All in a day's buzzz

Iraq takes over billions in oil revenue

2011-07-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

The Iraqi flag flutters at the opening of the second refinery for crude oil in Al-Dora complex in Baghdad on September 16, 2010.Iraq takes control of a fund established by the U.N. following the invasionThe Development for Iraq fund contains billions of dollarsThe money is to be used to build up the country's economyThe U.N. resolution that established the fund requires some of the money go to Kuwait

(CNN) -- Iraq took control Friday of billions of dollars in oil revenues set aside by the United Nations following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, money intended to be used build up the country's economy.

The U.N. Security Council hand over of the Development Fund for Iraq is considered a milestone for Iraqi autonomy, which comes as the United States prepares to withdraw its roughly 47,000 troops from the country by the end of the year.

"The members of the Security Council welcomed the Government of Iraq's establishment of a successor arrangement for the transition of the Development Fund for Iraq," the United Nations said in a statement released Thursday.

The fund will be turned over to an Iraqi committee of financial experts that will operate under terms approved by Iraq's Council of Ministers, it said.

In the statement, the Security Council reiterated the commitment by Iraq to "ensure that oil revenue is used in the interests of the Iraqi people, and to ensure that transition arrangements remain consistent with the constitution and with international best practices in respect of transparency, accountability and integrity."

A 2003 Security Council resolution that created the development fund requires 5% of Iraq's oil revenue be used to pay reparations, primarily Kuwaiti claims that arose from the 1991 Gulf War.

In December, the Security Council lifted all but a few sanctions put in place prior to the invasion. Among the issues to still be resolved: war reparations to Kuwait, the demarcation of the Iraqi-Kuwait border and efforts to locate missing Kuwaitis and third-party nationals.

View the original article here

Maid's credibility questioned in Strauss-Kahn case

2011-07-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Prosecutors raise serious credibility issues with the accuser, a source saysDespite DNA evidence, prosecutors do not believe herThe defense team is asking for bail modifications for Strauss-KahnStrauss-Kahn is under house arrest in New York as he faces sexual assault charges

New York (CNN) -- In a revelation so serious that it could collapse the case, prosecutors will notify a court Friday of troubling credibility issues with the woman who alleged sexual assault against former International Monetary Fund Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a source familiar with the case told CNN.

Credibility issues are so grievous that incontrovertible DNA evidence of sexual contact recovered from Strauss-Kahn's hotel suite may not be enough to overcome them.

"It's just an extraordinary, extraordinary development considering this case was brought with such great fanfare by the Manhattan district attorney and they very loudly trumpeted the credibility of the accuser," said Jeffrey Toobin, CNN's senior legal analyst.

"What makes it even more extraordinary is that the (DNA) evidence apparently shows a sexual encounter between Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the woman who is the maid. Yet even with DNA evidence, the prosecution is considering dropping the case. That shows how bad her credibility may be."

Prosecutors disclosed the issues Thursday in a meeting with Strauss-Kahn's defense, the source said. The credibility problems are expected to be explained in a letter to be filed Friday by prosecutors with the court.

Investigators uncovered four or five things that could shoot holes in her credibility, the source said.

Among them was that the woman, who worked as a maid at New York's Sofitel Hotel, "had not been truthful in her application for asylum from her home country of Guinea, or about details about a prior sexual assault," the source said.

The New York Times cited a law enforcement official as saying that the woman has repeatedly lied since her allegation of rape May 14.

"There was more concern about what she told investigators in a very believable way," the source told CNN.

The development is particularly stunning given prior statements by police and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, who spoke forcefully about the accuser's credibility, and it could ultimately mean a collapse of the felony case against Strauss-Kahn.

It's unlikely, however, that the felony charges against Strauss-Kahn will be scuttled immediately following Friday's hearing.

"There are a lot of different ways this could go," the source said.

Attorneys for the hotel maid did not respond to repeated attempts by CNN for comment.

While it is unclear what the immediate ramifications are for the prosecution, defense attorneys are expected to ask for a reduction in Strauss-Kahn's strict bail terms during Friday's hearing.

"Prosecutors will not object and, in fact, will ask for a bail reduction," the source said.

NYPD Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne told CNN he had "no comment" on the alleged credibility issue with the woman.

Strauss-Kahn, considered a viable candidate in France's presidential election before his arrest, faces seven charges that include criminal sexual acts and sexual abuse. He pleaded not guilty June 6.

Throughout, Strauss-Kahn has proclaimed his innocence. His defense team in June challenged the woman's credibility, threatening to release information that would "undermine the quality of this prosecution and also gravely undermine the credibility of the complainant in this case."

There are "serious issues regarding the credibility" of the hotel maid, a source close to the defense told CNN earlier Thursday.

Strauss-Kahn's defense team will ask for bail modifications at a court hearing slated for Friday morning, the source close to the defense team said.

In previous court appearances, the judge said that if Strauss-Kahn wanted to leave the city, he would require the court's permission. Strauss-Kahn was previously required to turn over his French passport and United Nations travel credentials to authorities.

Strauss-Kahn was released from jail on $6 million bail but is under house arrest in a luxury townhouse in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood.

He is under court-ordered watch as part of the terms of his bail agreement and must pay for 24-hour armed guards posted at the door, as well as electronic surveillance.

Strauss-Kahn has been paying roughly $250,000 a month for court-ordered security at the townhouse.

It is possible Strauss-Kahn's attorneys could ask Friday that he be released on his own recognizance, which would mean he would be released without bail.

Prosecutors may object to any request that allows for the return of Strauss-Kahn's passport to travel outside the United States, said the source familiar with the case.

The developments in the case come just ahead of the July 13 filing deadline for the French presidential primaries. If the case collapses, Strauss-Kahn theoretically has enough time to file.

Many of his supporters would still like to see him run, though some Parisians interviewed on the streets Friday said even if Strauss-Kahn was cleared of wrongdoing, it was too late for him to seek office this go-around.

CNN's Jim Bittermann contributed to this report.

View the original article here

Gadhafi daughter: 'My father is a guide'

2011-07-01T07:02:00.001-07:00

Daughter: Gadhafi is 'symbol, guide'Ayesha Gadhafi is the Libyan leader's only daughterShe says the uprising and NATO campaign have brought her family together"Contrary to what has been said, our family is still very tight," she saysGadhafi's daughter says her father will not step down

(CNN) -- The only daughter of Moammar Gadhafi is standing behind her father, saying he will not step down because he is "a symbol, a guide" for the Libyan people.

"This is his country, his land, his people. Where would he go?," Ayesha Gadhafi, 34, told CNN affiliate France 2 during an interview at her home in Tripoli.

"There is one thing that you don't understand and that you will never understand. It is that my father is a symbol, a guide."

The comments by Gadhafi's daughter come as NATO's bombing campaign crossed the 100-day mark, raising concerns among some that the airstrikes could drag on for months.

Gadhafi has been under enormous international pressure to step down following a months-long uprising by rebels, emboldened by popular movements across the Middle East, trying to bring an end to his 42-year rule.

The U.N. Security Council approved a resolution in March authorizing force by whatever means necessary, with the exception of a ground invasion, to protect civilians. NATO began bombing military targets a short time later.

Gadhafi's daughter has accused NATO of war crimes for airstrikes targeting her father in Tripoli that resulted in the deaths of her four-month-old daughter, her brother and his two children.

"I am not hiding. I am at home. I live normally," she said in the France 2 interview that aired Thursday. "But you see, I've already lost one of my children and my brother in the bombings. Every day there are members of my people who die. Civilians. Anyone who has a heart can understand what I feel."

Gadhafi's daughter has been a staunch defender of her father and a familiar sight on Libyan State TV. She is believed to have had a hand in keeping the peace among her seven brothers, who have vied over the years for positions of prominence at their father's side.

"Contrary to what has been said, our family is still very tight. These events have brought us closer than ever. There is no division, no difference between us," she said.

"What is being said about it is pure invention."

Ayesha Gadhafi, who studied in France, admonished the French for their participation in the NATO campaign.

"Never would I imagine this country would one day kill my brother and my family," she told France 2.

"Through you, I want to send a message to the wives of the French pilots who bomb us. 'Your husbands are not working to defend civilians in Libya,''' she said.

"They kill my people and our children and for what? To satisfy, (French President Nicolas) Sarkozy, who thinks that the more Libyans he kills, the more votes he gets during elections."

She has been described as a longtime, loud supporter of anti-government groups, standing up for the IRA and Iraqi insurgents. She even joined Saddam Hussein's defense team prior to his being sentenced to death by hanging in Iraq.

When The Telegraph, a London-based newspaper, asked her how she felt about Iraqis who say Hussein slaughtered people, she said: "You are bound to meet people who may be against your policies."

View the original article here

Michelle Obama to visit southern Africa

2011-06-20T11:09:00.001-07:00

Michelle Obama will visit South Africa and Botswana during the weeklong trip that starts Monday.Michelle Obama's first stop will be in Pretoria to meet South African President Jacob Zuma The first lady will highlight the benefits of education and wellness to youth She will also visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was detained for almost 27 years
(CNN) -- First lady Michelle Obama's official trip to southern Africa this week will focus on youth leadership and education and will include meetings with key figures in the anti-apartheid struggle.
Obama will make stops in South Africa and Botswana during the weeklong visit that starts Monday.
She will highlight the benefits of education and wellness and urge youth in the continent to be part of the national dialogue, according to the White House.
"The trip is a continuation of Mrs. Obama's work to engage young people, especially girls and young women, at home and abroad," the White House said.
The first lady's first stop will be in Pretoria, where she will meet with South African President Jacob Zuma.
Before heading to Johannesburg and Cape Town, she will take a tour of an apartheid museum with Nelson Mandela's wife, Graca Machel.
She will also visit Robben Island, where Mandela was held for the majority of the 27 years he was in detention for fighting apartheid.
The schedule released by the White House did not mention a meeting with the 92-year-old former president.
The latter part of the trip includes a meeting with Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and a visit to Soweto and the site of the 2010 World Cup.
Her visit to neighboring Botswana will include a tribute to girls overcoming hurdles to success.
In addition to visits with top leaders, she will also attend a series of public events, meet embassy officials and take part in community service projects in both countries.
After a safari, she will depart from the Botswana capital of Gaborone on Sunday.
Her visit marks the second to sub-Saharan Africa by a member of the Obama family since the president took office more than two years ago.
President Barack Obama went to Ghana in 2009. The first lady made similar trips to Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom. She will be accompanied by her mother, Marian Robinson, and two daughters, Sasha and Malia.
View the original article here

Yemen: 17 al Qaeda terrorists killed

2011-06-20T10:52:00.001-07:00

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh is facing calls to step down.NEW: Seven Yemeni soldiers, 17 Islamic militants killed in two days of fightingNEW: "Death toll among security forces will rise in next 48 hours," medic in Aden saysFighting began in Abyan province on Saturday, official saysThere have been repeated calls for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down
(CNN) -- Ongoing clashes have left seven Yemeni soldiers and 17 Islamic militants dead in the past two days in the southern province of Abyan, a senior security official said Monday.
At least eight soldiers were wounded in the clashes, three of them in serious condition, said the official, who is not authorized to speak to the media and requested his name not be used. The fighting is mainly concentrated in the cities of Zinjibar and Jaar, the official said.
State-run Yemen TV reported that at least 17 al Qaeda militants have been killed in the fighting.
Qasim Bin Hadi, the head of security in Zinjibar in Abyan, said that city has turned into a ghost town and that clashes between government forces and al Qaeda militants have been nonstop since Saturday.
"Bodies of dead people are everywhere in the streets," Bin Hadi said.
Militants seized control of Zinjibar several weeks ago, local residents said.
Airstrikes targeting militant hideouts in Zinjibar and Jaar were behind many of the deaths reported Sunday, said the security official who requested anonymity.
Medics at the Republican hospital in Aden, where injured soldiers are being taken for treatment, said at least 29 soldiers were admitted at the hospital since Saturday night, all having come from Abyan.
"Most of those admitted to the hospital were injured, but the death toll among security forces will rise over the next 48 hours," said one medic, who asked not to be named, as he is concerned for his safety.
On Sunday, more than 100 influential religious and tribal leaders said President Ali Abdullah Saleh was not able to lead the country and should step down.
"Saleh was injured seriously during the assassination attempt on his life. We call on Saleh to hand over powers to his vice president Abdu Rabu Mansoor Hadi, to save the country from further clashes and bloodshed," said the statement, which was circulated to the media.
Saleh and other senior officials were injured in a June 3 attack on the mosque at the presidential palace. Saleh is being treated in Saudi Arabia. Officials loyal to him have said he will return when he has recovered.
Among those signing the statement was Sheikh Abdul Majid al-Zindani, Yemen's most prominent cleric. The United States considers al-Zindani a terrorist, accused in 2004 of supplying weapons to al Qaeda. But he wields considerable influence in Yemen.
The influential signatories are the latest in a growing number of powerful voices seeking Saleh's ouster and demanding a transitional government be formed as quickly as possible.
Unrest has consumed Yemen for months as protesters have demanded an end to Saleh's rule.
In recent weeks, government troops have battled both anti-government tribal forces and Islamic militants, including al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom and journalist Hakim Almasmari contributed to this report.
View the original article here

The iPad is for grandparents, not just geeks

2010-09-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

The iPad is a great tool for grandparents for the same reason candy is -- their grandkids love it.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Apple's iPad tablet isn't just for geeks, yuppies, and rich people
The iPad is incredibly easy to use and easy to learn with no hidden menus or buttons
iPad is great for what our grandparents would want to do with it, like photos, games and e-mail

Editor's note: Business Insider is contributing a series of columns to CNN.com that challenge commonly held beliefs about the tech world.

(Business Insider) -- Apple's iPad tablet isn't just for geeks, yuppies, and rich people. It's also for grandparents.
That may not be the target audience you're thinking of for a $500 piece of high-tech metal and glass. But it actually makes sense. Why is that?
First and foremost, the iPad is incredibly simple to use, and easy to learn. (After more than 100 days of owning one, I love it.) For older people, or especially for inexperienced computer users, that's very helpful.
Because the iPad is just a 10-inch touch panel, all you need to think about and interact with is what's on the screen. There are no hidden menus to have to learn about, or buttons to think about. There's no need to master double-clicking or right-clicking. You just touch what you want.
So while there is some learning curve for the iPad, it should be much easier than trying to figure out the intricacies of Windows or even a Mac. And the touch-based user interface should seem very intuitive. There isn't anything much simpler than just touching what you want from the screen.
Second, the iPad is easy for the sort of stuff we imagine our grandparents would want to do with it: Reading the web, e-books with large-as-you-want-it text, magazine articles, and email; looking at photographs and videos; filling out crossword puzzles; and writing short messages.
Some of these apps are built in; others can be downloaded quickly and easily from the iPad app store.
The iPad is admittedly not very good for writing longer e-mails, but that's where an optional wireless keyboard or keyboard dock could be helpful. And it's not designed (yet) for printing stuff, but there are some work-arounds available, depending on what sort of printer you have, what you want to print, or if you want to go through a computer to print.
Lastly, the iPad is a great tool for grandparents for the same reason candy is -- their grandkids love it!
Consider what my colleague Henry Blodget has written at Business Insider, under the title "HELP! My Kids Are Addicted To My iPad."
He says, "We got an iPad because we thought it might provide more peace and quiet during a long trip. And it did. Sometimes. When they weren't fighting over it." He adds, "A month after we bought it, the iPad has become so central to our household that we have to hide it. And in relatively short order, to preserve my family harmony, I'm probably going to have to buy two more of the damn things."
So if there's one way to be the most popular grandparents in the family, it's by keeping an iPad in the living room, stocked with kids' games, e-books, and the Netflix app for movies and TV shows. (Or, when it's cheaper in a few years, an iPad in every room.)
If I were a kid now, I'd love going over to grandma and grandpa's house to play with their iPad -- just as I loved going to my grandparents' house in the '90s because they had cable and MTV, and we didn't at home.

Apple's device is set to be one of the most desired gifts this holiday season. Its mainstream appeal -- to all age groups and levels of tech-savviness, even grandparents -- is a big reason why.

Dell raises 3PAR offer, matching HP bid

2010-08-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

By Ritsuko Ando and Soyoung Kim

NEW YORK | Fri Aug 27, 2010 6:39pm IST

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dell Inc fired back in a bidding war for data storage company 3PAR Inc, matching a $1.8 billion offer by Hewlett-Packard Co and showing it isn't giving up yet against its bigger rival.

Dell said on Friday 3PAR had accepted its new $27-per-share bid, up 10 percent from its previous offer, in line with their agreement that allows Dell to match competing bids.

3PAR shares surged 9.4 percent to $28.50 in premarket trading, reflecting expectations for a higher offer from HP, which many see as the stronger player with $115 billion in annual revenue compared with Dell's $53 billion.

In a newspaper advertisement, placed overnight and appearing on Friday, HP launched a tender offer for all outstanding 3PAR shares at $27 cash each, showing it is prepared to be an aggressive suitor.

Dell's latest bid shows it wants 3PAR at least as much as HP does.

Dell, HP and other large technology vendors like International Business Machines Corp and Cisco Systems Inc have been acquiring companies and expanding into new technologies to offer corporate clients a wider range of products and services.

3PAR specializes in high-end data storage, a key part of "cloud computing" -- an increasingly popular technology that enables computer users to access data and software over the Internet, allowing companies to cut costs.

RISING VALUATIONS

August has been a particularly active month for deals. Intel Corp bid $7.7 billion for security software maker McAfee Inc last week.

But analysts say the bidding war over 3PAR has driven up valuations to unreasonable levels, raising the risk of the buyer overpaying.

Analysts say at current bids, 3PAR is valued at around eight times expected fiscal 2011 sales. Multiples above five are considered lofty in technology acquisitions.

3PAR has barely made a profit since its 1999 founding.

Some say, however, the company may be worth more than traditional metrics suggest, since it could grow exponentially with the massive sales channels of Dell or HP.

"Consistent with its previous rationale for the acquisition, Dell also believes that its global brand and broad global reach will dramatically accelerate 3PAR's revenue growth," Dell said in a statement.

Earlier this week, a survey by Reuters of nine fund managers and analysts found the average final price is expected to be about $29 per share, and that HP would prevail.

The bidding war, a rare occurrence in the tech sector, started earlier this week when HP bid $24 a share for 3PAR, topping Dell's $18-per-share deal.

Dell responded by striking a new deal with 3PAR at $24.30 per share and increasing the termination fee to $72 million from $53.5 million.

That prompted HP to come back with a $27-per-share bid on Thursday.

Intel warns sales shortfall, bodes ill for tech

2010-08-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

By Noel Randewich and Franklin Paul

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK | Sat Aug 28, 2010 4:00am IST

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Intel Corp warned that third-quarter revenue could fall short of its own estimates by more than $1 billion, reinforcing doubts about the strength of a technology sector recovery.

But shares in the industry bellwether, which dominates the market for PC microprocessors, gained 1.05 percent on Friday because investors had braced for bad news and were relieved the downward revision had not been worse.

Global stocks also rose after U.S. economic growth data topped estimates, as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the central bank was ready to counter a softening recovery. A number of fellow tech heavyweights, including International Business Machines Corp, firmed.

Analysts said companies with exposure to a struggling PC industry -- fighting flagging demand from slowing growth in Europe, China and the United States and rising inventory -- may warn of revenue shortfalls in coming weeks.

Baird & Co analyst Tristan Gerra expects weakness to persist over several quarters before demand bounces back in the second half of 2011, but warned of a longer-term threat from tablets like Apple Inc's iPad replacing PCs.

