House On Plane

House Painting Tips

2011-09-08T00:31:00.001-07:00

Da bi svoju sobu pojaviti jači i strop viši, možda želite da boje zidova u okomite pruge. Ako površine je kratka, horizontalna pruga na zidovima vizualno će produljiti boravak. Ako želite da dodate neke drame u vašu dnevnu sobu, a zatim odaberite žarišne zid i boja u dubokim, bogatim hladovini i koristite svjetliju nijansu boje ostatka zidova. Možete koristiti tehniku brisanje spužvom bojati žarišna zid za drugačije, neobično učinak. Ili, možete slikati sve zidove na taj način da oponašaju izgled pozadine. Faux oslikanim zidovima nikada ne impresionirati -. Oni će dodati umjetnički dodir u vaš dom i da će sigurno oduševiti vaše goste

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the curb appeal of any home greatly affects the way the house is painted - and the quality of paint job and paint colors selected play a role in the first impression produced. Because the house image is one of the main tasks that can not be ignored when it comes to taking care of the house, especially if you are trying to sell it.

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house painting provides not only improve the look of the house, but also extend the life of your area a few years, regular maintenance and some quick popravke.Osnovna purpose of painting exterior of house is to apply one or two layers of protection to the walls as a method of wood protection from the elements. In most cases, that's all you need when it comes to exterior home maintenance. When the pictures inside the house, paint job is to withstand daily wear and tear, especially in high traffic areas. However, with a little creativity of ordinary maintenance practice can be converted to interior decorating project.

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Every home needs to be repainted on a regular basis - every 5 years for exterior painting, and every 7 years for the inside - that's how long the color lasts. Of course, you also have to take into account the quality of paint used, the quality and quantity of surface preparation, and place in the house (house bank needs to be repainted frequently, for example). It is important to choose the right colors and finishes, as well. For example, very bright colors are often impractical and get soiled quickly. Flat paints are also porous and absorbent than a satin finish. With such a large selection of colors and textures are available these days, the effects you can create a good home painting ideas are endless. Sometimes (especially if the house was always white), adding even just a dash of color (such as stress), will result in a complete makeover.Glup houses can be vibrant in no time at all.

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the main stages of painting the exterior of the house have the power to wash and prepare the surface to accept a new coat of paint (sanding, scraping, primer), deciding on the right type of paint colors to use, and applying boje.Najbolje time for color in late spring or early fall on a dry day which is not too sunny. Temperatures below 40 degrees F and direct hot sun can ruin paint jobs. Check your home and working conditions before the paint thoroughly, and take corrective measures to prevent the causes paint failure.

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Unoccupied House Insurance Advice

2011-09-07T20:31:00.001-07:00

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What is unoccupied home insurance?

unoccupied house insurance is a specific type of property insurance. What property owners may not be aware of the fact that regular homeowners insurance policy may become invalid if the property is not occupied for more than 30-60 days.

Although there are some who have tried to openly lying to their insurance providers that there are people who live in the house, it can spell trouble when they find out that you are deceiving. This is a much better plan to get the proper unoccupied house insurance to cover your assets.

There are many possible reasons why you end up has unoccupied property. Among them are:

baštinu.Relativna can leave you home in his or her will. Although it can be a blessing for you, it May not be to the advantage if you are already a home that you live in, requiring you to purchase homeowners insurance unoccupied. home. May you have a vacation home that your family visits a few times a year. Since it is not your permanent residence, you will need to get insurance for this property. renewal. Major property renovation and force people from their homes for a time can actually make the house unoccupied property is considered vacant if more than 30-60 days. new property. It can also be a new property that was recently purchased and is still undergoing through some design changes to fit the style of the new owner. The death of the previous occupants. Property that is left unoccupied due to death, subject to probate. Even if you explicitly stipulates who will be having a go, will be the span of time in which the house will remain unoccupied. rental property. Even if you allow tenants to live in your property, you may still have to get the unoccupied house insurance, if the time period between the tenant to remain in your home longer than 30-60 days.

How to make your unoccupied house insurance rates cheap

uninhabited houses represent more risk than homes which are regularly used by the owner. For example, a broken pipe can cause extensive damage because the water there was no one to monitor the water supply. Neighborhood vandals and thieves are also more likely to target homes that are considered one.

The number of hazards that vacant property not only makes the unoccupied house insurance hard to find, it also comes at a very expensive price as well. It is not surprising to find an empty insurance quotes at inflated rates, because insurance companies recognize the fact that homeowners are more likely due to the high level of risk of unoccupied properties.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make your home insurance much more affordable.

key to making a unoccupied house insurance cost a little more reasonable to show insurance companies that are not that risky to provide coverage for it. Install safety features such as burglar alarms and locks on doors and windows but can reduce the cost of this type of home insurance.

Buying unoccupied house insurance

When you buy homeowners insurance unoccupied, be sure to take into account not only prices but also the amount of coverage policy offers. This is especially important with vacant properties, since they will be nobody who will be able to regularly monitor the condition of the house.

As such, make sure you have all bases covered, including protection against vandalism, theft, water damage, wind damage and subsidence. As much as possible, you'll also want to get a flexible policy. In this way, you'll only have to pay for the cover you actually need, allowing you to not spend the unoccupied house insurance if you actually occupy the property for a period of time.

Benefits of In-House Personal Training

2011-09-07T19:41:00.001-07:00

in home personal training has gained a good following now, because more and more people become aware of health and fitness. Fitness training is necessary for everyone to lead a healthy life and in-house training is one of the easiest ways to achieve your health and fitness goals.

in house training includes all of the gym facility offers without the hassle of actually going to the gym, dealing with other gym, and sometimes unsanitary conditions of the gym. The traditional use of the gym machines for training leaves more convenient and practical accessories that can bring anywhere you want. Some examples of this equipment are dumbbells, kettle bells, stability ball, Bosu ball, the condition of the disc, and medicine balls. In-house personal training applies the simple rules that you can easily follow even without your personal trainer. This simple exercise techniques that are used in the in-house personal training can produce good results provided they are done correctly the proper form and technique. In-house training uses a balance of cardio, weight training and nutrition.

in-house training offers the following services: general exercise and fitness, strength training and conditioning, abdominal and core conditioning training, aerobic or cardiovascular exercise, balance and flexibility training, muscle building and weight loss management, cardio kick box , Thai box cardio, according to motivation, E-mail and telephone coaching and nutrition counseling and weight control. One of the great advantages of in-house training is that you have someone who will be with you every step on the road. You will have someone to push you hard and hold hands when the going gets tougher and tougher.

Another thing that in-house training provides the latest method of doing this exercise, weight loss and dieting. Your personal trainer will prepare a diet chart for you to follow so that you can regulate and maintain your diet. Personal training also offers personalized training in terms of workouts, exercises and diet plan are all made according to your body's needs and fitness goals. In-house personal training session will not only shed that extra weight, but will also tone your body to your satisfaction. In this type of weight loss sessions, personalized attention allows you to speak with my coach and some of your regular diet and what to do. In-house personal training also includes taking care of his back injury prevention, body toning and sculpting and traditional strength training. It is a fitness program to help prevent all kinds of diseases. In-house training also enables you to reduce the heavy fees charged by the gym instructors.

