The Best Greats News

Egypt calls for antiquities unity

2010-04-07T18:36:00.000-05:00

States which say artefacts have been stolen and displayed overseas should unite to recover their stolen heritage, Egypt's top archaeologist has said.

Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), urged culture officials from around the world to draw up lists of missing items.

Some 20 countries are represented at the two-day conference in Cairo aimed at recovering artefacts from overseas.

The SCA wants many pharaonic items returned by Western museums.

"Museums are the main source for stolen artefacts," he told delegates from countries including Libya, Greece, Italy, China and Peru.

"If they stop (buying stolen artefacts) the theft will be less."

source:bbc

Vonn To Race In Slalom Despite New Injury

2010-02-25T17:24:00.000-06:00

Lindsey Vonn began these Olympics with a shin so badly bruised she didn't know if she could compete.

She did, winning two medals — with the aid of painkillers and numbing cream.

After breaking her right pinkie in a crash in Wednesday's giant slalom, it looked like her Vancouver Games just might be over.

Yet the U.S. Ski Team said Vonn will race in Friday's slalom race, the final women's Alpine event of the Olympics.

Those painkillers may come in handy once again.

"I'm just a little bit beat up right now," Vonn said after spinning out of control and slamming into the netting in the first run of Wednesday's giant slalom. "Things don't seem to be quite going my way."

source:npr

Man Convicted in California Serial Killings From 1970s

2010-02-25T17:21:00.000-06:00

A California jury today found accused serial killer Rodney Alcala guilty of murdering four Los Angeles County women and a young girl from Huntington Beach between 1977 and 1979.

Alcala could receive a death sentence when the penalty phase of the trial begins Tuesday.

The guilty verdict comes as a relief to family members of the victims – especially those of Robin Samsoe, a 12-year-old girl slain 31 years ago. Alcala had stood trial twice before in the girl's death but each time his convictions were overturned because of a different technicality.

Undeterred, prosecutors again filed charges in Robin's case in 2005, along with charges in the cases of four other women whose deaths were linked to Alcala using DNA evidence, prosecutors said.

source:aolnews

Small dogs originate in Middle East, says gene study

2010-02-23T21:44:00.001-06:00

Small dogs may all originate from the Middle East, according to research from the University of California.

A study published in the journal BioMed Central found a gene found in small dogs, IGF1, is closely related to one found in Middle Eastern wolves.

Archaeologists have found the remains of small dogs dating back 12,000 years in the region.

In Europe, older remains have been uncovered, dating from 31,000 years ago, but these are from larger dogs.

"Because all small dogs possess this variant of IGF1, it probably arose early in their history," said Dr Melissa Gray from the University of California, Los Angeles.

The team of researchers took samples from grey wolf populations around the world.

source:newsbbc

Portsmouth fans insist club will survive

2010-02-23T21:42:00.001-06:00

Portsmouth supporters insist their beleaguered club will survive even if it becomes the first Premier League outfit to go into administration on Friday.

Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai, who is Portsmouth's fourth owner this season, is in talks with four different groups about a takeover, but he admits it is unlikely a deal will be completed in time to avoid a winding-up order in the High Court on Monday.

With no new influx of cash on the immediate horizon and the club in danger of going bust due to unpaid debts, Chainrai announced on Tuesday that he would rather put Portsmouth into administration than let the courts decide their fate because that would suspend the winding-up order.

That means almost certain relegation for Portsmouth, who are already bottom of the Premier League, as there is a nine-point penalty for any top-flight club going into administration, leaving Avram Grant's side on just seven points -- 16 behind their nearest rivals.

source:newsyahoo

East-west climate row at EU talks

2009-10-29T12:26:00.000-06:00

EU leaders have begun a summit in Brussels deeply divided over how much money to offer developing nations to cope with climate change.

Polish Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski told the BBC Eastern European nations were prepared to block a deal unless richer countries paid their fair share.

Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt, who is chairing the two-day meeting, said the EU's credibility was at stake.

EU leaders will also discuss how to get Czech approval of the Lisbon Treaty. so this verdict is extremely disappointing.

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Husband killed Vodafone executive

2009-10-29T12:24:00.000-06:00

A man has been convicted of killing his Vodafone executive wife after she admitted to having an affair.

Sally Sinclair, 40, was found with more than 30 stab wounds and "sawing wounds" to her neck at her home in Amport, Hampshire, in August 2008.

Alisdair Sinclair, 48, was convicted of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility but cleared of murder.

Sinclair said the wounds inflicted were "beyond self defence" but he could not remember inflicting most of them.

After the verdict, Mrs Sinclair's step-father, Barry Alford, said she had "the biggest smile in the world".

Reading a statement on behalf of his wife, Nikki, Mrs Sinclair's mother, Mr Alford said: "He didn't just kill her, he annihilated her.

"To date he has shown no remorse for his actions so this verdict is extremely disappointing.

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China not always open to reporters

2009-09-17T19:11:00.000-05:00

Overseas journalists were told that their queries would be answered within 24 hours as part of a new "zero refusal" policy.

But when the BBC fired off 10 questions to various departments, we were met with the traditional silence from Chinese officialdom.

Several departments failed to answer our questions, some sent us elsewhere and others gave excuses.

'No electricity'

Earlier this month Guo Weimin, an official at the government's State Council Information Office, said questions would be answered within a day.

"It doesn't mean all applications will be accepted, but we have to tell the media how we handled it so they can understand," he told the China Daily newspaper.

Two people die in fire at house

2009-09-17T19:09:00.001-05:00

Emergency crews were called to the semi-detached property in Gwent Gardens, in the Townhill area, shortly after 1800 BST on Thursday

South Wales Police confirmed five people, including two firefighters, were taken to hospital suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.

The cause of the blaze is unknown at this stage

A police spokesman said there was no more information about the deceased or the conditions of the injured at this stage.

Assistant chief fire officer Wyn Edwards, of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said of the injured firefighters: "They were faced with a very serious fire in the property, with flames escaping from the windows and doors.

Afghanistan commission orders partial vote recount

2009-09-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

Afghanistan's Electoral Complaints Commission on Tuesday ordered a partial recount of the ballots in the August 20 presidential election.

The complaints commission called on Afghanistan's Independent Elections Commission (IEC) to conduct the audit and recount because of "clear and convincing evidence of fraud in a number of polling stations."

Most of that fraud evidence is an "exceptionally high number" of votes cast in a polling station "in relation to the number of ballots available" or an extremely high number of votes cast for only one candidate, according to the ECC.

Therefore, the ECC is ordering an audit and recount of ballots at polling stations where the total number of votes is 600 or more, and represent a voter turnout of 100 percent; and where one candidate received 95 percent or greater of the total valid votes, if the total number of votes exceeds 100.

The ECC has received more than 2,000 complaints since the election, including more than 700 it has deemed "Priority A."

Preliminary election results based on about 92 percent of the polling stations show Afghan President Hamid Karzai has a sizeable lead over his nearest challenger.

The IEC said Tuesday that Karzai has just over 54 percent of the vote, compared to just over 28 percent for his former foreign minister, Abdullah Abdullah. A presidential candidate needs more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff.

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Sudanese woman convicted of wearing trousers freed

2009-09-08T11:08:00.000-05:00

A woman journalist convicted of public indecency for wearing trousers outdoors and facing a month in jail says she was freed from prison after her fine was paid without her knowledge.

Lubna Hussein had refused to pay a $200 fine and opted for imprisonment as a protest against the country's draconian morality laws. Hussein tells The Associated Press that prison authorities set her free without an explanation Tuesday.

She says she later learned that the government-allied Journalists Union paid the fine on her behalf. She says the government was "unnerved" by her presence in prison because she would report on conditions inside.

A judge on Monday imposed the fine after convicting her, but he did not impose the maximum penalty of 40 lashes.

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Indonesia relaxes voter registry

2009-07-06T11:43:00.000-05:00

Indonesia's Constitutional Court has ruled that unregistered voters may use their identity cards to cast a ballot in Wednesday's presidential election.

The decision came after two candidates, Megawati Sukarnoputri and Jusuf Kalla, said millions of people had been left off voter lists.

The lists were supposed to have been updated after many voters were left off them for April's parliamentary poll.

Incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is leading opinion polls.

Mr Kalla and Mrs Megawati said they were supposed to have already received updated electoral registers.

"This is about restoring the rights of the people because if people are not on the voter list, and they can't vote, then this violates their rights," Mr Kalla said.

Election officials said the vote would go ahead on 8 July as scheduled, despite the concerns over the reliability of the electoral rolls.

Three more swine flu victims die

2009-07-06T11:41:00.000-05:00

A nine-year-old girl in London and a man and a girl in West Yorkshire have all died after contracting swine flu.

The child from south London, who died at the weekend, had "serious underlying health problems," as did the other two victims who are from Kirklees.

The girl from Kirklees died on Thursday, three days before the man. None of the victims has been named.

The latest deaths take the number of swine flu sufferers who have died in the UK to seven.

A spokesperson for NHS Kirklees said: "At this stage, we have no confirmation whether or not swine flu was the cause of death."

Last week a 19-year-old man from south London, also with underlying health problems, died after contracting the virus.

UN to discuss N Korean missiles

2009-07-06T11:38:00.000-05:00

The council is meeting at Japan's request later on Monday after seven missiles were fired off North Korea's eastern coast on Saturday.

North Korea is banned from all ballistic missile-related activities under UN sanctions.

The sanctions were strengthened after the communist nation carried out a second underground nuclear test in May.

North Korea is now banned from exporting all weapons and importing all but small arms.

Under the terms, North Korean ships are also liable for inspection.

The meeting of the 15-member council is scheduled for 2000 GMT.

