered Democrats. Obama led her by an even larger margin among independents, but he suffered from a fall-off in turnout among young voters compared with Iowa. She had 39 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary to 37 percent for Obama, who is seeking to become the nation's first black president. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina trailed with 17 percent. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was fourth, polling less than five percent of the vote. Despite running a distant third to his better-funded rivals, Edwards had no plans to step aside. He pointed toward the South Carolina primary on January 26, hoping to prevail in the state where he was born - and where he claimed his only victory in the presidential primaries four years ago. Regardless of the outcome, the Democratic race produced a patented New Hampshire surprise not unlike Bill Clinton's surge 16 years ago that allowed him to proclaim himself the "comeback kid." Obama drew huge crowds as he swept into the state after winning Iowa. Confident of victory, he stuck to his pledge to deliver "change we can believe in," while the former first lady was forced to retool her appeal to voters on the run. She lessened her emphasis on experience, and sought instead to raise questions about Obama's ability to bring about the change he promised. The grind took a toll on both of them. Obama suffered from a sore throat, while Clinton's voice quavered at one point when asked how she coped with the rigors of the campaign. That unexpected moment of emotion became the talk of the final 24 hours of a campaign that was unlike any other in history - the most viable black candidate in history against a former first lady, trying to become the first women to occupy the Oval Office. Clinton's performance came as a surprise even to her own inner circle. In the hours leading up to the poll closing, her closest advisers had appeared to be bracing for a second defeat at the hands of Obama. Officials said her aides were considering whether to effectively concede the next two contests - caucuses in Nevada on January 19 and a South Carolina primary a week later - and instead try to regroup in time for a 22-state round of Democratic contests on February 5. These officials also said a campaign shake-up was in the works, with longtime Clinton confidante Maggie Williams poised to come aboard to help sharpen the former first lady's message. Other personnel additions are expected, according to these officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity while discussing strategy. Obama, who won the leadoff Iowa caucuses last week, looked for an endorsement from the powerful Culinary Workers union in Nevada in the days ahead. South Carolina's Democratic electorate is heavily black and likely to go for the most viable black presidential candidate in history. The Republican race turns next to Michigan, where McCain and Romney already are advertising on television, and where both men planned appearances on Wednesday. Huckabee also was expected to campaign in the state. According to preliminary results of a survey of voters as they left their polling places, more independents cast ballots in the Democratic race than in the Republican contest. They accounted for four of every 10 Democratic votes and about a third of Republican ballots. The survey was conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks. Republicans were split roughly evenly in naming the nation's top issues: the economy, Iraq, illegal immigration and terrorism. Romney had a big lead among those naming immigration, while McCain led on the other issues. Half of Republicans said illegal immigrants should be deported, and this group leaned toward Romney. Those saying illegal immigrants should be allowed to apply for citizenship leaned toward McCain, while the two candidates split those saying those here illegally should be allowed to stay as temporary workers. Among Democrats, about one-third each named the economy and Iraq as the top issues facing the country, followed by health care. Voters naming the economy were split about evenly between Obama and Clinton, while Obama had an advantage among those naming the other two issues. Clinton has made health care a signature issue for years. About one-third said if Bill Clinton were running, they would have voted for him on Tuesday. It was hard to tell who needed a Republican victory more - McCain or Romney. McCain was the long-ago front-runner who survived a near-death political experience when his fundraising dried up and his support collapsed. He shed much of his staff and regrouped. An unflinching supporter of the Iraq war, he benefited when U.S. casualties declined in the wake of a controversial building in U.S. troops. By the final days of the New Hampshire race, he held a celebration of sorts to mark his 100th town hall meeting in the state he won eight years ago. "It has all the earmarks of a landslide with the Dixville Notch vote," an upbeat McCain quipped - he got four votes there to Romney's two and one for Giuliani - as his campaign bus headed to a polling place in Nashua. The crowd of supporters was so big, that voters complained and a poll worker pleaded with McCain to leave. Seconds later, the bus pulled away. --- David Espo reported from Washington. AP writers Liz Sidoti, Nedra Pickler, Scott Lindlaw, Glen Johnson, Beverley Wang, Charles Babington, Holly Ramer and Clarke Canfield contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| AP Photo/Charles Dharapak Buy AP Photo Reprints WASHINGTON (AP) -- Barack Obama talked of introducing some Chicago smackdown to his politics of hope Wednesday, seeking a rebound after Hillary Rodham Clinton grasped victory in the New Hampshire primary. In the wide-open Republican contest, John McCain pressed to build on his New Hampshire win and named experience, knowledge and judgment as his calling cards in the races ahead. Clinton pored over election strategy in the first blush of her surprising success and indicated she'd compete in every big Democratic contest coming up this month rather than try to cherry pick her way to the nomination. "I'm going to keep going as we take on all the rest of the contests between now and February 5th," she said, back home in New York to "get grounded and take a deep breath" after a victory that surprised her own campaign, confounded the pollsters and shocked nearly everyone else. Two dozen states vote Feb. 5. Obama responded not just to his Democratic rival's New Hampshire primary win but to attacks on him by her husband, former President Clinton "I think that Senator Clinton, obviously, is a formidable and tough candidate, and we have to make sure that we take it to them just like they take it to us," the Illinois senator said. "I come from Chicago politics. We're accustomed to rough and tumble." Obama is bidding for resurgence in South Carolina and Nevada, which vote this month. On Wednesday, he received the endorsement of the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union local in Nevada in addition to the backing of the state's chapter of the Service Employees International Union. Bill Clinton complained in New Hampshire that Obama was getting a free pass from the scrutiny turned on Hillary Clinton and likened the Illinois senator's campaign to a "fairy tale." Obama shot back Wednesday that "the real fairy tale is, I think, Bill Clinton suggesting somehow that we've been just taking a cakewalk here." McCain campaigned in Michigan, hoping to reprise his win there in 2000 just as he did in New Hampshire. staggering one-time poll leader Mitt Romney. "I can throw a dart at a map of the world and show you a place where there's national security challenges," McCain said before a Grand Rapids rally. "I'm the only one that's been involved in these issues for the last 20 years." In Boston, Romney sought to assure his top financial backers that he can win in Michigan and beyond, after disappointing second-place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. Romney was born in Michigan and his father was governor. "It's just getting started," he told hundreds of supporters gathered at a convention center for a follow-up to his campaign's "National Call Day" that raised an unprecedented $6.5 million a year ago. The former Massachusetts governor misstated results when he told them he's received "more delegates than anybody else." An AP analysis of primary results shows he is second in the delegate count, with 19. Mike Huckabee has 31. Huckabee, winner of the Iowa GOP caucus and third-place finisher in New Hampshire, also is in contention for the Jan. 15 Michigan contest. He campaigned in South Carolina on Wednesday, eager to capitalize on a polling lead he enjoys there on the strength of the state's religious conservatives, a bigger bloc of voters than he encountered in New Hampshire. The former Arkansas governor discounted McCain's foreign policy credentials, saying that quality didn't help two Democratic Senate veterans who dropped out after getting negligible results in Iowa. "The idea that he's had longer experience - ask Joe Biden and Chris Dodd what it did for them," he said. Huckabee plainly likes McCain and, from Iowa and New Hampshire respectively, the two amounted to something of a tag team against Romney. In South Carolina, they'll be going head to head for the first time, yet Huckabee said he doubted nasty words would pass between them. "I don't see us going out there and taking the gloves off." Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson set South Carolina as his firewall for a campaign that has yet to take off. "I'm proud to say I am drawing a line in the sand in South Carolina," Thompson said Wednesday in Sumter. He bypassed New Hampshire's GOP campaign and finished last there. He said he won't change his style for political expediency. "What you see is what you get," he said. "If they like that, I'll be in great shape." New Hampshire placed Clinton squarely back in the contest for the Democratic nomination after her third-place finish in Iowa and revived McCain's hopes seven months after his campaign had seemed to be down for the count. In 2000, McCain was knocked out of the race after a brutal South Carolina campaign during which he was the subject of a whisper campaign and so-called push polling. Voters were called and asked about McCain's daughter, insinuating she was illegitimate. She was adopted from a Bangladeshi orphanage. Now, his South Carolina supporters have set up a "truth squad" to counter any negative campaigning against him. "Our goal is to set the record straight," said state Attorney General Henry McMaster, a campaign co-chairman. "As soon as one of these negative attack ads goes up on the air or hits the mailboxes, we'll let the voters know the truth." The victories for McCain and Clinton were evidence of New Hampshire's prickly habit of rejecting those chosen by Iowa voters a few days earlier and raised the prospect of a drawn-out nomination battle between two history-making candidates: Clinton, who would be the first woman to hold the presidency, and Obama, who would be the first president of African-American descent. Third place on the Democratic side went to former Sen. John Edwards, who said he would not drop out. Instead, he hoped to keep the race a three-way contest. "Two races down, 48 states left to go," he declared. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani bolted New Hampshire even before the ballots were counted and headed to Florida, the state he expected to propel him in the polls. With 99 percent of the New Hampshire vote tabulated before counters shut down for the night, Clinton had 39 percent, Obama 36 percent and Edwards 17 percent. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson trailed with 5 percent. On the Republican side, McCain had 37 percent, Romney 31 percent, Huckabee 11 percent, Giuliani 9 percent and Rep. Ron Paul 8 percent. Thompson got 1 percent. --- Associated Press writers Liz Sidoti in Grand Rapids, Mich., Glen Johnson in Boston and Jim Davenport in Sumter, S.C., contributed to this report. © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.	John McCain campaigning in New Hampshire. According to media reports, John McCain has won the New Hampshire Primary for the Republicans in the 2008 Presidential race. "I hate to use to the word kid, but I think we showed the people of this country what a real comeback looks like. I'm grateful to the people of New Hampshire. I'm committed to keeping this country safe, and we're going to move on to Michigan and South Carolina and win the nomination," said McCain. Also according to media reports, New York Senator Hillary Clinton has won the New Hampshire Primary in the 2008 United States Presidential race. ''MSNBC'' reports that Clinton beat Barack Obama by a "very narrow margin." Opinion polls held before the polls closed showed Obama winning.
Faced with delays and escalating costs, the 19th Commonwealth Games, to be held here next October, received a major boost on Thursday, with the Union Cabinet deciding to more than double the budget allocation. The budget has been hiked to Rs. 1,620 crore from Rs. 767 crore. The amount will be given as loan to the Organising Committee of the Games at the prevailing interest rate of the government. Union Minister and Cabinet spokesperson Ambika Soni said the increase had become necessary due to several factors. For instance, several new items that were essential for the successful delivery of the games but were not provided in the initial budget, such as sponsorship and television rights, security, ticketing, city operations, accreditation and sustainability and environment, are included now. Likewise, there were changes in the scope of the work and cost escalation in respect of accommodation, catering, opening and closing ceremonies, rent for the office of the Organising Committee, risk management-insurance, protocol and CGF relations, communications, image and looks, technology and the Queen’s Baton Relay. There is a significant increase in the number of days of the Relay — from 136 to 240 days for the international leg and from 60 to 100 days for the domestic leg. The revised route for the relay now covered all the 70 CGA nations and territories in the international leg and all States in the national leg. Further, the number of volunteers required for the games has gone up to nearly 30,000, with concurrent increase in terms of cost of accreditation, catering, uniform and other such expenses. Ms. Soni said the components of rent for the Organising Committee’s headquarters and for technology alone accounted for a significant portion of the increase. The allocations for the two items were practically zero in the initial Budget. It has now been estimated that about Rs. 175 crore is required for the rent and Rs. 200 crore for the technology. Replying to queries, the Minister denied that the increase in the budget would mean a waste of resources. Pointing out that the amount was being provided as a loan, she said the Organising Committee expected to generate revenue of about Rs. 1,708 crore. The run up to the games has been mired in controversies with Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Mike Hooper at one time expressing serious concerns over the pace of the preparations. The matter was consequently resolved following detailed discussions between the top brass of the CGF and the Indian Olympic Committee. \|\|\|\|\| Commonwealth Games budget more than doubled to Rs.1,620 crore 5 Nov 2009, 1546 hrs IST, IANS Print EMail Discuss Share Save Comment Text: NEW DELHI: The government Thursday more than doubled the 2010 Commonwealth Games budget to Rs.1,620 crore (Rs.16.2 billion / $344 million) from Rs.767 crore. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here. "The cabinet approved the proposal of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for providing a revised budget of Rs.1,620 crore, as loan to the Organising Committee (OC) of the Commonwealth Games, 2010, at the prevailing government rate of interest," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after the cabinet meeting. Soni said the organising committee hoped that "against the approved revised estimates it is expected to generate a revenue of about Rs.1,708 crore". Delhi is hosting the 19th Commonwealth Games from Oct 3 to 14, 2010, in 17 sporting disciplines. Competitions will also be held for Elite Athletes with Disability (EAD). Soni said many factors have contributed to increase in the amounts proposed in the revised estimates. "Sponsorship and TV rights, security, sustainability and environment, and ticketing" included in the revised proposal, were among the main factors raising the budget, the minister said. "New items essential for the successful delivery of the games were not provided in the initial budget of the committee," she added. "The components of rent for organising headquarters, technology which were practically nil in the initial budget, are now around Rs.175 crore and Rs.200 crore respectively. These have also contributed substantially to the (budget) increase." Soni said the new proposal also includes the "change in the scope of the work and cost escalation in respect of accommodation, catering, opening and closing ceremonies, protocol, communications, image and look, technology, risk management-insurance and technical conduct of sports". The Queen's Baton Relay (QBR) has also been revised and will now cover all 70 Commonwealth Games Association nations and territories in the international leg and all states in the national leg. The number of days of the relay in its international leg will be raised to 240 days from 136 approved previously. In the domestic leg the number of days has been increased to 100 from 60. "The number of volunteers has also gone up to nearly 30,000 and hence the cost of accreditation, catering, uniform, on this account has increased," Soni said. Read business stories in हिंदी ગુજરાતી Print EMail Discuss Share Save Comment Text: \|\|\|\|\| A commuter walks past the New Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010 mascot in New Delhi October 3, 2009. REUTERS/Parth Sanyal/Files NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has doubled its budget to organise the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year as it hopes to use the international gathering to show itself off as a major global destination. The government on Thursday revised the budget to $344 million, a significant increase from the previous $163 million. “It has been felt important to increase the amount because of the inclusion of new items that are essential for the successful delivery of the Games that were not provided in the initial budget,” the country’s Information & Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters. New Delhi is preparing to host more than 100,000 foreign visitors during the Oct. 3-14 event.	File photo of Ambika Soni, Information and Broadcasting Minister of India The Indian government has raised the budget of the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games from Rs. 767 crore ($163 million) to Rs. 1,620 crore ($344 million). The decision was made at a meeting of the cabinet led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. Ambika Soni, the Information and Broadcasting Minister stated, "The cabinet approved the proposal of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for providing a revised budget of Rs. 1,620 crore, as loan to the Organising Committee (OC) of the Commonwealth Games, 2010, at the prevailing government rate of interest." According to the Minister, the organizing board hoped that to generate a net income of approximately Rs. 1,708 crore. "The components of rent for organising headquarters, technology which were practically nil in the initial budget, are now around Rs. 175 crore and Rs. 200 crore respectively. These have also contributed substantially to the (budget) increase", said the Minister when asked about the reason for the hike. Sponsorships, TV rights and ticketing were other factors influencing the change. Alongside this, the Queen's Baton Relay will now encompass all the 70 Commonwealth Games Association nations. In the international leg, the number of days has been increased to 240 from the previously approved 136 days while on the domestic leg, there has been an increase from 60 days to 100 days. "The number of volunteers has also gone up to nearly 30,000 and hence the cost of accreditation, catering, uniform, on this account has increased," said Soni.
15 flu deaths reported in Wales in one week Public health experts say GP consultations for people with flu-like symptoms remains 'normal' Continue reading the main story Related stories Fifteen flu-related deaths have been reported to the assembly government in the past week. The total number of flu deaths in Wales since October now stands at 27. Health officials said 49 people were having treatment in critical care beds in hospitals across Wales on Tuesday of this week. There has also been an increase in the number of GP consultations for flu but the figure remained "within the levels of normal seasonal flu activity". Aneurin Bevan Health Board, which covers the former Gwent trust area, reported the most number of critical care admissions, 12, closely followed by Betsi Cadwaladr health board in north Wales which saw 11 admissions. Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Cardiff and Vale health boards both saw nine admissions. Provisional figures from Public Health Wales showed the number of people going to their GP complaining of flu-like symptoms rose to 93 consultations per 100,000 compared to 85 consultations at 5 January. However, health officials said the reduction in GP consulting hours during the New Year Bank Holiday may have affected last week's clinical consultation rate. The age group with the highest consultation rate was the 25-34 year age group at 147 consultations per 100,000. Sixty-two people died with flu in the UK in the past week, bringing the total to 112 since October, according to the latest figures. 'Vaccine' The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the rise could be due to delayed reporting, with many of the deaths occurring before Christmas. Most of those who died had swine flu. The majority were aged between 15 and 64, but nine children under 14 died. Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Tony Jewell said: "Despite the slight increase in the clinical consultation rate for influenza this week compared to the previous week, the rate of consultations for flu-like illness in Wales still remains within the levels of normal seasonal flu activity. "Most healthy people will recover from flu-like illnesses within five to seven days with plenty of rest and drinking non-alcoholic fluids." He added: "On the issue of vaccination against seasonal flu, whilst we have been working to make stocks of the vaccine that was developed against swine flu available to be used where supplies of seasonal flu vaccine have run low, we are now well into the flu season." \|\|\|\|\| A FURTHER 15 flu-related deaths have been reported to the Assembly Government in the last week. It brings the total number of flu deaths in Wales to 27 since October. Officials said 49 people were in critical care in hospitals across the country, including 23 people aged 16 to 44; 19 aged 45 to 64; and seven over the age of 65. Aneurin Bevan Health Board, which covers Gwent, said it had 12 patients with flu-like symptoms in critical care, the highest of any health board in Wales, while Betsi Cadwaladwr UHB closely followed with 11 patients in a critical condition. Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Cardiff and Vale each have nine patients in critical care; Cwm Taf in the Rhondda has five and Hywel Dda three. It comes as figures released by Public Health Wales show a slight increase in the number of people contacting their GP with flu-like symptoms. Last week there were 93 GP consultations for every 100,000 people living in Wales, up from 89.2 for the week ending January 2. It was a slight increase on the week ending December 26, in which there were 92.1 consultations for every 100,000 people living in Wales. The figures revealed the highest level of GP consultations was for people aged between 25 and 34, at a rate of 147 consultations per 100,000. But experts believe the true number of people who have died as a result of flu this winter in Wales will be far higher. Doctors in Wales this week began using stocks of the 2009 swine flu jab to vaccinate patients. It follows shortages of the seasonal flu vaccine in parts of Wales, including the nation’s largest hospital – the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Wales’ chief medical officer Dr Tony Jewell defended the decision to stock fewer seasonal flu vaccines for the 2010 flu season. He said: “Whilst we have been working to make stocks of the vaccine that was developed against swine flu available to be used where supplies of seasonal flu vaccine have run low, we are now well into the flu season. “People in at-risk groups are at a higher risk of complications from seasonal flu, and the best protection is early vaccination. “A press and publicity campaign has been running since October and has included television, radio and bus adverts to let people know if they are in an at-risk group, and that the vaccine is available free of charge to those groups from GPs. “We have also encouraged health boards and GPs to ensure that their patients and front line NHS staff are vaccinated against seasonal flu.” He added: “Despite the slight increase in the clinical consultation rate for influenza this week compared to the previous week, the rate of consultations for flu-like illness in Wales still remains within the levels of normal seasonal flu activity. "Most healthy people will recover from flu-like illnesses within five to seven days with plenty of rest and drinking non-alcoholic fluids.” A spokesman for Hywel Dda LHB said hospitals throughout the area were operating “at a very high capacity” due to the double-impact of higher levels of suspected seasonal and swine flu cases and increased numbers of general admissions. As of yesterday, 13 patients with flu-like symptoms were being treated at Withybush General Hospital in Haverfordwest; five at Bronglais in Aberystwyth; one in Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli and another at Glangwili General Hospital in Carmarthen. Three of the patients were in intensive care.	Over the course of the last week, fifteen people who have suffered from influenza have died in Wales, as reported to the . The total amount of flu-related deaths in Wales since October 2010 has now increased to 27. On Tuesday, 49 people were being treated in critical care beds in hospitals around Wales, according to health officials. With twelve reported admissions, had the highest amount of critical care patients in Wales. has the second highest total number of patients experiencing this critical care in the country, with eleven being cared for. and have nine important care admissions each. contains five of such patients, while has three. The age group of 25–34 years old had the largest amount of meetings with ; the rate of consultation was 147 people for every 100,000. For all age groups, 93 people out of every one hundred thousand have been consulting with a GP; on January 5, the total figure stood at 85 meetings per 100,000. "Despite the slight increase in the clinical consultation rate for influenza this week compared to the previous week, the rate of consultations for flu-like illness in Wales still remains within the levels of normal seasonal flu activity," said , the Chief Medical Officer of Wales. "Most healthy people will recover from flu-like illnesses within five to seven days with plenty of rest and drinking non-alcoholic fluids. On the issue of vaccination against seasonal flu, whilst we have been working to make stocks of the vaccine that was developed against swine flu available to be used where supplies of seasonal flu vaccine have run low, we are now well into the flu season." According to , 13 patients experiencing flu-related symptoms were getting treatment at in on Tuesday. Meanwhile, five were receiving hospital treatment at in . Also, in and West Wales General Hospital in both had a solitary patient. Jowell also commented: "People in at-risk groups are at a higher risk of complications from seasonal flu, and the best protection is early vaccination. A press and publicity campaign has been running since October and has included television, radio and bus adverts to let people know if they are in an at-risk group, and that the vaccine is available free of charge to those groups from GPs. We have also encouraged health boards and GPs to ensure that their patients and front line NHS staff are vaccinated against seasonal flu." Throughout the United Kingdom, 62 individuals reportedly died in the last week, as the result of suffering from influenza. The majority of these victims were suffering from swine flu. In most of these cases, the sufferers were aged between 15 and 64. However, nine of the fatalities were of children aged below fourteen.
