Saadi Gaddafi fled to Niger in September
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Greece bailout: Cabinet approves draft bill for fresh cuts
The BBC's Mark Lowen says that social unrest is on the rise in Greece
UK sent nuclear sub near Falklands, says Argentina
The UK says HMS Dauntless is being sent to the South Atlantic as part of routine operations
San Francisco to fete Left My Heart and Tony Bennett
CIA website offline, Anonymous takes credit
WASHINGTON: The website of the Central Intelligence Agency was
unresponsive on Friday after the hacker group Anonymous claimed to have
knocked it offline.'CIA Tango down,' a member of Anonymous said on
@YourAnonNews, a Twitter feed used by the group. 'Tango down' is an
expression used by the US Special Forces when they have eliminated an
enemy.Attempts to access the CIA website at cia.gov were unsuccessful.A
CIA spokesman had no immediate comment.Anonymous last month briefly
knocked the websites of the US Justice Department and the Federal Bureau
of Investigation offline.Those attacks were in retaliation for the US
shutdown of file-sharing site Megaupload. There was no immediate
explanation from Anonymous for the targeting of the CIA site.Most
Anonymous cyberattacks are distributed denial of service attacks in
which a large number of computers are commanded to simultaneously visit a
website, overwhelming its servers. (AFP)
Friday, February 10, 2012
Serbia Djindjic assassination: Suspect held in Spain
Prime Minister Djindjic was shot dead by a sniper in Belgrade in 2003
China's exports and imports dip raising growth concerns
The manufacturing and export sectors are key drivers of growth in China
Massive methamphetamine seizure in Mexico
Soldiers found barrels full of the synthetic drug at the ranch outside of Guadalajara
Syria unrest: Aleppo bomb attacks 'kill 25'
The BBC's Jim Muir: "State TV has been carrying some extremely explicit and lurid footage"
Athens clashes in Greece over Greece Eurozone austerity deal
Protesters threw petrol bombs at police in the Greek capital
Suge Knight arrested in Las Vegas
Family plucked from Pacific after boat capsizes
HONOLULU
(AP) — Three family members attempting their first voyage across the
Pacific in a sailboat were left adrift in rough seas hundreds of miles
from land when their mast broke in high winds.
Just when they
thought they were being rescued, seven hours later, the swell from the
arriving cargo ship capsized the smaller vessel, tossing the trio into
the cold water.As the sailboat was destroyed, 9-year-old West James prepared for the worst, "'We're gonna sink. We're gonna die,'" the boy said.
Brad James, 32, said Thursday he tried to keep his son calm as they were in the Pacific for about two hours. They were wearing lifejackets and were able to stay afloat as they awaited help.
The father and son, along with Brad's younger brother Mitch James, hit a series of storms while sailing from Mexico to Hawaii, and on Tuesday afternoon high winds snapped their mast and choppy water overheated their engine about 300 miles from their destination. The trio tried to work up a makeshift sail — but it blew away.
They contacted the Coast Guard and officials directed a massive cargo ship to the stranded 38-foot vessel.
"They were adrift with no hope of survival," said James Kelleher, the ship's captain. "Conditions were bad and worsening. We changed course and immediately began running at full speed over to them."
Things might have seemed to be improving, but instead the nearly 900-foot containership flipped the trio into the ocean in the dead of night.
"If one bad thing goes wrong, it just seems like it gets worse and worse and worse and that's what happened," 29-year-old Mitch James told Hawaii News Now.
Spain Judge Baltasar Garzon vows to fight conviction
Hundreds of supporters of the campaigning judge gathered to protest in central Madrid on Thursday
Spanish
Judge Baltasar Garzon has vowed to fight his conviction for authorising
illegal phonetapping despite the court barring him from appealing.US military to ease curbs on women in combat roles
In recent years women have informally supported combat troops at war
The US military has announced plans to ease restrictions on women serving in combat roles.US banks agree $25bn mortgage settlement
Almost 11 million Americans owe more than their homes are worth
Five of the biggest US banks have agreed to provide $25bn
(£16bn) to homeowners to settle claims over improper foreclosure
practices.Greece bailout: Eurozone ministers set new conditions
Juncker: "We do not have all the necessary elements on the table to take decisions"
The
chairman of a meeting of Eurozone finance ministers says fresh
conditions will be attached to a 130bn euro ($170bn; £110bn) bailout for
Greece.