"That trend will continue in Q1 until we fix the inventory issues in the second," he said. But "there's going to be more challenges for Intel next year, even if the market eventually picks up."

Other analysts pointed to a silver lining: Intel said resilient corporate demand was helping prop up average prices even though consumer demand in mature markets was weaker than expected.

"Even though the news is bad, the bad news is already in the valuation. Obviously, business isn't going great there, but the stock is so cheap this doesn't matter," said Stephen Massocca, managing director at Wedbush Morgan.

Intel shares closed 19 cents higher at $18.37 on Nasdaq, after falling to $17.81, their lowest level since July 2009. Shares in the world's largest chip maker have slid 15 percent since mid-July.

The stock was halted earlier on Friday as it appeared to trip a circuit breaker shortly after the company's revenue warning set off a flurry of trading.

BAD NEWS IS GOOD NEWS?

Intel now expects third-quarter revenue of $10.8 billion to $11.2 billion, down from a previous forecast of $11.2 billion to $12.0 billion and below analysts' average expectation of $11.5 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

"People were relieved it was not worse," said Avian securities analyst Dunham Winoto.

Intel now sees gross margins in the period of 65 to 67 percent. It had previously forecast gross margins of 67 percent, plus or minus a couple of points -- near a record high for the company.

"The big news is enterprise and server demand is holding up. And Intel still expects to grow (revenue) and gross margins also," said JMP Securities analyst Alex Gauna.

Longer term, analysts warned that Intel continues to face pressure as Apple's iPad and other tablet computers continue to chip away at demand for notebooks and desktop computers.

And while a still-shaky economic recovery may make families think twice about upgrading their computers, experts say future growth in the microchip industry lies in smartphones and tablets, areas that Intel is far from dominating.

To bolster its stake in the mobile microchip market, Intel is likely to announce a deal this weekend to buy part or all of German chipmaker Infineon Technologies AG's wireless business, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Analysts said such an acquisition was a step in the right direction but it would take time to produce results, and rivals based on ARM chip design -- which is said to be more power-efficient than Intel's offerings -- continue to grab market share.

(Additional reporting by Jennifer Saba, Liana Baker and David Gaffen in New York; Writing by Edwin Chan; Editing by Matthew Lewis, Gerald E. McCormick and Richard Chang)

Muslims in Spain campaign to worship alongside Christians

2010-08-27T20:02:00.001-07:00

Muslims, Christians debate sharing mosque

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The former Great Mosque of Cordoba has been a Catholic cathedral since the 13th century
It was once famed for allowing Christians and Muslims to pray together
Now there is a movement campaigning to allow Muslims to pray at the cathedral once again

Cordoba, Spain - Muslims in Spain are campaigning to be allowed to worship alongside Christians in Cordoba Cathedral -- formerly the Great Mosque of Cordoba.

Today, at the original Cordoba mosque in Spain, there is no call to prayer, only the ringing of church bells. That's because the former mosque is now a working Catholic cathedral, performing a daily mass.

It's been a Cathedral since Spain's Christian monarchy conquered Cordoba in the 13th century and more than a million visitors walk through its doors every year.

Depictions of Jesus' crucifixion hang underneath the distinctive red-and-white arches of what was once the Muslim prayer hall. Cordoba's dazzling "mihrab" -- the sacred alcove from where Muslim prayer is lead -- still stands as a separate part of the site and is one of the main attractions for tourists.

Gallery: Can this holy site be shared?

In fact, the site remains significant for Muslims as a symbol of Islam's golden age of learning and religious tolerance. The Mosque of Cordoba was once famed for allowing both Christians and Muslims to pray together under the same roof.

Now, some Muslims are trying to repeat that history. Mansur Escudero, a Spanish convert to Islam, is leading the movement that is pushing for the right of Muslims to pray at the Cordoba Cathedral.

"I don't think it's important for Muslims. I think it's important for humankind," Escudero says. "We think this is a beautiful paradigm of tolerance, knowledge, culture. People of different religions living together."

We think this is a beautiful paradigm of tolerance, knowledge, culture. People of different religions living together.
--Mansur Escudero, a Spanish convert to Islam.

Spain has more than a million Muslims, little more than two percent of the population. Most of that growth is made up of migrants from countries such as Morocco. But the southern European country has a significant community of Muslim converts inspired by its Islamic history.

In April, more than one hundred Muslim visitors staged a protest by unrolling their prayer rugs inside the site and beginning to pray. When security tried to remove them, the protest got violent and two were arrested.

According to Cordoba's Bishop, Demetrio Fernandes, this incident shows it is impossible to share a house of worship. It would be like sharing a wife between two husbands, he told CNN.

"Would they be happy to do the same in any of their mosques?" he asked. "Absolutely not. Because I understand their religious feeling and they have to understand ours as well. The religious feeling is the deepest one in the human heart, so it is not possible to share."

Bishop Fernandes points to the basilica of San Juan in Damascus as an example of a Christian site that has been converted into a mosque.

"We wouldn't think of asking for the Damascus mosque, because it belongs to the Muslims and for them it is an emblematic place.

"It is [the same] for [Christians] because the San Juan's basilica is very important to us, but we understand that history doesn't go back. It only goes forward. So, it doesn't make sense to ask for the Cordoba [cathedral] to convert it into a mosque, it doesn't make sense because history is irreversible," he said.

Escudero insists this is not about winning a victory for one religion or the other.

He said: "They pretend that we are trying to conquer the mosque again. That's not the intention at all. We want it to be a place where anyone -- whether Muslim, Christian or Jew -- can do his meditation or his internal way of worshipping, or praying or whatever he wants to call it."

Venezuela defends controversial flights to Iran and Syria

2010-08-27T20:00:00.002-07:00

Report: Flight a source of concern

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

U.S. officials are concerned about flights to countries deemed sponsors of terrorism
Venezuela's ambassador says there is "nothing untoward" about the flights
An official says passengers go through normal customs and immigrations checks

Washington -- Venezuela's ambassador to the United States is defending his country's controversial airline service to the capitals of Syria and Iran -- both countries that are designated by the U.S. as state sponsors of terrorism.

The scheduled flights to Damascus and Tehran were cited by the U.S. State Department this month as a cause for concern, and U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-New York, raised questions about the flights in an interview last week with Voice of America.

According to the State Department's latest country report on terrorism, which covers 2009, "President [Hugo] Chavez continued to strengthen Venezuela's relationship with state sponsor of terrorism Iran. Iran and Venezuela continued weekly Iran Airlines flights connecting Tehran and Damascus with Caracas."

A 2007 report went further, raising concerns about the travelers from Syria and Iran who might be onboard. It said in part, "Passengers on these flights were not subject to immigration and customs controls at Simon Bolivar International Airport" in Caracas.

It also noted that one passenger who bought a ticket on the route that year was Abdul Kadir, who was convicted this month of plotting a 2007 attack on fuel pipelines for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. He was arrested on a plane bound for Caracas and never made his connection for the flight to Iran.

Engel, the chairman of the Western Hemisphere subcommittee, told Voice of America last week, "I am very troubled about the flights into Damascus and Caracas. I believe that Iran is the largest supporter of terrorism of any country on the face of the earth."

In a written response to the concerns raised by Engel, Venezuelan Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez Herrera defended the state-owned airline, Conviasa.

"There is absolutely nothing untoward about these flights -- which take place between two countries that have shared diplomatic relations for over 50 years," Herrera wrote in the letter dated August 13. "One can also fly to Tehran from Frankfurt, Germany, amongst other cities, so I still remain confused as to why this should be of any concern. Should you or your staff want to see for yourself, I greatly encourage you to take one of the flights."

Contacted by CNN about the flight and its passengers, former CIA director Michael Hayden said, "The concerns are not just in the abstract. We saw people traveling who made us wonder."

Peter Brookes, a former deputy assistant defense secretary now with conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, said passengers on the flight from Iran and Syria could include "people who probably ... are intelligence agents, probably Islamic Revolutionary Guards forces, Quds force, even Hezbollah terrorists."

Brookes pointed to Venezuela's proximity to U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere and said, "I think the greatest concern is, there might be individuals -- terrorists, operatives, soldiers -- who might attack American interests, if the Iranian nuclear drive comes to a head."

An Iranian official did not reply to phone or e-mail messages requesting comment.

A Venezuelan official said passengers arriving from Iran and Syria go through normal customs and immigration checks, and there has never been any evidence that flights have carried suspected militants. He described it is a legitimate commercial route, whose passengers include businessmen and other civilian passengers.

When CNN tried to book a trip on the flight, it was unclear whether seats were available to the general public -- or whether the flight, which began in 2007, was even running at all.

An agent at Conviasa said a round-trip would cost $1,450, and the flights depart from Tehran on Thursdays and depart from Caracas on Tuesdays. But he then said, his computer showed no seats available for the next four Thursdays -- and after that, the flight was not offered.

Another Conviasa representative, reached the next day, said that while the flight from Caracas to Syria was still running, the continuing leg from Syria to Iran has not been operating for some time.

Gunman in the Philippines ends standoff by killing 8, wounding 7

2010-08-27T20:00:00.001-07:00

Police start charging the bus in Manila, Philippines, after a former police officer took a group of tourists hostage.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: Hong Kong urges no trips to Philippines after killings
Manila police say the gunman was a disgruntled ex-cop
China condemned the "atrocious behavior of the criminal"
The gunman's brother has been accused of conspiring with him

Hong Kong, China Hong Kong urged its residents to cut short or cancel planned trips to the Philippines on Tuesday in the aftermath of a bloodbath that left eight dead on a Manila tour bus.

Hong Kong's regional government issued its highest level of travel warnings in the aftermath of the killings, urging all residents to avoid traveling to the Philippines.

"Those already there should attend to their personal safety and stay alert," the advisory read. Tour groups were urged to return "as soon as possible," while other groups scheduled to visit were urged to cancel their trips.

Manila police said Rolando Mendoza, a former police officer upset at having lost his job, took hostage a busload of tourists from Hong Kong Monday and killed eight of them before being shot dead. One passenger was critically wounded and six others hospitalized with less serious injuries after the 10-hour standoff erupted into gunfire, Donald Tsang, the chief executive of Hong Kong's semi-autonomous government, told reporters.

And in Beijing, the Chinese government said Tuesday it "severely condemns the atrocious behavior of the criminal" and expressed its "deep sorrow" and "sincerely condolences" to the families of the victims.

Video: Inside the mind of a hostage

Video: Hostage drama in Philippines

Video: Hostage taker sprayed weapons fire

Video: Driver of hostage bus escapes

RELATED TOPICS

"The Chinese government has already decided to send working teams to the Philippines and we will keep close contact with both the Philippine as well as Hong Kong government, putting our best effort into rescuing the injured parties in the aftermath," China's Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on the killings. China has asked the Philippine government "to take concrete action to secure [and] guarantee the protection and safety of Chinese lives and wealth."

The incident began at 10 a.m. Monday (10 p.m. ET Sunday), when Mendoza -- wearing a uniform and carrying a rifle -- flagged down the tourist bus and asked for a ride, police spokesman Erwin Margarejo told reporters.

A tour guide for Hong Thai Travel tried to stop him from boarding the bus, the company's general manager told reporters.

"The gunman said he wanted to have a free lift. Then the tour guide stopped him," General Manager Susanna Lau said. "Eventually, the gunman got on the coach and then asked the driver to lock the door."

Lau said the gunman did not threaten people on the bus.

Twenty-five people, including 22 foreigners, were on the bus when Mendoza boarded it, Manila District Police Chief Rodolfo Magtibay said.

Mendoza wrote his demand that he get his job back on a board and displayed it in the bus windshield.

Inside, the hostages appeared calm but confused, Margarejo said.

Police cordoned off the area around the bus as they tried to negotiate, and sharpshooters were stationed nearby. Food was delivered to the hostages on board.

Manila police official Leocadio Santiago told CNN that Mendoza's family members spoke with him early in the standoff and that he appeared "very reasonable and very psychologically stable."

The gunman released nine of the hostages, including a mother and her three children, a man with diabetes, and two photographers. The bus driver also escaped.

Around 2 p.m., the Philippine news channel ANC showed images of signs posted on the bus windshield saying, "Big deal will start after 3 p.m. today" and "3 p.m. today dead lock."

But two hours later, there were no signs that the situation had changed.

ANC showed passengers peeking out from behind curtains of the parked bus and a sign posted on the bus door saying, "Big mistake to correct a big wrong decision."

Mendoza was dismissed a year ago, Margarejo said.

Manila Vice Mayor Ikso Moreno told CNNI that Mendoza's dismissal was for extortion and that he wanted his motion for reconsideration to be heard.

"He felt that it was being neglected," Moreno said. "So he went on hostaging a bus full of foreign individuals. So when we talked to him this afternoon, that's what he wanted."

Moreno said that Mendoza's brother was arrested because he was "guilty of conspiring with his brother" and allegedly helped instigate the shooting.

Moreno said when he arrived near the site of the standoff in the company of Mendoza's brother and the chief hostage negotiator, "All of a sudden, he kept on shouting, 'Don't let go until they give my gun back! Don't let go! Don't let go!' He just shout, one moment -- Captain Mendoza just fired his gun."

Mendoza sprayed machine gun fire at the hostages, a police spokesman told CNN. At 8 p.m. Monday, police stormed the bus, which held 15 hostages, killing Mendoza.

In Manila, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said he had ordered an investigation, and would wait until it is completed before deciding whether anyone should lose his or her job.

"As the president, my opinion might already sway the investigative panel, which might hamper them in ferreting out the truth, so I will not do that at this time," he said.

Aquino said the news media may have worsened the situation by giving the shooter "a bird's-eye view of the entire situation," but said he had little choice but to let it play out the way it did. "If we ordered a news blackout, you would tell us we were guilty of censoring news," he said. "We did vow transparency."

2010-08-27T19:59:00.001-07:00

Hell hath no fury like a man who is no longer dating Jennifer Aniston. Just ask the Huffington Post. It appears that a recent story on their site has struck a bad chord with the singer.

On Thursday, HuffPo wondered if the soulful singer and his ex Jennifer Aniston were back on, quoting a London newspaper’s account of statements he reportedly made at his Hollywood Bowl show on Sunday.

“You can still start over again from home base,” Mayer reportedly said. “Next time you get a text from the one you love just text back 'come over' - no matter what happened in the past. If you really love someone, just tell them and be with them.”

But in a posting on his blog last night, Mayer claimed the Huffington Post’s story is bunk, and chided the site for publishing the tale in the first place.

“Huffington Post, this is reporting? How do you pay your writers now, in Silly Bandz? Do you meet your sources in a malt shoppe? This is equal parts fabricated, cobbled together, and misleading,” wrote the 32-year-old crooner, who explained that two of his statements referred to song lyrics and were said at different points at his concert.

“The reason I’m calling you out instead of all the other magazines that make stories up out of thin air is that In Touch and Star Magazine aren’t concurrently writing pieces about Pat Tillman or WikiLeaks,” he noted. “Those other rags know who they are, and even if theyre obnoxious, I’d rather have to live with them because they (and the rest of the world) know where they stand, which doesnt make them one tenth as dangerous as you are. You’re a stripper wearing reading glasses.”

For its part, the Huffington Post later acknowledged that they had inadvertently misquoted Mayer, but added, “He does not deny that he and Aniston are dating.”

'Takers' steals from the best

2010-08-27T19:58:00.004-07:00

Chris Brown and Michael Ealy co-star in John Luessenhop's "Takers."

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

"Takers" is story of slick thieves played with their own personal problems
Charity: "Takers" isn't exactly revolutionary but sucks you in
Director John Luessenhop's action scenes are top-notch, says Charity

June, for the first time, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission approved a request to trade futures and option contracts against opening weekend box-office returns, and though it's sheer coincidence, "Takers" proves a weirdly appropriate title for this dubious milestone.

It's the story of a group of slick thieves -- Chris Brown, Michael Ealy, Hayden Christensen Paul Walker -- high rolling heist merchants who dress like GQ models, drive sports cars and motorcycles, and who are as comfortable debating investment opportunities as they are casing their next bank job. In other words, they're more like Wall Street traders than "Bonnie and Clyde." They even donate a standard 10 percent of the loot to charity. Anonymously, presumably.

They are led by Idris Elba, Stringer Bell from "The Wire," so we know they mean business -- even if the gang's first master plan hinges on a crazy getaway by a hijacked TV news helicopter. Whoever dreamed that one up must have had an eye for long odds. When they're done, they blow the chopper up. (Wouldn't it have been more discreet to wear gloves?)

"Takers" isn't exactly revolutionary in glorifying flashy criminals -- gangster movies have done that for years. But heist films are more about entrepreneurialism than criminality, which is one reason why the thieves here and in the Danny Ocean movies scarcely seem to need the money. (The cops, Matt Dillon and Jay Hernandez, don't have it so easy.)

Heist movies celebrate a peculiar kind of professionalism: The collective endeavor of a tight-knit group of individuals, each with his own expertise -- not unlike an acting ensemble putting on a show. The pleasure lies in appreciating the perfection of the planning and preparation, and then, more often than not, watching those best laid plans fall apart in the execution.

Michael Mann brought the form to its highest expression in "Heat," and for much of its running time "Takers" feels, well, re-Heated. Elba and Dillon aren't exactly DeNiro and Pacino, but like Mann's antagonists, they come fitted with irritating personal crises that threaten to cramp their style. For the criminal, it's a crack-addict sister he's trying to help through rehab (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). For the cop, it's a marital crisis and a young daughter he takes on surveillance with him.

But it sucks you in. Co-writer-director John Luessenhop keeps things flowing, cutting smartly between Dillon's dogged investigation and the gang's next job. The visuals are a digital blur propelled by a barrage of rap and rock. There is nothing original here but at least he is stealing from the best. Fans of macho-romantic thrillers by the likes of Jean Pierre Melville, Walter Hill, John Woo and Johnnie To will be in their element.

It helps that the action scenes are top-notch: A relentless, parkour-inflected chase through Los Angeles traffic is as good as the comparable scene in "Salt." And the set-piece armored car robbery combines suspense, surprise, and bone-crunching crashes in generous portions.

Not all the Luessenhop's flourishes pay off, but TI Harris's enigmatic "Ghost" sure does: He's the wild card in this pack, a founding member of the gang they left for dead back in 04. Now he's out of prison. But what's driving that rush to make the biggest score of their lives? The clues are to be found in fleeting gestures, feints and glances, the way men speak when they're not saying anything.

2010-08-27T19:58:00.003-07:00

"When the time is right, everyone will know -- even [my publicist] Cindi Berger," Mariah Carey said.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

"I appreciate everyone's well wishes. But I am very superstitious," Carey says
Publicist: All will become clear "when the time is right for her ... to announce something"
Carey was spotted in Brazil wearing a maternity maxi dress

Mariah Carey isn't sharing whether she's pregnant or not -- but she is shedding some light on why she might keep mum on the subject.

"I appreciate everyone's well wishes. But I am very superstitious," she reportedly wrote on her Web site Wednesday. "When the time is right, everyone will know -- even [my publicist] Cindi Berger."

Berger echoed the sentiment earlier this week after Carey was spotted leaving a steakhouse in Sao Paulo, Brazil, wearing A Pea in the Pod's Spaghetti Strap Halter Maternity Maxi Dress ($140). All will become clear, Berger said, "when the time is right for her and Nick to announce something."

