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Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Suicide bomb kills Afghan deputy
BBC news
A deputy Afghan provincial governor has been killed in a suicide attack while travelling in car, police say.
Mohammad Kazim Allahyar, his son and four others died in the blast in Ghazni city, police said.
There was a large blast as the bomber struck one of the vehicles in the two-car convoy, Ghazni police chief Zarawar Zahid told news agency AP.
This year has been Afghanistan's bloodiest since the US-led invasion of 2001.
Police said Mr Allahyar was driving to work at the time of the blast, which also killed his driver and three bodyguards.
Eight other people, including pedestrians, were injured in the blast.
Mr Allahyar had reportedly been in the job for seven years and survived a bombing attempt just two months ago.
One report said that the suicide bomber was on a motorcycle, another that the attacker was in a car.
Afghan government officials are often targeted by the Taliban and other militant groups for working with the government or international forces.
Titanic actress Gloria Stuart dies at 100
Ms Stuart played the role of Rose Calvert in 1997's Titanic
Actress Gloria Stuart, who played an elderly shipwreck survivor in the film Titanic, has died at the age of 100.
The blonde actress appeared in several films during the 1930s, before retiring from acting in 1946.
Stuart resumed acting in later years and at 87 became the oldest actor ever to be nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Rose Calvert, a 101-year-old Titanic survivor.
Stuart died in her sleep in her Los Angeles home, her family said.
The native Californian also starred in The Invisible Man and two Shirley Temple movies.
Stuart, who studied drama and philosophy in college, helped found the Screen Actors Guild, a trade union that represents actors.
She was under contract with Universal Studios and 20th Century in the 1930s.
The Hollywood veteran was diagnosed with breast cancer about five years ago, but survived the disease.
"She just paid no attention to illness. She was a very strong woman and had other fish to fry," Stuart's daughter, Sylvia Thompson, said.
Titanic became the world's highest-grossing movie of all time in 1997, until the movie Avatar claimed the title in 2009.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's son 'made a general'
State media released images of ranks of delegates arriving in Pyongyang
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's youngest son, Kim Jong-un, has been appointed a general, amid rumours he is being anointed as successor.
State television said the elder Kim had been reappointed as leader, at the start of a meeting of the ruling party.
The Workers' Party has not met for decades and observers believe Kim Jong-il may be cementing the family dynasty.
The succession is being closely watched because of the North's nuclear programme and hostility with the South.
The announcement about Kim Jong-il's third and youngest son is his first mention by name in state media and his nomination as a four-star general comes despite a lack of military experience.
The television announcer was quoted as saying that Kim Jong-il had been reappointed as general secretary of the Workers' Party as an "expression of absolute support and trust".
The 68-year-old leader is reportedly suffering from several illnesses. He is believed to have had a stroke two years ago, and has travelled to China for treatment.
Neither Pyongyang nor Beijing have publicly commented on rumours surrounding his health.
The Workers Party meeting, with a stated aim of installing a new leadership team, has now opened.
With Kim Jong-il visibly frail and sick, speculation has been mounting that this meeting is designed to officially anoint Kim Jong-un as his chosen successor.
The theory is given added weight because Kim Jong-il himself was anointed in this way by his own father, the country's first and now "eternal" president, during the last major party event in 1980.
If Kim Jong-un is now given a senior party position to complement his newly-bestowed military rank it will be a strong sign that the authoritarian state really does intend to continue its quasi-religious leadership cult for another generation.
Final confirmation would come if the enigmatic young man's portrait appears alongside that of his father and grandfather in every home and workplace.
Continue reading the main story
Kim Jong-il's sister, Kyong-hui, has also been named a general, announced the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Kyong-hui is married to Chang Song-taek, seen by some analysts as North Korea's second-most powerful leader.
A US official said it was too soon to tell what was happening inside North Korea's leadership, but the United States was watching developments "carefully".
Reports from South Korea on Monday suggested that the military had nominated Kim Jong-un as a delegate for the conference.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted an unnamed North Korean source as saying a propaganda campaign had already begun to raise Kim Jong-un's profile.
Little is known of Swiss-educated Kim Jong-un, thought to be in his mid-20s.
Rumours emerged last year from the secretive state that he was his father's chosen successor.
Analysts say taking over his father's job would be a huge task for someone with so little experience. 'Eternal president'
Images released by the North's state media on Monday showed orderly lines of delegates - some wearing suits, others in military uniform - arriving in Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-il has nurtured a personality cult
The Associated Press reported that the capital was decorated with flags and placards announcing the meeting.
One poster read: "Warm congratulations to the representatives meeting of the Workers Party of Korea."
KCNA reported that party delegates visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang on Monday to pay respects to North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, father of Kim Jong-il.
Kim Il-sung is known as the "eternal president", while Kim Jong-il has styled himself the "dear leader".
Kim Jong-il became leader when his father died in 1994.
