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Cornyn, Steele Call on Reid to Resign as Senate Leader After Obama 'Negro' Comment

2010-01-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has joined Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele in calling on Harry Reid to resign his Senate majority leadership role after news broke over the weekend that Reid described then-candidate Barack Obama in 2008 "light-skinned" with "no Negro dialect" unless he wants one.
Cornyn, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Sunday that Reid should follow the example set by Trent Lott in 2002, who resigned his leadership post after making unfortunate remarks at the centennial birthday party for Sen. Strom Thurmond, who had been a segregationist in the 1940s.
"In 2002, Democrats expressed outrage at Senator Lott and called on him to step down as leader. That same standard should be applied to Senator Reid and his embarrassing and racially insensitive statements; statements, I would add, that Senator Reid still has yet to clarify," Cornyn said in a written statement.
"As we await his explanation, Senator Reid should do the right thing, follow the example that he himself set in 2002, and step down as majority leader."
Earlier in the day, Steele also accused Democrats of hypocrisy on the matter.
"There is this standard where Democrats feel that they can say these things and they can apologize when it comes from the mouths of their own. But if it comes from anyone else, it is racism," Steele told "Fox News Sunday."
"If (Senate Minority Leader) Mitch McConnell had said those very words that this chairman and this president would be calling for his head, and they would be labeling every Republican in the country as a racist for saying exactly what this chairman has just said," Steele continued.
Reid went into damage control over the weekend, mobilizing a raft of supportive statements both in Washington, D.C., and Nevada.
Reid spoke by phone to numerous Democratic senators and took part in the regular weekend call with Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island to go over the Sunday show talking points on his gaffe and other topics.
Reed and Reid were on the call with staff members for Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Joe Lieberman. The message: Reid did it, it was wrong, he apologized immediately, the president has accepted the apologize, time to move on.
"Harry Reid made a misstatement. He owned up to it. He apologized. I think he is mortified by the statement he's made," Reed said on "Fox News Sunday." "And I don't think he should step down. I think he's a valuable member of the Senate and someone who's going to continue to lead."
"Clearly this was a mistake. Clearly the leader misspoke. He has also apologized," Feinstein said. "So the president has accepted the apology. And it would seem to me that the matter should be closed."
Reid also called prominent African Americans, including National Action Network head Al Sharpton, Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Barbara Lee and Leadership Conference on Civil Rights chief Wade Henderson.
Reid was not speaking publicly about the matter on Sunday. Aides said he had no plans to cancel his appearance at a scheduled event on energy on Capitol Hill on Monday.
Reid is taking ownership of his comments, having made the remarks directly to one of the authors of "Game Change," the tell-all book on the 2008 presidential campaign being released Tuesday. Reid spoke straight to author Mark Halperin in context of what he believed was a positive statement about why he backed Obama as early as he did.
Reid and his staff did not expect this direct quote to appear in the book and he began apologizing shortly after the excerpts were reported on the Web site of The Atlantic magazine. According to several sources familiar with the senator's actions, Reid called Obama from his home in Searchlight, Nev. Obama took the call in the Oval Office.
"I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African-Americans for my improper comments," Reid said in a statement.
"I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama's legislative agenda."
In a written statement Saturday, Obama said he accepted Reid's apology "without question because I've known him for years, I've seen the passionate leadership he's shown on issues of social justice and I know what's in his heart."
"As far as I am concerned, the book is closed," he added.
A senior Democratic source with close contacts on Capitol Hill said Reid is not depending only on Obama for forgiveness.
"He's in the midst of an aggressive mea culpa tour that has thus far produced supportive statements from key African American leaders in the Congress and civil rights community. He's got a strong record on social justice and related issues and is doing the right thing by immediately taking responsibility for the comment. He knows it was a boneheaded thing to say and is showing appropriate remorse," the source said.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine also defended Reid. "I don't think this is an issue that is going affect his leadership at all. In fact, he's doing some very heavy lifting -- wonderful lifting right now to get this health care bill over the goal line," Kaine told "Fox News Sunday."
The Democratic source added that Reid will likely not lose his position, as Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott did after his 2002 tribute to the now-deceased Sen. Strom Thurmond on his 100th birthday.
"The only way he gets deposed is if the Democrats decide they have a political interest in seeing him go. Based on the reaction thus far, he'll endure a few bad days but will be fine in the long run and can focus his efforts on his campaign."
But Steele responded that if Lott is the standard, then Reid's comments fall into the same category for resignation.
"It's more than just an apology here. It's a reflection of an attitude. Now, remember, this is the same leader who, just a few weeks ago, you know, was talking about health care in the context of slavery. Clearly, he is out of touch not only with where America and his district are but where -- how African-Americans generally feel about these issues," he said.
Steele's response Sunday was much more fiery than his initial tepid remarks to the news a day earlier. Some had suggested the reason for his stilted reply was due to his own use of the racially charged term "honest injun" during an interview last week.
Steele said he too never intended to make a racial slur.
"Well, if it is, I apologize for it. It's not an intent to be a racial slur. I wasn't intending to say a racial slur at all," he said.
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., agreed that if Lott should have resigned, then Reid should too.
"Harry Reid has said a lot of insensitive things for which he's had to apologize," he said. "My tendency is that when these people apologize, if you know what's in their heart, they shouldn't. But I'd like to see the same standard applied to both."
Reid's aides cite vast differences between him and Lott. They say Reid has backed civil rights legislation, has voted for pro-civil rights court nominees, has promoted diversity in hiring in the Nevada casino industry and has always had an open and productive relationship with the civil rights community in his home state and nationally.
With Reid's poll numbers tanking in his home state, the majority leader is persisting. With no challenges to his majority leader position, he also will not drop out of his re-election race.
But rank and file Democrats have been put in a difficult position. They don't want to sound like nothing happened, but are uncomfortable criticizing Reid in public.