The idea of in-house training is to catch up with more and more people because it is the best way to get back into shape without any extra pressure going into teretanu.Najbolja thing ou home personal training is that you are your own boss and the only person who can pressure you on your own.

Selling Your House With No Commissions

2011-09-07T18:51:00.001-07:00

Everyone likes to save money. But not everyone likes to work hard to do! Everyone wants someone else to do the job, so they can benefit. Selling houses is no exception. Almost every home for sale in this county with the help of real estate agent. Most members belong to national associations, which provides them with the title "realtor". "Realtor" is nothing more than a title awarded after the agent pays his / her duties for the national organization. Being a member does not make the agent better or worse, only identified with their vršnjacima.Realtor can guide you through the process of selling the house as long as you are willing to pay their fees. Agents use a combination of arrangements to protect them from the customer and the retailer (you ).

real estate agents have what is called "listing agreement", which basically says if you sell the house to anyone within the contract, you pay a commission. Most also include some time after the expiration of the contract, as well. That's right, if they find out you have sold after the expiration of the contract, could be responsible for the commissions. The second document is a standard contract of sale. This is a multi-page document that protects Members from all sorts of problems known to mankind.

Agents who are successful and have a full-time agent for many years the only ones I can recommend to you if you use an agent. Anyone can become an agent with a few classes and shorter working hours per week availability. Do not hire an agent just because he or she is your friend or friend of a friend. Need an interview a few and select. But then again, this article about selling your home, without intermediaries, so let's get to it.

Here you go - do not believe the first step in selling your home without hiring an agent is to contact several agents and they ground their way to market. Ask all kinds of questions, including how the list of houses to get top dollar. Then also ask how they will list if for it to sell in a week. Take notes, and after talking to minorities, to decide whether or not you can do sami.Cijela purpose of these interviews is to make sure it can handle all aspects of the sales process. Many people find that when they interview an agent, they decide not to sell yourself. On the other hand, people who go through this process and still decide to sell it to draw very well and they use what they learned from the interviews in their sales process. We will continue the assumption that you have chosen to go alone. The next step is to make a house sell-able.

Sell-state means that the move in condition. It also means that there are no repairs needed. In addition, there are no pictures or carpet to be replaced, and no visible wear anywhere. You'll need to remove any and all personal family pictures from the walls and sitting on stolovima.Kuća should prove to be a model for the best price. You need to de-clutter. Nothing is a mess and everything should be in place before a house showing a potential buyer. Clean, clean, clean!

Put away all possible small appliances in the kitchen to show how much counter space as possible. Make bath rooms have sealed sealing around tubs and other devices that have been cleaned or even replaced with completely new ones. Remember the new toilet very good show to potential customers and is only about $ 150 to the nearest home improvement store.

clean out the garage and make sure that no car is built to easily fit in even if today it's all storage. Remove all the "stuff" for a monthly rental storage units show that the large garage.

outside, especially if it is in the middle of winter, to replace all the areas in the lawn with sod so that it is completely green. Feed it with a 28-0-0 mixture for about two weeks before putting the house up for sale. This will help to show a nice green and good. Planting flowers in beds that are bare, and add mulch to show that it is well taken care of. Put away all the bikes, wagons and toys (inside too), so that there is an excess of disorder.

Now you're ready to decide what to sell it for based on your conversations with agents. Depending on how fast you want to sell, use the suggested list price minus commissions and fees (do not forget those fees). Remember that you will get a low-ball offers when you try to sell yourself, so be prepared to be offended, but do not let that bother you. You need to emotionally detach from the property at the moment and look at the immediate future and what will be an event after it has been sold.

Advertising house on every free site you can find. Just Google "for sale" and you'll see a bunch. Talk to every person who wants to see inside and ask them to bring their pre-approval (mortgage) a letter with them. If they do not have pre-approval letter you will be wasting your time showing them the house .

Once you get a quote, use an attorney for closing. Use of standard contracts in your country and make sure you use a reputable title or escrow company.

Or you can forget everything I wrote in this article, and some investors buy their kuću.Investitor as I can and ready, and we also have a home for sale. If you are looking for a lot of the big house, alone Add to My List of customers clicking on the link below and I'll send my deals as I get them.

Selling a House by Owner - 5 Easy Tips

2011-09-07T18:26:00.001-07:00

selling a house today can be very long and difficult task. Even paying for expensive real estate agent can not guarantee you a successful transaction. Do not fret. Follow these 5 simple steps and you'll be on track to sell your home.

# 1 Kick up your emotions OUT!
The vast majority of "for sale by owner" efforts were unsuccessful, because the seller gets your emotions involved. Remember, in the real world of emotional value is worthless.

# 2 Find your property value
Now you'll have to find the approximate value of your home. There are many ways to do this yourself. You can use the online sites that give you an approximate value of houses in a particular area. This method may not be used to assess the value of your home, but to show the value of other homes in your area for reference. Another way is to hire a real estate appraiser. Finding an honest appraiser may take a little research, but it may be worth it to get a real, up-to-date values.

# 3 presentation
If you are selling a house today, you'll have easy step before you begin to market your house. The presentation can be worn coffee or batteries. You would not buy a dirty house right? Make sure your house is clean and tidy. Home buyers are attracted to clean, spacious home. On top of all that is expected to carry out customer reviews before deciding on a purchase. Common examinations include pests and insects, foundation, roofing, plumbing, electrical, heating and septic.

# 4 marketing
When you're finally ready to sell your house you will find anywhere on the IT market. Otherwise, how would one know that you're selling your house. There are many online resources that you post your home online for free. You May also placed in local newspapers and classified. If neither of these approaches must include lots of pictures, after all, a picture is worth a thousand words. Another way to market your home is simply word of mouth. It can be a very effective approach because you May be able to find a buyer who can be trusted or recommended by someone you trust. When home sales and marketing, to find out who your house appeal. Is this the first time home owners, who are just starting your family? Investor who is looking to turn? Or a retired couple looking for a place to spend the rest of your life. Kim declared as a buyer, make sure that the market is hard on your goal.

# 5 Finance and Close
If your buyer paid cold, hard cash for your house, you will need to come up with a financing plan. The private sale you can offer your customer the ability to lease its own over a certain amount of monthly payments over time. It just depends on how you want to do. Once you and your customer decide how to finance your house, collect money and congratulations on selling your home!

Simple Tips for an Effective House Painting

2011-09-07T17:54:00.001-07:00

Although there are many experts who believe that the person should contact a professional painter, is still a lot of people who like to paint their houses on their own. If you want to save money by spending their time in painting your house, then you should read this article. I will be showing some of the things you need to know about painting the house, including a few tips that will improve your results house painting.

the first thing you do when you picture your house to make sure that windows and doors are opened. This will prevent the paint fumes from being trapped in the room. Never close the doors and windows until the paint to dry thoroughly.