The missile launches on Saturday were apparently timed to coincide with Independence Day in the United States - a similar volley was fired on the same day in 2006.

China postpones controversial Web filter

2009-06-30T10:10:00.000-05:00

China postponed a plan to require personal computer makers to supply Internet-filtering software Tuesday, retreating in the face of protests by Washington and Web surfers hours before it was due to take effect.

Manufacturers would have been required to include filtering software known as Green Dam with every computer produced starting Wednesday for sale in China.

The official Xinhua News Agency said regulators "will delay" the plan but gave no indication whether it might take effect later. It gave no other details.

Top U.S. trade officials had protested the plan as a possible trade barrier. Industry groups warned that the software might cause security problems. Free-speech advocates attacked the plan as censorship.

American diplomats met earlier with Chinese officials to express concern about the plan.

"I think the cost of the move from trade friction and generally a public relations black eye was becoming pretty clear to the government," said Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China Ltd., a Beijing research firm.

Obama leaves door open to Bush officials' prosecution

2009-04-21T13:17:00.000-05:00

President Obama on Tuesday left open the possibility of criminal prosecution for Bush administration officials who drew up the legal basis for interrogation techniques that many view as torture.

Obama said it will be up to Attorney General Eric Holder to decide whether or not to prosecute the former officials.

"With respect to those who formulated those legal decisions, I would say that is going to be more a decision for the attorney general within the parameter of various laws, and I don't want to prejudge that," Obama said during a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah at the White House.

"There's a host of very complicated issues involved there. As a general deal, I think we should be looking forward and not backward.

"I do worry about this getting so politicized that we cannot function effectively, and it hampers our ability to carry out critical national security operations."

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Is the UK such a bad place to raise children?

2009-04-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

Growing up in the UK is tougher than almost anywhere else in Europe, according to a new international league table of children's well-being. Why is Britain doing badly?

The York University study ranked the UK 24th out of 29 European states, on a series of measures including health, education and child poverty.

But the government says the survey doesn't take account of recent improvements.

The Netherlands topped the poll of youngsters aged up to 19, while only Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta came lower than the UK.

Do you think Britain the worst place to grow up? Is the system failing our children? Are children from continental Europe happier? Where did you grow up?

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FTSE 100 shares dip on inflation report

2009-04-21T13:11:00.000-05:00

Shares in London bucked the European trend on Tuesday to end fractionally lower as a negative inflation report countered gains driven by earnings from leading retailer Tesco.

The FTSE 100 index shed 3.5 points -- or 0.09 percent -- to finish at 3,987.46.

Tesco said in a results statement that pre-tax profits jumped 14.9 percent to a record 3.21 billion pounds in the 12 months to February 28.

But the news was overshadowed by a report indicating a first drop in annual inflation -- measured by the Retail Prices Index (RPI) -- since 1960, raising the spectre of deflation.

London's investors were also pausing ahead of the government's annual budget, due to be delivered by Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling on Wednesday.

Vodafone was the most widely traded stock, seeing 253 million shares change hands, followed by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which saw 175 million units switch owners.

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De Villiers 'surprised' O'Connell is Lions captain

2009-04-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers said he was "surprised" by the choice of Ireland's Paul O'Connell as captain of the British and Irish Lions squad that will face the world champion Springboks.

O'Connell may be the captain of European champions Munster but for Ireland he plays under Brian O'Driscoll, also included in the 37-man squad announced by coach Ian McGeechan on Tuesday for the 10-match, three-Test tour of South Africa, which starts on May 30.

Earlier this season O'Driscoll led Ireland to their first Grand Slam since 1948 and de Villiers said he was taken aback after McGeechan didn't appoint the midfielder, the Lions' captain in New Zealand four years ago, to the position once again.

"I am surprised that Paul O'Connell got the captaincy ahead of Brian O'Driscoll, who was the most successful captain in the Six Nations in 2009 and captained the Lions to New Zealand four years ago," de Villiers said in a statement issued by SA Rugby.

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French workers hold two managers at auto plant

2009-04-21T13:09:00.000-05:00

French workers angry over plans to shut a US-owned auto parts supplier were barricading two managers inside their plant Tuesday, in the latest case of "boss-napping".

Union activists at the Molex factory at Villemur-sur-Tarn in southern France decided to hold the two managers on Monday afternoon after a meeting called to discuss some 300 layoffs ended in disagreement.

French labour department mediators were called in to try to end the standoff but managers said they refused to offer negotiations while being held captive.

Lawyers acting for Molex asked a court in nearby Toulouse to order the release of the two bosses: deputy manager Marcus Kerriou and human resources director Coline Colboc.

"There is no question of negotiating in this situation," said Kerriou.

French workers have taken several bosses captive over the past two months to demand better compensation packages for job losses, despite a threat by President Nicolas Sarkozy to put a stop to the practice.

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How to fight pirates? Reduce anarchy on land

2009-04-21T13:08:00.000-05:00

Pirates are constantly attacking ships off the coast of lawless Somalia despite naval patrols by more than a dozen nations. On land, an extremist Islamic group is targeting African Union peacekeepers and humanitarian workers.

What can be done to bring law and order after 18 years to a country where men use guns to resolve disputes and make a living?

Diplomats and security experts will try to resolve this question at a two-day meeting on Somalia that starts Wednesday in Brussels.

The conference is not focusing on piracy — but the subject is impossible to ignore.

International donors aim to raise millions to help anarchic Somalia build up its weak security and peacekeeping forces on land, hoping that will reduce the rampant banditry plaguing the world's mariners.

Reinforcing the African Union peacekeeping force already in Somalia will be the topic of the day Wednesday, while the main international donor meeting starts Thursday.

Lea Mas

Russia warns U.S. stepping up shield plans: agency

2009-04-21T13:07:00.002-05:00

Russia on Tuesday accused the United States of stepping up plans to install an anti-missile system in Europe, according to Interfax news agency.

The comments from Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov mark a sharper tone from Moscow after a series of conciliatory comments on U.S. plans to deploy elements of the system in Central Europe.

Moscow said it had hoped the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama would revise plans initiated under former President George W. Bush to construct the system and welcomed calls initiated by the U.S. side to "reset" relations.

"The U.S. has not revised its plans. I do not think that this could happen. On the contrary, we can see that work in missile defense has intensified, including in the NATO format," Ryabkov was quoted by Interfax as saying.

Hiddink rules out extending Chelsea-Russia role

2009-04-21T13:07:00.001-05:00

Guus Hiddink has dismissed suggestions he could continue as Chelsea manager next season while also seeking to guide Russia to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

The Dutchman is combining the two roles at the moment but maintains he will leave Chelsea after the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 30 rather than continue to do both jobs until he knows whether Russia have reached the finals.

"It's important this relationship I have with the Russia players," he said on Tuesday. "Because, even on a practical level, it's impossible to do. In August we have a friendly game which is 48 hours before a Chelsea game.

"Then you have to look at all the Russian players ahead of the qualifiers in September, and there are more qualifiers in October.

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Afghan forces kill eight Taliban-linked rebels: authorities

2009-04-21T13:06:00.001-05:00

Afghan security forces backed by foreign troops killed eight Taliban-linked insurgents during operations in troubled southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, authorities said.

Seven rebels were killed in a sweep in the province of Uruzgan, an infamous Taliban hotbed near the Pakistani border, the interior ministry said.

Another militant was killed and a suspect detained during an operation in neighbouring Kandahar, the US military said.

US forces also said an air strike on Tuesday destroyed a Soviet-era "anti-aircraft weapon system" in Helmand, another Taliban flashpoint.

"Coalition Forces learned through villagers? reports that militants in Nad Ali had obtained a ZPU-1 anti-aircraft gun and were staging it on the back of a pick-up truck for use against friendly forces," it said.

Taliban rebels generally lack anti-aircraft weaponry although the Islamist fighters have been able to down some military helicopters since launching an uprising after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

Sixteen American servicemen were killed in 2006 when rebels shot down a Chinook helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade in the mountains of eastern Kunar province.

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Clinton wants to bolster ties with Libya

2009-04-21T13:03:00.001-05:00

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Tuesday for stronger ties between the United States and its former foe Libya, during a meeting here with a son of Colonel Moamer Kadhafi, the Libyan leader.

"We deeply value the relationship between the United States and Libya," Clinton told reporters as she received Mutassim Kadhafi, who serves as his father's national security adviser.

"We have many opportunities to deepen and broaden our cooperation and I am very much looking forward to building on this relationship," the chief US diplomat said before shaking the young man's hand.

In 1981, the United States cut diplomatic ties with Libya, which it accused of supporting terrorism.

It set the stage for more than two decades of clashes and tension before US-Libyan ties were restored in early 2004, a few weeks after Kadhafi announced Tripoli was abandoning efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

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Tsvangirai crash cause questioned

2009-04-17T12:56:00.001-05:00

Early reports from an investigation by Zimbabwe's MDC suggest that a car crash which killed PM Morgan Tsvangirai's wife may not have been accidental.

Senior MDC officials told the BBC that investigators are questioning the cause of the March crash, in which Mr Tsvangirai was injured.

At first, Mr Tsvangirai said he thought the crash had been an accident.

The MDC, formerly in opposition, entered a power-sharing agreement with President Robert Mugabe in February.

But the evidence which has so far come to light in the MDC investigation leads senior MDC officials to believe that the whole affair was highly questionable, says the BBC's John Simpson, who has been in Zimbabwe.

The car carrying Mr Tsvangirai and his wife was hit by a lorry on a main road south of Harare.

