Friday, June 13, 2008

Mariah might scrap plans for second wedding

Mariah Carey’s Big Apple wedding might be off, according to sources close to Carey. The pop diva and her husband, Nick Cannon, hoped to have a lavish celebration that would involve millions of dollars and dozens of bridesmaids.
“The small wedding in the Bahamas was nice, but it was not Mariah’s style. The lady loves a spectacle,” said a source familiar with Mariah’s plans. What went wrong? The issue of who was picking up the tab.
“Mariah was willing to pay for the wedding, but the way she hoped to pay for the wedding was through the sale of photos. No one was interested,” the source revealed. That said, Carey and Cannon are still happy and reportedly shopping their way through their first months of marriage. Cannon flew out to Oahu to meet his wife, who was filming a video, but his first order of business was a trip to Macy’s at the Waikiki Kahala Mall in search of “his new line of PNB hoodies,” according to In Touch.
He also stopped by a local Tiffany & Co., where “he spent time choosing a gift for Mariah and put it in a regular paper bag so he could surprise her.”
Sherri Shepherd gears up for the EmmysThe Daytime Emmy Awards don’t have a reputation for being particularly exciting television, but if there ever was a woman capable of spicing up the broadcast, it’s Sherri Shepherd, who is hosting the show, along with Cameron Mathison, for the first time.Shepherd said she’s got some jitters, but one thing she’s not nervous about is contacting daytime hosting rival Tyra Banks, who is presenting at the Emmys. “Tyra is absolutely amazing … there is no rivalry and whenever she comes on ‘The View,’ I’m always excited to see Tyra, and we usually have the same hair.”
Pardon? The same hair? Shephard explained: “There’s times when (I see her and) I’m like, ‘Tyra, I thought I picked a wig that would not match the hair you are wearing but we both got curlies today.’”
Even if the two do show up at the Emmys with the same hair, chances are the awkwardness won’t last, as Shepherd has not only wardrobe changes planned, but wig changes, too. “Yes there will be a few wig changes, and I’m hoping they give me a wig room,” Shepherd said.
The Daytime Emmys will air June 20 on ABC.
Jimmy Fallon slimming down for late nightJimmy Fallon has been spotted doing some serious time on the treadmill at his Manhattan-area gym lately, but he isn’t necessarily happy about it.
Friends of Fallon’s suggested he slim down in preparation for taking over Conan O’Brien’s late-night spot, but Fallon isn’t interested. “He’s got a lot riding on that first show next year,” a friend told OK! magazine. “So his first priority isn’t the size of his pants.”
Another source close to Fallon said that the weight gain is just “love handles,” and that the suggestion that he has to be thinner is irritating to the comedian. “He’s a little stunned that at this point in his life he has to deal with such things. I mean, it’s late-night TV,” said the source. “He and his wife love to stay in, eat pizza, watch TV and relax. That’s his perfect night, so what if he’s packed on a few pounds because of it?”

Iowa river still rising — at 2 inches an hour

Cedar Rapids hospital evacuates; river expected to crest higher now
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Officials evacuated patients from a Cedar Rapids hospital on Friday as the rising waters from the Cedar River confounded the city's best efforts to secure the downtown area. Much of the Midwest remained under threat of more severe weather, with yet another storm front moving through Kansas, Missouri and Wisconsin.

In Cedar Falls, officials early Friday had hoped the Cedar River would crest Friday at about 31.8 feet, but NBC's Kevin Tibbles later reported from the city that officials now fear it won't crest until the weekend, with a predicted crest of 33 feet.

The water has been rising about two inches an hour, Tibbles added.
The river was at 30.9 feet early Friday. In a 1993 flood, considered the worst in recent history, it crested at 19.27 feet.

"We are seeing a historic hydrological event taking place with unprecedented river levels occurring," said Brian Pierce, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Davenport. "We're in uncharted territory — this is an event beyond what anybody could even imagine."

At the Mercy Medical Center in downtown Cedar Rapids, all 176 patients were evacuated to other hospitals in the region. The evacuation started late Thursday night and continued Friday morning in the city of 124,000 residents.

"Some are frail and so it's a very delicate process with them," said Karen Vander Sanden, a hospital spokeswoman.

Water was seeping into the hospital's lower levels, where the emergency generator is located, said Dustin Hinrichs of the Linn County emergency operations center. "They proactively and preventatively started evacuation basically guessing on the fact they were going to lose power," he said.

I-80 cut off for miles
Flooding also closed Interstate 80 from east of Iowa City to Davenport. The flooded Cedar River crosses the interstate in Cedar County, about 20 miles east of Iowa City.

By late Thursday, Cedar Rapids officials estimated that 100 blocks were under water, where several days of preparation could not hold back the rain-swollen river. Rescuers had to use boats to reach many stranded residents, and people could be seen dragging suitcases up closed highway exit ramps to escape the water.

"We're just kind of at God's mercy right now, so hopefully people that never prayed before this, it might be a good time to start," Linn County Sheriff Don Zeller said late Thursday. "We're going to need a lot of prayers and people are going to need a lot of patience and understanding."

In Wisconsin, amphibious vehicles that carry tourists on the Wisconsin River were used to evacuate homes and businesses in Baraboo, north of Madison. Hundreds of people lost power in Avoca, west of Madison, and were "strongly encouraged" to evacuate because of flooding of the Wisconsin River and some streams, said Chief Deputy Jon Pepper of the Iowa County Sheriff's Department.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Italy Team Euro 2008

Tournament fixtures
09/06/2008 v Netherlands 0 - 3
13/06/2008 v Romania 18:00
17/06/2008 v France 20:45

Squad list

Goalkeepers1 Gianluigi Buffon
14 Marco Amelia
17 Morgan De Sanctis

Defenders2 Christian Panucci
3 Fabio Grosso
4 Giorgio Chiellini
5 Alessandro Gamberini
6 Andrea Barzagli
19 Gianluca Zambrotta
23 Marco Materazzi

Midfielders8 Gennaro Gattuso
10 Daniele De Rossi
13 Massimo Ambrosini
16 Mauro Camoranesi
20 Simone Perrotta
21 Andrea Pirlo
22 Alberto Aquilani

Forwards7 Alessandro Del Piero
9 Luca Toni
11 Antonio Di Natale
12 Marco Borriello
15 Fabio Quagliarella
18 Antonio Cassano

Romania Team Euro 2008

Tournament fixtures
09/06/2008 v France 0 - 0
13/06/2008 v Italy 18:00
17/06/2008 v Netherlands 20:45


Squad list

Goalkeepers1 Bogdan Lobonţ
12 Marius Popa
23 Eduard Stăncioiu

Defenders2 Cosmin Contra
3 Răzvan Raţ
4 Gabriel Tamaş
5 Cristian Chivu
6 Mirel Rădoi
13 Cristian Săpunaru
14 Sorin Ghionea
15 Dorin Goian
17 Cosmin Moţi
22 Ştefan Radu

Midfielders7 Florentin Petre
8 Paul Codrea
11 Răzvan Cociş
16 Bănel Nicoliţă
19 Adrian Cristea
20 Nicolae Dică

Forwards9 Ciprian Marica
10 Adrian Mutu
18 Marius Niculae
21 Daniel Niculae

France team euro 2008

Tournament fixtures
09/06/2008 v Romania 0 - 0
13/06/2008 v Netherlands 20:45
17/06/2008 v Italy 20:45