When painting your home, you can put a few bowls filled with onion in the room. These bowls onion will absorb the steam out of the paint, and will help to remove the smell of paint. Make sure you replace the onion bowls with new tools to make them absorb the smoke.

is also necessary to use newspapers as a drop-catcher for the color. This will prevent the paint from falling on the places that should not be afraid. Make sure you properly dispose of these newspapers to clean a room after painting.

the next thing you need to remember when painting your house is to paint with one hand on drugu.Vrlo common mistake for most people is that the colors are vertically and horizontally, resulting in an uneven paint application. If you paint your house, make sure to apply paint only from one direction to indicate a different direction, either horizontally or vertically not horizontally and vertically. This will help you get the best results, and will make sure that the color is applied evenly.

These are some of the things to remember when painting your house. Always keep in mind these tips to ensure you have the best possible results. If you do not want to go through this process, then the best option you have is to contact a professional house painter. It will save you the trouble of painting your house, and will allow you to do more important things other than painting. Although it may cost more money, rest assured that you will save time by painting will be more than worth its price.

Choosing the Right Neighborhood Before Choosing the House Plans

2011-09-07T05:36:00.001-07:00

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The position is an important factor when you are considering building your dream home. Not only will it help to determine the design of the house under construction, but the place has a great impact on the value of a home under construction, as well. If you live in a neighborhood of high prices and your home is the most modest of other, more expensive homes will help to increase the value of your home. If your home is in the same price range as most of the homes around you, then you have a sound investment. However, if you live in a house that is worth more than homes around you, your home's value will be lower than you would if you was in second place. This is a bad investment choice.

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Here are a few other things to consider when looking for the right neighborhood before choosing house plans,:

Choose the neighborhoods that are close to your work, school, church, restaurants, shopping and recreation, as well as other sites you visit regularly.

neighborhoods to study the size and style of homes, state and lawn equipment okoliša.Stanje community areas, the fourth character, streets and sidewalks should be taken into account. Get a feel for the overall condition of the neighborhood.

If you are new to the area or are planning to have children in school to assess the future opportunities in this area. Research the school district, as well as individual elementary, middle and high school. Find out where the boundaries of the district to see if maybe there is a possibility of the District line changes, and your child to switch schools in the future.

Call the local police station and ask about the crime rate in the neighborhood and the community you are considering. Ask about what types of calls that are from that area.

Once you have narrowed your choices, visit the neighborhood at different times during the day. This will give you a sign of the traffic patterns, noise, and neighborhood activities. Take a walk, meet some people and ask questions about the neighborhood and how they like.

Finding the perfect neighborhood can be time consuming, but it is an important step in building your dream home. Once you find the perfect neighborhood, you can start searching for your ideal.

Hackers target Zimbabwe stock exchange

2011-08-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

From Columbus S. Mavhunga, CNN The stock exchange chief says they have hired IT experts to solve the problemThe company has 79 listed companies, but it does not conduct online tradingHacking is not common in Zimbabwe

Harare, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Computer hackers targeted the Zimbabwean stock exchange for the second time this week and used it as a phishing site, an official said Friday.

Phishing is a form of Internet fraud that targets personal information such as credit cards and user IDs.

The stock exchange chief said they have hired IT experts to solve the problem.

"We hope the IT experts will get to the bottom of the problem and identify the source by the end of the day (Friday)," said Emmanuel Munyukwi, the stock exchange chief executive. "The website is a popular source of information and I am sure we have lost a lot of potential investors since we took it offline."

The company has 79 listed companies, but it does not conduct trading on the Internet.

Hacking is not common in Zimbabwe.

Last year, hackers targeted the state-owned daily newspaper, The Herald, and this year, the website of the nation's finance ministry was also affected.

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Peliculas Online

Rains, flooding threaten Haiti as Emily disintegrates

2011-08-07T04:38:00.000-07:00

Tropical storm Emily downgradedNEW: No rain is reported in Port-au-Prince despite threat of heavy floodingTropical Storm Emily degenerates into a low pressure systemNearly 12,000 U.N. troops and police were on standby in Haiti

(CNN) -- Businesses reopened Friday in the Haitian capital after the threat of heavy rain and potential flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Emily failed to materialize.

"Everyone has gone back to work," said Yvetot Gouin from Port-au-Prince. "I was just downtown and everything seemed normal."

The dry day was a relief to hundreds of thousands of Haitians living in temporary quarters in the aftermath of the country's devastating 2010 earthquake.

Nearly 12,000 U.N. peacekeepers had been on emergency standby in the event of flooding and Thursday was declared a holiday in advance of the storm.

The United Nations had been making general preparations for the hurricane season when Emily threatened.

The government issued an alert advising residents that the storm's heavy rains could produce dangerous flooding and mudslides.

The storm degenerated as it hit the mountains of Hispaniola Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said. All storm warnings were canceled as a result.

Haiti continues to recover from the devastating earthquake that rocked the island in 2010. A cholera outbreak that was magnified by Hurricane Tomas last November, killed hundreds and infected nearly 2,000 people, the United Nations said.

Many are worried flooding from heavy rains could renew the spread of the disease.CNN's Jessica Gable and Ed Payne contributed to this report.

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Peliculas Online

Sydney teen tired, sore after chilling ordeal

2011-08-06T23:44:00.000-07:00

Parents thankful after Aussie bomb hoaxMadeleine Pulver, 18, is OK after the 10-hour ordeal"She is a little ... sore from holding this damned device in place for 10 hours," father saysAn extensive forensic examination is under way at the homePolice are also looking for the person behind the act -- and a motive

(CNN) -- For 10 long hours, the teen sat still as a bomb squad gingerly worked to remove a suspicious device strapped around her neck.

It was Wednesday afternoon in the affluent Australian suburb of Mosman when a masked man entered the home of 18-year-old Madeleine Pulver. He forcibly fit a strange object around her neck and fled.

Attached to it -- a note with "serious" demands, officials said without elaborating.

Bomb squads, negotiators and detectives rushed to the leafy suburb on Sydney Harbor, where sports stars and celebrities live.

Homes were evacuated; streets closed.

From a distance, Pulver's distraught parents -- well-respected and well-connected members of Sydney high society -- watched while four officers sat with her, keeping her calm.

But when the ordeal ended early Thursday, police discovered that the contraption they thought was a bomb contained no explosives. It was a hoax -- "a very, very elaborate hoax," said Luke Moore, the Australian police superintendent.

"We are treating this as an attempted extortion, a very serious attempted extortion," Moore said.

Now, police are looking for the person behind the act.

"We are unsure how the person we are looking for, the offender, gained entry to the premises, but certainly he managed to take Madeleine by surprise," police said.

Extensive "forensic examinations" are under way at the home, Moore said at a news conference Thursday.

"We have some initial lines of inquiry that we're following up and we will continue to do so."

Officers contacted explosives experts in Europe and the United Kingdom during the operation, said Mark Murdoch, the New South Wales police assistant commissioner.