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Four found guilty in landmark Pirate Bay case

2009-04-17T12:51:00.000-05:00

Four men behind a Swedish file-sharing Web site used by millions to exchange movies and music have been found guilty of collaborating to violate copyright law in a landmark court verdict in Stockholm.

The four defendants -- Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi and Carl Lundstrom, three founders and one patron of The Pirate Bay -- were sentenced to one year in jail and also ordered to pay 30 million kronor ($3.6 million) in damages to several major media companies including Warner Brothers, Columbia, Twentieth Century Fox, Sony BMG and EMI.

The defendants are free without restrictions while they appeal the judgment.

The Pirate Bay allows users to exchange files including movies, music, games and software, but does not host the files itself. It claims more than 3.5 million registered users.

The court case, which involved both a criminal case and a civil claim brought by the media companies, marks a key victory for anti-piracy campaigners, who had long targeted the Web site

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Hiddink: Win or lose I'll leave Chelsea

2009-04-17T12:48:00.001-05:00

In an exclusive interview with CNN's Pedro Pinto, the Dutchman insisted he remained committed to leading Russia to next year's World Cup finals in South Africa and would return to the post of full-time national manager when his Chelsea contract ends next month.

"Although I like it very much (at Chelsea) and enjoy working with the guys, I know in my heart I have my commitment to the Russian players as well," Hiddink told CNN.

Under Hiddink, Russia reached the semifinals of last year's European Championships. With the team currently facing a tough road to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, he said it would be unfair to quit midway through the qualifying campaign.

"It would not be fair to say to them, 'Hey guys, I love it at Chelsea.' I love to be in Russia as well so I cannot let them down. I don't like that and I won't do so.

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Russia's Medvedev warns NATO over Georgia war games

2009-04-17T12:44:00.000-05:00

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned NATO Friday that planned military exercises in neighboring Georgia were an attempt at muscle-flexing by the Western alliance that could hinder efforts to mend ties.

Russia fought a brief war with Georgia last year and is vexed by what it describes as NATO support for the ex-Soviet state, a crucial transit route for Caspian Sea oil and gas to Europe long controlled by Moscow.

NATO says it does not understand why Moscow is upset by the long-planned exercises involving 1,300 troops from 19 countries from May 6 to June 1.

"This is the wrong decision, a dangerous decision," Medvedev told a news conference at his state residence outside Moscow.

"Decisions of this kind are aimed at muscle-flexing," he said. "Such decisions are disappointing and do not facilitate the resumption of full scale contacts between the Russian Federation and NATO."

Tensions over Georgia have been running high since Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's failed bid to retake the pro-Moscow breakaway region of South Ossetia in August.

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Mortar rounds hit Baghdad suburb

2009-04-17T12:41:00.001-05:00

Mortar rounds hit a Shiite enclave south of Baghdad on Friday, killing at least four people in the latest sign of violence returning to areas that U.S. and Iraqi forces have considered largely stable.

The attack in the Jisr Diyala district — although small compared with recent bombings — reinforced worries that security forces may need to shift attention back to areas that have been relatively quiet in recent months even as they battle to control the last insurgent strongholds north of Baghdad in Diyala and Mosul.

It also raised concerns about Iraq's ability to maintain security in Baghdad and other key areas after the U.S. military withdraws from major cities by the end of June.

Police and hospital officials said the mortar attack in Jisr Diyala killed at least four people and wounded about 10 others. The district in southeastern Baghdad is primarily Shiite, but is surrounded by heavily Sunni areas.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to release the information.

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UN anti-racism conference to open next week

2009-04-17T12:30:00.002-05:00

The United Nations is bracing for a major anti-racism conference here opening next week at its European headquarters, with concerns rife that it may descend once again into clashes over Israel that marred the last conference in South Africa eight years ago.

Already one head of state's plans to visit have raised fears of verbal fireworks: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — who has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel and denied the Holocaust — is slated to speak Monday as the conference opens.

With just two days left before the start of the five-day meeting, the United States and the European Union on Friday had not yet decided whether to attend or go through with threats to boycott over Islamic nations' demands to condemn Israel and call for a ban on defaming religion.

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Indian teacher investigated for student's death

2009-04-17T12:27:00.000-05:00

An 11-year-old girl allegedly abused by her teacher for failing to answer questions in class died in a hospital in the Indian capital Friday, police and news reports said.

The teacher has gone into hiding after police began investigating her for death by negligence, police spokesman Rajan Bhagat told The Associated Press. He provided no other details.

Local media reported that Shannoo Khan was ordered by her teacher to stand outside in 104-degree (40-degree Celsius) heat with bricks on her shoulders after she failed to answer questions in class. The girl fainted in the heat and was hospitalized after slipping into a coma, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

Ayub Khan, the student's father, demanded the arrest of the school principal and the teacher.

OAS chief to seek reinstatement of Cuba

2009-04-17T12:22:00.001-05:00

The head of the Organization of American States says he will ask that Cuba be readmitted to the organization 47 years after the communist island nation was ousted.

OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza says he will request at a meeting of May of the hemispheric organization's general assembly that it annul the 1962 resolution that suspended Cuba.

The resolution called Cuba's communist system incompatible with the 35-nation organization's principles and coincided with the imposition of a U.S. trade embargo.

Insulza's announcement on Friday comes a day after Cuban leader Raul Castro says he is prepared to discuss any and all topics — from freedom of the press to freeing political prisoners — with Washington.

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Uncertainty surrounds death in French piracy raid

2009-04-17T12:19:00.001-05:00

An autopsy could not determine who shot and killed a French skipper during a raid to free his sailboat from armed Somali pirates, a French prosecutor said Friday.

Herve Pavy said arms and other material seized from the boat after the assault may help provide the final word on whether French commandos or pirates fired the fatal shot during the operation a week ago.

The death of the skipper marked the first time a hostage had been killed and illustrated the risks of such raids. Two pirates also were killed.

The three surviving pirates, brought to France, have been questioned and could be charged with hijacking on Friday. A dozen other pirates involved in two other attacks on French vessels are being held in France.

France has staged several military operations against pirates off Somalia's coast. Skipper Florent Lemacon was killed during an exchange of fire between pirates and French commandos.AP.

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Kenya 'will try Somali pirates'

2009-04-16T12:32:00.000-05:00

Eleven Somali pirates captured this week by a French warship are being taken to Kenya for trial, the French defence ministry has said.

The pirates will be tried under an agreement between the EU and Kenya, French officials said.

They were captured by a warship from an EU force deployed to tackle a recent surge in piracy.

In the past year, French forces have captured more than 70 Somali pirates, and killed three others.

Fifteen of the pirates are awaiting trial in France because they attacked French ships.

Most of the others have been handed over to the authorities in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland.

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Barenboim set for Egyptian debut

2009-04-16T12:31:00.000-05:00

Israeli-Argentine conductor Daniel Barenboim is to lead the Cairo Symphony Orchestra in Egypt in his first visit to the Arab world's largest country.

The performance is also believed to be the first by a prominent Israeli musician in Egypt.

On the eve of the landmark visit, he called on Arabs to visit Israel to further mutual understanding.

Mr Barenboim has been a supporter of Palestinian statehood and a critic of Israeli policy toward the Palestinians.

Mr Barenboim founded the joint Arab-Israeli orchestra, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, with the late Palestinian-American writer Edward Said in 1999 to further cultural exchange between young people in Israel and the Arab world.

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IMF sees long and severe slowdown

2009-04-16T12:30:00.000-05:00

The current global recession is likely to be "unusually long and severe, and the recovery sluggish," the International Monetary Fund has warned.

Slowdowns linked with financial crises tend to be severe, while synchronised slowdowns last longer, it said.

The current global crisis has also been strongly felt in emerging economies, it said in its World Economic Outlook.

The global links between financial sectors have intensified the speed the downturn has spread across the world.

The recession will be less severe if government spending increases, the IMF says, with fiscal policies seen as more effective than monetary policy

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Rooney ready to sink his boyhood heroes

2009-04-16T12:29:00.000-05:00

Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has warned Everton he will put sentiment to one side in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against his former club.

Rooney remains an Everton fan despite the acrimony surrounding his 27 million pounds move to United in 2004, but the England star knows he can't afford to let emotion get the better of him at Wembley this weekend.

The 23-year-old spent much of his youth in an Everton shirt as he played football with his friends in Liverpool and he travelled to Wembley to see the Toffees beat United 1-0 in the 1995 FA Cup final.

That was Everton's last visit to Wembley and now Rooney, who spent two seasons at Goodison Park, plans to ruin their return to the English national stadium.

"It still means something that it is Everton. It is the team I grew up supporting," Rooney said.

Japan PM promises Pakistan up to $1 billion

2009-04-16T12:28:00.000-05:00

Japan promised up to one billion dollars in aid to Pakistan Thursday on the eve of a Tokyo donors meeting expected to raise at least four times that amount for the poor and crisis-riven country.

Prime Minister Taro Aso said Pakistan's stability was important for Southwest Asia and for "the peace and stability of the international community" after meeting Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari.

The World Bank has said it expects loan and grant aid pledges of four billion to six billion dollars when 27 countries and 16 organisations attend the one-day Tokyo conference and a "Friends of Pakistan" meeting.

Glaxo and Pfizer create new HIV drug company

2009-04-16T12:27:00.000-05:00

Pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Pfizer Inc. will pool their resources to create a new company to develop and sell HIV medicines, leveraging a minimal investment into a market-leading position.

The deal, announced Thursday, reflects two key trends sweeping the industry. Companies are narrowing their research areas and cutting costs to improve productivity, and once-ardent competitors are working together to share the risks and costs of developing drugs.

The two companies plan to blend London-based Glaxo's portfolio of HIV drugs now on the market — some with patents approaching expiration — with New York-based Pfizer's more robust pipeline of drugs in development.

