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A dejected Michael Schumacher described his aborted return to Formula One as his "toughest moment" after a neck injury left him unable to drive for Ferrari in the European Grand Prix as a replacement for Felipe Massa.
Schumacher spoke of his disappointment as he explained his decision to abort his return.
more photos » The seven-time world champion told a televised press conference on Wednesday that he was so disappointed that he was unable to even think about reviving his comeback hopes later this season.
Massa, who suffered serious head injuries in a qualifying crash at the Hungarian Grand Prix, is set to be sidelined for at least four races, with test driver Luca Badoer now drafted in for the next grand prix in Valencia next week.
But when asked by a reporter if he would consider taking Massa's place if his injuries healed, the 40-year-old gave a downbeat assessment.
"It's probably the toughest moment I have had in my career," he said.
"Although I am a retired racing driver, for the moment I felt back alive and now I have had to cancel all this, so I am not thinking about the future," he added.
Schumacher sat between his doctor Johannes Peil and manager Willi Weber at the gathering in Geneva and announced that it was a "very sad moment" before going on to thank the Ferrari team for their support after he decided to attempt a comeback.
It turned out to be in vain, as injuries he sustained in a motorcycle race in February left Schumacher struggling when he test drove in a 2007 Ferrari at Mugello.
Peil confirmed that a small fracture at the base of Schumacher's skull had caused the problem and led to his decision on Tuesday to call off the comeback.
Michael Schumacher's career in pictures. »
"I really tried everything to make that temporary comeback possible, however, much to my regret it didn't work out," he told his personal Web site www.michaelschumacher.de.
"I can only repeat that I tried everything that was within my power. All I can do now is to keep my fingers crossed for the whole team for the coming races."
source: cnn.com

A British teenager has been found dead in Crete after a night out, the Foreign Office said.
The body of 17-year-old Andre Young, from Saffron Walden, Essex, was discovered on Wednesday morning in Malia.
It is understood his parents have flown to Crete to identify their son, who was found with serious head injuries.
A Foreign Office spokesman said the teenager had been reported missing on the Greek holiday island on Tuesday.
"We can confirm that a body has been discovered and positively identified by the Greek authorities as that of a 17-year-old British national who was reported missing in Crete on 11 August," they added.
"The family has been informed and is being provided with consular assistance."
'Forever remembered'
A spokesman for the police in Crete said they were not treating the death as suspicious.
More than 200 people have joined a group set up in tribute to Andre on the social networking site Facebook.
One friend, Rhiannon Parry wrote: "Shocked, really really shocked!! Rest in Peace buddy."
Jay Pledger, from Saffron Walden County High School, wrote: "You will be forever remembered. Maths classes were no good without you mate." source: bbc.com

Germany took a decisive step nearer the 2010 World Cup finals with a 2-0 win in Azerbaijan to open up a four-point gap at the top of European qualifying group four.
Germany celebrate Klose's goal in Baku which confirmed their victory.
Goals early in each half from Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose sealed victory for Joachim Loew's side, who have played a game more than closest rivals Russia.
Germany's trip to face Russia in Moscow on October 10 is likely to decide who tops the group, but Wednesday's win gives the Germans breathing space as they retained their unbeaten record in qualifying.
Loew was able to call on the services of captain Michael Ballack, who had been an injury doubt, and his team took just 12 minutes to get on the scoresheet.
Bayern Munich star Schweinsteiger picked up the ball just outside the penalty area and blasted home a long-range shot.
Minnows Azerbaijan could create little threat and Germany doubled their lead when Bayern's new striker Mario Gomez saw his shot saved and teammate Klose headed home the rebound.
Meanwhile, France secured a much-needed three points in group seven with a scarcely convincing 1-0 win in the Faroe Islands.
Andre-Pierre Gignac scored the only goal of the match in the 42nd minute after an assist from Chelsea's Florent Malouda.source: cnn.com

