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2010-03-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

Bugs in the gut can cause obesity

2010-03-07T03:05:00.000-08:00

CHICAGO: The bugs that help digest food may also cause the body to pack on the pounds if they are not properly regulated, a new study has found.

That is because if the wrong kinds of bacteria take over they can cause a low-level inflammation that leads to a pre-diabetic condition and an elevated appetite, the study published Thursday in the journal Science found.

"It has been assumed that the obesity epidemic in the developed world is driven by an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the abundance of low-cost, high-calorie foods," said senior author Andrew Gewirtz of Emory University School of Medicine.

"However, our results suggest that excess caloric consumption is not only a result of undisciplined eating but that intestinal bacteria contribute to changes in appetite and metabolism."

Gewirtz and his colleagues studied mice that were genetically engineered to be deficient in a key immune system protein - TLR5 - which helps cells sense the presence of bacteria.

"This protein serves as the neighborhood cop of the intestinal community," Gewirtz said.

"It knows which bacteria it has to keep in check and it knows not to apply too much force and doesn't harm the good bacteria."

The immune system can continue to regulate bacteria without TLR5, but it does a poorer job. The bacterial composition changes, a low level inflammation sets in and insulin receptors are desensitized.

The protein-deficient mice ate about 10 percent more food and ended up about 20 percent heavier than normal mice.

They also developed metabolic syndrome, a cluster of disorders that in humans increases the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

While it was possible to get the mice to keep the weight off by restricting their food intake, they continued to show a decreased sensitivity to insulin.

That suggests that "at least some portion of obesity may result from insulin resistance rather than the commonly held view that type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance is a consequence of obesity," Gewirtz said.

Another key discovery was that if these bacteria were transferred to the intestines of mice which were not deficient in the protein, they would also develop metabolic syndrome.

This only worked, however, in mice whose intestines had been cleared of all other bacteria.

Humans have relatively stable intestinal bacterial populations which are acquired at birth but can be influenced by diet and antibiotics.

However, other studies have found that this baseline bacterial population is changing as a result of improvements in sanitation and the widespread use of antibiotics.

"It suggests that a portion of the epidemic of obesity and metabolic symptoms may be resulting from early environmental conditions that affect one's gut microbiota," Gewirtz said in a telephone interview.

While the study suggests a possible genetic predisposition to obesity, a deficiency in the TLR5 only affects a small percentage of the population, he said.

Changes in intestinal bacterial compositions could be significantly more widespread and could potentially one day be resolved by giving babies the right kind of bacteria before the wrong kind settles in, he added.

Indian firm launches handset with 'AAA' battery power

2010-03-07T03:01:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: An Indian mobile phone company has launched a low-cost handset that uses commonly available AAA-sized batteries aimed at the hundreds of millions who live in areas where power supplies are erratic.

Priced at 1,699 rupees (35 dollars), Olive Telecommunications' "FrvrOn" -- short for "forever on" -- has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery common to mobile phones, but also a facility to include a AAA, dry-cell battery.

"We have electrification all across the country but the power supply is erratic," marketing manager Ravi Perti said.

"With our phone, all one needs to do is pack a few extra cells (batteries) if one is travelling in areas where one expects power supply disruptions."

He said the phone would run for three hours non-stop on the lithium battery and for another hour with a conventional battery.

Though predominantly for the rural market, the handset "is suitable for the urban user as well. It is aimed at the heavy duty user who would need emergency battery backup," Perti said.

Government figures show more than 10,000 impoverished Indian villages have no access to grid electricity. Power cuts are common even in the smarter suburbs of cities including New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

Based in Gurgaon, a sprawling city next to the Indian capital New Delhi, Olive Telecommunication is a manufacturer of handsets and laptops.

India, the world's fastest-expanding mobile market, adds an average of 15 million customers every month, according to figures from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) posted on its website.

According to government figures, 45 out of every 100 people in India now have a mobile phone and use is rising sharply in rural areas thanks to the world's lowest call costs.

Car bomb kills 4 Iranian pilgrims before Iraq poll

2010-03-06T03:32:00.000-08:00

NAJAF: A car bomb exploded in Iraq's holy city of Najaf on Saturday, killing four Iranian pilgrims a day before a national election, officials said.

The explosion gutted at least two tour buses parked at a garage near the revered Imam Ali shrine, which draws millions of Shi'ite Muslim faithful from Iraq and Iran each year.

Louay al-Yassiri, a member of the local provincial council, said that in addition to the Iranian pilgrims killed, the blast wounded seven people, including three Iraqi police.

At least 45 people have been killed over the past few days as the election campaign drew to a close, some of them members of the security forces who were voting early.

Five killed in attack on Tanzanian wedding

2010-03-06T03:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
DAR ES SALAAM: Five people were killed when unidentified gunmen raided a wedding party at a village in northern Tanzania, police said on Saturday.

Seven people were injured in the incident that occurred in Tarime district, Mara region, on Thursday night.

"The attackers were armed with machetes and firearms and killed five people at the wedding ceremony," Tarime police commander Constantine Massawe said.