With 11 HIV medicines already on sale, the new venture will have a 19 percent market share, ranking it No. 2 behind sales leader Gilead Sciences Inc. Other competitors in the field include heavyweights Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Abbott Laboratories, Merck & Co. and DuPont Pharmaceuticals Co.

Heavy security surrounds Obama's Mexican visit

2009-04-16T12:26:00.000-05:00

Heavily armed police are patrolling a wealthy neighborhood near Mexico's presidential residence as President Barack Obama heads to the capital on his first visit to the country.

During his visit of less than 24 hours, Obama's view will be limited to a helicopter ride over the city, the presidential residence and its surrounding upscale neighborhoods.

More than 3,000 city police will be guarding the area, backed by federal police and presidential guards.

Obama is the first U.S. president to come Mexico City since President Bill Clinton.

Sri Lanka has chance to end Tamil conflict: US

2009-04-16T12:24:00.002-05:00

The Sri Lankan government has the chance to end the decades-long conflict with Tamil Tigers, the United States said Thursday, urging both sides to reach a ceasefire.

"The government of Sri Lanka has an opportunity to put an end to the lengthy conflict," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said, as he also called for aid workers and the media to be given access to civilians caught in the cross-fire.

Medvedev: Russia needs more political competition

2009-04-16T12:24:00.001-05:00

Russia needs stronger political competition and a greater freedom to protest, President Dmitry Medvedev said in remarks released Thursday, sending the strongest signal yet that he may rethink the legacy of predecessor Vladimir Putin.

Medvedev, who has positioned himself as a cautious liberal during his first year in power, has until now followed the path blazed by Putin, who methodically rolled back Russia's post-Soviet freedoms during his presidency.

Medvedev's statements at a meeting Wednesday with civil society activists contained some of his most explicit criticism of Putin's policies to date. The remarks were released on the Kremlin's Web site Thursday.

Gunman shoots Guyana insurance commissioner

2009-04-16T12:21:00.000-05:00

A gunman shot a Guyana official in charge of dissolving a failed insurance company as she drove to work Thursday, police said.

Insurance commissioner Maria Van Beek, who was hospitalized with a wound in her abdomen, has gained a high profile through the liquidation of Colonial Life Insurance Co. The company has 15,000 clients in this South American country.

The motive for the shooting was unclear, assistant police commander Ivan Daniels said.

"We are investigating exactly what happened," he said.

The collapse of Clico has left many policyholders and pension fund contributors in Guyana anxious about the company's ability to honor its commitments. Earlier this week, Van Beek filed a report saying the company's liabilities of more than $60 million far exceed its assets.

Britain mourns Hillsborough disaster 20 years on

2009-04-15T13:10:00.000-05:00

Liverpool fans paid an emotional tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster on Wednesday, the 20th anniversary of the tragedy in which 96 supporters were crushed to death.

Grieving families were joined by tens of thousands of sympathisers at Liverpool Football Club's Anfield ground to remember the victims of Britain's worst sporting disaster.

The tragedy was caused by massive overcrowding in the Leppings Lane end of Sheffield's Hillsborough stadium at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

For relatives, survivors and those present on the day, the anniversary has revived the heartache of the tragedy, in which helpless fans, fenced in, were crushed to death.

British sheep face shearing crisis: wool group

2009-04-15T13:09:00.001-05:00

British sheep face a sweltering summer in their thick winter fleeces due to a shortfall of shearers from Australia and New Zealand who face tough new immigration rules, it was claimed Wednesday.

The new rules risk making it difficult or impossible for some 500 shearers who regularly help trim the fleeces of over a quarter of Britain's estimated 14.5 million sheep, industry figures claimed.

"The UK sheep sector relies on the shearing undertaken by these very skilled shearing gangs from the southern hemisphere, said farmer Frank Langrish, chairman of the British Wool Marketing Board.

"At a conservative estimate they shear around five million sheep in the UK. If they don?t arrive in the UK in the coming weeks we are facing a very serious welfare situation for our flocks," he said.

The rules change means the Australian and New Zealand shearers heading for Britain as the northern hemisphere summer approaches have to apply for a new biometric card introduced by the government for foreign workers.

Egypt woman critically ill with bird flu

2009-04-15T13:07:00.000-05:00

A 33-year-old woman has contracted bird flu, the 64th recorded case since the first outbreak of the disease in Egypt in 2006, the health ministry announced on Wednesday.

The woman from the Kafr el-Sheikh province of northern Egypt is in critical condition and on an artificial respirator, state-run news agency MENA quoted a health ministry official as saying.

She first showed symptoms of the flu more than a week ago after being exposed to dead fowl thought to have been carrying the disease, the official said.

Egypt has seen an increase in bird flu cases over the past month. The World Health Organisation (WHO) called last month for an investigation into why many of the victims have been young children.

Twenty-three people have died of bird flu in Egypt. Most of the victims have been young girls or women, who are generally in charge of looking after poultry in rural areas.

Taliban-hit Pakistan seeks global aid

2009-04-15T13:06:00.002-05:00

Pakistan's beleaguered leaders are hoping for up to $6 billion in international support as they attempt to steer the Islamic world's only nuclear-armed nation through a rising storm of extremist violence and economic woes.

But there are doubts the expected pledges at a donor conference in Japan on Friday will do more than keep the country afloat for the next few years — or make its huge but ineffective army more inclined to crack down harder on the Taliban and al-Qaida.

"If money is given, it must be given for very specific projects that actually create economic assets for the country and create a flow of income," said Kaiser Bengali, a prominent Pakistani economist and adviser to the government. "Funding for budget support is putting money down the drain."

The donor conference will be the first of its kind for Pakistan, reflecting the depth of concern about the country's ability to weather problems fueled by the global economic slowdown as well as the faltering U.S. war effort in Afghanistan.

Technology advances put police behavior in focus

2009-04-15T13:06:00.001-05:00

For years police have filmed protesters at demonstrations to identify potential troublemakers and collect evidence for prosecutions.

Now, with advances in digital technology and mobile phones with cameras and videos, ordinary members of the public are turning the tables on the authorities.

The issue was brought into focus this week with the suspension of two London police officers after footage emerged of apparent excessive force being used during protests against this month's G20 summit in the British capital.

Video taken by a New York fund manager showed an officer shoving a man to the ground minutes before he died of a suspected heart attack. More film taken the next day captured an officer lashing out at a woman who was remonstrating with him.

"In the 21st century, everybody now has...a mobile phone that can record instantly exactly what is happening," Keith Vaz, chairman of the British parliament's Home Affairs Committee, told BBC TV.

UN: Naval escorts are getting food aid to Somalia

2009-04-15T13:04:00.002-05:00

Somalia's poorest are being deprived of food aid by pirates prowling waters off the coast.

The recent surge in attacks in the Indian Ocean include two in a week on U.S. aid ships with food destined for Somalia — raising the question of whether more aid ships should have naval escorts.

An American freighter loaded with food aid escaped a pirate attack Wednesday and headed to Kenya. The Liberty Sun's crew was unharmed, but the vessel took some damage.

The incident followed the liberation Monday of the captain of another U.S. ship carrying food aid, the Maersk Alabama, who had offered himself as a hostage to save his 19-man crew from the pirates.

Both ships were heading for Mombasa, Kenya, to hand over their supplies to the World Food Program — which then takes charge of the food and sends much of it by smaller vessels under naval escort to ports in Somalia.

In this way the United Nations has been able to provide a steady stream of relief to Somalia over the last 18 months.

Suicide car bomber kills 16 in NW Pakistan: police

2009-04-15T13:04:00.001-05:00

A suicide bomber smashed his explosives-filled car into a police checkpost in northwestern Pakistan Wednesday, killing 16 people, police and hospital officials said.

Nine police officers and seven civilians died in the bombing in Charsadda, just north of Peshawar in the North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan, they said.

The blast left a crater about three metres (yards) wide, shattered windows in nearby buildings and severed power cables, plunging the area into darkness, an AFP reporter at the site said.

"Eight policemen and seven civilians were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-filled car into a police checkpost," district police chief Riaz Khan told AFP.

Hospital official Muhammad Ali said 15 people were killed in the blast.

Another police official, Nasrullah Khan, later told AFP that one injured senior police official died on his way to hospital.

"The death toll has risen to 16 and six people, including three policemen, are injured," Khan said.

Obama's Mideast envoy meets new Israeli leaders

2009-04-15T13:03:00.000-05:00

President Barack Obama's Mideast envoy began a new round of diplomacy Wednesday aimed at bridging the growing divide between a right-wing Israeli government and a weak Palestinian leadership.

His first challenge will be a series of meetings with a new Israeli government that is seemingly at odds with the Obama administration over the basic outlines for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

U.S. envoy George Mitchell, on a weeklong regional tour, said on an earlier stop in Algeria on Tuesday that the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel is "the only way" to peace.

On Thursday, Mitchell will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has not endorsed Palestinian statehood and has yet to unveil his government's policy on peace efforts. He will also talk with Netanyahu's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who has said pledges made by the previous Israeli administration to work for Palestinian independence are no longer relevant.

Pro-rebel report: Fighting resumes in Sri Lanka

2009-04-15T13:02:00.000-05:00

Sri Lankan forces attacked Tamil guerrillas with mortar fire, artillery and heavy machine guns Wednesday following a two-day cease-fire aimed at letting civilians flee the war zone, a pro-rebel Web site reported. The government said it had only launched a "rescue mission."

The reported fighting could mark the start of planned final assault aimed at destroying the Tamil Tigers and ending this Indian Ocean island nation's 25-year-old civil war. However, tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped in the war zone, and diplomats and human rights groups have called on both sides to exercise restraint.

