Iraq secures cities for US exit
27 June 2009
The Iraqi authorities are tightening security in preparation for next Tuesday's deadline for US soldiers to pull out of the country's cities.
All police leave has been cancelled and extra troops have been drafted in, amid a spate of bomb attacks this week which has left 250 people dead.
Prime Minister Nouri Maliki says the attacks may be aimed at stirring up sectarian tensions.
But he says he is confident his government can safeguard security.
"[The attackers] want to sweep delight from the Iraqi people's hearts. They have revealed their real intentions," said Mr Maliki.
"But this will not bend our determination and will for what we have agreed upon - that is, to return security responsibilities to our military and police forces."
Filipino prisoners honor Jackson with 'Thriller' show
Inmates at the prison in Cebu perform their tribute to Michael Jackson Saturday.
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A rendition of Jackson's 1980s smash hit by prisoners at the Cebu Detention and Rehabilitation Center in the central Philippines garnered more than 24 million views since 2007, when prison supervisor Byron Garcia first uploaded it to the video-sharing Web site.
The prison has since posted other dance videos, including performances to Van Halen's "Jump," Queen's "Radio Ga Ga," and Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder's "Together in Electric Dreams."
Jackson, known as the "King of Pop," died Thursday in Los Angeles, less than two weeks shy of the first in a series of comeback concerts in London, England.
When he heard the news, Garcia, himself a fan of the 50-year-old pop icon, organized a free tribute performance by inmates for local people in the prison courtyard.
Jackson family 'want new autopsy'
Jackson fans have been paying tribute to the star all weekend
Relatives of Michael Jackson will seek a second autopsy on the star because they still have unanswered questions about his death, family friends say.
Veteran politician Rev Jesse Jackson, who has been counselling the family, said they were upset the official cause of death might not be known for weeks.
He said the family wanted answers from the star's personal doctor, Conrad Murray, who was with him when he died.
Coroners ruled out foul play after an initial autopsy on the 50-year-old.
But they gave no cause of death, saying the results of toxicology tests could take weeks to come back.
Jackson's family have also spoken of their grief at his death.
source: bbc.com
Obituary: Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson's unique blend of soul, funk and rock made him the biggest pop act in the world.
Beyond this, his business acumen and intuitive understanding of the music market allowed him to showcase his remarkable talents.
Michael Jackson sold records by the million - and broke records too.
With the soulful vocal presence of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder and the dance moves of James Brown, Jackson's appeal crossed both national and racial boundaries.
His first break came in 1968, when the Jackson Five signed to the Motown label, and he was just 11 when the group released its first single.
WORLDWIDE ALBUM SALES
Off The Wall: 19m
Thriller: 65m
Bad: 28m
Dangerous: 29m
HIStory: 18m
Invincible: 8m
Hits like I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save, and I'll Be There, which all went to number one in the United States in 1970, made the Jackson Five the first group in pop history to have their first four singles top the charts.
Before long, the youngest member of the Jackson Five was beginning to outstrip his brothers.
A series of solo hits, including Got To Be There, Rockin' Robin and Ben - the maudlin, yet chart-topping, paean to a rat - had shown that the promise of early years had come to fruition.
By the mid-1970s, both Michael's, and his brothers', careers were beginning to stall. Motown has ended its interest in the group, which had re-signed - as the Jacksons - to the Epic label.
But it was while Michael was working on the film musical The Wiz, an all-black retelling of the Wizard of Oz - in which he played the Scarecrow to Diana Ross's Dorothy - that he met the man who would turn him into a superstar and transform the world of popular music.
Music producer, composer and arranger, Quincy Jones, who could already boast a formidable track record, having created hits for artists like Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin and George Benson, took Jackson's raw talent and moulded it into an awesome new sound.
Video extravaganza
Their first collaboration, Off The Wall, released in 1979, became the first album to provide four top ten US hits for an artist: the title track, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, Rock With You and She's Out of My Life.
Jackson the child wonder in 1972 on Top of the Pops
Four years later came Thriller, the album which would define his career. A heady mix of disco, R&B and funk, its nine tracks spawned seven hit singles and became the best-selling album of all time, with at least 55 million copies bought to date.
Having already experimented with video on Off The Wall, Jackson now took the new medium to new heights.
WORLDWIDE ALBUM SALES
Off The Wall: 19m
Thriller: 65m
Bad: 28m
Dangerous: 29m
HIStory: 18m
Invincible: 8m
The John Landis-directed film, accompanying the album's title track, was a 16-minute big-budget extravaganza, featuring cutting-edge special effects and the voice of veteran horror actor, Vincent Price.
The Thriller video, and its companion, Beat It, also ended MTV's neglect of black artists, while making the mini-musical blockbuster de rigueur for any self-respecting pop star.
source: bbc.com
More tests after Jackson autopsy
26 June 2009
Determining the cause of Michael Jackson's death could take several weeks, a coroner has said, as fans continued to pay tribute to the singer.
An autopsy had been conducted but further tests were required that could take up to six weeks, the coroner said.
But he said foul play and trauma had been ruled out in the death of Jackson, who died on Thursday at the age of 50.
Entertainers and world leaders have all been paying tribute to the deceased star.
Singers Madonna and Justin Timberlake praised his talent, while a spokesman for Barack Obama said that the US president saw Jackson as a "music icon".
'Additional testing'
Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said police had put a security hold on Jackson's case, limiting the amount of information that can be released.
LA County coroner's office statement following the autopsy
He said a three-hour autopsy had been held but the cause of death had been deferred.
"It means that the medical examiner ordered additional testing such as toxicology and other studies," Mr Harvey said.
The tests would take between four to six weeks, at which point he anticipated being able to close the case, he said.