No Pants Day a Hit on Metro

2010-01-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

Hopping on board a Metro train Sunday, you would have expected to see fellow passengers bundled up against the January chill. Instead, dozens of riders inside a train at the L’Enfant Plaza station stripped down to their underwear.
It was all part of the 2010 No Pants Metro Ride. Similar pantless events took place in Baltimore and New York.

Capitol Improv organized the event. Those taking part met at about 3 p.m. Sunday for a pep rally of sorts. The plan was to act natural. "No Pants" participants walked through the Metro terminal and boarded trains without giving away any clues to their upcoming prank.
After the doors closed and the train went on its way, the pants started coming off. Men and women stood barelegged among seats of stunned fellow passengers.

"What the?" gasped some innocent bystanders. Some took pictures. Others just gawked. So far, there have been no reports of any negative disruption from the stunt.

To the relief -- or disappointment -- of onlookers, the underwear stayed on. Participants did take the time to put their boots back on. You know the saying: "No shirt, no shoes, no service." Obviously that old gem never said a thing about pants.

It turns out the No Pants stunt did have a point, of sorts. Capital Improv says their goal is to "bring moments of random happiness and confusion to as many people as possible." Confusion, definitely. Happiness? Depends on whom you ask, right?

The group is responsible for other stunts. In July 2008, they played a life-sized game of Risk at the Navy Memorial, recruiting unsuspecting tourists to compose additional armies.

Harry reid racist comments:

2010-01-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

Washington: Harry Reid racist comments: Reid's racist remarks threaten to change his game. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is having difficult time after reports surfaced that in a private conversation, the Nevada Democrat had used demeaning words for President Barrack Obama.
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A book, Game Change, authored by Mark Helperin and John Heilemann claims that during the 2008 presidential campaign Reid had described Obama a “ 'light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one.” Following this incident, Reid, who also faces reelection this year, apologized for his coarse remark. President Obama accepted it. But Republicans are unwilling to forgive him. Rather they have mounted pressure on him to resign from his post.Their campaign has nothing to do with Obama. They are punishing him for his earlier remarks in which Reid had called President George Bush a liar. Besides, he had also lashed out at Alan Greenspan, calling him a hack.
Since then Republicans have been waiting for a chance to nail him down. And they got it now. They have all the ammo to toss him out from the Senate. Michael S. Steele, a Republican National Committee Chairman and a black leader, is leading the campaign to oust Reid."There is this standard where the Democrats feel that they can say these things and they can apologize when it comes from the mouths of their own," Steele said. "But if it comes from anyone else, it's racism. It's either racist or it's not. And it's inappropriate, absolutely."

Iran protesters killed, including Mousavi's nephew

2009-12-27T11:11:00.000-08:00

Four protesters have been killed amid violence between anti-government crowds and police in Iran's capital, Tehran.

Opposition sources said the nephew of former presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi was among those killed when police opened fire.

A senior police official said three people had died in accidents, the fourth was hit by a bullet, but police were not carrying weapons.

Opposition websites also reported four deaths in Tabriz, north-western Iran.

There is no confirmation.

It is almost certainly the worst loss of life in protests since the disputed result of June's presidential election sparked days of clashes.

On Sunday, opposition parties had urged people to take to the streets as the Shia Muslim festival of Ashura reached a climax.

People were chanting "Khamenei will be toppled", opposition sources said, a reference to Iran's Supreme Leader.

Thousands of demonstrators are reported to have taken part in the protests, in defiance of official warnings.

Initial reports from Tehran said the security forces fired in the air to disperse the protests.

Police sources, quoted by the Iranian Fars news agency, denied this, saying foreign media were exaggerating reports of unrest.

But state television later acknowledged there had been several fatalities, and Iranian police said they had arrested 300 people in Tehran.

Iran's deputy police chief Ahmad Reza Radan, speaking on state television, said the death of the person hit by a bullet was being investigated.

Of the other three fatalities in Tehran, according to Mr Radan, one had fallen off a bridge and the other two had died in car accidents.

Although there were deaths in the immediate aftermath of the disputed elections and protests in June, fatalities since then have been rare.

Mr Mousavi was at the hospital where his nephew Seyed Mousavi was taken after being fatally shot in the heart at Enghelab Square.

The security forces clearly have to tread a fine line between not appearing weak but also not provoking opposition protesters, says Siavash Ardalan of BBC Persian TV.

Police helicopters were seen flying over central Tehran as clouds of black smoke billowed into the sky, reports said.

On the ground, the security forces clashed with protesters trying to reach central Enghelab Square, witnesses said.

Protesters were chanting, "This is the month of blood", and calling for the downfall of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to opposition websites.

At the same time, crowds of pro-government demonstrators marched on Enghelab Street to voice support for Ayatollah Khamenei, witnesses said.

Protests were also reported in the cities of Isfahan and nearby Najafabad.

In a statement, the White House said it strongly condemned the "unjust suppression of civilians in Iran".

"Hope and history are on the side of those who peacefully seek their universal rights, and so is the United States. Governing through fear and violence is never just," a White House spokesperson said.

The French foreign ministry said it condemned the "arbitrary arrests and the violent actions committed against simple protesters who came to defend their right to freedom of expression and their desire for democracy."

The French government has continued to lobby the Iranian authorities to release a French university lecturer who was charged with spying during the election. Clotilde Reiss remains in Tehran, and last appeared in court on 23 December.

Disputed election

Tensions have risen in Iran since influential dissident cleric Grand Ayatollah Hoseyn Ali Montazeri died a week ago aged 87.

Supporters of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi have sought to use Shia religious festivals this weekend to show continued defiance of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government.

Denied the right to protest, the opposition chose the highly significant festival of Ashura when millions of Iranians traditionally go onto the streets for ceremonies and parades, BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne says.

The festival mourns the 7th Century death of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

Iranian television had live coverage of the Ashura ceremonies, including those in Tehran attended by President Ahmadinejad.

Mr Mousavi came second in the June election, and anger at the result saw mass protests in Tehran and other cities that led to thousands of arrests and some deaths.