The government had announced a unilateral cease-fire Monday and Tuesday and asked civilians trapped inside the war zone to move out, but only a few hundred left. The government says the rebels are preventing the civilians from escaping, while the rebels say the civilians don't want to leave.

The TamilNet Web site said the government launched a large-scale attack for three hours Wednesday morning near a "no-fire zone" intended as a refuge for the civilians in the area. Families huddled in bunkers for safety, but as many as 180 civilians were killed in the fighting, the Web site said.

Greenland to hold parliamentary elections in June

2009-04-15T12:59:00.001-05:00

Greenland's premier has called elections for June 2, saying he wants voters to decide who will govern the semiautonomous Danish territory once it gets more say in own affairs.

The elections to fill the 31 seats in the Arctic island's Parliament will come more than five months before the present assembly's four-year term was scheduled to end. They will also take place before June 21 celebrations that will mark the beginning of greater self-determination.

In a Nov. 25. referendum, Greenland voters overwhelmingly approved more autonomy from Denmark. The huge island presently relies on Danish subsidies.

NY gunman fired 98 shots in about a minute, police chief says

2009-04-08T11:10:00.001-05:00

The gunman who killed 13 people at an immigrant services center fired 98 shots in a minute or so, the police chief in Binghamton, New York, said Wednesday.

Jiverly Wong, a 41-year-old Vietnamese immigrant from an ethnic Chinese family, fired 87 shots from a 9 mm pistol and 11 shots from a .45-caliber handgun, Chief Joseph Zikuski told CNN.

Investigators believe the victims died almost instantly, Zikuski said.

Wong was an "accomplished marksman" who frequented a shooting range in Binghamton, the chief said, and he bragged to others that he had fired more than 10,000 rounds.

Wong strode into the American Civic Association on Friday, entered a classroom and started shooting, investigators said.

Wong had been taking English classes at the association, which helps immigrants and refugees from around the world. He was upset about recently losing a job, but police are still trying to determine why he chose to open fire at the association, Zikuski said.

The police chief said that "it's not unreasonable to think" that Wong fired his 98 shots "in just over a minute" before he shot and killed himself in the classroom.

Obama Invites Gay Families to Egg Roll

2009-04-08T11:06:00.000-05:00

The White House is allocating tickets for the upcoming Easter Egg Roll to gay and lesbian parents as part of the Obama administration's outreach to diverse communities.

Families say the gesture shows that the new Democratic administration values them as equal to other families. And for many, being included in the annual tradition — dating to 1878 — renews hope that they will have more support in their quest for equal rights in matters such as marriage and adoption than under the previous administration.

On Tuesday, gays and lesbians gained another victory when Vermont joined Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa in giving gay couples the right to marry. In the District of Columbia, the council voted to recognize gay marriages performed in other states.

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Wiring in Iraq Called 'Catastrophic'

2009-04-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

A military team sent to evaluate electrical problems at U.S. facilities in Iraq determined there was a high risk that flawed wiring could cause further "catastrophic results" — namely, the electrocutions of U.S. soldiers.

The team said the use of a required device, commonly found in American houses to prevent electrical shocks, was "patchy at best" near showers and latrines in U.S. military facilities. There also was widespread use of uncertified electrical devices and "incomplete application" of U.S. electrical codes in buildings throughout the war-torn country, the team found.

At least three U.S. service members have been electrocuted in Iraq while taking showers in the six years since the U.S.-led invasion of the country.

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Independent probe into G20 death

2009-04-08T11:02:00.000-05:00

A police watchdog said it is working to identify officers in video footage of a man pushed to the ground at the G20 protest minutes before his death.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) also announced it would request a second post-mortem test as part of an independent inquiry.

The decision was made after footage surfaced of Ian Tomlinson being shoved.

Mr Tomlinson, 47, suffered a heart attack several minutes after walking away from being pushed by an officer.

The IPCC said it will examine the footage.

Following Mr Tomlinson's death the IPCC said it will oversee an investigation into the incident which will be carried out by the City of London police.

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Eiffel Tower closes due to strike

2009-04-08T10:58:00.000-05:00

An official at the Eiffel Tower says the attraction is closed to visitors because of a strike.

The official said the tower did not open Wednesday morning and is expected to remain closed all day. She was speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with the job regulations.

It was not immediately clear how many workers were on strike or what their demands were.

More than 500 people work in the Eiffel Tower, from welders and plumbers to security guards and cooks. The attraction, which offers panoramic views of Paris, normally receives roughly 18,000 visitors per day.

14 ships, 260 crew held by Somali pirates

2009-04-08T10:57:00.000-05:00

The International Maritime Bureau says 260 crew on 14 hijacked ships are being held off the coast of Somalia, including the U.S.-flagged ship seized Wednesday, the Maersk Alabama and its crew of 20 U.S. nationals.

The other ships include:

• Turkish tanker Karagol, seized in November carrying 4,500 tons of chemicals and 14 Turkish personnel.

• Bulk carrier African Sanderling and its 21 Filipino crewmen, seized in October.

Organizations tracking global piracy trends said Somalia recorded the highest number of attacks in recent years in 2008. The most prominent of the hijackings were:

• Saudi supertanker Sirius Star, which was hijacked in November and released in January. The pirates at the time reportedly received $3 million to release the tanker even though they initially had asked for $25 million. However, five of the Somali pirates drowned with their share of the ransom money after their small boat capsized during a storm.

Two Tibetans sentenced to death over Lhasa riots

2009-04-08T10:56:00.002-05:00

A court in Tibet has sentenced two people to death over riots in Lhasa last year, China's state media said on Wednesday in what was the harshest sentence yet reported over the deadly unrest.

Two others were given suspended death sentences while another was given life in prison in three separate cases, said the report, which quoted a spokesman for the intermediate court in the Tibetan capital.

Fierce anti-China riots broke out in Lhasa in March last year and spread across Tibet and adjacent areas with Tibetan populations, deeply embarrassing the Chinese government as it was preparing to host the Beijing Summer Olympics.

China blamed the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, for inciting the violence and responded with a massive security crackdown on the region that has remained in place ever since.

Xinhua said the crimes committed by the five defendants resulted in seven deaths and the destruction of five shops in Lhasa.

Daimler CEO sees cost cuts in all divisions

2009-04-08T10:56:00.001-05:00

German automaker Daimler AG will see more cost-cutting and a reduced dividend this year after it warned Wednesday it won't get through the worst of the recession until the second half of this year.

"In 2009, the global economy will shrink for the first time since World War II," Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche told Daimler's shareholders at the company's annual meeting in Berlin.

"The automotive industry didn't cause this crisis, but is feeling the full brunt of its impact and suppliers and dealers are suffering just as much as manufacturers," he told some 7,000 shareholders gathered in the cavernous Berlin ITB Messe. "Ultimately, nobody will go unscathed by an economic crisis."

Zetsche said the Stuttgart-based company, whose brands include Mercedes-Benz, Smart, Maybach and AMG, was poised to take "all the required measures," to remain strong, including more cost saving and efficiency plans besides the ones it has already announced.

Daimler said it would stick with rigid cost management and reduced labor costs, including management pay cuts, but did not provide a figure on how much savings the plan would create.

Bouteflika seeks huge majority

2009-04-08T10:55:00.001-05:00

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is hoping for big turnout and a crushing victory over his five rivals in the presidential poll on April 9.

"Vote, even vote against me, but vote," he has been urging the country's 20.6 million electors as he criss-crossed the country in search of a third five-year term.

His supporters have organised some 8,000 meetings, which have passed off without incident,

His reelection appears to be a foregone conclusion, not least because the poll is being boycotted by the traditional opposition.

He hopes that a score better than the 84.99 percent he achieved in 2004 will give him an enhanced authority.

"A president who is not elected with a crushing majority is not a president," he said when launching his candidature, the constitution having been changed to allow him to stand for a third term.

In 2004, turnout was a little under 60 percent of those eligible to vote.

India beat Malaysia in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

2009-04-08T10:50:00.000-05:00

Former champions India found their form to overcome Malaysia 3-0 Wednesday to keep their hopes of a final berth alive in the 18th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

The Indians suffered a shock 2-2 draw with minnows Egypt on Sunday but hit their stride against the home side in their second match.

The defeat was the first for the Malaysians after they beat Pakistan 3-2 and Egypt 4-1.

Both teams remain in the hunt for a final berth, along with New Zealand.

The Indians, ranked 10th in the world, took a 2-0 lead in the first half with both goals coming from penalty corners.

In the 19th minute, Arjun Halappa scored with a powerful shot after receiving the ball from Sandeep Singh and in the 31st minute, Sandeep was on target.

British government website links to Japanese porn

2009-04-06T14:53:00.000-05:00

Britain's interior ministry homepage mistakenly linked to a Japanese pornography website, a government spokesman said Monday.

The Home Office, which has since removed the link, was alerted to the issue by the BBC on Monday after a private Internet user informed the broadcaster.

"It was a link from the Home Office website to the Technical Advisory Board, which is an external website," a ministry spokesman told AFP. "It is their website that was hacked and re-directed to a porn site."

"We were alerted today, we took immediate action, we removed the link and we are now investigating."

According to the BBC, the Home Office said the site it had initially linked to had since become defunct, and a new company had taken it over, without giving details.

The revelation is the second pornography-related embarrassment for the ministry in as many weeks.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was last week forced to refund expense claims filed on her behalf which showed her husband had watched two pay-per-view pornographic films.

Somali pirates on hijacking spree

2009-04-06T14:51:00.000-05:00

Somali pirates seized ships from France, Britain, Germany, Taiwan and Yemen, defying world naval powers by prowling further out in the Indian Ocean to target victims.