Mariah Carey is 'superstitious' about pregnancy

2010-08-27T19:58:00.001-07:00

"When the time is right, everyone will know -- even [my publicist] Cindi Berger," Mariah Carey said.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

"I appreciate everyone's well wishes. But I am very superstitious," Carey says
Publicist: All will become clear "when the time is right for her ... to announce something"
Carey was spotted in Brazil wearing a maternity maxi dress

RELATED TOPICS

(PEOPLE.com) -- Mariah Carey isn't sharing whether she's pregnant or not -- but she is shedding some light on why she might keep mum on the subject.

"I appreciate everyone's well wishes. But I am very superstitious," she reportedly wrote on her Web site Wednesday. "When the time is right, everyone will know -- even [my publicist] Cindi Berger."

Tina Fey's Emmy message to Betty White: Mention me

2010-08-27T19:57:00.001-07:00

When she was nominated for outstanding guest star for "SNL," she received a congratulations from Tina Fey.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

"Please try to mention my name in your acceptance speech," Fey wrote to White
"I've won six Emmys and you never get used to it," White said
White got nominated again this year for outstanding guest star for "SNL"

RELATED TOPICS

(PEOPLE.com) -- Now that she's sealed a deal for two books to be published next year, Betty White is already polishing up her byline with a signed piece in the Hollywood Reporter, reminiscing about her first Emmy win -- in 1952.

"The Emmys weren't a big thing back then -- more like a little local awards show," writes White, 88. Compared to current ceremony -- the 62nd annual Emmys will air live on NBC Sunday at 8 p.m. ET -- in the early days, "There were no photographers and no red carpet. You just got out of your car and walked into the dinner. It wasn't even an event where people mingled and partied. You came for the awards and left."

Nominated as best comedic actress for her early domestic sitcom, "Life with Elizabeth" -- a sort of "I Love Lucy" wannabe -- White was certain she'd lose to perceived frontrunner Zsa Zsa Gabor, who even took out her compact to freshen up to give her speech. Only White won.

"I almost fainted right there," White recalls. "And, believe me, Zsa Zsa was just as shocked ... but Zsa Zsa was wonderful about it and offered me congratulations."

No Speeches Back Then

At the ceremony, which was held at the now long-gone Coconut Grove nightclub, "There were no speeches then, so I just accepted my award and left," says White.

Since then, "I've won six Emmys and you never get used to it. I got nominated again this year for outstanding guest star for 'Saturday Night Live,' " she says. Better yet, last Saturday at the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony, White, 88, won for her "SNL" turn.

When she was nominated, she also received the congratulations from one of the celebrated alumni of that show (and a nominee in the same category), Tina Fey -- who, White says, "sent me this big bouquet of roses and tulips and a card."

Its message: "Dear Betty, Congratulations on your nomination. Please try to mention my name in your acceptance speech."

George Harrison's son, Ben Harper form a band

2010-08-27T19:55:00.003-07:00

Dhani Harrison teams up with Ben Harper and Joseph Arthur to form the band Fistful of Mercy.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

They call themselves Fistful of Mercy, after the track of the same name
The trio had recorded the nine acoustic tracks that make up "As I Call You Down"
The band will hit the road together in October

- In February, when Ben Harper, Joseph Arthur and Dhani Harrison arrived at the Carriage House studio in Los Angeles' Silverlake neighborhood, they had three days booked and zero songs to record.

"I thought I was going there to add some guitars or harmonies on Joseph's album," says Harrison, who was invited to the session by Harper, whom he befriended at a skate park in Santa Monica. "When I got to the studio, I saw Joe and asked, 'What songs are we going to do?' He said we hadn't written them yet."

After three long days, the trio had recorded the nine acoustic tracks that make up "As I Call You Down" -- and called themselves Fistful of Mercy, after the track of the same name. "I never thought we'd pull off an entire album, [I thought] maybe we'd get an EP," says Harper, who credits Arthur as the catalyst who pushed for three songs a day. "The three of us were able to create something we never could have done on our own."

With three acoustic guitars and three microphones, the team worked out musical arrangements, and then retreated to different corners of the studio to write. "We were each others' lyric police," says Arthur. ("It was very 'Wilbury' style," says Harrison, whose late father George was a member of the Travelin' Wilburys.)

Many times, Harrison threw out lyrical themes for inspiration. "Things Go 'Round" is a throwback to John Lennon's "Instant Karma," imagining a world where people are immediately accountable for their actions. When Harrison called for a blues number, the trio quickly drafted "My Father's Son." Says Arthur: "It's really about the three of our voices, and the harmonies. We're basically singing together the whole time."

With nine acoustic and vocal tracks completed, Harrison was determined to ratchet the music up to another level. He instinctively called the legendary session drummer Jim Keltner, an old family friend. "I'd never done anything that I thought was worthy of calling Jim," says Harrison. "We had an emotional conversation on the phone, and he heard some of the stuff we'd done, and he said he'd do it." Keltner overdubbed percussion, Arthur added bass, and Harper (who calls Keltner the "Dalai Lama of the drums") added some slide guitar.

"These guys are so talented," says Harrison of his bandmates, who will all hit the road together in October. "I can't believe I get to call them my musical brothers."

Report: iTunes to rent TV shows for 99 cents

2010-08-27T19:55:00.002-07:00

Apple appears to be moving further into the market for online and mobile television.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Apple may offer TV programming for rental through iTunes, according to a report
TV shows would be available soon after they aired; they would cost 99 cents
An announcement about the deal reportedly is set for September 7
People can only buy shows on iTunes now; Apple has not commented on the report

In a move that could further popularize online and mobile video, Apple's iTunes store this fall may begin renting TV programming to viewers for 99 cents per episode, according to a report from Bloomberg News.

The report, which cites three unnamed sources familiar with the situation, said Apple "is in advanced talks" with News Corp. to offer Fox programming for rental through iTunes.

The digital files would be available to renters for 48 hours after they were purchased, and new episodes would go online within 24 hours of airing on television, according to the report.

Apple also is in reported talks with CBS, NBC and Disney, which owns ABC, to offer similar deals, according to Bloomberg.

News Corp. spokesman Jack Horner declined to comment on the situation. An Apple spokesman said the company does not comment on speculation.

Bloomberg said an announcement about the deal will come at an Apple press event to be held in September. Apple on Wednesday afternoon sent out an invitation to the news media for an event in San Francisco, California, on September 1. The invite did not specify the subject of the event.

Currently, people who want to watch TV through iTunes must purchase episodes at a higher rate, usually about $1.99. There are no existing services that allow people to rent individual television episodes soon after airing in the way Apple is reportedly pursuing. Some TV network websites and others such as Hulu.com, however, do offer programming for free with commercials.

The iTunes TV rentals would be commercial-free, according to the report.

The lower rental price may be enough to entice new people to start watching television on their mobile phones or computers, writes Jacqui Cheng of Ars Technica, a CNN.com partner site.

The $1.99 price point is "just high enough to annoy many customers who are used to getting TV for free, but low enough that people pay it," she writes.

"A 99-cent TV rental would obviously be a little closer to free and, if the shows remain commercial-free like the rest of iTunes, would be an upgrade from watching them on the boob tube or Hulu."

Amazon and Netflix are among Apple's other competitors in online TV. Netflix lets subscribers stream some TV programming on computers or onto their TVs with the help of a set-top device such as the Roku or Xbox. Many TV shows are available through Netflix, but they usually aren't available until well after they've aired.

People can rent digital movies from Amazon and can purchase seasons and episodes of TV shows, but they cannot rent television programming.

iTunes TV show rentals could boost Apple's mobile device sales.

"While available on any platform that can run iTunes, the deal would almost certainly be a boon to Apple's iOS stable -- iPad, iPhone and iPod," writes Ryan Singel at Wired.com, another CNN.com content partner. "iOS users already use iTunes as their media hub for buying apps and music, as well as renting movies -- helping to make the iTunes store the world's largest digital music retailer."

Further announcements about Apple TV, Apple's set-top box to bring iTunes movies and videos to home living rooms, also may be coming in September.

There are rumors the product will be renamed iTV, and that its price will be dropped to $99. Bloomberg also reports that a new version of the iPod Touch, with a higher-resolution screen, may be announced next month.

MIT unveils swimming, oil-cleaning robots

2010-08-27T19:55:00.001-07:00

Prototypes of the MIT Seaswarm robots have been tested in the ocean, but they're not ready for commercial use.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

MIT develops a seagoing robot that uses a special material to absorb and gather oil
The robot, called Seaswarm, collects oil from the surface of water autonomously
The machines would work best in swarms of thousands, researchers say
The prototype will be unveiled on Saturday; expect them to be commercial in a year

Here's a new way of looking at oil spill clean-up: Forget the big ships, massive work crews and hefty price tags.

Instead, just deploy an army of autonomous, oil-scrubbing robots. They can find the oil on their own. And when they reach the site of an oil spill, they talk to their robot friends to figure out the best way to get the whole thing mopped up.

That's the vision the Massachusetts Institute of Technology put forward on Wednesday as the school announced the development of a prototypical robot called Seaswarm. The $20,000 robots will be unveiled officially to the public on Saturday at an event in Venice, Italy, and will be ready to deal with oil spills in about a year, said Assaf Biderman, who oversaw MIT's research team on the project.

The Seaswarm robots, which were developed by a team from MIT's SENSEable City Lab, look like a treadmill conveyor belt that's been attached to an ice cooler. The conveyor belt piece of the system floats on the surface of the ocean. As it turns, the belt propels the robot forward and lifts oil off the water with the help of a nanomaterial that's engineered to attract oil and repel water.

"You can imagine it like a carpet rolling on the surface of the water," said Biderman, who also is associate director of the SENSEable City Lab.

The material on the robot's conveyer belt, which MIT calls a "paper towel for oil spills," can absorb up to 20 times its weight in oil.

Once it has absorbed the crude from the surface of the ocean, the robot can either burn off the oil on the spot, using a heater on the "ice cooler" part of its body, or it can bag the oil and leave it on the surface of the water for a later pick-up, Biderman said. That oil could be reused or recycled.

The robots are designed to work in a swarm, he said, meaning thousands could be deployed on the same spill at once. They coordinate with each other by using GPS location data. That lets them plot out the most efficient way to tackle a clean-up project.

Biderman said the Seaswarm robots are relatively cheap, quick and effective at cleaning up oil spills.

Had they been deployed on the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, he said, the Seaswarm robots would have cleaned up the oil in two months at a cost of $100 million to $200 million, far less than the actual clean-up bill.

The Seaswarm robots operate on solar energy and require only 100 watts of power, or about that of a bright light bulb. They could stay at sea for months, Biderman said, and could operate around the clock.

The conveyor belts on the robots also are engineered in a way that they hug the water to prevent them from flipping over.

"Because it adheres to the surface of the water, it cannot capsize," he said, "So it can withstand quite severe weather. Imagine this like a leaf that lands on the surface of the water and moves with the waves and the currents and cannot be flipped over."

Traditional oil skimmers are attached to large boats. They must be operated by people, which increases their cost and they are hampered by severe weather.

About 800 skimming boats were deployed in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, which began in April and led to nearly 5 million barrels of oil being released into the ocean, according to government estimates. By comparison, 5,000 to 10,000 of MIT's autonomous robots would have been needed to respond to the spill, Biderman said.

MIT will continue research on the robots for about a year, he said, at which time the robot technology would be ready for commercial production and possibly a buyer.

Other groups are developing oil-spill cleanup technology, too.

Case Western Reserve University has developed another nanotechnology "sponge" material that could be used in response to such disasters.

And a company called Extreme Spill Technology says on its website that it has developed a traditional, boat-based skimming technology that works much more quickly and in rougher waters than the traditional skimmers.

Biderman said MIT's oil-sopping robot would be most effective in situations like the recent oil disaster, where oil is spread out.

"Ideally, when spillage happens, the best thing to do is to contain it right where the spillage occurs," he said. "But quite often the oil goes out of containment, and this is where this technology would be most effective."

But the robots were actually designed with smaller, localized clean-ups in mind, he said.

"We're hoping that spillage like what we've seen with Deepwater Horizon will not occur again, but oil leakage constantly happens and that's really what motivated us," he said. "When you drill offshore, you always have leakage. And you can imagine a team of robots waiting around the corner for a spill."

Google: 1 million Gmail calls on first day

2010-08-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

Google's new service, which lets Gmail users make free or cheap calls via their computers, appears to be a hit.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

New service lets Gmail users make free calls to U.S. and Canada and cheap calls overseas
"Over 1,000,000 calls placed from Gmail in just 24 hours!" Google tweeted Thursday
Author had two successes with the service the day it launched, both unplanned

- Google Wave and Google Buzz may have had troubles attracting usage, but the new ability to place calls from Gmail appears to have caught on quickly.

"Over 1,000,000 calls placed from Gmail in just 24 hours!" Google tweeted Thursday, evidently pleased with the number.

For comparison, there are somewhat more than 300 million people in the United States. If the average person makes 10 calls per day--research in 2008 put the number at 208 calls per month--that means about one out of every 3,000 calls in the U.S. went through the service on its first day.

The service lets Gmail users make free calls to U.S. and Canada and inexpensive calls to phones in other countries. It uses Gmail as an interface and optionally can integrate with Google Voice to receive calls as well.

To be sure, a lot of calls are placed daily in the United States, where the new Gmail feature was activated initially. But the figure indicates that a sizable number of the millions of Gmail users at least gave it a whirl even if they didn't decide it was time to stop paying for their other phones.

I had two successes with the service the day it launched, both unplanned. First, somebody called my mobile phone and my computer "rang" as well. I had the pleasure of conducting an interview via headphones and my computer's microphone rather than trying to squeeze my mobile phone between my shoulder and ear for an hour.

I've done plenty of interviews over Skype, but this time the call came in from the phone system without my having to get somebody to sign up for Skype or for me to pay for a SkypeIn phone number.

Second, I came back to my desk to see a missed call announced on my Gmail screen. I clicked the phone number to call back and had a quick chat through my computer. Nothing fancy, but no mobile phone minutes were consumed in this process, and I didn't have to tell anybody anything except my Google Voice phone number.

Given the vast number of phone calls made daily, I'm reluctant to draw any grand conclusions. But the fact is that I used the service twice yesterday without actively seeking to do so (granted, I already signed up for Google Voice and installed the required chat plug-in).

That indicates to me that it's a matter those in the voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) realm or more traditional telephony will need to take seriously.

Attorneys general call for Craigslist to get rid of adult services ads

2010-08-27T19:52:00.001-07:00

Selling sex?: Confronting Craigslist

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Attorneys general urge Craigslist to drop adult services ads
Company pledges to prevent 'misuse of our site'
Fake ad garnered 15 calls soliciting sex in three hours

Attorneys general in 17 states have banded together to call on Craigslist, the online classified ad website, to discontinue its adult services section.

"The increasingly sharp public criticism of Craigslist's Adult Services section reflects a growing recognition that ads for prostitution -- including ads trafficking children -- are rampant on it," the attorneys general said in a Tuesday letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster and founder Craig Newmark.

The letter continued: "We recognize that Craigslist may lose the considerable revenue generated by the Adult Services ads. No amount of money, however, can justify the scourge of illegal prostitution, and the suffering of the women and children who will continue to be victimized, in the market and trafficking provided by Craigslist."

A Craigslist spokeswoman said Wednesday that the site agreed with at least some of the letter.

"We strongly support the attorneys general desire to end trafficking in children and women, through the Internet or by any other means," Susan MacTavish Best, who handles media inquiries for Craigslist, told CNN Wednesday.

"We hope to work closely with them, as we are with experts at nonprofits and in law enforcement, to prevent misuse of our site in facilitation of trafficking, and to combat such crimes wherever they appear, online or offline."

In their letter, the attorneys general highlighted an open letter, which appeared as a Washington Post ad, in which two girls said they were sold for sex on Craigslist.

When the ad came out, Buckmaster wrote a blog post in response that said, "Craigslist is anxious to know that the perpetrators in these girls' cases are behind bars."

The letter also highlighted a report in May by CNN's Amber Lyon, who posted a fake ad in the adult section. She received 15 calls soliciting sex in three hours.

Earlier this month, Lyon interviewed a woman named "Jessica" who sells sex on Craigslist. She told Lyon a Craigslist ad was "the fastest, quickest way you're for sure going to see somebody that day."

In a later blog, Buckmaster said Craigslist implemented manual screening of adult services ads in May 2009. "Since that time, before being posted each individual ad is reviewed by an attorney." He said the attorneys are trained to enforce Craigslist's posting guidelines, "which are stricter than those typically used by yellow pages, newspapers, or any other company that we are aware of."

Attorneys general from Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia made the request a week after accused "Craigslist killer" Philip Markoff committed suicide in jail.

Markoff was charged with the April 2009 killing of Julissa Brisman. Boston Police said that Brisman, a model, advertised as a masseuse on Craigslist, and Markoff might have met her through the website.

In 2008, under pressure from state prosecutors, the website raised the fees for posting adult services ads. In 2009, it started donating portions of the money generated by adult ads to charity.

A CNN investigation of Craigslist's "adult services" section, which replaced "erotic services ads" two years ago, counted more than 7,000 ads in a single day. Many offered thinly veiled "services" for anything from $50 for a half hour to $400 an hour.

Newmark has defended his site, saying it is doing more than any other site that hosts adult ads to help filter out underage prostitutes and report them to police. Best, the Craigslist spokeswoman, said that fewer than one ad in 10,000 meets the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's guidelines for anti-trafficking action.

"Only Craigslist has the power to stop these ads before they are even published, and sadly they are completely unwilling to do so," Kansas Attorney General Steve Six said in a statement.

What's next for 'check-in' apps?

2010-08-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

SCVNGR, a check-in-based app, has announced an integration with Facebook Places.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Developers are using the "check in" idea to build new apps
Apps such as Foursquare and Facebook will let developers build on their code
This has resulted in apps for dating, restaurant finding and challenges
An app called SCVNGR announces an integration with Facebook Places

RELATED TOPICS

(CNN) -- Seth Priebatsch was at a burrito joint in Boston recently when a message popped up on his smartphone from an app called SCVNGR.

If he opened the foil on the burrito ever so carefully and turned the wrapper into a piece of origami art -- and if he uploaded a picture of his creation to the app, the note said, then he would earn points toward a free burrito.

Priebatsch thought: That might be fun.

"I made a really weak origami crane, because I'm no origami artist myself," he said, but "it got me closer to unlocking a free burrito, which was cool."

SCVNGR, which Priebatsch helped create, is one of the latest apps to build on top of the idea of a "check-in," that emerging term some tech-savvy people use to describe the act of using a GPS-enabled smartphone to share their whereabouts with friends.

Increasingly, app developers are using existing location-based social networks -- such as Foursquare, Gowalla and, most recently, Facebook Places -- to create games, challenges, city guides and dating services.

It seems the "check-in" was just the beginning.

SCVNGR, for example, announced its integration with Facebook Places on Friday. That means people can use that free Android and iPhone app to complete challenges similar to Priebatsch's origami experiment and share that information easily with friends on Facebook. People on SCVNGR (pronounced "scavenger") also will be able to see the locations of their friends who use Facebook Places.

Users also can go onto the app and create their own challenges if they've earned enough points, Priebatsch said.

'Check-in fatigue'

Other location-based apps seek to make the act of checking in easier.

Tim Sears said he developed the Future Checkin iPhone app, for example, to help people combat a phenomenon he calls "check-in fatigue."

The app automatically checks users in through the Foursquare network when they go within a 300-meter radius of one of their favorite locations.

That's a big help if you're the kind of person who checks in all the time and gets sick of pulling your phone out of your pocket constantly to do so, he said. And it also may help cut down on the social awkwardness of checking in if you're with friends who would rather you talk to them than stare at a phone.