Squad list

Goalkeepers1 Steve Mandanda
16 Sébastien Frey
23 Grégory Coupet

Defenders2 Jean-Alain Boumsong
3 Eric Abidal
5 William Gallas
13 Patrice Evra
14 François Clerc
15 Lilian Thuram
17 Sébastien Squillaci
19 Willy Sagnol

Midfielders4 Patrick Vieira
6 Claude Makelele
7 Florent Malouda
11 Samir Nasri
20 Jérémy Toulalan
21 Lassana Diarra
22 Franck Ribéry

Forwards8 Nicolas Anelka
9 Karim Benzema
10 Sidney Govou
12 Thierry Henry
18 Bafetimbi Gomis

Netherlands team euro 2008

Tournament fixtures
09/06/2008 v Italy 3 - 0
13/06/2008 v France 20:45
17/06/2008 v Romania 20:45

Squad list

Goalkeepers1 Edwin van der Sar
13 Henk Timmer
16 Maarten Stekelenburg

Defenders2 André Ooijer
3 John Heitinga
4 Joris Mathijsen
5 Giovanni van Bronckhorst
12 Mario Melchiot
14 Wilfred Bouma
15 Tim de Cler
21 Khalid Boulahrouz

Midfielders6 Demy de Zeeuw
8 Orlando Engelaar
10 Wesley Sneijder
11 Arjen Robben
17 Nigel de Jong
20 Ibrahim Afellay
23 Rafael van der Vaart

Forwards7 Robin van Persie
9 Ruud van Nistelrooy
18 Dirk Kuyt
19 Klaas Jan Huntelaar
22 Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink

Germany euro 2008

Tournament fixtures
08/06/2008 v Poland 2 - 0
12/06/2008 v Croatia 18:00
16/06/2008 v Austria 20:45


Squad list

Goalkeepers1 Jens Lehmann
12 Robert Enke
23 René Adler

Defenders2 Marcell Jansen
3 Arne Friedrich
4 Clemens Fritz
5 Heiko Westermann
16 Philipp Lahm
17 Per Mertesacker
21 Christoph Metzelder

Midfielders6 Simon Rolfes
7 Bastian Schweinsteiger
8 Torsten Frings
13 Michael Ballack
14 Piotr Trochowski
15 Thomas Hitzlsperger
18 Tim Borowski

Forwards9 Mario Gómez
10 Oliver Neuville
11 Miroslav Klose
19 David Odonkor
20 Lukas Podolski
22 Kevin Kuranyi

POLAND Team Euro 2008

Tournament fixtures
08/06/2008 v Germany 0 - 2
12/06/2008 v Austria 20:45
16/06/2008 v Croatia 20:45

Squad list

Goalkeepers1 Artur Boruc
12 Wojciech Kowalewski
22 Łukasz Fabiański

Defenders2 Mariusz Jop
3 Jakub Wawrzyniak
4 Paweł Golański
5 Dariusz Dudka
6 Jacek Bąk
13 Marcin Wasilewski
14 Michał Żewłakow
15 Michał Pazdan
23 Adam Kokoszka

Midfielders7 Euzebiusz Smolarek
8 Jacek Krzynówek
10 Łukasz Garguła
17 Wojciech Łobodziński
18 Mariusz Lewandowski
19 Rafał Murawski
20 Roger Guerreiro

Forwards9 Maciej Żurawski
11 Marek Saganowski
16 Łukasz Piszczek
21 Tomasz Zahorski

AUSTRIA Team Euro 2008

Tournament fixtures
08/06/2008 v Croatia 0 - 1
12/06/2008 v Poland 20:45
16/06/2008 v Germany 20:45

Squad list

Goalkeepers1 Alexander Manninger
21 Jürgen Macho
23 Ramazan Özcan

Defenders2 Joachim Standfest
3 Martin Stranzl
4 Emanuel Pogatetz
12 Ronald Gercaliu
13 Markus Katzer
15 Sebastian Prödl
16 Jürgen Patocka
17 Martin Hiden

Midfielders5 Christian Fuchs
6 René Aufhauser
8 Christoph Leitgeb
10 Andreas Ivanschitz
11 Ümit Korkmaz
14 György Garics
19 Jürgen Säumel
20 Martin Harnik

Forwards7 Ivica Vastic
9 Roland Linz
18 Roman Kienast
22 Erwin Hoffer

Croatia Team Euro 2008

Tournament fixtures
08/06/2008 v Austria 1 - 0
12/06/2008 v Germany 18:00
16/06/2008 v Poland 20:45

Squad list
Goalkeepers1 Stipe Pletikosa
12 Mario Galinovic
23 Vedran Runje

Defenders2 Dario Šimic
3 Josip Šimunic
4 Robert Kovac
5 Vedran Corluka
6 Hrvoje Vejic
13 Nikola Pokrivac
15 Dario Kneževic

Midfielders7 Ivan Rakitic
8 Ognjen Vukojevic
10 Niko Kovac
11 Darijo Srna
14 Luka Modric
16 Jerko Leko
19 Niko Kranjčar
22 Danijel Pranjic

Forwards9 Nikola Kalinic
17 Ivan Klasnic
18 Ivica Olic
20 Igor Budan
21 Mladen Petric

Germany team Euro 2008

Tournament fixtures
08/06/2008 v Poland 2 - 0
12/06/2008 v Croatia 18:00
16/06/2008 v Austria 20:45

Squad list
Goalkeepers1 Jens Lehmann
12 Robert Enke
23 René Adler

Defenders2 Marcell Jansen
3 Arne Friedrich
4 Clemens Fritz
5 Heiko Westermann
16 Philipp Lahm
17 Per Mertesacker
21 Christoph Metzelder

Midfielders6 Simon Rolfes
7 Bastian Schweinsteiger
8 Torsten Frings
13 Michael Ballack
14 Piotr Trochowski
15 Thomas Hitzlsperger
18 Tim Borowski

Forwards9 Mario Gómez
10 Oliver Neuville
11 Miroslav Klose
19 David Odonkor
20 Lukas Podolski
22 Kevin Kuranyi

Turkey Team Euro 2008

Tournament fixtures
07/06/2008 v Portugal 0 - 2
11/06/2008 v Switzerland 20:45
15/06/2008 v Czech Republic 20:45

Squad list
Goalkeepers1 Reçber Rüştü
12 Tolga Zengin
23 Volkan Demirel

Defenders2 Servet Çetin
4 Gökhan Zan
13 Emre Güngör
15 Emre Aşık
20 Sabri Sarıoğlu
22 Hamit Altıntop

Midfielders3 Hakan Balta
5 Emre Belözoğlu
6 Mehmet Topal
7 Mehmet Aurélio
10 Gökdeniz Karadeniz
11 Tümer Metin
14 Arda Turan
16 Uğur Boral
17 Tuncay Şanlı
19 Ayhan Akman

Forwards8 Nihat Kahveci
9 Semih Şentürk
18 Kazım Kazım
21 Mevlüt Erdinç

Switzerland Team Euro 2008

Tournament fixtures
07/06/2008 v Czech Republic 0 - 1
11/06/2008 v Turkey 20:45
15/06/2008 v Portugal 20:45

Squad list
Goalkeepers1 Diego Benaglio

18 Pascal Zuberbühler
21 Eldin Jakupovic

Defenders2 Johan Djourou
3 Ludovic Magnin
4 Philippe Senderos
5 Stephan Lichtsteiner
13 Stéphane Grichting
17 Christoph Spycher
20 Patrick Müller
23 Philipp Degen