Ransom-hunting pirates equipped with skiffs, guns and grapnels took five ships in 48 hours, the two latest on Monday targeting a British cargo ship and a Taiwanese fishing vessel.

At least 17 ships and more than 250 hostages are now in pirate hands.

"There were two more hijackings today. There is one Italian-operated British-owned ship and a Taiwanese vessel near the Seychelles," an official involved in regional piracy monitoring told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The Seychelles government said it received a distress call saying that a Taiwanese fishing vessel, the MV Winfar 161, and its 29 crew was hijacked in its exclusive economic zone, north of Denis island.

Transport Minister Joel Morgan said military forces had been deployed to intercept the pirates, amid reports that three more Taiwanese ships were trying to escape capture.

The information centre of the European Union's anti-piracy naval mission Atalanta confirmed the hijacking of the British Panama-flagged Malaspina Castle.

Dubai killing removes top rival to Chechen leader

2009-04-06T14:50:00.000-05:00

The assassin of a renegade Chechen warlord tossed a gold-plated pistol to the ground next to the body — a flamboyant coda to the death in Dubai that marked the removal of the last major rival of Chechnya's Kremlin-backed leader.

Dubai's police chief has accused a Russian parliamentarian — and confidant of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov — of masterminding the March 28 killing thousands of miles from Chechnya, outside a beachfront residential complex in a glitzy neighborhood of Dubai. Kadyrov on Monday defended Adam Delimkhanov, a man he called his "friend, brother and, moreover, my right hand," and said the police allegations against him were a "provocation" and "slander."

A suspect in custody told authorities that one of the lawmaker's guards had provided the killer with the gold-plated pistol that killed Sulim Yamadayev, the Dubai police chief said.

The lawmaker was in Syria, according to Kadyrov, but he was expected to return to Russia. As a member of parliament Delimkhanov enjoys immunity from prosecution, and Russia's constitution bans the extradition of Russian citizens.

Qatar launches 13.3 bln dlr gas-to-Britain project

2009-04-06T14:46:00.000-05:00

Qatar on Monday inaugurated its 13.2 billion dollar Qatargas 2 project, with a production capacity of 15 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year, most of it destined for Britain.

The Qatargas 2 project in the Ras Laffan industrial zone in northern Qatar comprises two plants each with an annual capacity to produce 7.8 million tonnes of LNG.

A fleet of 14 LNG tankers will transport the gas to the port of Milford Haven.

"The project we are inaugurating today costs 13.2 billion dollars," said Qatar Energy Minister Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, adding the energy-rich Gulf emirate had spent 45 billion dollars in total on its natural gas projects.

"Qatar has become one of the principal players in the field of gas production," Attiyah said. "It currently produces 31 million tonnes per annum and aims to increase this to 77 million tonnes by 2010."

Ban lifted, media witness solemn return of fallen service member

2009-04-06T14:43:00.000-05:00

His name was Phillip A. Myers. A staff sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, he was killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan on Saturday.

The return of his body to the United States aboard a charter aircraft Sunday marked a solemn moment that has been repeated more than 5,000 times at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware since the start of the war in Afghanistan in late 2001.

Much of this night was like so many of the others: The well-practiced and crisp movement of the carry team silently transferring the body from the plane to the truck that would transport it to the base mortuary and the presence of Myers' family, quietly watching every step and order, ensured dignity and respect for the fallen in an atmosphere that does not lend itself to peace and quiet.

This night, however, was not like the other nights. Watching all of this were about 40 journalists allowed to cover the return of Myers' remains. It was the first time in almost 20 years the return of a fallen U.S. service member was able to be recorded by the media.

Myers' widow was the first to be asked by the military, under a new policy by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, if she wished to have news media at Dover Air Force Base for her husband's final return home. Her decision to do so was historical and allowed the public to see a side of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq the country has not yet seen.

Deportation of accused Nazi guard possibly back on

2009-04-06T14:42:00.000-05:00

A U.S. immigration judge on Monday revoked a stay of deportation granted to suspected Nazi war criminal John Demjanjuk, paving the way for the retired auto worker's possible deportation as soon as Wednesday for trial in Germany.

"It is the opinion of the court that the motion to reopen has been misfiled with the Immigration Court," wrote Judge Wayne Iskra in Arlington, Virginia. "Consequently, this court's order to stay respondent's removal is revoked effective April 8, 2009."

The judge noted that "jurisdiction over the motion to reopen lies with the board." Both the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the Board of Immigration Appeals have issued final orders in the case.

Demjanjuk's attorney, John Broadley, did not immediately return telephone calls. He had argued that his 89-year-old client was in such ill health that his deportation and trial in Germany would be tantamount to torture.

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Secretary played dead to avoid New York shooter

2009-04-06T14:41:00.001-05:00

Secretary Shirley DeLucia was just doing her job when she saw Jiverly Wong walk through the door of the American Civic Association in Binghamton, New York, on Friday.

"Hello," she said. "Can I help you?"

Wong, a 41-year-old who had taken English classes at the New York immigration services center, pointed a gun at DeLucia and pulled the trigger.

The bullet tore through her abdomen, and she hit the ground. Wong then turned his attention to others before coming back to towards DeLucia.

"When Wong came back, walked over to her, my sister closed her eyes and played dead," DeLucia's brother Lyle Fassett said.

Wong charged through the rest of the building, shooting to death 13 people, most of his victims immigrants trying to improve their lot in their adopted country.

The secretary dialed 911, a call that first notified authorities of what is being called the nation's worst mass shooting since a Virginia Tech college student killed 32 people in spring 2007.

Accused Nazi Can Be Deported From U.S.

2009-04-06T14:40:00.001-05:00

A U.S. immigration judge in Virginia has revoked John Demjanjuk's stay of deportation to Germany, effective on Wednesday.

Monday's ruling clears the way for Demjanjuk to be sent to Germany, unless he is able to successfully appeal.

The 89-year-old suburban Cleveland man came to America after World War II.

A German arrest warrant issued in March accuses the Ukrainian-born Demjanjuk of 29,000 counts of acting as an accessory to murder at the Sobibor camp in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II.

In Germany, Demjanjuk would have a chance to respond to the allegations before a judge. He denies involvement in any deaths.

The retired autoworker who lives in the Cleveland suburb of Seven Hills has argued that his deportation would amount to torture, given his frail health.

In a three-page signed statement submitted last week requesting asylum, Demjanjuk also questioned Germany's motive in seeking his deportation and suggested the German government was trying to make up for lax earlier pursuit of war criminals

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US war dead media blackout lifted

2009-04-06T14:35:00.000-05:00

The media have been given access to the return home of a dead US soldier for the first time since an 18-year ban on coverage was lifted.

Reporters were allowed to witness the ceremony marking the return of the body of Air Force Staff Sgt Phillip Myers, with the permission of his family.

Sgt Myers was killed by an improvised explosive device near Helmand province, Afghanistan on 4 April.

The media ban was first put in place during the 1991 Gulf War.

President George H W Bush, who implemented the media blackout, said it was necessary to protect the families of fallen soldiers.

The BBC's Kevin Connolly says critics of the ban always felt it was an attempt by the American government to disguise the human cost of the war from public opinion.

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Gates unveils US defence budget

2009-04-06T14:32:00.001-05:00

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has proposed an overall increase to the US defence budget for 2010, although some major weapons programmes will be cut.

Under Mr Gates's plans, production of the $140m (£95m) F-22 fighter jet would cease, as would construction of the new generation of presidential helicopters.

Nearly $11bn would go to fund proposed increases in military personnel.

Spending goals would be shifted to "wars we are in today and scenarios for the years ahead", Mr Gates said.

Cold War programme

Lockheed Martin, the company that makes the F-22 fighter jet, also known as the Raptor, has said that 95,000 jobs could be under threat if the US Defence Department does not buy more of the planes.

Under Mr Gates's proposal, the Pentagon would buy only the 187 F-22 currently budgeted for, and instead increase spending on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

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Man, 26, Charged With Capital Murder in Killing of 'Blues Brothers' Actor Lou Perryman

2009-04-04T12:36:00.000-06:00

Austin police Friday identified the victim as 67-year-old Lou Perryman.

Perryman appeared in "The Blues Brothers," "Boys Don't Cry" and "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town."

Police charged 26-year-old Seth Christopher Tatum with capital murder, plus aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in another attack.

Sgt. Joseph Chacon says Tatum showed up at a jail facility Thursday and said he was "pretty sure" he had killed the owner of a vehicle he had stolen. Police later found Perryman's body at a home.

Investigators say they do not believe Tatum and Perryman knew each other.

A jail official didn't know whether Tatum had an attorney.

Chavez says he wants to 'reset' relations with US

2009-04-04T12:33:00.002-06:00

President Hugo Chavez said Saturday he hopes to "reset" relations with the United States at an upcoming summit.

Despite recent criticism of President Barack Obama, Chavez said he wants to bring relations between the two governments back to a "rational level."

"I'll be willing to press the reset button," he said in a telephone call to Venezuelan state television from Iran. "I hope that will be the policy of President Obama."

Venezuela's relations with Washington grew increasingly strained under former President George W. Bush — reaching a low point in September, when Chavez expelled the U.S. ambassador and withdrew Venezuela's envoy to Washington. His visit to Iran is part of an effort to build ties with other countries at odds with the U.S.

Broadhurst leads, Lafeber just misses record

2009-04-04T12:33:00.001-06:00

Paul Broadhurst will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Portugal Open, but it was Maarten Lafeber's remarkable round of 64 which dominated Saturday's third round.

The 43-year-old Broadhurst carded a 67 to stand at seven under par for the tournament with Lafeber, Jamie Donaldson and David Lynn all tucked in behind.