Mr Mousavi has said the poll, that returned Mr Ahmadinejad to power, was fraudulent.

Expensive Last-Minute Christmas Eve Shopping

2009-12-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

Research suggests, £951,000 per minute will have been spent on last minute shopping, with Sainsbury’s Credit Cards saying 19% of adult shoppers who spent around £1.37-billion, planned to do some of their seasonal shopping Thursday i. e. on Christmas Eve.

According to Experian, a financial data firm, consumers making the most of 2009’s last few days of shopping, expected over 13-million people to spend £57-million an hour on Christmas Eve shopping.

As people made last minute buys, major high street and online retailers reported brisk business, with home improvement and garden centre retailer B&Q starting its online and in-store sale Thursday.

Tesco’s online sale began Tuesday, while Debenhams online sale was launched Thursday at 0600 GMT.

Waitrose’s Wednesday sales at £38.7-million were up £4.4-million on the same day last year.

Despite overnight snow in the region, the weather failed to deter the huge shopper turnout, with Meadowhall Shopping Centre near Sheffield reporting large numbers of Christmas Eve shoppers, up
38% on 2008 figures.

Retailers in Cardiff also reported the number of Christmas Eve shoppers to have exceeded all expectations.

The figures for last minute shoppers have proven NRF’s report’s prediction of a one percent decline in 2009 holiday sales from that of last year, completely wrong.

Pilgrims crowd Bethlehem on warm Christmas eve

2009-12-25T02:33:00.000-08:00

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Thousands of pilgrims and dignitaries crowded into Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity for a Christmas Mass, where Latin Patriarch Fuad al-Tuwal urged visitors to return home bearing a message of peace for the Holy Land.

Entertaining crowds outside, bagpipers played carols and whirling dervishes danced, unfurling giant white skirts embroidered with the word peace in various languages.

Some 15,000 visitors packed into the stone flagged square opposite the small Door of Humility where pilgrims stoop to enter the multi-denominational church, built above the spot where Christians believe Jesus was born.

While much of North America and Europe were gripped in winter's icy embrace, visitors to Bethlehem were buying chilled fruit juice in Manger Square and stripping off sweaters in the mild weather.

"It's about 20 degrees (68 Fahrenheit) and it's a little hard to get that Christmas feeling I'm used to having," said Phillip Well, 22, from Germany.

Some tourists were bemused by the scene.

"I'm not used to seeing marching bands and scout troops do the Christmas festivities, but it's entertaining," said 40-year-old Vijey Raghavan, of San Francisco, California.

Inside the church at midnight mass, monks kept the celebrations traditional with Christmas hymns and al-Tuwal delivered a special Christmas message in six different languages, including Arabic.

Likening modern-day pilgrims to the shepherds who harkened the angel's message of Jesus' birth, al-Tuwal extended blessings of reconciliation and hope to families worldwide.

"You can take back with you the desire for peace and work for peace -- peace in the Holy Land where the prince of peace was born. And peace to all the world for men and women of goodwill," he said.

Tourism in Bethlehem has picked up in the past few years, after collapsing during the Palestinian intifada, or uprising, which erupted in 2000. Hotels expect a 60 to 70 percent rise in business this year.

Still, many locals say development is hindered by elaborate security arrangements Israel has put in place to keep Palestinian attackers out, including an eight meter (25 foot) high wall between Bethlehem and neighboring Jerusalem.

Visitors and local people cannot escape the sight of the wall but they were not allowing it to dampen the Christmas spirit. "It's safe, it's warm, it's a happy time. It's good for visitors to see the good things too," said 16 year-old Bethlehem resident Reem Mohammad.

Yemen airstrikes hit suspected Al Qaeda members

2009-12-25T02:24:00.000-08:00

Reporting from Washington - The Yemeni government said it carried out airstrikes Thursday on a suspected gathering of Al Qaeda operatives and indicated that a radical cleric linked to the shootings at Ft. Hood, Texas, may have been among those killed.

"Yemeni fighter jets launched an aerial assault" before dawn on a compound in the southern part of the country, says a statement issued Thursday by the Yemeni Embassy in Washington.

Anwar al Awlaki, a cleric who communicated with the accused Ft. Hood gunman before the attack last month at the Army base and who afterward applauded the carnage that left 13 dead, is among those who "were presumed to be at the site," the Yemeni government statement said.

U.S. military and intelligence officials said it was unclear whether Awlaki was at the targeted site.

Woman jumps barriers and knocks down pope at Christmas Eve Mass, pope unhurt

2009-12-25T02:17:00.000-08:00

Woman jumps barriers and knocks down pope at Christmas Eve Mass, pope unhurt

VATICAN CITY — A woman vaulted a barrier inside St. Peter's Basilica and knocked Pope Benedict XVI to the floor as he arrived to celebrate Mass marking the beginning of Christmas.

The 82-year-old pontiff was uninjured and was able to deliver his Christmas Eve homily. Vatican officials said the woman appeared to be mentally unstable and was arrested by Vatican police.

In his homily, Benedict urged the world to "wake up" from selfishness and petty affairs, and find time for God and spiritual matters.

Earlier, in Bethlehem, thousands of pilgrims from around the world descended on the traditional birthplace of Jesus, for the most upbeat Christmas celebrations the Palestinian town has seen in years.

The Holy Land's top Roman Catholic clergyman reminded followers that peace remains elusive, and the threat of sectarian violence in the Islamic world and the lava spilling from a volcano in the Philippines clouded the celebrations for other Christian communities across the globe.

At the Vatican, witness video obtained by The Associated Press showed a woman dressed in a red hooded sweat shirt jumping over the wooden barriers that cordoned off the basilica's main aisle and rushing toward the pope before being swarmed by bodyguards. She grabbed the pope's vestments as she was taken down, with Benedict seemingly falling on top of her.

The commotion happened as the pope's procession was making its way toward the main altar and shocked gasps rang out through the public that packed the basilica. The procession came to a halt and security rushed to the spot.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Ciro Benedettini said the woman also knocked down French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, who was taken to a hospital for a check up.