"If I'm at my house and I know I'm going to be at P.F. Chang's later to grab Chinese food, I could search for that place [on the app], hit 'add to favorites' and it has it on my favorites list at that point," Sears said, "so when I get with in 300 meters of P.F. Chang's it will automatically check me in and send me a notification message."

Geoloqi

An open-source group called geoloqi is trying to take that idea of an automated check-in radius even further.

The volunteer group of app developers, which is based in Portland, Oregon, is working on a website and app that will help trigger events if and when a person walks up to certain pre-set locations.

For example, you would be able to set the app to text you your shopping list when you went within a certain distance of your favorite grocery store.

Or, if you didn't show up to work by 9 a.m., you could set the app automatically to e-mail your boss saying that you're late, said Aaron Parecki, geoloqi's founder.

"We're calling these geonotes," he said, "and these are location-based notes so you can leave yourself a note that is tied to a location and pops up when you're there."

The site and the app should be up and running in about a month, he said. Geoloqi won't be a social network, exactly, but it could be integrated into Foursquare, Gowalla or other location-based networks, he said. The group has one new project up -- it's a Seattle, Washington-based website that can send you a text message, in real time, when a 911 call is placed within a certain radius of you.

Check-in guides

Other add-ons act more like guides to a city.

Foursquare has developed a number of innovative partnerships with corporations that want to advertise through the network, said Marshall Kirkpatrick, the lead writer at the tech blog ReadWriteWeb.

The Independent Film Channel, for example, launched a challenge for its viewers to review theaters, coffee shops and restaurants that exemplify the IFC brand, he said. The company picked its favorites, and people who follow IFC on Foursquare get notifications and reviews if they're nearby.

Bravo, another TV channel, also has a similar integration with Foursquare. The channel's pseudo stars, such as Lynne Curtin from "The Real Housewives of Orange County," submit reviews of their favorite spots on the app.

Yelp, the restaurant and venue review site, also has added check-ins and is expected to integrate soon with Facebook Places. On the wackier side of things, an Android app called Pee*Free collected information from Foursquare users about public toilets to get you a rated guide to free, public commodes near you.

Finally, a website called Where Do You Go takes a person's Foursquare check-ins and plots them on a heat map -- giving you a good idea of which neighborhoods in your city you visit most often and which others you may want to explore.

Location games

Other developers are interested in turning the real world into a game.

Some are using check-ins to do so, although most of these appear to be in the earliest stages, said Brian Crecente, editor-in-chief at the gaming blog Kotaku.

A few games build on top of the Foursquare network. One, called Mayor War, encourages users of that app "to fight each other with virtual weapons in real locations."

"Use eggs, wedgies, wet wellies and many more weapons to fight your friends and fellow mayors on Foursquare venues," a description of that app says.

Another, called Mob Zombies, uses location as part of a zombie fighting game.

Shopkick

Other check-in-based apps try to save people money.

A app called shopkick, for example, is trying to combine some gamelike features with real-world shopping deals.

When you sign into the app, you're shown a list of nearby retail stores. Some of those stores offer you deals if you check in from their location; others may give you a discount or points if you just walk in; and still others require you to complete some sort of challenge -- like taking a photo of merchandise -- before earning points.

Points in shopkick can be redeemed for gift cards and other prizes.

The app only works in certain cities for now, including New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, and Chicago, Illinois, according to the app's website.

Further innovation

These apps may only be the beginning.

For developers to build on top of existing check-in apps, the owners of those apps must open their code for developers to tinker with.

Foursquare did this in November 2009, but others have only opened up recently or may do so in the near future. Gowalla, one of Foursquare's direct competitors, opened its code up for developers this month.

Facebook Places announced it would let a group of select partners, including Foursquare, tinker with its code.

Facebook said it will open up its check-in code to everyone to write on top of in "coming months."

That will give developers a chance to put new check-in-based apps out to Facebook's 500 million users around the globe.

This doesn't ensure the success of check-in-based apps, said Kirkpatrick, from ReadWriteWeb, but he said he hopes it will give this idea a boost.

Real Madrid and AC Milan paired in 'Group of Death'

2010-08-27T19:50:00.001-07:00

Group G contained clubs who have won the famous trophy on 20 occasions.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Real Madrid and AC Milan in same Group G in Champions League draw
Ajax and Auxerre also in 'Group of Death' who have won competition 20 times between them
Champions Inter Milan to open against Tottenham, Werder Bremen and FC Twente
Top two from each of eight groups go through to last 16 knockout stage

(CNN) -- Nine-time winners Real Madrid were handed a monumental task as the draw for the group stages of this season's Champions League was made in Monaco on Thursday.

Jose Mourinho's new charges were paired with seven-time winners AC Milan, four-time champions Ajax Amsterdam and French side Auxerre in Group G.

Real have failed to progress beyond the last 16 knock out stages for the past six seasons, but will need to be at their best to reach the second round with only the top two from each of the eight groups going through.

Title holders Inter Milan, coached to their triple triumph by Mourinho before he departed for the Bernabeu, have also been handed a difficult group.

English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, Bundesliga Werder Bremen and Dutch champions FC Twente will be their opponents in Group A.

It's a group of death, but we'll do what we need to
--Massimiliano Allegri

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said the two Milan clubs had been given very tough tests.

"Our group and Inter's are definitely the most difficult," he told AFP.

"It's a group of death, but we'll do what we need to."

The draw has also thrown up another "Battle of Britain" with three-time champions Manchester United in Group C alongside Scottish champions Rangers.

La Liga side Valencia and Champions League new boys Bursaspor of Turkey complete the group.

The 2009 winners Barcelona, one of eight top seeds, have been installed as the early favorites after drawing Greek side Panathinaikos, FC Copenhagen of Denmark and Russian league winners Rubin Kazan in Group D.

The opening set of group games will take place on September 14 and 15, with the final scheduled for England's famous Wembley stadium on May 28, 2011.

Full draw:

Group A

Inter Milan (ITA)

Werder Bremen (GER)

Tottenham (ENG)

Twente (NED)

Group B

Lyon (FRA)

Benfica (POR)

Schalke (GER)

Hapoel Tel-Aviv (ISR)

Group C

Man Utd (ENG)

Valencia (ESP)

Rangers (SCO)

Bursaspor (TUR)

Group D

Barcelona (ESP)

Panathinaikos (GRE)

Copenhagen (DEN)

Rubin Kazan (RUS)

Group E

Bayern Munich (GER)

Roma (ITA)

Basel (SUI)

CFR Cluj (ROM)

Group F

Chelsea (ENG)

Marseille (FRA)

Spartak Moscow (RUS)

Zilina (SVK)

Group G

AC Milan (ITA)

Real Madrid (ESP)

Ajax (NED)

Auxerre (FRA)

Group H

Arsenal (ENG)

Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)

Sporting Braga (POR)

Partizan Belgrade (SRB)

Manchester City to face Juventus in Europa League group

2010-08-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Roberto Mancini's Manchester City have been drawn in the same Europa League group as Juventus.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Manchester City are drawn with Juventus in their Europa League group
Austrian champions Salzburg and Lech Poznan are other teams in Group A
Holders Atletico Madrid will face Bayer Leverkusen, Rosenborg and Aris Thessaloniki
Liverpool paired with Napoli, Steaua Bucharest and Utrecht in their group

Roberto Mancini will take Manchester City back to his homeland after the English club were paired with Italian giants Juventus in the Europa League draw.

The Italian was coach at Inter Milan for nearly four years, leading them to three successive titles, before taking over at City in December 2009.

It also means a return to Italy for new City striker Mario Balotelli, who was signed from Inter earlier this month. The other two teams in Group A are Austrian champions Salzburg and Polish side Lech Poznan.

Elsewhere, defending champions Atletico Madrid, from Spain, have been paired with German club Bayer Leverkusen, Rosenborg, from Norway, and Greek side Aris Thessaloniki.

Spanish side Sevilla, who were knocked out of the Champions League in midweek, have been drawn with Paris Saint Germain, of France, German side Bayer Leverkusen and Karpaty, of Ukraine.

Liverpool will play Italian side Napoli, Steaua Bucharest, of Romania and Utrecht, of the Netherlands.

Their captain, Steven Gerrard, says he fully expects the club to be installed as favorites to win the competition. He told the club's official website: "It's a strong group and I'm certainly looking forward to the games.

We haven't won a trophy for four years so it's important we put a good show on in all the cup competitions
--Steven Gerrard, Liverpool captain

"The media will make us early favorites I'm sure, because of our experience in the Champions League and last year in the Europa League. I'm confident we can get out of the group but it will be tough. The draw has given us some difficult challenges.

"I don't think the Europa League is the priority. Everybody knows that our league position, where we finish at the end of this year, is the priority.

"But it's another trophy, it's a big cup. We haven't won a trophy for four years now so it's important we put a good show on in all the cup competitions and try to reward the fans with a final."

The Europa League draw in full:

Group A: Juventus, Manchester City, Salzburg and Lech Poznan.

Group B: Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Rosenborg and Aris Thessaloniki.

Group C: Sporting, Lille, Levski Sofia and Gent.

Group D: Villarreal, Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb and PAOK.

Group E: AZ Alkmaar, Dynamo Kiev, BATE Borisov and FC Sheriff.

Group F: CSKA Moscow, Palermo, Sparta Prague and Lausanne Sports.

Group G: Zenit St Petersburg, Anderlecht, AEK Athens and Hadjuk Split.

Group H: Stuttgart, Getafe, Odense and Young Boys.

Group I: PSV Eindhoven, Sampdoria, Metalist Kharkiv and Debreceni.

Group J: Sevilla, Paris Saint Germain, Borussia Dortmund and Karpaty.

Group K: Liverpool, Steaua Bucharest, Napoli and Utrecht.

Group L: Porto, Besiktas, CSKA Sofia and Rapid Vienna.

The first group games will be played on September 16.

Alonso quickest in Belgium GP practice

2010-08-27T19:43:00.001-07:00

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was quickest at Spa, even during the rain-affected morning session.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso is quickest in practice for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix
Alonso posts lap of one minute, 49.032 seconds at Spa circuit
Force India's Adrian Sutil came second with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton third
Championship leader Mark Webber of Red Bull was 2.6 seconds off Alonso

(CNN) -- Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso set the pace during practice for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.

The Spaniard was quickest in both the morning and afternoon sessions as his rivals for the drivers' championship lagged behind.

Alonso posted a lap of two minutes, 0.797 seconds in a rain-hit morning session but improved to record a second lap of one minute, 49.032 seconds in the more favorable afternoon conditions.

Force India's Adrian Sutil was 0.125 seconds behind Alonso, while McLaren's Lewis Hamilton came third. Drivers' championship leader Mark Webber was left trailing by a full 2.6 seconds.

Webber told Formula One's official website: "Today was a bit of a messy day with the changing conditions, but it was actually pretty good for us. We got some good information to go through and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

"There are a few quick guys out there, but we're not slow either. It's hard to get a feel for what everyone's doing with the changing weather. It's a beautiful track here, it's special - today we got to sample it in all conditions."

After the morning session was dominated by rain, the afternoon stint was delayed by a red flag, then concerns for the crowd after spectators appeared to climb onto fences for a better view of the track.

It has definitely been a positive day, because the car seems to respond well in all track conditions
--Fernando Alonso, Ferrari

RELATED TOPICS

It led to a chaotic end to the final session, but Alonso managed to complete his quickest lap of the day shortly before time ran out.

Alonso told the Formula One website: "The impression one gets on Friday does not always get confirmed on Saturday and Sunday, therefore we have to evaluate today's results with a lot of care.

"Having said that, it has definitely been a positive day, because the car seems to respond well in all track conditions that we encountered today."

Renault's Robert Kubica came fourth, Alonso's teammate Felipe Massa was fifth, Sebastian Vettel came sixth in the Red Bull, while Jenson Button was seventh overall -- four places behind McLaren teammate Hamilton.

"The weather made it a bit of an up-and-down day," Hamilton said. "It started off very wet, so we didn't do too much running in the morning. But we got a few more laps this afternoon on the intermediates and then the option tire.

"Because the rules don't allow us to use too many wet-weather tires - we only have three extremes and four intermediates - we really need to look after them, so we were very cautious, just in case we need to use them later on in the weekend.

"We're definitely making small steps forward. This track does seem to suit our car better [than in Hungary], but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

"If it rains, then we seem to be competitive, but we have realistic expectations for this weekend - I didn't score in the last race, so it's important that we get more points on the board on Sunday."

Barcelona agree deal for Mascherano

2010-08-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

Javier Mascherano's protracted move from Liverpool to Barcelona is nearly complete.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Barcelona have agreed a deal with Liverpool for Javier Mascherano
Argentina international set to finalize terms with Spanish champions
The 26-year-old joined Liverpool in January 2007

Spanish champions Barcelona have announced they've agreed a deal to sign Javier Mascherano from Liverpool.

The Argentina international asked to be sold in July and has recently been left out of Liverpool's squad as his drawn out move neared completion.

Mascherano is now expected to fly to Barcelona this weekend to put the finishing touches to a transfer believed to be in the region of $27 million.

A statement on Barcelona's official website read: "FC Barcelona and Liverpool FC have reached agreement in principle for the transfer of Javier Mascherano, who will join the club for the next four seasons.

"The agreement was reached after considerable effort from the club over the last few hours and the willingness and desire of the player to make the move.

"FC Barcelona will give more details of the operation once the player has gone through his medical and the transfer is definitive. Javier Mascherano is expected to arrive in Barcelona this weekend."

Mascherano played in Liverpool's opening English Premier League fixture with Arsenal, but did not feature in either of the club's next two games, as he tried to push through the deal.

He was signed from West Ham in January 2007 by former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez -- now in charge at European champions Inter Milan.

New Liverpool coach Roy Hodgson had set a deadline of Sunday for the deal to be finalized, as the two clubs haggled over a fee.

Liverpool also confirmed the deal on their website: "Liverpool Football Club have agreed terms for the transfer of Javier Mascherano to FC Barcelona.

"The Spanish club have now been given permission to speak to the Argentina midfielder."

Atletico Madrid claim Super Cup; Kaiserslautern humble Bayern Munich

2010-08-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Atletico Madrid celebrate lifting the European Super Cup.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Atletico Madrid lift the European Super Cup by beating Inter Milan 2-0
Jose Reyes and Sergio Aguero score for the Europa League holders
Rafael Benitez loses his first competitive game in charge of Inter
German champions Bayern Munich are beaten by newly-promoted Kaiserslautern

Atletico Madrid upset European champions Inter Milan to secure the UEFA Super Cup in Monaco.

Goals from Jose Reyes and Sergio Aguero handed the Europa League winners a healthy advantage before Inter's Argentina striker Diego Milito missed a late penalty.

It signaled defeat for new Inter coach Rafael Benitez in his first competitive fixture, after taking over from Jose Mourinho, who joined Spanish club Real Madrid.

Inter had the better of the opening half with Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder going close from a tight angle.

But in the second half, Atletico posed more problems of Inter's defence and they deservedly took the lead when Reyes' shot squeezed past keeper Julio Cesar at the near post.

As Inter pressed for an equalizer, Atletico doubled their advantage when Sergio Aguero turned home Simao's left wing cross.

There was still time for Atletico keeper David De Gea to save Diego Milto's penalty in the final minute.

Elsewhere, newly-promoted Kaiserslautern shocked German champions Bayern Munich with a 2-1 win in the Bundesliga.

Two goals in as many minutes from Ivo Ilicevic and Srdjan Lakic gave the home side the advantage just after the half hour mark.

Despite fielding a host of World Cup stars, including Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mark Van Bommel, Bayern couldn't find a way back into the game.

Goalscorer Ilicevic was sent off in the closing stages for a second bookable offence but Kaiserslautern held on to win their second game in a row and climb to the top of the table.

Woods slips back at Barclays tournament

2010-08-27T19:39:00.002-07:00

Tiger Woods struggled on day two of The Barclays tournament in New Jersey.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Tiger Woods shoots a two-over par 73 on day two of The Barclays tournament
Woods had a share of the lead after the opening round but fell back on Friday
Stewart Cink shoots a round of 69 to post a reminder of his Ryder Cup credentials
Padraig Harrington is on five-under as he battles for a Ryder Cup wild card

Woods' return to form was dented by four bogeys on the back nine as he slipped down the leaderboard at The Barclays tournament.

The world number one shot 65 -- his best round of the year -- on the opening day at Ridgewood Country Club just days after his split from wife Elin Nordegren was confirmed after months of rumors about his personal life.

But he couldn't match his performance on Friday as he carded four bogeys on the back nine to record a round of 73. He has now slipped back to four shots off the lead, which is currently held by Australian Jason Day.

The 34-year-old played the back nine first and was two-under at the turn but things went rapidly downhill from the 11th onwards, as he made bogey on the par three hole.

He followed that by missing a two-foot putt for par on the 14th, making another bogey on the 15th, before another on the final hole completed a miserable afternoon.

I should be better than five-under par but it's neither here nor there if it stays within a few of the lead
--Padraig Harrington

Woods is hoping to show American Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin that his form is worthy of a wild card pick for the bi-annual battle with Europe that starts in Wales in October.

Veteran Stewart Cink gave Pavin a timely reminder of his Ryder Cup credentials, as he fired a round of 69 to move to six-under.

Irishman Padraig Harrington is an a similar situation to Woods, hoping to impress European captain Colin Montgomerie as he battles to win one of three wild card spots available, and will have done his chances no harm with a round of 68 to move onto five-under.

Harrington chose not to participate in the final European Tour event at Gleneagles before the team is picked on Sunday, and is need of a good showing if he is to be included.

"I should be better than five-under par," Harrington told the PGA Tour website. "But it's neither here nor there if it stays within a few of the lead, that's fine."

English trio Paul Casey, Justin Rose and Luke Donald are also relying on a captain's pick to keep their Ryder Cup hopes alive.

Casey finished on four-under, while Rose and Donald are off the pace at one-under and even par respectively.

Oman to invest $20 billion in rugged beauty to lure upscale tourists

2010-08-27T19:39:00.001-07:00

Oman's bespoke tourism

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Southern Oman is famous for the beauty of its summer monsoon season
The region's rugged, untouched natural sites are a tourism draw
The Persian Gulf nation has historically been overlooked as a vacation destination
Oman is developing the tourism industry to diversify its oil-dependent economy

Salalah, Oman As temperatures soar across the Persian Gulf, one oasis is blossoming with greenery.

The summer monsoon season, or "khareef," draws visitors from around the world to Oman's southern reaches. For forty-five days, the coastal city of Salalah celebrates cool temperatures and welcome drizzle with a festival of stars, singers and artists from across the Arab world.

But locals are most proud of what waits outside the carnival tents and market stalls.

Oman's natural beauty remains relatively untouched compared to the Gulf's developed urban centers. Don't visit expecting Dubai's skyscrapers and shopping malls. Oman touts the quiet grandeur of its mountains, deserts and beaches, according to Sultan Bin Hamdoon Al Harthi, head of the Muscat Municipality.

He told CNN: "We have been blessed with this terrain. And this is one of the elements that identify us from others. We have these mountains. It's a very rugged landscape, which has its own mystique and its own haunting beauty."

Publicizing this trove of natural resources and making it accessible to tourists, has become a top priority for officials -- and they are spending big money on it.

It's a very rugged landscape, which has its own mystique and its own haunting beauty.
--Sultan Bin Hamdoon Al Harthi, Muscat Municipality

Estimates are that investments to expand facilities for tourism across Oman will amount to $20 billion over the next few years, according Business Monitor International.