Twin peaks: Sox are champs 10/29/2007 3:24 AM ET DENVER -- A scintillating seven-game winning streak that began in Cleveland with the season on the brink of elimination ended Sunday night with the Red Sox mobbing each other in the thin air of Coors Field of all places, culminating in a World Series championship that didn't take even close to 86 years this time around. By sweeping the Rockies with a 4-3 victory in Game 4, the Red Sox are champions of Major League Baseball for the second time in four seasons, once again doing it by giving their National League opponent the broom treatment. It was the seventh -- there goes that number again -- time the Red Sox have won the World Series. It all ended with Jonathan Papelbon, the closer who has been brilliant all year and into the postseason, striking out Seth Smith on 95-mph heat. The fiery right-hander tossed his glove high in the air with joy, took his hat off and then embraced catcher Jason Varitek after saving the World Series clincher for left-hander Jon Lester. From there, it was a sea of Red Sox piling on top of each other in the middle of the diamond. "It was just an amazing ride," said Papelbon. "Hopefully this is a sign of more to come. The guys in this clubhouse, we have a chance to be here year after year. We can put a good team out there year after year." Three years ago, the Red Sox were overjoyed just to do it once. Now, the organization -- which has made the postseason four of the past five seasons-- is hoping to turn into a perennial powerhouse. Victory did not seem to be any sweeter this time than it was in 2004. "You know what, what happened in '04, we'll never forget," said Terry Francona, the first manager in Major League history to win his first eight World Series games. "I won't ever forget it. But this is '07, and we said that from Day 1. And we accomplished our goal, and it's not easy to do." Give the Rockies credit for this: they didn't quit. Down, 4-1, in the bottom of the eighth, Garrett Atkins blasted a two-run homer to left against Hideki Okajima, putting the heat on the Red Sox. "They don't panic when they're down," World Series MVP Mike Lowell said of the Rockies. "It got a little dicey there after Atkins hit the home run, but Pap's been there all year for us. There's no better guy to have in that situation than him." It was Papelbon, who didn't allow a run in seven postseason appearances, who recorded the final five outs. It was his third save of the World Series. There was also a feel-good touch to the end of the script, as Lester, who was undergoing chemotherapy treatments for anaplastic large cell lymphoma at this time last year, fired 5 2/3 shutout innings against Colorado to earn the win in his first career postseason start. Home \| News \| Multimedia \| Photos "Words can't describe it," said Lester. "It really hasn't sunk in. Maybe it will sink in when we go ride around Boston with the trophy. Right now, it's just a lot of fun. This is the one you work for ever since you first picked up a baseball. This is what you dream of and this is what you work towards all year." Aaron Cook, making his first start since Aug. 10 because of a left oblique strain, hung tough (six innings, six hits, three runs) for the Rockies in a losing effort. But the Red Sox did enough offensively to get the job done. Lowell -- who has a way of making his hits count -- belted a solo homer in the top of the seventh to give Boston a 3-0 lead. Brad Hawpe drew the Rockies within two on a solo shot to right against Manny Delcarmen in the bottom of the seventh. But after Mike Timlin navigated the Red Sox through the final two outs of that inning, Bobby Kielty opened the eighth with a pinch-hit homer to push the lead back to three runs. Teams with seven or more consecutive wins in one postseason No. Team Year/Series 8 Boston (AL) 2004 ALCS Games 4-7; WS Games 1-4 7 Boston (AL) 2007 ALCS Games 5-7; WS Games 1-4 7 Colorado (NL) 2007 NLDS Games 1-3; NLCS Games 1-4 7 Detroit (AL) 2006 ALDS Games 2-4; ALCS Games 1-4 7 Chicago (AL) 2005 ALCS Games 2-5; WS Games 1-4 7 Cincinnati 1976 NLCS Games 1-3; WS Games 1-4 7 Atlanta 1995 NLDS Game 4; NLCS Games 1-4; WS Games 1-2 7 New York (AL) 1998 ALCS Games 4-6; WS Games 1-4 The fact that Kielty hit a decisive home run was symbolic of the way this postseason went for Boston. From the veterans to the rookies to the role players, everyone did their thing. "You have to have horses," said Red Sox right-hander Curt Schilling. "You have to have Papelbons, you have to have [Josh] Becketts, you have to have Mannys, you have to have Davids, but when you have Jon Lester winning it and Bobby Kielty hitting the game-winning homer, it just speaks to the depth of the club." Don't let the relative ease of the World Series conquest fool you. The ride to the pinnacle was anything but easy for the Red Sox. They trailed the Indians, 3-1, in the American League Championship Series before climbing out of that seemingly daunting deficit. If the script sounds reasonably familiar, it should. In 2004, the Red Sox came back from 3-0 down to beat the Yankees in the ALCS, and they finished that championship ride with eight straight wins. "It's the most impossible thing to get done, and we got it done," said Red Sox slugger David Ortiz. "And [three] years later, we did it again." Coming into the World Series, the Rockies had won 21 of 22. But the Red Sox cooled them right off, riding their battle-tested playoff horses (Beckett and Schilling) to victories at Fenway, and then having Daisuke Matsuzaka and Lester seal the deal in the Rocky Mountains. "We had momentum on our side," said Timlin, who has now been a part of four World Series champions. "We came from a tough series with the Indians and we just carried it into this one. They had the time off and it didn't play in their favor, and we rolled." After taking over first place in the AL East for good on April 18 and winning 96 games during the regular season, Boston went 11-3 in the postseason. "I'm just so proud of everybody," said Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, a force in his rookie year. "It took 25 guys and every scout and coach to win this." In Game 4 of the World Series, the Red Sox again set the tone early. Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off his four-hit performance in Game 3, led the game off with a double. He moved to third on a groundout by Pedroia and scored on Ortiz's single to right. Cook held the Red Sox down for a while after that first, throwing three straight shutout innings. But the Boston bats came alive in the fifth. Lowell got it started with a leadoff double to center and belly-flopped home on a one-out single to right by Varitek. After Julio Lugo followed with a single, Cook struck out Lester and Ellsbury to keep it at 2-0. Things would get topsy-turvy later, but the Red Sox found a way to finish it off. By the end of the night, the infield seats at Coors Field were packed with Boston fans, who cheered the players on for roughly 90 minutes in a post-clinch party. "I thought there would be a different feeling, because there wasn't sort of the long, dramatic buildup," said Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino. "But it's still exhilarating and still jubilant. Just sitting here now, seeing the players in uniform, Red Sox Nation here with us, it's beginning to hit me right now with the fans cheering. It's a gratifying feeling." This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. MLB.com \|\|\|\|\| Red Sox beat Rockies 4-3 to complete second World Series sweep in four years DENVER -- They celebrated a mile up on major league baseball's loftiest infield, sky high again, a repeat of that raucous night at old Busch Stadium in St. Louis a few years ago. Boston is baseball's bully, the example other teams seek to emulate. "Damn Red Sox," anyone? Three years after they ended the Curse with their first title in 86 years, now the curse is on everyone else. What a tale to tell. Those decades of frustration that left their faithful doubting if their day would ever come are distant memories, stored up in the attic with sepia-toned photos from the original Red Sox dynasty, which won five World Series titles from 1903-18. On another night to remember back at Fenway Park, Faneuil Hall and all over New England, Boston became World Series champions for the second time in four years by beating the Colorado Rockies -- flattening them -- in a sweep that ended with a 4-3 victory Sunday night. "Pretty darn heavy," Jon Lester said after lifting the trophy that all of baseball had sought since pitchers and catchers reported to Florida and Arizona last February. Lester was one of the stars, a 23-year-old who overcame cancer, returned to the Red Sox and won the World Series finale by pitching 5 2-3 scoreless innings in his first start since Sept. 26. There was Mike Lowell, the World Series MVP, who hit .400 with four RBIs, including a solo homer in the finale that pushed the lead to 3-0. There was baby-faced Jacoby Ellsbury, who led off the game with a double and scored the first run. There was the old guard from 2004, Manny and Big Papi, Curt Schilling and Jason Varitek. And there were new faces such as closer Jonathan Papelbon, who got the final five outs to preserve the slim lead, then threw his glove up so high it seemed as if a gusher had splashed it toward the heavens. "It took all 25 of us to get the job done," Papelbon said. "It's just phenomenal." In the clubhouse, players wore blue goggles to keep the celebration spray out of their eyes. Daisuke Matsuzaka, who in Game 3 became the first Japanese pitcher with a Series win, bowed out on the field, celebrating with his own native style. They came together from several corners of the world to represent a city that obsesses over its baseball like no other, and in a contest between Boston lobster and Colorado beef, the shellfish left the meat charred and scarred. Colorado, fourth in the NL West in mid-September, had a remarkable run of 21 wins in 22 games to reach the Series for the first time. But after an eight-day layoff, the Rockies were rusted and got routed. With the second-highest average in Series history behind the 1960 New York Yankees, Boston outhit them .333 to .218, outscored them 29-10. Maybe any of the four American League playoff teams would have swept any NL champion. Sure seemed that way. Colorado, in its 15th season, has not nearly the pedigree of Boston, which has been around for more than a century. Somehow, even though they failed to win a game, the Rockies seemed satisfied. "No reason to hang our heads. We accomplished a lot this season," Todd Helton said. "They outplayed us. We have no reason to be upset. We made the World Series. We did a lot this year. We came a long way." Boston was a loss from elimination when it trailed Cleveland 3-1 in the AL championship series, then finished with seven straight victories, a streak that dwarfs that of the Rockies' in significance if not length. Lester, undergoing chemotherapy for cancer at this time last year, handed a 2-0 lead over to his bullpen. Ellsbury scored in the first on Ortiz's single, and Lowell doubled in the fifth -- one of 18 by the Red Sox -- and came around on Varitek's single. Lowell's homer off Aaron Cook, whose career was sidetracked a few years ago because of blood clots in his lungs, made it 3-0 in the seventh. The towel-waving fans at Coors Field didn't get down. They kept screaming, hoping the Red Sox rooters who brought brooms to the ballpark would be denied, at least for one day. Brad Hawpe's leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh got the Rockies a run, but Bobby Kielty made the most of his first appearance in this Series, connecting for a pinch-hit homer in the eighth against Brian Fuentes and raising both arms triumphantly. Garrett Atkins' two-run shot off Hideki Okajima made it close in the bottom half and Boston brought on Papelbon, who pitched 10 2-3 scoreless innings over seven postseason appearances. He got five straight outs for his third save of the Series, as automatic as Mariano Rivera was back when the Yankees -- remember them? -- won three in a row. And when it was over, Varitek ran to the mound, jumped into his arms and raised his right arm in jubilation. "This team's got a lot of heart," Varitek said. "We worked really hard. We just beat a very, very good team, an excellent team. We had to do the little things." While the Yankees owned the 20th century, the Red Sox are the first team to win two titles in the 21st. In this era of parity, they are well on their way to becoming the team of the decade. "It's premature. It's nonsense," team president Larry Lucchino said in a corner of the clubhouse, trying to stay dry as his cell phone kept interrupting. "We're the team of 2004 and 2007." Notes: Of the seven postseason series this year, five ended in sweeps. ... Varitek is giving the ball from the final out to the Red Sox. Three years ago, Doug Mientkiewicz kept it for awhile, sparking a snit that ended when the team took him to court and he later agreed to give it to the Hall of Fame. ... Boston's Terry Francona is the first manager to start 8-0 in the Series. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) \|\|\|\|\| Red Sox Sweep Rockies, Win World Series DENVER (AP) ― Gone are those pleading, pathetic days when the Red Sox were practically begging to win a World Series. There's a new monster in baseball, and it's in Boston.Overwhelming in every way, the Red Sox swept to their second title in four years Sunday night. Jon Lester, Mike Lowell & Co. left little room for drama with a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies in Game 4.Then again, no NL team could have blocked Boston this October.This was hardly a repeat from 2004, when the Red Sox ended their 86-year championship drought by beating St. Louis. Boston is a major league bully these days, playing in rarefied air before crowds who demand to win.At this rate, New England fans might get spoiled. Manager Terry Francona's team has become a perfect counterpart to coach Bill Belichick's bruisers on the Patriots.After rallying from a 3-1 deficit against Cleveland in the AL championship series, the Red Sox won seven straight games and won their seventh World Series crown.The Rockies, who won a remarkable 21 of 22 games to get this far, were a mere afterthought by the end. Brad Hawpe homered in the seventh inning and Garrett Atkins hit a two-run shot in the eighth that came too late.Lester, undergoing chemotherapy at this time last year for cancer, pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning and Jonathan Papelbon closed with his third save of the Series.Lowell led a team that hit .333 in the Series with a home run, double and headfirst slide to score a run. Rookie Jacoby Ellsbury got it started with a leadoff double and, even without big contributions from sluggers Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, was too good.Coors Field was filled with Red Sox fans, many of them brazenly waving brooms they might have brought from the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park.The celebrations started early, with converted DH Ortiz raising his hand after a nice scoop at first base, and Lester pumping his fist after a key strikeout.Of the seven postseason series this year, five ended in sweeps. The Rockies' last chance to avoid it came in the ninth, when Jamey Carroll flied out to the wall for the second out in the ninth.By the ninth inning, only one mystery really remained: What would happen to the ball from the final out? Remember, it took all sorts of gyrations after Boston's most recent title before Doug Mientkiewicz donated his souvenir to the Hall of Fame.This time, Jason Varitek caught the final pitch as Papelbon threw his glove high in the air after striking out pinch-hitter Seth Smith and the Red Sox ran out and celebrated between the mound and first.Rockies fans spent part of the night trying to outshout hundreds of Red Sox rooters -- Boston folks apparently figured how to cut through Colorado's online ticket mixup.The crowd in purple hollered louder, but that's the only matchup Colorado won this week.In every other phase, Boston was better.Ace Josh Beckett dominated in Game 1, relievers Papelbon and Hideki Okajima closed out Game 2 and rookies Dustin Pedroia, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Ellsbury starred in Game 3.When the Red Sox won in 2004, it represented a catharsis for fans all over New England. Many had wondered whether they'd live to see a championship -- in fact, as fall turned to winter, tombstones showed up from Bangor to Brattleboro with references to the title.Then, even bit players like Dave Roberts became household names to anyone wearing the fancy Boston "B." Backups such as Pokey Reese joined Paul Revere and Plymouth Rock in local lore.Now, expectations are a lot different. Instead of "Wait till next year," it's "Next year, too!"While Curt Schilling and Lowell can become free agents, the Red Sox enjoy a bright future. They didn't have room on the postseason roster for Clay Buchholz, the rookie who pitched a no-hitter last month.Right from the get-go, it was Boston's night.Ellsbury, who began the year merely hoping for a promotion to Triple-A, sliced the second pitch 3 feet inside the left-field line for a double. He alertly advanced on a grounder and scored when Ortiz barely bounced a single through the drawn-in infield.As if the Red Sox needed any more early omens, Ortiz flashed a fancy glove in the second. A lumbering DH by trade, he neatly scooped up shortstop Julio Lugo's one-hop throw.Lowell hit a leadoff double in the fifth and made a headfirst dive to score on Varitek's single off Aaron Cook. That made it 2-0 and, for the time being, left every Red Sox regular in the lineup hitting over .300 in the Series except Ramirez.Lester started off in rare form, catching Kaz Matsui's popup leading off the first. When Ramirez misplayed Matsui's fly ball to left field into a double in the third, Lester also took care of the trouble himself.The lefty struck out Troy Tulowitzki and Matt Holliday, punctuating the last pitch with a fist pump. Down to their last chance, Colorado's hitters seemed to press and take huge hacks. Lester used that eagerness in his favor, often fooling them with sliders.Cook, too, was trying to add a chapter to his success story. His career was cut short a few years ago because of blood clots in his lungs. He started on opening day this season, but hadn't pitched in a major league game since Aug. 10 because of a strained side muscle.Cook did what most of the Colorado batters couldn't do. He got a hit, pushing a bunt past Lester and later sharing a laugh with Ortiz at first.Halfway through the game, it was clearly a pitchers' duel. Hardly anyone would have predicted that in the pre-humidor days, when Coors hosted the highest-scoring All-Star game and earned its reputation as a hitters' haven.Notes:@ The Red Sox finished with 18 doubles, one off the Series record by the 1946 Cardinals and 1910 Philadelphia Athletics. ... The sweep meant no split decision for Denver sports fans. They can give their full attention to the Broncos, home Monday night against Brett Favre and Green Bay. (© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)	Mike Lowell was named MVP of the 2007 World Series. For the second time in four years, the Boston Red Sox have won the World Series Championship sweeping the Colorado Rockies in four games. They won the deciding game 4 on Sunday night, 4-3. The Rockies, who went nearly undefeated in their final 21 games with just one loss and claimed the National League wildcard, seemed poised to put up a fight in the series after sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS, 3-0 and the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-0 in the NLCS, and enjoying eight days of rest after beating the Diamondbacks. However, the Red Sox dominated the series from the outset. They earned their place in the series after coming back from a three games to one deficit against the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS. They managed to win their second World Series title in four years, after their nearly historic comeback in 2004 in which they won their first championship in 86 years and ended the "Curse of the Bambino". Mike Lowell received the World Series MVP Award which included a hybrid Chevy Malibu and a hybrid Chevy Tahoe. It is currently unknown at the moment if Lowell will resign as he has attained free agent status now that the season is over.
NEW YORK -- Tim Donaghy started making NBA bets four years ago, and he didn't hesitate to wager on games he worked. Speaking in code during telephone calls, he tipped off high-stakes gamblers with inside information and recommended which teams to bet on. When his picks hit, he was paid $5,000. The stunning allegations emerged Wednesday as the disgraced former NBA referee pleaded guilty to two felony charges in a scandal that rocked the league and tarnished the integrity of the sport. "By having this nonpublic information, I was in a unique position to predict the outcome of NBA games," Donaghy, standing ramrod-straight with his hands clasped in front of him, told the judge in a Brooklyn courtroom. Donaghy, who was released on $250,000 bond, faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced Nov. 9 for conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce. He also must pay a $500,000 fine and at least $30,000 in restitution to the government. Commissioner David Stern said the NBA would "continue with our ongoing and thorough review of the league's officiating program to ensure that the best possible policies and procedures are in place to protect the integrity of our game." Defense attorney John Lauro told The Associated Press that Donaghy was "relieved this part of the proceeding is over and we look forward to completely resolving this matter in the coming months." Games in Indictment Two specific dates are mentioned in the indictment as days when Tim Donaghy called his co-conspirators with information on "who to bet on." One is Dec. 13. That night, Donaghy officiated a Boston-Philadelphia game in Philadelphia. The second is Dec. 26. That night, Donaghy worked a Memphis-Washington game in Washington D.C. In the Dec. 13 game, Boston was a 3½-point favorite and won by 20. A total of 49 fouls were called (25 against the visiting 76ers) and 68 free throws were shot (34 by each team). The over-under line was 194 points; 182 points were scored (Boston won 101-81). In the Dec. 26 game, Washington was an 8-point favorite and won by 15. A total of 48 fouls were called (25 against the host Wizards) and 61 free throws were shot. The over-under line was 207 points; 217 points were scored (Washington won 116-101). -- ESPN.com • Court document • Donaghy's 2006-07 game log "Tim deeply regrets his involvement in this matter and especially the pain it has caused his family, friends and co-workers," Lauro said. The plea had been widely expected in recent weeks, but court documents released Wednesday revealed new details about the depth of the scandal. Court papers say the 40-year-old Donaghy began placing bets on NBA games in 2003. Starting last December, he began giving gambling associates sensitive information, including which crews would officiate games and how the various officials and players interacted. His actions "compromised his objectivity as a referee because of his personal financial interest in the outcome of NBA games," the government said. It was highly lucrative for Donaghy. While in Toronto, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., to referee games earlier this year, Donaghy received thousands of dollars in cash payoffs from the gamblers, authorities said. They did not spell out specific games that Donaghy officiated and placed bets on, nor would they say if he made calls during the game to help a team cover the spread. In one exchange, according to court papers, Donaghy provided a tip about an NBA game on Dec. 13, 2006. That same day, he worked a 76ers game in Philadelphia against the Boston Celtics. The next day, Donaghy met with the gamblers in Pennsylvania and received a cash payment, authorities say. A person close to the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing, said the payment was for a successful tip on the 76ers-Celtics game. The point spread moved two points before the game went off the board -- a fairly significant swing -- with Boston going from a 1½-point favorite to a 3½-point choice. Boston won by 20. The two alleged co-conspirators, identified by prosecutors as James Battista, a professional gambler with the nicknames "Baba" and "Sheep," and Thomas Martino, also appeared in court Wednesday. They were ordered released on $250,000 bond after their arraignment on charges of conspiracy to defraud the NBA. Battista's lawyer, Jack McMahon, said a grand jury is expected to hear the case and, if indicted, his client intends to plead innocent. "Mr. Donaghy walked away with a nice situation for himself. He is the linchpin and he seems to have worked his way into a nice situation," McMahon said. "I don't know if that is fair." The betting scheme was uncovered during an investigation into the Gambino crime family in Brooklyn. None of the defendants in this case was charged with organized crime affiliation. "He has no more association with an organized crime family than me, and I'm not associated with any organized crime," said McMahon, Battista's lawyer. Stern said last month that the FBI first contacted the NBA on June 20 to talk about a referee alleged to be gambling on games, and Donaghy resigned July 9 after 13 years as an official. Stern said he would have fired him sooner but was told it might affect the investigation. Stern blamed a "rogue, isolated criminal" for a scandal that threatened the credibility of every referee. But players are trying not to get too caught up in it. "Honestly, I don't think anybody's thinking about it. Us players, we haven't discussed it," superstar Kobe Bryant said. "It's not something that's on the radar for us. We know that the commissioner and the league and whoever else is handling the situation, they're going to take care of it, so we don't have much to worry about." Donaghy, who earned $260,000 last year, was rated in the top tier of officials, and there was nothing suspicious about the frequency of his foul calls, Stern said. He was assigned to work in the second round of the playoffs, with his last NBA game coming during the Phoenix-San Antonio Western Conference semifinal. The NBA places huge restrictions on NBA referees when it comes to gambling. They are not allowed to enter a casino, for example. "An unfortunate situation has taken place," New Jersey Nets guard Jason Kidd said. "But I think the NBA will definitely learn from this but move forward. Win or lose, the players control that." Donaghy turned over his passport and must seek permission to travel anywhere other than Pennsylvania, Florida or New York. In court, Donaghy said he is receiving psychiatric treatment for his gambling problem and is taking antidepressant and anxiety medication. Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press \|\|\|\|\| NEW YORK (CNN) -- Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was released on $250,000 bail after pleading guilty Wednesday to two felonies related to wagering on games he officiated and supplying inside information on games to others. Tim Donaghy was an NBA referee for 13 years. He worked more than 700 games in his career. "Today's guilty plea and charges serve as a warning that easy money often comes at a high price," said U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf. Two of Donaghy's alleged co-conspirators -- James Battista, also known as "Baba" and "Sheep," and Thomas Martino -- were also arraigned Wednesday for involvement in the gambling ring. Neither of them entered a plea, and both also have been released on an unsecured $250,000 bond. Earlier, Donaghy, a 13-year veteran referee, stood before Judge Carol Bagley Amon in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, and admitted taking antidepressants to cope with a severe gambling addiction that has cost him his reputation and career. Watch Donaghy's attorney talk about his client expressing remorse » Donaghy received payments for providing co-conspirators with winning picks based on classified information he obtained as an official with the league, prosecutors said in an affidavit. He tipped his co-conspirators through the use of encoded language based on information about players' physical condition and information about the relationship between referees and players in the league. The two felony counts -- conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information to other individuals -- carry a combined maximum sentence of 25 years. Prosecutors said Donaghy's guilty plea was made in exchange for cooperating in other investigations surrounding organized crime members and gambling on professional sports. According to the affidavit, Battista and Martino met in Philadelphia in December 2006 and arranged to pay Donaghy $2,000 for each winning pick. Weeks into the scheme, Battista and Martino increased the pay to $5,000 per winning pick because of the accuracy of Donaghy's tips. The three-man operation used Martino as the middleman between Battista, who placed the bets, and Donaghy, who gave his picks to Martino by using the coded language. While Donaghy told the court Wednesday he did bet on NBA games, no charges on that issue were included in the plea deal. NBA Commissioner David Stern has termed Donaghy's actions a betrayal, and he said they were an isolated incident that did not involve other NBA officials. "We think we have here a rogue isolated criminal," Stern said in a July news conference. "We will continue with our ongoing and thorough review of the league's officiating program to ensure that the best possible policies and procedures are in place to protect the integrity of our game," Stern said in a statement Wednesday. Lamell McMorris, spokesman for the National Basketball Referees Association, called the situation "a truly unfortunate case of wrongdoing by one of our own." "We recognize that a cloud has descended upon all referees, but we are committed to showing the public that this was an isolated event and that NBA officiating is conducted at the highest levels of honesty, integrity and fairness," McMorris said in a statement. E-mail to a friend CNN's Allan Chernoff and David Miller contributed to this report. All About NBA Basketball • David Stern	Tim Donaghy, an ex-NBA referee, surrendered today for an appearance in a Brooklyn federal court. Law enforcement officials said that Donaghy allegedly placed his own bets, and also released confidential information to others, including referees' schedules. Today, Donaghy pleaded guilty to 'conspiracy to engage in wire fraud' and 'transmitting wagering information to other individuals'. These two charges could result in up to 25 years in jail. Tim Frank, a NBA spokesman, told the ''Associated Press'' the league was informed yesterday that Donaghy would plead today but was not given any further information. Both John Lauro, Donaghy's attorney, and federal prosecutors did not comment. But, NBA commissioner David Stern said a month ago that the ex-referee's lawyer told the league Donaghy was contemplating a plea. The plea was made official early today. Donaghy has been reportedly cooperating with prosecuting attorneys who together are building a case against other people to whom Donaghy may have provided inside information to. It has also been reported that Donaghy had a biased view against the Detroit Pistons, therefore making bets against them, and then calls against them as well Donaghy today told the court that he had a gambling problem. However, he also said that he was receiving treatment for it. The ''Associated Press'' reports that no other NBA officials or players are suspects in this case. The FBI contacted the NBA on June 20, 2007 to talk about a referee who was allegedly gambling on games. The FBI and the NBA officially met on June 21. Donaghy resigned from his position July 9, after over ten years as a referee
- temporary digital planetarium fills the gap - new gallery gives details; broadcaster Peter Snow leads appeal The planetarium at the world-renowned Royal Observatory, Greenwich, will close on 31 October 2004 to make way for a spectacular, new, state-of-the-art facility. Work begins in the New Year on a £15m re-development programme, known as Time and Space, which will create a modern education centre including a planetarium of three times the size and many times the capability of the existing one, which is now 40 years old. The National Maritime Museum (which includes the Royal Observatory) has devised a scheme that will open up areas of the Observatory previously closed to visitors, revitalizing the site with new galleries, learning spaces and improved visitor facilities. These developments respond to increasing public demand. More than 750,000 people now visit the Observatory each year to stand on the line where east and west meet, to view the famous Harrison timekeepers and learn about the measurement of time and its relationship to astronomy. The new planetarium will support the existing educational programmes at the Royal Observatory and in the National Maritime Museum. From 2007, visitors will be able to enjoy a 21st-century exploration of space, with the benefit of live interpretation and an expert commentary from the Observatory’s astronomers. The project has the backing of Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees, and the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor John Brown. While the Time and Space project is completed, the Royal Observatory will remain open to the public as usual, but its educational programmes will transfer to the National Maritime Museum itself, where a new 'Discovery Room’ has been created for schools’ visits. The Museum will also be operating a temporary, digital planetarium, so that visitors of all ages can continue to learn about the wonders of time and space. The temporary planetarium will open on 6 December 2004 and will feature pre-recorded and live commentary as the Observatory’s experts help visitors understand the forces that shape our universe. The shows will reflect current astronomical events and audience interests and will be based around a variety of themed programmes: New Horizon - an exploration of the planets and moons of the solar system Stars of the Pharaohs - a journey to ancient Egypt to see how science was used to create calendars and construct buildings Cosmic Safari - a search for life in outer space. Enquiries from schools are especially welcome. For details telephone 020 8312 6786 or visit www.nmm.ac.uk. Meanwhile, visitors can find out more about the re-development project by viewing a new display at the Royal Observatory. The Time and Space gallery includes latest images of the project, architect’s plans, artist’s impressions and a brand-new project film. It also includes historic black and white photographs, many of which have never been on public display, showing the development of the site over the past 100 years. Among these are shots of the construction of the South Building from the 1890s, the re-built 'onion’ dome being lowered into place on top of the Observatory in the 1970s and images of wartime bomb damage across the domes and buildings of the site. The National Maritime Museum has already raised £11m towards the £15m Time and Space project, the balance of which it is seeking through its Universal Appeal, led by broadcaster Peter Snow. People wishing to make a donation or find out more about the Universal Appeal should visit www.nmm.ac.uk/universalappeal. Speaking about the project, Universal Appeal Chairman, Peter Snow, said: 'We are inviting everyone to take part in one of the most adventurous undertakings in the 330-year history of the Royal Observatory. Our ambition is to create a spectacular new environment in which more and more people can appreciate the wonders of time and space.’ Roy Clare, Director of the National Maritime Museum, said: 'Visitors have already told us that they are excited by the major developments taking place at the Royal Observatory over the next couple of years. The previews on-site and on-line explain why the project is needed now and what the results will be like. We will be providing continuity through the temporary facilities in the Museum itself, but our visitors can help us to deliver the final improvements on time by lending their support to the project now! Entry to the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum remains free, but a donation of just £1 per visitor will close the gap in our funding for this unique and stimulating project.’ Visitor Information: Royal Observatory, Greenwich Remains open to the public throughout the project: 10.00–17.00 daily, free of charge. Current Planetarium at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich Closes: 31 October 2004 NB: daily shows will continue as normal until that date. Temporary Planetarium at National Maritime Museum Opens: 6 December 2004 Location: Ground floor, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich Admission: £3 /£4 adults \|£2 concessions/children Time: 'Pre-recorded’ shows from 6 Dec at the following times: 13.30, 14.15, 15.00,15.45 'Live’ shows from 10 Jan 2005 at the following times: 14.30 & 15.30 weekdays, and 13.30, 14.30 & 15.30 at weekends. New Planetarium at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich Opens: Early 2007 For updated information prior to visit see www.nmm.ac.uk or call 020 8858 4422. -Ends- Notes to editors: The Universal Appeal Board includes, among others, the Astronomer Royal, Sir Martin Rees; Professor Colin Pillinger CBE FRS; broadcaster Libby Purves OBE; author Dava Sobel; and Sir Patrick Moore CBE FRS. Issued October 2004 by the National Maritime Museum Press Office. For more information please call 020 8312 6732/6790/6545 or e-mail gwilson@nmm.ac.uk. \|\|\|\|\| Madame Tussauds is constantly developing. From immersive themed entertainments to imaginative use of state-of-the-art technology, we are proud to bring our customers a truly ground-breaking and contemporary experience. 2003 Tussauds collaborates with Disney to create Treasure Planetarium, and collaborates with Universal Pictures to create The Hulk attraction. The Chamber Live gives a new injection of fear to the Chamber Of Horrors. 2001 Sept 11th shocks the world and has an enormous impact on tourism worldwide. 2000 Madame Tussauds New York opens, featuring New York's 'Movers and Shakers', alongside a whole world of stars. 2000 Madame Tussauds opens in Hong Kong featuring over 100 wax portraits of internationally-known personalities and local celebrities. 1999 Madame Tussauds opens in Las Vegas featuring American superstars and Hollywood legends. 1996 A bigger, better, more chilling than ever Chamber of Horrors is opened at Madame Tussauds, London. 1995 The London Planetarium is re-opened after a £4.5 million redevelopment, including the installation of the world-leading Digistar II Star Projector. 1993 The Spirit of London, a spectacular animatronic ride, arrives at Madame Tussauds. 1981 Madame Tussauds Amsterdam expands their collection and moves to celebrated Dam Square right in the heart of the city. 1971 A new Madame Tussauds opens its doors in the Kalverstraat, Amsterdam, returning to the continent for the first time since 1817. \|\|\|\|\| History The Tussauds Group can trace its history back to the 1700s. See the timeline below or jump to a particular year: 1800 \| 1900 \| 2000 2005 Alton Towers opens Rita: Queen of Speed, Europe's fastest roller coaster. Thorpe Park adds two major new thrill rides, Slammer & Rush. Warwick Castle builds the world's largest Trebuchet. The Tussauds Group is purchased by Dubai International Capital (DIC). 2004 Madame Tussauds opens The Spider-Man attraction. Alton Towers introduces a spinning roller coaster. Chessington World of Adventures opens a new £6 million investment in Land of Dragons, designed specifically for younger children. Madame Tussauds London opens "Chamber Live" an interactive walk-through experience. 2003 Thorpe Park opens Nemesis Inferno. Alton Towers opens the new Splash Landings Hotel, indoor Water Park and 500-seater conference centre. The British Airways London Eye is granted planning permission for 25 years. 2002 AIR - a £7million world-first 'flying' rollercoaster opens at Alton Towers, and for the families, there`s a new ice show utilising special effects and illusions. Thorpe Park launches Colossus, the World`s First 10 looping rollercoaster, a £7 million pound investment. Chessington World of Adventures has 3 new action adventures for all the family - the Vampire roller coaster, Tomb Blaster an interactive laser ride mission and Dennis` Madhouse a fun filled foam ball firing frenzy for younger children. Warwick Castle opens the Mill and Engine House, allowing guests to discover the impact electricity generation had on Victorian life at the Castle. Madame Tussaud`s London opens a special temporary attraction "GOAL!" to celebrate England`s qualification in the World Cup 2002. Madame Tussaud`s Amsterdam has a 4 million Euro facelift. 2001 British Airways London Eye celebrates its first anniversary. In the first twelve months, over 3.5million people visited the Eye, making it the number one paid-for attraction in the UK. Thorpe Park launches the thrill trio Vortex, Zodiac and Detonator. Chessington opens the Trail of the Kings where visitors can get 'up close' to the Gorilla Family and our Big Cats. The Tussauds Group acquires Heide Park, Northern Germany's leading theme park. 2000 Following successful seasons in Australia and Singapore, Madame Tussaud`s Touring Exhibition is established permanently at The Peak Tower in Hong Kong. New attractions - Beanoland, Hex and Tidal Wave - open at Chessington World of Adventures, Alton Towers and Thorpe Park respectively. Madame Tussaud`s New York opens in Manhattan on 42nd Street in November. The world's tallest observation wheel, the British Airways London Eye, opens on the South Bank of the river Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament. The Tussauds Group manages and operates this unique attraction. 1999 Madame Tussaud`s Las Vegas opens at the new Venetian Hotel in July. 1998 Oblivion, the world`s first vertical drop roller coaster, opens at Alton Towers. The Tussauds Group`s parent company Pearson plc sells its 40% stake in Port Aventura, and The Tussauds Group ceases managing the park`s operations. The Tussauds Group acquires Thorpe Park, the south east England based theme park from RMC. After twenty years as part of Pearson plc, The Tussauds Group is acquired by Charterhouse Development Capital. Charterhouse, a leading private equity firm, specialises in backing experienced management teams in quality companies with growth potential. 1997 The Ripsaw ride is launched at Alton Towers. Madame Tussaud`s Touring Exhibition opens for a limited season in Melbourne, Australia. 1996 The Alton Towers Hotel opens - the first ever hotel to be designed and built by The Tussauds Group. New £1 million Chamber of Horrors opens at Madame Tussauds in London. 1995 Port Aventura opens in Spain. The Tussauds Group is the largest shareholder with 40% and manages the £300 million theme park; 2.7 million people visit in the first year. 1994 A new attraction: Kingmaker - A Preparation For Battle, opens at Warwick Castle. Nemesis, the UK's favourite roller coaster, opens at Alton Towers. 1993 The Tussauds Group Studios move to new premises in West London. 1991 A new Madame Tussaud`s Amsterdam moves to a new location on Dam Square. 1990 1987 Alton Towers is acquired for £60 million. Chessington Zoo re-opens as Chessington World of Adventures following an £18 million investment. 1986 Warwick Castle's Victorian Rose Garden, first laid down in 1868, is restored to its original design and opened by HRH The Princess of Wales. 1982 A new attraction, A Royal Weekend Party 1898, opens at Warwick Castle. 1978 Madame Tussaud`s Ltd is acquired by S. Pearson and Son, now Pearson plc. Chessington Zoo, owned by Pearson, becomes another Tussaud`s attraction. 1977 Laserium - evening laser light concerts - opens at The London Planetarium. Closed 1990. 1976 Tolgus Tin (a tin streaming plant in Cornwall) acquired. Opens as a museum in 1979, sold in 1980. 1973 Wookey Hole Caves and Mill in Somerset acquired. Management buyout sale in 1989. 1970 Madame Tussauds opens in Amsterdam - the first to open outside London. 1958 The London Planetarium is opened by the Duke of Edinburgh on the former cinema site. 1940 Wartime bomb destroys the cinema and restaurant. 1928 Madame Tussauds re-opens with the addition of a cinema. 1926 Madame Tussauds becomes a limited company. 1925 Madame Tussauds is almost entirely destroyed by fire. 1900 1884 The attraction moves to a purpose-built building on its present site in Marylebone Road, London. 1850 Madame Tussaud dies aged 89. 1835 Madame Tussaud ends her touring years and sets up her attraction on its first permanent site in London's Baker Street. 1802 Marie, now Madame Tussaud, brings the collection to England and tours Britain for the next 33 years. 1800 1794 Curtius dies and Marie inherits his collection and some properties in Paris. 1770 Dr Curtius opens his wax museum in Paris. 1767 Marie moves to Paris with her mother who is housekeeper to Philippe Curtius, a doctor and wax modeller. 1761 Madame Tussaud is born Marie Grosholtz in Strasbourg, France. \|\|\|\|\| The new show will open in the summer The green-domed building in Marylebone Road, central London, opened more than 50 years ago but managers say it is failing to attract enough customers. Diane Moon of the London Planetarium said the new London Auditorium would be transformed into a show which would "get into the heart of celebrity". But well-known astronomer Sir Patrick Moore said the decision was "most regrettable". "London must now be the only major city in the world without a planetarium. "I have already had inquiries from people asking if they can't go to the London Planetarium, where can they go," Mr Moore said. The London Auditorium is due to open in the summer.	London Planetarium The London Planetarium, famous for its distinctive green dome and for being next to Madame Tussauds, will close this week to make way for a new celebrity-themed show opening in July. The Planetarium used to be an attraction in its own right, but in recent years has become simply a feature tacked onto the end of the waxworks tour, the original 45 minute show cut down to just over 10 minutes. The planetarium will be renamed 'The Auditorium' and will feature a show that "gets to the heart of celebrity", being produced in collaboration with animation house Aardman Productions. Famous astronomer Sir Patrick Moore has called the decision "most regrettable", and many have commented that the change from space to celebrity is an unfortunate sign of our times. To say 'farewell' to the planetarium, Tussauds have allowed free entry in its penultimate week, from 24th - 30th April. Visitors could enter through the group admissions entrance to see the show, running every twenty minutes. Unlike the queues for Madame Tussauds, which typically run right up the street, few people waited to see the planetarium show, even on the Saturday. The show, titled ''Journey to Infinity'', was projected onto the inside of the dome using Digistar 3 digital projectors. It told the story of space, starting from Earth and zooming out to reveal the other planets in the Solar System, the Milky Way, the other galaxies and the rest of the universe. It ended with an optimistic message suggesting that humans would continue to explore space, going further than ever before. The London Planetarium opened in 1958 on the site of an old cinema that was destroyed in the second world war. Evening laser performances called 'Laserium' were held between 1977 and 1990. A £4.5 million redevelopment saw it relaunch in 1995 with a new 'Digistar II' monochromatic 3D projection system. This was upgraded to the full-colour 'Digistar 3' system in 2004 which is currently in use. The planetarium at the also famous Royal Observatory in Greenwich has also been closed since September 2004, however this is due to re-open in 2007 having received a £15 million redevelopment programme. It will be three times the size of the old planetarium, and has received backing from Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees, and the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor John Brown.