"I'm not aware of anything like this happening in the country before, and I think that is what's made it so unusual," Murdoch told ABC Australia.

"Certainly the family is at a loss to explain this. But you wouldn't expect someone would go to this much trouble if there wasn't a motive behind it."

Pulver, who was taken to a hospital for assessment, was later released to her parents.

"I think she is waking up this morning in pretty good spirits," said her father, William Pulver.

"She is a little tired, a little sore from holding this damned device in place for about 10 hours," he said. "But she is now, as we are, eager to get on with her life."

Then, fighting back tears, he pleaded with the media for privacy.

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Peliculas Online

Global markets destabilized by 'toxic' cocktail

2011-08-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

Stock markets around the world reacted to political and economic uncertainty by selling shares, causing a crash.Politicians need to take prompt action to calm volatile markets, analysts sayDavid Buick: There could be a new round of quantitative easing (QE)Current collapse cannot be compared with the 2008 crash, says Buick

(CNN) -- Turbulence and uncertainty dominated the global financial markets on Friday as a lack of investor and trader confidence continued to drive share values downward.

The global equity sell-off and subsequent stock market fall -- the worst since the 2008 financial crisis -- was caused by a "toxic" cocktail of global economic factors and a lack of decisive political leadership, say leading economists.

Where are Europe's leaders?

With Italy and Spain hanging in the balance and the U.S. economy feeling the jitters, politicians need to take prompt action to calm volatile markets, analysts added.

Douglas McWilliams, Chief Executive of the London-based Center for Economics and Business Research, laid a fair portion of the blame on political leaders.

"Europe has given the impression that a little deal was done (regarding Euro debt crisis) but not very much else and they promised to go back and look at the issue after their summer holidays. This did not create a great image, especially among U.S. investors.

"Investors are worried about a default, they are very worried we are going to default in Italy, which is 21% of the Eurozone and is a very major economy. There is also the U.S. debt ceiling crisis and I don't think everyone feels very happy with the compromise.

"Italy isn't growing and that is the fundamental problem, if you aren't growing it is very difficult to reduce your debt burden."

David Buick, of BGC Partners, said: "Politicians need to stand up, in Europe politicians have been economical with the truth, especially regarding the European debt crisis. There has also been irresponsible behavior by Congress.

"A toxic cocktail (of economic factors) exacerbated by analysts and media-driven hysteria has caused much of this."

Why is Italy now at center of Europe's debt crisis?

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also appeared to show concern Thursday at the way the European debt was being handled by policymakers.

"In fact, the tensions in bond markets reflect a growing concern among investors about the systemic capacity of the euro area to respond to the evolving crisis," he said.

Buick believes there could be a new round of quantitative easing (QE) -- a method used by central bankers to help boost economic growth by printing money. He also thinks central banks will buy more toxic bonds to help stabilize their respective economies.

McWilliams also blamed the time of year for causing some of the problems and believes the markets have moved into "overreaction territory."

"In August the markets are very thin, there aren't so many people trading, and now the markets are even thinner than in the past, so anything that worries people, you get a massive overemphasized effect because the markets swing backwards and forwards."

However, Buick said the current collapse could not be compared with the 2008 fall.

"It is very serious and it could get more serious, but this is not 2008 all over again."

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Peliculas Online

Polar bear kills 1, injures 4 in Norway

2011-08-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

The polar bear has been killed, according to a statement from Svalbard governor's website.NEW: Explorer: Polar Bears top food chain ... you must wholly respect thatThe polar bear attacked a British school party camping at a glacierA teenage boy is killed and four people are injured, two in their teens and two in their 20sThe polar bear involved in the attack has been killed

(CNN) -- A 17-year-old British boy is dead and four others are severely injured after a polar bear attacked their tents as they took part in a school trip to the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, officials said Friday.

The five were among a group of 13 from a British school who were at the Von Postbreen glacier, a statement on the Svalbard governor's website said.

Those injured are 16, 17, 27 and 29 years old, the statement said. They are being flown to a hospital in the northern Norwegian city of Tromso, after initial treatment in Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in Svalbard, situated about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the glacier.

Police are investigating the attack, which occurred early Friday. The eight members of the party who were unharmed are also being cared for, the Svalbard governor's website said.

The polar bear has been killed, the statement added.

The United Kingdom's Foreign Office confirmed that a British national had been killed and said relatives of those involved had been informed.

"A consular team headed by the ambassador and the vice consul are on their way to the scene," a spokesman said.

A notice posted on the website earlier this year warned of polar bear sightings near Longyearbyen. Seeking out or disturbing polar bears is banned under local laws.

Jim McNeil, a polar explorer, told ITV-News reporters in London that explorers often set trip-wires around a camp that will create a disturbance when triggered, alerting everyone to the presence of a bear.

McNeil said it is possible that, in this instance, the trip-wire malfunctioned, or that the camp was simply been targeted by an enraged bear.

"Occasionally, very, very occasionally, you get a bear that is, for whatever reason, in a stinky bad mood and they are very difficult to deal with," he said. "In Svalbard, for example, the locals will shoot three bears on average, a year, because of encounters."

McNeil said people should always develop a watch system so that someone is always awake to alert the camp to bears. He added, ultimately, explorers have to rely on good training.

"Before you go out and you take on Mother Nature -- Polar Bears are top of the food chain ... and you must wholly respect that and you must be knowledgeable about what you're taking on," he said. CNN's Erin McLaughlin and Antonia Mortensen contributed to this report.

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Peliculas Online

Syrian protesters: 'God is with us'

2011-08-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Death toll rises in Hama, SyriaNEW: Tribal leaders in northeastern city of Deir Ezzor prepare for battleSyrian state TV airs video of HamaDemonstrations rage in Homs and DamascusHuman rights experts cite "systematic use of excessive force"

(CNN) -- Violence raged in the Syrian city of Hama as approximately a dozen people died and anti-government protests unfolded across the restive country.

Hama endured steady shelling and bombing Friday morning while the government's military offensive continued in full swing, said a resident whom CNN has not identified for his safety. The man said casualties had occurred, but couldn't say how many.

Elsewhere, opposition members said thousands kicked off marches across the country after Muslim prayers, as they have every Friday for weeks, demanding political reforms or the fall of the regime and railing against the violent security crackdown directed at peaceful protesters.

Each Friday, nationwide protests have had a theme. This week's is "God is With Us."

The Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an activist group, reported 15 deaths, 11 in the Damascus suburbs of Arbeen, Dumair, and Mouadamyeh, three in the western city of Homs, and one in the southern city of Daraa.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another activist group, reported 11 deaths and many injuries as security forces fired on demonstrators in Homs and around Damascus. It said tanks were in the northeastern city of Deir Ezzor.

There, tribal men were preparing for an assault by the military, according to a video posted on YouTube. The video shows a man telling tribal leaders that he had received information that the army would conduct an operation and asking the men to prepare.

Another man says that people in other areas have tried to resist peacefully, but without success. He says that jihad must be the answer if peaceful resistance does not succeed in effecting change. He adds that jihad would not be a waste of Muslim blood -- but a means of protecting it.