"Police have launched an investigation into the incident to establish if it was part of the inter-clan fighting that has been going on in the region or otherwise."

Mara region is prone to clan fighting and other forms of violence, sparked by disputes over land and livestock ownership.

In 2008, Barrick Gold Corp. was forced to suspend operations at its North Mara mine after about 200 people charged the mine and clashed with security personnel, causing about $15 million in damages.

British soldier killed by explosion in Afghanistan

2010-03-06T03:28:00.001-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
LONDON: A British soldier has been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence here said on Saturday.

The explosion occurred near Sangin in Helmand Province on Friday, though the death was not connected to the ongoing Operation Mushtarak to crush the Taliban insurgency, the MoD added in a statement.

"It is my sad duty to inform you that yesterday a British soldier from 3 RIFLES died as a result of an explosion in Sangin, northern Helmand," said Task Force Helmand spokesman Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield.

"He was on a foot patrol to the south-west of Patrol Base Blenheim when he was struck by an explosion. He died in the course of his duty and among his comrades. He will be sorely missed and we will remember him."

Next of kin have been informed.

The death brings to 269 the number of British troops killed since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001.

Britain has around 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, largely battling Taliban militants in Helmand.

Los Angeles readies for Oscars

2010-03-06T03:25:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010:::LOS ANGELES: Hollywood is in full-on Oscar mode.
The red carpet has been laid out in front of the Kodak Theatre, topped with a plastic sheet in case of rain. Traffic is snarled. Tourists are flocking to Hollywood & Highland to see a bit of the Academy Awards preparations and snap photos of themselves with giant Oscar statues.
The theater itself buzzes with activity, as rehearsals continue from morning until night, with the occasional celebrity quietly stepping in to practice presenting the coveted golden guy.

It's Oscar week, and Tinseltown is all aflutter.
Dana Delany, Kathy Najimy, Ty Burrell and Rachael Leigh Cook were among the celebrities who recorded public service announcements for the Creative Coalition Friday at Haven 360, an Oscar-week suite comprising gifting, parties and support for the arts.
Creative Coalition co-president Tim Daly is directing the public service announcements, which show stars singing the ABC's, as part of the organization's lobbying efforts to increase funding for arts education in public schools.
The videos will be presented at the Creative Coalition's Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. next month, along with a companion book, "Art & Soul," that features portraits of actors and their handwritten messages about what art means to them, Daly said.

"This is about keeping the arts in education," he said. "Kids learn their letters by singing. The arts make learning interesting and fun."

Haven 360 guests were also treated to hand massages from Olay, gifted with Elle jewelry and invited to peruse Backstage Creation's "celebrity retreat," where they could pick up a free $5,000 trip to Moorea, Botox and Juvederm treatments worth $900 from celebrity surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan, and luxury luggage from Dooney & Bourke.

Oscar hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin seemed relaxed as they stepped out together on the Kodak Theatre stage Thursday to run through their lines for the show.

The two looked out into a sea of placards showing where the stars will sit on Sunday. They laughed with each other and goofed around with show workers. At one point, Baldwin appeared to give a piggyback ride to Oscar producer Adam Shankman.

The two hosts chatted with the stand-ins and dancers and enthusiastically approached their rehearsal when suddenly Baldwin looked troubled after seeing himself on a big-screen monitor at the back of the room.
"We look so pale," he said to Martin.
"We're not in makeup," Martin said. "This is the way we actually look."
"Well who wants to see that?" Baldwin quipped.

From actresses and producers to sound engineers and film editors, female Oscar nominees celebrated their achievements Thursday at Women In Film's third annual pre-Oscar party.
Held at a home in tony Bel Air, the intimate cocktail party honored women's contribution to the film industry and urged women on both sides of the camera to inspire the next generation of female filmmakers.
Oscar-winning producer and host Cathy Schulman toasted the year's nominated women, but said "the fight remains a big fight for women in film." Only seven percent of the year's 250 top films were directed by women, she said.
Still, the mood Thursday was festive, as on-camera nominees mingled with their behind-the-camera counterparts.
Sound-editing nominee Gwendolyn Yates Whittle smiled as she talked about attending a flurry of Oscar events this weekend. Nominated "Precious" star Gabourey Sidibe chatted with Tracee Ellis Ross. Also celebrating were Nia Vardalos, nominated costume designer Monique Prudhomme, Angie Harmon, Viola Davis and Michelle Rodriguez.

The Academy Awards Governors Ball will be set in an art-deco nightclub drenched in bronze and purple, from the tablecloths and napkins to the custom-made outfits on the wait staff and orchestra.

"It will be a very, very grand, elegant evening," says Cheryl Cecchetto, producer of the official Oscars after-party, held at Hollywood & Highland's grand ballroom.

Chef Wolfgang Puck is preparing dinner for the ball's 4,600 guests, and he gave the press a preview Thursday of what's on the menu.

There are bite-size Kobe beef burgers, topped with tomatoes and pickles so tiny that a chef used tweezers to artfully assemble each appetizer. Guests can also nibble on ahi tuna cones and Oscar-shaped smoked salmon finished with caviar before the main course: "A twist on the old classic chicken pot pie," Puck says.

