Latest News of the Day

Burj Dubai becomes world's tallest tower

2008-09-04T19:59:00.002-07:00

Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is now the world’s tallest man-made structure, after reaching a record height of 688 metres, The tower is now over 160 stories - the largest number of floors in any building across the world, its developer real estate giant Emaar Properties said in a statement.

The tower unofficially became the world’s tallest man-made structure in April, 2008 after surpassing the KVLY-TV mast (628.8 metres) in North Dakota in the United States. Though the final height of the tower has not been disclosed yet, although it is expected to reach 800m. It will be officially recognised as the world’s tallest structure only when the construction is fully completed.

The tower was designed by Chicago, Illinois-based Skidmore and is being constructed by high-rise building experts from South Korea’s Samsung Engineering & Construction, Belgium's Besix and United States Turner Construction.

US Senator Joseph Lieberman speaks at Republican National Convention

2008-09-04T19:59:00.001-07:00

United States Senator Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT) delivered an impassioned speech yesterday to Republicans at the 2008 Republican National Convention. His choice to do so angered numerous congressional Democrats, and may lead to sanctions by the party.

Lieberman spent 18 years as a Democrat, winning his first Senate race in 1988. After three terms, Lieberman narrowly lost the Democratic primary in the lead-up to the 2006 election. Running instead under the "Connecticut for Lieberman" party banner, Lieberman beat his former democratic opponent Ned Lamont, Republican Alan Schlesinger and third-party candidates thereby retaining his seat. He promptly changed his official party affiliation to "Independent Democrat", which he continues to use.

Lieberman, who had previously endorsed John McCain for the presidency and was long considered as a possible running mate, spoke to the Republican party about choosing a maverick:

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But when they look to Washington, all too often they do not see their leaders coming together to tackle these problems. Instead they see Democrats and Republicans fighting each other, rather than fighting for the American people...It shouldn't take a natural disaster to teach us that the American people don't care much if you have an "R" or a "D" after your name.

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Lieberman also took shots at his own party, and its candidate, Senator Barack Obama:

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Senator Obama is a gifted and eloquent young man who can do great things for our country in the years ahead. But eloquence is no substitute for a record—not in these tough times. In the Senate he has not reached across party lines to get anything significant done, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic Party. Contrast that to John McCain's record, or the record of the last Democratic President, Bill Clinton, who stood up to some of those same Democratic interest groups and worked with Republicans to get important things done like welfare reform, free trade agreements, and a balanced budget.

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He also elicited booing when mentioning Obama's stance on ground-troop funding:

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When others wanted to retreat in defeat from the field of battle, when Barack Obama was voting to cut off funding for our troops on the ground, John McCain had the courage to stand against the tide of public opinion and support the surge, and because of that, today, our troops are at last beginning to come home, not in failure, but in honor.

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Lieberman's decision to speak at the Convention sparked anger from many of his Democratic colleagues. A "Lieberman Must Go" petition, boasting over 50,000 signatures, was launched by filmmaker Robert Greenwald. Greenwald seeks to have Lieberman stripped of his chairmanship on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Pundits consider this likely if Democrats gain Senate seats in the upcoming election, guaranteeing a safe majority. (The current makeup of the Senate is 49 Republicans, 49 Democrats, and two independents, Lieberman and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.)

Lieberman's speech came on the first day of the convention, and followed that of Senator Fred Thompson and the televised appearance of U.S. President George W. Bush. The convention will conclude on Thursday, 4 September.

Sony recalls 440,000 laptops due to wiring faults

2008-09-04T19:58:00.001-07:00

Technology company Sony have recalled 440,000 Vaio laptops due to a fault in the wiring which could result in overheating.

The recall involves some laptops in the VAIO VGN-TZ100 series, VGN-TZ200 series, VGN-TZ300 series and VGN-TZ2000. The affected laptops were sold through the SonyStyle store for between CAN$1,700 and CAN$4,000.

The recall affects 48 countries, with 373,000 of the recalled laptops being sold in countries other than Japan. 67,000 of the laptops were sold in Japan. Sony has received 209 reports of overheating worldwide, and one customer has reported receiving minor burns.

One of the countries not effected by the recall is the United Kingdom. A spokesperson for Sony UK said that there has "been no reported incidents of this potential issue in products sold in the UK to date, and a product recall is not required."

Tropical Storm Ike upgraded to Hurricane status

2008-09-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has upgraded Tropical Storm Ike to Hurricane status. The storm is the fifth hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic season. The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour. Ike is located 610 miles northeast of the Leeward Islands, and is currently tracking west-northwest at seventeen miles per hour.

It is currently too early too make precise predictions on the areas of land that will be hit by the hurricane, but the NHC reports that the hurricane may strike in the Southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands may be affected.

All individuals who may be impacted by this storm are urged to track its progress as it develops over the next few days.

The NHC has said that "Ike is an extremely dangerous category four hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale." The organization also said that "some weakening is forecast during the next day or so but Ike is expected to remain a powerful hurricane for the next several days."

Google removes ownership claim from Chrome EULA

2008-09-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

Following complaints by users, Google has removed the section of Google Chrome's end-user license agreement which claims that Google has the right to use any content submitted through its browser in virtually any way it wants. The agreement said that "by submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services."

After being removed, a new notice was added that says that "you retain copyright and any other rights that you already hold in Content that you submit, post or display on or through the Services."

A spokesperson for Google has said that the claim was originally there due to a mistake. The spokesperson said that, in order to keep the license agreements simple for users, they regularly copy license agreements between different pieces of software. "Sometimes, as in the case of Google Chrome, this means that the legal terms for a specific product may include terms that don't apply well to the use of that product," said the spokesperson, when describing the effect of copying EULAs.

A similar controversy occurred last year with Google Docs, which originally gave Google similar rights.

Phil Hill, first American to win the Formula One championship, dies at age 81

2008-08-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

hil Hill, the American Formula One racecar driver, has died today at age 81 in Salinas, California. Phil died from complications from Parkinson's Disease. He was set to travel to a historic meeting at Monterey but was rushed to hospital. His son Derek, also a racecar driver had to retire to look after his father.

Phil is to date the only American-born driver to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship when he won the 1961 season. Italian-born American Mario Andretti, who won the Drivers' Championship in 1978, is the only other American to have won.

Phil Hill finished one point above the German Wolfgang von Trips, who died in a crash during the Italian Grand Prix.

As well as winning the 1961 F1 Season, Phil also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in 1958, 1961 and 1962.

He continued to race up untill 1966 when he retired. He failed to win another race after the 1961 season. After retiring from racing he spent his time collecting vintage cars. He judged at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance a record 38 times.

"It's a sad day," said close friend Carroll Shelby. "Phil was an excellent race car driver with a unique feel for the car, and his real expertise was in long-distance racing."

by Wikinews

Margaret Thatcher suffering from dementia, says daughter

2008-08-27T17:56:00.001-07:00

Carol Thatcher, the daughter of the former Prime Minister of Britain Margaret Thatcher, has revealed that her mother is suffering from dementia.

The revelation to be published in Carol's memoirs titled A Swim-On Part in the Goldfish Bowl: A Memoir, which is to go on sale in September. In them, Carol states that her mother's illness is "a case of classic dementia, coupled with a series of mini-strokes." Mrs Thatcher suffered several strokes in 2002, but suffered no short term memory loss as a result. Carol states that the signs of her illness began to take effect in 2000.

"As she became increasingly frail, many of her friends and colleagues became extraordinarily considerate when dealing with the new Lady T. The woman who had dominated discussions for so long could no longer lead debates or keep up with the thread of a drinks-party conversation," wrote Carol who also said that at times Mrs Thatcher forgets that her late husband Denis is dead. He died in June of 2003 from complications of pancreatic cancer.

"I had to keep giving her the bad news again and again. Every time it finally sank in that she had lost her husband of more than 50 years, she’d look at me sadly and say ‘Oh’," states Carol in her memoirs.

Margaret Thatcher is currently 82. She was born on October 13, 1925, and served as the Prime Minister of the U.K. for 11 years, from 1979 to 1990.

Kevin Duckworth, former NBA All-star and Trail Blazer dies age 44

2008-08-27T17:54:00.003-07:00

Former American National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball star Kevin Duckworth has died at age 44. The former Portland Trail Blazers center died on Monday of an apparent heart attack in his hotel room at Gleneden Beach, Oregon. He was in town for part of a free childrens basketball clinic being run by the Trail Blazers. His death was confirmed by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.

Duckworth commenced his career with the San Antonio Spurs when he was selected in the second round of the 1986 NBA Draft. He was traded after one season for fellow draft pick Walter Berry. It was during his time with the Trail Blazers that he had his most sucessful season. During 1988 he shot 77.0% from the free throw line and played well all-round. This performance earned him the NBA Most Improved Player Award.

The following year he was selected as an All-Star. The following seasons were also classed as a success for both Duckworth and the Trail Blazers. They made it to the 1990 NBA Finals and in 1991 he was selected as an All-Star for a second time.

He was traded to the Washington Bullets for two seasons and then later for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers for one seasons each. After the 1996-97 season with the Clippers he retired.

No assassination plot against US presidential candidate Barack Obama

2008-08-27T17:54:00.001-07:00

Police in Denver, Colorado located in the United States say that three men who were arrested on August 25 for possessing drugs and weapons were not involved in a plot to assassinate US presidential candidate Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention that night.

"[There was] insufficient evidence of any kind of plot or threat [against Obama]", stated Troy Eid, Colorado's district attorney who also said the men were making "racist rants" while high on methamphetamines.

"The alleged threats, hateful and bigoted though they were, involved a group of… methamphetamine abusers, all of whom were impaired at the time. The evidence involving the alleged threats does not warrant federal charges now," said Eid. Authorities in Colorado will continue to investigate the individuals. "The law recognizes a difference between a true threat - one that can be carried out - and the reported racist rantings of a drug addict," added Eid.

The alleged threat began when an unnamed female who was with the men stated to authorities that they were shouting racists words and remarks about Obama. At least two of the men are claimed to have ties to white supremacists.

The three men are identified as Tharin Gartrell, 28, Nathan Johnson, 32, and Shawn Robert Adolf, 33. Gartrell was the first suspect arrested. Police found him driving a rental truck while weaving around the road on August 25 and with him rifles,ammunition, drugs, disguises, 2-way radios, a bullet proof vest and identification badges for three unnamed people. Johnson was arrested a short time later and Adolf was arrested trying to escape from police by jumping out of a hotel window on the sixth floor. He broke his ankle and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Gartrell is facing charges of possessing drugs. Adolf and Johnson are charged with illegally possessing firearms and possessing methamphetamines. Johnson was also additionally charged with possessing body armor illegally.

American actor Morgan Freeman in serious condition after car accident

2008-08-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

American Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman is in a serious condition in a Tennessee hospital following a car accident in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi in the Mississippi Delta. The 71-year-old actor was flown to the hospital by air ambulance with injuries to one arm.