Under Kim Jong-il, the country's isolation from the outside world has become entrenched.
Mr Kim has built up a personality cult around his family, while North Korea's economy has all but ceased to function and its people suffer from frequent food shortages.
Monday, September 27, 2010
RP flag blooper in New York not intentional—US embassy
MANILA, Philippines -- The United States Embassy in Manila has reiterated that the reported "Philippine flag faux pas" during the recent US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in New York City was not intentional.
"It was an honest mistake," Rebecca Thompson, embassy spokesperson, told the Philippine Daily Inqjuirer on Monday.
Thompson pointed out "what's important is that the US treasures its close relationship and strong partnership with the Philippines."
These, she said, "were demonstrated this past week during President Aquino's trip to the US with the signing of the Millennium Challenge Corporation compact, the US-ASEAN meeting and the meeting of our two presidents that followed it."
On Monday, J. Eduardo Malaya, the spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs, said it was "perhaps a case of honest mistake of protocol officers."
On Monday, another DFA official who asked not to be named said "Such blunders happen all the time...Even protocol specialists commit errors."
Photos of the working lunch hosted on Friday by US President Barack Obama for Mr. Aquino and other ASEAN leaders showed the flag hanging from a pole in an inverted position: the red field was atop the blue, suggesting the Philippines was in a state of war.
Section 10 of Republic Act No. 8491, also known as the "Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines," states: "The flag, if flown from a flagpole, shall have its blue field on top in time of peace and the red field on top in time of war. If in a hanging position, the blue field shall be to the right (left of the observer) in time of peace and the red field to the right in time of war."
The flag was almost directly behind the President, who was seated next to Obama.
The US-ASEAN meeting was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly that is attended annually by world leaders.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr. has congratulated its host government and the Filipino people for the $434 million (about P20 billion) Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) poverty reduction grant to the country.
Mr. Aquino and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presided over the MCC signing rites in New York City last Sept. 23.
Thomas called the event a "historic day in US-Philippine relations."
According to the envoy, "the MCC grant will support President Aquino's efforts to reduce poverty, stimulate economic growth, combat corruption, and ensure a better future for all Filipinos."
In a statement, Thomas noted "through this grant, we will make our strong partnership even stronger."
The grant will fund three major projects here: $54.3 million for the computerization of key business processes at the Bureau of Internal Revenue; $120 million for the expansion of the Kalahi community-based rural development program focusing on small-scale infrastructure and related services; and $214.4 million for the rehabilitation of the 220-kilometer Samar Road that passes through 15 municipalities in the Eastern Visayas province.
"To ensure efficient and transparent implementation, the compact provides approximately $37 million for the administration, financial management, procurement oversight and audit, as well as $8.3 million for monitoring and impact evaluation," said the US embassy.
Smoking link to ectopic pregnancy
BBC News
Smoking is thought to increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy by up to four times
A chemical in cigarette smoke has been found to cause a reaction which can lead to ectopic pregnancies, according to Edinburgh scientists.
Research from experts at Edinburgh University said Cotinine triggered a reaction which increased a protein in the Fallopian tubes.
They said the protein, called PROKR1, raised the risk of an egg implanting outside the womb.
Details of the study were published in the American Journal of Pathology.
PROKR1 allows pregnancies to implant correctly inside the womb, but its presence in the Fallopian tubes is believed to increase the risks of this happening outside the womb.
The study found that women who smoked and developed an ectopic pregnancy had twice as much PROKR1 in their Fallopian tubes as women who did not smoke and had previously had a healthy pregnancy.
"This shows that components of cigarette smoke also enter the blood stream and affect seemingly unconnected parts of the body"Dr Andrew HorneEdinburgh University
Researchers believe that too much of the protein prevents the muscles in the walls of the Fallopian tubes from contracting, which in turn hinders the transfer of the egg to the womb.
Dr Andrew Horne, of the university's centre for reproductive biology, said: "This research provides scientific evidence so that we can understand why women who smoke are more at risk of ectopic pregnancies and how smoking impacts on reproductive health.
"While it may be easy to understand why inhalation of smoke affects the lungs, this shows that components of cigarette smoke also enter the blood stream and affect seemingly unconnected parts of the body like the reproductive tract."
The study, funded by Wellbeing of Women, analysed tissue samples from female smokers and non-smokers, and from women who had previously had ectopic and healthy pregnancies.
Smoking is thought to increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy by up to four times.
There are more than 30,000 ectopic pregnancies in the UK each year, with the egg implanting in the Fallopian tube in 98% of cases.
This can cause the tube to rupture and lead to internal bleeding and fertility problems in the future.
Around one in 50 pregnancies in the western world is ectopic. The condition is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the first three months of pregnancy.
Segway boss Jimi Heselden dies in scooter cliff fall
BBC News
Mr Heselden acquired the UK Segway operation in 2010
The millionaire owner of the UK Segway company has died after apparently riding one of his company's motorised scooters off cliffs and into a river.