Jackson, who had a history of health problems, collapsed at his Los Angeles home around midday on Thursday.
A recording of the telephone call made to emergency services has been released, in which the caller said Jackson was unconscious and had stopped breathing.
His personal doctor - who witnessed his collapse - was trying to revive him, the caller said.
source: bbc.com
Ex-detainees allege Bagram abuse
24 June 2009
Allegations of abuse and neglect at a US detention facility in Afghanistan have been uncovered by the BBC.
Former detainees have alleged they were beaten, deprived of sleep and threatened with dogs at the Bagram military base.
The BBC interviewed 27 former inmates of Bagram around the country over a period of two months.
The Pentagon has denied the charges and insisted that all inmates in the facility are treated humanely.
All the men were asked the same questions and they were all interviewed in isolation.
Ill-treatment
They were held at times between 2002 and 2008 and they were all accused of belonging to or helping al-Qaeda or the Taliban.
None were charged with any offence or put on trial; some even received apologies when they were released.
They put a pistol or a gun to your head and threatened you with death.
Bagram former detainee
Just two of the detainees said they had been treated well.
Many allegations of ill-treatment appear repeatedly in the interviews: physical abuse, the use of stress positions, excessive heat or cold, unbearably loud noise, being forced to remove clothes in front of female soldiers.
In four cases detainees were threatened with death at gunpoint.
"They did things that you would not do against animals let alone to humans," said one inmate known as Dr Khandan.
"They poured cold water on you in winter and hot water in summer. They used dogs against us. They put a pistol or a gun to your head and threatened you with death," he said.
"They put some kind of medicine in the juice or water to make you sleepless and then they would interrogate you."
The findings were shown to the Pentagon.
Lt Col Mark Wright, a spokesman for the US Secretary of Defence, insisted that conditions at Bagram "meet international standards for care and custody".
Col Wright said the US defence department has a policy of treating detainees humanely.
"There have been well-documented instances where that policy was not followed, and service members have been held accountable for their actions in those cases," he said.
'Legal black hole'
Bagram has held thousands of people over the last eight years and a new detention centre is currently under construction at the camp.
Some of the inmates are forcibly taken there from abroad, especially Pakistanis and at least two Britons.
About 600 so-called enemy combatants are held at Bagram air base
Since coming to office US President Barack Obama has banned the use of torture and ordered a review of policy on detainees, which is expected to report next month.
But unlike its detainees at the US naval facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, the prisoners at Bagram have no access to lawyers and they cannot challenge their detention.
The inmates at Bagram are being kept in "a legal black-hole, without access to lawyers or courts", according to Tina Foster, executive director of the International Justice Network, a legal support group representing four detainees.
She is pursuing legal action that, if successful. would grant detainees at Bagram the same rights as those still being held at Guantanamo Bay.
But the Obama administration is trying to block the move.
Last year, the US Supreme Court ruled that detainees at Guantanamo should be given legal rights.
Speaking on the presidential campaign trail, Barack Obama applauded the ruling: "The court's decision is a rejection of the Bush administration's attempt to create a legal black hole at Guantanamo.
"This is an important step toward re-establishing our credibility as a nation committed to the rule of law, and rejecting a false choice between fighting terrorism and respecting habeas corpus."
Ms Foster accuses the new administration of abandoning that position and "using the same arguments as the Bush White House".
In its legal submissions, the US justice department argues that because Afghanistan is an active combat zone it is not possible to conduct rigorous inquiries into individual cases and that it would divert precious military resources at a crucial time.
They also argue that granting legal rights to detainees could harm Mr Obama's "ability to succeed in armed conflict and to protect United States' forces" by limiting his powers to conduct military operations.
A US federal appeals court judge is expected to rule soon.
These revelations come at a time when Mr Obama is trying to re-set Washington's relationship with the Muslim world and trying harder than ever to win the war in Afghanistan.
It is a controversy that threatens to damage the image of the new administration in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
source : bbc.com
"'Jon & Kate' announce"The Marquee Blog
23 June 2009
June 22, 2009
New drama for Jon and Kate?
Posted: 11:09 PM ET
Just when it seemed we were finally getting answers in the Jon and Kate saga, there’s more. Minutes after their special “announcement” episode aired, Kate and Jon released individual statements implying there’s much more to the story!
Kate Gosselin released the following statement to PEOPLE magazine Monday night:
“Over the course of this weekend, Jon’s activities have left me no choice but to file legal procedures in order to protect myself and our children. While there are reasons why it was appropriate and necessary for me to initiate this proceeding, I do not wish to discuss those reasons at this time, in the hope that all issues will be resolved amicably between Jon and myself. As always, my first priority remains our children.”
Jon released his own statement to the magazine as well:
“This afternoon, Kate filed for divorce. Our kids are still my number one priority. I love them and want to make sure they stay happy, healthy and safe. My job is being the best, most supportive and loving father that I can be to my kids, and not being married to Kate doesn’t change that. This will be a difficult transition for all of us, but Kate and I will work out a schedule that enables our kids to have plenty of quality time with both of us at home in Pennsylvania. In terms of my marriage, it’s no secret that the past six months or so have been very difficult for Kate and me. We are no different than other couples and parents who are facing a crossroads in their marriage. I am of course deeply saddened that we are divorcing.”
source:cnn.com/entertainment
Sexual assaults on the high seas come under scrutiny
It's the midst of peak cruising season, and millions of travelers are eagerly embarking on exotic vacations without thinking they could ever fall victim to a crime at sea.
Cunard Cruise Lines' Queen Mary 2 sails into Sydney. Cunard says it has kits to aid rape investigations aboard.