Afghan officials say an Afghan security officer opened fire on U.S. troops while conducting a joint operation with them, killing two and wounding two others. A spokesman for the governor of Wardak province said the shooting occurred late Friday while Afghan and U.S. forces were on patrol together in Wardak. It is unclear what motivated the shooting. A statement from NATO-led forces in Afghanistan said two U.S. soldiers died from injuries sustained in a "hostile attack" Friday, but declined to give further details. NATO says two other U.S. troops died Friday in a bomb attack in southern Afghanistan. Another died of wounds sustained in a bomb attack in eastern Afghanistan. U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan have recently been facing stiffer Taliban resistance. 2009 is the deadliest year for foreign forces since the conflict began nearly eight years ago. Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters. \|\|\|\|\| Afghan policeman fires on US troops, killing 2 KABUL — An Afghan policeman on patrol with U.S. soldiers opened fire on the Americans, killing two of them before fleeing, officials said Saturday, raising questions about discipline in the ranks of the Afghan forces and possible infiltration by insurgents. Training and operating jointly with Afghan police and soldiers is key to the U.S. strategy of dealing with the spreading Taliban-led insurgency and, ultimately, allowing international forces to leave Afghanistan. But Afghan forces have periodically turned their guns on international soldiers. The U.S. military said two American troops were killed by "an individual wearing an ANP (Afghan National Police) uniform" in Wardak province on Friday. Shahidullah Shahid, a spokesman for the Wardak provincial governor, said the policeman fired on the Americans while they were patrolling together Friday night, killing two and injuring two. Halim Fidai, governor of Wardak, said two people who recommended the alleged assailant for his job were in custody for questioning. Fidai also said a joint team of American and Afghan officials was investigating the attack, interviewing both the American soldiers and the Afghans who had been on the patrol to learn what happened and how the gunman escaped. "However tragic, this event will not hamper the close partnership and combined security efforts" of Afghan police and international forces, said Zemarai Bashary, spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said as part of the U.S. statement on the deaths. A third U.S. service member died Friday of wounds from a bomb attack in Wardak, the province neighboring Kabul, the day before. Over a period of less than a month last year, Afghan policemen twice attacked American soldiers in the east. In October 2008, a policeman hurled a grenade and opened fire on a U.S. foot patrol, killing one soldier. In September 2008, an officer opened fire at a Paktia police station, killing a soldier and wounding three before he was fatally shot. Most recently, in Kabul, an American service member and an Afghan police officer argued because the American was drinking water in front of police during the Ramadan fast, prompting the police officer to shoot the American. Other American troops responded and seriously wounded the Afghan. In violence Saturday, a remote-controlled bomb on a motorbike exploded in a busy market in northern Kunduz province, killing three Afghans in a region that has recently seen a spike in attacks. Elsewhere in the north, a Finnish convoy hit a roadside bomb in Balkh province, destroying one of the vehicles and injuring four soldiers, Afghan and Finnish officials said. In western Afghanistan, a Taliban attack on a NATO supply convoy killed a civilian contractor escorting the trucks, said Raouf Ahmadi, a regional police spokesman. U.S. and NATO deaths dropped in September over the previous two months — possibly due to the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan or because no major offensives were launched. But since President Barack Obama's decision to send 21,000 more troops to curb the growing Taliban-led insurgency, international and civilian tolls have risen steadily. U.S. forces mounted major operations in July and August in southern Afghanistan to try to dislodge the Taliban from longtime strongholds and improve security ahead of the Aug. 20 presidential election, the outcome of which remains in doubt because of allegations of massive fraud by supporters of President Hamid Karzai. One of those operations, in Helmand province, has proven to be a relative bright spot, as American and British forces hold territory in a region long plagued by Taliban violence. Lt. Aiden Katz, a Marine platoon commander in Helmand, said his forces came under Taliban fire on Friday while on foot patrol in the countryside. After a 30-minute firefight with Taliban militants hiding in trees and behind walled-off fields, the Americans called in air support and the gunmen disappeared after Marine Harrier jets strafed the area. Locals complain that the Taliban "are using their homes, using them to fight Afghan forces," said Katz, 23, of New York City. "We're maintaining pressure on Taliban areas." Associated Press Writer Rahim Faiez contributed to this report. Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.	An Afghan security officer opened fire on American troops while conducting a joint operation with them, Afghanistan officials reported. Two soldiers were killed and two others were injured. A spokesman for the governor of Wardak province said the shooting happened late on Friday, while both countries' forces were patrolling the area together. It was not immediately clear what motivated the shooting. NATO-led forces in Afghanistan released a statement saying two US soldiers died from wounds received in what they described as a "hostile attack", but did not give any further information. NATO reported that two other US troops died on Friday in a bomb attack in southern Afghanistan. Another died from injuries received after a bomb explosion in eastern Afghanistan. The violence comes as US and NATO armed forces have recently began to meet with stronger resistance from Taliban fighters. Afghan security officers have attacked US soldiers at least two times in 2008. One soldier was killed last October after an Afghan policeman threw a hand grenade at a foot patrol. About a month before that, an Afghan security officer started shooting at a police station, wounding three US soldiers and killing one. This year has been the deadliest for foreign troops in Afghanistan since troops entered the country almost eight years ago.
Back to Star-Bulletin Homepage Back to Breaking Headlines Posted on: Friday, April 7, 2006 10:37 AM HST Honolulu man dies of infection after fall into foul harbor Rod Antone rantone@starbulletin.com A mortgage loan officer who contracted a serious bacterial infection after falling into the sewage-polluted waters of the Ala Wai Boat Harbor died last night, police and hospital officials said. Oliver Johnson, 34, died at 9:30 p.m. at the Queen’s Medical Center after his family took him off life support. His death leaves many questions including how he ended up in the harbor last Friday and whether the contaminated water caused the infections. The city diverted 48 million gallons of raw sewage into the Ala Wai Canal after a 42-inch force main failed on March 24. State health officials and other medical experts familiar with the case said Johnson was infected with three different bacteria, including two — vibrio vulnificus and aeromonas hydrophila — that can cause flesh-eating symptoms. Within hours of being admitted into the hospital on Sunday, doctors were forced to amputate his left leg above his knee to try and keep the infection from spreading. Even with that Johnson’s body went into septic shock, which caused major organs to fail, including his liver and kidneys. Johnson’s mother and siblings were faced with the option of having doctors amputate his other leg and left arm when the decision was made to take him off of life support, according to one of his friends. Exactly how Johnson ended up in the harbor is unclear. Friends said Johnson told them several different versions of the story last weekend, including one in which he ended up in the water after being involved in a fight with another man while on a boat in the harbor. According to a source close to the investigation, Honolulu police have found a man who admits getting into a fight with Johnson who said he did not force him into the water. Sources said Johnson had been drinking with two other men and a woman during the day last Friday at the Harbor Pub and then later got into a fight with one of the men because he allegedly made advances on the woman. The man told police that he did not force Johnson into the harbor, according to a source. He is expected to come in willingly and be questioned by police. A security guard at the Tradewinds condominium where Johnson lived said his computer and security cameras show Johnson swiping his electronic entry gate card at 5:15 p.m. last Friday. When he got there he was bloody, soaking wet and carrying two 40-ounce bottles of liquor, said David Dillener. Johnson stumbled in the lobby and then fell down, Dillener said. The guard called for police and an ambulance and Johnson was taken by paramedics to Straub Clinic & Hospital, not the Queen’s Medical Center as previously reported. He was released from Straub at about 10:30 p.m. to a friend who took him to her house. A source close to the investigation said Johnson was still drunk and belligerent and refused to be treated at Straub. Police opened a third-degree assault case. Homicide detectives are also investigating. Over the weekend Johnson told friends he was having leg pains and then on Sunday had trouble breathing and was taken to Queen’s. By that evening was on life support. Johnson worked as a loan officer for Lenders Unlimited and was an independent contractor with no medical benefits. Friends said he had no health insurance. State Department of Health officials yesterday initiated what they called a “routine follow-up investigation” into Johnson’s infection, according to spokeswoman Janice Okubo. “We track a number of illnesses in the state that we report to the Centers for Disease Control that they keep in their national database,” Okubo said. “These are reportable diseases that we usually track on a routine basis.” Sources said Johnson’s family has contacted a Honolulu law firm. E-mail City Desk \|\|\|\|\| Posted at 4:32 p.m., Friday, April 7, 2006 Bacterial infection claims man's life Advertiser Staff Johnson, a 34-year-old Honolulu mortgage broker, died last night after he was taken off life support. Dr. Kanthi De Alwis, chief medical examiner, said today that a vulnificus bacterial infection was present in Johnson's foot and he suffered from chronic alcoholic liver disease, which contributed to the flesh-eating infection's ability to take hold. The medical examiner will continue to investigate whether injuries to his foot and whether blunt force trauma to his face resulted from assault or from an accident. Meanwhile, Johnson's family has retained an attorney to investigate the circumstances that led to his death. The family has not yet decided if they'll take legal action as a result of his death, Johnson's mother said today from her attorney's office. But they are cooperating with police in an investigation of the events that led to his hospitalization Sunday with excruciating leg pain, she said. Johnson had been battling a massive bacterial infection since he fell or was pushed into the sewage-tainted harbor a week ago. He died about 9:15 last night at The Queen's Medical Center, the city Department of the Medical Examiner said this morning. Stephany Sofos, a close friend, said Johnson never regained consciousness after he was placed into a medically induced coma on Sunday to help his body battle the infection. Johnson's mother arrived from Florida this week to be with her son, and one of his brothers flew in yesterday and went straight to the hospital, Sofos said. The family made the decision to take Johnson off life support yesterday. "This is such a tragedy on so many different levels," Sofos said. "He just kept getting worse and worse." Johnson initially said he had fallen into the harbor Friday night but later indicated he was involved in a fight aboard a boat at the harbor and was pushed or thrown into the harbor, which had been contaminated by raw sewage when the city diverted an estimated 48 million gallons of untreated effluent into the Ala Wai Canal after a sewer main burst in Waikiki. City workers dumped the raw sewage into the canal to keep it from backing up into Waikiki apartments and hotel rooms, Mayor Mufi Hannemann has said. Health experts are split in their opinions as to whether or to what extent Johnson's fall into the polluted water may have led to the bacterial infection that caused or contributed to his death.	A Honolulu man who fell into the sewage-contaminated Ala Wai Yacht Harbor died Thursday night of a massive bacterial infection that caused the loss of one of his legs, septic shock, and ultimately organ failure. Oliver Johnson, 34, a Honolulu mortgage broker, died between 9:15 and 9:30 p.m. HST Thursday (0715-0730 UTC Friday) when his family removed him from life support. On Friday, March 31, Johnson had apparently fallen into the waters of the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, located at the mouth of the Ala Wai Canal on the western side of Waikiki. At the time, the canal and surrounding beaches were contaminated by over 48 million gallons of untreated sewage. The extent to which the sewage spill contributed to Johnson's symptoms remains unclear. Johnson earlier reported that he had fallen accidentally into the harbor, then later indicated that he had been involved in a fight on board a boat and had been pushed or thrown into the harbor waters. A security guard at Johnson's apartment reported that he was bloodied and soaking wet, and that he stumbled into the lobby and collapsed. Paramedics took Johnson to Straub Hospital where he was treated and released. Johnson reported steadily worsening leg pain that weekend and was admitted to Queen's Hospital on Sunday with breathing difficulties. Doctors that night amputated his left leg above the knee to try to halt the spread of the infection, and Johnson was placed in a medically induced coma. Initially suspecting that Johnson had contracted streptococcus-caused necrotizing fasciitis, doctors later found that Johnson had contracted three different bacteria, two of which, vibrio vulnificus and aeromonas hydrophila, have flesh-eating properties. Despite the amputation, Johnson's condition steadily worsened to the point where doctors said that his other leg and left arm would also have needed to be amputated to save his life. An autopsy performed by the Honolulu medical examiner's office reported that Johnson had suffered from massive organ failure caused by septic shock. The medical examiner noted that Johnson had a vulnificus infection on his foot and suffered from chronic alcoholic liver disease which may have contributed to the infection's taking hold. The Honolulu Police Department has opened a third-degree assault case; with Johnson's death, homicide detectives are also investigating. State health officials are also investigating Johnson's illness. Johnson's family has retained an attorney to investigate the causes surrounding his illness and death. It is not clear yet whether any legal action will be taken.
Media Releases NATIONAL HERITAGE LISTING FOR OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE It gives me great pleasure to announce that Old Parliament House, Australia's iconic landmark and the seat of national political power for 61 years, has been added to the National Heritage List. Old Parliament House, the home of our national Parliament from 1927 to 1988, becomes the 31st entry on the List. The building is a symbol of our nation's political heritage and the place where many of the best features of Australia’s democracy were formalised by the country's political founders. Known originally as Provisional Parliament House and now as Old Parliament House, this building sits in both the heart of Canberra’s Parliamentary Triangle and in the heart of our nation. The Australian Government changed just seven times in the years that the building was the home of the national Parliament. Its Members and Senators witnessed the passage of historic legislation and the creation of new political parties, including the Liberal Party in 1944, the Anti-Communist Labor Party (later the Democratic Labor Party) in 1955 and the Australian Democrats in 1977. Australia was governed from Old Parliament House through conflict and enormous social change. It is the place where Sir Robert Menzies served his record term as Prime Minister and where Prime Ministers John Curtin and Ben Chifley lay in state. Prime Minister Gough Whitlam addressed the nation from the front steps of the building after his dismissal by the Governor-General in 1975. Old Parliament House will always be an important part of our political history with its rich collection of original furniture, art and memorabilia helping to illustrate the story of Australia's political customs and functions. It is appropriate that this place of outstanding significance to our nation receives Australia's most prestigious heritage recognition. The National Heritage List contains places that have played an important role in the development of our nation, such as Captain Cook’s landing place in New South Wales, Port Arthur in Tasmania and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Further representations of our Parliamentary heritage on the National Heritage List include the Royal Exhibition Building, Victoria, the site of the first Federal Parliament in 1901 and the South Australian Parliament Houses, where women first had the right to stand for parliament. 20 June 2006 \|\|\|\|\| There are three properties on the National Heritage List. Australia's national heritage comprises exceptional natural and cultural places which help give Australia its national identity. Such places are a living and accessible record of the nation's evolving landscapes and experiences. National heritage defines the critical moments in our development as a nation and reflects achievements, joys and sorrows in the lives of Australians. It also encompasses those places that reveal the richness of Australia's extraordinarily diverse natural heritage. A National Heritage List has been established to list places of outstanding heritage significance to Australia. The National Heritage List will comprise natural, historic and Indigenous places that are of outstanding national heritage value to the Australian nation. Each place in the List is assessed by the Australian Heritage Council as having national heritage values which can be protected and managed under a range of Commonwealth powers. A place entered in the National Heritage List is a national heritage place. Places on the list are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This requires that approval is obtained before any action takes place which has, will have, or is likely to have, a significant impact on the national heritage values of a listed place. Proposals for actions which could affect such values will be rigorously assessed. The National Heritage List is compiled and maintained by this Department and can be searched using the Australian Heritage Database. See also: Heritage laws and notices	Old Parliament House - now protected under federal heritage laws Australian John Howard announced on Tuesday that in Canberra has been heritage listed. It is the 31st entry on the National Heritage List. The listing acknowledges the role the building has in shaping Australia's culture and protects it from being modified in any way which could affect its historic value. Old Parliament House served as the home of Australia's parliament from 1927 until 1988, when it was relocated to the parliament house. From 1901-1927, parliament met in Melbourne in the (the state parliament was relocated for 26 years). Before being known as Old Parliament House, the building was known as Provisional Parliament House - as it was intended to be used for 50 years before a permanent building could be built. In the 61 years the building was used as the seat of parliament, the government changed only seven times, and several new political parties were formed (the Liberals, , and the ). Mr Howard said the building played an important part in Australia's political history. "Old Parliament House will always be an important part of our political history with its rich collection of original furniture, art and memorabilia helping to illustrate the story of Australia's political customs and functions," he said. According to Mr Howard, the National Heritage List lists sites which have helped shape the country. "The National Heritage List contains places that have played an important role in the development of our nation, such as Captain Cook’s landing place in New South Wales, Port Arthur in Tasmania and the Australian War Memorial in Canberra," said the Prime Minister. The building currently houses Australia's National Portrait Gallery, and serves as a venue for receptions and exhbitions.
The global credit crisis took a new turn on Thursday as Hungary and Ukraine approached international institutions for support in an effort to avoid following Iceland into financial turmoil. The moves came as new figures showed that US industrial production plummeted 2.8 per cent in September, its largest monthly decline since 1974, though the decline was aggravated by hurricane disruption and a strike at Boeing, the aerospace company. The Philadelphia Fed survey of regional business conditions – which remained positive in September – meanwhile plunged to minus 37.5 in October, its worst reading since 1980, suggesting that the economy deteriorated further this month. The mood in Europe was unsettled as Budapest received a €5bn credit facility from the European Central Bank for credit and Kiev confirmed it was seeking an IMF loan to “stabilise Ukraine’s financial system”. It was the first time in the 15-month credit crunch that multilateral agencies such as the International Monetary Fund had taken steps that are likely to lead to a bail-out of continental European countries – a clear sign of the acute difficulties debtor nations face raising finance from credit-starved markets. “Many countries seem to be experiencing problems because of the repatriation of private capital by foreign investors or the reduction of credit lines from foreign banks,” Dominique Strauss-Kahn, IMF managing director, said in an interview with the Financial Times. “We are ready to support these economies and we are in discussions with a number of them.” The eastern European moves came amid more turmoil on global markets, with investors focusing on emerging signs of a global recession. In a day of extreme volatility, the S&P fell sharply in early trading, recovered, fell again and then surged back to close up more than 4 per cent at 946.43. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 11.4 per cent, its worst one-day decline since the 1987 stock market crash. The FTSE 100 in London closed down 5.3 per cent at a five-and-a-half year low. Hungary has run into trouble with borrowers taking out foreign currency loans, which are now drying up, compounded by heavy budget deficits. Ukraine’s banks face difficulties repaying foreign credits just as the current account is widening. But authorities in both countries insisted they were not in difficulties. Hungary’s forint, which lost 7 per cent the day before, edged up 1.5 per cent. In Kiev, the hryvnia dropped 3 per cent against the dollar and equities plunged 5 per cent, down nearly 80 per cent on the year. \|\|\|\|\| (Edits, updates currency) By Krisztina Than and Gergely Szakacs BUDAPEST, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Hungary's central bank took help from the European Central Bank and acted to bolster its banking sector on Thursday to stave off the effects of the financial crisis and avoid becoming the next Iceland. The European Union newcomer's prime minister also appeared to suggest that Hungary could join the ERM-2 euro zone waiting room before 2010 elections, a move that some analysts say could protect the country from market turbulence. Investors have dumped Hungarian assets over fears its reliance on external financing and the high level of loans granted in foreign currency could spark a meltdown if foreign investors turn off the flow of euros, Swiss francs and dollars. The government and central bank have scrambled to reassure investors and jump-start frozen markets in government bond and foreign currency swaps -- somewhat obscure instruments that are crucial to Hungary's financial health. After a government request this week for potential aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Hungary's central bank (MNB) on Thursday signed a 5 billion euro deal with the ECB allowing it to borrow if necessary to keep euros flowing. The MNB also announced later on Thursday a key deal with primary bond dealers to kickstart bond markets. Asked in an interview with the Financial Times whether Hungary could join the ERM-2 currency grid by 2010, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said: "If all the relevant and not just the nominal conditions ... are favourable, yes we should." He gave no further details but has proposed that political and economic leaders hold a "national summit" on Oct. 18 with a view to adopting a plan to enter the euro zone and to discuss other strategic economic issues. Continued... \|\|\|\|\| Press Release: Statement by IMF Managing Director Strauss-Kahn on Hungary Press Release No. 08/248 Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement today on Hungary: “Against the background of global financial turbulence, Hungary's government securities market and some other key markets have experienced stress over recent days. These pressures emerged despite the country’s improved macroeconomic and financial policies of the past years, which include a strengthening of its fiscal position, a narrowing of the current account deficit, and a cautious implementation of monetary and exchange rate policies. “The authorities have responded to the recent turmoil in global markets through a continuation of their macroeconomic convergence program, coupled with enhanced monitoring of financial sector developments and increased deposit guarantees, which were augmented in line with an EU-wide move. “To complement these efforts, we are in close dialogue with the Hungarian authorities and the EU to discuss further responses to the current challenges, including possible technical and financial support by the IMF. I have informed the authorities that the IMF stands ready to assist their efforts. We will provide technical assistance as needed and, in the context of a supportive policy setting, are ready to undertake discussions on possible financial assistance, responding rapidly.” \|\|\|\|\| (Adds more vulnerabilities) Oct 16 - Hungary's central bank has signed a 5 billion euro deal with the European Central Bank to boost euro liquidity. Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany has said the IMF may be an important ally in stabilising the forint WHY IS HUNGARY VULNERABLE? * The country has a large debt -- the gross external debt of the Hungarian state and companies amounted to 89.9 billion euros or 93.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter of 2008, while net debt was 46.3 percent of GDP. * This is due to loose fiscal policy pursued since 2001 which boosted the budget deficit to above 9 percent of GDP in 2006 and prompted tough measures by the government to cut the deficit to a projected 3.4 percent this year. * Hungary is seen posting a current account deficit of 5.3 billion euros or 4.9 percent of GDP this year according to the central bank. Next year this deficit is seen rising because slowing export growth will widen the trade gap. * Hungary needs to refinance its existing debt by issuing forint-denominated and foreign currency bonds, which could be more difficult because of the global credit crunch. * Much of the robust private sector credit growth seen in the past couple of years has been also funded externally. Continued... \|\|\|\|\| The International Monetary Fund Mission (IMF) proceeds to work in Ukraine , which is aimed at holding expert estimate of banking and fiscal system of Ukraine in view of a global recession. Within the framework of the visit the Finance Minister of Ukraine Victor Pynzenyk and other representatives of the Finance Ministry met with the experts of IMF. During the meeting, the parties discussed a situation of influence the world financial crisis had on economy of Ukraine . The IMF experts will give their economic recommendations to Ukraine on measures necessary for banking and macroeconomic spheres to be stable. ___________ \|\|\|\|\| By Natalya Zinets KIEV, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Ukraine's government and the International Monetary Fund were locked in talks on Thursday to agree on a package of remedies to to cushion Ukraine's economy from the world financial crisis. Finance Minister Viktor Pynzenyk had met the IMF expert mission on Thursday and the two sides "discussed the situation concerning the world financial crises and the challenges facing UKraine's financial system." The statement added both sides agreed to produce "recommendations for Ukraine vital for the operation of the banking sector and macroeconomic stability for Ukraine, based on the experts' assessment and taking account of the experience of other European countries". The IMF delegation arrived on Wednesday, which has joined Iceland, Hungary and Serbia in approaching the Fund for help. A central bank official said on Wednesday discussions could focus on making a standby credit facility available to Ukraine. Ukraine is long used to political upheaval since the 2004 "Orange" Revolution brought a pro-Western governing team to power and has avoided sharp blows from the financial crisis. But analysts have expressed concern about the weakness of the hryvnia currency and the stability of the banking sector. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, addressing a cabinet meeting, pronounced the country's banking system sound. "I have said clearly that the government, the central bank and all state institutions are acting in a correct, logical and consistent way," she told ministers. "There are no serious signs of the world financial crisis in Ukraine in any way now." The IMF's Kiev office made no comment on the mission, expected to remain in Ukraine for at least a week. Estimates of what the IMF may give to Ukraine vary widely from $3-15 billion. Most analysts have refrained from citing any particular figure. Financial worries are compounded by the latest bout of political turmoil, with President Viktor Yushchenko dissolving parliament and calling a December parliamentary election. Tymoshenko, his estranged ally from the 2004 "orange" protests opposes the election and her allies have launched court action suspending preparations for the vote. The head of the central bank's council, Petro Poroshenko, said the Fund's mission would "calm down investors". "This does not mean that Ukraine urgently needs these funds," Poroshenko said late on Wednesday. "This is just an additional message to investors and depositors: the situation is under control." The hryvnia hit an all time low to 5.9 per dollar last week, and was lifted thanks only to central bank interventions. The central bank has a difficult balancing act -- letting the hryvnia weaken under the weight of the current account gap would take away one of the few constants in a country gripped by political turbulence since the 2004 "Orange Revolution". Propping it up would deplete its reserves of $37.5 billion. Figures released on Thursday showed the trade deficit for goods, which has pushed the current account deficit wider, soared to $12.489 billion in the first eight months of the year from $5.939 billion in the same period last year. (Writing by Ron Popeski; editing by Chris Pizzey)	The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is preparing a series of loans to both Hungary and Ukraine as financial problems are hitting the two countries. Hungary has already received a 5 billion credit line from the (ECB). Ukraine is seeking a loan of up to 14 billion. Dominique Strauss-Kahn says the IMF is prepared to give loans to Hungary and Ukraine if needed. The credit line to Hungary will be used to cover banks’ shortage of euros. Hungary has a severe debt problem with them posting an account deficit of €5.3 billion or 4.9% of GDP this year. As a result of this, Hungary is unable to find suitable credit to store up its supply of euros. "We are in close dialogue with the Hungarian authorities and the EU to discuss further responses to the current challenges, including possible technical and financial support by the IMF", said Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the IMF. "I have informed the authorities that the IMF stands ready to assist their efforts. We will provide technical assistance as needed and, in the context of a supportive policy setting, are ready to undertake decisions on possible financial assistance, responding rapidly." Ukraine's Finance Minister met with an IMF team on Thursday. In a statement, Pynzenyk said "the parties discussed a situation of influence the world financial crisis had on the economy of Ukraine." It is not yet known how much the IMF is expected to lend to Ukraine but it is expected to be between $3 billion to $14 billion. It is also not known what type of conditions might be placed on the loan. In addition to financial uncertainty, Ukraine is suffering from political turmoil with the current President, Viktor Yushchenko, calling a snap parliamentary election for December. The Prime Minister, , has made moves to stop the election. Ukraine's yearly trade deficit has increased by almost $7 billion since last year. The credit line by the European Central Bank is the first time publicly that it has extended help to countries other than the 15 that make up the . According to , Hungary might be able to start the process of joining the euro quicker then expected. Currently, Hungary is on track to join the euro in 2011 or 2012, but if sped up, it is possible it could join as early as 2010. This might protect Hungary from further financial problems.