Freeman, the Associated Press reports, "has a broken arm, broken elbow and minor shoulder damage, but is in good spirits," according to a statement from Donna Lee, Freeman's publicist.

Reports say that Freeman was driving Demaris Meyer — the owner of the 1997 Nissan Maxima — when the car flipped over several times around 11:30 p.m. Sunday night. Meyer's condition has not been released and hospital officials will not say more than Freeman is in serious condition.

According to reports, Freeman over-corrected the vehicle when it began to go off the highway, causing it to flip several times before landing in a ditch. The accident occurred on Highway 32 just north of Ruleville, Mississippi not far from where Freeman currently resides.

Clay McFerrin, editor of the Sun Sentinel in Charleston, told the Associated Press he arrived at the accident scene soon after the accident. "They had to use the jaws of life to extract him from the vehicle," McFerrin told the Associated Press. "He was lucid, conscious. He was talking, joking with some of the rescue workers at one point."

Freeman was one of the stars of the recent film The Dark Knight and is currently being treated at Memphis Regional Medical Center along with Meyer. Spokeswoman Kathy Stringer says that "Freeman is in a serious condition," but did not comment further. The hospital, known locally as "The Med" is an acute care facility for up to 150 patients.

According to Sgt. Ben Williams of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, "there's no indication that either alcohol or drugs were involved" in causing the accident. He also said that both Freeman and Meyer were wearing their safety belts.

Heikki Kovalainen wins 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix

2008-08-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Heikki Kovalainen won the FIA Formula One 2008 ING Magyar Nagydíj at the Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary on Sunday. It was the first Grand Prix win of Kovalainen's driving career and he became the 100th winner in Formula One history.

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa had dominated the race since the start when he overtook both McLaren front line sitters - first Kovalainen and then Lewis Hamilton. During the first part of the race, Hamilton punctured his front tyre and lost more positions as well as his hopes of winning. It seemed that Ferrari had the race in the pocket, but on the dying laps, Massa's engine was consumed by fire and he stopped on the main straight. Kovalainen took the opportunity to rush to the finish line.

Timo Glock did a brilliant job for his Toyota team, taking the second place. He qualified in fifth place and was in third until Massa went out.

The race became the first podium finish for Timo Glock, too. Still, his position was in danger from Kimi Räikkönen, who was racing close to Timo, but slowed down to secure his third place.

Renault drivers Fernando Alonso and Nelsinho Piquet finished fourth and sixth, respectively. They improved from their starting positions of seventh and tenth respectively. The Renault duo was split only by Lewis Hamilton.

The second Toyota of Jarno Trulli came in seventh. The top eight was rounded out by pole Robert Kubica from BMW Sauber.

Two other Renault-engined cars of Mark Webber and David Coulthard (Red Bull team) — split by Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) — were the last cars to finish on the lead lap. TheHonda and Williams teams, as well as Giancarlo Fisichella from Force India were all lapped.

Ferrari now leads Constructors' Championship standings with 111 points, 11 ahead of McLaren and 90 ahead of BMW. The Drivers' standings are still lead by Hamilton with 62 points, but he is only 5 points ahead of Räikkönen and 8 ahead of Massa.

United States confirms first military death sentence since 1957

2008-08-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

The President of the United States, George W. Bush, has approved the death sentence of an Army Private convicted of multiple rapes and murders.

Pvt. Ronald A. Gray, stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina at the time, was found guilty in courts-martial for the rape and murder of Pvt. Laura Lee Vickery-Clay, a fellow soldier at Fort Bragg, and civilian taxi driver Kimberly Ann Ruggles. He was also convicted of rape and attempted murder in the case of a another Army Pvt. Mary Ann Lang Nameth.

Gray's conviction and death sentence were upheld in the Army Court of Military Review (now the Army Court of Criminal Appeals) and the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. The case was denied certiorari by the Supreme Court of the United States. His sentence was submitted to President Bush for approval, in accordance to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, in 2005.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said "while approving a sentence of death for a member of our armed services is a serious and difficult decision for a commander in chief, the president believes the facts of this case leave no doubt that the sentence is just and warranted." Perino also stated that the White House expects additional appeals involving this case.

Silas, a former military attorney who represented Gray on appeal stated that the decision to excecute Grey was "disappointing news, as you can imagine."

Gray has been on deathrow since April 1988. The 1988 tribunal unanimously sentenced Gray to death, and he has been held at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, ever since.

Prior to his court-martial, he pled guilty in a state court in North Carolina to two additional murders and five additional rapes in the Fayetteville area. All the crimes occurred between April 1986 and January 1987, when he was arrested following a rape.

If carried out, Gray's execution would be the first of an American soldier since Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged in 1961 for the rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl in Austria.

Six other soldiers are on death row, and in addition the Army is seeking approval for the death sentence of Pvt. Dwight J. Loving, who was sentenced to death for robbing and murdering two taxi drivers in 1988.

President Bush has ordered the executions of three Federal death row inmates during his Administration, including Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. He signed the death warrants of 152 inmates during his time as Governor of Texas.

Man decapitated on Greyhound bus in Manitoba

2008-08-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

According to a Canadian Press report published Thursday and a CNN report Friday, 40-year-old Vince Weiguang Li of Edmonton, Alberta has been arrested for allegedly stabbing and decapitating a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba, Canada on Wednesday night.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has not confirmed a beheading, which witnesses have described to the press, saying only that the suspect allegedly stabbed the victim around 8:30 p.m. CT on a Greyhound bus traveling east on the Trans-Canada Highway about 20 kilometers west of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Canadian Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day described the attack as "horrific" according to Agence France-Presse and "probably one-of-a-kind in Canadian history" according to the Canadian Press.

While the RCMP has not released the victim's name, the Canadian Press and CNN have reported that the deceased is Tim McLean, 22, who had been traveling from Edmonton to Winnipeg, where he lived. Two witnesses described the attack to CBC News: Garnet Caton, who was sitting in the seat in front of the victim, and Cody Olmstead, who smoked a cigarette with the victim just minutes shortly before the attack.

"He must have stabbed him 50 times or 60 times," Caton told CBC News.

Olmstead described the attack: "Like, just everywhere, arms, legs, neck, chest, guts, wherever he could swing it, he got it."

Caton and Olmstead said that the other passengers fled. When the bus driver, a passing trucker and Caton returned to check on the victim, Caton noticed the victim's head was gone. Caton said that the attacker then chased them off the bus. CBC News reported that the suspect tried to drive the bus away from the scene, but the driver disabled the engine. Witnesses have said that the attacker then paraded the removed head from a bus window.

"While we were watching the door, he calmly walks up to the front with the head in his hand and the knife and just calmly stares at us and drops the head right in front of us," Caton told the CBC.

"The guy came to the front of the door with buddy's head in his hands, decapitated. He dropped the head and went back and started cutting the body back up," Olmstead described to the Canadian Press. RCMP arrested the suspect at about 1:30 a.m. local time after a three-hour standoff. As of about 3:00 p.m. Thursday, the Canadian Press reported that the RCMP has not yet questioned the subject and had laid no charges, though he was due Friday morning in the Provincial Court of Manitoba in Portage la Prairie, according to a statement posted on the RCMP web site.

Greyhound spokeswoman Abby Wambaugh told the Associated Press that 37 passengers were aboard the bus.

Tennis star Sharapova out of Olympics

2008-08-02T07:13:00.001-07:00

nternational tennis star Maria Sharapova will miss the 2008 Beijing Olympics because of a shoulder injury sustained during the WTA Rogers Open in Montreal, Canada.

Sharapova, 21, defeated Poland's Marta Domachowska during the second round of the Open, but was in pain during the three-hour match.

"This is something that needs a lot of time to heal. It really hurts me to say I have to miss the Olympics," she said on her official website, according to the BBC. "After Wednesday's match I knew there was something seriously wrong with my shoulder." "There are so many mixed feelings because on Wednesday night they were almost positive there was something wrong with my nerve, which could have ultimately been much more serious," Sharapova said, according to The Daily Telegraph. "But after Thursday morning's tests, for the first time in a while, they were able to give me a different answer and a different problem. This is something that needs a lot of time to heal. It really hurts me to say I have to miss the Olympics."

The Associated Press reports that Sharapova, three-time Grand Slam champion, has has two small tears in tendons in her shoulder, discovered through an MRI exam and other medical tests.

The tennis section of the Olympics will start on August 11 and run through to August 15. The U.S. Open tournament will start Aug. 25 and the Associated Press reports that Sharapova may also miss that tournament.

The Daily Telegraph reports that Sharapova joins former world No 1 and Athens Olympic silver medalist Amelie Mauresmo and fellow French star Mary Pierce on a list of tennis players not competing in the 2008 Olympics.

The Kommersant reported Friday that Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina will play for Russia in Beijing.

Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Indian politician dies at 92

2008-08-02T07:12:00.001-07:00

Indian politician Harkishan Singh Surjeet has died of a cardiac arrest aged 92.

He was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) from 1992 to 2005 and was a member of the party's Polit Bureau from 1964 to 2008. Before joining the Communist Party of India (Marxist) he was part of the Communist Party of India which he joined in 1936. After the independence of India Surjeet had to go underground for four years.

His health was declining and for the first time missed the CPI(M) Polit Bureau in April 2008. He had been in hospital since July 25. His funeral is due to take place on August 3.

Gunman kills three in Wisconsin shooting

2008-08-02T07:11:00.001-07:00

The Associated Press reported early Friday that a camouflaged gunman opened fire, killing three, on a northeast Wisconsin river Thursday night.

A fourth person was wounded when the gunman opened fire at about 5:30 p.m. The four victims had gathered to go swimming near the East Kingsford railroad bridge over the Menominee River near Niagara, Wisconsin. The river forms the border between Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The suspect used a military-style assault rifle from a distance of 7 to 10 feet from one victim, Marinette County Sheriff Jim Kanikula said.

The Associated Press reports that a manhunt involving over 100 officers from more than 10 agencies searched for a man described as a "middle-age man who was last seen near the town of Niagara."

The alleged gunman, Scott J. Johnson, 38, of Iron Mountain, Michigan was taken into custody at about 8:30 a.m. local time approximately 100 yards from the bridge where the shootings occurred, according to early reports.

The Daily News reported that the suspect surrendered into police custody. At 9:43 a.m. the search was ended by authorities after a suspect was captured just after 9:00 a.m. CDT Friday. At 12:25 p.m., the Star Tribune released the name of alleged gunman.

The Star Tribune and the Associated Press reported the names of the victims: Tiffany Pohlson, 17, Anthony Spigarelli, 18, and Bryan Mort, 19. Twenty-year-old Daniel Louis Gordon was wounded. All were from Michigan.

The four victims were part of a group of nine young adults by the bridge. The Star Tribune reports that there was no communication between the attacker and the group.