1 of 2 But sexual and physical assaults were the leading crimes committed onboard cruise ships in recent years, the FBI says. In March, a 42-year-old female passenger aboard the Coral Princess says a Portuguese crew member sexually assaulted her during a cruise, according to an FBI affidavit.
The woman met the 38-year-old crew member for drinks in a dining room on the cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, which did not respond to CNN's request for comment. The friendly encounter turned terrifying, the woman told the FBI, after her assailant blocked the doors to the room, trapping her inside, and forced her to perform oral sex.
"Travelers have this idea they are in a special cocoon where nothing bad can happen," says Charles Lipcon, a leading maritime lawyer in Miami, Florida, who is representing the alleged victim from the Coral Princess and has handled more than a hundred cruise assault cases in the last decade. "That's just not true."
Addressing cruise ship violence has become an important issue for lawmakers as the $22 billion cruise industry proliferates. About 12 million North Americans will set sail on a cruise this year, according to the Cruise Lines International Association, a trade organization representing the industry.
source: cnn.com
Tribal leader killed in Pakistan
A tribal leader who opposed the head of the Taliban in Pakistan has been shot dead in the north-western Pakistani town of Dera Ismail Khan, police said.
Qari Zainuddin, 26, who often criticised Taliban head Baitullah Mehsud, was killed by a gunman in his office early on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, Zainuddin hit out at Mehsud for recent attacks in which civilians have been killed.
Mehsud's group is blamed for a number of deadly attacks in Pakistan.
Separately, Pakistani intelligence officials say a US drone aircraft has carried out a missile strike in South Waziristan, in an area known as a stronghold of Mehsud.
Officials say that casualties are feared in the attack.
The violence comes as the Pakistani army is preparing to launch a new offensive against Taliban fighters under Mehsud's command.
An aide of Zainuddin who was also wounded in the attack that killed the tribal leader said a guard entered the room at Zainuddin's office after morning prayers and opened fire.
"It was definitely Baitullah's man who infiltrated our ranks, and he has done his job," Baz Mohammad told the Associated Press news agency.
source: bbc.co
'Ten killed' in Iran clashes - state TV
21 June 2009
At least 10 people were killed when police clashed with "terrorists" in Tehran on Saturday, state TV says. It said "rioters" set two petrol stations and a mosque on fire and attacked a military post, during protests over disputed elections. Five family members of one of Iran's most powerful figures, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, were arrested during the protest, state media also say. He is seen as a key rival to poll winner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The reports cannot be verified as foreign media in Iran are being severely restricted. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has demanded an end to protest, but the BBC's Jeremy Bowen in Tehran says further protests are expected on Sunday. source: bbc.com
ICC World Twenty20
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara hailed his side's mental strength after they sealed their place in Sunday's ICC World Twenty20 final.
They face Pakistan in the final, four months after being caught in the middle of the terrorist atrocity in Lahore.
They booked their spot at Lord's courtesy of a 57-run semi-final victory over the West Indies on Friday.
"It's fitting reward for our courage and the way we have played in this tournament," said Sangakkara.
Once again, Sri Lanka dominated their opponents with an impressive technical display with bat and ball, posting a total of 158-5 before bowling the West Indies out for 101.
source: bbc.com/sports
Jonathan Agnew column
This is hardly the final that the majority of Twenty20 fans would have predicted at the start of this competition - or even well into the first week when Pakistan were so comfortably beaten by England.
Pakistan have steadily gathered momentum since then, while Sri Lanka have quickly developed into the team of the tournament.
They certainly have the player who has made the most of the headlines - the leading batsman in the world when it comes to working on improvisations and tricks specifically for this form of the game, Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Once a very unexciting middle-order blocker, he has become supremely successful at Twenty20 and has developed an entirely new stroke that requires not only a great deal of skill to play, but more than a little bravery, too.
606: DEBATE
It will be a very close final - both teams have fantastic, varied bowling attacks
cricidmuslibale
He stood head and shoulders above his team-mates against West Indies, missing the first century of the tournament by just four runs, and feeding off the confidence he has picked up here and in the Indian Premier League beforehand.
Sri Lanka's worry must be that he is due to fail some time, in which case will the others rally round?
Because of their great depth in bowling resources - and the variety at Kumar Sangakkara's disposal - it is tempting to believe that Sri Lanka are capable of defending any total.
Although Lasith Malinga suffered a rare off day against West Indies, he and his fellow M's - Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis - complete a formidable trio.
They are rare, too - all three are entirely unorthodox and their passage to Test cricket without interference by the coaches is a triumph for the Sri Lankan cricket board.
Sri Lanka's unorthodox bowling attack will pose problems for Pakistan
Pakistan are now an entirely different outfit to the one that looked horribly out of sorts in the first week. Listening to their charismatic captain, Younus Khan, it is clear that the appalling events in Pakistan has focused his team on succeeding here.
They are playing for the hard-pressed and suffering cricket fans in Pakistan, and this has united the players. You can still never be entirely sure what you are going to get with Pakistan, but to have everyone pulling in the same direction is a good start.
It is also worth pointing out that, unlike the fancied South Africa, Pakistan had the flexibility and nous to change their batting order in their semi final - it won them the game.
Led by Umar Gul, Pakistan's bowling attack is also outstanding and in Shahid Afridi, they have the most destructive batsman on either side.
Sri Lanka will start as favourites, but you write off a united and focused Pakistan at your peril.
source: bbc.com/sports
Review: Accept this 'Proposal'
How are the elements of the charming, traditional romantic comedy "The Proposal" like the checklist of a charming, traditional bride? Let me count the ways ...
Ryan Reynolds wonders if marrying his boss, Sandra Bullock, is a good thing in "The Proposal."