Man, 55, dies after Peugeot and truck crash A 55-year-old man has died after his Peugeot was involved in a collision with an articulated tractor and tanker unit. Humberside Police said the accident happened on the A15 near Hibaldstow in North Lincolnshire at about 0740 GMT on Saturday. The man, who was from Lincoln, died as a result of the crash. The driver of the tractor unit was not injured. A police spokesman appealed for witnesses to contact them. He added that it was too early to say whether the snowy and icy conditions had been a factor in the crash, but this would be investigated. \|\|\|\|\| Humberside Police is appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic collision on the A15 near Hibaldstow, North Lincolnshire at 0739hrs on Saturday 04 December 2010. The collision involved a silver coloured Peugeot and a red and white coloured Renault articulated tractor and tanker unit. The silver coloured Peugeot was travelling north from the direction of Caenby corner towards junction 4 of the M180 and the red and white coloured Renault articulated tractor and tanker unit was travelling in the opposite direction when they were in a collision. As a result of the collision the 55-year-old Lincoln man believed to be driving the Peugeot suffered fatal injuries and sadly died. The driver of the lorry was not injured. Officers investigating the collision would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the collision or the vehicles prior to the collision. Anyone with information should call Humberside Police on 0845 60 60 222 quoting log number 169 of 04/12/10.	A 55-year-old unidentified male died Saturday after his silver motor vehicle collided with a red and white articulated truck and tanker on the . According to the , the road traffic accident happened on the A15 near the small village of , at approximately 0739 on Saturday. Although the sole occupant of the Peugeot was fatally injured, the occupant of the lorry was uninjured. A spokesperson stated: "Officers would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the collision or the vehicles prior to the collision." An investigation has begun to try to establish whether the icy and snowy weather conditions were a factor in this collision. The police have commented that it is too early to know whether the weather conditions were a factor in this crash.
Space shuttle Discovery's astronauts steered closer to the international space station for a Sunday linkup, while checking their ship for any signs of launch damage. The space shuttle Discovery sits on launch pad 39-A before sunrise Friday Aug. 28, 2009 at the... The space shuttle Discovery sits on launch pad 39-A before sunrise Friday Aug. 28, 2009 at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Seven astronauts are scheduled to liftoff late this evening on a trip to the international space station. (AP Photo/Terry Renna) (AP) The routine survey began early Saturday evening and lasted well into the night. NASA officials say no fuel tank debris was observed hitting Discovery during Friday's midnight liftoff. But the shuttle's most vulnerable areas — the wings and nose — still needed to be checked with lasers and cameras on a boom attached to the robot arm. The images were beamed down for analysis. In addition, the shuttle's underside will be photographed in detail by the space station residents Sunday night, right before the two craft meet. A hole in the wing brought down Columbia six years ago. Ever since, NASA has been vigilant in seeking out indications of serious launch damage. Discovery is loaded with supplies for the space station, now home to six astronauts. Once the seven shuttle fliers arrive, it will make for a record-tying crowd. "It's great to be back in space," Discovery's commander, Rick Sturckow, said Saturday afternoon. "Micro G is great," rookie astronaut Jose Hernandez noted in his first Twitter update from space. The Mexican-American grew up in a migrant worker family and applied for 12 straight years to become an astronaut, before getting picked in 2004. "Settling in and realizing my dream," he wrote. Discovery's supply run will leave the space station well stocked; the shuttle is hauling about 17,000 pounds of equipment and science experiments. Six mice, part of a bone loss study, will move in for a three-month stay. So will astronaut Nicole Stott, the replacement for an astronaut who has been at the orbiting complex for more than a month. Stott will help put together a brand new $5 million treadmill flying up on Discovery that will expand the space station's gym. The treadmill, currently in more than 100 pieces, is named after Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert. Earlier this year, he won an online vote for naming rights to a space station room, but NASA picked the name Tranquility instead and offered him the running machine. \|\|\|\|\| Preparations Continue for Next Return to Flight Mission Discovery is towed into the Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3. Image credit: NASA/KSC + Click for Larger Image The crew of STS-121 is getting ready for the second Return to Flight mission aboard space shuttle Discovery, participating in proficiency training flights and rendezvous simulations. NASA is currently targeting no earlier than March 2006 for launch, and is evaluating how the impacts of Hurricane Katrina will affect the launch schedule. + Read more about STS-121 + NASA and Katrina The first Return to Flight mission, STS-114, wrapped up its successful flight on Aug 9 with a pre-dawn landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Discovery returned Aug. 21 to Kennedy Space Center atop a modified Boeing 747 called the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The shuttle is now in the Orbiter Processing Facility, where it will be readied for mission STS-121. + Read more about STS-114	Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery. Space Shuttle Discovery has successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on mission STS-128. Discovery took off at 11:59 p.m. (EDT) for a 13-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The shuttle's payload consists of a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module or 'Leonardo' and a Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier. The treadmill named for comedian Stephen Colbert also is aboard Discovery. Colbert had previously won a contest to have one of the modules named after him, but officials at NASA decided on the name Tranquility. "Space Shuttle Discovery completed a flawless ascent into orbit Friday night to begin a two-day chase of the International Space Station," said NASA in a statement on their website. After flying up on Discovery, astronaut Nicole Stott will trade places with station resident Tim Kopra, who went into space last month aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Narodziny córeczki Na co chorowała Agata Prezydent odznaczy Agatę Mróz Agata Mróz chorowała na białaczkę. Dwa tygodnie temu przeszła zabieg przeszczepu szpiku kostnego. Jej stan gwałtownie pogorszył się we wtorek wieczorem, trafiła na oddział intensywnej terapii.Agata, mimo, że miała tylko 26 lat, należy do najbardziej utytułowanych polskich siatkarek. Pod wodzą trenera Andrzeja Niemczyka dwukrotnie (w 2003 i 2005 roku), jako jedna z fenomenalnych "Złotek" zdobyła tytuł mistrzyni Europy. Jeszcze w 2007 roku, mimo choroby, zdobyła mistrzostwo i Puchar Hiszpanii ze swoim klubem Murcia.W ostatnich miesiącach cała sportowa Polska ściskała kciuki za Agatę walczącą z białaczką. Organizowano mecze i akcje charytatywne na jej rzecz, kibice tłumnie oddawali krew, pomagały największe gwiazdy polskiej i światowej siatkówki.Koleżanki z drużyny dedykowały jej i dziecku swoje kolejne zwycięstwa.Karierę zaczynała w Tarnovii Tarnów, później reprezentowała barwy klubu z Ostrowca Świętokrzyskiego. Na krajowych parkietach już z BKS - em Stal - Bielsko - Biała niejednokrotnie triumfowała w Pucharze Polski, zdobywała także mistrzostwo kraju. Dobre występy zaowocowały transferem do hiszpańskiej Murcii, z którym Mróz sięgnęła po puchar i mistrzostwo Hiszpanii oraz Top Teams Cup.W 2007 roku lekarze stwierdzili u siatkarki stan przedbiałaczkowy i Agata Mróz musiała zawiesić karierę. W tym czasie, mimo choroby, zaszła w ciążę i urodziła córeczkę. W wywiadach mówiła, że teraz jest mocniejsza, bo ma dla kogo żyć...Mróz miała jednak rzadką grupę krwi. Na pomoc pośpieszyli kibice, którzy tłumnie oddawali krew dla siatkarki i jej dziecka.- Po porodzie nie byłam nawet w stanie spojrzeć na Lilkę. Od dłuższego czasu podawano mi środki znieczulające - mówiła Agata "Przeglądowi Sportowemu" w jednym z ostatnich swoich wywiadów, niedługo po porodzie. - W ostatnich tygodniach ciąży czułam duże bóle, a cztery dni przed porodem było to nie do wytrzymania . Nie ma mowy, bym wzięła Lilkę na ręce. Zdaję sobie sprawę, że do czasu przeszczepu, czyli do końca maja, może nie być takiej możliwości. Słyszę o licznych wyrazach sympatii. Szczególnie cieszę się z tego, że ludzie masowo oddają krew. Śmieję się, że Lilka to dziecko moje, Jacka i narodu. Przecież w trakcie ciąży i porodu korzystałam z krwi oddanej przez Polaków - mówiła Agata o swojej córce, która ma dziś dwa miesiące.Agata na mielodysplazję szpiku cierpiała od 17 roku życia. Jako nastolatka z chorobą wygrała, nawrót ponownie nastąpił kilka lat później. Tuż po tym jak Agata Mróz zdobyła swój drugi złoty medal mistrzostw Europy. Wyjechała jeszcze do Hiszpanii, by wraz z Gruppo 2002 Murcia u boku swojej koleżanki Małgorzaty Glinki, wywalczyć mistrzostwo kraju. Jednak tuż po zakończeniu sezonu 2006/2007 ogłosiła, że wyniki badań są na tyle złe, że zmuszają ją do przerwania sportowej kariery. Jak mówiła, przerwania, a nie zakończenia. Wtedy też zapadła ostateczna decyzja o konieczności przeszczepu szpiku kostnego. I kiedy lekarze mieli już wyznaczyć termin operacji, Agata dowiedziała się, że wspólnie z mężem Jackiem Olszewskim spodziewa się dziecka. Ryzyko związane z porodem było ogromne, niektórzy doradzali jej nawet przerwanie ciąży. Agata jednak postanowiła, że dobro córeczki, jest najważniejsze. Zaryzykowała i dwa miesiące temu, tuż przed swoimi 26 urodzinami, na świat przyszła Liliana. - Lila była sensem jej życia. Gdyby miała jeszcze raz wybierać, urodzenie córki czy własne zdrowie, wybrałaby tak samo - powiedział na konferencji prasowej zorganizowanej po ogłoszeniu tragicznej informacji mąż Agaty Mróz, Jacek Olszewski.22 maja w Klinice Transpantologii we Wrocławiu Agata przeszła zabieg przeszczepu szpiku kostnego. Prof. Alicja Chybicka, szefowa kliniki, opowiadała, że został on przeprowadzony bez żadnych problemów. Jednocześnie zaznaczyła jednak, że nie można jeszcze mówić o sukcesie. - Sama procedura przeszczepu nie jest problemem, teraz musimy czekać czy organizm zaakceptuje przeszczepiony szpik. Może to potrwać od 10 dni do nawet miesiąca - mówiła Chybicka.Komórki od dawcy pochodziły z Niemiec. Były w pełni odpowiednie i całkowicie zdrowe, a to zdaniem lekarzy, znacznie podnosiło szanse na przyjęcie się przeszczepu. - Pani Agacie zmieni się również grupa krwi - dodała wówczas Chybicka.W czasie oczekiwania na przyjęcie przeszczepu, Mróz-Olszewska przebywała w całkowicie sterylnym pomieszczeniu, co wykluczało zobaczenie się z córeczką, która urodziła się 4 kwietnia 2008 r.Prezydent Lech Kaczyński postanowił odznaczyć zmarłą w środę siatkarkę Agatę Mróz Krzyżem Kawalerskim Orderu Odrodzenia Polski - poinformowało Biuro Prasowe Kancelarii Prezydenta. \|\|\|\|\| Star Volleyball Player Dies at Age 26 Agata Mróz (Paweł Strykowski/wikipedia.org) Related Stories Agata Mróz, a member of the women’s national volleyball team that won European titles in 2003 and 2005, died on Wednesday in a Wrocław hospital just two weeks after a bone marrow transplant intended to treat her progressing illness. “She had been unconscious for the last two days,” teammate Małgorzata Niemczyk-Wolska told the Dziennik daily. Mróz had been suffering from from a rare marrow disease for nine years, but continued her sports career despite it, helping the national side, which success-starved Polish fans had dubbed the “Golden Girls”, win two European titles. In her club career she also won several Polish and Spanish titles. She only quit her career in 2007, after being diagnosed with full-blown leukaemia. Two months before her death she gave birth to a daughter, Liliana.	Agata Mróz in 2008 Agata Mróz, who together with Poland's national team won the European women's volleyball championships in 2003 and 2005, died on June 4 in a Wrocław hospital just two weeks after a bone marrow transplant intended to treat her progressing acute myeloid leukemia. She had myelodysplastic syndrome since childhood. Polish fans dubbed the national team on which Mróz played the "Golden Girls", both due to their looks and their successes in international competitions. Her club career had been equally successful, with two Polish and one Spanish championships under her belt. She gave birth to a daughter two months before her death.
ROME, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Leaked phone taps suggesting state television RAI and its private rival Mediaset colluded to favour Silvio Berlusconi when he was prime minister have thrown the spotlight on political interference in Italy’s media. The left-wing daily La Repubblica printed transcripts on Wednesday of phone conversations in 2004 and 2005 between executives at RAI and at Mediaset MS.MI, owned by Berlusconi. In the conversations, the executives discuss how to present his defeat at local elections in a more favourable light in news programmes and talk shows. During his five years in power, the media tycoon turned centre-right leader was widely accused by opponents of controlling 90 percent of Italy’s broadcasters because RAI is traditionally subject to government influence. He has always denied the charge. Mediaset said it would sue Repubblica and one of its board members called the allegations “nonsense”. The report sparked an outcry among Berlusconi’s critics and prompted an internal investigation at RAI, which has now moved closer to Prime Minister Romano Prodi’s centre-left government. “What has emerged is extremely serious,” said Walter Veltroni, leader of the newly created Democratic Party who has been anointed to succeed Prodi as centre-left leader. RAI is at the heart of Italy’s spoils system, and successive governments hand out top jobs there to reward loyal proteges. Its board members, appointed by parliament and the government, are picked depending on their party affiliation. A reform to try to make the broadcaster more independent of politics has been stuck in parliament for months. One of the transcripts printed by Repubblica cites a former Berlusconi assistant turned RAI executive in charge of programming talking to her counterpart at Mediaset on the day when results were trickling in from an April 2005 local election in which Berlusconi’s centre right was badly defeated. In the conversation, the RAI executive advises her Mediaset rival to broadcast “a strong prime-time programme” that night to overshadow an RAI talk show on the election results. In another conversation on the same day, a top RAI manager says he has talked to Berlusconi’s spokesman and is pushing to delay the broadcaster’s announcement of the results. Berlusconi himself did not comment on the allegations but one of his allies accused Repubblica of trying to influence lawmakers who are due to discuss a media reform which the centre right says is aimed at punishing Mediaset. “This a media operation only meant to speed up the approval of a bill that has the precise objective of destroying Berlusconi’s companies,” said Renato Schifani, a senator from Berlusconi’s party. (Reporting by Silvia Aloisi; additional reporting by Valentina Consiglio; editing by Tim Pearce) ((silvia.aloisi@reuters.com ; +39 06 8522 4392; Reuters Messaging: silvia.aloisi.reuters.com@reuters.net )) Keywords: ITALY TELEVISION/ \|\|\|\|\| Nelle intercettazioni tra 2004 e 2005 allegate all'inchiesta sul fallimento della Hdc dell'ex sondaggista Crespi, la prova che alla concorrenza si era sostituita la complicità La rete segreta del Cavaliere che pilotava Rai e Mediaset Ecco le telefonate dei dirigenti vicini a Berlusconi di EMILIO RANDACIO e WALTER GALBIATI Il cavallo alato davanti agli studi Rai di saxa Rubra - "Media-Rai". Le due superpotenze nazionali della tv, che dovrebbero competere aspramente per la conquista dell'audience, fare a gara nella pubblicazione di servizi esclusivi, in realtà si scambiano informazioni sui palinsesti. Concordano le strategie informative nel caso dei grandi eventi della cronaca. Orchestrano i resoconti della politica. Su tutto, la grande mano di Silvio Berlusconi e dei suoi collaboratori, che quotidianamente tessono la tela, fanno decine, centinaia di telefonate, si scambiano notizie, organizzano fino ai più piccoli dettagli. È il quadro che emerge dalle intercettazioni telefoniche - realizzate tra la fine del 2004 e la primavera del 2005 - allegate all'inchiesta sul fallimento della "Hdc", la holding dell'ex sondaggista del Cavaliere, Luigi Crespi. E in particolare dai resoconti, redatti dalla Guardia di Finanza, delle conversazioni telefoniche di Debora Bergamini, ex assistente personale di Berlusconi e, all'epoca, dirigente della Rai, e di Niccolò Querci, pure lui ex assistente di Berlusconi e, all'epoca, numero tre delle televisioni Mediaset.La "ragnatela" avvolge e intreccia le vicende della tv di Stato con quelle di Mediaset. I direttori di Tg1 e Tg5 (all'epoca Clemente J. Mimun e Carlo Rossella) fanno, testuale, "gioco di squadra". Il notista politico del Tg1 informa la Bergamini e la rassicura sul fatto che le notizie più spinose saranno relegate in coda al servizio di giornata. Fabrizio Del Noce cuce e ricuce, assicurando che Bruno Vespa, nella sua trasmissione, accennerà "al Dottore in ogni occasione opportuna". Querci, insieme al gran capo dell'informazione Mediaset, Mauro Crippa, cuce sul versante opposto. E arriva fino ad occuparsi delle vicende del festival di Sanremo (quell'anno affidato a Paolo Bonolis), cioè della trasmissione di massimo ascolto dell'azienda che dovrebbe essere concorrente. E poi ancora, le fibrillazioni in due fasi delicate: la morte del Papa e le elezioni amministrative dell'aprile 2005.L'allora presidente Ciampi è pronto per una dichiarazione a reti unificate per onorare Giovanni Paolo II? La Bergamini allerta prima l'assistente personale del Cavaliere e poi Del Noce per preparare una performance parallela dell'inquilino di Palazzo Chigi. E ad essere allertato è anche il "rivale" Crippa. Le elezioni sono andate male? Bisogna "ammorbidire" i resoconti sui risultati elettorali. La Bergamini contatta Querci e con lui concorda la programmazione televisiva. La ragnatela avvolge tutto, pensa a tutto, provvede a tutto.	George W. Bush. Wiretaps disclosed by Italian daily La Repubblica have upset Italian politics. The conversations suggest that state-run RAI and private rival Mediaset, which is owned by Silvio Berlusconi, made arrangements to favour Berlusconi himself when he was Prime Minister of Italy. In these conversations, RAI and Mediaset managers discussed how to present Berlusconi's defeat at the last elections in news programmes and talk shows and the decision to delay announcement of the bad results. This is not the first time Berlusconi has been accused of controlling the Italian media. Berlusconi did not comment the allegations but one of his close associates, Renato Schifani, said that "This is a media operation ... with a precise objective of destroying Mr Berlusconi's companies". Mediaset said it would sue La Repubblica for these allegations. Walter Veltroni, the leader-elect of the opposition Democratic Party, said, "What has emerged is extremely serious" and requested an internal investigation within the RAI.
San Francisco Blast Injures Woman SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 19, 2005 Quote "It sounded like a big poof, then there was a lot of smoke. One woman looked like she was badly burned." Tom Demartini construction worker (AP) A fiery explosion from an underground utility chamber rocked a section of downtown Friday, burning a woman and shattering store windows, authorities said. Several blocks were evacuated around the Ralph Lauren store in the Crocker Galleria area. Firefighters quickly doused a flaming awning. A crew from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. was not immediately able to determine the cause of the blast in its electrical vault because a bomb squad was investigating, company spokesman Paul Moreno said. He said there was no indication of a gas leak. "The explosion did displace manhole covers two round steel ones and it also displaced a concrete cover as well," Moreno said. Tom Demartini, a construction worker who was sitting in his truck outside the store, said he saw the sidewalk rise up six or seven inches. "It sounded like a big poof, then there was a lot of smoke," Demartini said. "One woman looked like she was badly burned." A woman was taken to the emergency room at St. Francis Hospital, where spokeswoman Linda Gillespie had no immediate comment on her condition. The woman's name was not released. Scores of police officers and firefighters closed off the area, and evacuated office workers milled about in the aftermath. Workers in a nearby office building said the blast shook their buildings and they thought it was an earthquake. One woman said the elevator in her building stopped. ©MMV, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. \|\|\|\|\| Posted: August 19, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. Updated: August 19, 2005 at 2:07 p.m. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- An underground electrical explosion rocked the financial district Friday morning, shattering a glass storefront, blasting the cover off a manhole, and forcing police to evacuate panicked office workers to the streets. The explosion happened in front of the Crocker Galleria shopping center at Kearny and Post streets around 10 a.m. Workers in nearby office buildings said they thought the explosion was an earthquake or a bomb. Authorities believe that the blast was triggered by an underground electrical transformer fed by a 34,000-volt electrical cable, according to Pacific Gas & Electric spokesperson Paul Moreno. The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but authorities have reportedly ruled out terrorism. Witnesses say they saw a fireball shoot all the way up to the awning of the Ralph Lauren store shortly after the blast, setting it ablaze before external sprinklers put it out. The explosion was powerful enough to completely destroy the retailer's glass storefront and raise the sidewalk in front of the store about six or seven inches. It also blew a manhole cover 25 feet across the street, according to San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White. KRON 4's Vic Lee says at least one woman was critically hurt, suffering burns to her arms and other parts of her body. Another woman was reportedly treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, according to authorities. Evacuations were called at the Charles Schwab building and at the Banana Republic store. Workers on the upper floors of the 37-story Crocker Galleria building were told to remain inside and have not been evacuated. Kearny St. from Market to Sutter streets, and Post St. from Grant to Montgomery were closed to all cars and pedestrians. The streets were expected to re-open after 1 p.m. (Copyright 2005, KRON 4. All rights reserved.) \|\|\|\|\| An explosion in San Francisco's Financial District this morning believed to have been caused by a faulty electrical transformer blew off a manhole cover, shattered windows on nearby stores and sent one woman to the hospital with critical injuries. Authorities weren't sure what caused the explosion at 9:50 a.m. at Post and Kearny streets, but said it was probably related to one of the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. transformers located underneath that corner. The blast buckled a sidewalk on Kearny and blew out windows in the Polo Ralph Lauren clothing store in the Crocker Galleria shopping center. Police, initially wary that the explosion could have been caused by a bomb, evacuated hundreds of people from three nearby buildings. But investigators quickly concluded that there was no evidence of terrorism, said San Francisco Deputy Police Chief Morris Tabak. Tabak said the injured woman was a 41-year-old pedestrian who was walking along Kearny when the manhole cover blew off. She suffered burns to the head and the neck and was taken to the Burn Center at St. Francis Memorial Hospital. Cheryl Fama, president and CEO of the hospital, said the woman was conscious when she arrived but was in critical condition. "She was just at the wrong place" at the time of the blast, Tabak said. Tabak said a preliminary investigation indicated that the cause of the explosion was electrical. "That's why the sidewalk buckled and imploded," he said. "It appears it was a quick, hot flash." A bomb squad that scoured the area came up with no signs of an explosive device. "In our response we look at every event with the added potential of terrorism when we respond to it," Tabak said. "We have a global viewpoint." Mayor Gavin Newsom, Police Chief Heather Fong and Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White all responded to the explosion. Kearny Street from California Street to Market Street was closed to traffic. The incident did not affect the California Street cable car line, but a number of Municipal Railway buses were being rerouted. Police Officer Gary Peachey said all the windows were blown out of the Polo Ralph Lauren store at 90 Post St. The explosion also sparked a fire in the awning of the store. Paul Moreno, a spokesman for PG&E;, said there was no advance warning of the suspected malfunction, but that a system alert had gone off at the time of the explosion. The blast did not cause any widespread power outage. Hundreds of people crowded the street in front of the Crocker Galleria after the evacuations. Among them was Tom McGibben, who works at Thomas Weisel Partners at 120 Kearny St. "We saw the lights flicker at 9:50 a.m," McGibben said. "We felt a pretty good shake. At first, we thought it was an earthquake. "We saw smoke," he added. "The alarms in our building came on. ... At around the 20th floor you could smell something. At that point, we began to think it could be something worse than a quake. "There were flashes to 9/11," McGibben said. Tim Keenan, an employee at Charles Schwab, said he was evacuated from the 17th floor of the same building. "I saw a flash of light. I looked out of the window. I saw people running and screaming," he said. "Our floor warden then asked people to begin to evacuate. To me, it sounded like a big boom of thunder." It wasn't the only terror-related scare in the city this morning. Authorities at the Federal Building briefly kept people away from the Larkin Street entrance after finding an unattended backpack nearby. The backpack turned out to be filled with clothes and CDs. Staff writer Charlie Goodyear contributed to this report. E-mail the writers at jguthrie@sfchronicle.com, jvanderbeken@sfchronicle.com and sherel@sfchronicle.com.	An explosion from an underground utility chamber in downtown San Francisco severely injured a woman and shattered a window at a Ralph Lauren clothing store shortly after 10:00 a.m. Pacific time Friday. According to a caller to KCBS radio, a woman was engulfed in flames after the explosion triggered a fire in the store. The fire was quickly put out. A bomb squad is currently investigating the explosion, and the cause has yet to be determined. One official said the explosion may have been caused by an electrical transformer. A witness described a fireball coming out of the side of the building Pacific Gas & Electric Co. company spokesman Paul Moreno has stated that "there was no indication of a gas leak." Moreno also described the aftermath of the blast. "The explosion did displace manhole covers — two round steel ones — and it also displaced a concrete cover as well," Moreno said. Some accounts have described a rift in the sidewalk caused by the explosion below. Construction worker Tom Demartini, who was sitting in his truck outside the Ralph Lauren store, stated he saw the sidewalk rise up six or seven inches. "It sounded like a big poof, then there was a lot of smoke," Demartini said. "One woman looked like she was badly burned." The burned woman was taken to the emergency room at St. Francis Hospital. Hospital spokeswoman Linda Gillespie had no immediate comment on her condition. Her name was not released. Workers in a nearby office building described how the blast shook their buildings and that they thought it was an earthquake. According to one woman, the elevator in her building stopped. Scores of police have evacuated buildings several blocks around the explosion. Kearny street between Sutter and Market has been closed to both vehicles and pedestrians.