Jimi Heselden, 62, crashed into the River Wharfe while riding the vehicle round his estate in Thorp Arch, Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, on Sunday.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. The scooter was found in the water.
Mr Heselden, who founded Leeds-based company Hesco Bastion, acquired the Segway operation in 2010.
A spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police confirmed Mr Heselden's identity.
She said: "Police were called at 1140 yesterday to reports of a man in the River Wharfe, apparently having fallen from the cliffs above."
She said a "Segway type" vehicle had been recovered. Charity donations
Mr Heselden grew up in the Halton Moor area of Leeds, leaving school at 15 and working down local pits.
He worked as a miner before losing his job in a wave of redundancies in the 1980s.
His engineering business went from strength-to-strength and he had a fortune reported to be £166m, making him one of the top 400 richest people on the UK.
The tycoon was well known for his donations to charity, giving more than £20m to good causes.
Earlier this month he donated £10m to the Leeds Community Foundation.
A spokesperson for Hesco Bastion said: "It is with great sadness that we have to confirm that Jimi Heselden OBE, has died in a tragic accident near his home in West Yorkshire."
The spokesperson added: "Jimi is perhaps best known for his charity work with Help for Heroes and the Leeds Community Foundation.
"A £10m gift to the foundation earlier this month saw his lifetime charitable donations top £23m.
"Our thoughts go out to his family and many friends, who have asked for privacy at this time."
Brazil's education challenge in bid to be world player
By Paulo Cabral and Liz ThrossellBBC News, Sao Paulo
State school pupil Eric wants to go to university to study engineering
Eric and Raquel live in Brazil's biggest city, Sao Paulo, but although their schools are just 40km (25 miles) apart, there is a world of difference in the education they are getting.
Raquel, 16, is in the last year at the private Colegio Vertice, where monthly fees are around 2,000 reais ($,1160; £740), twice the average monthly income. But there is a long waiting list of parents willing and able to pay for the best education possible for their children.
This year, Colegio Vertice's pupils scored the best marks in Brazil's national school exams.
"I feel that students here really want to learn. We have this goal, which is to get into university, and this goal drives us to study," says Raquel. "I am aware of what I have and of the opportunities I have and I am aware that great parts of Brazil's and the world's population don't have what we have."
The brightly painted school buildings spaced around shady courtyards are well cared for and decorated with pupils' art work.
Across town in Sao Paulo's poor eastern suburbs, Eric, also 16, gets ready for class. His home, overlooking a slum where drug dealers rule, is close to his school but it is a walk along poor streets and past burned out cars.
"Sometimes I see friends who don't want to come to class so I try to convince them to come with me. But many say it's no use because we learn nothing," says Eric.
Madre Paulina state school, where pupil performance was among the 20 worst in Sao Paulo last year, is a big, grim building covered with graffiti. Inside many doors, windows and desks are broken.
"Nobody here is motivated, not even the teachers. How can that happen? These teachers are the people who have to prepare the doctors and engineers for the future," says Eric.
Over the last 15 years, Brazilian government programmes have managed to achieve near 100% attendance in basic education from ages seven to 14.
This push began in the 1990s under President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, with thousands of new schools being built.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government continued and expanded schemes like the Bolsa Familia or Family Grant. Under this, more than 12 million families receive a monthly payment ranging from 22 reais ($12) to 200 reais ($116) as long as their children attend classes.
But ahead of Brazil's 3 October presidential, congressional and state elections, the quality of the education these children are getting is being scrutinised.
"Probably education is the most challenging constraint we have to growth," says Jose Pastore, professor of industrial relations at the University of Sao Paulo.
"The improvements over the last few years are real and they are fast but the accomplishments are still very small. Only about one third of the population in Brazil has secondary education, while in rich countries this reaches 75% to 80%." Skilled workers
Brazilian workers have an average of seven years of basic schooling compared with 11 in South Korea, 12 years in the US and up to 13 years in parts of Europe.
"And they go to good schools while Brazilians go to bad schools," says Prof Pastore.
Government officials accept that the Brazilian education system needs improvement but say there has been real progress.
"State education has advanced a lot in Lula's government because we have been investing more money. We took an integrated approach from primary education to university and focused on better preparing our teachers," says Marcia Pilar, a top official in the education ministry.
"No country has ever managed to reform its educational system in less than a generation but we have been taking measures which already have an impact, such as the increase in the number of university students."
But Brazilian businesses say their need for skilled workers is immediate and a lack of trained staff is undermining the country's potential.
"There is a big demand for qualified workers, particularly in more hi-tech areas. We have been investing in our schools and modernising them to provide these badly needed professionals for the industry," says Walter Vincioni, director of technical schools in the state of Sao Paulo.
For Prof Pastore, Brazil needs to improve the status of teachers and recruit better candidates to the profession.