Actor Michael Douglas says his family is "devastated" by the arrest of his son on drugs charges.
Cameron Douglas, 30, was arrested in Manhattan on 28 July and accused of selling methamphetamine.
"The family is devastated and very disappointed in Cameron's recent behaviour," said Michael and his former wife Diandra Douglas in a statement.
"Any family who has dealt with substance abuse knows how devastating it can be," they added.
The statement was released to US magazine People.
Smuggling arrest
Cameron Douglas faces a minimum 10-year jail sentence and a maximum of life if convicted of charges that he sold thousands of dollars worth of methamphetamine, also known as Crystal Meth.
He was arrested at a Manhattan hotel, and prosecutors allege he shipped large quantities of the drug from California to New York using the courier service Federal Express.
The 30-year-old, who had been confined to an apartment after his arrest, was transferred to jail this week after his girlfriend, Kelly Sott, allegedly tried to smuggle heroin to him.source: bbc.com

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Rob Thomas is a busy guy -- so busy, he apparently hasn't had much time to check in with his Matchbox Twenty bandmates.
Rob Thomas prefers to focus on the "musician" side of his career, rather than "celebrity."
We only know this because we ran into guitarist Paul Doucette at the BMI Pop Awards in Beverly Hills several weeks ago, where he was picking up a plaque for songwriter of the year.
"We're interviewing Rob about his solo album," I told him.
"Hey," Doucette exclaimed. "Tell that guy to call me, would you? I didn't even know he was in L.A.!"
By the time we met up with Thomas the next day, he and Doucette had already connected over drinks somewhere between midnight and the morning -- musician's hours.
Thomas recently released "Cradlesong," his second solo CD. Even though he's clearly excited about it, he spends as much time talking about Matchbox Twenty as he does the solo album he's in town to promote. For the 37-year-old singer-songwriter, it's all interconnected. One has fed into the other since he gained household name status a decade ago, after scoring a massive, Grammy-winning hit with Carlos Santana on "Smooth." source: cnn.com

Israel must investigate the "unlawful" killing of 11 civilians carrying white flags during its Gaza operation earlier in 2009, Human Rights Watch has said.
Five women and four children were among those killed in seven incidents detailed by the US-based rights group.
Researchers said the soldiers at best failed to protect civilians, and at worst deliberately shot at them.
Israel has launched investigations into five "white flag" incidents, but says Hamas exploited civilians with flags.
In one incident, east of Jabalya, HRW said Israeli soldiers fired at two women and three children, three of whom were holding pieces of white cloth.
Two girls, aged two and seven were killed, and another, now aged four, was left paralysed below the waist.
The five were standing outside their home after an Israeli soldier had ordered them to leave it, HRW said.
WHITE FLAG ACCUSATIONS
Paralysed girl reflects Gaza plight
Injured girl treated in Egypt
Israel 'shot at fleeing Gazans'
"We spent seven to nine minutes waving the flags, and our faces were looking at them [the soldiers]," HRW quoted the girls' grandmother as saying.
"And suddenly they opened fire and the girls fell to the ground."
Two of the incidents in question have also been investigated by the BBC.
In five of the seven incidents, Israeli soldiers shot at civilians who were walking down the street with white flags, trying to leave the areas of fighting, HRW said.
"All available evidence indicates that Israeli forces were in control of the areas in question, no fighting was taking place there at the time, and no Palestinian forces were hiding among the civilians or using them as human shields," the report said.
The Israeli foreign ministry has opened investigations into at least five cases involving Palestinians who were waving white flags. source: bbc.com

The United States hailed a World Trade Organization ruling to open Chinese markets and ease controls on the import of U.S. films, DVDs, music downloads and books.
U.S. Trade Rep. Ron Kirk, shown, says WTO's decision will "help pave the way toward more open trade."
"Today, a WTO panel handed a significant victory to America's creative industries," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Wednesday. "These findings are an important step toward ensuring market access for legitimate U.S. products in the Chinese market, as well as ensuring market access for U.S. exporters and distributors of those products."
In its ruling, the WTO said China violates free-trade rules by requiring importers to channel media products such as movies, books and music through state-owned companies, rather than giving them direct access to Chinese markets.