A third man says that more than five months of efforts to negotiate with the regime have proved fruitless, and that the regime is murderous.

At that point, a man in the background asked the men to stop filming. CNN could not confirm the authenticity of the video.

More than 2,000 people, the vast majority of them protesters, have died since anti-government demonstrations erupted nearly five months ago, the observatory said. Activists blame the deaths of demonstrators on security forces, but the Syrian government has consistently attributed the violence to "armed groups."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said President Bashar al-Assad has lost legitimacy as a leader and noted the mounting death toll.

"Sometimes you lose sight of the incredible tragedy unfolding on the streets by just looking at the numbers which are so numbing, but the shooting death of a 1-year-old recently by the Syrian regime's tanks and troops is a very stark example of what is going on," she told reporters Thursday.

"We think, to date, the government is responsible for the deaths of more than 2,000 people of all ages."

Hama, a center of the country's anti-government movement, has been hit particularly hard in recent days by clashes and a military offensive.

Hama was the site of the bloody 1982 crackdown by the Alawite-dominated government against a Muslim Brotherhood uprising. Memories of that siege, carried out by the late President Hafez al-Assad, the current president's father, have reverberated across the country and in the city.

Syria state TV, which aired video of a tank and rubble on deserted Hama streets Friday, reported that the army carried out an operation "to restore the peace of mind to the families" of Hama.

The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency has said "armed terrorist groups perpetrated acts of sabotage and killing through setting up barricades, braking off roads, attacking and burning police stations using different kinds of weapons."

The resident who spoke to CNN said he fled his Hama neighborhood because of the intensity of the shelling and gunfire. With sounds of gunfire and blasts audible in the background, he said, "From this morning, shelling and bombing haven't stopped for three hours."

"They shoot right and left, right and left. We can't go anywhere. ... There are snipers all around."

The Hama resident, who spoke via satellite phone, said electricity, water, mobile, landlines, and Internet lines had been cut.

"Tanks have entered the city. I know some injured people in the hospital -- three injured people in the hospital that have passed away because the electricity has been cut. Children, babies have passed away."

Compounding the devastation is the mounting humanitarian emergency, the resident said, citing a lack of electricity and rotting food.

"So now we don't have food to eat," he said. "We just are fasting."

On Thursday, at least 109 people died in and around Hama, said Avaaz, a global activist group, citing a medical source. Another activist network, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, said 30 people were killed Wednesday in Hama.

CNN is unable to independently confirm death tolls or events in Syria, which has restricted access to the country by international journalists, including CNN's.CNN's Arwa Damon, Nada Husseini, Kamal Ghattas, Salma Abdelaziz, Tracy Doueiry and Jack Maddox contributed to this report

Thai lawmakers vote for first female prime minister

2011-08-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (C) gives a traditional greeting to members of parliament in Bangkok, on August 2.Yingluck Shinawatra has to be proclaimed by the nation's kingIf King Bhumibol Adulyadej proclaims her, she will be the 28th prime minister in Thai historyYingluck is the younger sister of one of Thailand's most polarizing political figures

Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- The Thai parliament elected the nation's first female prime minister Friday, with more than half the lawmakers backing her vote.

Yingluck Shinawatra has to be proclaimed by the nation's king before she can officially take office. If King Bhumibol Adulyadej proclaims her, she will be the 28th prime minister in Thai history.

Yingluck won 296 votes in the nearly 500-member parliament.

"The first thing I want to do is help people on their economic situation," she said last month.

Yingluck is the younger sister of one of Thailand's most polarizing political figures, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup.

He left the country two years later after being convicted on conflict of interest charges -- accusations he denies.

Yingluck's critics worry she will do her brother's bidding -- something she has denied.

"There is a lot more hard work to do in the future for the well-being of our sisters and brothers, the people of Thailand," she said last month. "There are many things to accomplish to make reconciliation possible, paving the way for a solid foundation for a flourishing nation."

Tensions between the Democratic Party and the Pheu Thai party, which reflect deep divisions within Thai society, erupted last year, leading to a military crackdown. More than 90 people were killed and hundreds were injured.

After the riots, the Thai government pledged to work toward national reconciliation to heal class and political divisions, though the divide between the two groups remains wide.CNN's Licia Yee contribute to this report

Report: China relaxes birth restrictions after mudslide

2011-08-06T02:37:00.000-07:00

A search and rescue crew working in the aftermath of the landslide in Zhouqu on August 12, 2010.Restrictions are eased so families that lost children can have more, Xinhua saysWomen are offered free operations to reverse birth-control procedures A mudslide last year in Zhouqu county left more than 1,700 people dead or missingChina enforces strict family planning controls to limit its population growth

(CNN) -- China has relaxed its strict birth-control restrictions for families that lost children in a mudslide that killed hundreds in the northwest last year, state media reported Friday.

Women in the Zhouqu area who underwent procedures to prevent further pregnancies such as having their fallopian tubes tied can now have a free reverse operation, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

Liang Jianjun, head of Zhouqu's family planning bureau, said women from 27 families have had such operations.

"Some of these women are pregnant now," he is quoted as saying by Xinhua.

China enforces a strict family-planning policy that limits most families in urban areas to only one child, although those in the countryside and certain ethnic areas are allowed more.

In Zhouqu, rural families can have two children, while those in five Tibetan-dominated towns and villages can have three, Xinhua reported.

The easing of government restrictions means families who lost children in the mudslide can now have more to fill the "quotas," a government official told the news service.

The mudslide in August last year left more than 1,700 people dead or missing in Zhouqu County, in northwestern Gansu province, Xinhua said.

Thousands of homes collapsed or were damaged in the disaster, which followed weeks of heavy rains and flooding.

China's three-decade-old population control policy is controversial.

Some critics have urged Beijing to relax it, saying it has skewed China's population and that better-off families have been able to bribe officials into allowing them more children.

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4 Afghans gunned down in anti-NATO demonstration

2011-08-05T21:53:00.000-07:00

In addition to the four deaths, five others are wounded during the demonstration3 NATO service members are killed in separate incidents1,680 NATO troops have died in Afghanistan since 2001, at least 1,577 of them American

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Four people were shot dead Friday in an anti-NATO demonstration in southern Afghanistan during an exchange of gunfire that took place amid a protest over civilian casualties, police said.

The violence erupted in Qalat -- the provincial capital of the country's southern border province of Zabul -- and left three civilians and one police officer dead, according to the provincial police chief, Abdul Elham.

Five others were injured in the firefight, he said.

Elham did not offer details regarding the previous civilian casualties, which allegedly occurred the night before, and it's not clear how Friday's protest turned deadly.

NATO officials acknowledged troops took part with Afghan security forces in a raid targeting Taliban insurgents that spanned Thursday night into Friday morning.

The insurgents are believed to have escaped through a municipal irrigation channel, according to International Security Assistance Force spokesman Capt. Pietro D'Angelo.

He said that NATO is not aware of any civilian casualties that resulted from the raid, but local officials say that the following morning hundreds took to the streets in protest.