Midfielders6 Benjamin Huggel
7 Ricardo Cabanas
8 Gökhan Inler
10 Hakan Yakin
14 Daniel Gygax
15 Gelson Fernandes
16 Tranquillo Barnetta
19 Valon Behrami
22 Johan Vonlanthen

Forwards9 Alexander Frei
11 Marco Streller
12 Eren Derdiyok

Portugal Team Euro 2008

ournament fixtures
07/06/2008 v Turkey 2 - 0
11/06/2008 v Czech Republic 18:00
15/06/2008 v Switzerland 20:45

Squad list
Goalkeepers1 Ricardo
12 Nuno Espírito Santo
22 Rui Patrício

Defenders2 Paulo Ferreira
3 Bruno Alves
4 Bosingwa
5 Fernando Meira
13 Miguel
14 Jorge Ribeiro
15 Pepe
16 Ricardo Carvalho

Midfielders6 Raul Meireles
8 Petit
10 João Moutinho
18 Miguel Veloso
20 Deco

Forwards7 Cristiano Ronaldo
9 Hugo Almeida
11 Simão
17 Ricardo Quaresma
19 Nani
21 Nuno Gomes
23 Hélder Postiga

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

28 dead as fire engulfs plane in Sudan, officials say

A jetliner burst into flames Tuesday after landing in Sudan, killing at least 28 people, officials said.Khartoum Police Chief Mohammad Othman Mohammad Noor said "a defect" in the Sudan Airways plane caused it to catch fire as it touched down."The fire then led to an explosion on the airplane," he said. "There was a large number of passengers on the plane, some of whom survived. The number of casualties is still unconfirmed at this time."
Lighting up the night sky, flames consumed the plane as it sat on the runway at the airport, which is in the center of Khartoum near residential and business areas.
Mortuary officials said that 28 people had been confirmed dead, though initial reports said that more than 100 had been killed.
Police updated that information late Tuesday, saying 123 people survived. Dozens are unaccounted for. It's possible that some of those people may have simply gone home after escaping the burning plane, officials said.

Hospitals said they were treating 11 patients from the plane.Sudanese television reported that more than 200 people were on the plane when the incident occurred about 8:45 p.m. (1:45 p.m. ET). Sudan Airways Flight 109 was arriving from Amman, Jordan, and Damascus, Syria, airport security officials said.Abbas al-Fadini, a member of the Sudanese parliament who was on the plane, told Al-Jazeera that "fire was inside the plane."

"It started from the right engine and then spread to the inside of the plane," he said.
He was sitting in the front of the plane, he said, and was among those who got out first. Flight attendants and crew members were guiding passengers to the exit, he said.
Some passengers who had minor injuries remained at the airport, he said.
Journalist Andrew Heavens said relatives of those on the plane had gathered at the airport, talking on their cell phones and waiting for news as ambulances sped past.
John Ukec, the Sudanese ambassador to the United States, confirmed that the plane was a Sudan Airways flight carrying 203 passengers and 14 crew members.
Sudanese television said 13 of the crew members survived.
Jordanian officials said the plane carried 34 passengers when it left Amman and picked up 169 passengers in Damascus. It made an initial landing outside Khartoum, at Port Sudan on the Red Sea, the Jordanian officials said, but took off again and landed in the city.
Sources in Khartoum said the plane was an Airbus A310 with the capacity to carry 250 people.
The weather in Khartoum as the plane attempted to land was terrible, the sources said. Low visibility and heavy rain and wind followed a big sandstorm earlier in the day.
A pilot who landed a plane in Khartoum earlier in the evening reported a rough landing, the source said, and added that there was a lot of standing water on the runway. Sandstorms can cause crashes when sand gets into the engines and causes them to ignite, the pilot said.
Video from the scene showed wreckage engulfed in flames. Media reports said the initial landing of the Sudan Airways flight was delayed because of the weather, and the plane landed after the weather cleared.
CNN's Nic Robertson, who recently was in Sudan, said the nation is in its rainy season.
"It's the time of year where you get massive rainstorms ... just coming in very quickly," he said. "The problem in Khartoum is not just the rain, but it mixes with a lot of dust in the air. Khartoum is right on the edge of the Sahara Desert. The city is famous almost for these huge dust storms that blow in. So at this time of year, you get the dust, you get the rain coming together. It's bad conditions."
He said the Khartoum airport is very modern, with a large amount of air traffic passing through.
The last crash of a Sudan Airways plane was July 8, 2003, when a Boeing 737 reported engine trouble after takeoff from Port Sudan and missed its return approach to the airport, crashing about three miles away. A 3-year-old boy was the only survivor of the 117 people aboard. It was Sudan's worst air disaster.The airline has connected Sudan with cities in the Middle East and Africa since 1947.

Deposed Nepal king to leave palace

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) -- Nepal's deposed king planned to move Wednesday from what was once his palace to a summer home the government has loaned him just west of the capital, officials said.

Nepal's Constituent Assembly, which abolished the monarchy last month and declared Nepal a republic, ordered former King Gyanendra to move out of the palace by this week.

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula said Gyanendra's aides told the government he would leave the Narayanhiti royal palace in Katmandu on Wednesday and move to the Nagarjung summer palace.

The main palace has been his home since he became king in 2001.

Nagarjung palace, situated on a forested hill on the northwestern edge of Katmandu, was previously used for vacations by the king. It, like many royal assets, was nationalized by the government when the monarchy was abolished.

Gyanendra had asked the government in Nepal to help find alternative accommodation after he was ordered to move out of the main palace. He said he could not move back to the house where he had lived before becoming king because his son and his family were already living there.

The government has said Gyanendra can temporarily live in the summer palace, but has not said for how long.

The monarchy's end was the culmination of a two-year peace process in which communist insurgents gave up their armed struggle, joined mainstream politics and won the most seats in April's election for the Constituent Assembly.

The assembly is tasked with rewriting the constitution, deciding the country's future political system and governing the nation.

Indian Bollywood beauties

Latest news of Indian Bollywood beauties
London Beauty, Indian Fans

In a recent survey conducted by a magazine, actress Katrina Kaif was voted to be the Sexiest Woman In The World”. The competition though, was not easy. It had Asia’s Sexiest, Bips, along wit other bollywood babes like Deepika Padukone and Kareena Kapoor. The list also had hotties from hollywood like Rihanna, Madonna, Angelina Jolie, and many more. Over 5 Lakh voters took part in this online voting contest to crown Kat’s as the sexiest woman.
With huge hits to her credit, and now the title to add on, looks like the stars have finally started favoring the beauty, haven’t they?

Happy Birthday Amisha
Well, with the career at a better position with the Yash Raj’s “Thoda Pyar..Thoda Magic”, Amisha Patel surely has a reason to party wildly. And on top of that, here is her birthday. The newest of the bikini beauty is said to spend her birthday in Maldives with her newly acquired boyfriend, Kanav Puri. Her beau is a UK based Indian, who, rumors say, motivated the beauty to do the bikini act in her forthcoming movie.
So all u bikini girls’ fans bow, and say thanks to Kanav.

Shilpa Shetty: Committed
Now here’s another beauty who will be breaking many hearts by admitting the fact that she is committed. The lady recently confirmed on her birthday, that she was definitely seeing someone. The actress has also been in news for visiting temples and was rumored to be praying for a happy married life. Rumors also say that Shilpa is dating a UK based India millionaire.