Something old: The story of a haughty woman and an exasperated man who hate each other -- until they realize they love each other -- is proudly square, in the tradition of rom-coms from the 1940s and '50s. Or is it straight out of Shakespeare's 1590s?
Sandra Bullock is the shrew, Margaret, a pitiless, high-powered New York book editor first seen multitasking in the midst of her aerobic workout (thus you know she needs to get ... loved). Ryan Reynolds is Andrew, her put-upon foil of an executive assistant, a younger man who accepts abuse as a media-industry hazing ritual.
And there the two would remain, locked in mutual disdain, except for Margaret's fatal flaw -- she's Canadian. (So is "X-Men's" Wolverine; I thought our neighbors to the north were supposed to be nice.)
iPhone 3GS launch has app developers seeing gold
Friday's launch of the iPhone 3GS could usher in an innovative and lucrative new era for those who create applications for the popular device, developers and industry observers say.
This woman in an iPhone costume was among the crowd outside an Apple Store in New York City on Friday.
1 of 2 The phone's upgraded hardware, combined with a new operating system, will allow developers to design apps that wouldn't have worked on previous models of the iPhone.
For example, developers said, the iPhone 3GS is the first iPhone with a video camera, which could inspire apps that edit or mix video clips. Other developers are eyeing the new phone's built-in compass or its "push notification" feature, which pings users with messages even if its instant-message application is not open.
"Apple has given us all these new tools," said William Kasel, founder and CEO of Jumpfox, a San Francisco, California-based company that makes mobile apps. "And I can't wait to see what developers come out with in the next six months. The new features really take [the phone] to a whole new level."
source: cnn.com/technoloty
Rift grows among Iranian leaders
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- The public rift among Iranian leaders widened Sunday when the country's foreign minister disputed allegations of ballot irregularities even as the parliamentary speaker implied that the election authority had sided with one candidate.
"Although the Guardian Council is made up of religious individuals, I wish certain members would not side with a certain presidential candidate," Iran's influential parliamentary speaker, Ali Larijani, told the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting without naming whom he meant.
The comments were reported Sunday on government-funded Press TV and on another news Web site, Khabaronline.
Followers of opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi have alleged that the council, which approves all candidates running for office and verifies election results, declared hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner of the elections despite indications of ballot fraud.
"A majority of people are of an opinion separate" from that of a minority, Larijani said.
Larijani's statement was in direct contrast to that of Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who said he considers the possibility of ballot irregularities in the presidential election as almost nonexistent.
"The possibility of organized and comprehensive disruption and irregularities in this election is almost close to zero given the composition of the people who are holding the election," Mottaki said
source: cnn.com/world
Aid crisis amid Pakistan violence
11 June 2009
The nine charities said they needed $42m to provide emergency supplies for 2.5 million displaced people.
They have fled fighting between the army and the Taliban which has spread to other parts of the north-west.
In South Waziristan, dozens of militants attacked army posts stationed in a tribal region.
Three soldiers were killed in the co-ordinated attacks on bases in Jandola, Chakmalai and Splitoi towns in South Waziristan.
South and North Waziristan are semi-autonomous tribal districts where al-Qaeda and the Taliban are believed to be entrenched.
Waziristan has been described by US officials as "the most dangerous place on earth". It is said to harbour some of the world's most wanted men including al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.
Two jets land safely after fire outbreaks
A Jetstar flight with 203 passengers and crew aboard landed safely in Guam early Thursday after a fire broke out in the plane's cockpit, the airline said.
A JetStar passenger jet takes off from Changi Airport in Singapore in this 2007 photo.
"It is understood there was smoke in the cockpit followed by the right hand cockpit window area catching fire before being extinguished" about four hours into the flight, according to a statement from Jetstar.
Flight 20 was en route from Osaka to Australia's Gold Coast when the problems developed.
The plane was an Airbus A330 -- the same model as the Air France plane from Rio de Janeiro to Paris plunged into the sea with 228 passengers and crew on board last week.
A replacement jetliner was set to retrieve the passengers and take them to Brisbane International Airport.
The fire in the Jetstar plane follows a similar incident in the cabin of an American Airlines Boeing 767 on Tuesday evening.
UN concern over Sri Lanka camps
But the government rejected the suggestion, saying that it aimed to resettle most by the end of this year.
About 250,000 people fled the final bloody phase of the civil war between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels.
Meanwhile, a human rights group accused the government of failing to probe rights abuses during the conflict.
It was in the final weeks of the war that hundreds of thousands of civilians streamed out of rapidly-diminishing rebel-held territory.
They were ultimately housed in government-run camps in the district of Vavuniya.
United accept record $130M offer for Ronaldo
Ronaldo is set to smash the world record transfer fee if he agrees to move to Real Madrid.
The English champions have given the big-spending Spanish giants permission to talk to the World Player of the Year, according to the United Web site.
United said on Thursday that the Portugal winger had again expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford, and the club now expect the deal to be concluded by June 30.
Madrid confirmed on the club's Web site that it hoped to seal an agreement with Ronaldo "in the coming days."
Real, who have fallen behind bitter rivals Barcelona, have swooped to follow up the $92 million signing of Brazil star Kaka from AC Milan earlier this week. What's your view? Tell us what you think about Ronaldo joining Real.
Real held the previous record when they paid €77 million (now worth $108 million) for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.
The club's president Florentino Perez said after the Kaka deal was concluded that he would do "everything possible" to sign the 24-year-old Ronaldo, as he sought to build a new empire that would match his first stint at the Bernabeu.
Deadly blast hits southern Iraq
10 June 2009
Dozens of people were reported to have been injured in the mid-morning attack.
The area has been the scene of fierce fighting in the past between rival Shia militia factions.