Meanwhile, NATO reported that three service members were killed in separate incidents in southern Afghanistan. No details about their deaths were reported.

As of Friday, at least 1,577 U.S. soldiers have died in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion, according to Defense Department figures. The total number of NATO troops killed since the war began is 1,680.

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Nigeria's oil cleanup could take 30 years

2011-08-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

U.N.: Nigeria oil cleanup lengthy, costlyA landmark U.N. report says the cleanup could be world's largest-everThe Niger Delta's waterways are devastated from more than 6,800 spills Shell oil company admits liability for two spillsThe Delta's Bodo people are suing Shell for damages

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- Restoration of Nigeria's environmentally devastated oil-producing Niger Delta region could take up to 30 years, cost $1 billion and become the largest cleanup operation in history, the United Nations said Thursday.

A landmark report from the U.N. Environmental Program (UNEP) concluded that pollution from more than 50 years of oil operations in Nigeria's Ogoniland region is more far-reaching than thought. The assessment, commissioned by the Nigerian government and funded by oil giant Shell, comes on the heels of the company admitting liability for two spills in Nigeria.

Nigeria's Niger Delta, the world's third largest wetland, is diverse and rich with mangroves and fish-rich waterways. But oil drilling has turned it into one of the most oil-polluted places on Earth with more than 6,800 recorded oil spills, accounting for anywhere from 9 million to 13 million barrels of oil spilled, according to activist groups.

But the environmental disaster has never received the kind of attention paid to last year's oil catastrophe along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Amnesty International, which has researched the human rights impacts of pollution in the Delta, said people in the region have experienced oil spills on par with the Exxon Valdez disaster every year for the last half century.

Many residents make their livelihoods from fishing and are dependent on the polluted mangroves and creeks.

"This report proves Shell has had a terrible impact in Nigeria, but has got away with denying it for decades, falsely claiming they work to best international standards," said Audrey Gaughran, the monitoring group's global issues director.

In a statement issued Thursday night, Shell said the two spills to which it has admitted liability amounted to about 4,000 barrels. The statement from Mutiu Sunmonu, managing director of Shell's Nigerian subsidiary, blamed most of the spills on sabotage or attempts to steal oil.

"It is regrettable that any oil is spilt anywhere, but it is wildly inaccurate to suggest that those two spills represent anything like the scale which some reports refer to," Sunmonu said. He called on the Nigerian government "to end the blight of illegal refining and oil theft in the Niger Delta."

In a 2009 report, Amnesty cited independent environmental and oil experts in estimating that between 9 million and 13 million of barrels had leaked in the five decades of oil operations in the Delta. It also quoted U.N. figures of more than 6,800 recorded spills between 1976 and 2001.

Oil companies operating in the region believe the figures are exaggerated.

In the 1990s, Shell was forced to stop operating in Ogoniland after mass protests against the lack of investment and environmental damage culminated in a military crackdown.

Then, a special tribunal found Nigerian writer-activist Ken Saro-Wiwa guilty of complicity in the murders of four Ogoni chiefs. The government executed him and other activists in a move widely condemned internationally.

Shell last year paid $15.5 million in an out-of-court settlement in a civil case brought by members of Saro-Wiwa's family and others.

Now Shell has accepted responsibility for two oil spills in 2008 and 2009.

The Bodo fishing community sued Shell in Britain alleging that oil spills in 2008 and 2009 had destroyed the environment and ruined the livelihoods of 69,000 people.

Martyn Day, who represents the Bodo people, said cases like this one languished in the Nigerian court system for years, if not decades. That's why the claim was brought in London, Day said.

"In the end there was no resolution, no compensation and there was no cleanup," Day said.

He said Shell could have to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements.

The U.N. assessment team examined more than 200 locations over a 14-month period for the assessment.

Among its findings:

-- Some areas that appear unaffected at the surface are in reality severely contaminated underground.

-- In at least 10 Ogoni communities contaminated water has seriously threatened public health.

-- In one community, at Nisisioken Ogale, families are drinking water from wells contaminated with benzene, a carcinogen, at levels over 900 times above World Health Organization guidelines.

Individual contaminated land areas in Ogoniland can be cleaned up within five years, the report said. But heavily affected mangroves and swamplands will take up to 30 years.

Before any clean-up can begin, the report said, ongoing contamination has to end.CNN's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report.

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Workers find ultra-high radiation levels at Fukushima

2011-08-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

Lethal radiation levels at Japan plantNEW: The hot spot may have resulted from reactor venting, a U.S. expert saysTokyo Electric Power Company is investigating the cause of the high radiationThese are the highest radiation levels since the early days of the disasterA single 60-minute dose would be fatal to humans within weeks
Tokyo (CNN) -- Workers at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have discovered a radioactive hot spot far more lethal than anything previously recorded at the damaged facility, the plant's owner reported Tuesday.
The reading at the base of a ventilation tower between the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors Monday afternoon was 10,000 millisieverts per hour, the Tokyo Electric Power Company announced -- high enough that a 60-minute exposure could kill a man or woman within weeks. A U.S. expert told CNN that radioactive particles most likely concentrated in that area in the first days of the disaster, as plant operators tried to vent the damaged reactors.
By comparison, the average resident of an industrialized country receives 3 millisieverts of background radiation per year, while the highest level reported in the days following the disaster was about 400 millisieverts.
Tokyo Electric immediately cordoned off the area and is investigating both the cause of the high radiation and how it will affect the recovery work, company spokesman Naoki Tsunoda said. None of the workers who made the discovery have been injured, the company said.
The Fukushima Daiichi plant, located about 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Tokyo, was flooded by the tsunami that followed Japan's March 11 earthquake. The result was the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, as the plant's three operating reactors melted down and spewed vast quantities of radioactive particles across the surrounding area.
The disaster has caused Japan to rethink its commitment to nuclear energy, and Germany has since announced plans to abandon atomic power entirely by 2022.
Gary Was, a nuclear engineering professor at the University of Michigan, said the location of the hot spot suggests the radioactive material was filtered from air and steam released to relieve pressure inside the reactors during the meltdowns.
"As they were venting, either intentionally or unintentionally, the building air was being sent through filters," Was said. Those filters may have been concentrating radioactive particles "into one spot," he said.
Was said the use of a gamma-ray camera could help identify whether the source of the radioactivity was reactor waste products, bits of nuclear fuel or both. Tokyo Electric mounted a gamma-ray camera on a three-meter (9.75-foot) pole to capture images of the hot spot Monday, the company said.
Tokyo Electric says it expects to fully wind down the crisis at Fukushima Daiichi sometime between October and January. Engineers are struggling to manage an estimated 100,000 tons of highly contaminated water that was used to cool the reactors during the emergency, and Was said workers may face issues similar to the one discovered Monday as they try to decontaminate that fluid.
"Those filters are going to be screaming hot," he said. "As bad as the water is, those filters are going to be worse."CNN's Matt Smith contributed to this report.