Oman wants to attract 12 million visitors annually by 2020, according to the head of the state airline. He said country's long term plan is to diversity from its current dependence on oil and gas production.

Currently, visitors can already choose among 11 five-star hotels and resorts throughout the country. The two hundred acres of private beach and gardens of the Al Bustan Palace Hotel in Muscat bring nature straight to the tourist. Adventure-seekers can also take in camel racing, whale and turtle watching, and climbing and caving further afield.

Sultan Quaboos Bin Said, Oman's ruler, has steadily opened his country to foreign visitors since assuming power in 1970. He sees travel and tourism as an essential part of his nation's economic development, according to Oman's Ministry of Information.

But the expansion is calculated to balance luxury resorts with the country's uniquely rugged, undeveloped landscape. Unlike the high rises of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Oman's walled cities and ancient forts emphasize historic architecture, including several UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Other draws include fragrant frankincense trees dotted along medieval trade routes, mosques rich with Islamic art and 2,000-year-old archeological sites, according to UNESCO.

Al-Harthi said: "It is extremely significant for cities to have an identity, to have character, to avoid any urban alienation to its residents. We try to keep it humane as possible, in the face, of course, of the throes of modernism."

Oman still has work to do to distinguish itself as an international destination.

Historically, the sultanate has been largely overlooked by visitors, and tourism made up only four percent of the economy in 2008, according to Business Monitor International.

But as Oman tries to diversify from its oil industry in search of a prosperous future, it is banking on its other natural resources -- the green mountains and flowering desert that stretch up from sea.

Ngozi Edozien: 'Investing in Africa is not for the faint-hearted'

2010-08-27T19:37:00.001-07:00

Facetime with Ngozi Edozien

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Ngozi Edozien is head of West Africa for private equity investor Actis
"Briefcase investing" is not suitable for Africa, according to Edozien
"I'm not one of these people who believes that you can't do business cleanly in Africa"

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania Proximity is the key to success for investors looking to tap into Africa's up-and-coming economies, according to one expert on West Africa's emerging markets.

"Briefcase investing" cannot be applied in the continent said Ngozi Edozien, head of West Africa for private equity firm, Actis, speaking to CNN's Marketplace Africa.

"You cannot invest in Africa and sit far way," she said. "You actually have to be close to your investment. You have to be close to what is going on so that you can make adjustments to your business and investment strategy as required."

Nigerian-born Edozien was appointed head of Actis' West Africa operations in June 2009. Before that she was the founding chief executive of the Equity Vehicle for Health in Africa, which was co-funded by the IFC, the AFDB, the DEG and the Gates Foundation.

Edozien spoke to CNN's Marketplace Africa about how to invest in Africa with confidence.

CNN: Political upheaval and coalition governments can make Africa a particularly risky investment. How do we get beyond that and what effect does it have on real investment?

Ngozi Edozien: One of the key things about investing anywhere in the world is to have a very good sense of either the industry, or the environment which you're investing in.

While in Africa there is still uncertainty in the political and regulatory environment, what I actually see is a trend to greater stability. There are disruptions, but the governments continue to function and the economies continue to grow.

A terrific example of that is Nigeria in 2009, a year that we had political challenges. Our President was ill, so there was some uncertainty in terms of how were we going to come out of that. The vice-president [became] the acting president and things continued to function. You may not have had that occur 10 years ago.

But, I think it's a real advancement and an example of the stability -- or rather the entrenchment -- of a new democratic process or new way of looking at government.

CNN: Some investors, particularly some of the smaller-scale ones, often have a negative impression of Africa. It seems that this is still a fair stereotype in many markets in Africa.

Africa is not an environment in which you can just sort of place your money and walk away.
--Ngozi Edozien

NE: When it comes to investing in Africa, we often talk about "briefcase investors." In my opinion, you cannot invest in Africa and sit far way. You actually have to be close to your investment, you have to be close to what is going on so that you can make adjustments to your business and investment strategy as required.

Africa is not an environment in which you can just sort of place your money and walk away. It's not for the faint-hearted. You need knowledge, you need presence and you also need the confidence that the market will have underlying fundamentals and growth opportunities that are solid.

CNN: Some of the strongest performers in the last 10 years such as Angola and Nigeria have also been listed as some of the most corrupt countries. What's your responsibility as an investor working in an environment where corruption is often rife?

NE: It comes down to your own analysis of the investment that you're about to make -- the company, the people that you're dealing with and the assessment of that private sector company. How open it is to government influences or other influences that may not allow you to stay within your own compliance regulations, within your own comfort zone.

So, I'm not one of these people who believes that you cannot do business cleanly in Africa. I think you most certainly can. It's about choice, it's about management and it's about understanding who you're actually dealing with and how you choose to play.

CNN: Asia was often seen as an emerging market giant. In your industry, is there a sense that Africa is the new frontier? Or is Africa still the poor cousin of Asia?

NE: That's a very good question. I would say that sophisticated investors are beginning to realize that it is a new frontier. I think if that wasn't the case, you wouldn't have seen the number of new private equity funds that have arisen in Africa over the past five years. So it's an asset class that is beginning to have real traction.

Happy 80th birthday, Warren Buffett

2010-08-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

The 'world's greatest investor' turns 80 on August 30. Warren Buffett and his investments through Berkshire Hathaway have amassed a personal fortune estimated at $47 billion.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Warren Buffet celebrates his 80th birthday on Aug. 30
Has amassed a personal fortune estimated at $47 billion
Built his wealth focusing on 'value investing' stock picks
Maintains a modest home in Omaha and a $100,000 salary cap
Has pledged to give his entire fortune away to charity

Buffett has built a career based on contradictions.

During the greatest explosion of the global capital markets -- with more investors flipping stock in quick trades -- Buffett has amassed one of the world's largest fortunes by looking for bargains and holding onto them.

As chief executives are excoriated for wallet-bursting salaries, Buffett's salary as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has been capped at $100,000 for years: His personal fortune is wholly dependent on the fortune of his company.

While the elite have flocked to cities such as New York, London and Hong Kong to build their fortunes, Buffett has accumulated his wealth from the backwater of Omaha, Nebraska, going home to a nondescript two-story home he lived in for decades before Warren Buffett became "Warren Buffett."

Video: Warren Buffett at 80

And, perhaps most interesting as Buffett celebrates his 80th birthday on Monday as one of the world's richest men, he emerged from the Financial Crisis not only with his reputation intact, but his image burnished: A capitalist hero wearing the white hat, while governments, politicians and companies struggle to regain their pre-crisis reputations in the public eye.

"He is globally respected because people are fascinated with the rich, but at the same time they would like to think it's possible to become rich without it gotten through immoral means -- that you have to cut corners, that you have to be ruthless," said Alice Schroeder, author of "The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life."

"This is one man who raises the tantalizing possibility that that's not true, that you can become rich without compromise," Schroeder said. "He has an image of being an ethical paragon -- that's an ideal a lot of people would like to believe in."

His reputation was solidified in 2006 with his pledge to donate his wealth -- estimated this year at $47 billion -- to charity, and his efforts this year with Bill and Melinda Gates for the world's billionaires to donate half their fortunes.

"He certainly doesn't seem to fit the Rockefeller mode or model of the tycoon," said Laura Rittenhouse, author of "Buffett's Bites: The Essential Investor's Guide to Warren Buffett's Shareholder Letters." "It's less 'noblesse oblige' philanthropy but a sense of you can't take it with you, and you were damn lucky to have it in the first place -- you have to give it back.

"He is a capitalist who is not a materialist," Rittenhouse said.

Value investing

But before Buffett's pledge to give it all back, he built it up. The son of a businessman and four-term congressman, Buffett began investing while in high school and throughout college. But one of his largest influences was Benjamin Graham, an economist who taught him at Columbia University who was an early champion of value investing -- buying shares of companies that are underpriced.

The search for value helped propel Buffett's career and fortune through a wide diversity of industries with impeccable timing. "He studies the concept of 'buy low', 'sell high' as he would nuclear physics ... he will spend years thinking about every nuance and working at it from every angle," Schroeder said. "He's exquisitely aware of what 'buy low' means in a particular economic time and place, and has shifted in an anticipatory way from grungy industries to media and consumer markets at just the right time."

For Buffett, the need to be loved and feel love is behind this drive to succeed
--Alice Schroeder, author of "The Snowball"

RELATED TOPICS

His sense of value investing has at times seemed counterintuitive. In 1988, he spent $1 billion for an 8 percent stake in the Coca-Cola Co., which at the time didn't seem much of a bargain. But as the company exploded with the opening of global markets, that stake is now worth $11 billion.

In the late 1990's, people perceived the "Oracle of Omaha" was missing the boat as he didn't buy into the explosion in technology companies. It turned out instead Berkshire Hathaway missed the dotcom Titanic -- as the S&P 500 lost 43 percent of its value from March 2000 to March 2003 in the wake of the dotcom implosion, the value of Berkshire investments increased 25 percent.

Perhaps the greatest measure of Buffett's investing acumen is the price of stock in his company. When he bought into Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 it was about $18 a share -- this week the price was hovering around $115,000 a share. Its annual return rate to investors since 1964 has averaged 20.3 percent, compared to the 9.3 percent return rate of the S&P.

Admission of mistakes

In 2004 shortly before her death, his wife, Susan, was asked what Warren Buffett's legacy would be. Her answer: His annual letters to stockholders.

Rittenhouse has made a study of Buffett's letters to stockholders. Her "Rittenhouse Rankings" charts a correlation between the candor of a CEO's annual letter to shareholders and the company's stock performance: The more candid assessment of the company in the letter, the better a company's stock performs.

Buffett's style in his letters is a blueprint for how he does business. "For one thing, Warren doesn't provide quarterly earnings guidance -- they truly invest in the long term, so he doesn't tell his investors you can expect to make XXX earnings," Rittenhouse said. "Life is messy, you could have lousy earnings, your insurance holdings may have to pay a great deal of claims -- there's a great deal of honesty in them."

That honesty in his missteps is one reason why Buffett makes fewer of them than others, said Joseph Hallinan, author of the book, "Why We Makes Mistakes," which was published in the UK as "Errornomics."

"Overconfidence is the greatest cause of mistakes for executives ... there's a perception that they kill the weak, and if they show any lack of confidence they can be destroyed," Hallinan said. "The exception is two words: Warren Buffett. If you read his annual letters, he admits in very plain terms making some big mistakes. That's amazingly refreshing in the corporate world."

For example, Buffet's 1993 purchase of the Dexter Show Company for $433 million. In his letter to shareholders in 2008, he admitted "to date, Dexter is the worst deal that I've made." The mistake about the durability of the business was compounded by the fact it was purchased in Berkshire stock -- meaning, over time, the $433 million cost the company $3.5 billion as Berkshire's share price rose.

Acknowledging an error and analyzing why it was made is a cognitive exercise most executives prefer not to make. "He's very well calibrated in understanding what he knows and what he doesn't know ... he's optimistic, but not overconfident," Hallinan said.

Buffett's image as a virtuous tycoon is, in many ways, his own creation, Schroeder said. "Like many oversized, towering figures, he is driven by a tremendous drive and insecurity, otherwise he would be content to stay back at home," she said. "For Buffett, the need to be loved and feel love is behind this drive to succeed. When he was a child, he never felt love -- now he has 40,000 people coming to see him at the (Berkshire) annual meetings.

Many famous CEOs have the same dynamic, Schroeder says, yet they still come across as tyrannical. "Why is he so well liked and respected? He's been working at that for years -- he knew that if he was just rich, he'd be perceived as a robber baron."

Now Buffett has made his greatest investment, a $26 billion investment in the railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., what Buffett has called his "all-in bet" on the U.S. economy. Will that pay off? Buffett is betting his track record that it will.

Could volcanic eruptions signal boom time for ocean life?

2010-08-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

August 4, 2010 -- Updated 0323 GMT (1123 HKT) | Filed under: Innovation

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Scientists test if volcanic ash has prolonged phytoplankton blooms
Sub-polar Atlantic is vital in absorbing carbon dioxide
Volcanic eruption gave unique opportunity for research

London, England - The volcanic eruption in Iceland has given scientists a unique opportunity to study its effect on marine biology.

An international team of scientists is in the far North Atlantic Ocean testing whether volcanic eruptions have a side effect of increasing the absorption of carbon dioxide into the deep sea.

The expedition, from the UK's National Oceanography Center in Southampton, was planned several years before the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajökull.

By chance, it has now given the scientists the opportunity to see how volcanic ash effects iron levels in the water and in turn the growth of the vital organism phytoplankton.

Phytoplankton is important to the eco-system because it takes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the deep sea when it dies.

We are extremely lucky that the volcano has given us a fantastic natural experiment.
--Prof Eric Achterberg, University of Southampton

RELATED TOPICS

Growth of phytoplankton in certain areas is usually limited by lack of iron in the water, and the sub polar Atlantic is believed to be one of these areas. Phytoplankton usually blooms in the spring, but dies back in the summer.

However, scientists are testing the theory that the volcanic eruption has increased iron in the water and will prolong the spring blooms into summer.

Professor Eric Achterberg, who is leading the team of 22 scientists, told CNN from on board the ship RSS Discovery: "We are extremely lucky that the volcano has given us a fantastic natural experiment.

"Normally iron is so low here that after a massive spring bloom, it doesn't grow well in the summer. But after the volcano there's been a lot more iron falling in to the ocean, so we have a fantastic opportunity to check whether iron makes the bloom last longer.

"We are seeing enhanced iron levels compared with other years and we think that's because of the volcano. We need to do a lot more analysis back at the lab before we can confirm the volcano has caused extra phytoplankton growth."

The five-week cruise set off on July 4 and is now in the sub-polar region of the North Atlantic between Greenland and Iceland.

It follows an earlier expedition in April and May, which by chance coincided with the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull.

Prof. Achterberg said: "The volcano erupted during the previous trip to check how conditions were for the spring bloom. They sailed right into the plume, which was an amazing experience though not particularly healthy.

"They went right up to the coast of Iceland and the ship was covered with ash. There was a real rise in iron levels then."

Despite the unique research opportunity offered by the volcano, which is now dormant, it has forced the scientist to abandon the initial aim of their expedition to test the normal iron levels in the region.

"It upset our original hypothesis that this region is iron limited," said Prof. Achterberg. "But we now have a great opportunity to see if a massive volcano can cause enhanced phytoplankton growth and sink more carbon dioxide into the oceans.

"It's a unique situation because we have never been able to look at this before. This could potentially teach us a lot about how the oceans work. The oceans take up 40 percent of all carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so they are pretty significant."

The far North Atlantic is globally significant because it acts as a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide.

The RSS Discovery has reached 63°N, close to Greenland's ice sheets, where there is only two hours of darkness each night.

Scientists have to work through the night to collect biological samples during the brief hours of darkness when the phytoplankton is not photosynthesizing.

Prof. Achterberg said: "We sailed out of the Irish Sea straight into a Force 10 storm which was pretty horrendous. We had to take one scientist back with terrible seasickness, which left him dehydrated and needing hospital treatment.

"It's absolutely beautiful here now though. We're seeing a lot of whales and other wildlife."

Scientist lives as Inuit for a year to save disappearing language

2010-08-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

August 13, 2010 -- Updated 1721 GMT (0121 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Stephen Pax Leonard will live with the Inughuit in north-west Greenland
He wants to document their language and traditions
Leonard says there are about 1,000 speakers of Inuktun left
The average temperature there is minus 25 degrees Celsius

London, England (CNN) -- A British anthropologist is setting out on a year-long stay with a small community in Greenland in an ambitious attempt to document its dying language and traditions.

Stephen Pax Leonard will live with the Inughuit in northwest Greenland, the world's most northernmost people, and record their conversations and storytelling traditions to try and preserve their language.

The Inughuit, who speak Inuktun, a "pure" Inuit dialect, are under increasing political and climatic pressure to move south, says Leonard.

"They have around 10 to 15 years left in their present location, then climate change and politics will force them to move south, and they will be assimilated into a different culture, into a broader community, and their way of life will be lost," Leonard said.

Leonard, who flies out to Copenhagen on Sunday before heading to Greenland, says there are about 1,000 speakers of Inuktun, an undocumented language.

Although most Inughuit are trilingual, also speaking Danish and Greenlandic, their primary language is still Inuktun.

"There is no doubt that this is a major linguistic challenge. ... They speak a very pure form of Inuit, partly because of their geographic isolation. Their entire culture is based on a storytelling culture."

Greenland

There is no doubt that this is a major linguistic challenge
--Stephen Pax Leonard

RELATED TOPICS

Leonard, an anthropological linguist at Cambridge University, England, is under no doubt about the physical and cultural hurdles that face him. The average temperature is minus 25 degrees Celsius, although it can fall to minus 40 degrees Celsius in the winter.

Inughuit, which is the name of the northern Inuits, are hunter-gatherers; they do not have a cash economy and the men can spend weeks away from home hunting for walruses, seals and other mammals. They still use dog sleds in the winter and kayaks in the summer.

Hivshu, an Inughuit who now lives in Sweden, helped Leonard establish contacts with his former community in Greenland.

He has written about the Inughuit way of life on his website: "Even before I went to school I began assisting my father when he was out hunting, summer or winter, no difference. That was the way I heard the stories about my ancestors and their songs told and sung by the old people as it was a tradition to tell the stories and sing the traditional drum songs of Inuit to all of us during the hunting."

Leonard says he is determined to become a part of their community and plans to hunt with the men if he is allowed.

He is taking solid-state audio recorders that should work in the freezing conditions and plans to produce an "ethnography of speaking."

That he hopes will be a permanent record that shows how their language and culture are interconnected

Performing animals mistreated in China, says report

2010-08-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

August 16, 2010 -- Updated 0815 GMT (1615 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Report into Chinese zoos and safari parks found abuse of perforrming animals
Animals Asia campaign group visited 13 parks across the country
"Animal cruelty is happening in every country of the world," says David Neale

Bears riding motorcycles, tigers jumping through flaming hoops and pigs leaping off diving boards. Just some of the "entertainment" that can be seen at circuses, zoos and safari parks in China, according to a report by Animals Asia into animals cruelty.

The Hong Kong-based animal rights campaign group visited 13 safari parks and zoos in China and according to David Neale, Animals Asia's Animal Welfare Director, found that the animal shows "portray the animal to the public in a humiliating way" and have no educational value.

"There is a misunderstanding really within China at the moment about what these animals are experiencing," Neale told CNN.

The report says that many of the performance animals that include tigers, lions, Asiatic black bears, elephants and monkeys are born and bred in captivity and brutalized throughout their lives.

Video: Cruelty to performing animals

These animals have been suffering from birth, really.
--David Neale, Animal Welfare Director, Animals Asia

RELATED TOPICS

"These animals have been suffering from birth, really. Once they're born they go into this industry. And straight away the trainers are starting to brutalize them to make them to do these tricks.... We saw some of the training of the younger animals; they were continually hit to make sure they learnt these tricks so that when they're out in the performance ring they perform them to the best standard."

"Once the trick is finished they then go to the backstage area where they're housed in the most shocking conditions. All kinds of animals are held in cages full of faeces, with very little access to water, very little access to food."

The abuse of performing animals isn't specific to China.

"Animal cruelty is happening in every country across the world," said Neale.

However Neale points out that in China there are currently no animal protection laws, a reason why Animals Asia have worked with Chinese academics to draft legislation not just for animals in captivity, but all animals.

Despite the findings of their investigation, Neale is encouraged by a few signs of progress by the Chinese government to take animal protection seriously.