For dessert there will be chocolate Oscars of all sizes, along with various cakes and fancy pastries.
It will take more than 300 chefs and 600 waiters to serve the post-show meal.
"Preparations are going fantastic," Puck says. "We are ready."
The custom-made outfits for the Governors Ball wait staff and all-female orchestra are new this year, designed by Jeffrey Kurland, governor of the academy's art directors' branch and an Oscar-nominated costume designer.

Also new this year: A special engraving area where Oscar winners can have their names affixed to their just-won statuettes, which are marked only by a serial number when they're presented on stage.

Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan already knows what it's like to stand on the Kodak Theatre stage.

The 25-year-old star of "An Education" came to the theater Thursday to practice presenting on the big show. Wearing a blond pixie haircut, a black blazer and slacks, Mulligan was surrounded by stand-ins posing as presenters and winners. She ran through her lines, passed out prop Oscars, then disappeared through one of the theater's back doors.

US hunts citizens getting terror training abroad

2010-03-06T03:16:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
LOS ANGELES: The top U.S. diplomat in Pakistan said that the Obama administration does not know how many Americans might have disappeared overseas to train with al-Qaida or other terrorist groups, but the number is not thought to be large.

Speaking to the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles, Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson outlined a "nightmare scenario" in which people holding U.S. passports receive terrorist training then return legally to the U.S. to commit violent acts.

"They can easily infiltrate back into the United States and, frankly, we don't know what to do about them," Patterson said. "We think there are more out there than we know about."

"We just have to keep working at it," she said.

Patterson said the U.S. is gathering information with Pakistan and other governments to identify and locate such people.

"It's not very many. But it's hard to get a precise number," Patterson said.

Earlier this month, prosecutors in Pakistan seeking to indict five Americans on terrorist charges submitted their case to a judge, accusing the men from the Washington, D.C., area of waging war against Pakistan and plotting to attack the country.

The men were arrested in December in Punjab province not long after reaching Pakistan. They were reported missing by their families in November after one left behind a farewell video showing scenes of war and casualties and saying Muslims must be defended.

A U.S. Senate report earlier this year said authorities believe as many as three dozen Americans who converted to Islam in prison have traveled to Yemen, possibly to train with al-Qaida. Some vanished for weeks at a time but still hold their U.S. passports.

Precious takes top prizes at indie film awards

2010-03-06T03:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
LOS ANGELES: "Precious," the harrowing tale of an incest survivor's struggle for self-acceptance, enjoyed a clean sweep on Friday at the Spirit Awards, the independent film world's version of the Oscars.

The film won five prizes, including best feature and director. Its actors, newcomer Gabourey Sidibe and comedienne Mo'Nique, took home the honours for female lead and supporting female, respectively.

For Mo'Nique, who played an abusive mother, it represented a clean sweep during awards season. The only event left is the Academy Awards on Sunday.

But the 42-year-old actress told reporters backstage that she was not preparing an Oscar acceptance speech, because "I think the universe would say, 'You have a lot of nerve.'"

The film also won best first screenplay for Geoffrey Fletcher. Lee Daniels, accepting his award for best director, indicated it might be his last time at the podium during awards season.

"Kathryn Bigelow's not here tonight. I am," a tearful Daniels said, referring to the "Hurt Locker" director, who is the favourite to win the Oscar.

Another Oscar favourite, Jeff Bridges, won the male lead award for playing a washed-up country singer in "Crazy Heart." He told reporters that he was "not counting any chickens."

Each year, a handful of Spirit winners usually go on to earn Oscars thanks in part to the success of low-budget films.

But this year's top Oscar race appears to be a showdown between the mega-budget sci-fi extravaganza "Avatar" and the indie war drama "The Hurt Locker," which was not eligible for the Spirits this year because it was nominated last year.

Along with the Tolstoy drama "The Last Station," "Precious" led the field with five nominations each. "The Last Station" went home empty-handed.

The 25th annual Spirit Awards were held at night underneath a marquee on a rooftop parking garage in downtown Los Angeles, ditching the traditional midday setting at the beach.

Some observers had worried the famously relaxed and boozy ceremony would lose some of its edge, but organizers have been at pains to say the cocktails would flow and speeches remain unrestricted.

British comedian Eddie Izzard hosted the awards, televised live and uncensored on cable channel IFC.

The Spirit Awards honour low-budget American films based on such criteria as original, provocative subject matter and the degree of independent financing. The event is organized by Film Independent, a nonprofit group that champions arthouse movies.

6 people killed in bus crash south of Phoenix

2010-03-06T03:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
SACATON: The bus that rolled over on a busy interstate outside Phoenix, killing six people and leaving 16 others injured early Friday, was operating illegally, federal transportation officials said.

The operator of the bus — Van Nuys, Calif.-based Tierra Santa Inc. — was told in April and December not "to engage in the interstate transportation of passengers by commercial motor vehicle," a Department of Transportation statement said.

The first notice, sent via certified mail, came just days after the company submitted a passenger carrier application to the department's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The application was denied on Dec. 14. The department's statement didn't give a reason.