Dutchman Lafeber completed the back nine in only 28 shots, just short of equalling the European Tour record of 27.

"It was a great round of golf. I played fantastic," Lafeber said.

"I was very happy with my game yesterday and I played as good as that today but made 35 putts. I can't remember being that low on the back nine before in a tournament."

US ousts Navy lawyer for Canadian at Guantanamo

2009-04-04T12:32:00.001-06:00

A Navy lawyer who clashed with superiors over defense tactics for Guantanamo detainees has been removed from the case of a Canadian accused of killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan, an official said Saturday.

Lt. Cmdr. William Kuebler, the Pentagon-appointed lawyer for Omar Khadr, was reassigned Friday following an internal probe into his conduct, according to Michael Berrigan, the deputy chief defense counsel at Guantanamo.

In his two years on the case, Kuebler campaigned for Khadr's return to Canada to short-circuit a military tribunal system he described as unfair. Like all Guantanamo prosecutions, the case is currently on hold pending a review by President Barack Obama's administration.

The chief defense counsel at Guantanamo, Air Force Col. Peter Masciola, concluded that Kuebler's removal was necessary to pursue "a client-centered representation," according to a statement from his office. Masciola did not immediately respond to a request for further details.

The Canadian government is seeking more information on Kuebler's dismissal, said Catherine Loubier, a spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon.

Germany: deporting Nazi suspect not 'torture'

2009-04-04T12:31:00.000-06:00

A German justice official denied Saturday that the deportation of suspected Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk from the U.S. to Germany for possible trial would amount to torture.

Demjanjuk won a reprieve Friday — his 89th birthday — from his ordered deportation to Germany. The retired autoworker, who lives in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, argued that given his frail health, the deportation would have amounted to torture.

"That is cynical and absolutely intolerable," Bavarian Secretary of Justice Beate Merk told The Associated Press.

Demjanjuk was originally expected to arrive Monday in Munich, where justice officials had planned to determine if he was fit to stand trial. They hoped then to charge him with 29,000 counts of acting as an accessory to murder at the Sobibor camp in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II.

He has denied any involvement in any deaths.

But a U.S. immigration judge Friday ordered that Demjanjuk's deportation be put on hold until a U.S. court can rule on his request to reopen the U.S. case that ordered his removal.

Suicide attack on Pakistan security checkpoint kills 12

2009-04-04T12:30:00.000-06:00

At least 12 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack on a security checkpoint in Pakistan's tribal region, a local military official said.

Security forces opened fire on a truck packed with explosives as it approached the checkpoint in the Miranshah area of North Waziristan, the military official told CNN.

The attack happened about 1:30 p.m. local time ( 4:30 a.m. ET) Saturday. The official says the truck blew up before it rammed into the checkpoint, killing bystanders and pedestrians, including five children.

The official asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Earlier suspected U.S. missile strike killed at least 12 people in a tribal region in northwestern Pakistan on Saturday morning, local political and military sources said.

Israeli police return fire, kill Palestinian woman

2009-04-04T12:29:00.000-06:00

A Palestinian woman opened fire Saturday on Israeli border police in southern Israel before they shot and killed her, an Israeli spokesman said.

Moshe Fintzy, a border police spokesman, said the woman approached the entrance of the border guards' base and was not allowed to enter. She then opened fire, and the border police responded, Fintzy said.

The incident occurred near Beer Sheva, in southern Israel.

No other information was immediately available.

Earlier Saturday two members of a Palestinian militant group were killed in clashes with members of the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza, security and medical sources said.

The clashes between members of the Salah-a-Din Brigades and members of the IDF occurred east of Jabalya, the sources said.

The Salah-a-Din Brigades is the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committee.

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Bomb hits Islamabad police base

2009-04-04T12:28:00.000-06:00

A suicide bomber has killed at least five paramilitary police in an attack on a security base in the Pakistan capital, Islamabad, police say.

The attacker apparently slipped into the base under cover of darkness and attacked a mess tent, also injuring a number of policemen.

Shots heard after the explosion are believed to have come from guards.

It was the second attack on security forces in Islamabad in two weeks and comes amid a rise in militant violence.

A suicide bomb attack on a police station on 23 March left one policeman dead and another injured.

The Pakistani Taleban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, claimed responsibility for that attack.

Violence in Pakistan has surged in recent months amid a wave of attacks blamed on Islamist militants.

Last June a massive bomb blast in Islamabad's Marriott hotel killed at least 53 people and injured more than 250.

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'Scores die' in Sri Lanka clashes

2009-04-04T12:23:00.000-06:00

More than 100 Tamil Tiger fighters have been killed in two separate battles with government forces in northern Sri Lanka, army officials say.

Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said soldiers had recovered the bodies of 93 rebels in Puthukkudiyiruppu, believed to be the last rebel stronghold.

Officials earlier said 11 Tamil Tiger fighters were killed and four of their vessels destroyed in a sea battle.

It has not been possible to confirm the government's account independently.

Brig Nanayakkara said the battles represented one of "one of the biggest blows for the Tigers recently".

He gave no details of any casualties suffered by the military, and there has been no comment from the rebels.

The military has repeatedly claimed that it is near victory in the country's long-running civil conflict.

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Police begin New York siege probe

2009-04-04T12:20:00.001-06:00

US police are piecing together details of the man suspected of shooting dead 13 people and taking several hostages at a New York state immigration centre.

The suspect, who also killed himself, was named in media reports as 42-year-old Vietnamese immigrant Jiverly Voong.

He reportedly lost his job recently and was frustrated by language problems.

Police said autopsies were under way on all of those who died, but they did not name a suspect or suggest a motive for the attack, in the town of Binghamton.

Earlier, Pakistani Taleban leader Baitullah Mehsud called media organisations including the BBC in Islamabad to claim responsibility for the attack.

But FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said that based on the evidence the militant's claim could be "firmly discounted".

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Scotland call time on Ferguson, McGregor careers

2009-04-03T12:47:00.000-06:00

GLASGOW (AFP) – Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor were on Friday told their Scotland international careers were over, as the hangover from their controversial, late-night drinking session grew steadily worse.

The pair were also suspended for two weeks without pay by their club Rangers after being sent home from training earlier in the day.

They were involved in a drinking session at Scotland's team hotel at the weekend and then enraged team bosses by apparently making V-signs while on the bench after being dropped for Wednesday's World Cup 2-1 win over Iceland at Hampden.

"In light of the events of the past 48 hours and following further discussions between the national team manager and the chief executive, it has been decided that Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor will no longer be considered for international selection by Scotland," said a Scottish Football Association (SFA) spokesman.

"This action has been taken in the best interest of the squad, the fans and the country. We are determined to qualify for the World Cup and we must ensure that nothing is allowed to distract us from achieving this goal."

Venezuelan police sentenced for 2002 violence

2009-04-03T12:46:00.002-06:00

CARACAS, Venezuela – A Venezuelan court has sentenced nine former police officers to as much as 30 years in prison for the killings of demonstrators during protests before the failed 2002 coup.

High-ranking police officials Henry Vivas, Lazaro Forero and Ivan Simonovis were sentenced to 30 years for "complicity" in the deaths. Six other officers got terms between 17 and 30 years for homicide and complicity. That's according to a lawyer for some victims, Antonio Molina.

The 19 people killed on April 11, 2002 included both allies and adversaries of President Hugo Chavez. The deaths happened when police controlled by an opposition mayor clashed with a pro-Chavez demonstration in Caracas.

Hussey leads Australian onslaught

2009-04-03T12:46:00.001-06:00

DURBAN, South Africa (AFP) – Mike Hussey ended a run of poor form when he led a late Australian onslaught in the first one-day international against South Africa at Kingsmead on Friday.

Hussey hit 83 not out in an Australian total of 286 for seven.

The left-hander's 79-ball innings enabled Australia to recover from two chaotic run-outs which cost the wickets of two of the team's top four batsmen.

David Hussey and Brad Haddin were run out in the space of nine balls, on both occasions after mix-ups which saw the dismissed player stranded at the wrong end of the pitch.

Wicketkeeper Haddin, who opened the batting, hit an aggressive 53 off 60 balls after Australian captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and made first use of a good pitch, on a ground where batting second under floodlights has often been a disadvantage.

Haddin and Ponting put on 77 off 81 balls for the second wicket. Then Haddin and David Hussey put on a quick 28 for the third wicket before first Hussey, then Haddin were run out.

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France — and its president — go gaga over Obama

2009-04-03T12:45:00.000-06:00

STRASBOURG, France – France's president grins, schoolboy-like, as he welcomes Barack Obama to his country where Americans in recent years have not always felt so appreciated. An eager French colonel admonishes his men to keep their heads high as Obama strides past. Teenagers blush and beam at the chance to brush fingers with the American leader.

The French — and especially their President Nicolas Sarkozy — are clearly out to set aside past strains and please the Obamas on their first presidential visit.

For Nicolas Sarkozy, the trip, for a NATO summit on the French-German border, didn't come a moment too soon. The French leader is an unabashed admirer of the United States, and French commentators suggested he had been snubbed when Obama chose to meet with other world leaders before making it down his list to Sarkozy.

The French-American relationship slowly has emerged from the chilly depths of 2003, when Paris under then-President Jacques Chirac led global opposition to the U.S.-led Iraq invasion.

Stranded Canadian denied passport on security grounds

2009-04-03T12:44:00.000-06:00

Canada's Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said Friday he had refused travel documents to a Canadian stuck in Sudan since 2003 because the United Nations suspects he has ties to Al-Qaeda.

Sudan-born Abousfian Abdelrazik, 47, emigrated in 1990 and later became a Canadian citizen, living in Montreal.