Lewd act during Super Bowl halftime show could put M.I.A. in breach of contract
Controversial rapper M.I.A. may be in breach of contract with the National Football League following her obscene gesture during Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show.
The British-born artist accompanied Madonna on stage at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and shocked viewers by issuing a middle-finger salute and uttering an expletive while performing “Give Me All Your Luvin’.”
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Yahoo! Sports this week that the league books all its own talent for the show, and has contractual stipulations with each performer regarding their behavior.
M.I.A. displayed an obscene gesture during her halftime performance at Super Bowl XLVI.
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Thursday, February 09, 2012
UN's Ban says Arab League mission to Syria may resume
Ban Ki-moon: "How many deaths will it take to halt this dangerous slide towards civil war?"
Man's Ex-Girlfriend Has Warning For His Fiancee
DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Brady,"
broke up with me in November. Five weeks later he became engaged to
someone else. I found out after that I have genital warts. My yearly
exams never showed any problems before, so I know I got them from Brady.
I'm getting treatment now, but I'll be contagious for the rest of my
life.
I have been unable to tell Brady about this because he won't
respond to my attempts to contact him. I'm now trying to decide if I
should tell his fiancee. I know he wants children, and this disease can
have some serious repercussions if she gets pregnant.
Do I leave this woman in the dark, or should I give her the medical information she and her doctors should have? -- NEEDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING IN NEW YORK
DEAR NEEDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING: Five weeks into a relationship is a whirlwind courtship, unless Brady was cheating on you with his fiancee before your breakup. If that's the case, she may be the person who infected Brady.
Since he won't respond to you, send him a registered letter informing him of your diagnosis, and any other information about genital warts you feel is relevant. If you're worried that the fiancee is in the dark about this, send her a copy -- also by registered mail. That way you'll know it was received.
Dems hit lax fed drilling oversight
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal policing of oil and natural gas drilling on public lands is lax and inconsistent, with only 6 percent of violations resulting in monetary fines over 13 years, House Democrats said in a report Wednesday.
Fines over that time totaled less than $275,000, an amount that the Democratic staff of the House Natural Resources Committee characterized as little more than "pocket change" for oil and gas companies.
The report said federal regulators issued no fines in the period
studied, February 1998 to February 2011, in eight of the drilling
states.The report, obtained by The Associated Press before its public release later Wednesday, said the government does little to ensure accountability or protect the environment, even as drilling on federal land has increased in recent years. The increase is driven in part by hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," a drilling technique that has allowed companies to extract oil and gas long locked underground.
Facebook discloses details on bonuses
NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook's top executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg,
are eligible for twice-a-year bonuses of up to 45 percent of their base
salaries and other earnings, according to a Wednesday regulatory
filing.
Facebook Inc. said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it will pay Zuckerberg, 27, a base salary of $500,000 per year. Zuckerberg's 45 percent target bonus will be based on his performance.Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg will receive a base salary of $300,000. Her target bonus is also 45 percent.
David Ebersman will continue to serve as chief financial officer and he will get a base salary of $300,000.
Minoza says Manny's a knock-out at Philippine Open golf
Filipino veteran Frankie Minoza is hoping a pro-am round with revered boxer Manny Pacquiao will leave him fighting fit in his bid to claim a third title at this week's ICTSI Philippine Open.
The 52-year-old Minoza, who won Asia's oldest Open in 1998 and 2007,
called the WBO welterweight champion an inspiration for his country,
still reeling from a deadly tropical storm late last year.Greece bailout: Coalition fails to agree cuts
The party leaders only received the text of the draft proposals on Wednesday morning
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Greek leaders postpone meeting as euro exit discussed
Mark Lowen: "This country must make painful reforms."
Obama campaign returns funds linked to Mexico fugitive
Mr Obama raised $750m during his 2008 election campaign and is aiming higher for 2012
Brazil police-army stand-off amid talks to end strike
Some 3,000 troops and federal police have been sent to patrol Bahia's streets
Uganda revives anti-gay bill but drops death penalty
David Bahati says homosexuality has been imported from the West
Iran parliament summons President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could wait until after the 2 March elections to appear before MPs
Romney and Santorum battle it out as three states vote
The Romney campaign has struggled to shake doubts about his candidacy among conservatives
Argentina to raise Falklands UK 'militarisation' at UN
President Fernandez said British actions posed a threat to international security
Syria crisis: Gulf Arab states expel Syrian ambassadors
BBC's Paul Wood, in Homs, says Russian-made tanks are firing on residents
Consumer groups want tougher probe of engineered salmon
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three U.S. consumer groups petitioned the Food and Drug Administration
on Tuesday to subject a new genetically engineered salmon to a more
rigorous review process than is now in place before the fish can be
approved as safe to eat.