The bus in Friday's accident was traveling from the central Mexican state of Zacatecas to Los Angeles.

It entered the United States at El Paso, Texas, and was traveling westbound on Interstate 10 with 22 passengers when it hit a pickup, veered onto the left shoulder of the road, then overcorrected in the opposite direction and rolled once before landing on its wheels. The roof of the bus was crushed and all of its windows were knocked out.

The crash occurred about 5:30 a.m. MST on the Gila River Indian Reservation near the community of Sacaton, some 25 miles south of downtown Phoenix. Two men and four women were thrown about 10 yards from the bus and killed.

British PM under fire for Iraq war defence

2010-03-06T03:04:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
LONDON: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown came under fire Saturday for the way he defended his role in the 2003 Iraq invasion, with some commentators saying he had slipped off the hook.

Brown told a public inquiry Friday it was "the right decision" to go into Iraq and rejected claims he denied funds for the military fight when he was finance minister.

While he distanced himself from military moves or diplomatic negotiations in the run-up to the conflict, he said he had always been fully informed and did everything required of him as chancellor under former premier Tony Blair.

But Lord Charles Guthrie, the head of Britain's armed forces from 1997 to 2001, said Brown had been "economical with the truth" and "disingenuous" in his testimony to the inquiry, headed by former senior civil servant John Chilcot.

"The problems of being badly equipped in Afghanistan and Iraq began a long time ago, when he was chancellor and unsympathetic to the Ministry of Defence," Guthrie wrote in The Sun tabloid.

"He was throwing money at other departments of state, while giving us as little as he could get away with."

Newspapers analysed the performance of both the prime minister and the inquiry panel. The Sun, which backs the opposition Conservatives, called it a "Brownwash".

"For all his bluster, Mr Brown is not off the hook. He may have bamboozled the dopey Chilcot Inquiry. But in the court of public opinion, he still has serious questions to answer," Britain's biggest-selling daily said.

Another right-wing newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, said Brown's evidence "was less about learning lessons from Iraq than absolving himself of any blame."

Dutch anti-Islam politician creates stir in UK

2010-03-06T03:01:00.003-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
LONDON: Anti-fascist demonstrators scuffled with police Friday in a protest against Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who brought his film denouncing Islam and the Quran to Britain's august House of Lords.

Wilders, riding an electoral wave in the Netherlands based on his anti-immigration populism, screened the film to about 60 people, including a half-dozen peers, in a wood-paneled committee room in Parliament. Outside dozens of protesters jeered and chanted "Fascist thugs off our streets!"

The visit, and the controversy surrounding it, added to Wilders' visibility as he heads into a national election campaign with his popularity soaring and polls predicting that his come-from-nowhere Freedom Party will be among the two largest in the next Dutch parliament.

His party scored a stunning success in local elections this week, winning one city outright and placing second in another. But because his party is new and lacks a national organization, it declined to field candidates in nearly 400 other town hall races.

The protest by Unite Against Fascism was countered by a rival demonstration further down the River Thames of more than 100 people from the English Defense League, a self-described "counter-jihad" movement with links to Britain's far-right.

Police wrestled with anti-fascist protesters trying to block a street in front of the Parliament building, piling many of them into a double decker bus. By early afternoon, police on foot, on horseback and on motorcycles seemed to outnumber the protesters.

Jack Kavanagh, a 21-year-old from Ireland, was one of the people pulled out of the crowd, said he was trying to block the pro-Wilders crowd from approaching Parliament. He expressed scorn for Wilders, calling his movie "racist tripe."

Wilders had been invited to show his film in Britain a year ago by an ultraconservative member of the upper house, but the Home Office barred his entry into the country as a potential threat to public security. Wilders defied the ban, flew into Heathrow Airport only to be turned back, prompting a minor spat between Britain and the Netherlands.

He later successfully challenged the ban in a British court and visited in October, when he was greeted by a small group of Islamists chanting: "Allahu Akbar!"

He said he had hopes of becoming prime minister after the June 9 election, although Dutch political analysts say it is unlikely he could garner a majority coalition if his party emerged the largest.

If elected, he said, he would close all Islamic schools, ban construction of new mosques, and expel Dutch Muslim criminals if they held dual citizenship.

Wilders' untempered language against Islam brought charges against him for "hate speech," a little-enforced crime subject to a maximum one-year jail sentence and fine. He appealed to have the case dismissed, saying his remarks were not against Muslims but rather against Islam, and were protected by freedom of speech. Last month the court ruled against the objection, but is yet to set a trial date.

Wilders describes himself as a libertarian and rejects comparisons with right-wing European politicians such as Jorg Haider in Austria and Jean-Marie Le Pen in France.

Dramatics founder Ron Banks, 58, dies

2010-03-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
LOS ANGELES: Singer Ron Banks, a founding member of R&B group the Dramatics, died Thursday (March 4) at his Detroit home of a reported heart attack. He was 58.

Banks, whose sweet falsetto helped give the Dramatics its signature sound, was a Detroit native who was born May 10, 1951.