The US military says its only uses white phosphorous within legal bounds The US military says it has evidence that insurgents in Afghanistan have illegally used white phosphorus ammunition to attack its forces. A military spokesman, Col Greg Julian, said at least 44 incidents of Taleban militants using or storing the weapons had been documented. White phosphorus is allowed in battle to illuminate targets. But it causes severe chemical burns on flesh and cannot legally be used as a weapon against people. A senior doctor, Dr Mohammad Aref Jalali, suggested the chemical might have been used in recent clashes in Farah province between US-led forces and Taleban militants. The US has strongly denied using white phosphorous in Farah province and the spokesman accused the insurgents of blatantly violating the laws of war. 'Unusual' burns "The insurgents possess and use white phosphorus as a weapon against people," said Col Julian. "It's a law of war that we adhere to but the insurgents blatantly violate." Dr Jalali, head of the burns unit at the Herat Regional Hospital, said they had treated a number of people injured in the clashes in Farah who had what he called unusual burns. The burns appeared to have been caused by a chemical used in a bomb: "The presence of phosphorus is not confirmed, but I see it as probability. I cannot rule out the possibility. It is possible that such bombs may have been used." The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission said on Sunday it was investigating whether white phosphorus was used in Farah either by the US or the Taleban. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Afghanistan's leading human rights organisation is investigating claims that white phosphorus was used during a deadly battle between US forces and the Taliban last week in which scores of civilians may have died. Nader Nadery, a senior officer at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, said the organisation was concerned that the chemical, which can cause severe burns, might have been used in the firefight in Bala Baluk, a district in the western province of Farah. Dr Mohammad Aref Jalali, the head of an internationally funded burns hospital in Herat, said villagers taken to hospital after the incident had "highly unusual burns" on their hands and feet that he had not seen before. "We cannot be 100% sure what type of chemical it was and we do not have the equipment here to find out. One of the women who came here told us that 22 members of her family were totally burned. She said a bomb distributed white power that caught fire and then set people's clothes alight." US forces in Afghanistan denied they had used the chemical, and have also said claims that up to 147 civilians were killed were grossly exaggerated. As with previous such tragedies, both sides have made wildly different claims, with the Taliban seeking to exploit popular fury and US officials attempting to limit the damage and blame the Taliban for allegedly using civilians as human shields.But members of the human rights department at the UN mission in Afghanistan have been appalled by witness testimony from people in the village, according to one official in Kabul who talked anonymously to the Guardian. He said bombs were dropped after militants had quit the battlefield, which appeared to be backed up by the US air force's own daily report, which is published online. "The stories that are emerging are quite frankly horrifying," the official said. "It is quite apparent that the large bulk of casualties were called in after the initial fighting had subsided and both the troops and the Taliban had withdrawn. "Local villagers went to the mosque to pray for peace. Shortly after evening prayers the air strikes were called in, and they continued for a couple of hours whilst the villagers were frantically calling the local governor to get him to call off the air strikes." He said that women and children hid inside their homes while their men went on to the roofs with guns. US forces say these men were militants, but the UN official said they were simply villagers and "it is totally normal for them to have guns". Also contested is an incident immediately after the battle when people from the village took piles of corpses to the governor's compound in the provincial capital. The UN official said their willingness to ignore the Islamic custom of organising burial within 24 hours of death showed the level of anger. A statement by US forces said insurgents forced tribal elders to parade the corpses through neighbouring villages to "incite outrage". It said that a joint US-Afghan investigation team confirmed that "a number of civilians were killed in the course of the fighting but is unable to determine with certainty which of those causalities were Taliban fighters and which were non-combatants". Last week Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, called for all air strikes in villages to be stopped, a view privately backed by many in the UN. Yesterday Barack Obama's national security adviser, Gen James Jones, ruled out such a change in policy, saying "we can't fight with one hand tied behind our back". \|\|\|\|\| WASHINGTON President Obama’s top national security adviser said on Sunday that the United States would likely continue conducting airstrikes against extremists in Afghanistan despite a sharp warning from President Hamid Karzai that civilian casualties were fast turning ordinary Afghans against the United States. In a pre-taped interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Mr. Karzai suggested that the United States risked losing a “moral” fight against the Taliban if too many civilians died in American attacks. But Mr. Karzai has also come under pressure from the United States for what advisers call inadequate efforts to fight corruption, and received a similar warning on Sunday by Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany. The security adviser, General James L. Jones, spoke six days after Afghans blamed United States airstrikes in western Afghanistan for the deaths of scores of civilians. American officials apologized for the deaths and said that they are investigating the incident. Still they say that reports of a death toll exceeding 100 were exaggerated and that Taliban militants who were being targeted might have forced civilians to serve as “human shields.” “We’re going to take a look at trying to make sure we correct those things we can correct, but certainly to tie the hands of our commanders and say we’re not going to conduct airstrikes would be imprudent,” General Jones said on ABC’s “This Week.” \|\|\|\|\| Human rights and medical officials say that they suspect white phosphorus was used by US-led forces in an attack last week on civilians in Afghanistan. More than 140 civilians were killed on Tuesday when US warplanes dropped bombs on two villages in the Bala Baluk district in the western province of Farah. Britain's Observer weekly reported on Sunday that Dr. Mohammad Aref Jalali, who heads the internationally-funded burns hospital in Herat, said the victims among villagers taken to his hospital showed 'highly unusual burns' on their hands and feet, of a type that they had not seen before. "We cannot be 100% sure what type of chemical it was and we do not have the equipment here to find out. One of the women who came here told us that 22 members of her family were totally burned. She said a bomb distributed white powder that caught fire and then set people's clothes alight." This description of material, that spontaneously ignite after contact with air are very close to what was seen earlier in the year in Gaza, when Israel subjected the Palestinian enclave to attacks by white phosphorus dispersed by air-burst shells. Human Rights Watch identified the Israeli white phosphorus shells as being of the 155mm, M825E1 type of US origin. The US forces have acknowledged using white phosphorus bombs in other theaters of operations too, including the November 2004 suppression of uprising in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, in contravention of the Geneva Conventions that prohibit the use of incendiary weapons against human targets. According to the Human Rights Watch, other than serious burns, white phosphorus can cause poisoning through the production of 'systemic poisoning', resulting in deaths with even less than 10 percent burns. Nader Nadery, a senior officer at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, said that his organization also feared about the type of chemical used in the latest attacks on Afghan villagers. Local Afghan sources reported that as many as 147 civilians were killed in the attacks by US-led forces. The newspaper reported one official in Afghanistan who did not want his name to be published as saying, "The stories that are emerging are quite frankly horrifying. It is quite apparent that the large bulk of civilian casualties were called in after the initial fighting had subsided and both the troops and the Taliban had withdrawn." The high number of casualties among the Afghan civilians has been blamed for the resurgence of the Taliban, whose ranks are replenished by Afghans who may seek revenge for the slaughter of their relatives and neighbors. Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, who is seeking reelection in the ballots set for August, last week called for a halt to attacks against civilians. AAM/SME/MMA	Map highlighting Farah Province within Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission is investigating claims that the United States used white phosphorus bombs in an attack against Taliban militants on May 4. The attack is reported to have killed over 100 civilians. The claim that the US used phosphorus bombs come from a doctor at a burn hospital in Herat that treated victims of the attack. Dr. Mohammad Aref Jalali says that many of the injured people from the Bala Baluk village in Farah Province, had "unusual" burns on their bodies. "We cannot be 100% sure what type of chemical it was and we do not have the equipment here to find out. One of the women who came here told us that 22 members of her family were totally burned. She said a bomb distributed white powder that caught fire and then set people's clothes alight," said Jalali. His claims prompted the rights group to launch an investigation. U.S. officials denied having used any chemical weapons and also deny the reports that 147 civilians had been killed in the raid. General James L. Jones, a U.S. security adviser for the military in Afghanistan apologized for the loss of civilians, but also said that the Taliban is using them as "human shields." The U.S. also said that the Taliban had, in the past, used or possessed white phosphorus in at least 44 previous incidents. At least 11 of the incidents involved the use of white phosphorus shells. "The insurgents possess and use white phosphorus as a weapon against people. It's a law of war that we adhere to but the insurgents blatantly violate," said Colonel Greg Julian, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. The U.S. military admits they use white phosphorus for illumination and smokescreens, but not as a weapon. Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai criticized last weeks attack saying the U.S. is losing the "moral" battle with Afghanistan in terms of civilian deaths. The U.S. military said it would work to correct any errors they make when fighting with Taliban militants. "We’re going to take a look at trying to make sure we correct those things we can correct, but certainly to tie the hands of our commanders and say we’re not going to conduct airstrikes would be imprudent," Jones said in an interview with ABC News, as quoted by the ''New York Times''. The reports of the possible use of phosphorus bombs comes just months after Israel confirmed they used at least 20 white phosphorus bombs inside civilian areas during the IDF's offensive in the Gaza Strip in December of 2008 through January of this year. It is reported that the bombs were 155mm, M825E1 which were made in the U.S.. Nearly 1,300 Palestinians, the majority being civilians, died and nearly 5,450 were injured during the three-week offensive. Thirteen Israeli soldiers were also killed.
View and discuss the pictures and issues that caught our eyes. A ritual runs with pain and blood, a bird grips an icy perch and a jet buzzes the moon. View images of some of the species found by scientists in what they called “pockets of Eden” in eastern Africa. MSNBC staff and news service reports WASHINGTON - The Democratic-controlled Congress on Tuesday stepped up its pressure on President Bush’s global warming strategy, hearing allegations of new political pressure on government scientists to downplay the threat of global warming. Lawmakers received survey results of federal scientists that showed 46 percent felt pressure to eliminate the words “climate change,” “global warming” or similar terms from communications about their work. The scientists also reported 435 instances of political interference in their work over the past five years. Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement Bush in his recent State of the Union address acknowledged that climate change needs to be addressed, but he opposes mandatory caps on carbon emissions, arguing that industry through new technologies can deal with the problem at less cost. The intense interest about climate change comes as some 500 climate scientists gather in Paris this week to put the final touches on a United Nations report on how warming, as a result of a growing concentration of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, is likely to affect sea levels. The new allegations were made at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. Waxman said he and the top Republican on the committee, Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, had sought documents from the administration on climate policy, but were repeatedly rebuffed. "The committee isn't trying to obtain state secrets or documents that could affect our immediate national security," said Waxman, opening the hearing. "We are simply seeking answers to whether the White House's political staff is inappropriately censoring impartial government scientists." "We know that the White House possesses documents that contain evidence of an attempt by senior administration officials to mislead the public by injecting doubt into the science of global warming and minimize the potential danger," Waxman added. Waxman said his committee had not received documents it requested from the White House and other agencies, and that a handful of papers received on the eve of the hearing "add nothing to our inquiry." Nearly half cited edits The Union of Concerned Scientists, a private advocacy group, and the Government Accountability Project, a legal-assistance group that represents whistle-blowers, sent out the survey to 1,600 scientists. Surveys were returned by 308 scientists. Not all answered every question, but the survey found that: 43 percent of respondents reported edits during review of their work that changed the meaning of their findings. 46 percent felt administrative requirements that impaired climate-related work. 67 percent said the environment for federal government climate research is worse now than five years ago. The groups urged lawmakers to ensure “scientists’ constitutional right to speak about any subject in their private lives and allowing scientists to make ultimate decisions about the communication of their research.” “The new Congress must act to prevent the continued interference with science for political purposes,” said GAP attorney Tarek Maassarani. “A good first step would be for Congress to amend current whistle blower protections to specifically protect the rights of federal government scientists.” Hearing witnesses included a NASA official and a former senior official of the office that coordinates the government’s climate programs. That former official, Rick Piltz, quit his job in 2005, charging that scientists’ climate documents were being edited by political appointees to tone them down. NBC VIDEO • Study greeted with doubt Jan. 30: Government Reform Committee chairman Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., voices concerns about Bush's global warming report. MSNBC Administration officials were not scheduled to testify. In the past, the White House has said it has only sought to inject balance into reports on climate change. At the hearing, Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, criticized the survey as self-selecting and flawed. Allegations of political pressure have been at the center of a controversy involving James Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and one of the country’s top experts on climate change. Hansen had accused NASA of trying to keep him from speaking publicly about global warming, and the agency later backed off. Climate legislation coming Since Democrats took control of Congress this month, there has been a rush to introduce climate legislation. In the Senate, Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., was holding an open meeting Tuesday for her colleagues to express their views on climate change, in advance of a broader set of hearings on the issue. Among those to make comments were two presidential hopefuls — Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill. Both lawmakers favor mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, something opposed by President Bush, who argues such requirements would threaten economic growth. Boxer has offered the most aggressive bill, one that is touted as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by mid-century. Obama and McCain are sponsoring a bill along with Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., that would cut emissions by two-thirds by 2050. Another bill, offered by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., would halt the growth of carbon emissions by 2030 and then is expected to lead to reductions. All three would require mandatory caps on greenhouse gas releases from power plants, cars and other sources. They also would have various forms of an emissions trading system to reduce the economic cost. In the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to create a new select-committee to hold hearings and recommend actions on climate change. That proposal has been met with resistance from chairmen of committees with jurisdiction over various aspects of the matter, but nevertheless has indicated the new importance the issue has taken in Congress. The Associated Press contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| The Democratic-controlled Congress on Tuesday stepped up its pressure on President Bush’s global warming strategy, hearing allegations of new political pressure on government scientists to downplay the threat of global warming. Lawmakers received survey results of federal scientists that showed 46 percent felt pressure to eliminate the words “climate change,” “global warming” or similar terms from communications about their work. The scientists also reported 435 instances of political interference in their work over the past five years. Bush in his recent State of the Union address acknowledged that climate change needs to be addressed, but he opposes mandatory caps on carbon emissions, arguing that industry through new technologies can deal with the problem at less cost. The intense interest about climate change comes as some 500 climate scientists gather in Paris this week to put the final touches on a United Nations report on how warming, as a result of a growing concentration of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, is likely to affect sea levels. The new allegations were made at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif. Waxman said he and the top Republican on the committee, Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, had sought documents from the administration on climate policy, but were repeatedly rebuffed. "The committee isn't trying to obtain state secrets or documents that could affect our immediate national security," said Waxman, opening the hearing. "We are simply seeking answers to whether the White House's political staff is inappropriately censoring impartial government scientists." "We know that the White House possesses documents that contain evidence of an attempt by senior administration officials to mislead the public by injecting doubt into the science of global warming and minimize the potential danger," Waxman added. Waxman said his committee had not received documents it requested from the White House and other agencies, and that a handful of papers received on the eve of the hearing "add nothing to our inquiry." Nearly half cited edits The Union of Concerned Scientists, a private advocacy group, and the Government Accountability Project, a legal-assistance group that represents whistle-blowers, sent out the survey to 1,600 scientists. Surveys were returned by 308 scientists. Not all answered every question, but the survey found that: 43 percent of respondents reported edits during review of their work that changed the meaning of their findings. 46 percent felt administrative requirements that impaired climate-related work. 67 percent said the environment for federal government climate research is worse now than five years ago. The groups urged lawmakers to ensure “scientists’ constitutional right to speak about any subject in their private lives and allowing scientists to make ultimate decisions about the communication of their research.” “The new Congress must act to prevent the continued interference with science for political purposes,” said GAP attorney Tarek Maassarani. “A good first step would be for Congress to amend current whistle blower protections to specifically protect the rights of federal government scientists.” Hearing witnesses included a NASA official and a former senior official of the office that coordinates the government’s climate programs. That former official, Rick Piltz, quit his job in 2005, charging that scientists’ climate documents were being edited by political appointees to tone them down. Video: Study greeted with doubt Administration officials were not scheduled to testify. In the past, the White House has said it has only sought to inject balance into reports on climate change. At the hearing, Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, criticized the survey as self-selecting and flawed. Allegations of political pressure have been at the center of a controversy involving James Hansen, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and one of the country’s top experts on climate change. Hansen had accused NASA of trying to keep him from speaking publicly about global warming, and the agency later backed off. Climate legislation coming Since Democrats took control of Congress this month, there has been a rush to introduce climate legislation. In the Senate, Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., was holding an open meeting Tuesday for her colleagues to express their views on climate change, in advance of a broader set of hearings on the issue. Among those to make comments were two presidential hopefuls — Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill. Both lawmakers favor mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, something opposed by President Bush, who argues such requirements would threaten economic growth. Boxer has offered the most aggressive bill, one that is touted as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by mid-century. Obama and McCain are sponsoring a bill along with Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., that would cut emissions by two-thirds by 2050. Another bill, offered by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., would halt the growth of carbon emissions by 2030 and then is expected to lead to reductions. All three would require mandatory caps on greenhouse gas releases from power plants, cars and other sources. They also would have various forms of an emissions trading system to reduce the economic cost. In the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to create a new select-committee to hold hearings and recommend actions on climate change. That proposal has been met with resistance from chairmen of committees with jurisdiction over various aspects of the matter, but nevertheless has indicated the new importance the issue has taken in Congress. \|\|\|\|\| Hearing Will Question Political Influence on Government Climate Change Scientists The Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on January 30 regarding political interference in the work of government climate change scientists. In preparation for the hearing, Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Davis have requested documents from the Council on Environmental Quality related to allegations that officials edited scientific reports and took other actions to minimize the significance of climate change. \|\|\|\|\| Hearing Will Question Political Influence on Government Climate Change Scientists The Oversight Committee will hold a hearing on January 30 regarding political interference in the work of government climate change scientists. In preparation for the hearing, Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Davis have requested documents from the Council on Environmental Quality related to allegations that officials edited scientific reports and took other actions to minimize the significance of climate change.	Chairman The United States House held a hearing today on the accusation that the had interfered with data regarding climate change in order "to mislead the public by injecting doubt into the science of global warming." On January 23, 2007, Chairman (D) and (R) had requested documents from the but were denied access. said that, "The committee isn't trying to obtain state secrets or documents that could affect our immediate national security. We are simply seeking answers to whether the White House's political staff is inappropriately censoring impartial government scientists. We know that the White House possesses documents that contain evidence of an attempt by senior administration officials to mislead the public by injecting doubt into the science of global warming and minimize the potential danger." During the hearing, two private advocacy groups, one of which was the , also presented a survey to the panel that revealed that 279 scientists working for the government had been pressured into minimizing the threat of global warming in their reports. Almost half of the 279 said that they were told to delete any references to "global warming" or "climate change" in their reports. The scientists in the survey all worked for a wide array of government agencies: NASA, Environmental Protection Agency, , , , , and the .
Attention, sushi lovers: Be sure to tell your doctor what you've been eating if you develop sudden stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. That's the advice of the American College of Gastroenterology, which points to two reports from Japan that illustrate why. Raw and undercooked fish can contain larvae of a roundworm, called Anisakis. The larvae don't survive long in humans. But while present, they attach to the lining of the stomach and small intestine, where they can cause sudden abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The symptoms can sometimes look as if they stem from a small intestinal blockage or can be mistaken for appendicitis, stomach ulcers or peritonitis. Fluid replacement and rest -- rather than more invasive treatments or medications -- usually relieve symptoms, which is why the college says it's important to let your doctor know your food preferences if these symptoms arise. -- Sally Squires \|\|\|\|\| Consumption Of Raw Fish Raises Potential Health Concerns For Consumers Science Daily Two case studies from Japan presented at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology point to a potential health problem in the United States, as more Americans consume raw fish in the form of sushi and sashimi. Anisakiasis (round worm) is a human parasitic infection caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood containing Anisakis larvae. Consumers should be aware that while larvae for the parasitic worm Anisakis cannot survive in a human host, the ingested larvae can produce severe intestinal problems warranting a visit to the emergency room. When ingested by humans, the larvae attach themselves to the tissues lining the stomach and intestines, resulting in sudden abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Since the larvae cannot survive in humans and eventually die, intestinal anisakiasis usually resolves on its own. Researchers in Japan examined two cases of intestinal anisakiasis presenting as an obstruction of the small intestine. In each case, both patients, ages 64 and 70, were rushed to the emergency room with sudden abdominal pain and vomiting after eating raw sardines as sashimi two days earlier. The diagnosis of anisakiasis in the stomach can easily be confirmed by endoscopy. However, small intestinal anisakiasis is difficult to diagnose. Both patients had abdominal X-rays showed air-fluid levels suggesting a small intestinal obstruction. Using a multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT), doctors obtained high quality images of the small bowel, and found the intestinal blockage was caused by the presence of Anisakis larvae. Fluid replacement and resting immediately relieved the patients' symptoms. Because the symptoms of anisakiasis can mimic other gastrointestinal diseases, it might potentially be misdiagnosed as appendicitis, acute abdomen (peritonitis) or stomach ulcers. According to Mashahiro Matshushita, MD of Haibara General Hospital, "Anisakiasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of small intestinal obstruction." Note: This story has been adapted from material provided by American College of Gastroenterology. New! Search Science Daily or the entire web with Google:	Sushi bento. Eating raw fish could lead to severe intestinal problems. Studies presented at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology show that eating raw or undercooked fish, such as sushi or sashimi, can lead to severe intestinal problems caused by parasitic roundworms called anisakis. Symptoms of the infestation include sudden abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and can be severe enough to warrant a visit to the emergency room. One form of anisakiasis, the illness caused by the infestation, could be difficult to diagnose and could be misdiagnosed as appendicitis, peritonitis, or stomach ulcers, potentially leading to incorrect treatment.
PM launches trial phase of Pak-Turkey train service By A Reporter Saturday, 15 Aug, 2009 \| 04:44 AM PST \| Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani inaugurates the ECO Islamabad-Istanbul container train service, along with Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, at the Margalla Railway Station. - APP photo ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad-Istanbul container train service would lead to integration of Pakistan’s railway tracks into the region’s network and opening up of a trade corridor between Europe on the one hand and South and Central Asia on the other, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said at the launch of project’s trial phase here on Friday. The first train would cover 6,500 kilometres via Tehran in two weeks, carrying 20 containers — 14 for Iran and six for Turkey. Mr Gilani recalled that the transit trade framework agreement signed on March 15 this year in Islamabad by ECO member states called for improving transit traffic to foster efficient movement of goods and passengers. He said that under the project Pakistan Railways would be rehabilitating the main railway line, including the Quetta-Taftan section, adding that a feasibility study had already been completed. ‘Upgradation would require … $500 million for the train to run at a speed of 140km per hour for optimum operational efficiency,’ he said, adding that rehabilitation of the network in Pakistan required international financial support. Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said that government officials and chambers of commerce needed to cooperate in order to create an enabling environment for increasing regional trade. He said that once the trial phase of the container service ended successfully, a passenger service would be launched in an effort to boost tourism in the region. The prime minister also held a meeting with Mohammad Yahya Maroofi, the secretary-general of ECO, at the PM House. \|\|\|\|\| Pakistan has begun its first international freight train service from Islamabad to Istanbul. The 6,500km (4,040 mile) trial service via the Iranian capital, Tehran, is a pilot project of the regional Economic Co-operation Organisation. Officials expect it to boost Pakistan's trade with Turkey and Iran - currently estimated at $1bn - by as much as 50%. There are also hopes the route will eventually provide a link to Europe and Central Asia, and carry passengers. Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani he hoped the route would one day also provide passenger services and boost tourism, reports said. The train will pull 20 containers on its maiden journey from Islamabad railway station, delivering 14 to Tehran and six to Istanbul a fortnight after it sets off. The first journey will also take railway experts from the three countries on board to gauge the performance and check for obstacles over the vast terrain. Mr Gilani described the beginning as "an epic event", Pakistan's APP news agency reported. Some operational obstacles also remain to be resolved, and parts of the route need to be upgraded, he added.	Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani has launched Pakistan's first international container train service from Islamabad to Istanbul via the Iranian capital, Tehran, as a trial project of the Economic Cooperation Organization to boost Pakistan's trade with Turkey and Iran. The train is carrying 20 containers on its first journey from Islamabad railway station, delivering 14 to Tehran and 6 to Istanbul and will cover 6,500 kilometres in two weeks. Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said a successful trial phase of the freight train service would be followed by a passenger train service in an effort to boost tourism in the region. There are also hopes the route will eventually provide a link to Europe and Central Asia.
Riot police were on duty as protesters gathered in the square The elections, won by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, were criticised by international observers. The government of President Ilham Aliyev allowed the opposition to hold a three-hour rally in the capital, Baku. Facing accusations of fraud, Mr Aliyev sacked two local officials for allegedly interfering in the elections. 'Serious fraud' Election officials have ordered re-runs in two districts and one recount. About 15,000 protesters attended the march and rally, many wearing or waving orange flags in a reference to the success of the "orange revolution" that brought President Victor Yushchenko to power in Ukraine after disputed elections. The numbers fell far short of the 30,000 to 50,000 the opposition had hoped for. But leaders said hundreds of other supporters had been stopped from joining the rally. We are giving the government one chance today to accept a crime was committed in the elections being rigged, and to fix its mistake Sardar Jalaloglu Democratic Party Q&A;: Azerbaijan votes In pictures: Baku protests Democracy takes time - Lavrov Hundreds of riot police kept a close eye on the protesters but the demonstration ended peacefully. The BBC's Natalia Antelava, in Baku, said many young people wanted to stay overnight after the rally. But opposition leaders called on people to go home after the permitted three hours was up, to avoid confrontation with the police. However, they also said that they would continue taking to the streets until the results of this election were annulled. Sardar Jalaloglu, of the Democratic Party, said the opposition would give the government a chance to correct its mistakes. "If the people's will is not fulfilled... we will go into the streets with a total demand for [the government's] resignation," he told the crowd. As well as the two re-runs and one recount, President Aliyev has also promised to punish those responsible for fraud. Observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and the US state department said the elections on Sunday did not meet democratic standards. They said there was serious fraud in the conduct of the poll - including intimidation, stuffing of ballot boxes and violations in counting procedure. \|\|\|\|\| Observers reported widespread irregularities in vote-counting The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe complained of significant irregularities in the parliamentary vote and vote-counting. With nearly all votes counted, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party had won 63 of the 125 seats, Azeri officials said. The main opposition Azadlyq bloc, which is planning street protests against the results, got five seats. The elections on Sunday were the first since President Ilham Aliyev replaced his father, Heydar Aliyev, in 2003. Council of Europe observers said the count in 43% of polling stations had been "bad or very bad". Opposition protests The BBC's Natalia Antelava, in the capital Baku, says the parliamentary vote was seen as a test of democracy in the oil-rich former Soviet republic - a test it has failed. It pains me to report that progress noted in the pre-election period was undermined by significant deficiencies in the count Alcee Hastings OSCE She says the OSCE verdict gives the opposition more leverage and more reason to challenge the result in court and in the streets. The opposition bloc, who chose orange as their campaign colour in imitation of Ukraine's "Orange Revolution", is planning street protests. Ali Kerimli, a joint leader of the Azadlyq bloc, said a peaceful protest would start on Tuesday. "It will be the start of continual protests until the election is overturned," he told Reuters. Azadlyq called for the results to be annulled in four-fifths of the electoral districts. The Central Election Commission insisted the vote had been democratic and dismissed the allegations of fraud. US interests The OSCE said there had been some improvements before election day, but shortcomings included "interference of local authorities, disproportionate use of force to thwart rallies, arbitrary detentions, restrictive interpretations of campaign provisions". "The shortcomings that were observed, particularly during election day, have led us to conclude that the elections did not meet Azerbaijan's international commitments on elections," said Alcee Hastings, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Special Co-ordinator for the short-term observers. "It pains me to report that progress noted in the pre-election period was undermined by significant deficiencies in the count." Hundreds of international observers monitored the poll, and the US government sponsored one exit poll as a check on the official count. Washington has a strong interest in stability in the Caspian Sea nation, which sits at a strategically vital point between Iran, Russia and Turkey. The government has said it will act to prevent a Ukraine-style revolution - the street protests which swept liberal leader Viktor Yushchenko into power after disputed elections.	Thousands of protestors demonstrated today in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. They left their houses due to unrest over the results of the November 6 parliamentary elections, which, according to the opposition, are faked. The protest lasted about three hours before being shut down. The protest gathered some 15,000 people, but the opposition hoped to gather 30,000 to 50,000 Azeris. Many people were stopped by police on their way to the outskirts of Baku. The main demonstration took place at Gelebe Square. When rioters tried to enlarge the protest, police used force to stop them. Some Azeris believe that a "three hour revolution" wouldn't change anything in the country. They believe that the demonstration was controlled by the government. The November 6 elections, won, according to officials, by the governing New Azerbaijan Party, have been condemned by international organizations, such as The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and by independent observers. The Council of Europe reports that results in about 43% of polling stations were faked. To prevent protests, re-runs were ordered in two districts by election officials. Also, one recount will take place.
--> COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH This is to ensure effective and transparent communication of ideas as well to ensure the safety and well-being of the IP (initial poster) and other individuals partaking in the discussion. --> KEEP CONVERSATIONS CIVIL As the nature of the posts on this page can be deemed as sensitive, it is important to remember that the most effective way to engage in discourse is through well constructed, well thought out counter arguments. we believe in freedom of speech and expression and we will engage in discourse on a variety of ideas. we respectfully ask that all responses be focused on the idea presented and not the individual(s) behind the post. personal attacks, lewd comments, or inappropriate posting/manipulation of photos will not be tolerated and can result in being blocked. \|\|\|\|\| Published on Jun 23, 2017 Subscribe to the Real Time YouTube: http://itsh.bo/10r5A1B Counter-extremism expert and Quilliam founder Maajid Nawaz joins Bill to discuss the fight against radical Islamist ideology. 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Connect with HBO Online Find HBO on Facebook: http://Facebook.com/HBO Follow @HBO on Twitter: http://Twitter.com/HBO Find HBO on Youtube: http://Youtube.com/HBO Find HBO Official Site: http://HBO.com Find HBO Connect: http://Connect.hbo.com Find HBO GO: http://HBOGO.com Find HBO on Instagram: http://Instagram.com/hbo Find HBO on Foursquare: http://Foursquare.com/hbo Check out other HBO Channels HBO: http://www.youtube.com/hbo Game of Thrones: http://www.youtube.com/GameofThrones True Blood: http://www.youtube.com/trueblood HBO Sports: http://www.youtube.com/HBOsports HBO Documentary Films: http://www.youtube.com/HBODocs Cinemax: http://www.youtube.com/Cinemax HBO Latino: http://www.youtube.com/HBOLatino \|\|\|\|\| A former international student who renounced Islam has revealed she receives death threats for leaving the religion and says hundreds of other women are living in fear. Zara Kay, who moved to Melbourne in 2012 to continue studying information technology and engineering, renounced her Muslim faith after realising the religion she was raised with was, in her opinion, anti-women and anti-gay. The 26-year-old Tanzanian-raised founder of the Faithless Hijabi support group said there were hundreds of ex-Muslims in Australia, who live in fear of being ostacised, abused or even killed. Scroll down for video An ex-Muslim woman living in Australia has described the hijab as a symbol of oppression and slammed political correctness for stifling discussion about Islam 'Apostasy is punishable by death in 13 countries. It's either Islam or death,' she told her Instagram followers on Sunday. Ms Kay, who now lives in Sydney, has stepped up her campaign to support people like herself, after Saudi teenager Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun was granted asylum in Canada, after fleeing to Thailand fearing her family would murder her for leaving Islam. Ms Kay began wearing the hijab when she was an eight-year-old girl growing up in Tanzania, in east Africa, as a Shia Muslim. She removed the religious garment as an 18-year-old student at Monash University Malaysia, near Kuala Lumpur, after realising it was no longer a representation of who she was. 'The first time I took off my headscarf and posted a photo, I was abused,' she told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. She has posted messages about being an ex-Muslim after Saudi teenager Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun (pictured) was granted asylum in Canada after renouncing Islam 'I was told I was a sl**. I was called names for just not wearing the headscarf. 'It was just my hair and I was told that if I get raped, it's my fault because I don't wear a headscarf.' Her journey towards renouncing Islam continued in Melbourne, where she continued studying at Monash University. The former international student, who last year became an Australian citizen, is now an outspoken critic of Islam and Sharia law, as described in the Quran. 'To me, hijab is a form of patriarchy and oppression. And that doesn't mean that every woman I see with a hijab is oppressed, it just means the covering itself is a symbol of oppression,' she said. Zara Kay (pictured), who moved to Melbourne in 2012 to continue studying IT, renounced her Muslim faith after realising the religion she was raised with was anti-women and anti-gay 'It's clearly mentioned about wife beating in the book. It is a sin for a wife to say no to a husband when asked to have sex unless she's got her period. 'Sharia law talks about how women need to be covered and there are some many laws, they don't fit in this day and age.' Last year, in western Sydney, Sunni fundamentalist preacher Nassim Abdi, from the Saudi-funded Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah Association said it was a sin for women to refuse to have sex with their husband. Ms Kay left Islam after non-Muslims pointed out the religion was incompatible with her modern values. The former international student, who last year became an Australian citizen, is now an outspoken critic of Islam and Sharia law, as described in the Quran 'I rejected a lot of Islamic values such as the punishment of gay people, inequality between genders and forced hijab,' she said. Fundamentalist Muslims also regard apostasy, or leaving Islam, as a sin deserving of death. Daily Mail Australia in 2017 filmed Uthman Badar, the Australian spokesman for Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, declaring ex-Muslims deserved to be killed. Some Islamic countries, like Pakistan, also have the death penalty for criticising Islam. As an ex-Muslim living in Sydney, Ms Kay gets death threats from Muslims on social media who regard apostasy, or renouncing Islam, as a sin worthy of death. As an ex-Muslim living in Sydney, Ms Kay gets death threats from Muslims on social media who regard apostasy, or renouncing Islam, as a sin worthy of death 'Ex-Muslims are scared to talk about it,' she said. 'A lot of the politicians haven't even addressed our rights. 'They're scared of offending religious feelings.' Ms Kay slammed the term Islamophobia, arguing it was used to silence people like her who had renounced Islam. 'It put us in a position where we're unable to share our experiences,' she said. 'Free speech should never be suppressed, especially with minorities because it enables people to attack those minorities. 'Ex-Muslims should continue to speak out and normalise conversations about their experiences and their thoughts about Islam. 'We're letting Islam have too much control over what we can and can't say.' She argued political correctness had overshadowed discussion about ex-Muslims receiving death threats. 'There are things people can deal with in a mature way, having conversations and if that results in somebody's feelings being hurt well guess what? I get death threats,' she said. Ms Kay slammed the term Islamophobia, arguing it was used to silence people like her who had renounced Islam 'My life is at risk. I get cyber bullied and you're talking about religious feelings.' When she first renounced Islam, her school friends blocked her on social media and declared she deserved to be killed. 'I had my childhood friends who said that I should be killed for having views that didn't align with Islam,' she said. 'It was definitely a shock. It took a mental strain.' Unlike most ex-Muslims she has encountered, Ms Kay remains in contact with her family, and has support from a minority of Muslim friends who accept she is now an atheist. 'I work with a lot of ex-Muslim women, upon leaving Islam or even whilst still being Muslim, are subjected to emotional, physical and mental abuse by their families for rejecting any Islamic values,' she said. 'Their lives are panned out for them. You're either a Muslim or dead according to Sharia law. 'A lot of this is prevalent in the Middle East or other theocratic countries but it's not unheard of in the West with Muslim societies.' \|\|\|\|\| In Iran Protests, Women Stand Up, Lift Their Hijab, For Their Rights toggle caption Abaca Press/Sipa USA via AP Tension is rising between Iran and the United States these days. But Iran's leaders are facing pressure from various sides at home, too. Ordinary Iranians are mounting protests that refuse to go away, despite a sharp response from the authorities. Middle East Trump's War Of Words With Iran Comes At A Bad Time For Rouhani Trump's War Of Words With Iran Comes At A Bad Time For Rouhani Listen · 3:54 3:54 The demonstrations began to make news late last year, focusing largely on economic hardship. As those protests continued in cities around the country, another movement re-emerged: young women standing up against the enforcement of conservative Muslim strictures on their dress and behavior. Similar protests have gone on for years, sometimes unnoticed outside Iran. Atefeh Ahmadi, a 29-year-old freelance translator from Tehran, says she was intrigued when she started seeing the resurgence of images and videos of women standing on electrical boxes in public squares and removing their headscarves. "I saw the videos and I thought to myself, this could do some good if it's an ongoing thing," she tells NPR. So one day, she tried it herself, and the video and photographs of her went viral on social media. Then on March 8 — International Women's Day — she tried a new kind of protest. "Me and two of my friends went to the subway," she says. "We sat in the women-only car and sang a well-known feminist song. We also handed out pamphlets promoting women's rights." In the song's chorus, the trio repeated the words: "I am a woman." Ahmadi says they were almost arrested that day but managed to escape. The protest drew attention and, after she was publicly identified as one of the participants, so did she. Fearing arrest and prosecution, she felt she needed to leave Iran. So she came to Turkey. Meanwhile, the protests continued and spread beyond the headscarf. Women posted videos and images of themselves singing and dancing, which is prohibited under Iran's strict version of Islam. A Facebook page called "My Stealthy Freedom," started in 2014 by New York-based Iranian activist Masih Alinejad, features photos and videos of women defying Iran's headscarf law. Facebook and Twitter are banned in the Islamic Republic, but many Iranians access the social media sites through private online networks that mask users' locations, ducking the censors. Other popular platforms like Instagram have also been blocked temporarily from time to time — "to keep the peace," according to authorities. Offline, the government has responded to the protests by cracking down, including a series of sweeping arrests on university campuses that was documented recently by Human Rights Watch. The demonstrations have gained international attention, including among senior Trump administration officials. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has spoken out and the State Department has tweeted — in Iran's Farsi language — in support of Iranian women's rights. Enlarge this image toggle caption Bijan Sabbagh for NPR Bijan Sabbagh for NPR Dress code by law Ahmadi says she supports all the various protests. But for her, it's taking on — or taking off — the mandatory hijab, a headscarf and other modest garments, that's by far the most important statement women can make. "Some may want to focus on other hardships," Ahmadi says. "The demands may seem diverse, but I think the ultimate point is to end the rules on hijab." Under Iran's strict interpretation of Islam that's melded with government since 1979, women and girls over the age of 9 are required to cover their heads and everything but the face and hands. Offenders face fines or jail time. During a period last century, Iran and various other Middle Eastern countries had banned the hijab. Nowadays, many places have a strict dress code for women. But Iran is one of the only countries where the penal code mandates it. Ahmadi says although the women's protests are less visible in the media these days, people are still defying the law to keep the issue alive. "There was no specific positive reaction from the government, in terms of making a positive change in laws against women," she says. "There was only a series of arrests and prosecutions." In late 2017, police said they would stop arresting people for dress code violations. But harassment of women by the "morality police" continued. Ahmadi says public awareness of the issue has grown, however. Some of the arrested women were forced to make televised confessions, which Ahmadi says only incensed the public more, and generated more debate around the issue. Despite the generally hard line taken by the authorities, Ahmadi believes the protests have gained momentum, and won't stop until the government addresses the fundamental problem. "Because it seems that the state has a problem with women's bodies," she says. "Everywhere that a woman's body is involved, there will be a reaction from the state. And that will spark more protests." Journalist Bijan Sabbagh contributed reporting to this story in Istanbul.	A number of Muslim-majority countries around the world implement ''Shari'a'' — commonly known as ''Islamic law'' — and have laws against and . Numerous times, over the years, people have been sentenced to death penalty for renouncing Islam. Back in 2018, a Pakistani journalism student Mashal Khan was killed by a mob lynch after he was accused of blasphemy. At times there have been protests against the restrictions on free speech in Islam. Other than the restriction of free speech, many Muslim majority countries have declared homosexuality as a capital crime, and observe a strict dress code for women. Iran has banned a number of female chess players for not wearing a ''hijāb''. An Iranian woman was sentenced 20 years for removing ''hijāb'' while protesting the strict dress code. ''Wikinews'' had gotten in touch with Tanzanian-born ex-Muslim to discuss the struggles an ex-Muslim woman faces, as well as her organisation: ''Faithless Hijabi''. ''Faithess Hijabi'' is an organisation which helps other ex-Muslim women by sharing their stories and experiences. Its Facebook page has over 7000 likes, and Zara Kay, who identifies herself as an , had prefiously helped a Saudi teenager escape to Canada. The following is the interview with Zara Kay that took place last year.
MOGADISHU, Tuesday (Reuters) - Kidnappers in the Somali capital Mogadishu have freed two Kenyan men they abducted on Sunday in the city's Bakara market, colleagues said on Tuesday. The pair were grabbed along with two Somalis by 10 masked gunmen in the market, which is controlled by al Shabaab rebels who Washington accuses of being linked to al Qaeda. The Somalis were later released, then the Kenyans were freed late on Monday. "They are safe ... We gave them a vacation," said Abdukar Ali, manager of the Hamar Adde printing centre where all four men had worked. He said the two Kenyans had flown to Nairobi. Another colleague at the printing centre confirmed the pair had been released and had left the Horn of Africa nation. Kidnappings -- often targeting foreigners and aid workers -- are common in Somalia. The two Somalis who were released earlier have declined to comment on their brief abduction. President Sheik Sharif Ahmed, a moderate Islamist elected earlier this year at UN-backed talks in the 15th attempt to establish a central Somali government, is struggling to deal with insurgent groups who control large parts of the country. \|\|\|\|\| Muhyadin Ahmed Roble, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya Photo: Mohammed Odowa The two Kenyans who were abducted last Sunday were released from hostage last Monday night in the capital Mogadishu, a Somali official said. The manager of the printing company where the two work, Abukar Ali, said on Tuesday they are safe and have left the Horn of Africa to their native Nairobi. Last Sunday a group of 10 armed masked men entered the Hamar Adde printing centre near Abu Hureira Mosque in Mogadishu market of Bakara, which is under the control of the Islamist group of Al-shabab and abducted the two Kenyans and two Somalis. Abduction of foreigners and aid workers is common phenomenon in Somalia now. The country has not known peace since the overthrow of Dictator Mohamed Siad Bare in 1991.	Mogadishu Two Kenyans who were seized by armed gunmen at a market in Somalia's capital Mogadishu were released today, according to reports. The Kenyans, workers of the printing agency Hamar Adde, had been taken from the Bakara market, the biggest trading centre in the Somali capital, at gunpoint on Sunday. Eyewitnesses said that two Somalis in the company of the Kenyans were kidnapped as well, but later were soon released. "They are safe ... We gave them a vacation," said the manager of the Hamar Adde printing company, Abdukar Ali, where the kidnapped men are employed. He added that the two Kenyans have flown back to Nairobi. Kidnappings, frequently targeting aid workers and foreigners, are commonplace in Somalia. The country has not had a stable government since 1991, when warlords ousted former leader Siad Barre in a coup.
Comment 1 of 4 Next comment > UNPRECEDENTED CASE OF CENSORSHIP IN GREECE An unprecedented case of censorship against www.blogme.gr, a search engine for Greek blogs, has provoked hue and cry in Greek blogs. The case was made known by an e-mail sent by the search engine's administrator, Mr. Andonis Tsipropoulos, to all listed members yesterday evening. By this e-mail the administrator informed members that a Greek public figure -whose name has not been disclosed as yet by Blogme.Gr- prosecuted the search engine for what he/she regarded as slander in one of its listed blogs! The administrator was arrested without prior notice last night at his residence. He spent the night behind bars and was taken today to the Distric Attorney wearing handcuffs. His company - funded by an unemployment subsidies' program - has been forced to suspend its operation. Mr. Tsipropoulos has in overall sustained great damage on a professional and personal level alike. In his e-mail, Mr. Tsipropoulos wrote: "This is the first time ever that a search engine - a site collecting information on the web - has been associated with the content of a web log and sued for it. Never before has an offended individual in a democratic country resorted to a lawsuit of this kind till this very day, with the exception of repressive regimes. Most recent examples are Singapore and China. However, even in these cases the lawsuits were against the blog administator, and not a blog directory that collects information such as Blogme. [...] As a result of this selective prosecution, Blogme has become the sole website collecting information that has sustained the implications of this action, among hundreds of similar search engines in the Greek and the World Wide Web, many of which display in different ways the contentious blog in their results." Mr. Tsipropoulos goes on saying that Blogme.Gr does not wish the prosecution of other search engines and that it does not pass an opinion on the blog in question or any other blog or web page content which it does not countersign. According to the Greek legislation, this case is directly associated with all that applies to the freedom of press and the information society in Greece. Comment 1 of 4 Next comment > \|\|\|\|\| Blog censorship in Greece ahead of the IGF forum in Athens << previous post \| homepage \| next post >> Some disturbing news from Greek bloggers has emerged this week. In Greece of 2006 we have the first sue against a site that (through rss) published some satirical posts (from a blog) about a famous person. You see, in my country WE ARE NOT FREE. The owner of the site was handcuffed and driven to prison for one night and now he is free until the day he testifies in court. His computer with all his work was taken away from the police and now we are all waiting for the court to decide. The blogme.gr aggregator site front page has currently been replaced with a simple Greek message and an anti-censorship logo According to Don't Kiss The Frog, it seems that because the authorities were unable to get at the original poster who hosted the material in the USA, they have taken the legal action against the .gr hosted RSS aggregator who re-published the content. Obviously I have a personal interest in this kind of attempt at blog censorship - whilst in Greece I have always written about Greek News and politics on 'A lemon tree of our own' on the basis that expressing my opinion online in Greece was as acceptable as it is in the UK. Clearly, it appears that may not be the case. This happens with some ironic timing for the Greek authorities. On Monday in Athens the Internet Governance Forum opens. And on Tuesday the agenda is: Openness - Freedom of expression, free flow of information, ideas and knowledge. The Session is expected to take up the following issues: Free flow of information, freedom of expression, empowerment and access to knowledge. It also co-incides with Amnesty International launching an appeal for the protection of free speech on the internet aimed at influencing the IGF. As I can't read Greek I am unable to follow the online Greek debate about it, but I hope there will be some kind of demonstration outside the IGF meeting to bring this further to the world's attention. Hat-tip to 'This is not my country' Posted by Martin Belam on October 27, 2006 in Greece , Web >> next post: Writing headlines to whip up a frenzy of comments about kids << previous post: Are corporations always wrong to engage with the "grey" market? currybetdotnet homepage the views expressed on currybetdotnet are my own, and do not reflect the views of my current or former employers. << previous post \| homepage \| next post >> \|\|\|\|\| To whom it may concern, Hi guys, the year is (surprisingly) 2006, the place is (not-quite-so surprisingly) Greece, and the administrator of an RSS aggregating service (blogme.gr) got his ass sued, arrested and jailed for hosting a link to a blog with allegedly offending content. We don’t know who the offended fellow actually is, but he is probably someone with really big connections. That’s because the standard procedure, even in Greece, consists of a) verifying that a crime may have taken place by actually checking the bloody law b) asking the alleged offender a thing or two verifying that they are a likely offender and c) arresting and/or jailing them if you have valid reasons to assume they are guilty and/or dangerous. As you can see, things here have not quite followed the standard procedure but pretty much its exact opposite. Ergo, somebody with big connections is abusing the law to shut whatever mouths they can. I have good reasons to suspect that the “person with connections” is an ultra-nationalist televangelist and the offending blog is a satiric blog that has single-handedly managed to make him look like the twerp he actually is, greatly reducing his (major) political and ideological impact on greek society. This places the issue under a whole new prespective, but I suppose for now we must stick with the facts: A blog offends (?) X, that blog cannot be sued because it is hosted in the States, so X sues a completely innocent greek aggregation service just to make a point, and the point is “the [incompetent, prehistoric and corrupt] greek legal system is mine, assholes, so you ‘d better watch out!”. Read a shitload of posts (mostly in greek, I’m afraid) about the whole issue here update (31/10/2006): it seems that everything happened four months ago, which raises some interesting questions along the general lines of why the fsck did the admin (Mr. Tsipropoulos) inform the public last Tuesday. Stay tuned.	Antonis Tsipropoulos (Αντώνης Τσιπρόπουλος), the administrator of the Greek blog aggregating service blogme.gr, has been sued, arrested and jailed, because one of the linked RSS feeds on his site had satirical content. Although the service was unrelated in any way other than linking to the allegedly offending blog, the blogme.gr server was shut down and its hard drives were confiscated. Mr Tsipropoulos posted an explanation for the service's downtime, describing his arrest but naming neither the satirical blog nor the plaintiff. Tsipropoulos later removed the explanation at his lawyers' advice because it might appear to be contemptive to the authorities, because it stated that an aggregating service has nothing to do with the various feeds' content. Although Tsipropoulos gave no clues to the identity of the plaintiff, the only satirical blog known to appear in blogme.gr lampooned televangelist and national mysticist Dimosthenis Liakopoulos. It is suspected that Liakopoulos is the plaintiff. More will be known in the upcoming trial.
A BP laptop computer containing the private information of about 13,000 individuals who filed oil-related claims after last year's oil spill has been lost, according to the oil giant. The laptop contained names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and Social Security numbers for those who filed claims related to last year's Deepwater Horizon spill. "There is no evidence that the laptop or data was targeted or that anyone's personal data has in fact been compromised or accessed in any way," BP spokesman Tom Mueller said in a written statement. "We have sent written notice to individuals impacted by this event to inform them about the loss of their personal data and to offer them free credit monitoring services to help protect their personal information." \|\|\|\|\| By: Maureen Hoch After weeks of calculating and revising, the group of scientists appointed by the government to estimate the size of the Gulf of Mexico oil leak have released new figures that, if correct, will make the leak the world's largest accidental spill. The move comes as engineers prepare to start a "static kill" procedure that will help permanently fix the underwater gusher. In a statement, the team estimated that immediately before the well was capped on July 15, 53,000 barrels (2.2 million gallons) of oil per day were leaking from BP's broken wellhead. But in the initial period after the spill began, 62,000 barrels of oil (2.6 million gallons) per day were leaking from the well. That's 4.9 million barrels total or 205.8 million gallons. From the release: Today's estimates, which draw heavily on recent oil reservoir modeling and on pressure readings of a closed system, are the most accurate to date and have an uncertainty of plus or minus approximately 10 percent. The scientific teams estimate that 53,000 barrels of oil per day were leaking from BP's well immediately preceding its closure via the capping stack. Recent measurements and modeling also show that, as a result of depletion of the hydrocarbon reservoir, the daily flow rate decreased over the 87 days prior to the well's closure. Based on these measurements and modeling, the scientific teams estimate that, at the beginning of the spill, 62,000 barrels of oil per day were leaking from the well. Overall, the scientific teams estimate that approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil have been released from the well. Not all of this oil and gas flowed into the ocean; containment activities conducted by BP under U.S. direction captured approximately 800,000 barrels of oil prior to the capping of the well "We've never had a spill of this magnitude in the deep ocean," Ian MacDonald, a professor of oceanography at Florida State University, told the New York Times. The numbers confirm the historial nature of the spill. As the Washington Post's Joel Achenbach and David Fahrenthold explain: If correct -- the government allows for a margin of error of 10 percent -- the flow rate would make this spill significantly larger than the Ixtoc I blowout of 1979, which polluted the southern Gulf of Mexico with 138 million gallons over the course of 10 months. That had been the largest unintentional oil spill in history, surpassed only by the intentional spills in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War. We'll have more analysis of the figures and updates to our Gulf Leak Ticker on Tuesday. Stay tuned.	Oil company BP has reportedly lost a laptop containing the personal information of approximately 13,000 people who filed claims against the company following the ''Deepwater Horizon'' disaster last year. Tom Mueller, a spokesperson for the company, confirmed they had written to "individuals impacted by this event to inform them about the loss of their personal data and to offer them free credit monitoring services to help protect their personal information." Mueller said the laptop was lost during "routine business travel," and was reported to have the ability to be deactivated remotely. BP refused to comment about the employee who lost the laptop. The data on the laptop contained the names, addresses, , phone numbers and the dates of birth of claimants, which was unencrypted even though the laptop itself is protected by a password. The data on the laptop concerned claimants against the company after one of its oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, sending up to 4.9 million barrels of oil into the ocean, which eventually reached the southern U.S. coastline. One resident affected by the the oil disaster and the lost laptop expressed his outrage at BP when interviewed by . "It's terrible, I kinda work hard for the things I have," he said. "I wouldn't want somebody with a computer to be able to take it from me. It's very disturbing. It's like another gallon of gas thrown on the fire." == Sources == * * *
Tollway worker gets jail for stealing Uganda Harris, 34, of Bellwood, pleaded guilty earlier this year to official misconduct and theft over $10,000 when she worked as a customer service representative in the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority's headquarters in Downers Grove. A former tollway employee was sentenced Monday to a year in the DuPage County jail for pocketing as much as $34,000 in a six-month period last year. Harris was charged on Oct. 14, 2008, after an undercover sting by Illinois State Police investigators. Assistant DuPage County State's Attorney Helen Kapas-Erdman said Harris accepted $980 in fines from an undercover officer. Harris had the marked bills in her purse when she was arrested. All told, Kapas-Erdman said, Harris made 788 fraudulent transactions that cost the state more than $34,000. Kapas-Erdman said Harris would collect the fees and fines and then delete the charges from the offenders' accounts, keeping the cash. Harris initially said she only funneled cash payments from customers twice, but later told Judge Blanche Hill Fawell in a letter that she was trying to help desperate people being treated unfairly by the tollway, saying the high fines for missing toll collections, "were shameful to me." \|\|\|\|\| Former toll worker sentenced for embezzling Although she tried to paint herself as a Robin Hood of sorts, a former Illinois tollway employee will spend the next year in a work-release program for embezzling thousands of dollars from the state agency. Uganda T. Harris will report to the DuPage County jail Nov. 30 to begin serving a 12-month sentence that only allows her out to work 40 hours a week. The 34-year-old Bellwood woman will also serve four years probation and has to repay the tollway more than $36,000 she is accused of stealing, plus another $1,000 for her insurance coverage. Harris pleaded guilty in June to stealing the money from the tollway authority where she had worked as a customer service representative since June 2007. Her scheme was uncovered during an audit. She was accused of stealing the money by improperly classifying the fines she collected as coming from I-PASS users - who pay for missed tolls, but not the fines that are 70 times the amount of the missed toll - then pocketing the extra cash. Illinois State Police conducted a sting, catching her with $1,100 in 20-dollar bills they used to pay a phony fine. Harris claimed that she rarely pocketed cash, but instead used the scam to clear the fines for people she felt bad for. Her attorney, Vincent Cornelius, said her take during the time she operated the scam from May 2008 to October 2008 was only "a fraction" of the money the tollway claims they lost. However, Assistant DuPage County State's Attorney Helen Kapas-Erdman said there's no evidence Harris operated altruistically. In fact, state police officials testified Monday that when she was arrested, Harris had another $167 she admitted she stole the same day she pocketed the $1,100 from the sting. "The evidence shows she served only herself," Kapas-Erdman said. "She is a liar, a thief and a con." Tollway officials began investigating Harris months before her arrest. The inspector general's office put Harris under surveillance and collected affidavits from customers about how much they paid. Tollway patrons were not shortchanged nor do they owe any money, officials said. Harris forfeited $6,750 of her bond and presented a $5,000 cashier's check Monday to help pay off a portion of her debt.	Chicago Skyway toll plaza in Chicago A former employee of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority was sentenced on Monday to one year in prison for stealing fines from the agency. Thirty-four-year-old Uganda T. Harris from Bellwood was accused of embezzling over $36,000 from the tollway authority in a period of six months. She pleaded guilty to the charges in June. She is to report to the DuPage County jail on November 30 to begin a one-year work-release program that only allows her out to work 40 hours per week. She will also serve four years of probation and will be required to pay the agency $1,000 for insurance coverage in addition to the more than $36,000 she allegedly stole. Harris had worked as a customer service representative since June 2007. An audit by the tollway authority's inspector general's office revealed that she incorrectly classified the fines she collected as coming from I-PASS users, who pay lesser fines, and pocketed the cash. The Illinois State Police later caught Harris with $1,100 in marked $20-bills they used to pay a phony fine during an undercover investigation. She claimed that she did this only rarely and to help those people in desperate need of relief from what she saw as high tollway fines.
… and raise an enormous £2,406,648 million for Comic Relief! This morning (Friday 18th March) at 8.30am, BBC Radio 1’s longest serving breakfast DJ Chris Moyles and sidekick ‘Comedy’ Dave Vitty set a brand new Guinness World Record for broadcasting the longest music show by a radio team and, in doing so, raised a whopping £2,406,648 for Red Nose Day. The pair stayed on air for 52 hours in total setting a brand new Guinness World Record for ‘Radio DJ Endurance Marathon (Team)’ after already breaking Simon Mayo's 12-year record for Radio 1's Longest Show of 37 hours which he set in 1999 for Comic Relief. Chris and Dave’s friends and family were there to support them through the final couple of hours of the show, which ended at 10.30am and Take That's Gary Barlow who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with Chris in 2009 (also for Comic Relief) was there to present them with their Guinness World Record certificate. Chris Moyles said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from our listeners. It’s been a rollercoaster ride of fun, laughs, tears and downright silliness. Now I’m off for a massive sleep!” Comedy Dave added: “We're both losing our voices and we’ve literally limped through the last few hours to the finish line but it’s all been worth it when we saw that final figure! Our listeners are incredible.” Andy Parfitt, Controller, BBC Radio 1 said: ‘’I'm deeply proud of what they have achieved on many fronts – the amazing total raised, brilliant, high quality radio broadcasting throughout and some of the funniest and most inventive TV I’ve seen. I’ve also been knocked out by everyone’s support including the extraordinary generosity of Radio 1’s audience; I want to thank them on behalf of Comic Relief and the BBC." Amarilis Whitty, Guinness World Records Adjudicator, who inspected the Radio 1 studios over the last three days said: “This was an extremely difficult world record to set but Chris and Dave have shown total dedication and compliance with our guidelines - congratulations to them both and the BBC Radio 1 team." Over the 52 hour broadcast Chris and Dave were joined in the studio by a number of celebrity supporters including Katy Perry, The Wanted, James Corden, Lilly Allen, Davina McCall, Chipmunk, Jimmy Carr, Paul O'Grady,Andi Peters, Claudia Winkleman, Simon Mayo, Patrick Kielty, Thandie Newton, Ricky Gervais and Olly Murs. Throughout the record-breaking attempt the duo presented each show in the schedule with the regular DJ as a guest, including Fearne Cotton, Scott Mills, Greg James, Mistajam, Nick Grimshaw, Kissy Sell Out, Annie Nightingale, Dev, Jaymo & Andy George, Mistajam and Benji B. The record attempt was broadcast live in-vision on digital TV via the Red Button and online at bbc.co.uk/radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is available on FM, digital TV and online at bbc.co.uk/radio1. \|\|\|\|\| Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. [an error occurred while processing this directive] Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles has broken the Guinness world record for the longest marathon radio DJ (team) show. The mark was broken at 8.30 this morning (18 March) as Moyles and on-air partner Dave Vitty, aka 'Comedy Dave', passed the 51.5-hour mark. The pair started their show early on Wednesday morning and also broke Simon Mayo's record for longest Radio 1 show on Thursday evening. Listeners have donated £2.4m to their Comic Relief effort. Continue reading the main story It's great that we've broken the record... and, more importantly, that we've raised so much money Chris Moyles A host of celebrities dropped in to lend their support, including Katy Perry, Ricky Gervais, Gary Barlow from Take That, Richard Madeley, X Factor runner-up Olly Murs, Davina McCall, rapper Chipmunk, Lily Allen and Jimmy Carr. After breaking the record, Chris Moyles told Newsbeat it was an amazing feat. "It's brilliant," he told Newsbeat. "It's great that we've broken the record. They've even given us a certificate. "It's great that we've done it and, more importantly, that we've raised so much money." The longest ever radio show record is held by an Italian DJ who lasted a total of 183 hours, or just over a week, in May 2009. Buttock 'massage' The duo, who broadcast alongside Radio 1's regular DJs, have been allowed five minutes break each hour and took the occasional shower to stay refreshed. Highlights on Thursday included Chris and Dave getting a rather painful buttock massage from a physio and DJ Greg James stripping off to encourage more donations. Chris Moyles also pretended to nod off and accidentally turn the CD player off while Arctic Monkeys song Brianstorm was playing. He said he thought he might not be able to break the record at the beginning of the challenge. "When we were on hour seven, hour 52 seemed like a mountain away. That was difficult. "The next hour after that was hour eight and it still seemed far away. Getting into double figures wasn't really a big help when you get to 10 hours and you've still got to get to 52. "The high points were having a proper laugh with Greg James, Scott Mills, Fearne Cotton and all the other Radio 1 DJs. "I wouldn't recommend it but it was good fun." The previous record for longest Radio 1 show of 37 hours was set by Simon Mayo, again for Comic Relief, in 1999. The record-breaking show was also filmed and broadcast live on the Radio 1 website and via the red button on digital TV. Radio 1's website crashed briefly after Fearne Cotton presented 10 minutes of her show in a bikini after donations went above £2m. \|\|\|\|\| Chris Moyles and his DJ partner Comedy Dave have set a new record for longest radio broadcast, raising over £2m for Comic Relief in the process. The pair begin their marathon show at 6.30am on Wednesday. They overtook the 37-hour record set by fellow Radio 1 DJ Simon Mayo in 1999 on Thursday evening, and by 8.30am this morning beat the 50-hour world record. Upon reaching the milestone an exhausted Moyles told listeners: "We're going to carry on for another two hours. Why? I have no idea." By the time the show ended it had raised £2.4m for charity. "We had no idea watching myself and Dave slowly going insane would be as popular as it was," a weary but elated Moyles said. The duo's efforts were supported by fellow Radio 1 DJs and a string of celebrity guests, including Jimmy Carr, Lily Allen, Katy Perry, Davina McCall. James Cordon dropped in for some "hip-hop karaoke" and Gary Barlow presented the team with their Guinness World Records award. And it wouldn't be comic relief without some nudity. Fellow Radio 1 DJ Greg James stripped down to a red nose in a bid to hit £1m. Fearne Cotton also promised to wear her swimsuit around the studio if the total hit £2m before the end of the show. Shortly after the BBC's live video stream crashed as a result of the increased traffic. During the record attempt, the DJs were allowed a five-minute break every hour, showers and the occasional brief power nap.	and have broken a by hosting a marathon programme on UK national station . The aim was to raise money for British charity . The programme started at 0630 on Wednesday, being broadcasting live on the station's website and an interactive red button service available via digital television. On Thursday, Chris and Dave managed to surpass the record for the longest continuous broadcast by a presenter on BBC Radio 1. The record had been previously held by , who had achieved thirty-seven hours in 1999. Moyles and Comedy Dave continued to broadcast on the station and subsequently overtook the "Radio DJ Endurance Marathon (Team)" Guinness World Record at 0830 UTC yesterday. At this stage, Moyles announced on-air "we're gonna do another two hours. Why? I have absolutely no idea." A Guinness World Record certificate was presented to Moyles and Vitty by British musician of . The show ended at 1030 UTC yesterday after fifty-two hours. The total donated by listeners was 2,406,648. (3,906,711, 2,754,697). Moyles said of his record "we’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received from our listeners. It’s been a rollercoaster ride of fun, laughs, tears and downright silliness. Now I’m off for a massive sleep!" Dave Vitty explained that "we're both losing our voices and we’ve literally limped through the last few hours to the finish line but it’s all been worth it when we saw that final figure! Our listeners are incredible." BBC Radio 1 Controller is "deeply proud of what they have achieved on many fronts – the amazing total raised, brilliant, high quality radio broadcasting throughout and some of the funniest and most inventive TV I’ve seen. I’ve also been knocked out by everyone’s support including the extraordinary generosity of Radio 1's audience; I want to thank them on behalf of Comic Relief and the BBC."
BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 8 - One of four Sunni Arabs picked this weekend to join Iraq's new Shiite-controlled cabinet abruptly rejected the job on Sunday, saying he first learned of his selection from a television news report on Saturday night. He added that he felt his selection would further a quota system for Sunnis that would only make sectarian problems worse. The political setback came as the United States military announced that insurgents had killed eight American servicemen over the weekend. In one ambush, insurgents took over a hospital in Haditha, a haven west of Baghdad for the militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and killed three marines and a sailor. The American military also said it had captured the mastermind behind both the attack on Abu Ghraib prison a month ago and the wave of car bombings that killed 40 Iraqis in greater Baghdad on April 29. In the capital, the National Assembly approved six new cabinet ministers on Sunday, including the unwilling candidate, Hashim al-Shibli, who had been named human rights minister. But on a day when Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari had hoped to complete his cabinet and end the contentious political battles that delayed his government, the rejection was another embarrassment. One day earlier, Dr. Jaafari had declared at an afternoon news conference that all six nominees had already been approved by President Jalal Talabani and his two vice presidents. But Mr. Shibli, in an interview, said he did not formally learn that he had been picked until just before the confirmation vote on Sunday, leading him to believe that his selection was more symbolism than substance. \|\|\|\|\| AFX News Limited Al-Qaeda in Iraq denies killing of 75 militants DUBAI (AFX) - The Al-Qaeda group of Iraq's most-wanted militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi denied a US report on Monday that 75 insurgents had been killed in a sweep near the Syrian border. 'The adorers of the cross claim to have killed 75 Muslims at Al-Qaim. Once more, they are lying, because lying is their religion,' said the statement on an Islamist website, the authenticity of which could not be verified. US forces said 75 insurgents were killed in the first 24 hours of operations in the area believed to be a Zarqawi stronghold. newsdesk@afxnews.com ht/cjo/kir/nes COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2005. 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. AFX News and the AFX Financial News logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited Subscriptions > \|\|\|\|\| ABC News U.S. Offensive in Western Iraq Kills 75 U.S. Forces Launch Offensive Against Insurgents Near Iraq's Border With Syria An Iraqi policeman arrives to the scene after an Iraqi truck, carrying supplies for the US military, was attacked by unidentified gunmen on the highway near Khalis, 70 km, (45 miles) north of Baqouba, Iraq, Sunday, May 8, 2005. Both Iraqi drivers in the truck were killed, according to local police. (AP Photo/Mohammed Adnan) By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press Writer The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq May 9, 2005 U.S. forces have launched an offensive against insurgents in western Iraq near the Syrian border, and about 75 militants were killed in the first 24 hours, the military said Monday. It said the offensive, being conducted with U.S. air support in a desert area of Anbar province north of the Euphrates River, was targeting a sanctuary for foreign insurgents and a smuggling route. The brief U.S. statement didn't say when the offensive by Marines, sailors and soldiers had begun, how many were included, or whether there had been any American casualties. The Chicago Tribune reported Monday that more than 1,000 U.S. troops supported by fighter jets and helicopter gunships had attacked villages in and around Obeidi, a city near the Euphrates River in western Iraq not far from the Syrian border, on Sunday. The report, by a journalist embedded with the U.S. forces, said the offensive "was seeking to uproot a persistent insurgency in an area that American intelligence indicated has become a haven for foreign fighters flowing in from Syria." It said the offensive was expected to last for several days. Recently, U.S. troops appear to have stepped up their attacks on suspected insurgent strongholds, including some near the Syrian border, where foreign militants may be entering the country to attack coalition forces. For instance, on Sunday, coalition forces killed six insurgents and detained 54 suspects in raids targeting terror group al-Qaida in Iraq in Qaim, a city near Obeidi, the U.S. military said. Insurgent violence killed eight U.S. service members in Iraq over the weekend, raising the death toll to more than 300 from a torrent of attacks in Iraq since April 28, when a new Iraqi Cabinet was approved by parliament with seven positions undecided. At least 1,600 members of the U.S. military have now died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. On Monday, a wave of attacks by insurgents, many of them targeting Iraqi security forces and civilians, continued in Baghdad. \|\|\|\|\| US forces this morning killed at least 75 militants in an offensive against rebels in western Iraq. The operation, near the border with Syria, was targeting a smuggling route and hideouts for foreign rebels, the US military said. A statement said the operation was expected to last several days. Elsewhere, three Iraqis were killed and nine others wounded in a suicide car bomb attack at a checkpoint in Baghdad. And US forces detained 13 suspected militants, including one who may have plotted an assassination attempt on former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, the military said. \|\|\|\|\| U.S. strikes near Syria border Baghdad U.S. forces launched an offensive against insurgents in western Iraq near the Syrian border, and about 75 militants were killed in the first 24 hours, the military said Monday. It said the offensive, being conducted with U.S. air support in a desert area of Anbar province north of the Euphrates River, was targeting a sanctuary for foreign insurgents and a smuggling route. The Chicago Tribune reported Monday that more than 1,000 U.S. troops supported by fighter jets and helicopter gunships on Sunday attacked villages in and around Obeidi. The report, by a journalist embedded with the U.S. forces, said the offensive “was seeking to uproot a persistent insurgency in an area that American intelligence indicated has become a haven for foreign fighters flowing in from Syria.” Advertisements Also Monday, a suicide car bomb killed three Iraqis in Baghdad, police said. U.S. forces detained 13 suspected militants, including one who may have plotted an attempt to kill former Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi, the military said. Insurgent violence killed eight U.S. service members in Iraq over the weekend, raising the death toll to more than 300 from a torrent of insurgent attacks in Iraq since April 28, when a new Iraqi Cabinet was approved by parliament with seven positions undecided. At least 1,600 members of the U.S. military have now died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. On Sunday, Iraq's Shiite-dominated parliament filled five of the cabinet's seven vacancies, including four with Sunni Arab ministers. But one of the Sunnis rejected his post on the grounds of tokenism, and that tarnished the Shiite premier's bid to include the disaffected minority believed to be driving Iraq's deadly insurgency. Monday's violence included a suicide car bomb in southern Baghdad that hit a checkpoint of two police vehicles at a busy intersection, said police Major Mousa Abdul Karim. Police first said nine policemen and an Iraqi civilian had been killed. But when Major Karim fully examined the destruction, he reduced the death toll, saying two policemen and one civilian had been killed and six policemen and three civilians wounded. Recently, U.S. troops appear to have stepped up their attacks on suspected insurgent strongholds, including some near the Syrian border, where foreign militants may be entering the country to attack coalition forces. Also Sunday, coalition forces killed six insurgents and detained 54 suspects in raids targeting terror group al-Qaeda in Iraq in Qaim, a city near Obeidi, the U.S. military said. On Monday, the U.S. military announced it had conducted several raids the previous day in and around Baghdad, detaining 13 suspected insurgents, some armed with rocket propelled grenades. Two of the suspects were captured in a raid aimed at capturing the leader of a terror cell believed to have plotted the attempt to kill Mr. Allawi on April 20, the military said. Mr. Allawi narrowly escaped unhurt when a suicide car bomb exploded near a police checkpoint as his convoy drove him home. At least one policeman was killed and two were wounded, police said. Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who was sworn in as Mr. Allawi's replacement last week, is still struggling to fill two vacant posts on his cabinet: deputy prime minister and human rights minister. After being appointed Sunday to that latter post, Hashim Abdul-Rahman al-Shibli said he could not accept his appointment. “Concentrating on sectarian identities leads to divisions in the society and state, and for that reason I respectfully decline the post,” Mr. al-Shibli said at a news conference. When complete, the new government was to include 17 Shiite ministers, eight Kurds, six Sunnis and a Christian. Three deputy premiers also have been named — one each for the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, with the fourth held open for a woman. On Sunday, the Defence Ministry went to Saadoun al-Duleimi, a former lieutenant colonel in Saddam Hussein's General Security Directorate who left Iraq in 1984 and lived in exile in Saudi Arabia until Saddam's fall in April, 2003. A moderate, he comes from a powerful Sunni tribe in Anbar province, the homeland of the insurgency. The Oil Ministry was returned to Ibrahim al-Uloum, a Shiite who was accused of inexperience when he held the post in the first U.S.-picked Cabinet formed in the early months after the American-led invasion toppled Saddam. The Kurdish environment minister, Narmin Othman, will act as human rights minister until a replacement is found, Mr. al-Jaafari's aides said. Mr. al-Jaafari pledged Sunday to take “all necessary measures” to restore security and said the government could impose martial law, if necessary, to fight the insurgents. \|\|\|\|\| WASHINGTON, May 8, 2005 Multinational force operations netted 109 terrorists and suspects throughout Iraq today and May 7, and included finding large weapons caches. In simultaneous operations conducted early today north of the town of Al Qaim, 54 terrorists within the circle of known terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi were captured or killed, according to Multinational Force Iraq officials today. Coalition forces also destroyed car bombs, bomb-making material and two buildings that contained large weapons caches to include hand- and rocket-propelled grenades. Multiple sources of intelligence indicate that terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's key lieutenants, suicide bombers and a large population of foreign fighters are located in the region in and around Al Qaim, near the Syrian border. In recent months, terrorists operating in this unstable region attacked Iraqis and coalition forces, established safe houses and helped move foreign fighters, weapons and money from Syria into Iraq. In other action May 7, Task Force Baghdad raids snared 38 terror suspects in the Baghdad area, including two high-value targets in a series of early morning raids May 7. The raids included getting 29 suspected terrorists in the largest strike of the day in south Baghdad. And a separate operation detained five more suspected terrorists, one thought to be the leader of a terror cell in southwest Baghdad. There, troops also found 1,000 rounds of assault-rifle ammunition in a burlap bag covered with mud. In addition, U.S. soldiers on patrol in east Baghdad also found another weapons cache containing two mortar rounds and 10 rocket-propelled grenades. In Babil province May 7, Multinational Division Central South forces detained 17 terror suspects during cordon-and-search operations. Iraqi, Polish, Salvadoran and U.S. troops conducted the combined operation in an area of Al Mashru, capturing anti-Iraqi and anti-coalition forces, illegal weapons and ammunition. Elsewhere, Marines and soldiers of Multinational Force West recently discovered and destroyed hundreds of weapons and tons of ammunition found in 13 hidden caches near Al Amiriyah in Anbar province. The find was the largest in recent months in western Iraq. Marines of 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, and soldiers of the 155th Brigade Combat Team unearthed a series of caches April 27 while they were conducting cordon-and-search operations. The caches took nearly a week to uncover, catalog and destroy. The caches contained significant numbers of weapons and explosives that could be used in attacks on Iraqi citizens, Iraqi security forces and coalition forces. Items included more than 4,100 mortar rounds, more than 800 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, more than 100,000 rounds of machine-gun ammunition, more than 400 grenades, and several thousand pounds of different types of explosives and bomb-making material. Some materials were buried, while others were in underground bunkers. Most of the weapons and ammunition were in good condition and ready for use. (Based on a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)	U.S. Marine uses a metal rod to check a pothole for mines during a convoy from Camp Al Asad to Al Qaim, Iraq, on April 23, 2005. photo by Cpl. Brian A. Jaques The U.S. military reports 75 militants dead in an offensive launched Sunday in western Iraq. The offensive was begun with U.S. air support in a desert area north of the Euphrates River in the province of Anbar. There is no word on civilian casualties, if any. A report by a ''Chicago Tribune'' journalist embedded with U.S. forces said the offensive "was seeking to uproot a persistent insurgency in an area that American intelligence indicated has become a haven for foreign fighters flowing in from Syria." More than 1,000 U.S. and coalition troops supported by fighter jets and helicopter gunships attacked villages in and around Al Qaim, near the Syrian border. A statement by the US military said the operation was expected to last several days, and was targeting a smuggling route and hideouts for foreign rebels. The ''American Forces Press Service'' reports: "Coalition forces also destroyed car bombs, bomb-making material and two buildings that contained large weapons caches to include hand- and rocket-propelled grenades." The ''New York Times'' reports an estimate of insurgent casualties at over 100. Col. Bob Chase, the chief of operations for the Second Marine Division, has said there were "a handful" of marine casualties. The source also reports Chase saying, "The objective is to totally disrupt the safe havens and rat lines that have allowed them to bring those materials across the border. This had been a very secure area for the insurgents." In a statement made from an Islamist website that could not be confirmed, the Al-Qaeda militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi reportedly said, "The adorers of the cross claim to have killed 75 Muslims at Al-Qaim. Once more, they are lying, because lying is their religion," according to Forbes.
The suspect in the fatal shooting of eight people at day spas in and around Atlanta indicated he had issues with sexual addiction and the shootings may have not been motivated by racial hatred, law enforcement officials said. \|\|\|\|\| Chile Socialist Leading Presidential Race By BY EDUARDO GALLARDO Associated Press Writer © 2006 The Associated Press SANTIAGO, Chile — Chile appeared to be following Latin America's increasingly leftward tilt, with a socialist pediatrician holding a solid lead over her conservative multimillionaire opponent in early returns Sunday in the country's presidential race. If the results hold, Michelle Bachelet _ a political prisoner during the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet and later defense minister for a center-left government _ would become Chile's first female president. Her victory would extend the rule of the center left coalition that has governed since the end of Pinochet's 1973-90 rule. With 67 percent of some 8 million votes counted, Bachelet received 53 percent to nearly 47 percent for Sebastian Pinera, according to official returns announced by the government. Sunday's runoff was necessary after a Dec. 11. election involving four candidates failed to produce a winner with a majority. Bachelet had nearly 46 percent and Pinera 25 percent. President Ricardo Lagos, who deftly balanced his socialist ideology with market-oriented economics to win an approval rating above 70 percent, was constitutionally barred from seeking immediate re-election. As he voted, his backers chanted "2010," referring to the next election. Both Bachelet and Pinera, a Harvard-trained economist who pioneered the credit-card business in Chile, called Sunday's election "a great day" as they voted at separate schools in the same upper-class neighborhood in the capital, Santiago. Despite their different political backgrounds and ideologies, both candidates outlined similar basic goals, promising to continue the two-decade-old free-market policies that have made Chile's economy one of the strongest in South America. Bachelet, 54, and Pinera, 56, also said they would fight to lower the 8 percent unemployment rate. Pinera promised to create 1 million new jobs in his four-year term, 100,000 in the first year alone. Both also pledged to improve public health, housing and education and to curb rising urban crime. They also promised to reform Chile's 25-year-old privatized social security system to ensure better pensions for retirees, though neither gave details of how. Pinera, whose fortune is estimated at $1 billion, campaigned on a promise to drastically reduce the poverty that affects nearly one-fifth of Chile's 16 million people. He said he would loosen labor laws to encourage more hiring, while Bachelet said she would stress efforts to reduce inequities between the rich and the poor. Latin American voters have been turning to leftist candidates in presidential elections, most recently in Bolivia, where the Indian activist Evo Morales won a surprisingly easy victory and takes office next Sunday. Pinera warned during the campaign that the leftward tilt was a problem and said Chile's new leader would have "to face this with firmness and defend Chile's interests with energy." Bachelet, however, stressed that the new leaders have all been elected and said that "Chile must have relationships with all of them." Bachelet and the outgoing president belong to the same Socialist Party as President Salvador Allende, whose leftist policies prompted Pinochet's bloody coup in 1973. But the party allied with major left-center parties in 1990 to defeat the right in an election, and their moderate coalition has held while leading Chile into a free-trade pact with the United States, cutting inflation and fostering growth of about 6 percent a year. Pinochet, who dominated Chilean political life for a generation, was not a factor in the campaign, and his spokesman, retired Gen. Guillermo Garin, said the former leader paid little attention to it. At 90, Pinochet is ailing and was only recently freed from house arrest. He faces charges of human rights abuses and corruption stemming from his 17-year rule. \|\|\|\|\| Large crowds have gathered to celebrate Michelle Bachelet's win Her rival, conservative businessman Sebastian Pinera, has admitted defeat. Giving a victory speech to cheering supporters, Ms Bachelet said: "Who would have said, 10, 15 years ago, that a woman would be elected president?" The election is the fourth since Chile returned to democracy in 1990 after 17 years of military rule. Outgoing President Ricardo Lagos hailed the election of Chile's first woman leader as a "historic triumph". Pay homage Mr Pinera, who had 46.5% of the vote with 97.5% counted, was also quick to congratulate Ms Bachelet. Ms Bachelet thanked the thousands of enthusiastic supporters who gathered outside her campaign headquarters in the capital, Santiago. She called on the whole country to work together to solve its problems and repeated her promise to bring more jobs and social justice to Chile. The BBC's Daniel Schweimler in Santiago says thousands of people have been waving flags, blowing whistles and chanting slogans in the streets, with many more honking their horns as they drive round the city. It took less than three hours after the polls closed for it to became clear the 54-year-old would be the next president and for the celebrations to begin. Ms Bachelet has promised continuity, as head of the coalition which has led Chile for the past 16 years, but has also pledged change. She has said she is keen to bridge the gap between rich and poor and to give a greater voice to women and indigenous people. And, our correspondent says, more women are expected to be appointed to public office. Unusual choice The second round of voting was called after no candidate secured the 50% required for outright victory in the first round in December. SOUTH AMERICAN WOMEN PRESIDENTS Michelle Bachelet - elected Chile's first woman leader, 2006 Janet Jagan - elected Guyana's leader in 1997 after the death of her husband, the previous president Lidia Gueiler Tejada - served as interim president of Bolivia following a coup, 1979-80 Isabel Martinez de Peron - sworn in as interim president of Argentina in 1974 when husband Juan Peron fell ill and died; kept power until 1976 Rosalia Arteaga - briefly acted as president of Ecuador in 1997 Ms Bachelet, who won 46% of the vote then, went into the run-off ballot leading the opinion polls. The former defence minister will become the fourth consecutive president from the centre-left coalition known as the Concertacion, which has governed Chile since the end of military rule in 1990. A doctor and a single mother, Ms Bachelet was seen as an unusual choice for the presidency in a country considered one of the most socially conservative in South America. Mr Pinera - who polled 25% in December - was given the backing of third-placed candidate, Joaquin Lavin, who received 23% in that vote. However, the billionaire businessman and former senator appears not to have picked up all the right-wing vote previously given to Mr Lavin. \|\|\|\|\| Chile elects first female leader Former political prisoner's victory adds to continent's shift to left Michelle Bachelet waves to supporters Sunday in Santiago. RELATED YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Chile Michelle Bachelet or or Create Your Own SANTIAGO, Chile (CNN) -- Chilean voters have elected their first female president, one-time political prisoner and socialist Michelle Bachelet. Bachelet, who has also been a doctor and serves as defense minister for the outgoing government of President Ricardo Lagos, defeated billionaire businessman Sebastian Pinera in a runoff Sunday. With more than 99 percent of precincts reporting, she had 53.5 percent of the vote to Pinera's 46.5 percent. "I want our government to be remembered as the government by everyone and for everyone," she said. Airline and broadcasting tycoon Pinera conceded defeat as results showed Bachelet with a solid lead and he thanked Bachelet for "her triumph today." But the man who studied economics at Harvard vowed the fight would go on. "We will continue to be a firm and constructive opposition." Bachelet spent five years in exile following the 1973 coup that bought Gen. Augusto Pinochet to power. Her father, an air force general, was tortured and killed after the U.S.-backed coup, and Bachelet herself was tortured before being sent into exile in Australia. "What I want, and have and will always work for, is to build a society in which what happened to me and so many Chileans can never be repeated," she said in a December campaign appearance. Bachelet completed her training as a pediatrician in East Germany and served as health minister in Chile's center-left government before becoming defense minister. The new president is an agnostic single mother in a male-dominated, overwhelmingly Catholic society where divorce was legalized less than a year ago. "To have a woman president shows that we are a freer, more just, more diverse, more prosperous and more modern Chile," Lagos said. In Washington, the White House congratulated Bachelet and praised Chilean voters "for their strong commitment to democracy." "We have an excellent, long-standing relationship with Chile and look forward to working with the new president and her team," White House spokesman David Almacy said. Bachelet's victory adds to a leftward shift in Latin American politics. Leftists hold presidential power in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela. Bolivian President-elect Evo Morales -- a former coca farmer and union leader who promises to nationalize the country's natural gas industry -- is slated to take office January 22. (Full story) Bachelet is scheduled to take office March 11. \|\|\|\|\| Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Michelle Bachelet won election in Chile, becoming the nation's first woman president after pledging to help students, workers and retirees benefit from the copper-rich country's economic growth. Bachelet, 54, a former defense minister who leads the coalition that ousted Augusto Pinochet from power in 1990, garnered 53.5 percent of the vote with almost all ballots counted, the government said. Opposition candidate Sebastian Pinera conceded after winning 46.5 percent in today's run-off. The next president will take power with the highest credit rating in Latin America, a seventh year of economic expansion under way and a record budget surplus because of a surge in prices for copper, Chile's top export. Bachelet, a Socialist party member and the second woman elected president in South America, said she will use that revenue to help almost 3 million poor in a country where workers earn an average of $522 a month. Chileans ``must know that the society in which they live protects them,'' Bachelet told thousands of supporters. ``My commitment is that in 2010, we will have consolidated a system of social protection.'' She said that she will improve access to education and health care and provide for the elderly. Chileans, who honked car horns in capital after the vote was announced, gave the coalition its fourth consecutive victory in presidential elections. Thousands of Bachelet supporters filled the streets, waving banners and cheering in the capital. The victory was 1 percentage point wider than a Jan. 5 forecast by pollster Mori Chile SA. Road to Presidency In the first-round election last month, Bachelet won 46 percent of the vote, short of a majority needed for a victory. Pinera, a former senator whose family owns a $681 million stake in Lan Airlines SA, Chile's largest carrier, garnered second place with 26 percent of the vote. Today, Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, 67, who can't run in this election, was applauded by voters after casting his ballot. ``Her's is a historic triumph,'' Lagos said in the capital of Santiago. ``We are a new Chile, having a woman president shows that.'' Under his leadership, the country signed trade accords with the U.S., Europe and China. The $103 billion economy expanded at least 6 percent for a second year in 2005, according to government estimates. Lagos will end his six-year term in March with a 75 percent approval rating, according to the Mori Chile poll. ``The coalition has shown they can govern,'' said Alicia Bonifaz, a 23-year-old law student who voted for Bachelet today. The coalition won a majority in both the nation's Lower House and Senate in elections last month. Dictatorship Bachelet will take office more than three decades after, as a 23-year-old medical student, she was arrested and tortured during Pinochet's dictatorship. Her father, a general, died in jail less than a year earlier after being tortured on suspicion he opposed the 1973 military coup. ``She's a strong woman,'' said Maria Eugenia Jana, a retired art teacher who voted for Bachelet. ``She's had a full life, one with sacrifice. She has suffered.'' Bachelet said her experiences influenced her to study defense policy. In 2002, she became defense minister, the first woman to hold that post in Chile. During her campaign, Bachelet pledged to pick women for half of her Cabinet posts. As defense minister, Bachelet told military commanders assembled before their new chief that she was a woman, a socialist, separated, and agnostic, ``all the sins together,'' Bachelet joked at a news conference in November. `Scrutiny' Bachelet, a trained pediatrician, is separated from her husband and raised three children in a mainly Catholic country where divorce was legalized for the first time in 2004 and where men and women vote in different buildings. The candidate, who has short brown hair and wears glasses, has won support from women who identify with her background, said Patricio Valdivieso, a professor at the Pontific Catholic University of Chile. ``She's a regular woman,'' said Carolina Cruz, a computer programmer, adding, ``she'll have to fight down sexists.'' Juan Lindau, a professor at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, said that Bachelet's career suggests that she ``has become extraordinarily adept at handling sexism, given her long career in the still largely male political world of Chile.'' She will ``face greater scrutiny because of her gender and will consequently need a strong first year in office,'' Lindau said. Record Surplus Bachelet becomes the second elected female president in South America after Janet Jagan, who was elected in Guyana after the death of her husband, President Cheddi Jagan. Other women who have reached the presidency in South America, without being elected to the post, include former congresswoman Lidia Gueiler in Bolivia; former Argentine Vice President Maria Estela Martinez de Peron; and in Ecuador former Vice President Rosalia Arteaga. Bachelet has pledged to increase pension benefits for the elderly, provide nationwide access to pre-school and ensure poor working mothers have childcare. In her first year in office, she said she will send a bill to congress to ensure that more workers are covered at a lower cost under a private pension system put in place during the dictatorship. She also will seek to end Pinochet-era election rules blocking smaller parties from gaining congressional seats. Markets Bachelet will keep in place rules requiring the government to save part of its windfall when prices for copper surge, said Francisco Lepeley, who manages $1.77 billion in fixed-income securities at MetLife Chile Seguros de Vida SA. The election won't affect the country's currency or stock markets tomorrow, Lepeley said in a telephone interview from Santiago. ``The market had already incorporated this,'' Lepeley said after the election's results were announced. Like prior coalition governments, Bachelet will seek to increase the country's trade, Lepeley said. Some voters said that Pinera, part of the opposition National Renovation party, as a businessman was better suited to run the country. He declined at a news conference last year to disclose the value of all his holdings. ``Chile is a country with several free trade agreements so we need a leader who understands business,'' David Rodriguez, 63, said, standing in the shade today after voting in the port city of Vina del Mar. Exports The next president of Chile, the world's biggest copper producer, will take over as a 54 percent increase in copper prices in 12 months bolsters the nation's $103 billion economy. The government had a budget surplus last year equal to 4.5 percent of gross domestic product -- the largest among Latin America's major economies, according to Goldman, Sachs & Co. ``She won't have to complain about resources,'' said Juan Chavarria, who manages $170 million at Bandesarrollo Administradora General de Fondos in Santiago. Bachelet's challenge will be improving education and workers' skills to ensure the nation competes globally, Chavarria said. Almost 19 percent of Chileans live in poverty. ``We are climbing a ladder while others take the elevator,'' Chavarria said. ``We make progress, but others make it faster.'' A 10 percent gain by the Chilean peso against the dollar in six months also is making the nation's exports of salmon, fruit and wine more expensive for consumers in the U.S., the country's biggest market. And while Chile has increased exports with trade agreements, it's still dependent on copper, Chavarria said. Chile has a long-term foreign currency rating of A from Standard & Poor's and a Baa1 rating from Moody's Investors Service. To contact the reporter on this story: Heather Walsh in Santiago at hlwalsh@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Laura Zelenko in New York at lzelenko@bloomberg.net	Michelle Bachelet at a TV debate in October 2005 Michelle Bachelet became Chile's first elected female President Sunday when her rival, Sebastian Piñera, conceded defeat after trailing by six points. Bachelet, a member of the center-left group Concertación, previously served as both Health Minister and Defense Minister. Outgoing President Ricardo Lagos called it a "historic day" and phoned Bachelet to congratulate her. At 21:30 local time (00:30 UTC of Monday), Bachelet has said: ::''"Who had ever thought, my friends? Who thought 20, 10 or 5 years ago that Chile would elect a woman as a President? That became possible, because the citizens wanted it to. Thank you, Chile, thank you for your millions of votes. (...) My commitment as President of Chile will be to walk along you one more stretch in this big Avenue of Freedom we have been opening"'' Ms. Bachelet supporters are reportedly celebrating her victory.