Johnson is in the Marinette County Jail awaiting an arraignment hearing that has yet to be scheduled.

Agence France-Presse reports that about 30 people were evacuated from the area.

Niagara is about 210 miles north of Milwaukee, across the state line from Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

NASA to extend the Phoenix probe mission by 5 weeks

2008-08-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

The Phoenix probe that was sent to Mars has had its mission extended. Part of Phoenix's mission was to chemically analyze soil samples, and to confirm the presence of water ice. The ice was confirmed by the use of an instrument that can identify vapours; a small sample of ice was heated until it melted at 0°C (32°F), the melting point for water.

The original mission was planned to be funded for a 3 months, with the cutoff in late August. However, as a result of the probe's good condition, NASA has stated that its mission will be extended by 5 weeks, till September 30.

"Phoenix is healthy and the projections for solar power look good, so we want to take full advantage of having this resource in one of the most interesting locations on Mars," said the Head of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, Michael Meyers. An additional expense of US$2 million will be incurred because of the extension, on top of the US$420 million that has already been spent. This will allow for two more trenches to be dug, which will be dubbed as "Cupboard" and "Neverland".

The Phoenix probe landed on Mars on May 25 of this year near the north pole of Mars, where the ice was discovered. The ice was found in a trench approximately 5cm deep referred to as "Snow White". "It's been very successful and Mars had proven itself to be very interesting, mechanically the spacecraft is operating great, and there's plenty of power margin to carry us beyond the waning summer," said Meyers.

The original goal of the mission was to determine if the red planet was capable of supporting life. Phoenix is in the process of performing experiments to determine if ice ever melted in Mars' history. In addition it is searching for the organic-based compounds that are necessary for life forms to exist.

Phoenix's principal investigator Peter Smith told the press conference that "we hope to be able to answer the question of whether this was a habitable zone on Mars. It will be for future missions to find if anyone is home on this environment."

Unlike the twin Mars Exploration Rovers which has now been operating on Mars for years, the Phoenix Lander itself is expected cease operations entirely by the exit of 2008 when the harsh Martian polar winter takes over and the low temperatures most likely will leave the Lander's instruments irreparably damaged.

Van Halen singer impersonated in Canadian medical scare

2008-07-31T15:22:00.001-07:00

Canadian police officers who thought they were saving Van Halen singer David Lee Roth's life in May have now learned that they were assisting an impostor.

On May 23, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers near Brantford, Ontario stopped a vehicle that was travelling abnormally. They discovered a driver who identified himself as "David Lee Roth" who was having medical trouble. The driver was taken to Brantford General Hospital for treatment of anaphylaxis, reportedly caused by a peanut allergy.

Following his treatment and release from hospital, the man accompanied two nurses to a local bar, Liquid Lounge, where he sung the Van Halen song "Ice Cream Man" with a local band.

But it was since determined that Roth was performing with Van Halen in New York City on the evening that the incident occurred. A statement was issued through Roth's publicist denying that he was in Ontario and that the singer is not allergic to peanuts. The OPP officers at the time of the incident did not seek identification of the impostor due to concern over the man's medical condition, but are now aware of his real identity.

African HIV prevalence may also be physiological

2008-07-31T15:21:00.001-07:00

A new study shows that a variation in a gene known as the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines, or simply DARC, may introduce an unknown vulnerability that could lead to a 40% greater risk of contracting HIV, the precursor to AIDS. The genetic variation is found in two-thirds of sub-Saharan Africans.

This particular variation on the gene, in which a single genetic letter is flipped, is thought to be a defense mechanism against malaria. It stops the growth of the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium vivax. Concurrently, it also causes chemokines (proteins secreted by cells) to avoid red blood cells, an opposite behavior of the typical Duffy gene.

An on-going study of African American Airmen has found that the group infected with HIV was more likely to lack red blood cells that host the Duffy gene. The study, published in Cell Host & Microbe, does not identify why the absence of the chemokine receptor in red blood cells increases susceptibility to HIV, but the occurrence of the virus in such people is beyond the levels of chance.

The study also found that those carrying the DARC variant lived longer with HIV/AIDS. While this comes as good news to those already infected, it also means that the window for the unwitting spread of HIV is now known to be wider, since infected individuals with the gene mutation can take an average of two years longer to show symptoms. In terms of numbers, the two years of unknowingly being a source for infection translates into as much as 11% of AIDS cases in Africa.

Marathon runner addresses Toronto, bringing attention to autism

2008-07-31T15:17:00.001-07:00

Four months and 3,200 kilometres ago, Canadian runner Jonathan Howard began his run across the second-largest country in the world, to raise awareness for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

A graduate of McMaster University, Howard arrived in Toronto this week, to address the nation's largest city before continuing his westward run which will take him through all ten Canadian provinces.

Howard was met Monday at a charity barbecue by Senator Art Eggleton. The fundraiser was part of Howard's strategy to raise 2.5 million dollars to assist families that support children with ASD. "Spectrum is a very puzzling word," he told the gathering "because there are many types of autism on that spectrum". The real goal of his RunTheDream.ca charity drive though, Howard explained, was simply to "get people involved in the issue" and generate attention for the little-understood disorder.

Eggleton, who welcomed Terry Fox to the city as mayor in 1980, drew comparisons to the Marathon of Hope runner who became a Canadian icon. While praising Howard's efforts to raise money and awareness, the senator said he believed that "an awful lot more needs to be done" at the political level to combat the financial and emotional difficulties that face those dealing with autism.

Howard reassured supporters that he still intended to reach Victoria, B.C. before December 31. "The challenges are great," he confessed "but as long as the determination is greater, anything can be achieved".

Terry Robinson, a two-time Canadian Paralympic contender born with cerebral palsy, pledged to follow Howard's journey two weeks ago on its three-month leg from Ottawa to Winnipeg.

Robinson addressed the city, speaking about how his own disabilities left him with an appreciation for how important it was to ensure that people struggling with autism had access to services that could support them.

British hacker may face Guantanamo, 60-year sentence

2008-07-31T15:16:00.001-07:00

Beleaguered British computer hacker Gary McKinnon has vowed to fight U.S. extradition proceedings through the European Court of Human Rights. This follows on from yesterday's rejection of an appeal to the the U.K's Law Lords.

American prosecutors who have pursued the case against McKinnon are offering a stark choice for the ex-systems analyst who allegedly broke into 97 US military and NASA computer systems. Some reports describe his UFO-related hacking efforts as, "the biggest military hack in history"; his lawyers have used alarmist language to describe the attitude of American prosecutors pursing him on six indictments, "American officials involved in this case have stated that they want to see him 'fry'. The consequences he faces if extradited are both disproportionate and intolerable." The plea-bargain offer on the table would see McKinnon face four years in jail if he accepts two of the charges. Estimates on how long a sentence he may face if he refuses this and is successfully prosecuted on all six charges go as high as 70 years. For the 1966 Glasgow-born man this is an effective life sentence.

With terrorism being bandied about as a motivation, and allegations that McKinnon deleted files and disrupted the operation of systems he is alleged to have broken into, an additional concern from his lawyers is that under such circumstances he could be detained at the Guantanamo Bay facility. McKinnon describes himself as a "bumbling hacker" who believed he was working in the public interest to expose a U.S. coverup of files and other information on UFOs.

Sixteen Christian converts arrested in Iran; facing death penalty

2008-07-31T15:15:00.001-07:00

Iranian officials have arrested 16 Iranians in Malakshahr, on the outskirts of the central Iranian city of Esfahān. The group, consisting of six women, eight men and two adolescents, are charged with conversion from Islam to Christianity. If found guilty of the allegation, they could face the death penalty.

Evangelical churches in Isfahan have received orders not to allow any Muslims to attend their ceremonies or to facilitate in any conversions. However, a small private home which has been converted to an evangelical church was taking part in the conversion and baptism of three new members of the church; the group was taken into custody. The owners of the home were an elderly couple who, according to local reports, were beaten up before they were taken to an unmarked jailing facility.

Back in April, 10 Christians were arrested in the city of Shiraz as well.

According to Islamic tradition, the act of abandoning the Muslim faith, denominated as the crime of "Ertedad", is in violation of the words of the Prophet and should be punished with death. A bill is currently before the Iranian parliament that, if approved, would mean the death penalty for the group.

Sony refreshes VAIO brand for business and entertainment

2008-07-31T15:13:00.002-07:00

From the middle of July, Sony Corporation refreshed their senior laptop brand VAIO from "Video Audio Integrated Operation" to "Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer". According to Sony Taiwan Limited, this refreshment is an attempt to relocate the laptop consuming market for business and entertainment factors.

In the "VAIO Experience 2008" press conference in Europe, Sony promoted their new product series for different populations including BZ for business, FW for home entertainment, Z for ultra-slim, and SR for complex applications.

Different with past series, Sony added "Clear Bright" screening technology for high-definition display, and "full-carbon production" features. BD-burning and Intel Centrino 2 processing technologies will be featured in all the new models. For security issue, Sony also embedded fingerprint system to prevent personal data to be stolen. Continued from TZ series, innovative designs including "Green Power Button", "Situational Switch" are also added in newly-launched series.

"Due to consuming market differences, Sony only promoted BZ series in Europe and America but not included Asia. Although the TICA Show in Taipei will be different, functionality will be the greatest issue when a consumers choose a notebook [computer] before buying." addressed by executives from Sony Taiwan Limited, during the "VAIO Experience 2008" press conference in Taiwan.

Alaska senator Ted Stevens indicted in corruption scandal

2008-07-31T15:13:00.001-07:00

United States Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska has been indicted by federal grand jury on seven criminal counts for making false statements in his Senate financial disclosure forms. The longest-serving Republican in the Senate, Stevens is the highest-profile politician ensnared in the corruption scandal surrounding VECO Corporation and its executives' attempts to influence politics.

VECO, a subsidiary of CH2M Hill as of September 2007, is an oil pipeline and services company. It is alleged to have funded renovations to the Stevens home in Girdwood, Alaska in 2000. The renovations include a new garage and first floor, a two story wrap-around deck, as well as new wiring and plumbing. In 2007, VECO chief executive Bill Allen pleaded guilty to charges of extortion, bribery, and conspiracy.

The 28-page indictment alleges that Stevens "knowingly and willfully engaged in a scheme to conceal" gifts from VECO, which totaled "hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of things of value."

A press release was issued by Stevens' office in response to the allegations: "I am innocent of these charges and intend to prove that." And Stevens himself commented, "I have never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form required by law as a U.S. senator." Senator Daniel Inouye, a close friend of Stevens, commented: "As far as he's concerned, he's not guilty. And I believe him."

Stevens was reportedly caught unawares on Tuesday when the indictment charge was filed. "Apparently, the media knew about it before he did," Inouye stated, adding that he had just talked to Stevens. Ted Stevens was in a meeting with other Republicans when he found out about the charge.