"If you don't have a good majority of teachers and principals, you have the results we have today. So if you test a Brazilian child after eight years of school, he has difficulty understanding what he reads, or doing maths." Lagging behind
In Raquel's school, there is one teacher for every 10 students and 30% of them have master's degrees. Salaries are around 7,000 reais per month, a far cry from the average 900 reais a teacher in the state system earns.
Raquel has regular classes from 7am until 1pm, and then tutoring in the afternoon to help prepare her to earn a university place.
"This is the last year of high school so it's all about studying to enter a good university," she says.
Raquel has not decided yet if she wants to study biology or international relations. "What is important to me is to find something in my profession that will allow me to help other people," she says.
Eric has no doubts about what he wants to do.
"I want to be an engineer," he says, with the ultimate aim of working in Brazil's expanding oil industry.
But it is an uphill battle for the pupils of a school like Madre Paulina, where classes average around 45 to 50 pupils.
"How can I become an engineer with the kind of education I get?" asks Eric.
The candidates in Brazil's presidential elections have all said education would be a priority for their government, but they have not gone beyond general promises.
Eric on life at his school in the poor suburb of Itaim Paulista
"I didn't hear from the candidates anything really interesting or concrete about education," says Prof Pastore.
"The big problem is that in a country where education has never been a priority, many parents are happy just because now their children are going to school and so, they don't demand more," he says.
"We need to find ways to bring the society together to fight for more quality in education. People in Brazil have to realise how important this is."
International studies show that the majority of Brazilian pupils lag behind not only developed countries but many other developing economies in basic skills.
Brazil has seen rapid growth over the past decade, but without a significant improvement in education and training of its workforce, it could fail to realise its full economic potential.
Australian soldiers charged over Afghan civilian deaths
BBC news
Three Australian former special forces soldiers have been charged over an operation in Afghanistan in which six civilians died and four were injured.
The ex-commandos conducted a night-time raid in February 2009 on a residential compound in Uruzgan province, where a Taliban leader was said to be hiding.
It is alleged they attacked the wrong house. Five of the dead were children.
The charges include manslaughter and dangerous conduct. It is not clear if all three will face the same charges.
The men, who have not been identified, were part of a Special Operations Task Group. 'Informed consideration'
The charges have been laid by the director of military prosecutions, and also include failing to comply with a lawful general order and prejudicial conduct.
In a statement released the day after the attack, the Australian Defence Department said the deaths had occurred as soldiers conducted what it called "clearance operations" using gunfire and hand-grenades.
It also claimed that the soldiers had been fired on by Taliban insurgents during the raid, and had returned fire in accordance with their rules of engagement.
Following a lengthy investigation, Australia's director of military prosecutions said the charges had been laid against the former commandos after "careful, deliberate and informed consideration".
Two of the soldiers said they planned to strenuously defend themselves.
In a statement issued via their lawyers, the men said: "Words will never adequately express our regret that women and children were killed and injured... These were people we were risking our lives to protect."
They blamed the "callous and reckless act" of the suspected insurgent in the compound for the deaths.
"This forced us to make split-second decisions, under fire, which almost certainly saved the lives of our fellow Australian and Afghan soldiers," the statement said.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Japan rejects apology on China boat row
By the CNN Wire Staff
September 25, 2010 -- Updated 1534 GMT (2334 HKT)
A protestor shows his banner declaring "Chinese people demand Japan to release unconditionally the Chinese captain" as police film him in front of the Japanese embassy in Beijing on September 20, 2010.
Tokyo, Japan (CNN) -- Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says relations with China are "extremely important," but Beijing's demand for an apology and compensation over the detention of a Chinese fishing boat captain is "completely groundless and is utterly unacceptable for Japan."
The statement Saturday went on to assert Japanese jurisdiction over the islands where the captain was detained and declared that the dispute was handled in accordance with Japanese law.
Zhan Qixiong was detained earlier this month after his trawler collided with Japanese vessels near disputed islands in the East China Sea. He was freed on Friday.
Earlier, Satoru Sato, a spokesman for the Japanese Foreign Ministry, made similar statements to Japan's Kyodo news agency in response to China's apology demand.
Despite this call for an apology, China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two sides should resolve the problems through dialogue and consultation, according to Chinese state media.
Zhan was accused of obstructing Japanese public officers while they performed their duties, China's Xinhua news agency said.
He arrived home safely on Saturday, according to Xinhua.
"We decided to suspend the charges in consideration of the Japan-China relationship," the Japanese prosecutor in the case said.
The arrest tensions between the two countries, with Beijing accusing Japan of "unlawful and invalid" arrest of the captain and his crew of 14, according to Xinhua.
China considers the Diaoyu Islands and most of the South China its property, disputing neighboring countries' claims.
In Japan, the islands are known as the Senkaku. The clash over territorial waters and islands -- and the natural resources
that go with them -- is a flash point in the Asia-Pacific region.