"I denied Mr. Abdelrazik an emergency passport on the basis of national security," Cannon told reporters on the sidelines of a NATO summit in this French city. He refused to elaborate, citing legal reasons.

Abdelrazik has been trapped in Sudan since visiting his ailing mother in 2003 -- first because he was arrested by local authorities and then because he named on a 2006 UN list as an individual "associated with Al-Qaeda".

Report: Dane in running for NATO top job

2009-04-03T12:42:00.000-06:00

The Danish prime minister has told his party he is a candidate for NATO's top job, a spokeswoman for the party told Danish TV on Friday.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced his aspirations to the Liberal Party Friday morning, party spokeswoman Inger Stojberg said in an interview posted on Denmark's TV2 News Web site.

The prime minister's spokesman, Michael Ulveman, however, would not confirm the announcement to CNN.

Rasmussen's name has surfaced as a possible frontrunner to replace current NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer when he steps down this summer.

But alliance member Turkey has expressed its objection to Rasmussen over his handling of the political cartoon debate and Denmark allowing a pro-PKK TV station, ROJ, to air from its soil.

A Danish newspaper published a series of political cartoons in September 2005 that depicted the Prophet Mohammed. That provoked ire among Muslims around the world because some Muslims believe the Quran forbids showing images of the prophet.

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'I'm no liar' says contrite Hamilton

2009-04-03T12:31:00.001-06:00

An apologetic Lewis Hamilton said he had made a "huge mistake" for misleading race stewards at the Australian Grand Prix but said he had been told to lie by McLaren sporting director Dave Ryan.

Hamilton, who was stripped of third place in the season-opener, broke his media silence after Ryan was suspended by McLaren and sent home from the Malaysia where the second round of the championship takes place this weekend.

Sunday's race in Melbourne finished under the safety car after a late crash and there was initial confusion as to whether reigning world champion Hamilton or Toyota's Jarno Trulli had claimed the final podium position.

After hearing evidence from Ryan and Hamilton, Trulli was given a 25-second time penalty by race stewards and demoted to 12th place for overtaking the Briton while yellow flags were out, which is a breach of F1 rules.

But a subsequent inquiry by world motorsport governing, the FIA, discovered that Ryan had ordered Hamilton over race radio to slow down deliberately to allow Trulli through.

Papers alter Israel cabinet photo

2009-04-03T12:26:00.000-06:00

Two ultra-Orthodox Jewish newspapers have altered a photo of Israel's new cabinet, removing two female ministers.

Limor Livnat and Sofa Landver were grouped with the rest of the 30-member cabinet for their inaugural photo.

But Yated Neeman newspaper digitally changed the picture by replacing them with two men. The Shaa Tova newspaper blacked the women out.

Publishing pictures of women is viewed by many ultra-orthodox Jews as a violation of female modesty.

Other Israeli papers reprinted the altered images next to the original photos, with one headlining it "Find the lady".

The ultra-Orthodox community separates itself from mainstream society through its traditional religious practices and distinctive attire of black hats, coats and sidelocks for the men and long skirts and sleeves for the women.

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'Multiple casualties' in US siege

2009-04-03T12:23:00.001-06:00

About 40 people have been taken hostage and several others shot in the US state of New York, say reports.

Unconfirmed local media reports said a number of people have been killed during the incident.

The hostages were in the buildings of the American Civic Association (ACA) in Binghamton, north of New York City, when the gunman entered.

Police are reported to have entered the building and taken away two people. Some hostages have now been released.

"About 15 or so employees of the Civic Association came out crying with their hands behind their heads and they were escorted by the police," one witness told the Binghamton's WNBF Radio

Television footage showed four people being carried from the scene on stretchers. Their condition was not known.

The Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin said homes nearby were being evacuated and a police commando unit was at the scene.

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Gunman takes hostages in NY state

2009-04-03T12:17:00.000-06:00

Up to 40 people have been taken hostage and several others shot in the US state of New York, say reports.

Local media reported that the people were in the buildings of the American Civic Association (ACA) in the Binghamton, north of New York City.

Mayor Matthew Ryan told reporters the man had a high-powered rifle and was still believed to be in the building.

Unconfirmed local media reports said up to 13 people may have been killed in the incident.

Television footage showed four people being carried from the scene on stretchers. Their condition was not known.

The Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin said homes nearby were being evacuated and a police commando unit was at the scene.

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Egypt knew about Sudan convoy strike at the time: FM

2009-04-02T13:27:00.001-06:00

Egypt knew about air strikes on convoys in Sudan early this year that were said to be carrying weapons destined for Gaza but remained silent to avoid embarrassing Sudan, state news agency MENA reported on Thursday.

Egypt knew about the attacks, thought to have been carried out by Israel, "from when they happened" but it "did not want to embarrass the brothers in Sudan," Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit was quoted as saying.

"The foreign act against Sudan is denounced and our response to it must be strong," he said, adding that Egypt was informed that there were two separate strikes and that Egypt was unaware of how Israel carried out them out.

The remarks were included in the transcript of an Egyptian television interview with Abul Gheit.

Former Nazi camp guard to be deported to Germany

2009-04-02T13:25:00.002-06:00

Former Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk will be deported from the United States to Germany on Sunday, a spokesman for the German Justice Ministry told CNN Thursday.

German authorities issued an arrest warrant for Demjanjuk on March 10, accusing him of being an accessory to 29,000 counts of murder as a guard at the Sobibor death camp from March to September 1943.

He is expected to arrive in Germany on Monday, Justice Ministry spokesman Ulrich Standigl said. Demjanjuk will turn 89 Friday.

Munich state prosecutors will question him with a view to bringing charges against him, they said in a statement on March 11.

German authorities studied an identification card provided by the U.S. Office of Special Investigations, and concluded it was genuine, before issuing the warrant, the statement said.

Demjanjuk denies having been a camp guard, saying instead he fought in the Soviet army and later was a prisoner of war held by the Germans.

Malawians support Madonna's adoption

2009-04-02T13:25:00.001-06:00

Malawians are rallying behind Madonna as she awaits a ruling Friday on whether she can adopt a girl from the southern African nation.

The pop star, who has three children, adopted a son from Malawi in 2006. She is seeking to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James, 4.

"Ninety-nine percent of the people calling in are saying, 'let her take the baby,' " said Marilyn Segula, a presenter at Capital FM, which broadcasts in at least five cities, including the capital, Lilongwe.

"People are saying: 'Why are these NGOs pretending to care now? If anyone wanted to amend the law, they should have done it with other adoptions.' "

The law in Malawi stipulates that foreigners must have lived in the country for more than a year before they can adopt legally.

A local umbrella group for nonprofits accused the pop star Thursday of taking advantage of a weakness in the system just days after charity Save the Children UK said the child, whose teenage mother died days after her birth, should be raised by her extended family.

How hip hop gives Cubans a voice

2009-04-02T13:23:00.000-06:00

Hip hop is one U.S. commodity that has made it past the trade embargo to Cuba.

Cuba has developed a homegrown rap movement, inspired by the sounds and fashions of U.S. hip hop. But what makes Cuban rappers different is that rather than celebrating bling, girls and guns, their lyrics address social issues in a country where free speech is tightly controlled.

Cuban rap began to surface in the 1990s, a grassroots affair, with songs recorded in rappers' bedrooms and distributed on cassette tapes.

The island's fledgling hip hop scene was given a boost in 1999, when it was endorsed by the government as "an authentic expression of Cuban Culture."

In the following years the government set up the Cuban Rap Agency (CRA) to promote the scene, as well as a record label, "Asere Productions," and a rap magazine called "Movimiento."

Government approval helped Cuban hip hop emerge from the underground, but some see that endorsement as a gilded cage. Formed in 1996, rap duo "Doble Filo" ("Double Edged") have been part of the Havana scene since the beginning and work with the Cuban Rap Agency. But rapper Irak Saenz admits there are contradictions in being part of the system.

N. Korea warns Japan against targeting rocket

2009-04-02T13:22:00.000-06:00

North Korea says it will attack the Japanese military and "major targets," if Japan shoots down a rocket Pyongyang plans to launch in the coming days, North Korea's state-run news service, KCNA, reported Thursday.

If Japan recklessly 'intercepts' [North Korea's] satellite for peaceful purposes, the [Korean People's Army] will mercilessly deal deadly blows not only at the already deployed intercepting means but at major targets," KCNA reported.

Japan recently mobilized its missile defense system in response to the planned North Korean launch, Japanese officials said. The move, noteworthy for a country with a pacifist constitution, is aimed at shooting down any debris from the launch that might fall into Japanese territory.

U.S. Navy ships capable of shooting down ballistic missiles have also been moved to the Sea of Japan, a Navy spokesman said.

The threat of retaliation comes as North Korea has begun fueling its long-range rocket, according to a senior U.S. military official familiar with the latest U.S. intelligence on the matter.

Police: Mother Drugs Daughter in Attempt to Get Her Pregnant

2009-04-02T13:13:00.002-06:00

Police say a western Pennsylvania mother drugged her 13-year-old daughter so her boyfriend could get the girl pregnant.

Uniontown police say 32-year-old Shana Brown is no longer able to have children, but wanted a baby with her boyfriend.

Det. Donald Gmitter says Brown and her boyfriend, 40-year-old Duane Calloway, attempted to impregnate the girl on three occasions. Gmitter says the girl prevented the rapes. The girl's paternal grandmother reported the incidents to police.

Brown is facing several charges, including endangering the welfare of children. Brown's attorney Patrick McDaniel did not immediately return a call for comment.

Calloway faces charges of attempted rape. It was not immediately clear if he has an attorney.