Samsung's big idea, Upsetting the Apple cart

SEOUL: Just a few doors down from the Apple store in Sydney, where a long line of fans eagerly awaited the sale of the new iPhone 4S, another throng was gathering at a Samsung store. Samsung was ambushing Apple at a temporary "pop up" store offering its new Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone for just A$2 to the first 10 customers each day in the run-up to the rival iPhone launch. The guerrilla marketing tactic is the latest flare-up in the intensifying competition between two of the biggest players in the mobile devices industry that has also seen them battle in courts across the world over patents. What makes the battle so captivating is that the two companies are such contrasts. Apple is known for innovation and big ideas that create whole new markets. What Samsung lacks in ideas, it makes up for with a sleek production system that is lightning fast in bringing new products to market. Still, Samsung Electronics delayed the unveiling of its latest smartphone, the Nexus Prime, by a week to Wednesday as a sign of respect following the death of Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs -- Apple is Samsung's biggest customers for microprocessors. The Nexus Prime has been much anticipated because it is based on the latest version of Google's Android operating system, named "Ice Cream Sandwich" after previous versions also named after foods, such as Gingerbread and Honeycomb. But the war for smartphone dominance is one Samsung appears to be winning for now, just. Third-quarter figures are expected to show it has overtaken Apple as the world's biggest smartphone vendor in terms of units sold. Apple, the world's largest technology company with a market value of $391 billion, is counter-punching hard as the holiday sales season approaches. It is expected to present a positive short-term picture -- sparked by roaring sales of its iPhone and iPad -- when it reports results for the July-September period on Tuesday. The company moved 4 million iPhone 4S units in three days -- more than double its predecessor -- despite lukewarm reviews. "The quarter we are focusing on is the holiday quarter," said Channing Smith, co-manager of the Capital Advisors Growth Fund, which owns Apple shares. "We expect Apple to absolutely blow the doors off during Christmas." The battle between Samsung and Apple is being waged not just in malls and stalls across the world, but in courtrooms as well. On the same day Samsung was luring away potential Apple customers in Sydney with the Galaxy promotion, an Australian court slapped a temporary ban on the sale of Samsung's computer tablet, named the Galaxy Tab, in the country, saying Samsung infringed on Apple patents. Apple has also scored preliminary injunctions against some Samsung products in Germany and the Netherlands, and seeks to block sales of Samsung models in the United States, the key smartphone battleground. Samsung is trying to counter with lawsuits of its own, unsuccessfully so far, accusing Apple of infringing its technologies. Fast executioner Analysts who follow the company say Samsung may not have the next big idea but it does have world-class marketing chops. The world's biggest maker of flat screens and memory chips and the second-biggest mobile phone maker after Nokia can bring a product to market faster than anybody. Samsung can leverage costs by using the chips and screens from its other divisions in its products. It has unrivalled product differentiation, offering different phones for different market segments. But while Samsung has shown it can beat Apple in the market, few are convinced it has the innovative corporate culture to be the next Apple. The conglomerate's legendary founder Lee Byung-chull set up Samsung Electronics in 1969, producing black-and-white TVs that he supposedly learned how to make by tearing apart a Sony. Apple claims in its lawsuits that the Galaxy lineups using Google's Android platform copied the look and feel of its iPhone and iPad. "Koreans are great at reverse engineering," says John Strand, founder of Danish telecoms consultancy Strand Consult. Samsung's corporate culture values speed and adaptability, aspiring to be what they call in Korea the "fast executioner." "But to capture the imagination of the public in the way the iPhone or iPad have done, Samsung will need to take risks and produce something unique that has a true 'wow' factor and be first to market," said Tim Shepherd, an analyst at Canalys, a technology focused research firm. Technology agnostic Samsung doesn't just rely on Android. It is technology neutral, jointly developing software with Intel, using Microsoft's Windows, free software Linux and its own operating system, Bada, in its phones. Its vertically integrated supply chain of chips and displays also helps it better control production costs. "With eggs in all baskets, Samsung is poised to be the long-term winner regardless of how the dynamics play out between technologies and standards," analysts at