Originally a vocal sextet known as the Dynamics in the early '60s, the group changed its name and became a quintet comprising Banks, William Howard, Larry Demps, Willie Ford and Elbert Wilkins.

The Dramatics scored its first R&B-charting single (No. 43) in 1967 on the Sport label with "All Because of You." But it wasn't until four years later that the group broke into national consciousness with the 1971 Stax/Volt hit "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get," which peaked at No. 3 on the R&B chart and No. 9 on the pop list. It claimed an R&B No. 1 the following year with "In the Rain."

Between 1972 and 1980, the Dramatics also recorded for ABC and MCA, notching seven more top 10 R&B singles. Those songs include a cover of "Me and Mrs. Jones," "You're Fooling You," "Be My Girl" and "Welcome Back Home."

Over the ensuing years, the Dramatics underwent several personnel changes, the most notable occurring in 1973 when L.J. Reynolds and Lenny Mayes replaced Howard and Wilkins in 1973.

Banks is survived by his wife, Sandy, and six children.

He's the fourth Dramatics member to pass away, following the deaths of Wilkins (1992), Howard (2000) and James Mack Brown (2008).

Pentagon concerned over Blackwater's work in Afghanistan

2010-03-06T02:58:00.001-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is concerned about possible misconduct in Afghanistan by the private security firm formerly known as Blackwater and has promised to review the issue, the Pentagon said Friday.

Gates made the pledge to lawmakers after receiving a letter from Carl Levin, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who urged the defense secretary to reconsider awarding a possible one billion dollar contract to the firm, now known as Xe, due to allegations of wrongdoing.

"He is looking into it and he takes it seriously," press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters.

Gates has told the senator that "he shares his (Levin's) concerns," Morrell said.

The letter dated February 25 and released publicly on Thursday notes that the Defense Department is reportedly preparing to give a contract to Xe for "highly sensitive work" to train Afghan national police, despite its controversial record in Iraq and amid fresh allegations of misconduct.

The letter cites a recent Senate hearing on a contract given to a Blackwater affiliate to provide weapons training in Afghanistan.

Levin's committee heard evidence that alleged that Blackwater may have used a front company for the contract, lied to Pentagon officials in its proposal documents, "misappropriated" government weapons, carried weapons without approval and hired staff with serious criminal records including larceny and substance abuse.

Blackwater's conduct may have "contributed to a shooting incident that has undermined our mission in Afghanistan," it added.

In quake-hit Chile, UN chief Ban pledges 10 mln dollars

2010-03-06T02:57:00.002-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
SANTIAGO: UN chief Ban Ki-moon arrived Friday in Chile to assess damage from a devastating earthquake and tsunami, and pledged 10 million dollars in relief from a United Nation's emergency fund.

The secretary-general said the money would be released from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help UN agencies support relief efforts in the wake of the massive 8.8-magnitude quake that killed more than 800 people.

"I am very moved to see such strong courage and resilience of the Chilean people," Ban said upon arrival in the country.

He met with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to discuss immediate and long-term needs after the quake, which unleashed a tsunami that washed away entire villages in some of the country's coastal areas.

The pair later met with Chilean ministers and UN officials working in the country, and Ban was also due to hold talks with president-elect Sebastian Pinera.

The UN chief called on the international community to give generously to Chile, which he said had not held back in donating aid and relief to Haiti after it suffered a January 12 earthquake that killed over 220,000 people.

"Chile has been extraordinarily generous in assisting Haiti in its time of need. Now is the moment for the United Nations and the international community to stand with Chile and its people," he said.

On Friday evening, Ban and Bachelet were to launch a 24-hour telethon to be broadcast on national television in an effort to raise 30 million dollars for victims of the quake.

Chile rattled by strong aftershocks as UN chief visits

2010-03-06T02:57:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
TALCA: Three strong aftershocks on Friday spread new fears among Chileans traumatized by a huge quake and tsunami, while visiting UN chief Ban Ki-moon pledged 10 million dollars in emergency aid.

The Navy meanwhile sacked the head of the Oceanography Service, saying he had failed to provide a clear warning of the killer tsunami which followed Saturday's 8.8-quake, as criticism grew of the official disaster response.

A first 6.2-magnitude aftershock jolted people awake at 6:20 am (0920 GMT), Friday just six days after the quake which, along with the tsunami, left more than 800 people dead and some two million homeless.

That was followed by a 6.8-magnitude tremor -- one of the strongest of more than 200 to rattle Chile since the weekend -- and another measuring 6.6.

Some damaged buildings in Concepcion, the country's second city, collapsed, but the national emergency services said the aftershocks caused no injuries or serious damage.

Oceanography chief Mariano Rojas was removed from the post on Friday, and the head of the Navy opened an investigation into "the decision process after the natural catastrophe," an official statement said.

Military officials have admitted making a mistake following the quake and said they transmitted "very unclear information" to President Michelle Bachelet on whether to lift or maintain a tsunami alert, as giant waves began crashing into the Pacific coast.

Al-Qaeda threatens to kill Iraqis who vote

2010-03-06T02:55:00.001-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
BAGHDAD: Al-Qaeda in Iraq on Friday threatened to kill people who vote in the war-torn nation's election and imposed a self-declared curfew during polling hours when millions are to cast ballots.