Paanchvi Pass Picks Up


After enough of hard times, the Badshah’s show, “Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hain” has picked up the TRPs. The show has done great compared to Sallu’s Dus Ka Dum and Hrithik’s “Junoon….” SRK, had earlier, blamed himself for low TRPs of the show and had promised to give his best once he was free from the tiresome IPL. Critics had also cited IPL as an important reason for the low number of audiences for the show. And now that the IPL matches are done, SRK’s show is doing good in spite of more actors joining the race.
This was quite expected from the Badshah, wasn’t it??

Monday, June 9, 2008

Infectious Kiss

Infectious Kiss by Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway gave Steve Carell a pink eye when they kissed in Get Smart. Hathaway said she was suffering from itchy eyes when she filmed a particularly raunchy scene with Carell.

She says, a certain contact solution gave me conjunctivitis. I also had a sinus infection at the same time. So I had to go up to Steve with my eyes red, puffy and dripping green. I’m snotty and I’m just Luke “Come here”,


However, Hathaway revealed she was unaware she had pink eye and was forced to ring the film’s producer Alex Gartner to warm him. She added, I told Alex. You might want to call Steve & let him know I had pink eye and my tears kind of get in my mouth, so he might want to worry about that. But I’d do the kiss again in a heart beat

President, Congress offer no immediate help on gas prices

WASHINGTON-- Before departing the White House early Monday for a farewell tour of Europe, President Bush stole a page from his predecessor and suggested he feels American consumers' pain."A lot of Americans are concerned about our economy," Bush said. "I can understand why. Gasoline prices are high, energy prices are high. I do remind them that we have put a stimulus package forward that is expected to help boost the economy. And of course, we'll be monitoring the situation."
Americans are looking for more action, though, than monitoring the situation.
But while gas prices keep soaring, the chances of Washington finding a solution keep dropping because Democrats and Republicans are deadlocked over how to fix the problem.
Bush talks mostly about increasing supply through more oil drilling in places like Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
"I've proposed to the Congress that they open up ANWR, open up the Continental Shelf, and give this country a chance to help us through this difficult period by finding more supplies of crude oil, which will take the pressure off the price of gasoline," Bush said Monday. more....

Brown in tribute to Afghan dead

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has paid tribute to the courage of British troops in Afghanistan, as the number to die there since 2001 reached 100.

His comments came after three soldiers were killed in a suicide attack.

The men, from 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, were on foot patrol in Helmand when the blast happened.

Defence Secretary Des Browne added no loss could be compensated for, but he remained convinced the campaign was "the noble cause of the 21st century".

"We are making significant progress in Afghanistan. It's slow, sometimes it's frustratingly slow," he told BBC Radio Four's Today programme.

"The reason we are making that progress is because those very brave and professional young men and women have gone about their job in such a way that they have created, in the most difficult of circumstances, a degree of security that many people a couple of years ago thought was impossible."

The prime minister said those who had died had "paid the ultimate price" but had "achieved something of lasting value."

He said: "My first thoughts and condolences are with the families of these soldiers, who died serving in Afghanistan with such distinction more:...

S Korea sends beef envoys to US

The South Korean government is sending delegates to the US for talks on a controversial beef deal that has triggered weeks of protests.
The envoys will meet US officials to discuss changes to the April deal, under which South Korea agreed to resume US beef imports.
Protesters say the move does not protect them from mad cow disease, despite assurances to the contrary.
President Lee Myung-bak's popularity has plummeted over the issue.
Last week, the ruling party suffered a heavy defeat in its first electoral test since Mr Lee took office - in sharp contrast to its election victory late last year.
Some reports suggest a Cabinet reshuffle could be imminent.
More protests
The beef issue has sparked weeks of demonstrations in the capital, Seoul, and led to scores of arrests.
South Korea used to be a major market for US beef, but banned most imports in 2003 after BSE was found in cattle there.
In April Mr Lee's government agreed to relax most of the restrictions - a move linked to approval of a bilateral free trade deal.
As protests escalated, the government asked the US to stop exports from cattle aged more than 30 months in a bid to assuage popular concern.
On Saturday, Mr Lee and US President George W Bush held telephone talks on the issue, with Mr Bush reportedly agreeing to the request, according to South Korean media.
The South Korean delegates - a presidential envoy and ruling party lawmakers - will seek assurances of this commitment when they arrive in the US later this week, media reports said.
The protests, meanwhile, show no sign of easing off.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Seoul over the issue. More demonstrations are planned for later in the week.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

French Open

Federer could do nothing to stop Nadal winning a fourth title
Rafael Nadal thrashed world number one Roger Federer to win a fourth successive French Open title on Sunday.
The Spaniard, 22, won 6-1 6-3 6-0 in one hour 48 minutes to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1981 to win four Roland Garros titles in a row.
Federer had lost the previous two finals to Nadal, and was broken at the start of each set this time as he fell well below his best form.

Nadal becomes the seventh man to win a GraFederer had gone into the final insisting that he believed he could win, despite a 1-8 record against Nadal on clay and having seen the Spaniard demolish all comers on his way through the draw.
And any belief that Federer did have began to disappear almost immediately, as he made four unforced errors to give away a break of serve in game one.
The top seed appeared to be using a more attacking strategy than in past years and the high-risk tactics almost got him back on level terms in game two, but he could not convert a break point and the set ran away from him.
When Federer dropped serve at the start of the second with his 15th unforced error of the match he looked a beaten man, but a superb angled backhand helped him recover the break in the following game.
And as the set progressed, Federer began to suggest he could threaten the champion.
The key moment came at 3-3 when the Swiss earned a break point and a chance to finally move ahead, but Nadal drew him into the net and Federer caught the tape as he went for too much with a low backhand.
With the chance gone, Nadal inevitably made him pay in the next game, taking his third break point by punching a backhand pass down the line with Federer stranded at the net.
Things got even worse for the Wimbledon champion in the third, who lost his first love set at a Grand Slam since facing Pat Rafter at the French Open in 1999.
In the closing stages, Nadal was picking him apart, with one stunning lob in game four a particular highlight and evidence that the Mallorcan's game has come on in leaps and bounds.
He sealed victory when the world number one made his 35th unforced error of the match - to Nadal's seven - and left an embarrassed Federer to pay tribute as the trophy was handed over for a fourth time.
"Rafa is very, very strong and he dominates this tournament like never before," said Federer. "Congratulations Rafa." nd Slam without dropping a set.
The last man to do so was Federer himself, at the Australian Open last year, but the aura of invincibility has well and truly left the Swiss now.
It was the heaviest defeat of Federer's career in Grand Slam tournaments and suggested he is as far as ever from fulfilling his dream of winning all four major titles.

Invincible is exactly the description that applies to Nadal at Roland Garros. He has won all 28 matches he has played there and lost just eight sets in four years.

Iraqi PM assures Iran on security

Iraq will not allow its territory to be used to attack Iran, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has said during a visit to Tehran.
Mr Maliki met the foreign minister and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who pledged to help with Iraq's security.
The role of the US in Iraq is high on the agenda, with Tehran concerned about a treaty under discussion on the terms of the US military's future in Iraq.
Iran's alleged backing for militants in Iraq was also expected to be discussed.
'Peace and security'
"We will not allow Iraq to become a platform for harming the security of Iran and neighbours," Iranian state-run media quoted Mr Maliki as saying after late-night talks with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
In his talks with Mr Ahmadinejad, Iranian media quoted Mr Maliki as saying: "A stable Iraq will be a benefit to the security of the region and the world."
Mr Ahmadinejad told Mr Maliki: "Iraq's neighbours have more responsibility to help the country to establish peace and security."
Without referring directly to the US-Iraqi deal, Mr Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying: "Iraq must reach a certain level of stability so that its enemies are not able to impose their influence."
A statement from Mr Maliki's office in Baghdad said economic and trade issues were high on the agenda.