The attack comes weeks before US forces are due to withdraw from towns and cities in Iraq, leading to concerns that violence could escalate.
Police say the bomb was in a parked car in the town of Bathaa in Dhiqa province, about 320km (200 miles) south-east of Baghdad.
"There was a big explosion, it was an awful incident" said Farhan Fadel, 31, who suffered a broken leg and injured abdomen in the blast.
Hassan Ali, a 44-year-old grocer, said some of his friends were killed or injured.
"There was smoke everywhere," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
There were conflicting reports about casualty figures, with official sources withdrawing their initial statement that 30 people had been killed.
At least 17 dead in Pakistani hotel blast
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- The death toll from a suicide attack on a five-star hotel in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar rose to at least 17 people Wednesday, police said.
Pakistani police gather at the five-star hotel destroyed by a car bomb//CNN.imageChanger.load('cnnImgChngr','imgChng/p1-0.exclude.html');
Three suicide attackers shot their way onto the grounds of the Pearl Continental Hotel, which is often frequented by foreigners and diplomats, and set off a vehicle bomb Tuesday night.
The attack also wounded at least 64, according to Qhazi Jamil, senior superintendent of Peshawar police.
Among the dead were two U.N. employees -- a Serbian national working for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and a UNICEF worker from the Philippines -- and the hotel's general manager.
The blast inflicted severe damage on the building, which is surrounded by a security wall, and destroyed dozens of cars in the parking lot, police and witnesses said. The chief of Peshawar's bomb-disposal squad said the bomb contained about 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of explosives.
Can once-cool MySpace stage a comeback?
In the brief history of Web sites, there are few if any second chances. Remember Friendster?
Experts say MySpace should focus on music to stage a comeback. Here, Green Day performs at a MySpace event.
That's why it's difficult for some industry observers to see a comeback for MySpace, the large online social network that has seen its popularity flatline and its hipness surpassed by younger sites like Twitter and Facebook in recent months.
"If you look back at the first era of the Web, there are a bunch of companies that didn't survive that -- the search sites like Lycos and Excite," said Richard MacManus, founder and editor of ReadWriteWeb, a technology news site. "I guess you could say MySpace is in danger of falling into the same black hole those companies did."
He added: "If you look at the history, MySpace is going to disappear over time."
MacManus and others said it is possible but unlikely that MySpace will buck the Web's high turnover rate. If successful, a reborn MySpace would prove something new: that it's possible for a big-name Web site to recover from a slump.
There are some signs that MySpace is trying to reinvent itself.
Adam Lambert: I'm 'proud of my sexuality'
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert confirmed publicly what he assumed everyone already knew: He is gay.
Adam Lambert talks about his sexuality and his "Idol" experience in the new Rolling Stone.
"I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I am gay," Lambert told Rolling Stone magazine.
He said he is "proud of my sexuality" and never sought to hide it during the "Idol" competition.
"I embrace it," he said. "It's just another part of me."
Still, he stayed silent when, in March, a picture of him, dressed in drag and kissing an ex-boyfriend, emerged online.
Lambert told Rolling Stone he was worried coming out would "be so sensationalized that it would overshadow what I was there to do, which was sing."
The photo was taken on one of the three or four times he's dressed in drag, Lambert said, "but 'sucking my boy's face? Yes, that I will own.' "
He took down all of the pictures on his Facebook and MySpace pages before the "Idol" season, but he forgot about another Web site profile that included the drag photo, he said.
source: cnn.com/entertainment
ICC World Twenty20 Group B: Pakistan 175-5 (20 ovs) bt Netherlands 93 (17.3 ovs) by 82 runs
Kamran Akmal (41) fired two sixes and Younus Khan (36) hit three as Pakistan made 175-5 after opting to bat first.
The target of 176 was effectively 151 for the Netherlands to go through and eliminate Pakistan on run-rate.
But spinners Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi both took two wickets in three balls and Akmal four superb stumpings, as the minnows were routed for 93.
In such an important contest following their 48-run defeat against England, all the batsmen contributed in the Pakistan innings.
Even when the runs began to dry up in the middle, Misbah ul-Haq came in at the start of the 14th over and soon hit the first boundary for 30 balls.
The 18th over proved the most prolific, Younus wielding two sixes, one smartly caught by a sprightly member in the pavilion.
After Younus holed out to long-on, Misbah hit the final ball of the over down the ground for four more.
Exhausted Federer quits Wimbledon warm-up
Roger Federer quits the Halle Open saying he is "overwhelmed and exhausted" after his Paris triumph.
Federer beat Swede Robin Soderling in Sunday's Roland Garros final to complete his Grand Slam haul and equal the record 14 'major' wins by Pete Sampras.
He traditionally uses the German follow-up event as his warm-up for Wimbledon which starts on June 22.
"I sincerely apologise to the tournament organisers, my competitors, and my fans in Germany," Swiss world number two Federer said in a statement on his Web site.
"I only hope they will understand that I still feel emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted by the incredible events of the past few days.
"It is hard for me to admit, but I simply cannot imagine giving my best effort in another tournament right away and I don't want to risk injury if I am not 100 percent prepared.
"I need to rest and recuperate, but I look forward to returning to Halle in 2010 to go for my sixth title."
Serb Novak Djokovic, who scored a straight sets win over Italy's Simone Bolelli 7-5 6-2 in 84 minutes earlier in the day, has now been promoted to top seed.
"For my first game here, I was pretty happy," said Djokovic, who faces France's Florent Serra in the second round.
Lebanese vote in key parliamentary election
07 June 2009
A tight race is predicted between the US-backed 14 March alliance, which has a small majority in parliament, and its rivals, supported by Syria and Iran.
Lebanon's Christian community is split between the two camps.