Bernstein said in a report. "Samsung is unique among leading manufacturers of being extremely 'OS-agnostic'," they said referring to operating systems. One Samsung executive helpfully suggested that Apple might want to copy the Korean company. "What Apple might want to pursue is ironically what Samsung is doing right now: Keep introducing differentiated products to cater to the very low end of the market to the very top," said a senior Samsung official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media. "We may have looked foolish by not focusing on just one mobile platform and instead spreading our resources for the time- and labor-consuming work of making phones with various platforms, but it showed patience eventually pays off." Samsung's speedy ascent to the smartphone summit came after the company was sent reeling by the storm Apple created over the launch of the iPhone 4 and the iPad early last year. Profit halved in the second quarter last year because it didn't have products to compete with the iPhone 4 and the iPad. But it caught up fast. Samsung released an upgraded version of its Galaxy S smartphone with improved processing power in April, less than a year after it was first introduced, making it also bigger but lighter. Months later, it unveiled upgraded versions of the Galaxy smartphone, running on the fast 4G network with a high-resolution display. The company was also first to challenge the iPad with different sizes and is now the No. 2 tablet vendor. Samsung sold nearly 20 million smartphones in the second quarter, about one million fewer than Apple. Its market share gap was less than 1 percentage point. But Samsung is expected to sell 95 million smartphones this year, higher than Apple's 81 million, and raise sales to 136 million versus Apple's 89 million units next year, JPMorgan analysts forecast. By comparison, Apple's latest iPhone followed 15 months after its previous model and had no facial changes, disappointing investors and fans who had hoped for a fancy and thinner product with a bigger screen and 4G connection. "If users are concerned about being 'future-proof' from a network technology point of view, Samsung clearly has a marketing edge at the moment ... Samsung has a strong ability to release competitive new smartphones on a timely basis," Fitch analyst Alvin Lim said. Clean, clear, colours Just listen to Michael Santos, an iPhone user for the last two years. The 22-year-old is about to abandon his iPhone after spending the past half-hour in a Samsung store in Singapore playing with the new Galaxy S II. "The screen on the Galaxy is high resolution, much clearer, cleaner and the colors are brighter," said Santos, a student on a holiday in Singapore. The Galaxy S II uses Samsung's own dual-core application processors, cutting costs there. It is slimmer and has a bigger display than the iPhone 4S and is being sold through around 140 operators in more than 100 countries. Choice, and lots of it, has been key to its success. "The secret to Samsung's success is strength in depth," said Geoff Blaber, analyst at London-based mobile consultancy CCS Insight. "Samsung is competing aggressively -- from pre-pay right up to the high-tier, where the Galaxy S II has arguably gained most from Nokia's slide in market share." "Words once solely used to describe Nokia are now applicable to Samsung. Scale, distribution and supply chain are interdependent elements that Samsung has mastered to drive both profit and volume," he said. Analysts say smartphones now account for one-third of Samsung's handset portfolio, up from 26 percent in the second quarter and 12 percent a year ago, lifting the profit margin of its overall handset business to around 14 percent. The iPhone, introduced in 2007 with the touchscreen template now adopted by its rivals, is still the gold standard in the smartphone market. But phones based on Android, which is available for free to handset vendors such as Samsung, HTC, LG Electronics, Motorola Mobility and Sony Ericsson, have come to dominate the market. Consumers of Android-powered smartphones tout its customization, price and also the fact that they do not need to synchronize their devices with a computer like users of Apple's operating system. Samsung may not have come up with the concept but it has adapted Apple's breakthrough smartphone idea perhaps better than any other handset maker. It tries to offer the Apple experience at a better price with better functionality. That was why Cho Su-ah, a college student in Seoul, picked Samsung over Apple. "I was attracted to the iPhone 4 more since many of my friends have it and I could get a lot of help from them if I needed. Also, as a girl, I was attracted to the cute design of Apple," she said. "But my thoughts on Galaxy changed after a few days of using it. Since it's a Korean phone I could get technical help much more easily than I would have with an iPhone. And although people said the Android market has fewer applications, I didn't have any trouble finding applications I wanted."