"Iraq is looking forward to Iranian companies taking part in developing its infrastructure," Mr Maliki is quoted as saying.
The BBC's John Leyne, in Tehran, says Iran has made no secret of its opposition to the current negotiations going on between Iraq and the US, which are aimed at regulating the presence of US forces in the country after their UN mandate expires at the end of 2008.
The US-Iraqi talks, which are seeking to reach agreement by the end of July, have run into problems over issues related to Iraqi sovereignty.
The Iraqi prime minister was also expected to raise allegations of Iranian support for Shia militants in Iraq.
Shia militiamen fought bitter battles with US and Iraqi government forces between March and May.
Mr Maliki is on his third visit to Iran since taking office in June 2005.
Government sources say Iraqi security officials with the delegation will be showing the Iranians evidence of their alleged support for the militias, the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad reports.
Iran has always denied any involvement, but officials say Mr Maliki will once again urge Tehran to support the Baghdad government and stop secretly backing militias.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Tokyo man goes on stabbing spree


A man armed with a knife has injured at least 14 people in central Tokyo, Japanese media say. State television says two of the victims have died.
The incident occurred in the Akihabara district, a shopping area known as Electric Town that is popular with young people and tourists.
Five of the victims suffered cardiac arrest, a spokesman for the Tokyo Fire Department told AP news agency.

A suspect, said to be a 25-year-old man, has been arrested at the scene.
Correspondents say such incidents are rare in Japan.
NHK television reported that the man drove a vehicle into a crowd in the early afternoon and then began stabbing people at random.

Hillary ends White House bid, backs Obama


Washington: Hillary Rodham Clinton ended her historic campaign for the presidency on Saturday and told supporters to unite behind rival Barack Obama, closing out a race that was as grueling as it was groundbreaking.
The former first lady, who as recently as Tuesday declared herself the strongest candidate, gave Obama an unqualified endorsement and pivoted from her role as determined foe to absolute ally. ''The way to continue our fight now to accomplish the goals for which we stand is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama, the next president of the US,'' she said in a speech before cheering supporters packed into the ornate National Building Museum, not far from the White House she longed to govern from.

''Today as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him and throw my full support behind him and I ask of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me,'' the New York senator said in her 28-minute address.
With that and 13 other mentions of his name, Clinton placed herself solidly behind her Senate colleague from Illinois, a political sensation and the first black to secure a major party presidential nomination in the US.
Obama, in a statement, declared himself ''thrilled and honored'' to have Clinton' support.
''I honor her today for the valiant and historic campaign she has run,'' he said. ''She shattered barriers on behalf of my daughters and women everywhere, who now know that there are no limits to their dreams. And she inspired millions with her strength, courage and unyielding commitment to the cause of working Americans.''
For Clinton and her supporters, it was a poignant moment, the end of an extraordinary run that began with an air of inevitability and certain victory. About 18 million people voted for her; it was the closest a woman has come to capturing a presidential nomination.
''Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it has about 18 million cracks in it and the light is shining through like never before,'' she said.
Indeed, her speech repeatedly returned to the milestone her candidacy represented for women. In primary after primary, her support among women was a solid bloc of her voting coalition. She noted that she had received the support of women who were 80 and 90 years old, born before women could even vote.
She acknowledged the unprecedented success of Obama's candidacy, as well.
''Children today will grow up taking for granted that an African-American or a woman can, yes, become the president of the United States,'' she said.
Obama secured the 2,118 delegates needed to clinch the nomination Tuesday after primaries in South Dakota and Montana. He planned to spend the weekend at home in Chicago. more...

French Open - Ana Ivanovic won greate record

Ana Ivanovic confirmed her status as the new world number one with her first Grand Slam title at the French Open.
The 20-year-old second seed beat Russia's Dinara Safina 6-4 6-3 to become the first Serbian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title.
In a tense opening set, Ivanovic got the better of five breaks of serve.
And two breaks in the second were enough for Ivanovic to make up for her heavy defeat by the now retired Justine Henin in last year's final.
Henin was on hand to give Ivanovic the trophy after she sealed victory.
"I'm just so happy I kept my composure until the end," said Ivanovic. "Last year's final was a great learning experience."
The Serbian also had the experience of playing in the Australian Open final in January, losing to Maria Sharapova, while 13th seed Safina was playing her first Grand Slam singles final. With both players looking for a first major title it was understandable that they began in nervous fashion, but it was Ivanovic who looked the calmer as she soon moved a double-break clear.
The fear for Ivanovic supporters before the match had been whether her nerve would hold, and when she let a 40-0 lead slip in game eight to be pegged back to 4-4, it looked a reasonable question.
However, just when Safina needed to heap on the pressure she faltered and a series of errors handed the break straight back, and then helped Ivanovic come through an edgy service game to take the set.

The new world number one - who replaces Sharapova at the top of the rankings on Monday - needed no further encouragement and broke again in game three of the second set with a thumping forehand winner down the line.
And despite lengthy scraps in games six and seven, Safina could not get back on terms before, at 4-3 down, her resolve finally broke.
The Russian had saved match points on her way to beating Sharapova and Elena Dementieva in earlier rounds but there was to be no miracle comeback this time.
"I didn't have any more the fire that I had those matches," said Safina afterwards. "I was tired."
Three unforced errors put Ivanovic 5-3 ahead and Safina then failed to put the second seed under any pressure as she served for the title.
Victory was wrapped up in one hour 38 minutes and Ivanovic immediately headed into the stands to celebrate with her supporters.
"This was amazing," she said. "I still don't realise what happened. As a kid, when I used to go by bike to practice, I used to dream of this."

Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic

Substitute Vaclav Sverkos gave the Czech Republic a winning start to Euro 2008 with a second-half strike that broke Switzerland's resistance.
Swiss skipper Alexander Frei was twice denied by Petr Cech before he was forced off injured and Hakan Yakin headed a chance wide after the break.
On 70 minutes Sverkos slotted in a low volley from 12 yards after latching on to a ball over the top of the defence.
The Swiss were denied an equaliser when Johan Vonlanthen's volley hit the bar. And it might prove that the width of the woodwork could be the end of the Swiss, with tough matches against Portugal and Turkey to come in Group A.
Realistically the tournament's co-hosts needed to get something out of their opening game, and they started as though they were absolutely determined to.
After three minutes, the Czechs gave the ball away cheaply in midfield but Frei dragged his shot wide and failed to capitalise.
That should have been a wake-up call to the Czechs, but they appeared in no rush to raise their tempo.
As a result, Switzerland - unfancied in the group - grew in confidence and stroked the ball around, but with little cutting edge.
A weak effort from Gokhan Inler was indicative of their toothless attacks up until that point.