According to a government report on July 29 the Chinese State Forestry Administration accused companies that have animal performance shows of having excessive focus on profits, leading to the mistreatment and death of the animals.

"We're very pleased that the Chinese government has said that they want the zoos and safari parks to look at the conditions they keep their animals in to rectify these problems," said Neale.

Solar energy brings power to rural Africa

2010-08-27T19:32:00.001-07:00

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

95 percent in rural sub-Saharan Africa have no access to electricity.
Solar power is a cheap, safe, clean alternative to kerosene lamps.
Rural Energy Foundation supports local entrepreneurs to sell low-cost solar systems.

(CNN) -- In rural communities of Africa -- where more than 95 percent of homes have no access to electricity -- solar energy has the power to transform lives.

Globally, 1.5 billion people, one quarter of the world's population, live without electricity, according to a United Nations report.

Those who can afford any power at all spend large proportions of their income on kerosene for lamps or travel to larger towns to charge their batteries several times a week.

Burning kerosene contributes to indoor air pollution, which is estimated to kill 1.6 million people each year. Kerosene lamps also lead to fires that cause severe burns and deaths.

Solar energy saves families money as well as allowing children to study in the evenings and giving families access to information through radio and television and mobile phone chargers.

Lack of access to energy is a cause of poverty, not just a result of poverty.
--Willem Nolens, Rural Energy Foundation

RELATED TOPICS

The light from a solar-powered bulb is also between 10 and 20 times brighter than from a kerosene lamp.

Among those bringing solar power to the world's poor is Rural Energy Foundation, a Dutch non-profit organization. It has now helped 450,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa gain access to low-cost solar power.

Rural Energy Foundation runs the SolarNow program, training independent retailers and technicians in nine countries to sell low-cost solar gadgets or home systems to people without electricity.

Last month, the organization was one of the international winners of the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy.

Willem Nolens, director of Rural Energy Foundation, said: "Lack of access to energy -- just as lack of clean drinking water -- is a cause of poverty, not just a result of poverty.

"Gaining access to electricity can be really life-changing. People can increase their productivity, children can study, read books and watch television, which allows them to be connected to the world.

"Whole villages can become self-sufficient once someone has a home solar system."

Rural Energy Foundation supports 250 independent local retailers in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, Mozambique and Zambia.

It does not provide the equipment, but identifies retailers and distributors and trains them in solar energy technology, marketing, sales and business administration, to help them to grow their own businesses.

Rural Energy Foundation also helps customers to access loans to pay for solar systems, which can usually be repaid within a year or two from the savings made on kerosene or charging batteries.

A full solar home system typically costs between $250 and $630, and a solar lamp between $25 and $40.

Local entrepreneurs can choose their own manufacturers and importers, but Rural Energy Foundation checks their quality and withdraws its support from retailers selling sub-standard products.

Ronald Schuurhuizen, Rural Energy Foundation's country co-coordinator in Uganda, said: "It's a hard life for people in rural areas of Uganda. Most people are subsistence farmers, collect scarce firewood for cooking, go to sleep when it gets dark and hardly ever travel out of their own areas.

"If you need to charge batteries, that often involves cycling 10 or 20 kilometers over hilly terrain to a charging station in a main town.

"The most important difference solar power makes for most people is the ability to charge mobile phones. Most of Africa has mobile coverage but most people have no way of charging phones.

"For those who can, it can change their lives. They can keep in touch with friends and family, and those in cities can use their mobile phones to send money to relatives in rural areas.

"Access to television is also life-changing for many people. Whole villages will crowd around a television set to watch the news. It opens up the world for them."

Rural Energy Foundation is not alone in bringing solar power to the world's poor.

D.light, the gold winner of this year's Ashden Awards and one of the brands sold by Rural Energy Foundation's retailers, has sold more than 220,000 solar lanterns in 32 countries, particularly in India and East Africa, benefiting around 1.1 million people.

D.light produces three different models of solar lanterns costing between $10 and $45.

Meanwhile, the American inventor Stephen Katsaros and his company Nokero claim to have developed the world's first solar light bulb.

The Nokero went on the market in June this year and it has already been tried in 33 countries.

"We've done everything we can to make this solar bulb affordable and long-lasting so the people who need it can afford it, and reap the benefits," said Katsaros.

"There are so many ways this product can change lives: It can help keep families and shopkeepers safe, help students study at night, eradicate indoor pollution, and reduce worldwide carbon emissions."

Japan reveals long-secretive execution process

2010-08-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

Red tape marks the trap door through which an inmate falls as he or she is hanged.

Japan, one of the few industrialized countries with the death penalty, showed one of its execution chambers to the media for the first time Friday.

Reporters were shown the death chamber at the Tokyo Detention Facility, one of seven used across the country, according to a report in the Mainichi Daily News.

Pressing a button in another room releases the trap door.

The unprecedented media access was ordered by Justice Minister Keiko Chiba, who after witnessing the deaths of two condemned prisoners last month, said she wanted to have a national debate on capital punishment in Japan, Mainchi reported. Chiba has previously spoken against the death penalty.

Execution in Japan is carried out by hanging.

The chamber showed to the media on Friday had no noose suspended from the ceiling but showed a trap door outlined in red. The condemned fall to a room below the execution chamber where their deaths are confirmed.

Reporters were not shown that room out of "consideration for the inmates' family and wardens," according to the Mainichi report.

A room where inmates are told they are about to be executed and can meet with a chaplain.

They did see other areas involved in the execution process, including the room where a button is pushed to release the trap door, a room where the condemned can get religious last rites or an entry room where inmates are told they are about to be executed.

In an accompanying article in Mainichi, prison officials described Japan’s execution process, long shrouded in secrecy.

The two men executed on July 28, Ogata Hidenori, 33, and Shinozawa Kazuo, 59, were the first put to death since the August 2009 elections in Japan, according to Amnesty International. The organization says 107 prisoners remain on death row in Japan.

Terror suspect sang 'Complicated' on 'Canadian Idol'

2010-08-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

Sher's appearance on Canadian Idol is splattered across YouTube.

Canadian terror plot suspect Khurram Syed Sher tried out for a spot on “Canadian Idol” in 2008, telling the judges he came to Canada from Pakistan in 2005 and performing Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” when the judges voted for that over a Hilary Duff song.

Sher, who is actually a native Canadian, sings in a Pakistani accent while performing a series of strained dance moves, one of which is reminiscent of ice skating form. Which make sense when at the end of the performance a judge asks Sher if he considered being a comedian rather than a singer.

“Not really, I like hockey,” Sher replies.

YouTube: Watch the audition

That at least backs up what friends say about the London, Ontario, anatomical pathologist, who is a graduate of the McGill University Medical School, according to a report by CNN affiliate CTV.

"Friends say he's a fun-loving, hockey-loving guy who they can't believe been accused of being a terrorist," CTV's Roger Smith reported from Ottawa Friday.

According to CNN affiliate CBC, Sher traveled to Pakistan in 2006 to help with earthquake relief.

Sher was charged Friday with conspiracy to knowingly facilitate a terrorist activity, according to the CBC report.

South Africa strike risks babies' lives

2010-08-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Father calls radio show for medical help

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Father drove around Johannesburg looking for someone to deliver baby
Newborn was taken in by a private hospital after he called a radio station for help
Nurses, hospital staff among thousands of workers striking over pay levels
Government says it can't afford to meet their demands

Johannesburg, South Africa -- Thomas Lehloholo was driving around Johannesburg desperately looking for a doctor to deliver his premature son when he got the call telling him it was too late. He had become a father.

"I could hear the baby screaming in the background I said you cannot be having a baby. She said we just had it. Wow," Lehloholo told CNN.

His girlfriend had given birth at home, aided by her grandmother, after rushing to a public hospital and finding the doors closed and workers absent.

Nurses and hospital staff are among thousands of public sector workers striking over pay in South Africa.

Workers have called for wage rises of more than eight percent -- well above inflation -- and enhanced housing allowances as part of their demands.

The government says with a million jobs lost from the economy in the past year, it cannot afford to raise employee wages.

Video: Strike paralyzes South Africa

Video: South Africa on strike

Video: Pregnant woman turned away from hospital

Gallery: South Africa strikes

RELATED TOPICS

South Africa

"We can't be seen to be saying 'put more into salaries' because that means we then won't be able to tend to the needs of the millions who are unemployed and the poor," government spokesman, Themba Maseko told CNN.

The government has deployed military and the police to hospitals and clinics to ensure those most in need receive medical attention.

Still, premature babies were left untended in empty neonatal wards.

So concerned was Thomas Lehloholo about the lack of professional medical care for his newborn son that he phoned a talk radio station to plead for help.

A pediatrician heard his call and offered to bring his girlfriend Nokulthula Mahlangu and new baby to a private hospital where the child is being treated in the intensive care unit.

Baby Lehlohol is one of around 90 babies rescued from public hospitals in Johannesburg in the past week by Netcare, the country's biggest private healthcare provider.

The group's director, Dr. Richard Friedland says two-thirds of the babies rescued were just weeks old, some weighed as little as 900 grams -- or just under two pounds -- and many were close to death.

At one hospital, he said dozens of babies had been left to fend for themselves.

"When we went into that ward it only had two security guards and we found 24 crying babies. For all of us who are pretty hardened in terms of trauma and doctors this was the most emotional moment of our lives. Many of us started crying," he said.

When we went into that ward it only had two security guards and we found 24 crying babies
--Dr. Richard Friedland, Netcare

"These are babies that had only been fed at nine in the morning. It was now 12 at night, they had soiled nappies, were cold and needed to be resuscitated."

Netcare has cared for more than 400 people who have been affected by the strikes, including patients suffering gunshot wounds who had been turned away from unstaffed public hospitals.

The government still hopes to negotiate an agreement that is acceptable to unions.

"We believe that (we will) be able to sit and explain the economic challenges that we're facing as a nation, and that the unions will understand that yes, improving the salaries of employees is important, but equally building schools, making sure there is safety and security, providing water, electricity, building houses for our citizens is equally important," Maseko said.

On Friday, another powerful union in South Africa threatened to wade into the dispute if the government failed to meet the workers' demands.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said its members would walk off the job next week if the government does not meet strikers' wage demands.

"We are angry that whilst those who are privileged have children go to school overseas; our children have turned into street kids," the union said in a statement.

"The NUM fully supports the public sector strike and would next week Thursday ensure that every mining operation, every construction site and every energy worker joins the public sector strike in different forms."

The mineworkers union is the largest union in the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the group said.

U.N. report accuses Rwanda of massacre in Congo

2010-08-27T19:28:00.002-07:00

A Hutu woman, her granddaughter and daughter (L) seek refuge in the Kibeho camp in Rwanda in April 1995.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: Rwanda slams the report as unfair and immoral
It says Hutu civilians were slashed, bludgeoned and burned alive
The majority of the victims were children, women and elderly people, it says

RELATED TOPICS

Goma, Democratic Republic Of The Congo (CNN) -- The Rwandan military and an allied rebel group massacred ethnic Hutus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, says a leaked draft report commissioned by the United Nations.

The report states that it is not making a definitive conclusion on whether the slayings in Congo amounted to genocide, and that a competent judiciary would have to try the cases.

Commissioned by the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, the report says "tens of thousands" of Hutu civilians were slaughtered with knives, bludgeoned with hammers and burned alive as the Rwandan army and the Allied Democratic Liberation Forces swept across Congo -- then called Zaire -- leading to the toppling of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

The report, titled "Mapping Exercise," documents crimes against humanity throughout the Congo between 1993 and 2003.

The Rwandan government blasted the report as "malicious, offensive and ridiculous."

"It is immoral and unacceptable that the United Nations, an organization that failed outright to prevent genocide in Rwanda and the subsequent refugees crisis [and] is the direct cause for so much suffering in Congo and Rwanda, now accuses the army that stopped the genocide ... in the Democratic Republic of Congo," government spokesman Ben Rutsinga said in a statement.

The final version of the report will be officially published Monday. Its most controversial parts are accusations against the Rwandan government of "systematic attacks, in particular, killings and massacres perpetrated against members of the Hutu ethnic group."

"There is no denying that ethnic massacres were committed and that the victims were mostly Hutus from Burundi, Rwanda and Zaire," the report states. "The joint mission's preliminary opinion is that some of these alleged massacres could constitute acts of genocide."

It adds, "The majority of the victims were children, women, elderly people and the sick, who posed no threat to the attacking forces."

The Rwandan government said the report's "extremely serious allegations" are "based on questionable methodology, sourcing and shockingly low standard of proof."

"Given the gravity of its mission, the Mapping Team's failure to consult with Rwanda even though they found time to meet with over 200 [non-governmental] representatives is shocking and shows complete disregard for fundamental fairness," Rutsinga said.

More than 1 million Rwandans fled to neighboring eastern Congo when the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994 -- most of them Hutu. In 1996, Rwanda invaded Congo in pursuit of the genocide orchestrators, who were living amid hundreds of thousands of other refugees.

The stated goal of Rwanda during that time was to end the refugee crisis in eastern Congo. But the United Nations report says that the Rwandan military did not discriminate between fugitives and refugees, nor did it discriminate by age or gender.

"The majority of the incidents reported indicate that the Hutus were targeted as such, with no discrimination between them," the report says. "The numerous attacks against the Hutus in Zaire, who were not part of the refugees, seem to confirm that it was all Hutus, as such."

The report says people who convinced soldiers that they were Tutsi were let go, while the Hutus were massacred.

"People who were able to persuade the aggressors that they belonged to another ethnic group were released just before the massacres," the report says.

The report says tens of thousands of Hutus were massacred in particular areas with an intent to commit genocide.

"Even if only a part of the Hutu population in Zaire was targeted and destroyed, it could nonetheless constitute a crime of genocide, if this was the intention of the perpetrators," the report says.

Although independent researchers have documented the crimes against humanity committed by the Rwandan government, the United Nations report is the most official and forthcoming accusation made so far.

Rwanda indicated that it could withdraw from U.N. peacekeeping operations if the report is published. The country is a major contributor to the peacekeeping force in Darfur, and has sent troops to Haiti.

The report is publicly humiliating for recently re-elected President Paul Kagame, who earned praise for helping heal Rwanda after the genocide.

In recent years, the nation has developed dramatically, with a reputation as one of the safest, cleanest, least-corrupt and most organized countries in Africa. The fallout of the scathing report is unclear, but it is sure to have an impact.

Rwanda's reconciliation policy is governed by anti-genocide laws that human rights organizations have called intentionally vague. The laws make it virtually impossible to accuse the Rwandan government of human rights violations, crimes against humanity or war crimes.

Accusing Rwanda of crimes against humanity committed in the Congo would break those laws.

In April, presidential aspirant Victoire Ingabire was arrested in Kigali for saying that Hutus were killed by the Rwandan government, both in Rwanda and in neighboring Congo.

Ingabire was charged with 'genocide ideology' for those comments, and could face up to 25 years in prison. Her American lawyer was arrested on similar charges, but was later released.

Col. Patrick Karegeya, who was a senior member of the Rwandan army and a key actor in the wars in the Congo before fleeing to South Africa in 2008, said Rwanda never set out to commit genocide against the Hutu, but war crimes were committed.

"Civilians died, politicians died," Karegeya said earlier this month before Rwanda's presidential election. "They died in the Congo, they died in other places."

Cholera epidemic threatens all Nigeria, government warns

2010-08-27T19:28:00.001-07:00

A cholera epidemic in northern Nigeria has killed more than 350 people since June and threatens to spread to the entire country, according to the west African nation's health ministry.

The outbreak had sickened more than 6,400 people and killed 352 people by Wednesday, the federal Ministry of Health reported. Cholera occurs in much of the country under normal conditions, but the lack of clean drinking water, and recent flooding following heavy rains are fueling the spread of disease, the ministry reported.

"Although most of the outbreaks occurred in the northwest and northeast zones, epidemiological evidence indicates that the entire country is at risk," the ministry reported.

Two-thirds of rural Nigerians lack access to safe drinking water, and fewer than 40 percent of the people in the affected states have access "to toilet facilities of any description," the health ministry said.

The intestinal infection causes diarrhea and vomiting that can cause severe dehydration without prompt attention, according to the World Health Organization.

As 120,000 people die each year from cholera, and the disease can kill within hours if untreated, the WHO says.

Nigeria's announcement follows reports earlier this week that another cholera outbreak in neighboring Cameroon had killed nearly 300 people by earlier this week.

The outbreak began in May and has exceeded 3,000 cases, said Dr. Eric Mintz, the leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's global water sanitation and hygiene epidemiology team.

Chemical leak sickens dozens at Las Vegas pool

2010-08-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

Rumpled towels sit on abandoned lounge chairs after the pool area at the MGM Grand was evacuated Friday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

12 people were transported to local hospitals
As many as 100 people report difficulty breathing
It was not known what kind of chemical was responsible for the fumes
Complex is made up of five swimming pools and three whirlpools

chemical leak in the pool area of the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, sickened as many as 100 people Friday, sending 12 of them to local hospitals, according to a spokeswoman for Clark County.

It was not immediately clear what kind of chemical was responsible for the fumes, which caused some of the hotel's guests to have difficulty breathing, said Clark County spokeswoman Stacey Welling.

About 200 people were evacuated from the area, Welling said.

Video of the hotel's large pool deck showed the area abandoned Friday afternoon, with rumpled towels still sitting on many lounge chairs and beachballs floating in the water.

As many as 100 people reported difficulty breathing, Welling said, but the 12 patients transported for medical care were all conscious and breathing on their own, she said.

The MGM's pool complex is made up of five swimming pools and three whirlpools, according to the hotel's website. CNN affiliate KLAS reported that the fumes originated in the complex's Lazy River area.

Freed American arrives home from North Korea

2010-08-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter shakes hands with Aijalon Mahli Gomes before they leave Pyongyang.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Aijalon Mahli Gomes lands on American soil after months in a North Korean jail
The family thanks former President Carter for securing Gomes' release
Carter did not make any immediate comments about his trip
Gomes was sentenced to 8 years of hard labor for illegal entry to North Korea

Boston, Massachusetts -- Aijalon Mahli Gomes, the U.S. citizen sentenced to eight years of hard labor for crossing over the Chinese border into North Korea, arrived home Friday afternoon with the man who secured his freedom, former President Jimmy Carter.

Gomes' family rushed toward the steps of the private plane, wiping tears from their eyes and hugging the man imprisoned in communist North Korea since January.

"Thank you President Carter for traveling to North Korea to bring Aijalon home," the family said in a statement. "For Aijalon, although returning home, the journey toward healing really just begins today."

Relatives later spoke to reporters outside the family home about the release. Relatives said Gomes looked well physically.

"We are greatly pleased and thankful for [his] coming home," said Gomes' uncle, Michael Farrow. "We are thankful for all the prayers and God most of all."

Gomes' younger brother, Milton McCarthy Jr., 19, said, "It's an overwhelming amount of joy and happiness. It's a prayer being answered."

Carter did not make any comments about his trip, which was surrounded by speculation on whether the former president had met with the reclusive North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Carter has a history of helping thaw frigid Pyongyang-Washington relations.

North Korea sentenced Gomes, 31, to hard labor and a fine of about $600,000 for illegally crossing its border with China and for an unspecified "hostile act." Gomes is believed to be a Christian activist.

"At the request of President Carter, and for humanitarian purposes, Mr. Gomes was granted amnesty by the chairman of the National Defense Commission, Kim Jong Il," said a statement from the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Farrow said Gomes, who had been living in South Korea for about nine years, was last home at Christmas.