Stevens is the longest-serving Republican senator in history and is up for reelection this November. Calls to his office in Washington for comment were redirected to a voicemail indicating that his "office is closed."

The United States Department of Justice says it has already obtained seven convictions in the case: Peter Kott, a former Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives; Thomas T. Anderson, a former state representative; Victor H. Kohring, another representative; James A. Clark, chief of staff to the former governor of Alaska; William Bobrick, a lobbyist; Bill Allen, VECO chief executive; and Richard L. Smith, VECO vice president of government relations.

Google's search index hits one trillion page mark

2008-07-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

Google announced on July 25 that its search engine has indexed over 1 trillion unique web pages from all over the globe.

"We knew the web was big," the article on Google's official blog begins. "Even after removing those exact duplicates, we saw a trillion unique URLs." This article also discussed the indexing technology behind the stage.

Google, known as a popular international search engine, has servers all around the world to index web pages. With the rapid development of the Internet, the number of web pages with unique URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is growing by several billion per day. In 1998, Google had an index of only about 26 million pages. Within 10 years, that number has increased by 38 thousand times.

In the early years of the competition of search engines in the 90s, comparing the number of indexed pages was thought to be the best way to compare the engines, while today, users tend to find it more important for a search engine to return pages better related to their searches.

Though many search engine competitors exist, Google boasts more patented technology than most, such as PageRank and text-analyzing, and services like the well-known Gmail, WAP search, Blogger, Google Earth, Google Moon, and range-specialized and customized search.

Earthquake strikes southern California

2008-07-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck southern California in the Chino Hills area (San Bernardino County) near Los Angeles California, east of Highway 142. It occurred at about 11:42 a.m. (PDT), and lasted approximately one minute.

The USGS preliminary report states the earthquake's epicenter was located near a golf course in an upscale community 3 km (2 miles) southwest from Chino Hills, or 47 km (29 miles) east-southeast of Los Angeles(33.959° N 117.752° W). It was centered about 7.6 miles below the surface. The shaking is reported to have been felt as far as away as San Diego and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Fire officials have said that there have been no reports of injuries, deaths or damages, but the USGS states that damage could be moderate. Public safety officials are asking people who live in the area to inspect their homes for gas and water leaks, as well as to contact older or disabled relatives to check their safety. Officials advise evacuating homes if leaking gas can be detected.

As many as thirty-four aftershocks registering a magnitude 3.8 and lower have been recorded since the initial earthquake. The earthquake originally registered a 5.8, but was later reduced to a 5.4 by the USGS.

Former Beatle set for Quebec City concert amid protests

2008-07-28T15:48:00.001-07:00

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney received a hostile reception this week from some Quebec separatists as he prepares for his concert on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City on Sunday.

The controversy began when Quebec artist Luc Archambault released an open letter last week criticising the concert as a "British invasion". The letter was also signed by some other separatists including a few Parti Québécois politicians. The concert is located at the site of the 1759 Battle of the Plains of Abraham on which British and French troops battled. Quebec premier Jean Charest dismissed the letter, noting that Quebec superstar Celine Dion does not face criticism when she sings in various nations.

When interviewed by Radio-Canada on Thursday, the musician suggested that the protestors "smoke the pipes of peace and to just put away your hatchets" and indicated his appearance was a matter of friendship and good will.

McCartney's performance is among numerous scheduled events marking Quebec City's 400th anniversary this year. Celine Dion is scheduled to perform at the Plains of Abraham next month.

Human cells grow blood vessels in mice

2008-07-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Researchers in the United States reported Saturday that cells from human bone marrow, blood and umbilical cords successfully grew into blood vessels after being placed in mice. The group at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston stated that the human cells, referred to as "progenitor cells", connected to the circulatory system of the mice. The team, lead by Harvard associate professor of medicine Joyce Bischoff, reported their findings in the journal Circulation Research, published by the American Heart Association.

Juan M. Melero-Martin, a co-author of the paper in Circulation Research, said that one of the project's goals is to be able to replace some types of heart surgery with an injection of cells grown in a lab that could develop into functioning blood vessels.

"For clinical use, the way we envision it, if a patient has need to vascularize ischemic tissue, we can get cells from the patient ahead of time, grow them and inject them back into the patient," said Melero-Martin.

Ischemic tissue refers to tissue that has been damaged due to a lack of blood flow from blocked arteries or other causes. Researchers hope to be able to speed up the process of repairing damaged tissue and vessels in the heart to a period of one or two days. The procedure could potentially be used to treat organs damaged by heart attacks, or other ailments which impede circulation.

Due to their controversial nature the research team did not use stem cells in their study, but rather relied on progenitor cells taken from bone marrow or blood. "Our next goal down the line is to use them in humans. We need to do a lot more animal studies to test how these cells behave in different tissues," said Joyce Bischoff.

Dr. Nick Rhodes of the UK Centre for Tissue Engineering at the University of Liverpool described the results of the study as "interesting and promising", and commented: "Although this approach is not yet suitable for clinical use, it is interesting that they have demonstrated you have all the elements you need to create a functional network of capillaries from a small amount of blood."

Íngrid Betancourt returns to France

2008-07-28T15:46:00.001-07:00

Freed hostage Íngrid Betancourt arrived in France today, two days after being rescued from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who had kept her captive in the Colombian jungle for more than six years.

Standing alongside President Nicolas Sarkozy at a military air base southwest of Paris, Betancourt said, "I cry with joy." The Colombian-French politician was greeted at the air base by the President and the First Lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, along with some supporters.

"I have been dreaming for seven years of this moment. I owe everything to you," she said, thanking France for pressuring Colombia to "think of other than military options". She added, "France is my home and you are my family." Sarkozy said her safe return shows people in difficult situations that "there is hope, light at the end of the tunnel."

After the welcome at the air base, which was broadcast live on national television, Betancourt went to the Élysée Palace, the President's official residence. Again accompanied by Sarkozy, she recounted her experiences as a hostage in the Colombian jungle, describing the lack of sunlight and hostile conditions.

"It's a completely hostile environment with dangerous animals," Betancourt said. "The most dangerous, of course, is man. Those men who were behind me with huge rifles, pushing me, telling me to walk, telling me to walk more quickly. And in this world of hostility where everything is an enemy, dangerous, against you, there is God. And above all, there was you."

She called on Sarkozy to continue working toward freeing the hostages who were left behind. "We cannot leave them there where they are suffering, where they are alone," she stated, saying that some of them are contemplating suicide. In response, Sarkozy said, "We will carry on working to free them."

Betancourt was one of the 15 hostages rescued on July 2 by the Colombian army, who tricked FARC into handing over the hostages by pretending to be part of a non-governmental organization. She was kidnapped in February 2002 while campaigning for President of Colombia.

At a press conference, her third public event in the hours since returning to France, Betancourt condemned the actions of FARC. "I think the whole world is aware of the fact that FARC inflicts suffering on human beings", she said, calling on the guerrilla organization to "accept defeat gracefully" and "stop being terrorists." She called on the international community to help end the "terrible trend of kidnapping in Colombia".

Betancourt also rejected the idea that the rescue operation was staged to cover up ransom payments to FARC. "I think what I saw was certainly not a staged event," she said. "There was a degree of tension."

Picasso prints stolen from Brazilian museum

2008-07-28T15:45:00.001-07:00

Four paintings were stolen in broad daylight from a branch of the Pinacoteca Museum located in São Paulo, Brazil. In this, the second high-scale art robbery in São Paulo in less then a year, the three armed robbers overpowered three unarmed museum guards before walking out with the paintings, frames and all, in two large bags.

The combined value of the four paintings has been put between US$568,400 and $612,000. The paintings were Pablo Picasso's "The Painter and the Model" and "Minotaur, Drinker and Women", both insured at $4,200, and two paintings by Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, "Women at the Window" insured at $500,000 and "Couple" insured at $60,000. All works stolen were owned by the Jose and Paulina Nemirovsky Foundation.

This comes just several months after a December 20 robbery in Sao Paulo in which another Picasso painting, as well as a painting by Candido Portinari, were stolen after-hours. The paintings were recovered January 8.

Two bomb blasts kill at least 17 in Istanbul, Turkey

2008-07-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

Two bombs detonated in the Güngören district of Istanbul, Turkey Sunday evening, killing at least 17 people and wounding over 150. The neighborhood targeted is mainly residential, and the victims were civilians. At least five of those killed were children, according to local officials.

This bombing was the worst terrorist attack in Istanbul since the 2003 Istanbul Bombings, in which truck bombs exploded outside two Istanbul synagogues, killing 23 and wounding more than 300. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for this attack.

The initial explosion caused little damage, attracted crowds of onlookers. The second more lethal blast occurred 10 minutes later, about 50 metres away.

"After the first explosion, I rushed outside to check on my two sons, found both of them. But my elder son insisted on going back to find his father," said Nimet Arslan to International Herald Tribune. Following the second bomb, she said, "a dark smoke filled the air and all I could see or hear was people screaming." The elder son suffered a broken leg.

Turkish President Abdullah Gül said in a statement, "Nothing can be achieved by terror, violently claiming lives of the innocent. These attacks show the inhumanity and misery of the assailants."

It is not yet clear who is responsible, but Turkish authorities suspect the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a Kurdish separatist group. "Of course, there are links with the separatist organization," the governor of Istanbul province, Muammer Güler said, "It's surely a terror attack, there’s no doubt." This follows a recent shooting attack on the U.S. embassy to Turkey, also in Istanbul.

On Sunday, the Turkish military announced that its fighter jets had raided twelve PKK settlements in Northern Iraq, which the PKK uses as a base to launch attacks on Turkey, raising speculation of PKK involvement in this attack. However Zubeyir Aydar, a senior Kurdish militant, denied any involvement in the attacks in a statement to a pro-PKK news agency.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited the site on Monday, calling for calm and nationwide solidarity.

African AIDS prevalence may also be physiological

2008-07-27T11:44:00.001-07:00

This particular variation on the gene, in which a single genetic letter is flipped, is thought to be a defense mechanism against malaria. It stops the growth of the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium vivax. Concurrently, it also causes chemokines (proteins secreted by cells) to avoid red blood cells, an opposite behavior of the typical Duffy gene.

An on-going study of African American Airmen has found that the group infected with HIV was more likely to lack red blood cells that host the Duffy gene. The study, published in Cell Host & Microbe, does not identify why the absence of the chemokine receptor in red blood cells increases susceptibility to HIV, but the occurrence of the virus in such people is beyond the levels of chance.

The study also found that those carrying the DARC variant lived longer with HIV/AIDS. While this comes as good news to those already infected, it also means that the window for the unwitting spread of HIV is now known to be wider, since infected individuals with the gene mutation can take an average of two years longer to show symptoms. In terms of numbers, the two years of unknowingly being a source for infection translates into as much as 11% of AIDS cases in Africa.