Frei, though, looked the liveliest player on the pitch, and despite having no help from his struggling strike partner Marco Streller, he began to cause some problems.
It took a decent stop from Cech to deny him the opening goal of Euro 2008 after he had latched on to a long clearance from his own keeper.
Frei followed that up with a 30-yard shot that Cech opted to use his fists to clear, despite there being little sign of the any movement from ball.
Sadly for Frei it would prove to be virtually his last contribution to the match as he later hobbled off after a jarring challenge.
The Czech Republic had already started showing signs of waking from the slumber before then, and with crisp passing and better movement were dictating the play.
But their final ball was awful and up front, giant striker Jan Koller looked slow and cumbersome.
After the break the Swiss brought on Hakan Yakin for the injured Frei and they started the half positively.
As the Czechs found themselves pinned back, Yakin got himself into the action but was too high with an effort following a free-kick.
But it was clear Yakin was already having more of an impact than Koller and it was no surprise when the Czech's top scorer was replaced by Vaclav Sverkos.
And the Swiss substitute should have opened the scoring when he was presented with a free header, but he directed the ball wide the right-hand post.
It was to prove a costly miss when, on 70 minutes, Czech substitute Sverkos finished smartly into the bottom corner after latching on to a ball over the top of the Swiss defence.
Yet Switzerland almost snatched a draw when Tranquillo Barnetta's shot was superbly parried by Cech and Vonlanthen smashed the follow-up against the woodwork.

Turkish government attacks head scarf ruling

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkey's Islamic-oriented governing party on Friday accused the country's top court of overstepping its authority when it struck down a law that would have allowed Muslim head scarves to be worn at universities.Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party campaigned for re-election last year on a promise to lift a ban on head scarves, claiming the prohibition violated religious and personal freedoms. Upon victory, the government passed constitutional amendments to lift the ban.
But the court threw out the amendments Thursday, saying they violated Turkey's secular principles. The decision, which is final, threw up a heavy legal barrier to any further attempts to lift the ban and has deepened the divide between the Islamic-leaning government and secular institutions.
"The decision is a direct interference with parliament's authority," said Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat, the ruling party's deputy chairman. "It is a violation of the rule on the separation of powers."
Though most of Turkey's 70 million people are Muslim, many see the head scarf as an emblem of political Islam and consider any attempt to allow it in schools as an attack on modern Turkey's secular laws. Some also argue that lifting the ban would create pressure on all female students to cover themselves.
Turkey's fiercely secular military signaled satisfaction with the court's decision to uphold the ban, which has been vigorously enforced in public offices and universities since a 1980 military coup.The Constitutional Court's ruling does not bode well for Erdogan's party, which faces the threat of being dissolved under a separate case filed by a prosecutor on grounds it is "the focal point of anti-secular activities."
Erdogan has kept silent on the court decision. But Firat said the prime minister would discuss the ruling with his fellow lawmakers in parliament Tuesday.
Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan was expected to hold a news conference Saturday on the issue.
Another top party member, Bulent Arinc, described the decision as "grave."
"It gives me goose pimples," said Arinc, a former parliament speaker. "The Constitutional Court has indirectly seized the power of parliament."Dozens of people, including some women wearing black chadors, protested the ruling Friday in Ankara. A placard left outside the court building read: "No one can go against God's order to wear head scarves."
Hundreds of people also protested the court ruling in Istanbul and in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, following Friday prayers

Turkish government attacks head scarf ruling

Story Highlights
1) Israeli, Palestinian officials are starting to draft elements for a proposed peace deal
2) Decision does not necessarily reflect agreement on major issues, official says
3) Announcement comes amid violence in Gaza

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have agreed to start drafting elements of a proposed peace accord, the chief Palestinian negotiator said Friday.Ahmed Qureia, the veteran negotiator heading the Palestinian team, made it clear the decision did not necessarily reflect agreement on major issues. But this would be the first time since negotiations resumed more than six months ago that anything would be committed to paper.
"We agreed with the Israelis to begin writing the positions," Qureia told reporters late Friday.
Israeli government officials would not comment and Qureia did not explain why the two sides had agreed at this point to begin drafting a text.
However, the timing coincides with a corruption scandal in Israel that threatens to unseat Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Should Israel find itself going to early elections, polls show Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes major territorial concessions to the Palestinians, becoming Israel's next premier. However, drafting during previous rounds of peace talks has not always meant that those positions were then preserved for future negotiators.
Qureia did not say what issue the two sides would start with. If they reach agreement on any issue, then they will draft a single provision, he said. If not, they will lay out on paper their divergent views, he addedIsrael and the Palestinians resumed peace talks in late November under U.S. prodding. Continued Israeli settlement construction and Israeli security concerns have clouded negotiations, and both sides have expressed doubt about achieving the declared goal of clinching a final accord by the end of the year.
Qureia confirmed that Israeli peace negotiators have offered the Palestinians land in exchange for territory where major West Bank settlements lie, but he termed their offer "unacceptable."
Palestinians would like to incorporate all of the West Bank into a future state, but their moderate president, Mahmoud Abbas, has acknowledged that Israel, with U.S. backing, likely will hold on to blocs where tens of thousands of settlers live. In exchange, Abbas is prepared to relinquish some West Bank land for an equal amount of Israeli land.
Qureia would not say how much territory Israel offered, where it is located or how much West Bank land the Jewish state proposed to keep under a final peace accord with the Palestinians.
"The Israelis presented a land swap offer, but this offer is unacceptable to us," he said.
Other Palestinian officials have said Israel has presented maps giving it 10 percent of the West Bank in exchange for southern Israeli territory near the Gaza Strip.
Early Friday, one Palestinian militant was killed and two were injured in a gunbattle that erupted after Israeli tanks and bulldozers crossed into central Gaza. The military said its forces entered to prevent rocket launches.
Fifteen Palestinians -- some Hamas militants, others civilians -- were wounded in a second aerial attack on a Hamas base in northern Gaza later Friday, doctors said. The missiles destroyed a building, witnesses said.
Hamas also fired four rockets toward Israel, the group said. One landed in the rocket-scarred town of Sderot, damaging six cars, the military said.
The latest flare-up in violence began Thursday when a Hamas mortar killed an Israeli and injured four others in southern Israel. Israel then sent aircraft after a rocket squad, the military said, but apparently missed their target, killing a 6-year-old Palestinian girl.
Olmert warned that Israel was close to abandoning efforts to bring a truce to the volatile area and was seriously considering a large-scale incursion.
"According to the information we have now, the pendulum is much closer to a decision on a harsh operation," Olmert said soon after returning from a brief visit to the U.S.
Egypt has been trying for months to mediate a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Islamic militant Hamas rulers.
But both sides have set tough conditions for a truce and Israeli leaders are under pressure at home to respond militarily because the weapons in the hands of Gaza militants have become more deadly.