The Islamic state of Iraq (ISI), the Qaeda front in the country, in a statement two days ahead of Sunday's vote said anyone who defies the curfew would "expose himself to the anger of Allah and then to all kinds of weapons of the mujahedeen."

The group, which has previously threatened to sabotage the elections and claimed responsibility for attacks that have killed hundreds in Iraq, delivered its warning after a series of suicide bombings left dozens dead.

The ISI statement came as Iraq's religious leaders ordered citizens to vote and safeguard democracy in the second parliamentary election since the ouster of dictator Saddam Hussein in a US-led invasion in 2003.

"The Islamic state declares for the time a curfew on election day... from six in the morning until six pm, throughout Iraq and especially in Sunni areas," the SITE monitoring agency said in a statement on its website.

"For the safety of our people, any of those who learn of this, report it to those who do not know and supply yourself with needs for the curfew," it said in a translation of the message which was posted on jihadist websites.

ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi last month threatened to disrupt Sunday's election by "military means."

The message came as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told an inquiry that going to war in Iraq was "the right decision" despite widespread protests.

Pirates hijack Norwegian tanker off Madagascar: owner

2010-03-06T02:54:00.001-08:00

Saturday, March 06, 2010
OSLO: Pirates hijacked on Friday a chemical tanker that was travelling off the coast of Madagascar, the ship's Norwegian owner Broevigtank said.

"The captain of the ship called us early this morning and told us: we have pirates on board. Very quickly afterwards we lost all contact with the boat," company director Svenn Pedersen told media.

The Marshall Island-flagged UBT Ocean had been travelling with 21 crew on board, a news agency said.

The ship was travelling from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates to the Tanzanian port city of Dar es Salaam, it said. The vessel had taken a route well south of the zone where pirates operate, Pedersen added.

The tanker now appeared northbound towards Somalia, he added.

Brown insists Iraq war was 'right decision'

2010-03-05T12:36:00.000-08:00

Friday, March 05, 2010
LONDON: Britain's backing for the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq was "the right decision," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday as he fought off critics.

Facing questions about his role in funding the war as finance minister under Tony Blair, Brown said Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had flouted international law for years.

"It was the right decision and it was for the right reasons," Brown said in opening comments to the Chilcot Inquiry into Britain's role in the conflict.

"This is the gravest decision of all to make," he said, but added: "Fourteen resolutions were passed by the United Nations, and at the end of the day it was impossible to persuade him that he should abide by international law."

Witnesses to the inquiry, including the defence minister at the time of the invasion, Geoff Hoon, have said the military lacked sufficient funding and equipment for years before the war.

Adding to the pressure, a former chief of the defence staff has alleged British soldiers' lives were lost in Iraq and Afghanistan because Brown turned down pleas for better equipment.

General Charles Guthrie, who led the armed forces from 1997 to 2001, told Friday's edition of The Times: "Not fully funding the army in the way they had asked... undoubtedly cost the lives of soldiers.

"He should be asked why he was so unsympathetic towards defence and so sympathetic to other departments."

The families of soldiers killed in combat have already demanded to know why the government did not equip troops with more helicopters and more robust vehicles which could resist roadside bombs.

As Brown was grilled, a small group of protestors outside the hearing brandished a blood-soaked cheque for 8.5 billion pounds (12.8 billion dollars, 9.4 billion euros), the amount critics say has been spent on Iraq.

"I think he is politically as responsible as Tony Blair for the war, as he had the possibility of stopping it," said Andrew Burgin, spokesman for the Stop the War lobby group.

Labour lawmaker Jeremy Corbyn, a long-time critic of the war, condemned the waste of money. "This could have... built many hospitals. It could have built many schools.

"But what has it done? Killed and destroyed, hurt and maimed," he said.

Brown arrived by the front entrance of the London conference centre where the Iraq inquiry is being held -- in contrast to Blair who was taken in through a back door when he answered questions on January 29.

Blair robustly defended his reasons for going to war when he gave evidence, but Brown -- his principal and often bitter rival within the Labour Party -- has until now kept mostly silent about his role.

Jocelyn Cockburn, a lawyer for relatives of soldiers killed in lightly armoured Snatch Land Rovers in Iraq, said in Thursday's edition of The Times that she was urging the inquiry to challenge Brown over funding concerns.

The use of the Snatch vehicles has been the focus of growing anger in Britain because of their apparent inability to withstand so-called improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Brown has insisted that spending on defence is sufficient, but his appearance before the inquiry is fraught with risk ahead of a general election widely expected to take place in May.

Any fresh revelations linking him to the divisive Iraq conflict -- seen by many as a black mark on Labour's 13 years in power -- could be highly damaging.

The British military lost 179 soldiers in the Iraq campaign and is currently engaged in fierce fighting in Afghanistan, where casualties since 2001 are edging up to 270.