"During the procession an unstable person jumped a barrier and knocked down the Holy Father," Benedettini told The Associated Press by telephone. "(The pope) quickly got up and continued the procession."

In Bethlehem, residents hemmed in by an Israeli security barrier and still recovering from years of violence, celebrated their town's annual day in the spotlight along with pilgrims and tourists. Visitors milled around Manger Square, mingling with clergymen, camera crews and locals hawking food and trinkets.

Christmas in Bethlehem has its incongruous elements - the troops of Palestinian boy scouts who wear kilts and play bagpipes in one of the town's holiday traditions, for example, or the inflatable Santa Clauses hanging from church pillars and storefronts looking out of place and overdressed in a Middle Eastern town with not a snowflake in sight.

Jeffrey Lynch, 36, a sanitation worker from New York City, was taking a tour through the Church of the Nativity, the fourth-century Crusader era structure built atop the grottos that mark the spot believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.

"It's a miracle being here on Christmas Eve. It's a lifetime opportunity. I wish everybody could be here," he said.

But the Holy Land's top Roman Catholic cleric, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, reminded listeners in a holiday address that peace remains out of reach. "The wish that we most want, we most hope for, is not coming. We want peace," Twal said after he passed into Bethlehem in a traditional holiday procession from nearby Jerusalem.

Twal and his convoy of dozens of vehicles entered Palestinian-controlled territory through a massive steel gate in Israel's heavily guarded West Bank separation barrier, escorted by Israeli soldiers and police in jeeps.

The barrier and the heavy Israeli security presence served as reminders of the friction and hostilities that have thwarted peace efforts.

Only hours later, an Israeli man was shot and killed in the West Bank in an attack by Palestinian gunmen. Such attacks, once common, have become rare in recent years as the West Bank has regained a semblance of normalcy.

The Israeli military identified the man as a resident of a nearby settlement, and a little-known Palestinian faction took responsibility in an email sent to journalists.

Some Christians in other far-flung parts of the world also saw gloom edge out the holiday cheer.

Baghdad's small remaining Christian minority was to celebrate midnight Mass in daylight for security reasons, and churches were under heavy guard. A bombing this week targeting a 1,200-year-old church in Mosul killed two passers-by, underscoring Iraqi Christians' concerns.

A marble palace once occupied by Saddam Hussein housed an impromptu Christmas celebration for U.S. soldiers and others far from home.

"I have mixed emotions," said Lt. Col. Timothy Bedsole, 52, an Army chaplain from Alabama who was marking his second Christmas in Iraq since the 2003 invasion. "It's a very happy time for us as Christians and a very sad time to be away from our families."

Few were celebrating at a tent camp 220 miles southwest of Islamabad, Pakistan, erected to house Christians left homeless by a rampage of looting and arson by Muslims in August.

The Christians say they have received cellphone text messages warning them to expect a "special Christmas present." They're terrified their tents will be torched or their church services bombed.

"Last year I celebrated Christmas full of joy," said Irfan Masih, cradling his young son among the canvas shelters and open ditches of the camp. But now "the fear that we may again be attacked is in our hearts."

Far to the east, in the shadow of the erupting Mayon volcano in the Philippines, thousands of families were spending Christmas Eve in shelters as the volcano belched out 20 grey ash columns Thursday, some of them a mile (1.5 kilometres) high.

Government workers and volunteers tried to keep some 47,000 displaced residents entertained with games, movies and concerts, a heavy burden during the Christmas season in this majority Roman Catholic country.

Noodles, fruit and corned beef were distributed at the shelters for Christmas Eve dinner. Children in one evacuation centre gleefully lined up for ice cream.

Associated Press Writer Dalia Nammari contributed to this report from Bethlehem, West Bank.

Project Canvas given green light by BBC Trust

2009-12-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Project Canvas given green light by BBC Trust

The BBC Trust, the corporation's governing body, has given a provisional go-ahead for a project which could kick-start demand for internet TV.
Project Canvas is a partnership between the BBC, ITV, BT, Five, Channel 4 and TalkTalk to develop a so-called Internet Protocol Television standard.
It would see a range of set-top boxes available to access on-demand TV services such as iPlayer and ITVplayer.
Set-top boxes, expected to cost around £200, could be available next year.
The Trust reached its provisional conclusions following more than 800 written responses

President Barack Obama hails US Senate healthcare vote

2009-12-21T09:42:00.000-08:00

President Barack Obama hails US Senate healthcare vote

US President Barack Obama has hailed the Senate's healthcare vote as a "big victory for the American people".

Senators voted in the early hours of Monday to end debate on a compromise bill, putting the legislation on course to face a final vote on Christmas Eve.

President Obama has set health reform as a key plank of his first term.

The legislation, which aims to cover 31 million uninsured Americans, could lead to the biggest change in US healthcare in decades, if approved.

"The United States Senate knocked down a filibuster aimed at blocking a final vote on healthcare reform and scored a big victory for the American people," Mr Obama said.

Acrimonious debate

He said the Senate showed it could "stand up to the special interests" and move the nation closer to a health insurance overhaul for the country as a whole.

He said the bill would reduce the deficit in the long term, countering Republican criticism that the legislation is too expensive.

After a long, often acrimonious debate Senators voted 60 to 40 along party lines to end debate on the bill at 0100 (0600 GMT) on Monday.

Three further votes are scheduled this week on the issue before the final Senate vote on Christmas Eve.

Under the Senate bill, most Americans would have to have health insurance.

Private insurers would be banned from refusing to provide insurance because applicants had pre-existing medical conditions.

If passed, the Senate bill would have to be reconciled with a more expansive one passed last month by the House of Representatives.

Key differences in the House version include a government-run health insurance plan, or public option, and how to pay for the reform.

Iran test-fires advanced missile

2009-12-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

Iran has successfully test-fired an improved version of a medium-range missile, state television has said.