Word of the captain's release quickly followed the arrest of four Japanese nationals in China.
The four are being investigated for entering a military zone without authorization and videotaping military targets, Chinese state media said.
Neither country linked the captain's case with the arrest of the four Japanese nationals.
Spies 'infiltrate US power grid'
By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley
Security experts say the technology protecting the grid has not kept pace
The US government has admitted the nation's power grid is vulnerable to cyber attack, following reports it has been infiltrated by foreign spies.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) newspaper reported that Chinese and Russian spies were behind this "pervasive" breach.
It said software had been left behind that could shut down the electric grid.
"The vulnerability is something [we] have known about for years," said US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
"We acknowledge that... in this world, in an increasingly cyber world, these are increasing risks," Ms Napolitano added.
She refused to comment on the WSJ story that an intrusion had taken place, but security experts said they were not surprised by the claims.
"There is a pretty strong consensus in the security community that the SCADA equipment, a class of technology that is used to manage critical infrastructure, has not kept pace with the rest of the industry," said Dan Kaminsky, a cyber security analyst and director of penetration testing for IOActive.
"Software for desktops and the internet have been dealing with the issue of security for the last 10 years, and that hasn't really come into the SCADA realm.
"From a geo-political standpoint, this has created an opening for skilled 'hostiles' to obtain a presence in places we would rather they didn't have one."
'Strategic thinking'
The WSJ reported that the intruders had not sought to damage the power grid or any other key infrastructure so far, but suggested they could change their approach in the event of a crisis or war.
A report last year said China had been accessing sensitive US databases
Security watchers said that, if true, the involvement of the Chinese and Russians in such a scenario would show they were strategically thinking about how either to constrain the US or to inflict more damage if they felt a need to do so.
"I think that China recognises if in a very strategic sense you want to ensure you have the ability to exploit another country's potential weakness or vulnerability, but do it in a way that isn't confrontational or cause an international crisis, then this is a very good way of doing that," Eric Rosenbach, of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government's Belfer Center, told Reuters news agency.
The motives behind these potential attacks are undoubtedly military or political in nature, said Tim Mather, chief security strategist for the RSA Conference, the world's biggest security event.
He told the BBC: "These countries are not doing this willy-nilly. There is a tactical reason for all of this and no doubt tied to a longer term strategic plan which is gosh if they need to jerk the chain of the US, then this is the way to do it.
"This is like having an ace in the hole for the Chinese or Russians, just in case," said Mr Mather.
'Top-to-bottom review'
In the coming weeks, a government review of cyber security is due to land on the desk of US President Barack Obama.
"The president takes the issue of cyber security very seriously, which is why he ordered a top-to-bottom review shortly after taking office," said White House spokesman Nick Shapiro.
The Journal said intelligence officials brought the breaches to light
He added that the White House was not aware of "any disruptions to the power grid caused by deliberate cyber-activity here in the United States".
Mississippi Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, said he would introduce legislation to address weaknesses in the system.
"Our electric system is critical to our way of life, and we cannot afford to leave it vulnerable to attack. Our oversight indicates there is a significant gap in current regulation to effectively secure the infrastructure," he said.
The North American Electric Reliability Corp, the industry group with responsibility for grid reliability and security, said it was unaware of any cyber-attacks that had led to disruptions of service.
"NERC and industry leaders are taking steps in the right direction to improve preparedness and response to potential cyber threats. There is definitely more to be done," the group said in a statement.
"To date the number of people in the position to cause harm on SCADA has been thankfully relatively small," Mr Kaminsky told the BBC.
"But however small, it is big enough to be a problem and a problem that can potentially turn the lights out and cause economic harm to our country. The game is up," he said.
Chile Mining Minister Laurence Golborne stepped inside to show how the miners will be retrieved
A cage specially built to help rescue 33 men trapped underground in a mine in Chile has arrived at the mine head.
The steel capsule will be used to pull the men to safety one by one, once a rescue shaft wide enough to haul them up has been drilled.
Relatives of the miners were allowed to get into the narrow cage, which is little more than 50cm (20in) wide.
It is expected to take between 20-30 minutes to pull each miner up from their shelter at a depth of 700m.
The long - and extremely narrow - steel case has been named Phoenix, and its designers hope it will lift themen to a new life overground much like the bird in Greek mythology rose from the ashes.
Relatives of the miners, who have been camped out at the mine head since the men were trapped after a rockfall more than seven weeks ago, clapped when the rescue capsule was unveiled.
'Not claustrophobic'
Carolina Lobos, 25, whose father Franklin is one of the men trapped, was one of a handful of relatives allowed to step into the cage.
She told the BBC it looked very narrow, but was actually surprisingly comfortable inside.
Ms Lobos said she had enough space to move and did not feel claustrophobic.