Japanese minister quits after 'town of death' gaffe

Yoshio Hachiro, the industry minister, resigned after describing the nuclear no-go area surrounding the damaged Fukushima power plant as a "town of death". The politician caused further upset when he joked with reporters about infecting people with radiation from his clothes following a tour of Fukushima. His resignation cast a bleak shadow over the nation's marking of the six-month anniversary of the March 11 disaster, which claimed more than 20,000 lives and left tens of thousands of survivors homeless across the north-east region. His departure was also a blow to Yoshihiko Noda, the nation's sixth new prime minister in five years, who apologised to the nation for the minister's inappropriate comments after he stepped down. It marks a shaky start to Mr Noda's new tenure at the helm as he attempts to restore the morale of the nation and boost the momentum of the recovery process following the departure of his strongly-criticised predecessor. The departed minister's comments about a "town of death" was likely to have hit a particularly raw nerve for the displaced residents of the region as the government is unable to provide them with a firm timetable for their return. Numerous homes, farms and businesses within a 12 mile radius around the still-damaged nuclear power plant remain out of bounds, with some areas near the site expected to be uninhabitable for years due to radiation contamination.

9/11 anniversary: Obama calls for a future with hope

US President Barack Obama has told Americans they should honour those who died in the 9/11 attacks, but look to the future with "hearts full of hope". He said the decade since the attacks showed Americans' resolve to defend their way of life. The ideal that "men and women should govern themselves... has only been strengthened", he said. Nearly 3,000 people died when four hijacked airliners crashed in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Mr Obama was speaking during a memorial concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, closing a day of official commemorations of the 10th anniversary of the attacks, Earlier in the day he had attended memorial ceremonies at the three sites where four airliners hijacked by al-Qaeda militants crashed: the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and a Pennsylvania field. Continue reading the main story

PM Manmohan Singh applauds Sheikh Hasina govt's war on terror Live

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday praised the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh for cracking down on terrorists and militants who were constantly targeting India from its soil. "I would like to acknowledge the immense cooperation India has received from Bangladesh in this area, which is in the interest of both India and Bangladesh," Singh told the senior ministers, MPs and academicians of Bangladesh at Dhaka University. Minutes before his lecture, a blast rocked the high court in Delhi - killing 11 people and maiming 76. Hours later, the Harkatul-Jehadi-Islami (HuJI) militant group - an al- Qaeda affiliate with bases in Bangladesh - sent an email claiming responsibility. Ilyas Kashmiri, who the US authorities believe was recently killed in Pakistan, was the head of the HuJI and a senior al-Qaeda member. Pointing out the need to strengthen counter-terror cooperation, Singh said: "Both India and Bangladesh are vulnerable to the forces of extremism and terrorism. Such forces sap the strength of our societies, threaten our state systems and impede our social and economic progress. It is therefore of paramount importance that we work together." This explains the current level of security cooperation between the two countries. The issue had figured in Tuesday's discussion and Dhaka is currently expediting the legal process to hand over Ulfa general secretary Anup Chetia. India's ties with Bangladesh had touched a new low between 2001 and 2006 - when the BNPJamaat coalition was in power - over the rise in extremism and anti- India terror conspiracy. Hasina's return to power saw immediate action on these fronts. Emphasising on Bangladesh's liberal ideology, the PM said: "Bangladesh has firmly rejected extremist ideas and achieved success as an open and moderate society and democracy. India and Bangladesh share these values." The PM's assertion on counterterror cooperation from a neighbour is significant, keeping in mind India's frustration over its western neighbour Pakistan's inaction on the terror infrastructure and the perpetrators of 26/ 11. A day after disappointment crept in Bangladesh circles over the delay in signing of the Teesta deal, the PM expressed determination to do so in the near future. "I was hopeful… we would be able to come to an agreement. Both sides worked very hard for a solution. Unfortunately, the efforts did not meet with success. I have asked all officials to intensify their efforts," the PM said, assuring that India will not take steps that will adversely impact the neighbouring country. A Bangladeshi daily, meanwhile, described West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's absence from the Indian delegation as "an insult to the Indian PM". Mamata refused to accompany the PM in protest against the final draft of the Teesta agreement. The Daily Star editorial said: "Mamata Banerjee's action amounts to a big let-down for Bangladesh and is an insult to the Indian Prime Minister." There were, however, some takeaways from the PM's visit - the two sides decided to conclude an extradition treaty in the near future. A joint statement issued on Wednesday after PM Singh left Dhaka said, "Bangladesh and India will conclude the extradition treaty expeditiously to complete the legal framework for bilateral security cooperation". The deal is likely to speed up the process for handing over Ulfa leaders. Bangladesh had earlier dragged its feet on signing such a treaty.