TV pictures showed the launch of the Sajjil-2 rocket, which experts say has the range to be able to hit Israel and US bases in the Gulf.

Correspondents say it is not the first time this missile has been tested, but the timing is likely to add to current tension over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

The West says Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies.

The US said the test "undermined Iran's claims of peaceful intentions".

"Such actions will increase the seriousness and resolve of the international community to hold Iran accountable for its continued defiance of its international obligations on its nuclear programme," a White House spokesman said.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the missile launch could boost the likelihood of further sanctions against Iran.

"This is a matter of serious concern to the international community and it does make the case for us moving further on sanctions," he said.

The French Foreign Ministry said the launch was "very worrying".

"A test of this kind can only strengthen the international community's worries at a time that Iran is also developing a nuclear programme with no identifiable civil objective in violation of five United Nations Security Council resolutions," spokesman Bernard Valero said.

In September, Iran was heavily criticised after testing its Sajjil and Shahab missiles which could travel 2,000km (1,243 miles).

Those tests came just weeks after Iran revealed the existence of a previously secret nuclear facility in the mountains near the city of Qom.

Readiness

Like the missiles tested in September, the missile launched on Wednesday uses solid fuel in its two-stage rocket.

Solid fuel rockets can be prepared for launch in less time than those using liquid propellant rockets.

BBC defence correspondent Nick Childs says the government's refinements to its rocket programme will increase tensions over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

The six nations negotiating with Iran on that issue want to prevent the government from enriching uranium to weapons-grade.

Iran has declared it will open 10 more nuclear sites and enrich uranium to a higher degree than it has publicly announced before

Arrest threat?

The latest test-firing comes on the same day that Iran's judiciary announced it had evidence that opposition leaders had tried to foment anti-government tension on the streets following disputed elections in June.

The announcement by judiciary chief Sadeq Larijani is seen as an indication that opposition leaders may be about to be arrested.

Hundreds of protesters have been detained and five have been sentenced to death by courts.

Protests have continued and Iran accuses the reformists of being influenced and aided by the West.

The missile launch may be an attempt to distract attention from plans to arrest the opposition leaders, correspondents say.

Copenhagen police battle climate protesters

2009-12-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

Copenhagen police battle climate protesters

Police have forced back hundreds of protesters who tried to break through a perimeter fence at the UN climate summit venue in Copenhagen.

The Bella Centre, where the conference is taking place, has now been shut off, with no-one allowed to enter or leave.

Activists have been angered by lack of progress on a new climate deal and also by restrictions on access to the talks.

Meanwhile, African countries have softened their demands for climate finance from rich nations.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, speaking on behalf of all African nations, announced the move, which could remove a key obstacle in the talks.

"I know my proposal today will disappoint some Africans," he said.

"My proposal scales back our expectation with respect to the level of funding in return for more reliable funding."

In another development, Danish Environment Minister Connie Hedegaard has resigned as summit president.

She will be replaced by Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen.

Ms Hedegaard said the move was procedural, adding: "With so many heads of state and government having arrived, it's appropriate that the prime minister of Denmark presides."

However, behind the scenes there are said to be deep tensions between the Danish PM's office and Ms Hedegaard's department.

India edge Sri Lanka in thrilling one-dayer in Rajkot

2009-12-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

India edge Sri Lanka in thrilling one-dayer in Rajkot

India beat Sri Lanka by three runs in a sensational first one-day international which saw the second-highest aggregate of runs scored in a limited overs game.

The teams hit a total of 825 runs, with Virender Sehwag smashing six sixes and 17 boundaries in his 146 as India posted an imposing 414-7.

Tillakratne Dilshan starred for the tourists with a quickfire 160 while Kumar Sangakkara added 90 off 43.

But three late run outs cost Sri Lanka as they were just short on 411-8.

South Africa hold the record for the highest successful run chase, scoring 438-9 in reply to Australia's 434-4 in Johannesburg in March 2006 - the 872 runs scored is also the highest aggregate score.

To win the game, Sri Lanka would have needed to record the second highest run chase after India cut loose and scored at over eight runs an over.

Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar accumulated just 19 runs off the opening five overs, before the former began his furious assault on the Sri Lankan bowlers, dispatching left-arm paceman Chanaka Welegedara to the boundary three times in his third over.

Tendulkar played a more circumspect innings to bring up his 92nd one-day half century and had scored a run-a-ball 69 when he was bowled by Dilharo Fernando with the score on 153.

Sehwag continued to flay the tourists' attack and raced to his 12th one-day century in just 66 deliveries with consecutive boundaries off Angelo Matthews.

At the other end Mahendra Singh Dhoni, playing a typically aggressive innings, stormed to 50 off 34 balls on his way to 72, but the duo fell within four balls of each other and India slipped from 309-1 to 352-6.