China denied the charges in the ruling.
"The country has always fulfilled its obligations set by WTO on issues related to publication products market entrance permission," Yao Jian, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce, said Thursday. "China will carefully evaluate the decision. ... Possibilities for China to issue an appeal on its concerned points cannot be ruled out."
The U.S. trade representative's office said the ruling could put an end to China's discriminatory trade practices.
"This decision promises to level the playing field for American companies working to distribute high-quality entertainment products in China, so that legitimate American products can get to market and beat out the pirates," Kirk said. "To me, that is a clear win. We believe that this report will help pave the way toward more open trade between China and America."
In recent years, U.S. officials have pressed Chinese officials for help in controlling the counterfeiting of U.S. products and the illegal copying and distribution of copyrighted U.S. products, including movies, music and software. Counterfeit products are estimated to cost U.S. companies billions of dollars in lost revenue. source: cnn.com

The Australian cruiser met the disguised German vessel in the waters off western Australia two years after the two became enemies in World War II.
The gun turret of the Sydney II was discovered with the rest of the vessel in March 2008.
The Australian ship approached, trying to determine whether the vessel was friendly. It wasn't.
What resulted was Australia's worst naval disaster: the sinking of the Australian ship and the loss of its entire crew of 645. The wreckage wasn't found until last year, leading to decades of conspiracy theories about what actually happened.
On Wednesday a long-awaited report on the sinking of the Sydney II ended the mystery that began when it met its fate, November 19, 1941.
Made to look like a cargo ship, the German vessel was in fact a military raider that fired on the Australians when they got close. The Sydney fired back and, in the end, both ships went down.
More than 300 of the sailors on board the German vessel, the Kormoran, survived. But because they were the only witnesses to the disaster, some doubted their accounts, leading to various theories about the real fate of the Sydney.
After the wrecks of both ships were located in March 2008, an Australian commission began an inquiry to formally close the book on the loss of the Sydney.
The results confirm the accounts provided by the German sailors.
They said the Sydney closed in on the Kormoran until it was parallel with the German ship, little more than 1,000 yards away.for more detail please visit cnn.com

The price of big screen televisions has been coming down, but this was ridiculous.
Best Buy's Web site offered a 52-inch TV for less than $10, but the deal was too good to be true.
Early Wednesday morning, BestBuy.com listed a 52-inch Samsung HDTV for $9.99 -- a savings of more than $1600.
As customers jumped on the Web site trying to take advantage of the offer, Best Buy announced it was a "pricing error" and was no longer available.
A recorded message on Best Buy's customer service line told customers "we will not be placing any more orders for this unit," and messages were sent on Twitter apologizing "for any disappointment."
Customers who placed orders early Wednesday were left wondering if they got away with the bargain. Eric VanBergen of Grand Rapids, Michigan, told CNN he snapped one up for $84.79 -- including $70 shipping and taxes -- at 5:30 a.m. Then, he ordered a second.
Dozens of customers were posting to Twitter and Bestbuy.com, saying they also placed often multiple orders.
It appears they are out of luck. In a statement, Best Buy apologized for the mistake but said it would "not be honoring the incorrect price."
Company representatives posted online messages telling customers "All current and previous orders made for the TV at this price on BestBuy.com will be cancelled, and customers will be refunded in full for the purchase."
The company's Web site states Best Buy reserves the right to "revoke offers or correct errors" even if a credit card has already been charged.
The price mix-up gave way to customer frustration as people lost out on the deal of the year. ".bestbuy dang you!!!!" was how VanBergen reacted on Twitter after learning that his two confirmation e-mails from Best Buy were meaningless.
But it appears there is little else they can do. A spokeswoman for the Federal Trade Commission that investigates consumer complaints told CNN "The FTC act bars unfair and deceptive commercial practices." Those would be cases of phony offers or sweepstakes, rather than a mistake, she said. source: cnn.com

A leading Scottish gemstone expert has been killed in Kenya by a gang armed with clubs, spears, bows and arrows.
Campbell Bridges, 71, was attacked by 20 men in the grounds of his 600-acre property near the southern town of Voi.
He fought off the mob with his son Bruce and four Kenyan staff but died of his injuries on arrival at hospital.
Police are investigating the attack which is reportedly connected to a three-year dispute over access and control of Mr Bridges' gemstone mines.
Internationally renowned
He was driving his pick-up truck in the grounds of his home within a national park when he was ambushed by about 20 men brandishing crude home-made weapons, police said.
Witnesses said his injuries were caused by stab wounds from a knife. No-one else was injured in the attack on Tuesday.
Mr Bridges' body has since been flown to the capital Nairobi, police said.
A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of Campbell Bridges on 11 August following injuries sustained in an attack near Voi in Kenya. source:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Jim Webb will meet with leaders of Myanmar's military junta this week when he stops off in the reclusive country during a two-week, five-nation tour of Asia, his office announced Wednesday.
Sen. Jim Webb's visit will be the first time a top U.S. official meets with Myanmar's top official.
The Virginia Democrat will be the first member of Congress to visit Myanmar in more than a decade. The visit will also be the first time a top U.S. official meets with Myanmar's top official, junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe.
Webb is chairman of the East Asia and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The first-term senator's visit follows the conviction earlier this week of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi for violating her house arrest when an uninvited American swam two miles to her home in May.
Suu Kyi, who has spent 14 of the last 20 years in one form of confinement or another, was originally sentenced to three years in prison, but Than Shwe commuted her sentence to 18 months house arrest.
Her uninvited visitor, John Yettaw, was sentenced to seven years hard labor. source: cnn.com