DSA undergoes changes live

A new Office for Student Engagement is now being created to help students find information more easily and combine Student Organizations, Greek Life, the Student Government Association (SGA) as well as Division for Student Affairs sponsored events to be a more efficient operation for the university. "We're trying to have a one-stop place for all students who want to be engaged in activities outside of the classroom, and a lot of those deal with being in organizations, such as Greek Life or Student Government," said Jim McHodgkins, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs. Cherié K. Thriffiley will now become the Director of the Office for Student Engagement, formerly the Director of Greek Life. Beth Richardson will now become the Assistant Director of the Office for Student Engagement, formerly the Coordinator of SGA. A new position, Coordinator of the Office for Student Engagement, will be an open search, where those qualified will be able to apply online. "Cherié will oversee a lot of the different things, dealing with the various student organizations and special initiatives that we have, such as Family Day and Traditions," said McHodgkins. "Beth will probably deal a lot more with the Greeks, and whoever is hired will deal with SGA. But that's not to say that their positions won't intermingle." Some students are already aware of the changes, such as students who work for SGA or Greek Life or members of their organizations. However, until the position of Coordinator of the Office for Student Engagement is filled most of the student population won't see the new office until it's created. "They're seeing some of the change already, but they probably won't see it fully until the whole thing is rolled out, filling all of the positions," said McHodgkins. "Right now, they are all just helping each other, as we are one person down." The Office for Student Engagement's main focus will be to provide a connection for students to grow as individuals through events operated by the new office. "By having a staff in there, it's going to allow us to be able to do more and to work with the students to engage them in abilities to make them stronger as leaders and individuals in their chapters," said McHodgkins. With budget cuts on the rise, the Division for Student Affairs will be able to do more with what they had without adding or cutting anything. This combination helps streamline processes that may have been done by multiple parties. "We'll be able to utilize our resources more efficiently, in staff as well as dollars, so instead of every department having the same thing, we can combine it so we can be more efficient and spread our dollars farther to make them more successful," said McHodgkins.

DNA results hit Morcombe family like 'sledgehammer' Live

Daniel Morcombe's parents say confirmation that human remains found on Queensland's Sunshine Coast belonged to their son was like "waiting for a sledgehammer to hit you". Bruce and Denise Morcombe have spoken publicly for the first time since police revealed yesterday that three bones found in bushland at Beerwah matched Daniel's DNA. Mr Morcombe says the family is feeling a mixture of relief and loss at the news. "Very sadly we had the confirmation that Daniel's remains are indeed at Glass House Mountains," he said. "We're to some degree quite traumatised by Daniel's loss and the findings. "It's something like waiting for the sledgehammer to hit you, but it still does come as a shock." Daniel was 13 when he disappeared at Woombye on the Sunshine Coast hinterland in 2003, sparking the largest missing persons case in Queensland's history. Since his disappearance the Morcombes have worked tirelessly to keep the case in the national consciousness. Mr Morcombe says while the DNA confirmation will not provide closure for the family, it represents an important step forward. "We wrestled with finding the appropriate word, and closure's one we've never been comfortable with," he said. "I, to some degree, just put it as relief. We've worked incredibly hard to find Daniel. "It's a place you don't want to be, but at the same time it is a relief we're entering the final chapter." An emotional Ms Morcombe said "we said we'd never give up and we proved it". But she says family will wait until all of Daniel's remains are recovered before they begin to plan a funeral. The entire Morcombe family, including Daniel's brothers Bradley and Dean, last week visited the site where the remains were found, and Ms Morcombe said it was "heartbreaking" watching her sons absorb the reality of the situation. "It was reality setting in, that no longer was their brother missing, the reality was their brother was murdered," Mr Morcombe said. But he said the family was not dwelling on the upcoming court case. "We don't focus anger, we don't focus on the court case or the person who's been charged; our focus has been on finding Daniel," he said. Search stalls Police say it could be several days before they can resume the search for Daniel's remains. The operation at the Beerwah site has been suspended since Saturday due to bad weather. Police say they are monitoring conditions and will resume as soon as possible. Officers have been scouring buildings near the site in the meantime, but would not reveal any further details. They say the investigation is ongoing and will keep searching for months if necessary. Police have charged Brett Peter Cowan with a number of offences, including with Daniel's abduction and murder. The father of three has signalled he will fight the charges.