Amy Winehouse wax model unveiled

2008-07-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

A wax model of British singer Amy Winehouse was unveiled on Wednesday at Madame Tussauds in London. The model, at nearly six feet tall and clad in a yellow dress with a microphone in hand is said to bear a strong likeness to the singer. Her tattoos have even been reproduced to the last detail, including one of a lightning bolt.

While her parents attended the event, Winehouse herself was too busy working to attend. Her father Mitch remarked that "This is the reward for her musical achievements and her talent".

The troubled singer, 24, is well known for her drug use, and last month was thought to have been suffering from the early stages of emphysema.

Two nuclear leaks in two weeks trigger security and safety reviews in France

2008-07-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

On July 7 and again on July 23, there were accidental leaks at the Tricastin Nuclear Power Center in France, which is a collection of sites in four different communes: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and Pierrelatte in Drôme, and Bollène and Lapalud in Vaucluse.

Along with two other minor incidents on July 18, it has prompted the Commission for Independent Research and Information on Radioactivity (Criirad) to order a review of security and safety. Already last week, Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said the ground water near all reactors should be tested and the state of waste storage sites assessed.
Cooling towers at Tricastin Nuclear Power Center Image: Arnaud 25.
Cooling towers at Tricastin Nuclear Power Center
Image: Arnaud 25.

In the latest incident, a hundred workers were exposed to radiation. They all work for Électricité de France (EDF), which runs the Tricastin facilities with Areva. This marks the largest number of workers to be collectively contaminated in French nuclear history.

The leak was at reactor number four, which was shut for refuelling. Workers were exposed to Cobalt 58 dust which escaped while maintenance work was being carried out. Sensors noticed a rise in the level of radiation and the workers were then evacuated.

"Seventy of them show low traces of radioelements, below one fortieth of the authorized limit," EDF said. A spokesperson later raised the number to 97 people. Criirad warned, however, that the limit was "not the level from which risk begins but the maximum acceptable level."

"We have an alarm system which is meant to protect the staff from contamination via the atmosphere,” said Tricastin director Alain Peckre. "If a problem is detected, the alarms go off, our security procedures swing into place and everyone is evacuated from the building."

A union representative from Confédération générale du travail (CGT) alleged that EDF was reducing maintenance and increasingly using sub-contractors, putting workers at risk in exchange for profitability.

"We spend 1.5 billion euros a year on ensuring our plants are in optimum condition," countered an EDF spokesperson. "Safety is our top priority over and above providing electricity to the network. Since our power stations were set up, 80 per cent of maintenance operations on reactors that have been temporarily turned off are carried out by external contractors. They are the most competent to maintain and repair specific parts of the reactor, some of which they have taken part in building."

The previous incident, on July 8, involved a 74kg spill of liquid containing unenriched uranium. Thirty cubic metres of water overflowed while a tank was being emptied. Subsequent test showed that contamination may have occurred for years.

Local wine growers Coteaux du Tricastin AOC have already become concerned about the negative association with "Tricastin" and have begun considering changing the name of their Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC).

"It's only a question of image as nuclear and food don't mix very well in consumers' minds," said the AOC's president, Henri Bour, to The Daily Telegraph. Nuclear authorities "didn't understand our move, doubtless not wanting to admit that the nuclear industry's image is perhaps not perfect," he added.

"Nuclear was progress and we wanted that. We thought people were competent. Now we ask, were there previous incidents we weren't told about?" said local resident Roger Eymard to The Guardian.

Autorité de sûreté nucléaire (ASN), a nuclear safety authority, has already criticised Areva for its handling of the first incident. ASN complained of poor communication with authorities and unsatisfactory security measures and operational procedures.

The leaks have occurred just as President Nicolas Sarkozy has been promoting the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) as a solution to rising energy costs and global warming.

France has the second largest nuclear power network in the world and generates over 80% of its electricity through nuclear power.

Jesse Jackson apologizes for comment about Barack Obama

2008-07-10T21:24:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, July 6, Jesse Jackson, a United States civil rights proponent, minister, and former presidential candidate, was in a television studio for a live interview. While the broadcast went off-air for a commercial, Jackson leaned toward a fellow panelist an uttered a few comments. Though not broadcast live, the cameras were still recording.

The video footage shows Jackson saying that he felt that presidential candidate and presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama, is "talking down to black people."

In the recording, Jackson then added "I want to cut his nuts out," and reiterated "Barack ... he's talking down to black people."

Wednesday evening, Jackson went on television to say he had apologized for his remarks. He said he had called the Obama campaign to apologize "for any harm or hurt that this hot mic private conversation may have caused."

"My support for Senator Obama's campaign is wide, deep and unequivocal," Jackson said.

Bill Burton, a spokesperson for Obama, said that Barack Obama would "continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Reverend Jackson's apology."

"His comments were a combination of personal ego and ideological dispute," said Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune and who has covered Jackson for many years. Many, including Page, have suggested that Jackson's comment was in response to a speech delivered by Obama on Father's Day.

"Any fool can have a child. That doesn’t make you a father," Obama said on June 15. "It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."

Iran tests more missiles as war games continue

2008-07-10T21:23:00.001-07:00

The Iranian Great Prophet III war games exercise has continued into a second day, with several more missile and weapons tests being conducted, including the second long-range Shahab-3 missile launch in as many days. Nine missiles were launched yesterday as part of the exercise, attracting international criticism. It is unclear how many further tests have occurred today, but they are reported to have included at least one more long-range Shahab-3, and an anti-submarine Hoot torpedo. Some of the missiles are believed to have been launched from ships, as part of a series of naval manoeuvres.

The war games have been seen by many other countries as a show of force against the possibility of an Israeli or American attack on facilities related to Iran's nuclear energy programme, which they believe will lead to the development of weapons of mass destruction. Some of the naval manoeuvres have also been seen as a response to a statement by the US government that any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz would be considered an act of war.

Meanwhile, China and Japan have joined the list of countries criticising the military exercises. China's foreign ministry issued a statement expressing "concern about these developments", whilst Japan's cabinet secretary claimed that the exercise "puts regional peace and stability at a disadvantage".

Boeing 747 cargo aircraft crashes in Colombia, three dead

2008-07-08T16:55:00.001-07:00

A Boeing 747-200 cargo aircraft operated by Kalitta Air has crashed near Bogotá in Colombia, killing three people on the ground after it hit their house. It seems that fire in one of four engines of the 747 caused the accident, just after taking off from El Dorado International Airport for a flight to Miami.

The plane, which was carrying flowers, had declared an emergency two minutes after take-off and was said to be attempting to return to the airport when it crashed at 3:55 am local time. All eight crew survived but some were injured and were rushed to hospital in the nearby town of Madrid.

The crash is the second involving a Kalitta Air 747 in two months. In May another of the company's 747s crashed whilst attempting to take-off at an airport in Belgium.

Antiglobalization protestors march near site of G8 summit

2008-07-08T16:54:00.001-07:00

Hundreds of antiglobalization protesters marched on the streets of Hokkaido, Japan, around the scene of the current G8 summit. The 2008 G8 summit, a gathering of the leaders of France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada, began yesterday in Hokkaido, Japan.

Some of the protesters were wearing helmets and masks, and according to NECN.com, were shouting "crash the summit."

There was a large police presence at the scene of the protests, with some of the officers being equipped with riot gear. They claimed that some of the protests violated Japanese law.

In addition to the protests, activists in Mali held the Poor People's Summit at a time to coincide with the G8 summit.

Hurricane Bertha strengthens over Atlantic Ocean

2008-07-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

Just hours after Tropical Storm Bertha became the first hurricane of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, Bertha strengthened to a "major" storm at category three on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity, the National Hurricane Center said.

At 5 p.m. EDT, the storm was packing sustained winds of 120 miles an hour and is located about 695 miles east-northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands and about 1085 miles southeast of Bermuda. Forecasters say that Bertha is moving west-northwest at about 12 miles an hour and is expected to slow down in the next couple of days. "A gradual turn toward the northwest with a decrease in forward speed is expected over the next couple of days," the NHC said.

The National Hurricane Center says that while it is still too early to tell if Bertha will strike land, residents are being urged to continue to monitor the storm's progress.

Further strengthening is unlikely, according to the NHC, due to unfavorable atmospheric conditions.

Bertha first formed on Thursday in the eastern Atlantic, off Africa. The storm is the easternmost tropical storm to form over the Atlantic in the month of July.

From: Wikinews

Olympic torch reaches Hong Kong

2008-05-03T17:43:00.001-07:00

The Olympic torch recently returned to Chinese soil. More than 1 million Hong Kong residents and visitors ignored light showers on Friday to greet and cheer the Olympic torch relay. Hong Kong is the first Chinese destination to welcome the Olympic flame after its month-long journey across the world, spanning 19 cities.

It was the Hong Kong's first Olympic torch relay since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The eight-hour torch run included carrying the flame aboard a dragon boat across the Shing Mun River, and on horseback into the Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Venue and Sha Tin Racecourse. Hong Kong, a co-host city of the Beijing Games in August, will stage the equestrian events.

"Today, the Olympic torch relay resumes on Chinese soil after its global journey across five continents. It is a great and solemn honor for Hong Kong, Asia's world city, to be the first in China to welcome back the Olympic flame on behalf of our proud nation," said Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang.

The torch relay began at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre where windsurfer and 1996 Atlanta Olympic gold medalist Lee Lai-shan, received the torch from Chief Executive, Donald Tsang. Lee then handed the Olympic flame to Olympic table tennis silver medalist Li Ching, who passed it to his doubles partner Ko Lai-Chak. Lee said, "It is one of my big moments and I am feeling the same excitement I did when I won the Olympic gold medal."

Early in the morning, a large number of people gathered on both sides of Nathan Road in preparation for the events. Many of the spectators wore red clothes to match the colour of the Chinese flag.

One hundred and twenty torchbearers carried the torch on a 26-km route. The torch bearers passed landmarks such as the Tsing Ma Bridge and the Avenue of Stars, before it was ferried across Victoria Harbor to Hong Kong Island.

Asiad champion cyclist Wong Kam-po was the last to the carry the Olympic torch. Wong carried the torch to the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai, where he lit the cauldron, pulling down the curtain and ending the Hong Kong leg of the torch relay.

Electra Racks Up Another Engagement

2008-04-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

The whole "till death do us part" thing didn't quite work out for Carmen Electra the first time around. Or the second time. Maybe the third time's a charm.

The former Baywatch star is set to head down the aisle yet again, this time with her eyeliner-loving boyfriend of less than a year, Korn guitarist Rob Patterson.

"Yes, she is engaged," her rep confirmed

According to People, the 37-year-old shredder popped the question during a weekend trip to Las Vegas, where the couple were celebrating Electra's 36th birthday. While pictures have yet to surface, the all-important betrothal bling is reportedly a black diamond set with white diamonds.