She did point out, though, that she had only been in the capsule for a couple of minutes and in the open air, whereas her father would have to stay in the cage for up to half an hour while it is pulled through the 700m of rock separating him and the other 32 miners from the surface.
The capsule has been specially built for the rescue
"I was very nervous, my heart was racing," she said.
"It was a very emotional moment for me to be in the capsule that will lift my dad to safety and bring him back to us," she added.
The capsule is fitted with communication equipment allowing the miners to stay in touch with the surface, and with enough oxygen to last for 90 minutes.
There are handles which release a door at the bottom of the capsule, so in case it should get stuck, the miner can winch himself back down to the shelter.
The rescue pod arrived at the mine well ahead of schedule, but Mining Minister Laurence Golborne refused to be drawn on speculation that the rescue might happen earlier than the official estimate. Currently the miners are expected to begin emerging in the first week of November.
Early on Saturday local time the Strata 950, the first of three drills working to bore a hole wide enough to rescue the men, had reached a depth of 442m (1,458ft).
But the Strata is still on its pilot hole, and will have to drill down a second time to widen the shaft enough to fit the rescue pod.
The second drill, which has already completed its pilot hole, has reached 175m (577ft).
The third machine, which is the only one to drill a shaft wide enough in the first go, is at 62m (204ft).
West Bank settlement deadline looms for Mid-East talks
Ehud Barak was Israeli prime minister when President Bill Clinton sought to make Middle East peace
Diplomats are seeking a last-minute deal as a 10-month Israeli ban on settlement-building winds down, putting Middle East peace talks at risk.
In New York, Israel's Defence Minister Ehud Barak told the BBC there was a "50-50" chance of a compromise deal.
Palestinians have said they could leave the recently resumed peace talks if Israel does not extend its ban.
Settlers in the West Bank are preparing to resume construction late on Sunday if no deal is reached on an extension.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks resumed in September after a 20-month hiatus.
But no agreement has yet been reached on the key issue of Israel's settlements - which Israel says are no bar to talks - despite intensive efforts from US negotiators.
Speaking exclusively to the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall, Mr Barak said he was heading back to Israel to try to convince members of the Israeli government of the need for a compromise, but that he was not confident of success.
However, he was more upbeat on the prospects for the peace talks, suggesting there was a 50% chance of reaching a deal with the Palestinians about the settlement moratorium.
The chances of the peace process continuing nonetheless were better than even, Mr Barak said.
In a speech on Saturday to the United Nations General Assembly, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Israel must choose between peace and the continuation of settlements.
Palestinians were willing and ready to reach a comprehensive and just peace agreement with Israel, Mr Abbas told the assembly, declaring that their "wounded hands" carried an olive branch to the Israelis.
Abbas insisted Israel must stop all settlement-building
Mr Abbas said the Palestinians would make every effort to reach a peace deal with Israel within one year.
He also criticised Israel, which he said had a "mentality of expansion and domination" and continued to blockade the Gaza Strip and imprison Palestinians.
But Mr Abbas stopped short of publicly threatening to withdraw from talks with Israel if the moratorium is not extended.
It seems likely that a frantic search for a compromise is still going on behind the scenes, our diplomatic correspondent adds.
Despite this, if Mr Abbas flinches first and offers a compromise, for many Palestinians this will reinforce his reputation as a weak leader, says the BBC's Jon Donnison, in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
If he holds his ground and pulls out of the talks he could be portrayed as the spoiler, our correspondent adds. Ground-breaking
Israel's 10-month freeze on West Bank settlement-building expires at midnight local time on Sunday (2200 GMT).
What have we learnt from Ehud Barak and Mahmoud Abbas?
Neither wants to see peace talks founder over settlements, even though they leave New York without a solution.
Mr Abbas said Israel had to choose between peace and settlements, but stopped short of threatening to pull out if the moratorium was not extended.
Ehud Barak admitted he was not confident he could get colleagues to accept a compromise when he gets home - but he still gives the peace process a better than even chance of surviving.
And everyone now seems to agree with President Obama that if this logjam can be overcome, and if there is enough political will, then why shouldn't there be a peace deal leading to an independent Palestinian state within a year?
When he made this the centrepiece of his UN speech, many saw it as risky for a US president to stake his prestige on such an elusive ambition. But now it's been endorsed by both sides.
All well and good, but it is also possible of course that one or both of the Palestinian president and Israeli defence minister were deliberately putting an optimistic gloss on the situation, in order not to be blamed if indeed talks are about to get derailed.
Is the glass half full? Or half empty? Fifty-fifty can be read either way.
Continue reading the main story
Right-wing politicians in Israel are calling for a swift resumption of construction, and are backing settlers' plans to resume building as soon as possible.
"The building needs to restart - there are some 2,000 (housing) units that are already approved," Sport and Culture Minister Limor Livnat, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, told the AFP news agency.