America has to change its way of life

A Briton in America notices something about comparative politics. Britain's House of Commons reeks of conflict. The rival parties glare at one another from opposite benches. Debates are barbed and sometimes vicious — especially during the gladiatorial spectacle of prime minister's questions. America's Congress is different. Members of the House of Representatives sit shoulder-to-shoulder in the shape of a horseshoe. Debates, such as they are, are marked by an exaggerated decorum. The casual observer might easily conclude that America has the more consensual form of politics and Britain the more adversarial. As the bitter fights that have scarred the first half of President Barack Obama's presidency show, nothing could be further from the truth. Compared with the total war that is American politics, the British version is sport (amateur sport at that: the $1 billion [Dh3.67 billion] that Obama is said to be seeking for his re-election campaign would pay for an entire British general election 20 times over). After they heap scorn and vitriol upon one another in the debating chamber, members of the British Parliament retire companionably together to the bars and tea rooms of the Palace of Westminster. Friendships across party lines are easy, because the next election is generally years away (Parliament sits now for a fixed term of five years) and most politicians spend plenty of time in their taxpayer-subsidised homes in London. Besides, the present ideological quarrels between Tories, Labourites and Liberal Democrats pale into insignificance next to America's. No party dares to threaten the National Health Service, for example, or propose dramatic changes in tax rates. Above all, British politicians accept the rules of a simple game: the ruling party governs (occasionally in coalition) while the opposition bides its time. The life of the modern congressman could not be more different. Every member of the House is up for re-election every two years. That requires perpetual fund-raising and, thanks to the system of primary elections, assiduous cultivation of local activists. Many congressmen invest so much time in their districts that they do not bother to rent apartments in Washington, DC, let alone bring their families to the capital. Less time in Washington means fewer opportunities for them to befriend members of the other party, even if they wanted to. Increasingly, however, they don't. Friendships might be all very well if, as in Britain, the opposition were merely biding its time. In America's system the battle never pauses. Even before the Republicans captured the House in November's mid-terms, they were fully and often successfully engaged in seeking to thwart the will of the Democrats. As for ideological differences, the gap between America's parties is growing. The most conservative Democrat on Capitol Hill is to the left of the most liberal Republican, and vice-versa. The Democrats have become the defenders of social-transfer payments, the Republicans zealous champions of small government and low taxation. Many of the 87 freshmen Republicans entering the House in November do not believe that they were sent there to conduct business as usual . Close margins British politicians of all hues tune into the BBC's Today programme, the morning radio show that sets the nation's political agenda and referees the facts. America's listen to their separate echo-chambers. The addition of inexperienced legislators, burning with missionary zeal, to an already complex system of divided government and separated powers has cast even veteran observers of Congress into a despond. Norman Ornstein, the author with Thomas Mann of a book on Congress called The Broken Branch, declared recently that the 112th Congress was the worst ever, but that the next would be nastier still. Next year's elections, he says, are sure to produce very close margins in both houses, and even more polarisation as redistricting enhances the role of primaries on the Republican side, pulling candidates further to the right. As they ponder the scale of their debt and the deadlock between the parties, Americans are entitled to feel frustrated. A record eight out of 10 of them said after the recent debt-ceiling deal that they disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job. Given the impasse on the Hill, the occasional Anglophile will ask, could not America borrow something from a system that seems somehow to combine civility with the ability to get hard things done? Probably not. As they made unmannerly plain a couple of centuries ago, most Americans do not admire Britain's parliamentary democracy, which is, after all, no panacea. In 1976 Lord Hailsham, a Conservative politician, called its strong centralisation of decision-making an ‘elective dictatorship'. That might be a boon when strong government is needed: during war, say, or when rioters are burning London, or when, as during the Thatcher period, the times call for a wrenching change. America needs to make big changes if it is to live within its means. But this will not be done by tinkering with its system of government. It is the people who work the system who need to change, primarily by meeting their opponents halfway. They could make a start by asking a member of the other party over for dinner.