Electra was previously married to Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro and NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman.

by E!

Hillary Clinton wins Pennsylvania, cuts Obama's lead

2008-04-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

Hillary Clinton, one of the two remaining contenders for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States has won the Pennsylvania Democratic primary.

With 99.51% of districts reporting, Clinton received 1,238,232 votes (54.6%) and Obama got 1,030,703 (45.4%). This translates to an estimated 84 delegates for Clinton and 74 for Obama. Additionally, Pennsylvania has 29 unpledged "superdelegates".

Despite her win, she still lags behind frontrunner Barack Obama in the number of delegates. Neither candidate has the needed number of delegates to clinch and secure the Democratic Party's presumptive nomination spot.

Clinton now has an estimated 1,593½ committed delegates, while Obama has 1,721½. 2,024 delegates are needed for an outright win. 306 delegates are still up for grabs at the remaining primaries, caucuses and conventions.

Among the 794 "superdelegates", Clinton holds the edge. 488 of them have publicly endorsed candidates. 256 say they will vote for Clinton, while 232 say they will choose Obama. 306 have not committed their votes.

"Some people counted me out and said to drop out. But the American people don't quit, and they deserve a president who doesn't quit either," Clinton told supporters at a rally last night in Philadelphia.

"I've won the states that we have to win, Ohio, now Pennsylvania," Clinton said in an interview on CNN. "If you can't win the states we have to win in the fall, maybe that says something about your general-election appeal."

This morning on ABC's Good Morning America program, Clinton said the result is "fresh information" for uncommitted "superdelegates" that shows "the broad base of coalition that I put together is exactly what we are going to need to have in the fall."

"Now it's up to you, Indiana," said Barack Obama at a rally in Evansville, Indiana, where he spent election night. "You can decide whether we're going to travel the same worn path, or whether we will chart a new course."

The Indiana Democratic primary is on May 6, 2008.

In the Pennsylvania Republican primary, John McCain, who is already the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party, received 72.7% of the vote, while Ron Paul got 15.9% and Mike Huckabee rounded out the field with 11.4%.

YouTube accounts of Scientology critics suspended

2008-04-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

Two well-known critics of Scientology have had their user accounts on the video sharing website YouTube suspended. The YouTube accounts of both Tory Christman and Mark Bunker were suspended this week. In an exclusive statement to Wikinews, YouTube explained why accounts are suspended, but did not specifically state why these particular accounts were suspended. Neither Christman nor Bunker received a notice or explanation from YouTube as to why their accounts were suspended.

On Tuesday April 15, Tory Christman a former Scientologist and volunteer for their Office of Special Affairs, and known as ToryMagoo44 on YouTube, had her account suspended for unknown reasons. On Wednesday, after complaints to YouTube from other YouTube users and from members of the group Anonymous, Christman's account was restored.

Wikinews confirmed Friday that Mark Bunker known as 'xenutv1' on YouTube, a television journalist and critic of Scientology, had his user account suspended. This is the second time that Bunker's account was suspended. He was formerly known as 'xenutv' when his account was suspended the first time.

"I want to see the complaint and on what grounds did YouTube suspend my account. I have done nothing on that account that would violate any of their terms and my videos and account should not have been pulled. The only caveat to this is my first account "XenuTV" was suspended a while back for a Stephen Colbert video I had from Comedy Central. At that time I created XenuTV1 and according to YouTube's terms you can only have one account. Any time I have ever been asked to remove something that may violate their terms for copyright materials, I comply immediately. It would be wrong and a misuse of power to pull my account because of this lone loophole in their terms," said Bunker exclusively to Wikinews.

Bunker, who is also the owner of the anti-Scientology website www.xenutv.com, has become known as Wise Beard Man to Anonymous. He was interviewed by Wikinews in February. Bunker started XenuTV in 1999 and began to make videos that he provided for the Lisa McPherson Trust. Bunker has been a critic of the Church of Scientology since 1997.

In 2006, he won a Regional Emmy Award after he and KUSI-TV news reporter Lena Lewis produced a documentary news video on the issues with the United States - Mexico border with San Diego, California.

With permission from Christman, Bunker responded to his account's suspension with a video post to her YouTube channel on Thursday. Bunker stated: "This afternoon at 2:41, I found out YouTube canceled my account. No justification was given to me, I got no notice from them, and there appears to be no recourse. And why did this happen? Because the Jason Beghe interview was about to be posted - and Scientology did not want anyone to see that. My tease for the Jason Beghe interview went up on Sunday, and by this afternoon we had almost six hundred thousand views, and it had been profiled in newscasts around the world. There is a lot of tension being drawn to this video, and Scientology wanted to stop it."

Jason Beghe is a television and film actor who joined Scientology in 1994. He gave USD1 million to the Church of Scientology over the years, and told Roger Friedman of FOX News that Scientology head David Miscavige called him "the poster boy for Scientology". Beghe appeared in promotional videos for Scientology in 2005. In April 2008 he left Scientology, and contacted Andreas Heldal-Lund, who put him in touch with Mark Bunker. Bunker arranged an interview with Beghe, which was uploaded to Bunker's YouTube account on April 7. The posted video is a 3-minute portion of a larger 3-hour interview with Beghe about his criticism of Scientology. In the video Beghe states: "Scientology is destructive and a rip-off. ... It’s very, very dangerous for your spiritual, psychological, mental, emotional health and evolution. "

In an interview with Wikinews, Tory Christman commented on the suspension of her account, and now Bunker's: "Well having worked for the Office of Special Affairs which is part of the Church of Scientology, they used to have me go out and open up phony accounts, I didn't know they were stopping free speech on the net but once I realized that ... I said 'I can't do this, I didn't get into Scientology to stop free speech'. ... I'm pretty sure, you know, I'm quite sure, that it's Scientology. That's what they do, that's their view is just 'shut em down' they have no morals on it or anything. They just figure 'screw em, shut em down'."

Christman said she found out her YouTube account had been suspended on Tuesday: "I came back from lunch at four and Mark called me and said 'Do you know your account is suspended?', and by the morning of yesterday it was back up."

When asked if she had received a notice about the suspension from YouTube, Christman responded: "I never got anything, and I've looked through everything, I never got any kind of a notice, either way. ... I never heard from YouTube either way - suspending it, or putting it back. And I've written them, and it was only put back thanks to Anonymous and all the critics and people that wrote in to them, I'm quite sure - Because tons of people did, it wasn't like they just put it back up."

"I would like to know, why was it suspended, why is Mark's suspended, what are the violations, okay, because if the Church of Scientology is just paying them off that's kind of weird, isn't it?," added Christman.

Wikinews asked Christman if she knew if the suspension of Bunker's account had anything to do with the interview with Jason Beghe: "Why Jason's video was pulled, I don't know, and I've spoken to Jason and he didn't know either."

She told Wikinews: "I would like to know why. Someone should have a right to be told 'you are screwing up on this, remove this video' ... 'change it'. But to never be notified and then just you're suspended, that's kind of weird, I think. And I have every intention of either, YouTube can contact me, or I'm going to keep contacting ... they need to let the people know what is going on."

A YouTube spokeswoman told Wikinews that they would respond to our e-mails "as soon as possible." Within two hours YouTube issued an exclusive statement to Wikinews saying that they "do not comment on individual videos."

"YouTube takes these issues very seriously but we don't comment on individual videos. Our general approach is simple: we have clear content policies about what videos are allowed on the site. For example we prohibit clips that infringe copyright or show extreme violence. Videos that breach these rules are removed and we disable all accounts belonging to repeat offenders," said a spokesperson for YouTube exclusively to Wikinews. When asked, YouTube did not state when or if Bunker's account will be reinstated.

George Bush meets with Gordon Brown

2008-04-17T17:47:00.001-07:00

The President of the United States today met with Gordon Brown, and made a press conference following the meeting in the Rose Garden of the White House.

President George W. Bush started the speech by saying that he appreciated the 'special relationship' between the United Kingdom and the US. "we’re working very closely together," he said.

Bush continued by praising Mr. Brown for his reactions to the Gatwick Airport terrorist attack last year. The attack occurred just days after Mr. Brown became Prime Minister.

The speech continued when Bush thanked the British Army for their work in Iraq, which has been a subject of many newspaper headlines in the UK recently.

Bush then finished his part of the speech by commenting on Zimbabwe. "You can’t have elections unless you're willing to put the results out," he said, referring to the recent election. He also said that "more leaders in the region need to speak out" on the situation in Zimbabwe.

Brown then started speaking. He said that the bond between the UK and the US was getting stronger. He then said that both countries are making a 'strenuous effort' in the Middle East.

Plane crash in Congo kills at least 70

2008-04-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

In Goma, on the eastern side of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), at least 70 people, according to officials, have died because when a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 crashed on take off yesterday.

VOA has reported that as many as 100 people could have been on board the plane at the time of its crash.

A director of Hewa Bora Airways, the airline involved in the incident said that "we [the airline] have managed to save most of the passengers who have been evacuated to hospitals."

Naomi Schwarz, a journalist on the scene described the incident. "The whole top of the plane is ripped off and the two buildings next door are pretty much destroyed too. People are carrying buckets full of water to try to put out the fire. Just buckets they found on the streets," she said.

As of 08:00 UTC, the majority of the Hewa Bora website was not available.

Pope Benedict XVI visit to the United States begins

2008-04-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

Pope Benedict XVI began his visit to the United States on Tuesday. In an unprecedented gesture, he was greeted by President George W. Bush, Laura Bush and their daughter Jenna, upon his arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

Today, which is also the Pope's 81st birthday, Benedict XVI visited the White House and more than 9,000 people with tickets were there to see him speak. This makes it "one of the largest arrival ceremonies ever held at the White House," according to White House Press Secretary Dana Perino. An estimated additional 4,000 people without tickets lined the streets.

The Pope was given a 21-gun salute and greeted by President Bush on the South Lawn of the White House. Benedict XVI addressed the crowd in a short speech. He appealed for support "for the patient efforts of international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and promote progress."

He further said, "As the nation faces the increasingly complex political and ethical issues of our time, I am confident that the American people will find in their religious beliefs a precious source of insight and an inspiration to pursue reasoned, responsible and respectful dialogue in the effort to build a more humane and free society." Benedict said he has "great respect for this vast pluralistic society" and ended his speech with "God bless America."

Kevin Waymel, 26, travelled from San Francisco with 80 others to see the Pope. He told The Guardian that he had "come to show support for the Holy Father," and credited his faith for getting him off drugs.

Afterwards, inside the White House, the first couple presented the Pope with a birthday cake. In a private meeting with Bush, Benedict XVI brought up his concerns about the Iraq war and the treatment of illegal immigrants in the United States, who may number as many as 20 million. Most of these are from Latin America and therefore overwhelmingly Catholic.

After the meeting, Benedict XVI rode along Pennsylvania Avenue in the popemobile with throngs of people lining the street.