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Al Qaeda affiliate threatens Somalia's starving

2011-08-04T03:43:00.000-07:00

Ramadan strike launched in SomaliaRamadan begins in Somalia where Al-Shabaab militants use it to rally supporters
But Al-Shabaab's grip on the loyalty of Somalis feels more tenuous this year
Famine, and an Al-Shabaab ban on international aid, has forced many to flee
U.N. estimates 1.5 million have left Al-Shabaab strongholds for African Union-controlled areas in Mogadishu

Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN) -- The Ramadan offensive has begun here, an obvious date to rally supporters of the al Qaeda affiliated Al-Shabaab militant group, but this year feels a little different.

I was in the Somali capital two years ago and every night, just before the call to prayer signaled the breaking of the fast, we'd hear a cacophony of mortar rounds and gunfights.

Somali friends told me back then the militants believed dying in battle while still fasting would ensure they "entered heaven without even taking their shoes off."

This year Al-Shabaab's grip on the capital and the loyalty of Somalis feels more tenuous. Since I was last here in 2009 the rains have failed and the drought has spread bringing with it famine and desperation.

Ramadan strike launched in Somalia

Al-Shabaab insists that the famine crippling their families and communities is a "crusader" invention -- an excuse for occupation. For al-Shabaab, the crusader term can apply to anyone opposing them and can include the U.N., international aid groups and the African Union.

Even as crops withered and livestock starved, Al-Shabaab kept its ban on aid groups operating in territory it controls in Southern and Central Somalia, and parts of the capital.

That's when people began defying them and making their way -- many walking for days -- to the capital, Mogadishu.

The drought is Somalia's worst in 60 years and the U.N. refugee agency estimates 1.5 million Somalis have arrived in the capital.

Meanwhile, African Union intelligence sources say Al-Shabaab is massing hundreds of troops in the parts of Mogadishu it controls for a show of force during Ramadan, which began Monday.

The migrants have made their way to the areas of the capital controlled by the African Union forces supporting the fragile Somali Transitional Federal Government.

Even that is not enough to guarantee their safety.

We met Faiza and her three-year-old daughter, Hanim, in the ward of an AU clinic.

After Hanim recovered from the malnutrition that first brought her to the clinic a month ago, her mother told us, she was readmitted a week later for surgery to remove a stray bullet.

But Al-Shabaab, which has regularly operated from civilian areas, has been left militarily exposed as the civilians flee from them. Without the civilians for cover Al-Shabaab is more at risk from a military offensive.

Perhaps realizing that, they've tried to target the displacement camps in the capital -- an attempt to scare people into returning home.

For now that tactic isn't working but it has raised concern among U.N. agencies at the potential risk posed by Al-Shabaab to jeopardize aid deliveries.

Some people here now see Al-Shabaab as the architects of this famine. One man we met in a camp said: "Nature is always cruel but Al-Shabaab are the real killers."

The last time I was here, the AU controlled just the sea port, airport and State House. Today it also controls eight of the 17 districts that make up Mogadishu.

They're hoping these successes will convince the world that Somalia is not a lost cause and most importantly finally secure some much needed support before it's too late.

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Video shows bodies tossed like trash

2011-08-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

YouTube video shows men tossing bodies into a riverThe incident is said to have occurred in HamaThere is evidence of a violent fringe element amid anti-government forcesSyrian state TV airs video, claiming it's of rebels dumping loyalists

(CNN) -- The bloodied bodies lay stuffed and tangled in the back of a pickup like garbage.

Men lifted the bodies one by one and hurled from them from a bridge into a river below as cursing filled the air.

"Brother of a whore!" they shouted as the corpses splashed and the water ran red. "Animals!" "Dogs!"

At one point, a voice asks mockingly, "This is a soldier?"

Report: Syrian army stretched amid uprising

This scene, said to have been shot in Syria, surfaced in a video on YouTube, where images of anti-government ferment and violence have emerged consistently since unrest started in the nation in mid-March.

CNN could not verify the authenticity of the video, but it illustrates the hostility of the nearly five-month-old conflict across Syria between regime forces and anti-government protesters.

It is not clear who the victims were. Were they among the 1,600 civilians or 370 security forces slain in the unrest?

The posting on the video says the bodies are anti-government forces being dumped by thugs loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian state TV has aired the video, saying that the bodies are being dumped by anti-government protesters. A banner said the incident took place in Hama over the Orontes River.

Razan Zaitouneh, a Syrian activist, said activists doubt the incident could have happened at the Hama location because the river is dry at this time of year.

But one prominent anti-government activist, who asked not to be named because of the dangers that could arise from the release of the information, told CNN the state TV account was correct.

The bodies are those of Syrian secret police killed by Syrian fighters from Iraq who have joined the anti-government fight, said the activist, who gets information about the goings-on in Syria from an extensive network of informants.

That same activist stressed that the antagonists are not representative of the protest movement.

Violent fringe elements have appeared during the Syrian tumult. One study last month from the International Crisis Group said some anti-government elements have taken up arms.

However, that report said, "the vast majority of casualties have been peaceful protesters, and the vast majority of the violence has been perpetrated by the security services."

The activist said the emergence of this video is a double-edged sword for protesters.

On the one hand, the peaceful demonstrators need to become aware of the existence of fringe elements, he said. This would encourage more people to reject both the regime and these types of attacks and maintain the aims of peaceful protest, he said.

At the same time, he added, the incident gives credence to the Syrian government's assertion that it is targeting "armed gangs." Such violence, he said, could cause the international community to hesitate in continuing its mounting pressure against the Syrian regime.

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Suspect in tourist murders arrested

2011-08-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

Police officers on Saturday stand at the entrance to a hiking trail where two French tourists were killed in Salta, Argentina.An official reportedly does not rule out the possibility of more arrestsThe bodies of two French tourists were found last weekPolice sources say evidence indicates one was sexually assaulted

Buenos Aires (CNN) -- Authorities in Argentina have arrested a suspect in the case of two French tourists found dead near a hiking trail last week, the state-run Telam news agency reported on Monday.

The suspect, who was not named in the report, was arrested in the early morning, the agency said, citing Pablo Kosiner, the minister of government and provincial security in Salta province.

He did not rule out the possibility of more arrests, said Telam, which made no mention of a possible motive in the murders.

Other tourists found the bodies of the female victims, who were 23 and 29 years old, Telam reported. They were last seen in the hostel where they were staying on July 16.

The women were "viciously" killed, one shot in the head and the other in the back, the agency said, citing Marcelo Baez, a spokesman for the judicial authority in Salta.

Baez said authorities suspect they could have been held for several days before being killed. Their bodies were found Friday, the Salta government said in a statement.

Evidence indicates one of the victims was sexually assaulted, Telam said, citing police sources.

Their bodies were found in the area of the San Lorenzo ravine in northern Argentina.

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Suicide bombers raid Afghan guesthouse

2011-08-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

Three militants attack a guesthouse in northern Afghanistan with guns and explosivesAt least three guards are killed and 10 others are woundedThe men exchange gunfire with police for at least two hoursThe Taliban has since taken credit for the attack

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Three heavily armed militants attacked a guesthouse in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing at least three guards and wounding 10 others, officials said.