The Obama Doctrine

2009-12-11T01:55:00.000-08:00

The Obama Doctrine

What we heard articulated today in the president's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech was nothing short of the Obama Doctrine -- the most comprehensive view we've been offered yet of how the president views foreign policy -- and how he sees himself within the pantheon of world leaders.
A senior administration official says this comprehensive vision "evolved organically" as the president put his thoughts into the speech throughout the speech-writing process.
"It started off with him wanting to address the question of the war," the official said, "and a lot of issues followed from that. Not only waging war, but what kind of peace do you want."
The official noted that in addition, the president is 10 1/2 months into his presidency, so "we're at a stage where we've done a good deal," and the president was able to articulate his vision when it comes to foreign policy matters consuming his time -- "not just where he wants to take us but what he's been working on -- the 'nuclear agenda, where we are with Iran."
The president made it clear that the US is willing to wage war, despite the fact that his heroes -- Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. -- might oppose, say, his decision to further escalate the war in Afghanistan.
He stated clearly that war can be just, indeed, that sometimes it is the only path of justice.
"We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth: we will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes," he said. "There will be times when nations -- acting individually or in concert -- will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified. As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King's life work, I am living testimony to the moral force of non-violence. I know there's nothing weak -- nothing passive -- nothing naive -- in the creed and lives of Gandhi and King, but as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone. I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms."
With that in mind, he made clear his guiding principles:
1) that the US must hold itself to a higher code of conduct, hence his invocation of his ban on torture and his order of the closure of the detainee center at Guantanamo Bay;
2) that the international community, if it is truly serious about trying to avoid war, must fully engage tough diplomacy against rogue nations such as North Korea and Iran that would keep crises surrounding those nations from becoming wars;
3) that the world must engage with governments of ill-repute, and try to bring them back into the fold; and
4) that a nation's hostility towards human rights and economic injustice cannot be allowed to thrive, for those conditions lead to war in the long term.
He concluded by citing his heroes King and Gandhi again -- saying that their belief system is something to aim for.
"The non-violence practiced by men like Gandhi and King may not have been practical or possible in every circumstance, but the love that they preached -- their fundamental faith in human progress -- that must always be the North Star that guides us on our journey. For if we lose that faith -- if we dismiss it as silly or nave; if we divorce it from the decisions that we make on issues of war and peace -- then we lose what's best about humanity. We lose our sense of possibility. We lose our moral compass."

Multan twin blasts

2009-12-08T06:41:00.000-08:00

Multan twin blasts

MULTAN, Pakistan News : Casualties are feared in the twin blasts in Qasim Bela area of Multan Cantt near a building of a sensitive agency, A Pakistan News reported Tuesday.
The injured are being shifted to the nearby hospitals including Nishtar Hospital, Civil Hospital and CMH, where state of emergency has been declared.
Rescue teams including 1122, police and other relief teams arrived on the spot. Police put security cordon around the whole area of blast site.
According to A Pakistan News correspondent, two bomb blasts occurred where casualties are feared. The blast was so powerful that the windowpanes of the nearby buildings were smashed to pieces.

2 killed, 35 injured in twin blasts at Moon Market Lahore

2009-12-07T12:14:00.000-08:00

2 killed, 35 injured in twin blasts at Moon Market Lahore

Lahore, Pakistan News :- At least 2 people have been killed, 35 others sustained injuries in two blasts in Moon Market Allama Iqbal Town Lahore on Monday night.

Panic prevailed in the market after the blast. The blast was so powerful that its sound was heard nearby areas. Fire engulfed many nearby shops after the blasts. The blasts were occurred near MCB back.

Police have cordoned off the area and sealed the Moon Market. Rescue 1122 teams and Edhi ambulances have been reached and relief activities have been started. Rescue teams are trying hard to control the fire. The injured are being shifted to the nearby Shiekh Zayed Hospital. According to reports till this time 30-35 injured have been shifted to the hospital. Five women are among the injured in which two are in critical situation.
Moon market is a commercial center of Iqbal Town, Lahore, where large number of shoppers especially women and children are normally present.

Get fit with David Banner

2009-11-14T03:52:00.000-08:00

Get fit with David Banner

Fitness in Milwaukee is important, which anyone can tell just by checking out the local gyms. And everyone in Milwaukee seems to have an iPod these days. And while fitness programs are already hooked up with iTunes, a new one is on the horizon. And this one involves a little Hip-Hop as well. Rapper David Banner is joining the league of rappers with their hands in technology deals. He is partnering up with fitness company PumpOne, to create a new application for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

It will give fans access to the insight Banner learned as he went on his weight loss adventure. The application will be titled, “David Banner’s Workout or Die,” and it will feature videos of workouts that Banner found helpful and various tools to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. In addition to that, Banner can record streaming videos whenever he wants for the application and fans who have it will get the videos at no extra cost. Banner said a friend gave him the idea to do the application due to his fans major interest in how he lost so much weight.

Top 8 Cheap, Easy Celebrity Halloween Costumes

2009-10-24T01:26:00.000-07:00

Top 8 Cheap, Easy Celebrity Halloween Costumes

Ah, Halloween. It's the chance for celebrities to take on an alter ego and suck up even more attention than they usually do -- last year, Lindsay Lohan channeled Sarah Palin, Paris Hilton played cop, and Britney Spears morphed into a hot pink cat. Halloween costume angers some immigrants.

But why watch the rich and famous have all the fun? You can turn into your favorite -- or most hated -- star with a few easy, cheap tricks of the costume trade. Below, check out ABCNews.com's how-to guide for eight celebrity costumes:

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga's known as much for her infectious pop beats as for her irreverent style. Hair bows, face-framing wreaths, neck braces, studded panties -- the stranger, the better in Gaga's book. She even managed to scare Eminem on stage last month at MTV's Video Music Awards, taking the Best New Artist trophy from him as he gawked in shock at her head and face enveloping red lace contraption.

Another classic: Gaga's bubble dress, which she debuted at a performance earlier this year. Mimicking the out-of-this world look is easy: grab a nude hued mini dress (American Apparel offers a few, along with many other costume essentials) and similar color fishnet stockings. Then take a few deep breaths and get to work blowing up a bunch of clear balloons. Stick 'em to the dress with adhesive tape and you're done. Sure, you may not be able to sit all night, but that's the price you pay for fabulousness. Just don't let anyone p-p-p-poke your face, or really, your body.

WIAA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

2009-10-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

WIAA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

After Park High School's final regular-season game Wednesday night at Horlick Field, Panthers coach Dennis Thompson was asked which team the Panthers could possibly play in the first round of the WIAA Division 1 state playoffs.

Thompson had a pretty good idea.

"I think it's going to be one of the Milwaukee schools,'' Thompson said.

The Panthers veteran coach then grinned and added, "It could be Marquette.''

Thompson proved to be a prophet, although he probably wished he wasn't. The WIAA announced its playoff pairings Friday and Thompson's team will not only have the unenviable task of playing powerful Marquette in the opening round Tuesday, but the Panthers will have to play the Hilltoppers on their homefield at Hart Park in Wauwatosa.