Wednesday evening, the Pope met with US bishops at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He addressed the bishops about sexual abuse by the clergy, which the Pope has said made him "deeply ashamed." The US Catholic Church has paid out an estimated US$2 billion to settle abuse cases in recent years.

Bendict XVI told the gathered bishops that the sex abuse scandal had at times been mishandled and urged them to reach out to the victims.

"It is your God-given responsibility as pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust to foster healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to those so seriously wronged," the Pope said.

Some victims had hoped the Pope would have critcised bishops for transferring pedophile priests from parish to parish. He did not go that far and instead praised training programs for priests and lay people who deal with children. "In this regard your efforts to heal and protect are bearing great fruit not only for those directly under your pastoral care, but for all of society," said Benedict XVI.

"It's the closest the Pope has come to saying that the bishops didn't do their job right. I think that's quite significant," said the Reverend Thomas J. Reese, a Jesuit priest and author.

Prior to his arrival, hundreds of people were already gathered outside the Basilica as Benedict XVI arrived. "I'm really excited," said an unnamed onlooker to NY1. "It's like a dream, almost. There are, like, other foreign dignitaries, and then there's the pope. It's a unique experience and I can't wait to see him."

During his flight to the United States, Benedict XVI told reporters that he intended to discuss poverty and development aid to poor countries with President Bush. "The United States has to help these countries develop. It is in the interest of everyone, not only these countries but of the world and particularly of the United States," he said.

This is the first Papal visit to the United States by Benedict XVI, and the first visit of a Pope to the U.S. since John Paul II's visit in 1999. The pope scheduled to stay in Washington through Thursday. After that, he will travel to New York City where he plans to address the United Nations, visit the World Trade Center site, and celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium.

Gas prices set record, oil moves higher

2008-04-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

Gas and diesel pump prices jumped to yet another record Friday, piling on the costs for motorists as well as consumers reliant on trucks, trains and ships that deliver goods to market.

Retail gasoline rose 0.8 cents to a national average of $3.365 a gallon, although drivers in California could expect to pay nearly 30 cents more for regular and over $4 a gallon for higher grades, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

The increase marks the latest in a series of retail gasoline records in recent weeks, and leaves drivers paying 56 cents more a gallon now than they did a year ago. And there may be more to come.

"We do think prices, particularly for self-serve regular, are going to continue to go up," AAA fuel price analyst Geoff Sundstrom said.

Oil prices also edged higher in a late-day push, but remained more than $2 below an all-time high set earlier in the week. Light, sweet crude for May delivery rose 3 cents to settle at $110.14 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Analysts expect gasoline prices will continue to set records as more drivers take to the roads as summer approaches and refineries complete their conversion to more expensive summer-grade fuel. It is unclear how high prices will go, however, because a bigger fuel bill could convince some drivers to cut back.

"I still do not believe there's enough strength in demand that it's going to justify that move to $4 a gallon" nationwide, said Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service in Wall, N.J.

Retail diesel prices rose 2.1 cents to $4.066, topping the previous high set a day earlier. The spike in the key transportation fuel is significant because it affects the cost of a wide range of goods — meaning that even Americans who don't drive will feel the pinch.

"Its obviously a very distressing situation for the commercial transportation sector," Sundstrom said.

An unexpected decline in U.S. crude and gasoline inventories drove oil prices to a trading record of $112.21 a barrel on Wednesday amid concerns about inadequate supplies. Prices fell Thursday.

Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch & Associates in Galena, Ill., said the tepid performance later in the week was the result of traders looking to lock in their gains before the weekend.

"The main thing I see is just profit-taking after we ran things up to a record high," he said. "There's a strong possibility we'll see new record highs again next week."

Crude prices were under pressure for most of Friday after the International Energy Agency lowered its global oil demand forecast for the year by 310,000 barrels a day to 87.2 million barrels a day, citing lower economic output expectations in the U.S. and elsewhere.

"The suspicion is it's not just the U.S. that's going to see a slowdown," Kloza said. "I think it's significant, but I also think the would-be sellers ... are probably not yet convinced."

The U.S. dollar strengthened against the euro and the pound, which also helped keep crude prices from overheating further.

Crude oil's recent run has been largely attributed to the steadily depreciating U.S. currency. A weakening dollar attracts investors to commodities as a hedge against inflation, but when the dollar rises, the effect tends to reverse as oil also becomes more expensive to investors overseas.

In other Nymex trading Friday, heating oil futures rose 0.35 cent to settle at $3.1975 a gallon, while gasoline futures rose by 1.52 cents to settle at $2.8073 a gallon. Natural gas futures slipped by 19.7 cents to settle at $9.901 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, Brent crude futures rose 55 cents to settle at $108.75 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Beastie Boy makes basketball documentary

2008-04-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Some of college basketball's brightest stars, including Kansas State's Michael Beasley and UCLA's Kevin Love, are featured in Beastie Boy Adam Yauch's new documentary, "Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot."

And while it's less than two years since he followed the then-high school players for a week, he still can't get over how much they've changed.

"They already look different, and I think it will be really interesting to look at this doc five or 10 years from now and see these guys when they were high school students. There's a good chance that several of them may be superstars in the NBA," Yauch told The Associated Press in an interview this week. "They were like babies in this picture."

Yauch took his camera to Harlem's famed Rucker Park, made famous by streetballers, in September 2006 to document some of the nation's top high school talent, who were playing in an event there.

Yauch said he was struck by how the players — who also included Jerryd Bayless of Arizona, Donte Green of Syracuse and Kyle Singler of Duke — could act like kids one minute, yet live in such an adult world.

"They have this infrastructure around them, and they are being groomed for stardom," he said.

"When I was in high school I wasn't getting the quantity of media that these guys are," he said. "But it's not necessarily a bad thing."

Yauch, 43, said the documentary, which premieres April 28 at the Tribeca Film Festival, doesn't make a judgment on the world where the precocious teens lived, but does give viewers a glimpse into it. He added: "The people around these kids really do care about them."

"Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot" is slated for wide release June 27.

Obama closing superdelegates gap

2008-04-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama is gaining steadily on Hillary Clinton among Democratic superdelegates, nearly erasing her last advantage in a presidential race where those party insiders could be the ultimate kingmakers.

In a danger sign for Clinton, Obama over the past few months has sharply cut her lead among superdelegates -- nearly 800 elected officials and party leaders free to back any candidate.

"Obama has won more delegates, he's won more votes, he's raised more money, and now you see it happening with superdelegates too," said Simon Rosenberg, head of the Democratic advocacy group NDN.

Neither Obama nor Clinton is likely to win enough pledged delegates in state contests to clinch the hard-fought battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, leaving superdelegates to decide the race. The Democratic nominee will face Republican John McCain in the November election.

Despite heavy courting by Clinton, most of the superdelegates who made up their minds since January backed Obama. Clinton's superdelegate lead dwindled to about 30 from 100 in that time.

A count by MSNBC gives Clinton 256 superdelegates to Obama's 225. Obama, an Illinois senator, has gained steam in the past month, winning more than two dozen new commitments, compared with a handful for Clinton, a New York senator.

"It has been a drip, drip, drip toward Obama," said Steven Schier, a political analyst at Carleton College in Minnesota.

"Superdelegates can see Obama's advantages growing, and it's pretty clear it's going to be very hard for Clinton to catch him," he said. "If Obama notches a few more victories, it could become a stampede."

Obama has suggested that superdelegates back the candidate with the most pledged delegates -- he leads by about 130 -- and popular votes. He leads Clinton by about 700,000 votes, excluding contests in Florida and Michigan that were not sanctioned by the national party.

Clinton has struggled to overtake Obama in the Democratic contest and has rejected calls from some Obama supporters to get out of the race.

More than 300 superdelegates remain uncommitted or have yet to be named, giving the candidate who wins the bulk of them a path to the nomination.

CLINTON TRIES TO CLOSE GAP

Clinton hopes a strong run in the last 10 contests starting April 22 in Pennsylvania will close the gap with Obama in pledged delegates and popular votes, bolstering her claim she is best suited to beating McCain.

The private battle for superdelegates has been as tough as the public campaign for votes, with both camps courting uncommitted party leaders and trying to keep supporters in line.

Clinton has suffered high-profile reversals like the decision by U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a prominent black supporter, to switch to Obama. Another superdelegate ally, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, suggested that backing a candidate who did not win the popular vote "would be a hard argument to make."

But she recently won the support of U.S. Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania and picked up three more superdelegates this week.

"Most superdelegates are in a holding pattern. They're waiting to see what happens in Pennsylvania and down the road before they make any decisions," Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said.

Rosenberg said the recent string of superdelegate endorsements for Obama made that argument hard to swallow. "A substantial number have moved -- and most are moving to Obama," he said.

Wayne Holland, chairman of the Utah Democratic Party and a superdelegate, endorsed Obama on Thursday. He said he thought Obama could help Democratic candidates throughout Utah and the West by attracting new voters, donors and volunteers.

"As state chair, my job is to try to elect as many Democrats in various offices in this state as possible," he said. "I was looking for who could best help us win here, and that was overwhelmingly Senator Obama."

Brazil Judge Bans Video Game 'Bully'

2008-04-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

"Bully" has taken a beating in Brazil, where a judge suspended sales of the video game on the grounds it is too violent for young children and teenagers, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Judge Flavio Rabello prohibited the game from being imported, distributed, sold or promoted on Web sites or in stores in Latin America's largest nation, said Rio Grande do Sul state prosecutor Alcindo Bastos. Companies have 30 days to comply with the judge's order.

Bastos said the judge found the game was inappropriate for children.

"The aggravating factor is that everything in the game takes place inside a school," Bastos said. "That is not acceptable."

Made by Rockstar Games and mainly distributed in Brazil by JPF Maggazine, the game lets players act out the life of a 15-year-old student and decide how to deal with teachers and cliques at a boarding school.

A local youth support center had requested the ban.

"We have not been notified of the judge's decision," JPF Maggazine's attorney Diogo Dias Teixeira said. "When we are, we will decide if we will appeal."

He said the company advised retailers not to sell the game to anyone under the age of 18.

A spokesman for Rockstar was unaware of the ban and could not immediately comment Thursday.

Rockstar, a unit of New York-based Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., is known for "Manhunt 2," in which players fight violently to escape from a psychiatric institution, and for the popular "Grand Theft Auto" game series, in which players can hijack cars and run down pedestrians.

Bully is rated "T" for teenagers age 13 and older in the U.S., not of "M" for mature players 17 and older. It launched in October 2006 in the U.S. for Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 2 gaming console. In March, it became available for Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Co.'s Wii, according to the Rockstar Web site for the game.

Brazil's Vale to Invest $2.1 Billion

2008-04-10T15:54:00.001-07:00

Mining giant Companhia Vale do Rio Doce SA, or Vale, plans to invest $2.1 billion in projects to generate electricity by 2011, a company executive told the Agencia Estado news agency Thursday.