Zimbabwe aid ban 'puts millions at risk'

Millions of people in Zimbabwe already facing economic hardship and hunger are being put at risk by a government ban on relief organizations, the United Nations warned Friday, saying it would urge a lifting of restrictions.Agostinho Zacarias, the U.N.'s top humanitarian coodinator in Zimbabwe, met senior government figures Friday to try to get the ban overturned and allow aid agencies resume providing food, clean water, medical care and other services.
"The government said they didn't take this measure to starve the people. They have their reasons. The officials we discussed this with were not prepared to advance any reasons," he said.
Zacarias said the ban was likely to affect millions of people.
He also met with church leaders to explore aid alternatives as they don't fall under the category of aid groups hit by the ban.
Bright Matonga, deputy information minister for Zimbabwe, accused several non-governmental organizations of telling people they would not receive food unless they voted for an opposition presidential candidate.
The U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, said Zimbabwean authorities were using food as a weapon to intimidate the population and hold on to power.
McGee said people seeking food from the government are forced to give up their identity cards if they are not registered as supporters of the government, meaning they will be unable to vote.
In another development Friday, Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was arrested for the second time this week, his spokesman said.
Tsvangirai was stopped at a roadblock and taken to a police station as he was on his way to a regularly scheduled rally, his spokesman George Sibotshiwe said. He was released after 2½ hours.
"We've noticed that it's going to be a common trend in this campaign, and obviously the government and Robert Mugabe are trying to prevent [Tsvangirai] from going about his campaign freely and peacefully," Sibotshiwe said.
He said that unless the African Union deploys peacekeepers to the country, "campaigning in Zimbabwe is now virtually impossible."
"What I can convey is that since this morning we have had 10 or 11 central intelligence organization vehicles following us everywhere. There was heavy intimidation, with armed military people following us everywhere as well, and they basically pushed the president up to this roadblock before arresting him."
Sibotshiwe said there were no grounds for the arrest. "The way they work here is they don't give you any reason," he said. "Obviously, there is no charge."
The aid ban was made public Thursday, but CNN has obtained a memo dated Wednesday in which Zimbabwe's social welfare minister, Nicholas Goche, told non-governmental organizations "to suspend all field operation until further notice."
It said "a number of NGOs involved in humanitarian operations are breaching the terms and conditions of their registration."
Zimbabwe accuses international aid groups of political meddling ahead of a June 27 runoff that opposition groups say longtime President Robert Mugabe is trying to rig through intimidation.
Matonga said agencies must re-register with the government and state their purpose clearly to continue working in Zimbabwe and the government hopes that happens soon.
Kenneth Walker, a spokesman for the aid agency CARE, said Friday that the government's action has sowed confusion.
"All the NGOs are in the dark. They have no idea what this letter means. They have no idea how long it's going to last," he said.
"There's some serious concern about the impact on the millions of Zimbabweans who now won't be receiving food aid, clean water and sanitation facilities, help with agriculture Henrietta Fore, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, urged the government of Zimbabwe Thursday to "lift the suspension on all international aid agencies involved in humanitarian work in the country."
Fore said the "suspension is a direct threat to the lives and well-being of tens of thousands of innocent people in Zimbabwe."

Dark day on Wall Street

The Dow's 395-point drubbing is its biggest one-day point loss in 15 months, after crude prices' largest one-day advance ever and a poor jobs report.
NEW YORK - Stocks tanked Friday, with the Dow industrials shedding 395 points, after oil prices spiked more than $11 a barrel and the May jobs report showed a big jump in the unemployment rate.
Bond prices surged, as investors sought safety in government debt, while the dollar tumbled versus the yen and euro.
The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) lost 395 points, or 3.1%, its biggest one-day decline on both a point and percentage basis since February of 2007, at the start of the subprime mortgage crisis.
The broader Standard & Poor's 500 (SPX) index lost 3.1%, while the Nasdaq composite (COMP) lost 3%. Both saw their biggest one-day declines on both a point and a percentage basis in more than four months.
The unemployment rate shot up to 5.5% in May from 5.0% in April, the government reported, marking the biggest one-month surge in over 20 years. The report was a clear indication that the economy could be in a recession after all, despite some recent bets that one could be narrowly avoided.
As rattling as the unemployment number was, the stock market was even more spooked by the spike in oil prices, said Bill Stone, chief investment strategist at PNC Wealth Management.
"I think more than anything, it's the shock of oil prices being up this substantially two days in a row," Stone said.
Crude jumped more than $16 in two sessions, with prices settling up $10.75 to $138.54 a barrel Friday on the weak dollar and in response to a Morgan Stanley note that said oil could hit $150 a barrel by July 4.
The spike exacerbated worries about consumer spending, already stretched as gas prices near a national average of $4 a gallon.
"You're definitely seeing the fear trade today, with the dollar down, commodity prices up and bonds rallying," Stone said.
Stocks could be vulnerable to further declines in the week ahead, after the S&P 500 closed below a key technical level that has previously given a floor to the selling. Traders said stocks could be in danger of moving back to the lows of March and January, which were seen as something of a bottom after months of stock declines.
Jobs market deteriorates: The unemployment rate surged to 5.5% from 5.0%, beating forecasts for a rise to 5.1% and showing the biggest one-month jump since 1986.
The spike really caught people by surprise, said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group. He said the report makes it clear that at least for so-called Main Street and the labor market, "we are in a recession, regardless of how we economists define it."
He was referring to the fact that GDP has been limping higher and the economy has not been officially declared to be in a recession by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
However, with non-farm payrolls dropping for a fifth consecutive month, it feels to many people like it's a recession, he said. Employers cut 49,000 from their payrolls, the report showed, versus forecasts for a decline of 60,000.
Dollar falls, oil spikes: The dollar continued its slide versus the euro on the weak jobs report and comments Thursday that the European Central Bank could potentially raise interest rates. The dollar also tanked versus the yen.
The dollar's decline contributed to a rally in dollar-traded commodity prices, with U.S. light crude oil for July delivery settling at $138.54 a barrel, a jump of $10.75. The increase was the biggest single-day price gain since record-keeping began in 1983 - taking out the previous session's record.
Oil prices spiked to a record trading high of $139.12 after the close, before pulling back a bit.
Gold and other commodities rallied too. COMEX gold for August delivery rose $23.50 to settle at $899 an ounce.
Gas backs off record: The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas fell to $3.986 from the previous day's record of $3.989, AAA reported. Gas prices had set new records for 28 of the previous 29 days.
Other markets: Treasury prices rallied, lowering the yield on the 10-year note to 3.93% from 4.05% late Thursday. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions.
On the move: Stock declines were broad based, with all 30 Dow issues falling.
The Dow's financial components were hit the hardest, with American Express (AXP, Fortune 500) and Citigroup (C, Fortune 500) both down 5%, and Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) down more than 4%.
AIG (AIG, Fortune 500) slumped more than 7% on reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission is looking into whether the insurer overstated the value of contracts connected to subprime markets, something AIG denies. Additionally, it was reported that federal prosecutors have asked the SEC for material related to the investigation.
Other big blue-chip losers included General Motors (GM, Fortune 500), down nearly 5%, and Boeing (BA, Fortune 500), down 5.4%.
Intel (INTC, Fortune 500), Oracle (ORCL, Fortune 500), Cisco (CSCO, Fortune 500) and Qualcomm (QCOM, Fortune 500) were among the biggest technology decliners.
Market breadth was negative. On the New York Stock Exchange, losers beat winners by over 4 to 1 on 1.48 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, decliners topped advancers by nearly 4 to 1 on volume of 2.20 billion shares.
Stocks spiked Thursday on a surprise dip in weekly jobless claims, stronger-than-expected May retail sales and a merger in the telecom sector. But the advance was short-lived as Friday's barrage of discouraging economic news and spiking oil prices brought out the seller

Friday, June 6, 2008

Shania Twain Speaks Out to Thank Fans

HOLLYWOOD - Shania Twain has sent a message to her fans thanking them for their support as she attempts to get on with her life after splitting from her husband. Music mogul Robert Lange has filed for divorce after 14 years of marriage to the country queen, leaving Twain shattered. But, in her first reaction to the split, the Canadian star has posted a heartfelt message to her fans on her Web site. She writes, "I am going through a rough time personally in my life (and) I wanted you all to know that I could not be getting through this without you. "Your letters, emails and words of encouragement give me strength. Your overwhelming support reminds me to smile, no matter how deep the pain, and to always be grateful for all the beautiful blessings in my life. "I have so much to say but I know the best way for me to speak is through my music. This is my therapy, my passion, and my love. I look forward to sharing it with all of you as I begin this new journey. "I need some time to heal this broken heart but make no mistake; I will be back and hopefully stronger than ever. Thank you my friends, from the bottom of my heart."