The fish at issue, AquaBounty Technologies' AquAdvantage salmon, is currently classified as a new animal drug for the purposes of FDA review.The FDA considers any genetically altered animal a new animal drug for approval purposes. The petition calls for the salmon to be classified as a food additive instead, which would require a more rigorous FDA review.
Maria Menounos wears Giants bikini in Times Square after Patriots loss
(Getty Images)Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Payless ShoeSource Continues Global Expansion and Announces Franchise Deals for Stores in New Markets: Korea, Thailand and Vietnam
Stores to Open This Year
TOPEKA, Kan., Feb. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Collective Brands’ (NYSE: PSS) Payless ShoeSource unit announced today that it has signed two new franchise agreements with partners Emart, a business unit of Shinsegae Group, Seoul, for stores in Korea, and Central Marketing Group, a business unit of Central Group, Bangkok, for stores in Thailand and Vietnam, bringing the total countries which will have franchised Payless stores to 20 countries.Payless and its partners said that in 2012 they expect six store openings in Korea, as well as five stores each to open in Thailand andVietnam.
“The franchise model has proven to be a profitable and effective way to quickly reach more international markets with the Payless brand and all it has to offer — great fashion, well-recognized brands, product quality and leading customer service all at a great price,” said LuAnn Via, Chief Executive Officer and President of Payless ShoeSource. “Payless brings the know-how in footwear specialty retailing, a sophisticated sourcing and supply chain system and powerful seasonal product collections. Our franchise partners like Emart and Central Marketing Group bring their strong infrastructure and experience within the local market. Together with these new franchise partners we are truly excited to bring the Payless brand to these three countries and their nearly 200 million consumers.”
Models form rights group ahead of New York Fashion Week
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fashion models in the United States launched a rights group on Monday ahead of New York Fashion Week
to seek workplace standards including backstage privacy to stop
unauthorized nude photos and a program to provide confidential advice on
dealing with sexual harassment.
Model Sara Ziff, 29, who has worked since she was 14, founded the nonprofit Model Alliance because she said she has seen the industry disregard child labor laws, evade financial transparency and tolerate sexual abuse in the workplace."Most models start their adult careers as minors and they labor in an unregulated business knowing that they are highly replaceable," Ziff said in a statement.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) said it had offered Ziff advice in starting the group. "Change comes from action and the Model Alliance can be a catalyst for change," said CFDA chief executive Steven Kolb.
Designer Diane von Furstenberg, president of the CFDA, is working with the alliance during Fashion Week, a high-profile global fashion event which starts on Thursday, to implement a rule that clears the backstage area of photographers and non-essential staff when models have to change clothes.
The alliance has also produced a draft bill of rights to empower models to demand fair treatment and is establishing a confidential service offering advice on how to deal with sexual harassment and abuse.
North Korean accordion players are a YouTube hit
Five students of Pyongyang's Kum Song School of Music are seen performing the mid-80s hit "Take on Me" by Norwegian group a-ha, a rare performance of popular Western music in the reclusive communist state.
The performance last December was filmed by visiting Norwegian artist Morten Traavik, who posted the clip on the video-sharing website on February 1.
He has invited the three men and two women to play a mixture of Korean and international hits during the Festival Barents Spektakel, a cultural event to be held in Norway from February 8 to 12.
Syrian forces attack Homs on eve of Lavrov visit
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Syrian military assault on Homs killed dozens of people on the eve of a visit to Damascus by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov aimed at pressing President Bashar al-Assad to end an 11-month uprising by implementing swift reform.
The violence Monday came as world powers scrambled for a
diplomatic strategy after the defeat of a U.N. Security Council
resolution backing an Arab League call for Assad to give up power and start a political transition.A member of the main opposition Syrian National Council said Assad's forces killed 50 people in a sustained bombardment of Homs, a center of armed opposition to his rule, two days after activists reported 200 people were killed in shelling.
Syrian authorities, who have denied firing on houses, said security forces killed "tens of terrorists" in Homs Monday morning. An Interior Ministry statement said six members of the security forces were killed in the clashes.