Clashes erupt between Muslims, Israeli police at al-Aqsa mosque

2010-03-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

Friday, March 05, 2010
JERUSALEM: Clashes erupted Friday between Muslim worshippers and Israeli riot police at a sacred and disputed hilltop compound following a sermon on a recent Israeli decision to include two West Bank shrines on a list of national heritage sites.

Worshippers emerging from Friday prayers at the al-Aqsa mosque threw stones at policemen, according to Israeli police.

Israeli riot-control forces waiting outside the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary rushed in to restore order, using stun grenades to disperse the crowd, Jerusalem police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby said.

Other Muslim worshippers intervened to try to defuse the clash, and police eventually withdrew in coordination with the Muslim clerics who administer the compound, he said.

A small number of light injuries were reported by both sides.

Always tense, the compound has recently seen sporadic clashes linked at least in part to the Israeli government decision to include the West Bank shrines on the heritage site list.

The move's practical ramifications are unclear, but Palestinians see it as a provocation. Najeh Btirat, an official with the Muslim clerical authority that administers the compound, said the clash followed a mosque sermon on the issue.

ElBaradei must accept constitution Egypt leader

2010-03-05T12:32:00.000-08:00

Friday, March 05, 2010
BERLIN: Egypt's long-standing President Hosni Mubarak said Thursday former UN atomic watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei could run in the 2011 presidential election as long as he respected the constitution.

ElBaradei, emerging as Egypt's most high-profile dissident, has called for an amendment of the constitution which includes rules that would make it difficult for him to challenge Mubarak at the ballot box.

"If he wants to join a party, he could choose whichever one he wants," Mubarak told reporters during a visit to Germany, according to a translation of his comments in Arabic.

"If he wants to be a candidate for that party (at the presidential elections), he could do that. If he wants to stand as an independent candidate, he could do that," he said.

"The only thing is that he must respect the constitution," he said, adding the country "does not need a new hero".

Under Egyptian law, a presidential candidate is required to have been a leading member of a party for at least one year and for the party to have existed for at least five years.

As an independent, ElBaradei would need the backing of at least 250 elected officials from parliament's upper and lower houses and from municipal councils -- all bodies dominated by Mubarak's National Democratic Party.

ElBaradei last month he flew to Cairo to a rapturous welcome from supporters and formed the National Association for Change, before leaving Egypt again. He is due to return.

He has said he would run for president on condition that the constitution is amended.

The 67-year-old former chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency has also called for democratic reforms of the Egyptian regime which Mubarak, 81, has headed for nearly three decades.

Mubarak met journalists after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He is due to have medical tests in the city of Heidelberg Friday after suffering gall bladder pain, Egypt public television announced Thursday in a rare statement on the leader's health, which is almost taboo.

Three-year Indian boy kidnapped, killed

2010-03-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

Friday, March 05, 2010
MELBOURNE: Australian police Friday launched a major investigation Friday after a three-year-old Indian boy's body was found dumped by a Melbourne roadside, threatening to cast a fresh shadow over ties.
Victoria state premier John Brumby said he found the death of Gurshan Singh, who was visiting from Punjab in northern India, "personally distressing" but urged people not to speculate about the case.

"What has occurred is an unthinkable tragedy. It's deeply, deeply distressing," Brumby told reporters.

"There are no visible signs of the cause of death at this stage... but I think it's very important that no one jumps to conclusions," he added.

The little boy disappeared from a suburban house at about 1:00 pm (0200 GMT) Thursday while his mother was taking a shower. He was last heard screaming, upset because his father had left for a nearby library without him.

"He stopped shouting and I thought, what happened?" housemate Sim Kaur, 24, told reporters.

The boy's body was found about six hours later some 30 kilometres (20 miles) away, not far from the city's airport. An autopsy failed to reveal the cause of death.

Officials pleaded for privacy for the "shattered" parents, who were seeing grief counsellors, and appealed for calm. The boy, whose mother was studying in Australia, had been in the country for about six weeks.

"Of course we are asking for calm in the Indian community throughout Melbourne and also the Indian community back in India," said local councillor Tim Singh Laurence.

Hundreds of Indian nationals, among around 100,000 studying in Australia, have been robbed and beaten over the past 18 months culminating in January's stabbing murder of Nitin Garg, 21, as he walked to work at a burger restaurant.

The attacks, which have prompted damning coverage in Indian media, have badly damaged Australia's image abroad and have also hit its 15 billion US dollar industry educating foreign students, mostly from Asian countries.

Australia has sought to repair ties with a charm offensive involving a series of diplomatic visits to India and by enlisting legendary cricketer Shane Warne to meet Indian students.

Last month, thousands of Australians visited Indian restaurants for a "Vindaloos Against Violence" campaign aimed at showing solidarity with the 450,000-strong community.

Initial Indian media reaction to Singh's death was muted, contrasting with widespread coverage to attacks on Indian students.

FAMU SexTape Video Has Astounded People

2010-03-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

FAMU SexTape Video – - The sextape video issue of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) has astonished people when they heard about it.

This sextape video featured some students of FAMU; they are having a group session in this sextape video. This issue is being observed in two major senses, some are in the view that sextape video is real one. On the other hand, some sources have been reporting that video is in fact a virus which hurts our computers.