Hurricanes in the Atlantic are more frequent than at any time in the last 1,000 years, according to research just published in the journal Nature.
Scientists examined sediments left by hurricanes that crossed the coast in North America and the Caribbean.
The record suggests modern hurricane activity is unusual - though it might have been even higher 1,000 years ago.
The possible influence of climate change on hurricanes has been a controversial topic for several years.
Study leader Michael Mann from Penn State University believes that while not providing a definitive answer, this work does add a useful piece to the puzzle.
The levels we're seeing at the moment are within the bounds of uncertainty.
Julian Heming, UK Met Office
"It's been hotly debated, and various teams using different computer models have come up with different answers," he told BBC News.
"I would argue that this study presents some useful palaeoclimatic data points."
source: bbc.com

Torrential downpours, dense fog, rugged terrain and raging rivers have made rescue efforts in Taiwan increasingly difficult and dangerous in the wake of Typhoon Morakot.
A rescue worker falls as he was trying to wade through the flash flood waters of the Laonung River.
1 of 3 Washed out roads and bridges rendered ground rescue operations virtually impossible as workers searched Thursday for stranded villagers in the central and southern regions of the island. Rescuers were forced to search by helicopter, inflatable boats and zip-line mechanisms that suspended them over the muddy waters coursing below.
In some cases, food drops have been conducted over isolated villages tucked amid the rugged terrain as villagers sought higher grounds to stay dry.
Economic losses were estimated at $274 million.
The storm dumped up to 83 inches of rain on some parts of the island, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
By Thursday morning the government had counted 108 deaths, 62 people missing and 45 injured. It also drafted a list of items needed from the international community: helicopters, gravel trucks, disinfectants and chlorine tablets.
Most of the missing are from Kaohsiung County, according to the National Disaster Prevention and Protection Commission. source: cnn.com

The French and German economies both grew by 0.3% between April and June, bringing to an end year-long recessions in two of Europe's largest economies.
"The data is very surprising. After four negative quarters France is coming out of the red," said French Finance and Economy Minister Christine Lagarde.
Few analysts expected the economies to come out of recession this early.
But economic activity in the eurozone fell by 0.1%, showing the region as a whole is still in recession.
The contraction was a marked improvement on the 2.5% drop recorded in the first three months of the year, and was smaller than economists had expected.
It was the fifth consecutive quarter of eurozone economic contraction.
Both the French and German economies last grew in the first quarter of 2008.
'State umbrella'
Exports in Germany - the continent's largest exporter - grew by 7% in June, the fastest pace in nearly three years.
Mark Sanders, Europe business reporter, Brussels
To draw a medical analogy, we've got the patient waking from a coma and talking to medical staff - they're not necesarily going to be running any marathons soon.
We are recovering from a very low base, and there are questions about how how strong and credible this economic recovery is.
The recession may be over for some, but it won't feel like its over for many people, especially those out of a job.
Unemployment in Europe is likely to continue to climb this year, the banking system is still fragile and, eventually, governments will have to stop the huge amounts of stimulus spending they are pumping into their economies.
The country's Federal Statistics Office said that household and government expenditure had also boosted growth.
It added that imports had declined "far more sharply than exports, which had a positive effect on GDP growth".
Analyst reaction to Germany's recovery was mixed.
"The recession has ended, and it has ended sooner than we all thought. We expect to see growth of 1% in the third quarter, which is very strong for Germany, and I wouldn't rule out the chance of even better growth," said Andreas Rees at Unicredit.
source: bbc.com