At least one other pro-settler Likud MP, Danny Danon, plans to attend a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony at the settlement of Revava on Sunday, his office said.
"Our policy now is to resume a natural pace of building," said Naftali Bennett, director general of the settlers' organisation, the Yesha council.
However, any resumption of construction is likely to be small in scale, correspondents say, as most projects will require approval from Israel's defence ministry.
On Thursday, US President Barack Obama urged Israel to extend its moratorium, saying it had "made a difference on the ground, and improved the atmosphere for talks".
More than 430,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The international community considers the settlements illegal, although Israel disputes this.
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Watch Smallville season 10 episode 1 – Lazarus. In this episode we got to see, Chloe continues to try and find Oliver, Tess awakens to find herself resurrected and held captive in a Cadmus Labs laboratory finding that the lab is trying to resurrect Lex Luthor through the use of clones. A cloned younger Lex claims the clones to be his brothers, and Lois continues to figure out hints and clues about Clark's secret. Meanwhile, Clark finds Jonathan at the farm, who warns him that something "dark" is coming. And the title given in this episode is Lazarus.
Everybody is counted to watch Smallville season 10 episode 1, because the premiere episode is gonna bring in limelight some major issues and address some serious consequences. Let's have a look on those surprising elements, which this episode has to offer to all of us, in order to let us relish the most qualitative entertainment.
Now every TV lover around the globe is required to switch on his TV sets, in order to watch the exceptionally-entertaining Smallville season 10 episode 1, because this season is gonna be Lex-centric and entire focus will be on the mysteries related to his past and future.
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Before gearing-up for the show, people have to stay ready to endure all sorts of suspense and drama, as being the last season, this darkness would certainly give birth to some big and nasty consequences. So, all should fasten-up their seat belts in order to have a brief glimpse of this darkness and to get energized for, what's more in store for them. Those, who feel threatened with the limitations of TV viewing, should remain conscious to savor Smallville season 10 episode 1 online, after its release on television.
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Everybody is counted to watch Smallville season 10 episode 1, because the premiere episode is gonna bring in limelight some major issues and address some serious consequences. Let's have a look on those surprising elements, which this episode has to offer to all of us, in order to let us relish the most qualitative entertainment.
Every Smallville fan would agree with the fact that Lex Luther is the villain, which instills charm in this show with his bad guy activities, but unfortunately this villainous character has been missing from the show, since long.
After its telecast, the option to watch Smallville season 10 episode 1 online will be accessible to viewers' on web, so that they can cherish the episode again, as per their desires.
Before gearing-up for the show, people have to stay ready to endure all sorts of suspense and drama, as being the last season, this darkness would certainly give birth to some big and nasty consequences. So, all should fasten-up their seat belts in order to have a brief glimpse of this darkness and to get energized for, what's more in store for them. Those, who feel threatened with the limitations of TV viewing, should remain conscious to savor Smallville season 10 episode 1 online, after its release on television.
Along with these interesting elements, the things that will make the show more exciting are, Clark dealing with both his human and Kryptonian side and Louis' awareness adding more cheerfulness to the premiere.
We should watch Smallville season 10 episode 1 to cherish the strongest suit of this show the phenomenal acting by its star cast, which always adds a magical factor to this incredible show.
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Queen tried to get UK poverty fund to heat palace
By RAPHAEL G. SATTER and GREGORY KATZ, Associated Press Writers Raphael G. Satter And Gregory Katz, Associated Press Writers – Fri Sep 24, 8:39 pm ET
LONDON – Even a monarch needs a little help from time to time — especially when the cost of heating those drafty old palaces spirals past $1.5 million a year.
But a request for assistance from a government fund that provides subsidized heating to low-income Britons has caused a spot of bother for Queen Elizabeth II, long one of the world's wealthiest women.
Her Majesty's application in 2004 was politely turned down by the government — in part because of fear of adverse publicity — and quietly forgotten until The Independent newspaper published the correspondence Friday after obtaining it via a Freedom of Information request.
The documents quote an unidentified functionary as gently reminding the royal household that the program was meant for people in need, not the upper crust, and he noted the potential public relations disaster.
"I also feel a bit uneasy about the probable adverse press coverage if the Palace were given a grant at the expense of, say, a hospital," the official said. "Sorry this doesn't sound more positive."
Chagrined palace officials confirmed the account on Friday. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said royal officials explored the possibility of getting money under the program as a way to reduce the monarchy's cost to taxpayers by making the palace more energy efficient.
AFP/File/Adrian Dennis
She said the royal household did not know at the time that the government money was targeted for low-income Britons. She spoke anonymously in line with royal policy.
The revelation touched a nerve at a time when Britain is facing severe budget cuts in the midst of a prolonged recession. Graham Smith, spokesman for the anti-monarchy group Republic, said the queen's attempt to access low-income funds was shameful.
"It is clear evidence of the contempt the palace has for ordinary people in this country," he said.