Marquette ran the table in the Greater Metro Conference, going 7-0, and was 9-0 overall. Marquette was ranked second in the final Associated Press Division 1 state poll last week.

The Hilltoppers were one of only three Division 1 teams that received a first-place vote, the others being top-ranked Mequon Homestead and fourth-ranked Stevens Point.

Park will enter the game, which starts at 7 p.m., with a 5-4 overall record.

Park is one of five Racine County teams participating in the playoffs. The others are:

* Waterford, which plays Milwaukee North in a Division 2 game 7 p.m. Tuesday at Waterford. The Wolverines, champions of the Southern Lakes Conference, have an 8-1 record.

Their only loss came Wednesday night when they suffered a heartbreaking 34-28 double-overtime loss to fellow SLC member Badger at Lake Geneva.

Milwaukee North gained a spot in the playoffs despite having a 4-4 Milwaukee City Conference record and 4-5 overall mark.

Wolverines coach Cary Venne expects his team to bounce back after its loss to Badger and believes his team is in the proper mind-set for the playoffs.

"I know coach (Anthony) Miller and he has some great athletes at North,'' Venne said. "Sure, we stubbed our toes against Badger, but sometimes a slap in the face or a punch in the mouth is good for you. Sometimes you need that.

"We expect to win (against North).''

* Union Grove, which plays New Berlin West in a Division 3 game 7 p.m. Tuesday at Union Grove.

The 6-3 Broncos are riding high, having won four straight games since the installation of the wishbone offense. The Broncos finished their regular season with a 28-24 victory over Burlington Wednesday night at Burlington as star running back Dan Vyvyan rushed for 258 yards.

New Berlin West, which belongs to the Woodland Conference, is 5-4.

* Racine Lutheran, which plays Manitowoc Lutheran in Division 6 game 7 p.m. Tuesday at Carthage College in Kenosha.

The Crusaders, led by all-state running back candidate Eric Oertel, are 7-2. They are coming off a 42-35 loss to Catholic Central Wednesday night at Horlick Field.

Manitowoc Lutheran, an Olympian Conference member, is 6-3.

* Catholic Central, which plays Hustisford in a Division 7 game 7 p.m. Tuesday at Burlington.

Catholic Central (8-1) is the defending Division 7 state champion and looked in playoff form last Wednesday night when they rallied from a 23-point deficit to defeat Racine Lutheran 42-35.

Hustisford went 3-3 in the Trailways Conference and 3-6 overall.

Pakistan Air Force Site Is Bombed

2009-10-24T01:06:00.000-07:00

Pakistan Air Force Site Is Bombed

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A suicide bombing at Pakistan’s premier aeronautical manufacturing complex killed seven people on Friday morning. It was one of a string of attacks on major government installations this month.

The bomber blew himself up at the checkpoint at the entrance to the complex, 40 miles northwest of Islamabad, as workers arrived for the morning shift, said a district police official, Fakhur Sultan.

Two men guarding the checkpoint and five civilians were killed, Mr. Sultan said. The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex at Kamra is the country’s main air force maintenance and research hub, where engineers and workers build and overhaul fighter jets and radar systems.

The relentless assaults against sensitive and prominent targets in Pakistan come as the army is conducting a major offensive against militants from the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the remote tribal area of South Waziristan. The attacks are seen as reprisals by the militants.

On Thursday morning, a senior army officer, Brig. Moinuddin Haider, was assassinated by two gunmen who attacked his jeep during rush-hour traffic in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital.

The Taliban had warned before the start of the campaign in South Waziristan that they planned to attack Pakistan’s military assets.

Balloon Boy's Parents to be Charged Next Week

2009-10-20T01:27:00.000-07:00

Balloon Boy's Parents to be Charged Next Week

The legal fate of Richard Heene will remain up in the air longer than the runaway balloon that he frantically claimed last week had carried off his son in what police now say was an elaborate hoax.

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said over the weekend he was preparing to bring charges against Heene and his wife, Mayumi, but Larimer County put out a statement to waiting reporters today suggesting they go home.

"We know many of you are remaining in the area in anticipation of the arrest of the Heenes. In deference to your schedules, we want you to know that we do not anticipate completing our reports and presenting this case filing to the district attorney until next week."

Alderden originally said his investigators had no reason to believe the family was lying but shifted 180 degrees Sunday and called the incident both a hoax and a publicity stunt to gin up buzz for a reality show the family hoped to produce.

"We have evidence at this point to indicate that this was a publicity stunt, done with the hope of marketing themselves for a reality show at some point in the future," he said. "On the bizarre meter, this rates a 10."

Alderden added that police believed the family may have conspired with a media outlet to launch the balloon.

A lawyer for the couple, who met in acting school and twice appeared on the ABC reality show "Wife Swap," said today that while his clients are preparing for arrest, he's ready to take on the sheriff's office.

U.S. Scientist Arrested for Allegedly Attempting to Pass Secrets to Israel

2009-10-20T01:16:00.001-07:00

U.S. Scientist Arrested for Allegedly Attempting to Pass Secrets to Israel

FBI agents arrested a scientist who worked for NASA and other agencies Monday afternoon in a sting operation after he allegedly attempted to sell top secret satellite information to agents he thought were Israeli spies.

Stewart Nozette, 52, was arrested shortly after 4:00 p.m. at the Mayflower Hotel in downtown Washington by counterespionage agents from the FBI's Washington field office after he believed he was meeting with agents from the Mossad to pass information to them in exchange for money, the Justice Department said.

Nozette had been under investigation for some time according to an FBI affidavit and court records involving his firm, the Alliance for Competitive Technology (ACT). In early January 2009 as he traveled overseas, a security check of his personal bags indicated he had two computer thumb drives in his possession; yet, when he returned on his trip, the drives were no longer in his possession, according to the government.

I've Never Felt So Scared': The Faces of H1N1

2009-10-15T01:29:00.000-07:00

I've Never Felt So Scared': The Faces of H1N1

Ten-year-old Benjamin Oback has the typical face of the emerging swine flu pandemic in its more serious stages. In Sacramento, Calif., he lies in the critical care unit at the University of California at Davis Children's Hospital.