Missile practice for Moon mission



Tests on a UK-led technology at the heart of a planned Moon mission have been a spectacular success according to the scientists involved in the project.
Three penetrator missiles were fired into a sand bunker in Wales, designed to mimic the lunar surface.
Professor Alan Smith, of Mullard Space Science Laboratory, told BBC News the results had exceeded expectations.
He is a leading figure in the Moonlite mission, which hopes to fire instruments into the Moon in 2013.
A BBC team witnessed the final day of the tests at the Ministry of Defence test site at Pendine, near Tenby.
The site has been open since 1940 but is now operated by Qinetiq, the privatised MoD spin-off company which developed the penetrator technology. Three projectiles were tested on three consecutive days at the end of May.
They look like missiles but rather than exploding on impact, they are designed to stay intact to protect the scientific instruments inside.
The Moonlite mission plans to fire four penetrators into the lunar surface from an orbiting spacecraft. They will come to rest three metres (10ft) underground.
The onboard instruments will send back a mass of information, everything from seismic activity and mineral composition to the underground temperature.
Sand blasted
Security at Pendine was tight - we had to show passports to gain entry. The high-speed test track is set in a large area of sand dunes paradoxically full of birds and flowers. It’s a hard hat site; during the firing itself, all staff must take cover. We were actually confined to the control centre.
Earlier, we saw scientists loading instruments into the third and final penetrator to be tested.
The purpose of the test firings was to check how well the penetrators would withstand being slammed into several tonnes of sand at 1,100km/h (700mph) and whether the instruments inside would survive.
The difference between the penetrators that had already been fired and the one that had yet to be tested was striking.
The blue paint on the fired ones was scraped off and the steel nose cones were distorted.
But despite their battered appearance, Peter Truss of Qinetiq confirmed that they had done their job and protected the instruments inside: "our confidence is growing with every test".
Qinetiq not only contributed to the missile derived design of the penetrators themselves, but to the batteries and communication systems they will carry.
Ultimately, the plan will be to apply this technology to other rocky planets and moons in the solar system, particularly to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, which may have oceans below its frozen surface.
Other candidates include Saturn’s moons Titan and Enceladus.
Deep space
Until now, previous missions have only been able to scrape the surface of other planets.
"We're developing the technologies now to enable a much more in depth analysis of these planetary bodies and with the increase in technology that we can apply to these problems, all sorts of possibilities open up," explained Peter Truss.
The other advantage of penetrators is that it’s easier to fire into a rocky planet than to land gently on the surface.
Loading and safety checks complete, the penetrator was driven out to the test track. This stretches 1,500m through the sand dunes but the penetrator and its rockets were strapped to a firing sled 300m from the target.
We retired to the control room and looked on as scientists waited anxiously for the final countdown. When it came, the firing shattered the quiet with a reverberating bang. There were cheers from the scientists at the completion of the last test.
Then it was time to break cover and head down to the sand bunker with a metal detector and some shovels to locate the penetrator and dig it out. Researchers measured how far it had pushed into the sand and collected samples.
In each test, the penetrators described a curved trajectory upwards through the sand, ending up only slightly below the surface.
Intruigingly, they also turned the sand they touched black, possibly as a result of its high coal content reacting to the heat.
Speaking later, back at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Professor Smith said Nasa and the European Space Agency were showing interest.
"The results have been spectacular and the space agencies are sitting up and taking notice," he said.
"Before now it had all been on paper. Now we have real hardware to show them."

US unemployment rate reaches 5.5%

The US unemployment rate rose at its fastest pace in more than two decades in May, stoking fears of recession in the world's biggest economy.
The surprise jump in May's jobless rate to 5.5% from 5% is the most recent signal yet that US growth is stalling.
It shows US companies are more reluctant to hire as profits are squeezed by a consumer slowdown and soaring oil and raw material costs.
The US Labor Department said the economy lost 49,000 non-farm jobs.
It follows a 28,000 decline in April, and will fuel fears the US economy is sliding towards recession, analysts said.
The worry is that a weak labour market will see consumers rein in their spending, hurting corporate profits.
The poor data rattled the stock market, with the blue-chip Dow Jones index sliding 1.79%, or 225.70 points, to 12378.75 in afternoon trade in New York.
Cost of living
In recent months, the US Federal Reserve has been slashing interest rates in an attempt to stoke growth.
But analysts believe the rising cost of living, rather than interest rates, should be the US central bank's chief concern now.
"If you want to avoid a protracted recession, you have to make sure inflation doesn't get out of control," said Gilles Moec, an analyst at Bank of America.
"Otherwise, you're going to have a loss of purchasing power meaning consumer spending is going to slow down even more."
Consumer spending is the engine of the US economy, and the latest jobless data is another set-back for Americans who are struggling with falling house prices, a credit squeeze and rising fuel bills.
Analysts said the figures came as a surprise:
"The unemployment rate is the shocker," said Bert Macintosh, chief economist at Eaton Vance Management.
"The unemployment rate gives you a much weaker economic outlook than the payrolls number," he added.
Analysts had expected between 30,000 and 58,000 jobs to go.
In April, 28,000 non-farm jobs were lost, fewer than than expected

Medvedev warns against Nato entry

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned Georgia and Ukraine of serious consequences if they press ahead with plans to join Nato.
Mr Medvedev and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Georgia's president that joining the alliance would lead to a "spiral of confrontation".
Mr Medvedev said Ukraine would be in breach of a friendship treaty if it joined Nato, Mr Lavrov said.
The leaders are at a summit of 12 ex-Soviet states in St Petersburg.
Conflicts
Georgia has been pushing for entry to Nato and the European Union, straining relations with Russia.
Tensions have also grown over Russia's support for separatists in Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Both Russia and Georgia have accused each other of preparing for war in Abkhazia.
"We reiterated our strong interest in seeing those conflicts resolved," Mr Lavrov said, following the meeting with Mr Saakashvili at the Commonwealth of Independent States informal summit.
"We stated this could not be achieved by moving Georgia artificially into Nato because this would lead to another spiral of confrontation in the area."
The Georgian president played down talk of confrontation, saying the problem could be resolved with "goodwill".
'Security risks'
Analysts had been waiting to see if Mr Medvedev's relations with Ukraine and Georgia would be warmer than those under his predecessor, Vladimir Putin. But the new president stuck to the same line as Mr Putin when he met President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine on Friday.
He pointed to a 1997 friendship treaty between Russia and Ukraine.
"The treaty... contains the obligation on the two parties not to do anything which would create threats or risks for the security of the other party," Mr Lavrov told reporters.
"This was reiterated by President Medvedev, that we do not believe Nato membership for Ukraine would serve... the interests of the two countries."
Mr Medvedev also warned Mr Yushchenko not to expel the Russian navy from the base it leases at Sevastopol on Ukraine's Black Sea coast, as it has threatened to do.
And he said Russia would almost double the price it charges neighbouring Ukraine for gas from 1 January, 2009.
Mr Lavrov denied the move was political, saying it was forced by increasing costs in Central Asia. The two countries have had several recent disputes over gas, with Russia cutting supplies and Ukraine alleging Moscow uses gas as a political weapon.
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