Farrow said he didn't know the circumstances surrounding Gomes' entry into North Korea.

"That's not in his character," Farrow said. "He did not take things to the extreme. He may have just been trying to peek in and help others and teach them. He had good motives. I know he had good intentions."

Video: Released American back in U.S.

Video: North Korea frees American

Video: American held gets visit

Video: Carter to try to free American prisoner

RELATED TOPICS

Nor does the family believe that Gomes tried to commit suicide, as suggested by North Korean reports, Farrow said.

"He's a spiritual person," Farrow said about his nephew. "Perhaps he got sick, his body shut down."

The U.S. State Department and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed Gomes' release.

"We ... are relieved that he will soon be safely reunited with his family," said department spokesman P.J. Crowley. "We appreciate former President Carter's humanitarian effort and welcome North Korea's decision to grant Mr. Gomes special amnesty and allow him to return to the United States."

He added, "The U.S. and North Korea do not have diplomatic relations and, as the case of Mr. Gomes illustrates, travel to North Korea is not routine or risk-free."

Ban commended Carter and said he "appreciates the decision" of North Korea to release

Gomes on "humanitarian considerations."

Two American journalists -- Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who had crossed the border into North Korea in March 2009 and were arrested and sentenced to 12 years hard labor -- were released in August 2009 after an intervention by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Carter arrived in North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, Wednesday on a humanitarian mission to negotiate the release of Gomes. His visit was a private mission, and was not endorsed by the Obama administration.

Carter was greeted by Kim Gye Gwan, North Korea's chief negotiator at the six-party nuclear talks, and he also met the country's titular head of state, Kim Jong Nam, according to state-run media in North Korea.

"Jimmy Carter made an apology to Kim Yong Nam for American Gomes' illegal entry into [North Korea] and gave him the assurance that such case will never happen again," the Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.

KCNA also reported that Kim told Carter that North Korea wants to resume the six-party talks and work toward the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Carter's 1994 talks with the late Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il's father, paved the way for the "Agreed Framework" the same year, an agreement designed to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

Gomes didn't have only Carter as an advocate. Florida-based attorney Michael Cavendish, who doesn't know Gomes, started a letter-writing campaign when he learned about Gomes' sentencing in April. Some of his letters criticized the U.S. government, which he argued initially did not do enough to advocate for Gomes.

"Over the past four months, there were times when it seemed pointless to write another letter, to make another phone call, to talk to anybody about it at all, because the world is vast and there were all kinds of other stories going on that were sucking up people's attention. And things between the United States and North Korea and its allies were very, very grim," Cavendish said early Friday.

"I'm just tremendously happy that he's been set free," Cavendish said.

At least 11 dead in Turkey landslide, news agency reports

2010-08-27T19:25:00.001-07:00

The death toll from a Thursday night landslide in northeastern Turkey has increased to 11, the semi-official Anadolu Ajansi news service said Friday.

The landslides and heavy flooding damaged several houses and a school in the hamlet of Gundogdu in Rize province, Anadolu Ajansi said.

The death toll rose to 11 when rescue crews pulled three bodies from the debris of two collapsed homes, the news agency said.

Somali man pleads guilty in Virginia to attack on U.S. vessel

2010-08-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

Jama Idle Ibrahim pleaded guilty to trying to seize the USS Ashland with five other would-be pirates.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Jama Idle Ibrahim admitted he intended to capture a U.S. merchant ship
Instead, he and his colleagues targeted a U.S. Navy vessel
A 30-year prison sentence is being recommended

A Somali man Friday became the second person convicted in the United States of acts related to high-seas piracy in more than a century, although he wasn't convicted of piracy itself.

Jama Idle Ibrahim pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom in Norfolk, Virginia, admitting he had intended to seize a U.S. merchant vessel on April 10 and hold it for ransom.

Ibrahim and five other would-be pirates learned too late that they had instead pulled alongside a U.S. Navy dock landing ship, the USS Ashland, and they were captured.

"Today marks the first conviction in Norfolk for acts of piracy in 150 years," said U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride.

It followed the May guilty plea in a federal court in New York of a man involved in an attack on the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama off the coast of Africa last year.

A statement by the Justice Department said the government and defense agreed to recommend a sentence of 30 years in prison for Ibrahim.

Sentencing was set for November 29.

The attack occurred in the Gulf of Aden between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Ibrahim is one of 11 Somalis sent to Norfolk for prosecution in two attacks. Five others are charged in connection with an April 1 attack on the Norfolk-based frigate Nicholas.

Ibrahim pleaded guilty to charges of attacking to plunder a vessel, engaging in a violent act aboard a vessel and using a firearm during a crime of violence. The charge of committing piracy on the high seas, which carried a mandatory life sentence, was thrown out 10 days ago by the judge.

Until this year, there had not been a piracy-related conviction in the United States since 1861, during the Civil War, officials said.

In May, Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, who was accused of leading the attack on the Maersk Alabama in April 2009, pleaded guilty to felony counts of hijacking maritime vessels, kidnapping and hostage taking

Boeing delays Dreamliner delivery date

2010-08-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

The first Boeing 787 Dreamliner was supposed to be delivered to All Nippon Airways of Japan by the end of 2010.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The 787 is already more than two years late
Boeing said the latest delay would not affect its financial guidance

Rolls-Royce shares dipped in morning trading on Friday after Boeing announced its long overdue 787 Dreamliner passenger jet would be delayed by several more weeks because of a problem in getting an engine from the UK manufacturer.

The first 787, which is already more than two years late, was supposed to be delivered to its launch customer, All Nippon Airways of Japan, by the end of this year.

After a series of production problems, Boeing said some weeks ago that this deadline could slip to early 2011 but today it said it would not make the first delivery until the middle of the first quarter of 2011.

Boeing said the delay "follows an assessment of the availability of an engine needed for the final phases of flight test this fall".

The news follows reports that an engine being made by Rolls-Royce, whose Trent 1000 engines are powering the 787, suffered a test failure at the manufacturer's Derby headquarters in the first week of August.

However, the aero engine maker denied this was connected to today's delay announcement. "Rolls-Royce confirms that the engine availability issue is unrelated to the test bed event which occurred earlier this month," a spokesman said, while declining to explain the nature of the test failure.

"We have been informed by Boeing that the currently planned dates for Trent 1000 engine deliveries will not support their latest flight test programme requirements," he said. "We are working closely with Boeing to expedite delivery in support of their programme schedule."

ANA, which has ordered 55 of the aircraft, said the new delay was "extremely regrettable" and it was asking Boeing to clarify what impact the engine shortage would have on its longer-term delivery schedule.

ANA had been promised the first 20 aircraft by March 2012, though under Boeing's original delivery plan it was supposed to have begun flying 787s in 2008. It is already seeking unspecified compensation from the US aircraft maker for the delays.

"The 787 is 20 per cent more fuel efficient that the aircraft it is going to replace, so naturally any delays have a direct impact on our fuel costs and our earnings," the airline said on Friday.

Boeing said the latest delay would not affect its financial guidance, but some observers warned it could have a financial impact.

"If the delays announced today throw its [Boeing's] delivery schedule out, airlines will be quick to look for compensation," said aerospace analyst Saj Ahmad of FBE Aerospace.

"The 787 has been delayed almost three years and it's an unacceptable situation for many, particularly as many carriers are witnessing a rise in traffic numbers."

UN: Flooding has displaced 1 million more in Pakistan

2010-08-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

Levee break displaces thousands

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: U.N. is increasingly worried about flood-driven malnutrition among children
U.N. official says a "colossal disaster is getting worse"
About 1 million additional people have been displaced in Sindh province, the U.N. says
Authorities have ordered evacuations in the Indus River delta

Islamabad, Pakistan -- Flooding has displaced an additional 1 million people in Pakistan's Sindh province in the past two days, according to new U.N. estimates released Friday.

"We have more people on the move, to whom we need to provide relief. An already colossal disaster is getting worse and requiring an even more colossal response," said Maurizio Giuliano, a spokesman for the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Giuliano said rains have forced the evacuation of an estimated 1 million people in southern Sindh in the past 48 hours or so.

"The magnitude of this crisis is reaching levels that are even beyond our initial fears, which were already leaning towards what we thought would be the worst. The number of those affected and those in need of assistance from us are bound to keep rising. The floods seem determined to outrun our response," he said.

The U.N. also said Friday that it is increasingly concerned about flood-driven malnutrition among children.

Video: Flood leaves doctors helpless

Video: Threats against aid workers

Video: Diseases new threat for Pakistan

Video: Rafts bring aid to Pakistanis

"The flooding has surrounded millions of children with contaminated water," said Karen Allen, deputy representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Pakistan. "Most have nothing else to drink. We fear the deadly synergy of waterborne diseases, including diarrhea, dehydration and malnutrition."

Acute malnutrition was high in much of Pakistan even before the floods. For instance, 27 percent of children under 5 in Baluchistan province were malnourished, as were 17 percent of children in Punjab, according to the U.N.

A hospital in Sindh is overrun with people suffering from waterborne illness; two children share each bed and more are on the floor. A doctor at the hospital said there are "not enough resources because of huge population ... coming to this hospital."

Remat Chacher, a farmer in Sindh, escaped the floodwaters with his wife and two children earlier this month.

But then his 3-month-old daughter Benazir got sick. "She started to get fever and couldn't keep anything down ... lots of belly pain," said Ulla, the infant's mom.

A few days later, the same symptoms struck the Chachers' son, 2-year-old Wazira. Both children died on the way to the hospital, with Wazira weighing just 8 pounds and Benazir weighing 2 pounds.

Floodwaters have started to recede across Pakistan, but in the Indus delta, the potential for more flooding remained high, especially given high tides in the Arabian Sea, where the Indus spills out.

Already, more than 17 million Pakistanis -- from the Chinese border in the north to the mouth of the Indus in the south -- have been affected by the monsoon floods that began a month ago.

To date, Pakistan's unfolding tragedy has claimed 1,600 lives, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. That number is likely to rise as more drowned bodies are discovered in receding waters.

Many refugees have sought shelter at relief camps, where food and drinking water are now available. But every day, there are new camp arrivals -- people who were already poor, who now have nothing.

Along the flooded Swat River in northeastern Pakistan, six local aid workers have spent two weeks braving the torrents on rafts they built from used tire tubes, bamboo and gaffers' tape after motorized boats failed to arrive.

The workers are ferrying tents, blankets and other supplies to hundreds of thousands of people stranded across the river and cut off from normal supply routes.

Last year, bombs and bullets from the army's offensive against the Taliban destroyed many homes and lives in the region. Residents had barely begun to recover when the rains came.

"We are fed up," said Shahravan, a 65-year old man who lost his house in the floods. "You don't ask a dead man why he's in his grave. It's not his choice."

Fayas Muhammad, another local, said he lost his leg when his house was mistakenly bombed in last year's fighting. The same blast took his wife and son. "We are very sad for all that Swat has been through," he said.

The damage from Pakistan's worst humanitarian catastrophe is sure to hurtle the impoverished nation back in terms of development. This week, America's top aid official saw firsthand the dire needs in Pakistan.

Dr. Rajiv Shah, administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, said he was deeply moved by his visit to Sukkur and that aid agencies were "scaling up their response efforts as quickly as they possibly can."

Shah announced the United States would be diverting another $50 million for flood relief from the Kerry-Lugar Act, which allocated $7.5 billion in nonmilitary assistance to Pakistan over five years.

Romanian hospital official arrested in maternity ward fire case

2010-08-27T19:06:00.001-07:00

Rescuers tend to a newborn injured by a fire at the Giulesti Maternity Hospital in Bucharest, Romania, on August 16.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Chief of technical department taken into custody
Co-workers write letter in support of nurse held in jail
Five newborns died, six others were injured in August 16 blaze
Romanians have launched a criminal probe

A hospital official in Romania's capital has been arrested on charges of negligence with severe consequences in connection with a deadly maternity hospital fire.

Vasile Dima, chief of the technical department of Bucharest's Giulesti Maternity Hospital, was taken into custody Friday. A court will soon determine whether to keep him detained or free him before a trial.

Romanian authorities have launched a criminal inquiry into the August 16 blaze in which five newborns died and six others were injured, Marius Iacob, the chief prosecutor in charge of the investigation, said this week.

Investigators say Dima didn't fulfill his duties as chief of the technical department. Prosecutors say he didn't make sure the operation in his department ran smoothly and didn't take steps to prevent fires, even though he was also chief of the hospital's civilian firefighting team.

The inquiry will end in a trial, and a judge could decide to shut the hospital, Iacob said.

In the investigation that followed the blaze, authorities found violations of safety rules involving workers, the security of electrical systems and human resources management, Iacob said.

The hospital faces charges of manslaughter and unintentionally causing injuries, said Iacob. Florentina Cirstea, a nurse in charge of the maternity hospital's intensive care unit, where the fire broke out, faces the same charges. A judge on Tuesday ordered Cirstea jailed for 29 days while she awaits trial.

The hospital's interim manager met with prosecutors Wednesday. Authorities also questioned the hospital's suspended manager and plan to do so again, Iacob said.

The hospital has filed a malpractice insurance claim for 500,000 euros (about $632,500), he said, but that will not cover the damages, which have been estimated to be at least 1 million euros ($1.25 million) and possibly higher. That does not include any claims filed by the victims' families, Iacob said.

More people may be charged in the case, the prosecutor said.

Meanwhile, Cirstea's colleagues at the hospital sent a letter to media outlets Wednesday expressing their support for her and blaming the Romanian health care system for the tragedy.

During her 14 years as a nurse in the intensive care unit, Cirstea has taken care of thousands of premature babies with health problems. Many have been saved because of her professionalism, the staffers said in the letter.

Cirstea's attorney, Simona Luciana Parvu, has appealed the judge's decision to jail her client. The judge on Tuesday accepted the prosecutors' request to arrest Cirstea because she failed to fulfill her duties to care for the 11 newborns in the intensive care unit at the time of the blaze.

Besides those allegations, the judge noted in the motivation for deciding to arrest Cirstea, released Wednesday, that she changed her statements and lied several times about what she was doing and why she left the ICU.

Parvu's appeal is set to be discussed Monday by another judge, and Cirstea may be released.

When she was supposed to have been on duty in the ICU, Cirstea left the newborns unattended for 12 minutes, going to another hospital room and to the bathroom, the prosecutor said in the arrest warrant.

The defense lawyer acknowledged that her client left the ICU to go to the bathroom, but said she then was called by a colleague to another room because the colleague had been called to help deliver a baby.

Parvu said Cirstea deeply regrets what happened, but also blamed the health care system. Cirstea's job description said that at least two other nurses were supposed to be with her in the unit at all times, but she was alone, she said.

If convicted of manslaughter, Cirstea could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison.

Lead investigator in Mexico massacre is missing

2010-08-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Lead investigator in Mexico massacre is missing

By the CNN Wire Staff

August 27, 2010 -- Updated 1919 GMT (0319 HKT)

These guns were found at the ranch in Tamaulipas state where 72 bodies were discovered.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The investigator and a municipal police officer went missing Wednesday
Media reports said one body was found Friday but officials did not confirm that
Officials have identified 31 of the people whose bodies were found on a ranch this week

Mexico City, Mexico A lead investigator and another official looking into the massacre of 72 migrants whose bodies were found this week in northern Mexico are missing, President Felipe Calderon said Friday.

Calderon, who was giving a speech on drug violence, initially said the body of one of the men had been found. But he was handed a note few minutes later and corrected himself, saying the investigator was missing but there was no information about his death.

Mexican media reported Friday morning that two bodies had been found and that one of them belonged to the investigator.

The attorney general's office in Tamaulipas state, where the bodies of the 72 migrants were found Tuesday, identified the investigator as Roberto Jaime Suarez Vazquez. The news release did not name the other man other than to say he is a municipal police officer in San Fernando.

Both men disappeared Wednesday afternoon, the attorney general's office said.

Bodies found in Mexico

Video: 72 bodies found in Mexican ranch

Authorities have identified 31 of the 72 migrants whose bodies were found on a ranch near San Fernando, the attorney general's statement said. Of those identified, 14 came from Honduras, 12 were from El Salvador, four were from Guatemala and one from Brazil, the official said.

A young man from Ecuador who led navy personnel to the scene of the massacre said he escaped after pretending he was dead. He suffered a neck wound and remained hospitalized Friday.

Officials are investigating whether the Zetas drug cartel carried out the killings, as the young man reportedly told police.

Images of the scene show the bodies lying along the inside walls of a grain barn. The migrants are blindfolded and their hands are bound. All are fully clothed.

Central American migrants traveling through Mexico on their way to the United States are often the victims of violence and other crimes.

"Every year, thousands of migrants are kidnapped, threatened or assaulted by members of criminal gangs," Amnesty International said in a report this year. "Extortion and sexual violence are widespread and many migrants go missing or are killed. Few of these abuses are reported and in most cases those responsible are never held to account."

Are You Ready For a Baby?

2010-08-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

Women thinking of starting a family – or even expecting mothers – often wonder if they are ready to have a baby. They especially wonder if having a baby will change their marriage.

After all, you can never be really ready to be a mother. Motherhood is an experience that can take even the most-prepared baby-ready mommy by surprise! So, if you have either found yourself pregnant or consciously decided ‘it’s time’, it’s imperative for you to know things beyond the "you will glow when you become pregnant" banter.

Starting a family is a big decision, so make this choice for the right reasons.

If you are planning to have a baby, here's the worst case scenarios for you to consider:

You Won’t Have Much Couple Time
A baby will change the dynamics of your marriage. The demands of new motherhood will take up a great chunk of your time and as a result, you will have less time to spend with your husband and less energy and enthusiasm to go out.

You Won’t Recognise Your Body
Your body will undergo major changes. You aren’t going to lose your pregnancy weight immediately. The weight loss will be gradual and you may not look as slim as you did before you had your baby.

You will have to learn to love your new, bigger boobs and more voluptuous hips.

Mood Swings Are a Part of Motherhood
You may also be less inclined to dress up and make the effort to look good. Your husband will take his time to accept this change.

You and your husband will have to understand how to deal with Post Partum Depression. You will continue to have violent mood swings (not unlike during your pregnancy), only you will have a crying baby to attend to in that mood! Make sure your husband understands what you are going through and can support you emotionally.

Of course, figuring out if you’re ready for a baby is a big deal, and a scary prospect. But all mothers will say, in the end, it’s worth it - especially if you know what you are getting into!

Malaika, Mugdha or Lisa: Take Your Pick?

2010-08-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

We got a sneak peek into the Blender's Pride 6-city Fashion Tour this week. Take a look at these exclusive pics of the designers, their muses and some uber haute fashion.

I can't get enough of the flowy canary yellow dress worn by Lisa Hayden. Of course, it spells Wendell Rodricks sans his signature white. But the designer could have done better for his own look. Don't you think :p?

Malaika Arora Khan looked simply stunning as always but we can hardly say the same for her leopard printed drape dress with navy blue sequin detailing designed by Surily Goel. But the diva that she is, Malaika managed to pull this one off and actually made it look quite chic.

And then there was Mugdha Godse. Designer Gavin Miguel certainly outdid himself with this black gown. What with that elegant drape and sequin work. Definitely a winner! The only put off though was Ms Godse's tacky pink nail paint. Can someone please tell her that shade went out last season and if she really must, then how about on a deserted beach island?

Some other celebs we just had to mention...

Shazahn Padamsee looked great in a sequined halter jumpsuit designed by Nandita Mahtani and so did Bruna Abdullah in an assymetrical Asmita Marwah dress.