Utah chief: Police hope to interview Powell's dad
GRAHAM, Wash. (AP) — The police chief heading the investigation into missing Utah mother Susan Powell's disappearance says the case will remain open, and detectives hope to interview the father of her now-dead husband.
West Valley City Police Chief Buzz Nielsen arrived in Washington state Monday, a day after Josh Powell killed himself and his two young sons in a house fire.Nielsen says detectives want to question Powell's father, Steve Powell, about Susan's disappearance two years ago. He described Steve Powell as a "person of interest" but said Steve Powell is "not in our sights" in terms of any potentially imminent arrest.
Steve Powell has been in jail on voyeurism and child porn charges since last fall.
Nielsen says investigators had hoped to make an arrest in the case this year.
House Republicans try again to move Keystone pipeline
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans in the House of Representatives will try to force quick approval of the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL oil pipeline using a highway funding bill, but the plan's author said on Monday there may be more than one avenue for advancing the project.
President Barack Obama's administration blocked TransCanada's $7 billion project last month.
A key House panel is set to vote on Tuesday to attach a plan to speed approval for the project into the highway bill, but a must-pass payroll tax cut legislation provides another option, said Lee Terry, a Republican from Nebraska.
"We'll keep swinging," Terry told reporters.
Sectarian violence flares in Nigeria
A powerful blast rocked a police station followed by sustained gunfire in the city of Kano, Nigeria's second biggest urban center.
According to news agency AFP, one police officer was shot in the leg during the attack, believed to have been carried out by the militant Islamist sect Boko Haram, though no group has yet officially claimed responsibility.
One eyewitness from Kano's Sharada district reported the explosion "coming from around the police station. Shortly, gunshots followed. From what I heard it sounded like a shootout."
Ex-Soviet nations warm to homeless
In Ukraine, the hardest hit country, over 1,200 people are currently receiving medical treatment for hypothermia, according to government data.
The Emergencies Ministry said hospitals in Kyiv had been asked to keep patients admitted even after their treatment had ended, in order to protect them from the extreme temperatures that are forecast to plunge as low as minus 30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit) until the middle of February.
Yulia Yershova, spokeswoman for the Emergencies Ministry, told Deutsche Welle that thousands of shelters were being set up throughout the country to help the homeless survive the cold.
EU commission is loosing patience with Greece
For months, the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, known together as the troika, have been negotiating with the Greek government concerning a second bailout. This despite the fact that Greece has yet to fully implement the conditions attached to the first bailout. In addition, there have been doubts whether all of Greece's parties even feel bound by the commitments.
Antonis Samaras, the head of the conservative New Democracy party, has been openly disputing the latest austerity measures called for by Greece's international creditors. Weekend negotiations with the party leaders in the transitional government of Prime Minister Lucas Papademos also failed to come to any agreement.
Obama imposes new sanctions on Iran
Obama's move came as he insists that the tough range of US and European sanctions is exerting "unprecedented" pain on Iran, but with anxiety growing in Israel that the punishments will not halt Tehran's nuclear drive in time.
Radical preacher Abu Qatada granted bail
Abu Qatada has had a long battle against removal from the UK
Fatah-Hamas unity government: Israel condemns move
Both Mr Abbas and Mr Meshaal welcomed the deal as an opportunity for the Palestinian people
Nigeria unrest: Blasts rock Kano and Maiduguri
A police station has been hit by an explosion and attacked by gunmen in
the flashpoint northern Nigerian city of Kano, injuring an officer.
Trendnet security cam flaw exposes video feeds on net
One user uploaded a montage of what he said were Trendnet feeds to alert the media to the problem
Syria crisis: Army steps up Homs shelling
Paul Wood in Homs says there is "nowhere to hide" for the city's people
Monday, February 06, 2012
Pakistan: Many trapped in Lahore building collapse
Rescuers search through the collapsed factory in Lahore
Syria crisis: Army steps up Homs shelling
The BBC's Paul Wood reporting from inside Homs: "There's been pretty constant shelling"
Mahmoud Abbas to head interim Palestinian government
Mr Abbas and Mr Meshaal signed an accord in Doha
Romania PM Emil Boc resigns after austerity protests
Emil Boc said his government had not taken part in a popularity contest
Germany's Angela Merkel: 'Normal' to back Sarkozy
Since they last met, France's AAA credit rating has been lowered by Standard and Poor's
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