His parents pray and stand vigil. For nearly two weeks, their son has been fighting for his life.

"I feel awful. I feel like part of my soul has been crushed," said Benjamin's father Eric Oback. "It's the worst imaginable feeling to see your kid fall that quickly and to be that ill. The night that he went to the emergency room was the scariest moment I've had in my entire life."

It started out like a normal flu. On Sunday, Oct. 4, after riding his bike, Benjamin felt out of breath.

Police: Juveniles laughed after setting 15-year-old on fire

2009-10-14T02:30:00.000-07:00

Police: Juveniles laughed after setting 15-year-old on fire

(CNN) -- Five juveniles were in custody Tuesday after a 15-year-old was intentionally set on fire at a Deerfield Beach, Florida, apartment complex, police said.

Police say Michael Brewer, 15, is expected to be hospitalized for five months.

Michael Brewer suffered second-degree burns over 80 percent of his body. "He's in for a long, long recovery," Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti told reporters.

Three juveniles were arrested Monday night, hours after the incident, and two others were arrested Tuesday, sheriff's Sgt. Steve Feeley said.

"A couple of them last night were laughing about it," he said. "One of them arrested today seems genuinely sorry about it."

The youths all attend school together, police said, and Brewer apparently owed one of the suspects $40 for a video game and had not paid it. So the suspect allegedly stole the victim's father's bicycle, Feeley said. Brewer reported the bicycle stolen Sunday, and the suspect was arrested that day, taken to a detention center and released to his parents early Monday, police said.

Pakistan: Army HQ recaptured, hostages freed

2009-10-11T04:28:00.000-07:00

Pakistan: Army HQ recaptured, hostages freed

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani commandos raided their own army's headquarters Sunday to free 30 people held hostage by Islamist fighters who staged a brazen attack on the compound while wearing military uniforms.

Three captives and four hostage-takers were among those killed in the 22-hour-long drama that ended with the capture of the attackers' ringleader, an army spokesman said.

The audacious assault on the nerve-center of the country's military establishment showed the strength of militants allied with al-Qaeda and the Taliban ahead of a planned army offensive on their heartland in South Waziristan along the Afghan border. It also signaled that any push there would be met with more attacks across Pakistan.

The government said the siege had steeled its resolve to go through with the South Waziristan offensive, calling it "inevitable." The United States and Pakistan's other Western allies want the country to take more action against insurgents also blamed for soaring attacks on U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Explosions and gunshots rang out just before dawn Sunday as commandos moved into a building in the complex, while a helicopter hovered in the sky. Three ambulances were seen driving out of the heavily fortified base close to the capital, Islamabad.

Two hours after the raid began, two new explosions were heard. The army said it was "mopping up" the remaining insurgents.

Five heavily armed militants took the hostages after they and about four other assailants attacked the main gate of the army headquarters Saturday, killing six soldiers, including a brigadier and a lieutenant colonel. Four of the attackers, who were wearing army uniforms, were killed.

No group claimed responsibility, but authorities said they were sure that the Pakistani Taliban or an allied Islamist militant group were behind the strike. The city is filled with security checkpoints and police roadblocks.

Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said 20 of the hostages had been kept in a room guarded by a militant wearing a suicide vest who was shot and killed before he managed to detonate his explosives.

He said the 30 who were ultimately freed included soldiers and civilians. Three captives died, along with four militants, and two of the rescuers, he said. The final hostage-taker was caught later Sunday morning, and he was wounded after trying to set off explosives that he was carrying, Abbas said.

Abbas described the captured man as "the leader of all this group."

Overall, at least 19 people died in the standoff — six soldiers, two commandos, eight militant attackers and three captives — and several were wounded.

Saturday's siege followed a car bombing that killed 49 on Friday in the northwestern city of Peshawar and the bombing of a U.N. aid agency earlier in the week that killed five in Islamabad. The string of attacks destroyed any remaining hope that the militants had been left a spent force by the death of Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud in a U.S. missile strike in August.

A week ago, Baitullah Mehsud's successor, Hakimullah Mehsud, told journalists summoned to a briefing in South Waziristan that the Taliban would launch more attacks on military, government and other targets in the country.

The army — which until 2001 had patronized various militant groups for use as proxies in Afghanistan and India — had previously been unwilling to go into Waziristan. Three earlier offensives there have ended in failure, and no one thinks the fight against an estimated 10,000 well-armed fighters there will be any easier this time.

But there are hopes the army may have learned from its successful operation in the northwestern Swat Valley this year.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said a Waziristan offensive was now "inevitable."

"We are going to come heavy on you," he warned the militants.

In its brazenness and sophistication, Saturday's assault resembled attacks in March in the eastern city of Lahore by teams of militants against the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team and a police training center, which the insurgents took over for eight hours before security forces retook it.

The attack began shortly before noon when the gunmen attacked the main gate with assault rifles and grenades after bundling out of a white van that reportedly had army license plates.

After a 45-minute gunfight, four of the attackers were killed, said Abbas, who initially told the Geo television news channel that the assault was over and the situation "under full control."

But more than an hour later, gunshots rang out from the headquarters compound, and Abbas then confirmed that other gunmen had eluded security forces and slipped into the compound.

A police intelligence report obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday had warned in July that members of the Taliban along with Jaish-e-Mohammed, a militant group based in the country's Punjab province, were planning to attack army headquarters after disguising themselves as soldiers. The report was given to the AP by an official in the home affairs ministry in Punjab's home department.

Officials said Saturday that they had raided a house in the capital where the attackers were believed to have stayed. They found military uniforms and bomb-making equipment.

Militants regularly attack army bases across the country and bombed a checkpoint outside the army compound in Rawalpindi two years ago — one of several major bombings to hit the garrison city in recent years. But rarely have the Taliban mounted an armed assault in the city involving multiple fighters.