Vikram Phadnis decided he couldn't wait for Navratri and went all out with a blast of festive colour. But his muse Perizaad Zorabian didn't seem to mind.

As for Sushma Reddy's ensemble... Neeta Lulla, what were you thinking? Well, let's keep our fingers crossed and hope we see something better from this otherwise fab designer when the shows are on from September 3 to 5.

Kashmir on the boil

2010-08-27T19:01:00.002-07:00

Kashmir on the boil

Kashmir youths chucking careers to pelt stones

Protestors in Kashmir face stones, their own bitter pill

Fed up with repeated strikes by separatists in Kashmir Valley, shopkeepers are up in arms against protesters, who are tasting their own bitter pill as locals are attacking them with stones.

Govt allays Sikhs' fears in Valley

The government on Friday gave an assurance that Sikhs had nothing to fear in Kashmir in the wake of reported threats to the minority community from militants to convert to Islam or leave the Valley.

Embrace Islam or leave Valley, Sikhs threatened

Sikhs in the Kashmir Valley have received anonymous letters from Islamic militants asking them to either embrace Islam and join the protests against civilian killings or pack up and leave.

PM offers jobs, asks Kashmir to give peace a chance

Manmohan Singh urged the people of J&K to give "peace a chance", while recognising the need for a political solution that addresses their "sense of alienation".

Kashmir youths chucking careers to pelt stones

For weeks after the Valley erupted in anger, the stone-pelting protesters were described as semi-literate, unemployed youth. However, many of them have college degrees, academic careers or once-thriving businesses.

3Par chooses Dell over HP!

2010-08-27T19:01:00.001-07:00

3Par Inc said that it has accepted computer maker Dell Inc's new offer of $1.8 billion which matches a bid for the data storage provider from Hewlett-Packard Co

NEW YORK: 3Par Inc said that it has accepted computer maker Dell Inc's new offer of $1.8 billion which matches a bid for the data storage provider from Hewlett-Packard Co.

The latest move raises the stakes in the bidding war for the little-known company.

The $27-per-share offer is worth three times the price of 3Par before the bidding war broke out earlier this month. 3Par, of Fremont, California, said its board continues to recommend the Dell offer.

In premarket trading, 3Par shares surged nearly 10 percent to $28.55 from Thursday's close of $26.03.

HP and Dell, two of the world's largest personal computer makers, are looking at 3Par as a way to build up their "cloud computing" businesses, which involve delivering software, data storage and other services to customers over the Internet.

Cloud computing holds the promise of richer profits for technology providers because many companies aren't buying their own computer servers for certain tasks anymore. Instead, they're paying to have software they would have stored on those machines delivered to them over the Internet.

Dell, HP and others are riding this trend by offering those kinds of cloud-computing services directly on a subscription basis, along with the equipment and software for customers to build their own cloud systems.

Dell is based in Round Rock, Texas. HP is headquartered in Palo Alto, California

Kieron Pollard: From nobody to a superstar

2010-08-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

West Indian fast bowling great Michael Holding thinks Kieron Pollard isn't a cricketer. Whispering Death is right. Pollard isn't.

Cricketers don't smash 54 in 18 balls and change a game single-handedly like he did for T & T against New South Wales Blues at Hyderabad in last year's Champions League.

They don't bowl accurate medium pace and swing the ball and pick up valuable wickets. They don't rifle throws in to the keeper's gloves from 80 yards.

They don't throw themselves and dive around athletically despite being 6ft 6 inches tall. They aren't held back late in the order to introduce panic in the opposition camp in a major final.

They aren't expected to help a team score an impossible 55 in 17 balls and still make it seem possible. They don't make fans debate about which spot he should have been sent in.

Pollard is not a cricketer. He's just a special one. Tall, strapping and with an ability to hit the ball a distance, not too many people knew about him despite the West Indian KP having played in a few ODIs.

In fact, he was even rejected by the franchises despite 'commanding' a base price of just $60,000 during the 2009 auctions for IPL 2. You see, he was an unknown commodity then. His Diwali night knock in the CLT20 changed all that.

Agents came knocking on his door, IPL franchises employed a strong PR personnel to ensure that Pollard is in their good books. It was a given that he would be a prize catch come the player auctions for IPL 3.

Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers and Kolkata Knight Riders doled out the moolah and entered a bidding war. Mumbai Indians won the bid in a tie-breaker. While officially, Pollard was bought for $750,000 by MI, reports say Nita Ambani paid more than $2.5 million to procure his services. If anyone understands value for money, the business house that owns MI does.

That there was a massive buzz surrounding Pollard in a team that featured the great Sachin Tendulkar is a fascinating story in itself.

Overnight, life had changed for the Trinidadian. Crowds at the CCI and DY Patil, who tirelessly chant S-A-C-H-I-N, S-A-C-H-I-N, now chanted P-O-L-L-A-R-D, P-O-L-L-A-R-D, every time he strode to the wicket.

Pollard's success wouldn't have gone unnoticed. Other cricketers would be keen to emulate him. If they can utilise the platform that the Champions League provides in South Africa, like he did last year, one can see more stars explode in the cricketing galaxy.

Will Indian shooters better the 2006 Commonwealth Games haul? Read more: Will Indian shooters better the 2006 Commonwealth Games haul

2010-08-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

Indian shooters Tejaswini Sawant (right) and Gagan Narang (left) pose with their Kazakh coach Stanislav after winning the medals at the World Shooting Championships in Munich. (AFP Photo)

Thirty six shooters, 120 medals at stake. Three dozen Indians will be in the spotlight as they try to clinch a big bounty of medals at the Commonwealth Games.

Indeed, shooting is certain to provide the hosts with more medals than any other discipline at the Delhi Games, making this sport critical to India's overall performance.

It was a completely different scenario less than a decade back, till the 2002 Games in Manchester. A medal here and one there was what the shooting contingent used to manage in earlier attempts in the sport which was introduced in CWG in 1966 Kingston Games.

But things changed dramatically at Manchester, where the world came to know, probably for the first time, the potential of the Indian shooters.

Fourteen of the 30 gold India won at those Games were clinched by the shooters. Since then, there's no looking back. They continued their stupendous show in the next Games, at Melbourne, claiming an impressive 16 of the 22 gold medals the country won.

Pistol shooter Samaresh Jung alone won five of them, earning the 'Best Athlete of the Games' award and also the sobriquet 'Goldfinger'.

Quite expectedly, hopes are high this time too. "At Delhi, we hope our shooters to fetch us the bulk of the medals. We expect the 36 shooters to win at least 30 medals," said a source closely associated with the preparation of the teams.

Can our shooters achieve this target?

Some of them are unhappy about preparations ahead of the Games. They say that preparation before the Melbourne Games was much better than what they are having for Delhi.

"Take the case of pistol shooting. The shooters don't have a specialised coach. They are training on their own," said a shooter requesting anonymity. "How can we say this is ideal preparation?"

Some others say that they would, like many other Indians sportspersons, would not have home advantage since they rarely got a chance to practice at venues where the events will be held.

Indian shooters won't get to use the ranges before September 23 and till then the shooters would continue to train at Balewadi, Pune. There's still a lot of work left to be done there, both infrastructural and otherwise.

The organisers have promised to complete everything by September 23, but then, what purpose will it serve? "There will be no time left for us to practise there. It will be like a foreign range for us," chief national coach Sunny Thomas told TOI.

There's also the issue of selection, with a new rule focussing more on current form than past performance. The fear is that some of the reputed shooters, who have not done well recently, might not get a berth under the new selection process.

One doesn't even know who will be firing for the country at present. However, things would be clear once the team is announced, on September 1.

One good thing is that the shooters have had several exposure tours abroad to keep them in competitive trim. "We've spent about Rs 10 crore on the exposure trips for shooters," informed Rahul Bhatnagar, joint secretary, international sports division in the sports ministry.

The fans would be eager to see the likes of Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang, Manavjit Sandhu, Ronjan Sodhi, RVS Rathore, Tejaswini Sawant shoot down gold for the country. One hopes, the Karni Singh range will reverberate with golden echoes.

Key Indians

Men: Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang, Manavjit Singh Sandhu, RVS Rathore, Ronjan Sodhi, Samaresh Jung.

Women: Anjali Bhagwat, Anuja Jung, Avneet Kaur Sidhu, Suma Shirur, Tejaswini Sawant. *(Squad will be selected on Sept. 1)

Top foreign stars: Michael Gault ( England), Warren Potent ( Australia), Lalita Yauhleuskaya (Australia).

Core Group: Men: 71 I Women: 40

Indian coaches: 13 I Foreign coaches: 2 I Supporting personnel: 4 I Foreign exposure trips: 28 I Spend on foreign exposure: Rs 10 crore I Medals expected: 30

Tiger cub found stashed with stuffed toy in airport luggage Read more: Tiger cub found stashed with stuffed toy in airport luggage

2010-08-27T18:56:00.001-07:00

BANGKOK: Authorities at Bangkok's international airport found a baby tiger cub that had been drugged and hidden alongside a stuffed toy tiger in the suitcase of a woman flying from Thailand to Iran, an official and a wildlife protection group said on Friday.

The woman, a Thai national, had checked in for her flight and her overweight bag was sent for an X-ray which showed what appeared to be a live animal inside, according to TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring group.

The woman was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport before boarding her Sunday flight. The cub, estimated to be about 3 months old, was sent to a wildlife conservation center in Bangkok.

"The cub arrived at our unit Monday,'' said Chaiyaporn Chareesaeng, head of the Wildlife Health Unit at the department of national parks' wildlife and plant conservation center, where the animal was put under close supervision.

"He appeared exhausted, dehydrated and couldn't walk, so we had to give him oxygen, water and lactation,'' said Chaiyaporn.

"We have monitored him closely. As of today, he looks better and can walk a little now," he added.
A DNA test was expected to provide details about its origin, said Chaiyaporn.

"Had the animal passed the oversize baggage check and gone through four to five hours of travel, its chances of survival would have been slim,'' said Nirath Nipanant, chief of the airport's wildlife checkpoint.

The woman, identified as Piyawan Palasarn, 31, faces up to four years in prison and a $1,300 fine for two wildlife smuggling-related charges, police said. She denied the luggage with the cub belonged to her and said another passenger had asked her to carry it for them, said Adisorn Noochdumrong of the Thai Wildlife Protection Department.

The cub could have fetched about $3,200 on the black market in Iran, where it is popular to have exotic pets, Adisorn said. He said he did not know what the woman allegedly intended to do with this particular cub. ap

YouTube launches free movie service

2010-08-27T18:52:00.001-07:00

YouTube has launched a free movie service that will allow users to view full movies for free.

NEW DELHI: YouTube has launched a free movie service that will allow users to view full movies for free. The new service can be found at www.youtube.com/movies, and will show a range of films, including several Bollywood hits.

The company said that more than 400 movies will be initially available as part of the service.

According to the company, Titles will include a range that "brings together a library of film ranging from past mainstream hits to cult classics and beyond, and YouTube hopes the Movies section will grow in time."

YouTube has signed partnerships with www.blinkbox.com, British online film and TV aggregator, and US studios like Lionsgate, MGM and Sony Pictures for the free movie channel. Some popular movies include The Addiction, Dark Side Of The Sun, The Clan Of The Cave Bear and Death Train.

Donagh O'Malley, Head of Video Partnerships, YouTube told Guardian, "This is one of many efforts to ensure that people can find all the different kinds of video they want to see, from bedroom vlogs and citizen journalism reports to full-length films and TV shows. This is a first step."

Perfect cut: Finally, jeans for Indian curves

2010-08-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

BANGALORE: Any random survey would reveal that most Indian women find it almost impossible to get western wear that fits right, especially jeans and pants. That's because what's on the shelves is based on standard sizes, that make little allowance for Indian women's god-given, natural curves.

"I always have trouble finding the right pair of jeans. When I find a pair that fits my waist right, the hips seem a little funny. And the ones that look great on hips are far too tight on the waist," says an exasperated R Shreya, who still doesn't have a pair of perfect jeans. Her story is echoed by the vast majority of Indian women, young and old.

But now, more and more apparel makers are seriously addressing the issue. Women's clothing is finally getting personal, with brands making clothes based on curves, rather than size. Come September, denim fashion brand Levi Strauss will launch a range of jeans designed to fit the curves of a woman's body.

The company conducted a study of body scans of more than 60,000 women around the world, of all shapes and sizes.

Through this research, Levi's designers identified three distinct body types that account for 80% of women's shapes universally — Slight Curve for straight figures, Demi Curves for women with even proportions, and Bold Curves designed for the real curves.

Earlier, Jealous 21, the casual denim women's wear brand from fashion house Indus League, carried out an anthropometric study of Indian women, that revealed that 90% of all women fall into three distinct waist-to-hip ratio categories, which determine their curves. Following that finding, the brand has been offering three hip sizes for every waist size. So, a 28-size waist would have a 36" hip size, a 38" hip size and a 39" hip size.

Allen Solly, the casual wear brand of Madura Garments, had earlier this decade done a study that found that the body types of Indian women could be divided into four broad categories, and accordingly, clothes were categorized as: comfort — for a body small on top, wider on hips; straight — equal on top, waist and hips; trim — equal on top and bottom with narrow waist; and regular — wide-shouldered and narrow at waist and hips.

Outrage in Pakistan as court blacks out Indian channels Read more: Outrage in Pakistan as court blacks out Indian channels

2010-08-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

ISLAMABAD: In move that blocks the information highway across Pakistan and comes as a rude shock to the people, Pakistan's supreme court on Friday directed the electronic media regulatory authority to stop all cable operators from airing TV channels without landing rights in Pakistan. The stations off air as a result are predominantly Indian news, entertainment and sports channels, as also a clutch of other foreign and local entertainment, sports and religious networks.

The question of landing rights arose after Pakistan's Geo and ARY news channels lodged a petition in the apex court because local cable operators were forced to switch off their transmission for broadcasting news of a shoe hurled at President Asif Ali Zardari during his visit to the UK earlier this month.

The channels no longer on view are Times Now, BBC, CNN, Sony, Euro News, Star Plus, CCTV 9, IQRA, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera (English) apart from a host of others. As a result of the ban, sports lovers were unable to watch the first day of the Test match between Pakistan and England at Lords on Star Sports. The Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary observed that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) must act against all private TV channels running transmissions without paying broadcasting license fee.

The court also issued notice to PEMRA chairman Mushtaq Malik for presenting false statements in the court about the illegal closure of private TV channels. Later, PEMRA chairman Mushtaq, affirming that their decision was taken at the behest of the Supreme Court, said, "Cable operators have been directed to stop broadcasting all channels that do not have landing rights in Pakistan. Many callers are furious and are not ready to listen to our explanation," said Muhammad Sadiq of Pakistan Cable Operator's Association.

Abdul Jabbar, PEMRA's executive member, said they are not targeting Indian channels but banning all unregistered channels. He also said, "There's outrage against blackout of Indian channels because they are very popular here."

Third Nano goes up in flames, this one in Delhi

2010-08-27T18:47:00.001-07:00

Sparks from the engine turned into a fire which engulfed the car.

NEW DELHI: Barely three months after Tata Motors certified the Nano as "absolutely safe", in a first in Delhi, a car went up in flames at a parking lot in Aurobindo Marg on Friday. The driver managed to get out on seeing sparks; in all of two minutes, only a charred frame remained.

The car, which belonged to a Supreme Court advocate, had just pulled into the parking lot around 11.30am when driver Patrick John noticed sparks coming from the rear, where the engine is located. "I was waiting in the car, having just parked it, when sparks started coming out. Thankfully, I managed to leap out of the car in time. I shudder to think what might have happened otherwise, since it was all over so fast. The entire car was destroyed in two minutes flat," said John.

Two similar incidents were reported in Vadodara and Mumbai earlier this year following which Tata Motors launched an inquiry. In May, it said the accidents were due to unrelated reasons and that the car was safe. The company has called a probe into Friday's incident; a spokesperson from Mumbai said a Tata team would inspect the vehicle to ascertain the reasons behind the accident.

The sky blue Nano bought by SC advocate Ravinder Narayan in May, had done 34,000km and was serviced once. "On Friday, we were driving from Connaught Place to Hauz Khas, so had barely travelled 8-9 kilometres," John said. The driver was travelling with the advocate's manager before the accident occurred. Narayan was unavailable for comment.
Automobile experts said the fire was possibly not endemic to the Nano. "It is possible that the car had been tweaked to add some features like power windows or a fancy audio system where the wiring was not done properly," said editor-in-chief of Zigwheels, Adil Jal Darukhanawala.

There have been incidents of Nano catching fire right from when deliveries began in March this year. While initially the problem was put down to the combination switch towards the dashboard of the car, incidents later pointed to engine fault which prompted a company investigation.

In May, Tata Motors asserted that the Nano was "absolutely safe". A company statement issued on May 21 said: "Tata Motors has undertaken a comprehensive investigation related to the cause of fire in two Tata Nanos. On the basis of the findings of the investigation, conducted by a 20-member internal team and an independent forensic expert, Tata Motors assures all customers that the Tata Nano is a safe car, with a robust design and state-of-the-art components."

The latest setback comes at a time when Tata Motors is looking to open new bookings for the Nano after production began at its new plant in Sanand, Gujarat. Analysts said repeated incidents of fire on the Nano could affect demand for the budget car on safety concerns.

15 injured after fire scare on Jet flight in Mumbai

2010-08-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: Mumbai airport saw unprecedented scenes on Friday evening when passengers of a Jet Airways flight to Chennai were asked to evacuate through emergency chutes after passengers saw smoke inside the cabin -- close to the left wing -- and pointed it out to the crew.

But the inflatable evacuation chutes at two of the exits near the middle of the aircraft failed to open, forcing many of the passengers to jump on to one of the wings and then jump down to the tarmac. Three of the panicky passengers suffered fractures and a dozen more received minor injuries in the process. All of them were given first aid by Mumbai International Airport Limited officials and those who suffered fractures were taken to hospital.

The incident took place around 9pm when flight 9W2302, already 45 minutes behind schedule, was on the taxiway of the airport just before take-off. "One of my co-passengers saw the smoke and immediately alerted the cabin crew," Shrikanth Barhate, one of the passengers aboard the Boeing 737 aircraft, told TOI minutes after the dramatic escape.

One cabin crew went into the cockpit to inform the commander as others searched for the source of the fire. "Then, all of a sudden, we were told to evacuate and the emergency exits were opened," Barhate said.

The front and rear exits of the flight were also thrown open, he added, but not too many people could use them because the aisle was crowded. "Many passengers, who were nearer the emergency exits in the middle, rushed there," he said.

It was there that the passengers realised that there was no inflatable slide to help them get off the aircraft and they would have to jump off the flight. Many of the fliers first jumped on to the wing and then jumped more than 12 feet to reach the tarmac, suffering fractures and bruises in the process.

Barhate himself suffered minor injuries. "I had taken off my shoes and was relaxing when the flight attendant barked out the evacuation orders. I just jumped off the aircraft with my shoes in hand," he said, adding that an elderly woman who jumped after him apparently sustained serious injuries.

An MIAL spokesperson confirmed the incident. "Jet Airway's flight to Chennai reported fire in one of its engines when it was still on the taxiway," the official said. "But no fire was detected," he said.

A Jet Airways spokesperson said the commander on board was informed of "an alleged engine fire". There was no visible trace of the fire but the commander still proceeded to declare a "precautionary emergency", the spokesperson said, adding that a "thorough inspection of the engine was carried out" after the evacuation.

Several flights taking off from Mumbai were delayed and many had to manoeuvre around the parked Jet Airways flight to reach the take-off point.