Twitter and another source threw light on the issue; it attracted more people towards it, now it has become an important issue to discuss. We have explored that one of porn video makers is behind the scene and gave rise to this topic. It is reported that an adult and sex videos producing company is searching such university guys who can perform in porn tapes. This company pays some money to the video participants for their role in this video.

How would the parents of these students feel when they will come to know about what their kids are doing? Students come to educational institutes for seeking and getting knowledge; if it is original video, then it is very bad for them. But this is the fact that we do not have any definite proof which can prove that FAMU sextape video is an original one.

There is no evidence which can show that FAMU sextape video was shot at the university. The students, who are believed to be a hunk of FAMU sextape, said that the video background is not even similar to university dorms. What we can predict is nothing, but the statements of university students showed that video is not bona fide.

It's been a wonderful ride so far

2010-03-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

It's a departure in every which way for this Bollywood actress on the ascendant. She is playing a deglamorised politician and the Hindi has to be perfect too, but Britain born Katrina Kaif says her role in Rajneeti excites her more because she is now comfortable with the language.

Katrina, who has delivered a string of hits playing the urban hip young woman, gets a makeover in Prakash Jha's Rajneeti. Dressed in cotton saris and speaking chaste Hindi, this is a challenging role that she's looking forward to. But the Hindi is passe now for the actress, whose accented Hindi meant that her many early films had to be dubbed.

"I am excited about the part (in Rajneeti), but I am not very excited about speaking Hindi because I spoke Hindi in my last 10 films. It's a great role and a great film and I certainly hope people enjoy it," Katrina told IANS over the phone from Dubai.

Rajneeti is Katrina's first political thriller and she says she wants to keep her options open by not restricting herself to any particular genre.

"If it's a good film and I enjoy it and I think the audience will enjoy it then I will do it," said the actress, who has given the most hits in last two years, including romantic comedies Namastey London, Partner and Welcome.

In Rajneeti, she will be seen rubbing shoulders with veterans like Nana Patekar and Naseeruddin Shah along with talented actors Ajay Devgn, Manoj Bajpai, Arjun Rampal and Bollywood's new sensation Ranbir Kapoor. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala and directed by Prakash Jha, it is releasing June 4.

Katrina reportedly had a tough time dubbing for her last outing, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, because director Raj Kumar Santoshi was very particular about her Hindi.

The 25-year-old, who was initially dubbed by professional artists and still faces flak for her pronounced British accent despite a successful Bollywood career, isn't worried about her Hindi accent. In fact, she is thrilled with the way her career has shaped up.

"It's been a wonderful ride so far and I've had wonderful support from a lot of people. The audience has been very supportive and I hope that I keep getting the opportunity and the good work and as long as that's there, I am happy," she said.

Apart for her Hindi in Rajneeti, the actress has also been in the news for watching actress Madhuri Dixit's videos to prepare for a dance number in Farah Khan's directorial venture Tees Maar Khan.

"No, I haven't gone through them (the videos) yet... We have a very high energy, fun Indian song which is kind of an item song and it has some kind of resemblance to the kind of songs that Madhuri was famous for but that's kind of where it stops," said Katrina who has once again teamed up with Akshay Kumar in the film.

"Farah is unique as a director and what she gives in her sense of glamour and presentation is something which I am very excited to be part of and I hope that we make a great film," she added.

Expected to release Dec 24, Tees Maar Khan also stars Akshaye Khanna.

Asked about her reported projects like the Hindi version of The Italian Job and Dostana 2, she said: "At the moment, I am working on Rajneeti and Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan... Anything else is yet to be announced."

The actress has been recently roped in by Lux as the face of their new variant - Purple Lotus & Cream - a soap with claimed anti-ageing properties.

63 die, dozens injured in Indian temple stampede

2010-03-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

Thursday, March 04, 2010
LUCKNOW: A stampede broke out at a Hindu temple in northern India Thursday as thousands of people jostled with each other to get free clothes and utensils, leaving at least 63 people dead and dozens more injured, officials said.
The force of the stampede was so great, it knocked down a gate at the temple compound in Kunda, a small town 110 miles (180kilometers) southeast of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state.
About 44 worshippers were injured in the crush of people at a Hindu temple belonging to a popular local religious leader, said Ashok Kumar, a senior government official.

Thousands of farmers and villagers had gathered at the temple around noon to receive free goods to mark the anniversary of the death of the wife of the religious leader, Kripalu Maharaj, said Brij Lal, a local police official.
By late afternoon police had cleared the compound and started the process of identifying the bodies, Kumar said.
Hundreds of people gathered at a nearby hospital for news of their family members.

``She had just wandered in to see what was happening,'' said Gudal, a 38-year-old farmer whose 7-year-old daughter, Ranjana, was killed. Gudal, who uses only one name, wept as she spoke.

Deadly stampedes are a relatively common occurrence at temples in India, where large crowds _ sometimes hundreds of thousands of people _ congregate in small areas lacking facilities to control big gatherings.

In 2008, more than 145 people died in a stampede at a remote Hindu temple at the foothill of the Himalayas.