Analysts say the result could depend on which Christian politicians are elected in a few key constituencies.
Polls across Lebanon opened at 0400 GMT and will close at 1600 GMT. Some three million people are eligible to cast ballots.
LEBANON ELECTIONS KEY FACTS
128-seat, divided along sectarian and communal lines - 64 for Muslims and 64 for Christians
MPs elected for four-year terms
Voting age 21 years
Main factions- 14 March Coalition: Future movement; Progressive Socialist Party; Christian Lebanese Forces; Christian Phalangist party.- 8 March Coalition: Hezbollah; Amal movement headed by the parliamentary Speaker Nabih Birri; Free Patriotic Movement of Gen Michel Aoun.
Q&A: Lebanese elections explained
Christians - vote kingmakers
About 50,000 security personnel have been deployed to prevent violence - although none has been reported so far.
Initial results are expected late on Sunday.
Outside interference
Former US President Jimmy Carter, who heads a team of international observers, said Lebanese parties - and their foreign backers - should accept the result of the vote.
"I don't have any concerns over the conduct of the elections. I have concerns over the acceptance of the results by all the major parties," Mr Carter said at a polling station in Beirut.
Sudan's president defies arrest warrant, visits Zimbabwe
Sudan president Omar al-Bashir is the first head of state ever indicted by the ICC.
Al-Bashir landed Saturday in the capital, Harare, for the two-day African leaders' summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir on March 4, accusing him of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity in his government's campaign against rebels in Darfur in western Sudan.
It was the first arrest warrant for a sitting head of state by the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal, based at The Hague in the Netherlands.
Sudan expelled 13 international aid agencies from the Darfur region after the warrant was issued.
Al-Bashir has denied the charges, calling them an attempt by Western powers to recolonize Sudan. The conflict in Darfur began in 2003 after rebels in the western region of Sudan began attacking government positions. The government responded with a fierce military campaign that has left about 300,000 dead and more than 2.5 million displaced, the United Nations estimates.
The International Criminal Court has no arrest powers and depends on its 106-member states to take suspects into custody.
Al-Bashir has visited other counties, including Qatar and Ethiopia, since the warrant was issued.
In Zimbabwe, the summit will be at the Victoria Falls, a popular tourism spot on the Zambezi River. Sudan is a member of the trade group, which consists of 19 African nations.
source: cnn.co/world
Key to blood clotting discovered
The team from Harvard University, writing in the journal Science, said the finding could help treat people who have blood-clotting disorders.
If blood clots too much, people can develop a potentially fatal thrombosis; too little and they can bleed to death.
UK experts said the research was important and could help develop new treatments for blood disorders.
This discovery should aid the creation of more effective medicines
Professor Jeremy Pearson, British Heart Foundation
A molecular messaging system has to maintain a balance between blood not clotting too much or too little.
The Harvard team identified an area on the von Willebrand factor (VWF) blood-clotting protein which contains a molecular sensor to regulate the size of the protein, important for it to work effectively.
VWF is vital to the body's circulation. It controls the balance between blood clotting and bleeding, and abnormalities affecting VWF can lead to health problems such as bleeding disorders and heart attacks.
Dr Wesley Wong, who worked on the research, said: "The human body has an incredible ability to heal from life's scrapes and bruises.
"A central aspect of this response to damage is the ability to bring bleeding to an end, a process known as haemostasis.
"Yet regulating haemostasis is a complex balancing act."
Aerial images online endanger national security, critics say
Critics fear that online aerial images of nuclear power plants in the U.S., like this one, could aid terrorists.
But when they independently looked at online aerial imagery of nuclear power plants and other sites, they had the same reaction: They said they feared that terrorists might be doing the same thing.
Now, both have launched efforts to try to get Internet map services to remove or blur images of sensitive sites, saying the same technology that allows people to see a neighbor's swimming pool can be used by terrorists to chose targets and plan attacks.
"It is disturbing to me that terrorists can now perform considerable surveillance without visiting the targeted site," piano tuner and nuclear watchdog Scott Portzline wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
Portzline is asking the Department of Homeland Security and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to seek voluntary compliance from satellite and aerial imagery companies to blur images of nuclear plants. See how detailed these aerial images are »
Joel Anderson, a member of the California Assembly, has more expansive goals. He has introduced a bill in the state Legislature that would prohibit "virtual globe" services from providing unblurred pictures of schools, churches and government or medical facilities in California. It also would prohibit those services from providing street-view photos of those buildings.
Review: 'SNL's' Maya Rudolph shines in 'Away We Go'
Not that he's offering a whole-hearted endorsement of the institution.
Burt and Verona (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph) aren't legally bound -- she staunchly resists his repeated proposals -- but nevertheless they're a couple about to go nuclear: She's six months pregnant.
He sells insurance to insurance companies. She's an illustrator with a lucrative line in anatomical drawings.
Nevertheless, they're struggling to make ends meet.
"Are we losers?" wonders Verona (only she uses a more colorful expression). "We have cardboard windows... I think we must be."
Insomuch as they have a plan at all, it hinges on the support they're expecting from Burt's doting parents. So it's a nasty wake-up call when Jerry and Gloria (Jeff Daniels and Catherine O'Hara) announce they're taking off for a new life in Belgium -- yes, even before the baby's out.
There is a silver lining: Realizing they no longer have any reason to stay, Burt and Verona decide to widen their horizons. They could move to Arizona where Verona's sister lives. Burt has a job prospect in Madison, Wisconsin. Or they have college friends in Montreal. Their destiny awaits them, all they have to do is go out and find it. And away they go.
England left to absorb shocking defeat
But this one, in the ICC World Twenty20 opener, by the Netherlands in their dayglo orange kit, and on a bleak, showery night, knocks spots off all the others.