The first attacker set-off an explosive device in a vehicle at the building's main gate, allowing three other militants to enter the compound and eventually detonate their bombs, an Interior Ministry statement said.

Nine civilians and one police officer were injured in the attack, according to Mohibullah Saidi, a spokesman for the Kundoz provincial governor.

The gunmen exchanged fire with police for at least two hours in an attack that the Taliban has claimed responsibility for.

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Man arrested in UK phone-hacking probe

2011-08-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

A gap where the News of the World's logo used to be outside News International's headquarters in east London.A 71-year-old man is the 11th person arrested over a phone hacking and bribery scandalThe man arrested is the former managing editor of the News of the World, Sky News saysHis arrest is by police investigating alleged phone hacking and bribery by a British newspaperThe phone hacking claims have rocked the British media, police and political establishment

London (CNN) -- A 71-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an investigation into phone hacking, London's Metropolitan Police said Tuesday.

The man, who has not been named, is being held on suspicion of conspiracy to intercept communications and corruption allegations, a police statement said.

The arrest is the latest to follow claims of phone hacking and bribery by staff at the now-defunct News of the World newspaper, which was run by News International, the British subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. media empire.

The man held is believed to be Stuart Kuttner, former managing editor of News of the World, according to UK broadcaster Sky News, which is also part of News Corp.

News International told CNN it had no comment to make over the arrest.

The man was arrested by appointment at a north London police station on Tuesday morning by officers involved in probes into alleged phone hacking and illegal payments to police, known as Operations Weeting and Elveden respectively, the Metropolitan Police said.

The scandal has rocked the British public's trust in the media, the police and the political establishment and led to the resignation of executives at News International, the News of the World's parent company, and of senior police officers.

Eleven people have now been arrested in connection with the two investigations, with former News of the World editor Andy Coulson and former News International executive Rebekah Brooks among them.

All have been released on bail except the latest suspect arrested, the police said.

CNN Correspondent Dan Rivers says that Kuttner was very much the public face of News of the World over the years, so his arrest would be a significant step as police seek to uncover who knew what about alleged illegal practices at the paper.

Brooks, News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch and his son James, a senior News Corp. executive, were questioned by British lawmakers last month over what they knew about apparent misconduct by staff working for News International.

And Brooks and James Murdoch were on Friday asked by a Parliament committee to clarify some of the testimony they gave after questions were raised by former senior figures within News International.

Journalists from News of the World stand accused of hacking into the voice mail of potentially thousands of people and of bribing police. This scandal led the company to shutter the paper, one of the best-selling in the English-speaking world, on July 10.

It also prompted two top police officers to resign and has put pressure on British Prime Minister David Cameron, who hired Coulson to be his spokesman after he resigned from News of the World when two staff were convicted in a previous phone hacking inquiry. Coulson has denied knowledge of wrongdoing.

The ripples of the scandal have also spread to the United States, where News Corp. is based.

Last week, the company ordered its New York Post employees to "preserve and maintain" documents related to possible phone hacking or bribery of public officials.

In Britain, some 60 police officers are trawling through vast amounts of evidence, including notes seized from a private investigator employed for several years by News of the World, Glenn Mulcaire.

Mulcaire was jailed in 2007 after being convicted of intercepting royal voice mail. When police arrested him in 2006, they seized 11,000 pages of documents with the names of 3,870 potential victims of illegal eavesdropping.

A statement issued on his behalf Friday repeated his apology to those hurt by his actions -- and suggested he did not bear sole responsibility.

"As an employee, he acted on the instructions of others. There were also occasions when he understood his instructions were from those who genuinely wished to assist in solving crimes," the statement said. "Any suggestion that he acted in such matters unilaterally is untrue. In the light of the ongoing police investigation, we cannot say any more."CNN's Dan Rivers contributed to this report.

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30 killed in ongoing ethnic clashes in Pakistan

2011-08-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ethnic and political violence has led to the deaths of more than 1,000 people this year, Pakistani human rights groups say.60 motorcycles were burned Sunday, police sayPolice blame the rampant violence in Karachi on ethnic and political rivalriesMore than 1,000 people have been killed this yearThree political parties are in a bitter power feud

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- At least 30 people were killed in Karachi on Monday night and Tuesday, the latest deaths in cycle of ethnic and political violence in Pakistan's commercial capital.

On Sunday, 60 motorcycles and five vehicles were burned in the city, said Murtaza Ali, a Karachi police official.

The violence has killed more than 1,000 people this year, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Nearly 200 people were slain in July alone.

The rampant violence appears to have little to do with the Taliban and other Islamist extremist groups that are viewed by western leaders as Pakistan's most pressing security problem.

Rather, police and government officials say the violence is fueled by bitter ethnic rivalries and political parties vying for power in this mega-melting pot, home to roughly 15 million people from at least a half-a-dozen ethnic groups.

Three political parties are usually at the center of the fight for power in Karachi: the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Awami National Party (ANP), and Pakistan's People Party (PPP).

The PPP, led by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, considers Karachi its political base, but politics here is dominated by the MQM, which represents "muhajirs," the descendants of immigrants from India decades ago.

In recent years, the MQM's power has been challenged by the ANP, a secular party that represents ethnic Pashtuns.

Hundreds of thousands of ANP supporters have migrated south to Karachi because of the militant violence in their home region of northwest Pakistan. Analysts say a general lack of law and order has allowed supporters of these parties to adopt a gang mentality.

Like gangs, the factions often control different regions of Karachi that are usually off-limits to rivals.

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Church bombing wounds at least 20

2011-08-03T04:16:00.000-07:00

Iraqis sit outside the Holy Family church in the north of Kirkuk after a car bomb exploded wounding at least 20 people.A car bomb targets a church in central KirkukAt least 20 people are woundedA church attack in October killed 70 peopleReligious minorities -- non-Muslims -- make up less than 5% of Iraq's population

Baghdad (CNN) -- A car bomb exploded outside a Catholic church in central Kirkuk, Iraq, early Tuesday, wounding at least 20 people, authorities said.

The attack took place in Kirkuk's Shatterlo neighborhood around 5:30 a.m. (10:30 p.m. Monday ET), according to a police official who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The wounded included staff from the Holy Family Church and people with homes nearby.

The Interior Ministry said 23 people were injured.

The explosion damaged the church and a number of nearby houses, police said. Kirkuk is an ethnically divided city located about 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad.

In the past years, extremists have carried out major attacks against churches.

An October 31 attack on the Sayidat al-Nejat Cathedral, or Our Lady of Salvation Church, left 70 people dead and 75 wounded, including 51 congregants and two priests.

The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group that includes a number of Sunni Muslim extremist organizations and has ties to al Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility for the Baghdad church siege.

Religious minorities, such as Christians and Yazidis, make up less than 5% of Iraq's population, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Since 2003, attacks against these minorities by insurgents and religious extremists have driven more than half of the minorities out of the country, according to UNHCR statistics.

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