Some Londoners agreed.
Nick Bowring, a 23-year-old fitness instructor, said he didn't think the queen should get help paying heating bills. "There are people who need it a lot more than she does," he said.
The queen's finances have been controversial in the past, with occasional debates about whether Britain's head of state — whose role is largely ceremonial — costs taxpayers too much.
The 84-year-old monarch has royal residences across Britain, including Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Sandringham House in eastern England. Other residences, such as the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and St. James's Palace in London, are used as offices or for functions.
She has many other assets, including an extensive art collection and a fleet of the world's finest automobiles at her beck and call, although the royal yacht has been sold.
Buckingham Palace has been in royal hands since King George III bought it in 1761 and has been the official London residence of Britain's monarchs since 1837. While it has magnificent gardens and grand state rooms with priceless paintings and furniture, large parts of the sprawling 775-room palace have not been modernized and are cold and drafty. Many of the rooms used by staff are downright dingy.
Insulation is poor and the heating system needs replacement, as do many of the windows, which lack proper glazing. Thermal imaging testing, used to identify and measure energy waste, showed heat escaping through palace windows, the roof and cracks in the walls.
Taxpayers fund the royal household to the tune of $60 million (38.2 million pounds) a year, which the monarch's official website points out costs Britain's 62 million people less than a dollar (62 pence) each.
It notes that royal spending has been cut substantially over the past two decades, dropping from $138 million (87.3 million pounds) in the 1991-1992 fiscal year to $60 million (38.2 million pounds) this year. That amount doesn't include the cost of providing security for the queen and her family.
The queen also receives $12.5 million (7.9 million pounds) of public money each year to pay for staff and other costs, an amount that has not risen in 20 years.
The accounts show the government spent more than $23.4 million (15 million pounds) on the upkeep of royal residences including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and almost $6.2 million (4 million pounds) on royal travel.
While some criticized the queen for trying to get still more government help, others defended her.
Ian Laming, a 49-year-old carpenter, said the government should have OK'd her request.
"She helps a lot," he said, adding that the monarch was a big boon to the U.K. economy.
"You just have to walk down to Buckingham Palace to see all the tourists."
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Friday, September 24, 2010
Breaking News
2:58am UK, Saturday September 25, 2010
Bail Set After Lindsay Lohan Appeal Succeeds
Pete Norman, Sky News Online
A judge has ruled that Lindsay Lohan can be released on $300,000 bail after she appealed the decision to send her to jail for nearly a month.
Earlier the actress was led from court in handcuffs and remanded in custody until October 22 by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elden S Fox after failing a mandatory drugs test.
But a different judge - Patricia Schnegg - later set the bail amount after the 24-year-old's lawyer filed an appeal.
Several restrictions have been imposed, including that she must wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet.
Last week, Lohanpublicly acknowledged failing the drug test in a Twitter message.
"Regrettably, I did in fact fail my most recent drug test and if I am asked, I am prepared to appear before Judge Fox... as a result," she tweeted.
Authorities released her mugshot shortly after she was remanded in custody
"Substance abuse is a disease, which unfortunately doesn't go away overnight. I am working hard to overcome it and am taking positive steps forward every day."
Lohan had looked stunned when the judge remanded her in custody, but did not comment straight after the announcement.
A courtroom source told Sky News: "She looked shocked when she was asked to stand up.
"Her hands were cuffed behind her back and she shared a look of confusion with her mother as their eyes met briefly before she was taken out of the courtroom."
Lohan was taken away by sheriff's deputies through a side door to avoid the waiting media throng.
The actress arrives at court with her mother Dina
Outside the Beverly Hills court her estranged father Michael criticised other people for leading the actress astray.
"She hangs around the wrong people and around the wrong places," Mr Lohan said.
A two-car convoy took Lohan to the all-female jail in Lynwood, where she remains in an isolation unit.
The former teen star undertook a three-week drug-rehabilitation programme last month, following 13 days in prison after a probation violation.
After her release from the programme, Judge Fox ordered her to remain in Los Angeles, undergo psychotherapy counselling and substance dependency sessions.
She also attended 12-step meetings and ordered to submit to random drug and alcohol tests at least twice a week and undergo behavioural therapy.
The actress attempted to relaunch her career in a glossy magazine
The actress' run-in with the law originally stems from two incidents of driving under the influence of alcohol.
According to celebrity web site TMZ, Lohan tested positive for amphetamine in one test and cocaine in another test last week.
Lohan wrote in her Twitter posting that she was "testing every single day and doing what I must do to prevent any mishaps in the future".
"This was certainly a setback for me, but I am taking responsibility for my actions and I'm prepared to face the consequences."
She added: "I am so thankful for the support of my fans, loved ones and immediate family, who understand that I am trying hard, but also that I am a work in progress, just as everyone else. I am keeping my faith and I am hopeful... Thank you all!!!"