And doesn't it just seem ever-so-slightly farcical now that England had begun to feel quietly confident about winning back the Ashes later this summer?
Whatever happens now, they will probably recover in time to prepare properly for that series. But it was a strange evening all round in NW8, and it wasn't just those scarily efficient floodlights - that made England look even whiter with mounting panic through the agonising climax - that were to blame.
Through the sort of general chaos that bad weather lends to cricketing occasions, the opening ceremony - such as it ever would have been - was reduced to two cursory speeches. One was by ICC president David Morgan and the other by the Duke of Kent - neither the sort of celebrity figure the younger fans in the family stands might have wanted to see.
Sony joins new 'controller wars'
03 June 2009
Sony has given the public the first view of its new game controller for the Sony PlayStation 3.
The Motion Controller for PS3 uses two controllers that work in conjunction with the Sony PlayStation Eye.
The firm said it was a technology demo, but then said the new system would be available early next year.
The news follows Microsoft's announcement on Monday of a controller-free control system it is calling Project Natal.
3D gaming
The Motion Controller for PS3 works in a similar way to Nintendo's Wii controller. A sensor sits on top of the TV and detects the position, distance and movement of two controllers held in a user's hand.
The creator of the Sony EyeToy, Dr Richard Marks, who heads up the team developing the Motion Controller for PS3, said the new system was sparking the imagination of game developers.
"We expect this to be a great casual gamers' experience, but we also want to enable some more gamers' games. We think this would be a great experience too," he said.
During the demonstration, the developers showed what the Sony PlayStation Controller was capable of, enabling users to wield weapons, fire a bow and arrow, write on screen and manipulate objects in a virtual environment.
Returning Woods targets Memorial victory
Tiger Woods begins the build-up to his defense of the U.S. Open crown by bidding for a fourth title at the prestigious Memorial tournament in Ohio.
Woods subsequently won his 14th major at Torrey Pines before undergoing reconstructive knee surgery which sidelined him for nine months.
Woods has a victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and has not finished outside the top 10 in five other strokeplay tournaments he has played since his comeback.
His last appearance came as he finished eighth at the Players Championship and the 33-year-old has been practicing hard with coach Hank Haney.
"I'm really looking forward to competing again at the Memorial tournament and I've been working hard on my game since the Players Championship," Woods wrote in his monthly newsletter on his personal Web site www.tigerwoods.com.
But Woods, despite his good record since returning, is anxious to step up a gear.
Al-Qaeda 'kills British hostage'
Downing Street says there is "strong reason to believe" that a British citizen has been killed by al-Qaeda militants in north-west Africa.
Edwin Dyer was kidnapped in Niger in January, but was being held in Mali.
The group had said it would kill Mr Dyer if the British government refused to release radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada from a UK prison.
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown condemned what he called an "appalling and barbaric act of terrorism".
Abu Qatada is awaiting extradition to Jordan, where he was convicted of terrorism offences in his absence and faces life in jail.
Condolences
Mr Dyer, who spoke fluent German and had been working in Austria, was kidnapped in Niger on 22 January, close to the border with Mali.
He was captured along with a number of other European tourists, including two Swiss and one German. The group had been visiting the Anderamboukane festival on nomad culture.
source: bbc.com
Dozens still missing in Taliban kidnapping
Two dozen people believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban were still missing Wednesday, Pakistani authorities said.
The Pakistani army rescued a group of 80 students and staff members Tuesday, but 48 people remained unaccounted for from Monday's abduction, police said.
Forty-six are students, and two are teachers, police said.
The abduction took place in the northwest tribal region, where the military has waged a bloody battle against Taliban insurgents, police said.
Militants attacked a convoy of 27 vehicles carrying 350 students and teachers that departed Razmak Cadet College in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas;
No survivors found in wreckage of Air France jet, official says
Jobim made the announcement after meeting with relatives and friends of Brazilians who were among the 228 people aboard Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, France.
Two debris fields were found about 650 km (400 miles) northeast of the Fernando de Noronha Islands, an archipelago 355 kilometers (220 miles) off the northeast coast of Brazil -- or at latitude 2 north, longitude 30 west, the Ministry of Defense said on its Web site.
One of the fields was 5 km (3 miles) long and that both lie near the flight path between Rio de Janeiro and Paris.
Among the wreckage was an airplane seat, metal debris, an orange float, a drum and an oil spill, the posting said. See map of suspected crash zone »
Brazilian air force planes spotted the debris field Tuesday morning, but it was not until a French commercial vessel arrived on the scene that the debris' origin was confirmed. The planes searched 10,000 square kilometers (3,861 square miles) of ocean throughout the day and will continue to search for more debris overnight, the Brazilian Air Force Said.
Two Netherlands-flagged vessels were expected to arrive in the area later in the day; a Brazilian navy ship was expected to arrive Wednesday, officials said. Brazilian air force jets were continuing to comb the area for other debris, and a U.S. P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft was assisting as well.
Panel to oversee realty projects
Tuesday 11 November 2008 by Dubai
The Dubai Government has formed a high-level committee that will oversee and decide on the launch of future real estate projects in the emirate in view of the global economic slowdown, a top government official said yesterday.
The committee, which was formed in October this year, consists of Dubai-based master developers and a few private developers, Nasser Al Shaikh, Director-General of the Dubai Department of Finance, told Emirates Business.
"For the first time, a committee has been formed to oversee the real estate development in Dubai and help synchronise projects of various developers with the intention of securing future supply."
The panel will not be looking at projects that have already been launched, Al Shaikh said, adding, "no projects will be called off, and the committee will only decide on anything to be launched in future.