Seventeen Turkish soldiers were killed on Saturday when their helicopter crashed in southeastern Turkey due to bad weather conditions, the area's governor has said. The Sikorsky helicopter crashed in heavy fog on Herekol mountain, in the Pervari area of Siirt province, according to Governor Ahmed Aydin. The victims were members of special police forces. The group was traveling to southeastern Turkey for military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a militant group which has battled the Turkish government for decades, demanding more rights for Kurds, including autonomy in the mostly Kurdish southeast of the country. Several days ago, Turkish media reported that soldiers were airlifted into northern Iraq for a brief operation against suspected rebels, who have bases there. There were no reports of casualties on that mission. Turkey periodically carries out artillery and air strikes on PKK positions in northern Iraq, but reports of cross-border incursions are rare. \|\|\|\|\| Turkish soldiers killed in helicopter crash Seventeen soldiers have been killed in a helicopter crash in southeast Turkey, Turkish officials have said. The helicopter went down due to bad weather conditions in the Siirt province, according to local officials and state media. Siirt Governor Ahmet Aydin also said the victims were members of Turkish special forces. The Turkish military is active in the south-east, fighting Kurdish militants. State-run television said the the crash occurred in heavy fog in a mountainous area, but authorities are still investigating exactly what happened. Kurdish rebels are active in the area, but there is no indication they were involved in the incident.	Seventeen soldiers have died today as the result of a helicopter crash in Turkey's southeastern , Governor Ahmed Aydin has said. The provincial governor added that the fatalities belonged to Turkish special forces. Investigations into the crash are ongoing, although Governor Ahmed Aydin has said the aircraft hit Herekol mountain as it travelled through heavy fog. The soldiers were reportedly on their way to deployment against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK seeks to increase rights for and gain in the southeast of Turkey, which is a predominantly Kurdish area. The have been fighting with the PKK for decades. Kurdish militants, though active in this part of Turkey, do not appear to have played any part in the crash. == Sources == * *
Morgan Tsvangirai boycotted the government three weeks ago after accusing the country's president, Robert Mugabe, of not implementing the power-sharing agreement and sanctioning the harassment of opposition MDC supporters. Zimbabwe's prime minister has ended his boycott of the country's unity cabinet, saying he wants to give the body time to work out its difficulties. Tsvangirai's decision on Thursday followed a meeting in Maputo, Mozambique, with members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). "We have suspended our disengagement from the GPA (Global Political Agreement) with immediate effect and we will give President Robert Mugabe 30 days to implement the agreement on the pertinent issues we are concerned about," he told reporters. He said his return to the cabinet would give the southern African group time to mediate. Tsvangirai and Mugabe formed their coalition in February at the urging of the SADC. Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) began boycotting cabinet meetings with Mugabe's ZANU-PF last month, although he said at the time that his withdrawal was only a temporary move. The MDC leader has accused Mugabe of being a "dishonest and unreliable partner" for refusing to implement power-sharing fully, particularly regarding decisions over senior appointments. Nonetheless Tsvangirai has said he sees the coalition as the only way to rescue Zimbabwe from economic ruin and political violence. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party has accused Tsvangirai and the MDC of not doing enough to persuade Western nations to lift travel and financial sanctions targeted at ZANU-PF leaders and their business allies. Western donors have said they are reluctant to send funds to Zimbabwe until a stable government creates a democracy that can implement political and economic reforms. \|\|\|\|\| PM Tsvangirai withdrew from government three weeks ago Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has called off his party's boycott of the unity government with President Robert Mugabe. Mr Tsvangirai said he was giving Mr Mugabe 30 days to implement the power-sharing agreement on "the pertinent issues we are concerned about". The prime minister was speaking after regional crisis talks in Mozambique. The MDC accuses Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF of continuing to harass its activists and acting in "bad faith". Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party says outstanding issues should be agreed within 15 days and implemented within 30 days. Mr Mugabe did not speak to the media after the summit. OUTSTANDING DISAGREEMENTS Harassment MDC accuses Zanu-PF of campaign of violence, Zanu-PF dismisses claims as 'outrageous' Senior officials MDC says central bank governor and attorney general must be replaced, Zanu-PF disagrees Roy Bennett MDC says terrorism charges against him should be dropped, Zanu-PF says courts must decide Provincial governors Mr Mugabe refuses to swear in MDC nominees White-owned farms MDC says farm seizures must stop, Zanu-PF disagrees Zimbabwe escapes diamond ban Media 'still not free' The Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc), which is the guarantor of last year's power-sharing agreement, urged all parties to respect the deal. Mozambican President Armando Guebuza said he thought the situation would change within 30 days. Sadc head Tomaz Salomao said South Africa's President Jacob Zuma would soon visit Zimbabwe to evaluate progress. The next Zimbabwe cabinet meeting is on Tuesday, and MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said his party's ministers would attend. Mr Tsvangirai walked out of the coalition government on 16 October in protest at the detention of a senior MDC official on terrorism charges and over Mr Mugabe's failure to implement political agreements. The official, Roy Bennett, was later released on bail and is due to go on trial on Monday on charges of terrorism, insurgency, sabotage and banditry. He was arrested in February, as he was due to be sworn in as deputy agriculture minister. The MDC also said there had been "increased violent" attacks on party members by militants from President Mugabe's Zanu-PF, as well as renewed invasions of white-owned farms. Last week, Zanu-PF described the allegations as "cheap propaganda". Mr Tsvangirai's allies also accuse Mr Mugabe of making key appointments, such as the attorney general, the central bank governor, provincial governors and diplomats, without consulting them. Zanu-PF says the MDC has not done enough to attract foreign aid and investment since it joined the government to end the impasse following last year's disputed elections. The unity government has managed to halt Zimbabwe's economic collapse. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Morgan Tsvangirai Morgan Tsvangirai, the prime minister of Zimbabwe, said on Thursday that he was calling off his boycott of the coalition government with president Robert Mugabe. The prime minister said he was giving Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party 30 days to work on "the pertinent issues we are concerned about". Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party had pulled out of the coalition government three weeks ago, protesting what they called harassment of Mugabe opponents and accusing the president of not fulfilling the power-sharing agreement agreed to in February. "We have suspended our disengagement from the GPA Global Political Agreement with immediate effect and we will give President Robert Mugabe 30 days to implement the agreement on the pertinent issues we are concerned about," Tsvangirai said. His move came after he attended a meeting in Mozambique with the Southern African Development Community.
8 takımın iki grupta mücadelesiyle başlayacak olan turnuvanın ilk gününde, Girne 20 Temmuz Stadı'nda Gagavuzya-Greenland, Kırgızistan-Zanzibar Güzelyurt Zafer Stadı'nda Tibet-Tacikistan ve Lefkoşa Atatürk Stadı'nda da Kırım-KKTC karşılaşması oynanacak. Turnuvanın açılışı ise Kırım-KKTC maçı öncesinde saat 17. 30'da yapılacak Kıbrıs Türk Futbol federasyonu (KTFF) tarafından ülkemizde ilk kez yapılacak olan ELF Cup Turnuvası bugün başlıyor. 8 takımın katılacağı ELF Cup Turnuvası'nda karşılaşmalar iki gurupta tek devreli lig sistemine göre oynanacak. Guruplarda ilk ikiye kalan takımlar yarı finale yükselip çapraz eşleşmeye tabi tutulacaklar. A Grubu birincisi B Grubu ikincisi ile, B Grubu birincisi de A Grubu ikincisi ile finale yükselmek için mücadele verecekler. Yarı final maçları ile birlikte, üçüncülük ve final müsabakaları Lefkoşa Atatürk Stadyumu'nda yapılacak. Bugünkü karşılaşmalar, Girne 20 Temmuz Stadı, Güzelyurt Zafer Stadı ve Lefkoşa Atatürk Stadı'nda yer alacak. Turnuvanın açılış seremonisi bu akşam saat 17.30'da Lefkoşa Atatürk Stadyumu'nda yer alacak. Başbakan Ferdi Sabit Soyer'in Londra'da bulunması nedeniyle turnuvanın açılış konuşmasını, Bayındırlık ve Ulaştırma Bakanı Salih Usar yapacak. Tüm takımların Atatürk Stadı'nda hazır bulunacağı tören sonunda milli takımımız, gruptaki ilk maçını Kırım ile oynayacak. Buna göre ilk gün maçları ve hakemleri şöyle: Bugün: Girne 20 Temmuz Stadı Saat 12.00: Gagavuzya-Greenland (Fehim Dayı) Saat 14:00: Kırgızistan-Zanzibar (Aziz Dayı) Güzelyurt Zafer Stadı Saat 12:00: Tibet-Tacikistan (Abdullah Özsusuzlu) Lefkoşa Atatürk Stadı Saat 17.30: Açılış seremonisi Saat 18:00: Kırım-KKTC (Mehmet Malek) Kombine biletler 20 YTL Kıbrıs Türk Futbol Federasyonu 19-25 Kasım tarihleri arasında yapılacak turnuvanın maçlarını futbol severler 20 YTL karşılığında izleyebilecek. Sporseverler ödedikleri bu miktarla tüm karşılaşmaları izleme fırsatı bulacaklar. Kombine bilet alacak olan izleyenler, bilet numaralarıyla turnuvanın son gününde yapılacak çekilişte araba kazanma fırsatı elde edebilecekler. Milliler maça hazır ELF Cup turnuvası için 14 Kasım Salı günü toplanan ve 15 Kasım Çarşamba günü Dome Hotel'de kampa giren KKTC Milli Takımı, hazırlıklarını tamamlayarak, Kırım ile oynayacağı açılış maçının saatini beklemeye başladı. Hazırlıklarını Girne 20 Temmuz ve Beylerbeyi Dr. Ali Özsoy Stadı'nda gerçekleştiren KKTC Milli Takımı'nda teknik heyet tarafından bugünkü maç için belirlenen 18 kişilik kadro dünü dinlenerek geçirdi, diğer oyuncular ise Girne 20 Temmuz Stadı'nda hafif bir çalışma yaptı. Futbol Federasyonu Başkanı Niyazi Okutan'la birlikte Başbakanlık Müsteşarı Öntaç Düzgün ve Spor Dairesi Müdürü Besim Erdenay kampı ziyaret ederek, takımımıza başarılar diledi. Organizasyon sorumlusu Cengiz Uzun, ülkemize gelen takımlarla yaptığı toplantıda turnuvayla ilgili bilgi vererek, antrenman koşulları hakkında teknik heyetlerle görüştü. \|\|\|\|\| Sayın Alkan DEĞİRMENCİOĞLU, bazı spor federasyonunun ödeneklerinden kesinti yapılacak olması partiye de olumsuz yansıdı ve bu konuda çok yakında ziyaret trafiği başlatılıyor. Bize göre de bazıları çok gereksiz, hatta kapatılması bile gerek! \|\|\|\|\| Date: 19.11.06 20 Temmuz Stadı 12:00 Gagavuzya vs. Greenland FAHİM DAYI 14:00 Kyrgyzstan vs. Zanzibar AZİZ DAYI Güzelyurt Zafer Stadı 12:00 Tibet vs. Tajikistan ABDULLAH ÖZSUSUZLU Lefkoşa Atatürk Stadı 17:30 Crimea vs. TRNC MEHMET MALEK Note: at 17:30 the opening ceremony will be held followed by the Crimea - TRNC match at 18:30	right The football (soccer) tournament '''ELF Cup''' (''Equality, Liberty, Fraternity Cup'') kicked off today at 18:30 (EET) today between Crimea and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Atatürk Stadium, Lefkoşa, TRNC. Eight teams are participating in the first edition of the ELF Cup, making it the largest New Federations Board tournament ever. NF-Board teams Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Greenland, Tibet, Zanzibar will be joined by FIFA's Asian Football Confederation sides Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and non-aligned sides Crimea and Gǎgǎuzia. The cup is conceived of two groups, with top two teams progressing to the semi-finals. Group A features Gǎgǎuzia, Greenland, Kyrgyzstan, and Zanzibar; while Group B features Crimea, Tajikistan, Tibet and the hosts Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The event cost the hosts 340,000 YTL, of which they expect to cover half through turnout. Head of Cyprus Turkish Football Federation (Kıbrıs Türk Futbol Federasyonu, '''KTFF''') Niyazi Okutan called for Turkish Cypriots to come and support their national team.
Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods \| October 03, 2010 \| Race 29 of 36 RACE FACTS Average Speed: 138.077 mph Margin of Victory: 7.638 Time of Race: 02:54:02 Lead Changes: 20 Cautions: 43-46, 53-55, 156-159, 166-170, 188-195 CONTINGENCY AWARDS Coors Light Pole: DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race: Goodyear Gatorback Fastest Lap: Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Race: Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race: O'Reilly Auto Parts Position Improvement: Raybestos Rookie of the Race: Sunoco Diamond Performance: Tissot Pit Road Precision: WIX Filters Lap Leader: * Denotes RookieKasey Kahne,#9, Budweiser, FordGreg Erwin,#16, Sherwin Williams/3M, FordKasey Kahne,#9, Budweiser, FordHendrick Engines,#14, Office Depot/Old Spice, ChevroletJamie McMurray,#1, Bass Pro Shops/Tracker, ChevroletChad Knaus,#48, Lowe's/Johns Manville, ChevroletCarl Edwards,#99, Aflac, FordKevin Conway,#7, Extenze, ToyotaGreg Biffle,#16, Sherwin Williams/3M, FordKevin Harvick,#29, Shell/Pennzoil, ChevroletTony Stewart,#14, Office Depot/Old Spice, Chevrolet \|\|\|\|\| Biffle gets needed Kansas victory; Chase tightens type size: + - KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson got exactly what they needed Sunday at Kansas Speedway -- Biffle by leaving the field in his dust and Johnson by persevering. Biffle ran away and hid from the rest of the field in winning the Price Chopper 400 -- the third race in the Chase -- by 7.638 seconds in front of Johnson, who rallied from his 21st starting position to claim the runner-up spot. Johnson, seeking his fifth consecutive Cup title, didn't leave the 1.5-mile race track with the trophy, but he heads to next Sunday's race at his "home" track (Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.) with the series points lead. Biffle entered the race 140 points behind Denny Hamlin, who finished 12th on Sunday and lost the points lead to Johnson. With his second win of the year, his second win at Kansas and the 16th victory of his career, Biffle heads for California eighth in the standings and 85 points down to Johnson with seven races left in the Chase. Johnson leads Hamlin by eight points. "It was a great day for us," Biffle said. "The car ran flawless. [Crew chief Greg] Erwin just made great calls in the pits, and the car just kept getting better and better and better. I was too loose for about the first three-quarters of the race. "I didn't want to adjust on it, because I was running in the top three, but they tightened it up, and off it went, man. All it needed was a little bit of wedge in it to take off." Kevin Harvick finished third, followed by Tony Stewart, who led a race-high 76 laps before his car faded slightly in the closing stages. Jeff Gordon won an intense battle with Carl Edwards for the fifth spot, and Matt Kenseth came home seventh, as Chase drivers claimed the top seven positions. The victory was a tonic for Biffle after last week's 19th-place finish at Dover. "We were kind of down in the dumps about Dover, one of our best race tracks, and we got trapped [when forced to pit off-sequence] -- we had a top-10 car there. But we can't go back and do it over again. We'll keep doing the best we can. "Everybody asks if we're out of it, and I said, 'We're going to do the best we can. If we win 'em all, we win 'em all.' " Despite taking the points lead, Johnson said it's far too early to start thinking about a fifth consecutive championship. "That would be foolish," Johnson said. "It's way too early to think about those things -- way, way too early. ... All I can do is worry about my team, what we have to do. Again, it's early. I'm not worried about who is leading the championship right now. "I know we came [into Kansas] second. Of course, I wanted to be leading. I could care less where the 11 [Hamlin] was [Sunday]. It's just not time to worry about that stuff. After Talladega, teams and drivers can work on a strategy of protecting or taking chances. We have to get deeper into the Chase to be concerned about who the points leader is." Related: Johnson returns to familiar spot atop standings Roush Fenway drivers send statement at Kansas Harvick gets needed boost with third-place finish Caraviello: Busch, Reutimann wrongs create mess Menzer: Johnson keeps nose clean when it matters Notes: Ford offers bonus; Bowyer, Hamlin struggle	File photo of Greg Biffle Kansas Speedway, the race track where the race was held. driver , who qualified fifth, won the held on October 3, 2010 at in , Kansas, United States. This became his second win of the . Biffle was chased by Jimmie Johnson up to the finish line, but was not able to catch him this weekend. Following the race, Johnson became the points leader after three of ten events in the . managed the third position in the closing laps of the race, after starting twenty-fourth on the grid. winner collided with the wall earlier in the race, which prompted him to a thirty-seventh place finish. , from the team, clinched the fourth position, after leading the most laps with 76. Jeff Gordon followed Stewart in fifth, while could only manage sixth. Matt Kenseth, , , and rounded out the top ten finishers in the race. Other drivers in the Chase, such as finished twelfth, and finished in twenty-first. Johnson now heads the Drivers' championship with 5,503 points, eight points ahead of Denny Hamlin. Manufacturers' сhampionship standings is lead by Chevrolet with 212, thirty-seven points ahead of Toyota and 77 ahead of Ford. Once the race concluded, Johnson commented, "I know we came into Kansas second. Of course, I wanted to be leading. I could care less where the 11 Hamlin was Sunday. It's just not time to worry about that stuff. After Talladega, teams and drivers can work on a strategy of protecting or taking chances. We have to get deeper into the Chase to be concerned about who the points leader is." == Sources == * * * *
(CNN) -- Al-Jazeera broadcast Monday an audio message purportedly from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden calling on al Qaeda and other groups in Iraq to unify their forces and speak with one voice, that of the Islamic nation. Osama bin Laden in an undated photograph. The Arabic-language broadcaster said the tape was titled "Letter to the People of Iraq." The message includes no dated references, making it impossible to determine when it was taped based on its contents. In the message, bin Laden calls on his followers to be loyal to the Islamic nation, not to individual leaders, groups, tribes or countries. The tape marks the first time bin Laden speaks directly to the militants. "Beware of your enemies, especially those who infiltrate your ranks," he said in Arabic. "I advise myself and the Islamic nation not to follow individuals and countries," he said. "Everything should be seen in the light of Islam." Addressing the mujahedeen in Iraq as "my brothers," he said, "You have done well to perform your duty, but some of you have been late to another duty, which is to unify your ranks and make them into one line." Watch description of tape purportedly from bin Laden » Though CNN is not able to confirm that the voice belongs to bin Laden, the Arabic-language broadcaster has aired other tapes of his and the voice sounded like bin Laden's, said CNN Arabic Affairs senior editor Octavia Nasr. Last month, an audio message from bin Laden called on Muslims to "carry out jihad" against Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Last month's 23-minute audio message -- titled "Come to Jihad: A Speech to the People of Pakistan" -- was recorded over a montage of old video, and began with bin Laden reciting prayers and citations from the Quran in Arabic. The audio then faded, and a narrator translated bin Laden's message into Pashto. The tape was subtitled in English, and an Arabic transcript was released. Terrorism analyst Laura Mansfield told CNN that while the September 20 message was directed at the Pakistani people, "the simultaneous release of transcripts in English, Pashto and Arabic indicate the terror group is looking at a wider audience, including the English-speaking world." E-mail to a friend All About Osama bin Laden \|\|\|\|\| Bin Laden releases new audio tape Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden released a new audio tape on Monday in which he rebuked Iraqi militants for disunity and called on them to put common interests ahead of tribal concerns. The tape, broadcast under a file picture of bin-Laden on Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television, focused on the conflict in Iraq. \|\|\|\|\| DUBAI (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden urged insurgents in Iraq to unite with his al Qaeda followers, admitting that wrongs had been committed because of fanaticism, according to an audio recording aired on Monday. "The interest of the Islamic nation surpasses that of a group ... the interest of the (Islamic) nation is more important than that of a state," said a voice which sounded like the al Qaeda leader's in the tape carried by Al Jazeera television. The recording was aired as Iraq's government reported violence had dropped by 70 percent since the end of June, following a series of U.S.-led offensives against insurgents. Iraq's wing of al Qaeda is one of the key groups fighting U.S.-led forces and the Baghdad government, but bin Laden's followers have angered other Sunni groups and tribes through their hardline interpretations of Islam and indiscriminate killing of civilians. In Anbar, a former insurgent hotbed where Sunni Arab tribes have joined U.S. forces against al Qaeda, there has been an 82 percent drop in violent deaths, the government said. Bin Laden acknowledged that some insurgents were involved in "wrongdoings", mentioning a particular group of holy commandments that includes killings. He did not give further details. "The mujahideen are the children of this nation ... they do right things and wrong things," bin Laden said. "Those who are accused of violations of God's commandments should face trial," he added. "I advise ... our brothers, particularly those in al Qaeda wherever they may be, to avoid fanatically following a person or a group," he said. "The strength of faith is in the strength of the bond between Muslims and not that of a tribe, nationalism or an organisation." TRIBAL HELP In the recording, which Jazeera said was entitled "message to the people of Iraq", bin Laden mentioned battles in the province of Diyala, indicating that he made the remarks since the start of a U.S. offensive there in June. He said he was addressing "mujahideen (holy warriors) in Iraq", Sunni Muslim militant groups fighting U.S.-led forces. Al Qaeda belongs to a school of Islam which regards members of Iraq's Shi'ite Muslim majority as heretics. Jazeera said bin Laden urged Iraqi tribes to uphold their "tradition of resisting" occupation, in an apparent reference to the presence of British forces in Iraq in the last century. The speaker urged "scholars, jihadist and tribal leaders to work for reconciliation between fighting groups". He warned insurgents against enemy attempts to drive wedges between groups by planting agents among them, and said such agents should be punished, but only after their guilt was established through thorough investigations. Last month, bin Laden issued three messages, including a video marking al Qaeda's September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington in which about 3,000 people were killed. Bin Laden said in the video that United States was vulnerable despite its power and insisted only conversion to Islam would end the conflict. (Additional reporting by Firouz Sedarat) \|\|\|\|\| CAIRO, Egypt Usama bin Laden called for Iraqi insurgents to unite and avoid divisive "extremism," speaking in an audiotape aired Monday and apparently intended to win over Sunnis opposed to Al Qaeda's branch in Iraq. In the audiotape broadcast on Al-Jazeera television, bin Laden said insurgents should admit "mistakes" and that he even advises himself not to be extreme in his leadership. The tape appeared to be in response to moves by some Sunni Arab tribes in Iraq that have joined U.S. troops in fighting Al Qaeda members, as well as other Sunni insurgent groups that -- while still attacking Americans -- have formed coalitions opposed to Al Qaeda. "Some of you have been lax in one duty, which is to unite your ranks," bin Laden said in the audiotape. "Beware of division ... Muslims are waiting for you to gather under a single banner to champion righteousness. Be keen to oblige with this duty." "I advise myself, Muslims in general and brothers in al-Qaida everywhere to avoid extremism among men and groups," he said, saying leaders should not build themselves up as the sole authority, and that instead mujahedeen should follow "what God and his prophet have said." Bin Laden used the Arabic word "ta'assub," which in traditional Islamic thought means extremism in allegiance or adherence to a group, to a degree that excludes others -- apparently advising flexibility to overcome divisions. "Everybody can make a mistake, but the best of them are those who admit their mistakes," he said. "Mistakes have been made during holy wars but mujahedeen have to correct their mistakes." U.S. counterterrorism authorities were studying the content and authenticity of the audiotape. However, officials often note that no one has faked a bin Laden recording in the past. Al-Jazeera did not say how it obtained the tape. IntelCenter, a a U.S. group that monitors militant messages, said it was bin Laden's third public statement this year, with the previous two on Sept. 8 and Sept. 20.	The leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, has released a new audiotape which was broadcast through ''Al Jazeera''. The tape is entitled ''Letter to the people of Iraq.'' On the tape, he reportedly calls for unity among insurgents in Iraq, but also says that insurgents have been "lax" in their duties. In the tape, bin Laden's main focus is on Iraq. "Some of you have been lax in one duty, which is to unite your ranks. Beware of division ... The Muslim world is waiting for you to gather under one banner. The interest of the Islamic nation surpasses that of a group. The strength of faith is in the strength of the bond between Muslims and not that of a tribe or nationalism. Beware of your enemies, especially those who infiltrate your ranks. I advise myself and the Islamic nation not to follow individuals and countries. Everything should be seen in the light of Islam," said bin Laden on the tape. The voice on the tape has yet to be confirmed to be that of bin Laden's and it is not known how the network received the tape.
Segway boss Jimi Heselden dies in scooter cliff fall Continue reading the main story Mr Heselden was said to have donated more than £23m to charity The millionaire owner of the Segway company has died after falling from cliffs while riding one of his firm's motorised scooters. Jimi Heselden, 62, crashed into the River Wharfe while riding the vehicle round his estate in Thorp Arch, Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, on Sunday. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The scooter was found in the water. Mr Heselden, who founded Leeds-based company Hesco Bastion, acquired the Segway operation in December 2009. The devices are electric, two-wheeled, self-balancing machines. They were invented by Dean Kamen and unveiled in 2001. A family spokesman said Mr Heselden was a "much-loved father and husband". A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police said: "Police were called at 1140 yesterday to reports of a man in the River Wharfe, apparently having fallen from the cliffs above." 'Tragic accident' Mr Heselden grew up in the Halton Moor area of Leeds, leaving school at 15 and working down local pits. He worked as a miner until losing his job in a wave of redundancies in the 1980s. His engineering business, which produces military and flood protection equipment, went from strength-to-strength and he had a fortune reported to be £166m, making him one of the top 400 richest people in the UK. Segways were unveiled in 2001 and first produced the following year The tycoon was well known for his donations to charity, giving more than £20m to good causes. In 2009 Mr Heselden, who leaves a wife and children, led a British team which bought the United States-based Segway firm. A family spokesman said: "Our family has been left devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of a much-loved father and husband." A spokesman for Hesco Bastion said: "It is with great sadness that we have to confirm that Jimi Heselden OBE has died in a tragic accident near his home in West Yorkshire." The spokesman added: "Jimi is perhaps best known for his charity work with Help for Heroes and the Leeds Community Foundation. 'Selfless and generous' "A £10m gift to the foundation earlier this month saw his lifetime charitable donations top £23m. "Our thoughts go out to his family and many friends." Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council, said: "Jimi was an amazing man who, apart from being a wonderful success story for Leeds due to his business acumen, was also remarkably selfless and generous, giving millions to local charities to help people in his home city." He added that Mr Heselden would be remembered for his "quiet manner, good nature and tremendous pride in being from Leeds". \|\|\|\|\| Segway company owner James 'Jimi' Heselden dies in England after riding a Segway off cliff Paraskos/AP Jimi Heselden, chairman of Hesco Bastion, which bought the Segway company last year, died in a freak accident during which he rode a Segway off a cliff. Segway Inc. Segway X2 The British businessman who owns the Segway company plunged to his death after driving one of his famous two-wheeled scooters off a cliff, police said Monday. James (Jimi) Heselden, who was using an off-road version of the iconic ride to inspect the grounds of his estate in northern England, tumbled 30 feet and was fished out of a river shortly after the freak accident Sunday. "Officers were called to the incident around 11:40 a.m. following a call from a member of the public," the West Yorkshire police said in a statement. They found Heselden, 62, lying near one of his battery-powered scooters. While police said Heselden's death was "not believed to be suspicious," his demise came as doctors in a study that's about to be published in the Annals of Internal Medicine warned that Segway-related accidents are on the rise. Heselden bought the Bedford, N.H.-based Segway last year, but he could only ride the device on his property because the Brits don't allow them on the roads for safety reasons. Segway was forced to recall all its U.S. vehicles in 2006 because of a software problem that could cause its wheels to suddenly reverse direction. The Segway famously threw President George W. Bush and TV host Piers Morgan when they tried to take it out for a spin. Heselden, who began working in a coal mine at age 15, became one of Britain's richest men, with a $265 million fortune, after he was laid off from his job. Using his severance pay, Heselden started a company called Hesco Bastions and raked in defense contracts building blast walls to help protect troops in Iraq and Afghanistan from suicide bombers. A variation of his "Concertainer" was used in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to control erosion in Louisiana. Heselden never forgot where he came from and donated more than $15 million to help other laidoff miners and their families near his hometown of Leeds. He also gave generously to organizations helping wounded British soldiers. NYPD cops used to buzz around boardwalks and parks on a small fleet of 11 Segways. But the department now uses something it considers more reliable, T3 Transporters. The NYPD has 13 of the all-electric three-wheelers, which go up to 25 mph. csiemaszko@nydailynews.com; msheridan@nydailynews.com; or follow him at Twitter.com/NYDNSheridan	File photo of a Segway PT – Heselden acquired the company in 2010 The British millionaire businessman and owner of , the manufacturer of , , has died after apparently crashing one of the company's electric scooters over a cliff in West Yorkshire, England. He was 62 years old. Heselden, who was pronounced dead at the scene, is thought to have crashed his scooter into the while riding around his estate. A spokeswoman from released a statement confirming Heselden's death. She said "Police were called at 1140 yesterday to reports of a man in the River Wharfe, apparently having fallen from the cliffs above." She added that a "Segway type" vehicle had been recovered from the water. After working in the mines after leaving school, he founded after being made redundant in the 1980s. He acquired Segway PT in 2010 with Hesco Bastion. A spokesperson for the company said: "It is with great sadness that we have to confirm that Jimi Heselden OBE, has died in a tragic accident near his home in West Yorkshire. Jimi is perhaps best known for his charity work with Help for Heroes and the Leeds Community Foundation. A £10m gift to the foundation earlier this month saw his lifetime charitable donations top £23m. Our thoughts go out to his family and many friends, who have asked for privacy at this time."

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