Tito Martins, Vale's director for corporate affairs, said the company already has invested $760 million in producing electricity for its own sites.

Vale's plans are focused on raising output from coal-fueled thermoelectric plants, Martins said.

Vale is the world's second-largest mining company, smaller only than Anglo-Australian BHP Billiton Ltd. The Brazilian company is the leading iron ore producer and the second-largest producer of nickel.

Result Is What Matters Most to Chelsea Manager

2008-04-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Avram Grant said Chelsea's result, a 2-0 win over Fenerbahce and a place in the Champions League semi-finals, was more important than their performance on Tuesday. The cautious Israeli coach would not be drawn over prospects for his side's third semi-final clash with Liverpool in four years, however, saying only that he was optimistic by nature. Chelsea went through 3-2 on aggregate with goals from Michael Ballack within four minutes and Frank Lampard at the death after losing 2-1 in Istanbul a week ago.

"I feel good because our target was to be in the semi-final. It was not easy. We started well but then it was a nervous game... the most important thing was the result."

Chelsea looked jittery and lacking in cohesion for most of the game and Fenerbahce put them under pressure until Lampard's 87th minute goal sealed the win. Avoiding questions about Liverpool, who have beaten Chelsea in both their Champions League semi-final match-ups, including last season on penalites, Grant said: "We will do our best. When the game comes we will speak about it."

But he added later: "I am an optimist by nature... When I took over the team I believed we could do good things... now we are close of course I believe," the Israeli, who took over from Jose Mourinho last September, said.

By Reuters

Carmona and Indians agree to $15 million

2008-04-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

Fausto Carmona, a surprising 19-game winner last season, agreed to terms of a $15 million, four-year contract with the Indians on Thursday, a deal that would be worth at least $43 million if Cleveland exercised three club options. A person familiar with the negotiations says Carmona’s deal will be announced later in the day. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the contract has not been finalized. Carmona gets a $750,000 signing bonus and salaries of $500,000 this year, $2.75 million in 2009, $4.9 million in 2010 and $6.1 million in 2011. Cleveland has options for $7 million in 2012, $9 million in 2013 and $14 million in 2014. The price of the first option could escalate by $1 million and the price on the other two by $2 million each, The 24-year-old Carmona went 19-7 with a 3.06 ERA and emerged as one of the AL’s top starters in 2007, one season after he went 1-10. He had agreed last month to a one-year contract paying $457,800 in the majors and $228,900 in the minors. His signing gives the Indians protection in case they are unable to re-sign C.C. Sabathia, the defending Cy Young Award winner, who is eligible for free agency following this season.

The Indians announced a 3 p.m. press conference at Progressive Field with “exciting news about a member of the Indians pitching staff (NOT C.C. Sabathia).” Sabathia rejected a preliminary offer from the Indians, and during spring training he suspended negotiations with the Indians until after the season. There’s no guarantee he’ll be back, and if he’s not, Carmona will ascend into the No. 1 role. Carmona joins a core group of young players—along with Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez—who have signed long-term deals with the Indians. The right-hander, whose signature sinker is as good as any in the majors, pitched 215 innings last season. He and Sabathia were the first Cleveland teammates to win at least 19 games since Bob Lemon, Herb Score and Early Wynn did it in 1956. Carmona, who finished second in the AL in ERA, began the ‘07 season with a loss to Chicago, extending his losing streak to 11 straight games. He finally snapped it by beating Minnesota’s Johan Santana, but was optioned to the minor leagues when Cliff Lee came off the disabled list. But before he reported to Triple-A Buffalo, Carmona was back when right-hander Jake Westbrook went down with an injury. He pitched his first complete game shutout in May, again beating Santana, a two-time Cy Young winner.

Carmona eventually won seven straight decisions, and then went 9-4 with a major league best 2.26 ERA in the second half. The Dominican Republic native made a memorable debut in the postseason. Matched up with Andy Pettitte, he allowed the New York Yankees just three hits and no earned runs in nine innings, pitching the final two as tiny insects swarmed the infield at then-Jacobs Field. Carmona’s amazing ride finally ended in the ALCS, when he was roughed up in two starts by the Boston Red Sox, who rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the series.

Ex-Miss Nevada Cuts a Deal on Traffic Bust

2008-04-09T23:58:00.000-07:00

The erstwhile Miss Nevada USA 2007, cut down before her reign had ended by a racy-photo scandal, pleaded no contest Wednesday to five misdemeanor traffic violations and will pay up to $1,312 in fines stemming from her Feb. 6 traffic bust in Las Vegas. Rees, 23, was charged with speeding, operating a motor vehicle without proof of insurance and driving with expired registration, a suspended license and suspended registration. For their part of the bargain, prosecutors have agreed to drop a charge of resisting arrest, which could have netted her up to six months in jail if convicted.

"I'm just really glad this is over," Rees, who maintained she had no idea her license and registration were no good when she went on an ice cream run at 3 a.m., told reporters outside the courthouse. "It was a really traumatic experience and I'm ready to move on."

But by "move on" she might actually mean "move on to civil court."

Rees and her attorney, Michael Cristalli, said that they are considering a police brutality and civil rights lawsuit against the two Vegas cops who took her into custody, alleging they broke the former beauty queen's front tooth by slamming her against the hood of her car. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Department, officers discovered she was driving with expired vehicle tags and a suspended license after pulling her over for speeding in a residential area several miles away from the Las Vegas Strip. When they told her they would be impounding her vehicle, she allegedly threw an elbow at one of the cops and began kicking them. She was booked on all of the above charges at Clark County Detention Center. Cristalli said the arrest occurred after Rees complained she was without a phone and had no way of getting home.

"It was only when she asked for assistance to get home that they initiated the arrest and used excessive force causing substantial injury," the lawyer said.

Mosley future hinges on key vote

2008-04-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

His position has been under threat after the News of the World newspaper claimed that Mosley took part in a "Nazi-style orgy in a torture dungeon"

Mosley has denied any Nazi connotations and apologised for any embarrassment. The secret ballot, which will take place in Paris, comes after Mosley himself asked for the meeting. Mosley has come under intense pressure to resign, with several Formula One car manufacturers and national motorsport organisations expressing their disapproval of his conduct. But Mosley, the son of former British Union of Fascists leader Oswald, has taken a defiant stand and is taking legal action over the claims. BBC sports news correspondent Adam Parsons believes Mosley has a difficult task to hold onto his job at the head of world motorsport.

"There is a great deal of concern in motorsport and the FIA - they are taking a battering over this," said Parsons.

"He isn't denying involvement in the orgy and the element of embarrassment involved but he is denying Nazi references.

"He also says that if he wins the court case, then he will donate the money to the FIA foundation.

"A lot of members (of the FIA) are unhappy with the situation and feel he should reconsider his position, while others feel that it is simply his private life.

"But unless he can convince the FIA that there was no Nazi element, it will be a very, very tough fight ahead for him."

An FIA statement read: "The FIA can confirm that the members of the senate have unanimously approved the proposal of the president of the FIA that further to the recent press coverage relating to his private life, an extraordinary general assembly should be convened."

The 67-year-old missed last week's Grand Prix in Bahrain after F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone admitted the Bahraini royal family "would not like" his attendance in the Kingdom. Mosley has been FIA president since 1993. His position is elected by the FIA membership of national automobile clubs and motorsport bodies and his latest four-year term does not expire until October 2009.

54 Myanmar migrants suffocate in freezer

2008-04-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

The bodies of 54 migrant workers from Myanmar were found Wednesday suffocated in a freezer on the back of a truck, police said. Torsak Harnsanam, a police officer at Suksumran Police Station in Ranong province in southern Thailand, said a village chief alerted police at 10 p.m. (11 a.m. ET) that he had found the truck. Police investigated and, in addition to discovering the bodies, found 67 other migrants from Myanmar who were alive inside the freezer, Harnsanam said. The chief said survivors told him they had tried from inside the freezer to signal the driver, who eventually pulled over, discovered the bodies and fled. Some survivors were taken to a hospital in a nearby village; others were jailed. Survivors told police they sneaked into Ranong province from Myanmar's Victoria Point by fishing boat, according to reports from The Associated Press. They were then packed into a small container truck for a trip to Phuket. Ranong province is located about 467 kilometers (290 miles) south of Bangkok just across from Myanmar's Victoria point. The province is regarded as a major trading route between the two countries, the AP reported. Thailand has long depended on inexpensive labor from neighboring countries, including Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, which formerly was known as Burma. The Thai government allows only a small number of immigrants from those countries, which has led to a number of smuggling cases.

There are about a million Myanmar workers registered to work in Thailand, and an additional million estimated to be in the country illegally to work mostly as laborers, the AP reported. Some of the Myanmar migrants flee their country to escape armed conflicts between ethnic minority rebels and the Myanmar army, and others for lack of economic opportunity in their impoverished country, one of the poorest in Asia. Many of those Myanmar migrants who do make it to Thailand, many illegal workers, wind up being abused by their employers. The London-based human rights group Amnesty International found in a 2005 report that workers from Myanmar take jobs that Thais consider too dirty, dangerous or demeaning, the AP reported.

UK's Brown to skip Olympics opening

2008-04-09T23:36:00.000-07:00

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will skip the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

He became the second major world leader after German Chancellor Angela Merkel to decide to stay away from the opening ceremonies, although Brown's office insisted Wednesday that he was not boycotting the Olympics and would attend the closing ceremony.French President Nicolas Sarkozy said last month that he was debating not attending the opening ceremony.Asked whether U.S. President George W. Bush would go to the opening portion of the Olympics, White House press secretary Dana Perino demurred, citing the fluid nature of a foreign trip.

"It is extremely premature for me to say what the president's schedule is going to be" in August, she said.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and others have urged Bush to consider staying away from the opening ceremony as a way to underscore U.S. concerns about the recent unrest in Tibet and questions about China's relationship with Sudan. Brown, too, has been under intense pressure from human rights campaigners to send a message to China. But his decision not to attend the opening ceremony is not an act of protest, a spokeswoman for his office said, speaking anonymously in line with government policy. She said the decision was made weeks ago and was not a stand on principle.

"He had never planned to attend," she said. "There is absolutely no change in our position."

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said in February that he expected many heads of state -- including Bush, Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy -- to attend the opening ceremony. Hollywood director Steven Spielberg withdrew in February as an artistic adviser to the opening and closing ceremonies, saying China had not done enough to halt the bloodshed in Sudan's Darfur region. China buys much of Sudan's oil and supplies many of the weapons used in the Darfur conflict. The leader of Britain's Liberal Democrat party, Nick Clegg, told British Broadcasting Corp. that Brown "seems to do the right thing late in the day when he is forced to do so because of public opinion."

London is hosting the next Olympics in 2012 and British officials were expected to be prominent at events throughout the games in China.