"Master developers control 70 per cent of the supply in Dubai’s property market and if all these parties work together then we can strike a balance between the future demand and supply. However, we are not trying to influence or control supply in the market." He said the committee will not govern private developers and they can continue with their projects.
Perceptions that the UAE realty is set for a correction have strengthened recently. Prices are expected to peak in the first half of 2009, but a decline is expected in the second half of the next year. However, developers said analysts have failed to interpret and take note of the sound economic fundamentals of the emirate.
Al Shaikh reiterated that infrastructure projects will continue and only the yet-to-be launched real estate developments will be under scrutiny of the committee.
Ruling out government plans to inject any funds into the real estate sector, he said: "All the master developers have sufficient cash flow and they do not require funding from the government."
A draft law to settle property disputes is also being drawn up. Judge Abdul Qader Mousa, Head of Dubai property court told our sister publication, Al Emarat Al Youm, that the new law will replace the federal civil procedures law.
Obama hopeful on Mid-East peace
02 June 2009
Mr Obama's first interview with a UK broadcaster comes on the eve of a trip to the Middle East and Europe.
On Iran, he said he hoped to see progress by the end of the year, through "tough, direct diplomacy".
But he said, rather than imposing its values on other countries, the US should act as a role model.
Speaking to BBC North America Editor Justin Webb, Mr Obama said he believed the US was "going to be able to get serious negotiations back on track" between Israel and the Palestinians.
Diplomacy is always a matter of a long hard slog. It's never a matter of quick results
Barack Obama
"Not only is it in the interest of the Palestinian people to have a state, it's in the interest of the Israeli people to stabilise the situation there," he said.
"And it's in the interest of the United States that we've got two states living side by side in peace and security."
Asked about Israel's rejection of his call for a halt to Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the president urged patience, saying it was early in the conversation.
"Diplomacy is always a matter of a long hard slog. It's never a matter of quick results," he said.
However, Mr Obama said he had not needed convincing by Israel of the need to address Iran's programme of nuclear development.
Pakistani troops rescue students from Taliban
The abduction took place Monday in the same tribal region, the area where the military has waged a bloody battle against Taliban insurgents, police said.
Militants attacked a convoy of 27 vehicles carrying 350 students and teachers that departed Razmat Cadet College in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
The heavily armed Taliban fighters attacked about eight vehicles, while the others sped away.
The Pakistani military has been conducting a monthlong offensive against the Taliban, centered in the Swat region of North-West Frontier province.
Over the last 24 hours, the military said, 21 militants were killed and 18 others apprehended in Swat. Three soldiers were killed and six others were injured, the military said.
India criticizes release of Mumbai-link man
He was released by the Lahore High Court in Pakistan after his lawyer submitted a petition, calling his detention illegal.
Pakistan banned the group after the U.N. Security Council designated it a terror organization because of its links to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. That is the Pakistan-based Islamic militant group that India says was behind the killings of 164 people in the Indian city of Mumbai in November. India has accused Lashkar-e-Tayyiba of training the attackers, which the group has denied.
A.K. Dogar, Saeed's lawyer, said Saeed had no links to terror activity and no arms from him have ever been recovered. He said the house arrest had been based on the Security Council move against Lashkar, but the U.N. action had been wrongly interpreted by government authorities.
India voiced "serious doubts" about Pakistan's "sincerity" in dealing with terrorism after Saeed's release.
Saeed, along with Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa, had a "long and well-established background of planning and launching terrorist acts against India," said Vishnu Prakash, India's external affairs ministry spokesman.
"His release raises serious doubts about Pakistan's sincerity in acting with determination against terrorist groups and individuals operating from its territory," Prakash said.
Serena ups the ante in French Open stroll
Serena had endured a coughing fit and made contorversial accusations of cheating after her three-set victory over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez on Saturday, but this was a 53-minute stroll.
The world number two came into the tournament off the back of three straight defeats as she struggled with injury, but is now firmly on course for a hat-trick of grand slams having won last year's U.S. Open and the Australian Open in January.
Williams, who is seeking an 11th grand slam title, will next play seventh-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia.
Kuznetsova had a harder fight to beat 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 1-6 6-1.
Williams, who saw her sister Venus go down to a shock defeat in the first week, is seeking her second French Open title.
She beat Venus in the 2002 final and knows that the real challenge starts now.
Unpublished photos of Marilyn Monroe surfaceStory Highlights
They were taken before the beautiful actress's mysterious overdose that resulted in her death at the age of 36.
In a collection discovered by Life.com last month, unpublished photographs of Monroe reveal a softer, more innocent 24-year-old budding starlet in a more peaceful time, before her fame peaked.
Her flawless face bears a natural look with minimal makeup, unusual for the star, who was often glamorized in photo shoots with lipstick, designer dresses and expensive jewelry.
Monday would have been Monroe's 83rd birthday.
Wreckage seen in search area for missing plane
The search will continue but there is not enough material to officially say this is the wreckage from Flight 447, Maral said.
Brazilian, French and Senegalese rescue teams were combing vast sections of the Atlantic on Tuesday.
A report of "shiny spots" in the sea along the route of Flight 447 by a crew from the Brazilian airline TAM prompted a search in the territorial waters off Senegal, but without result.
The Airbus A330, carrying 228 people, encountered heavy turbulence early Monday, some three hours after it began the 11-hour flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France, according to Air France CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon.
At that point, the plane's automatic system initiated a four-minute series of messages to the company's maintenance computers, indicating that "several pieces of aircraft equipment were at fault or had broken down," he told reporters.
During that time, there was no contact with the crew, Gourgeon said.
Intikhab expresses disappointment over fielding performance
LHC orders release of Hafiz Saeed