Slow registration for FNC candidacy on third day

Sharjah: The third day of registration got off at a snail-pace rate, as hardly any candidates showed up. Since registration opened up at 9am, only three candidates registered in a span of one hour and a half. The only sound you could hear was the background music playing from the speakers, and a quiet murmur from employees echoed in the hall, as they patiently waited for candidates.

Anna Hazare (K B Hazare) arrested by Delhi Police

Who is Anna Hazare

He once contemplated suicide and even wrote a two-page essay on why he wanted to end his life. Anna Hazare was not driven to such a pass by circumstances. He wanted to live no more because he was frustrated with life and wanted an answer to the purpose of human existence. The story goes that one day at the New Delhi Railway Station, he chanced upon a book on Swami Vivekananda. Drawn by Vivekananda's photograph, he is quoted as saying that he read the book and found his answer - that the motive of his life lay in service to his fellow humans. Today, Anna Hazare is the face of India's fight against corruption. He has taken that fight to the corridors of power and challenged the government at the highest level. People, the common man and well-known personalities alike, are supporting him in the hundreds swelling to the thousands. For more Click here >>>>>> (K B Hazare)

Obama’s Solemn Visit To Ground Zero

President Obama made a brief but solemn visit to the site of Osama bin Laden’s most heinous crime Thursday, meeting with first responders and the family members of 9/11 victims in his first trip to New York since the al Qaeda leader’s death. At the World Trade Center site itself, he made no speeches, simply leaving a wreath composed of red, white and blue flowers in front of what has come to be known as the “Survivor Tree.” Then Obama walked over to 14-year-old Payton Wall, whose father was killed nearby nearly ten years ago, and gave her a hug. “We just talked,” Wall told television crews after her meeting with the president, which was prompted by a letter she wrote him just days ago. She was joined by her younger sister, a friend who also lost a parent on 9/11, and her mother. Before that visit to Lower Manhattan, Obama met with a group of New York City firefighters in a station that lost 15 members on September 11, 2001. Bin Laden’s death, he said in his most extensive public remarks, sent a message “that when we say we will never forget, we mean what we say.” And, he added pointedly, he believed that “when those guys took those extraordinary risks going into Pakistan, that they were doing it in part because of the sacrifices that were made in the States. They were doing it in the name of your brothers that were lost.” Although some on the right had contended that Obama’s visit to New York would serve as little more than a “victory lap,” including, supposedly, an anonymous member of the George W. Bush camp, the mood throughout the day was somber. The trip was Obama’s first to Ground Zero since 2008. After he laid the wreath just steps from where the World Trade Center towers once stood, Obama had a private meeting with about 60 people who lost family members on 9/11. For Lee Ielpi, a retired member of the FDNY whose firefighter son died responding to the attack on the World Trade Center, that meeting was “casual.” He noted that “there was no script. I was impressed, he spoke from the heart, he was very sincere, he spoke about the mission and that it was accomplished, which I really thought was very nice.” Inside the meeting, President Obama spoke for a short time to the assembled family members as a whole. “There’s a word that most families don’t like or understand, and that’s closure, and he never said it,” Ielpi told HuffPost afterward. “The word he used was peace — I hope this brings some peace to your families.” After that, the president went from table to table speaking with the family members. Ielpi described a quiet but “very powerful” series of encounters. “He went and spoke with every single family member there — shook their hands, shared a tear with them.” Debra Burlingame, an often-time critic of the president from the right whose brother was the pilot of the plane that flew into the Pentagon, told Fox News the event was “very social.” The president’s entrance was “almost like a neighbor coming into a barbecue, there was no pomp, no ceremony.” She left still dissatisfied with the president’s policies. Talat Hamdani, a Muslim American critic of Guantanamo whose son was a NYPD cadet killed responding to the attacks, said she was surprised at how much the president’s visit meant to her. “I never realized that I would feel all these emotions, feeling overwhelmed,” she said. “It was just a, you know, a very special moment, especially at the 9/11 memorial, to know that your president cares for you,” she said. She too described a quiet, sober meeting: “He exudes so much calmness, it was inexpressible.” Brennan Basnicki, 26, whose father was killed on September 11, did not attend, saying that “While President Obama’s visit is a kind and respectable gesture, the reality is that his visit doesn’t change the events that have taken place.” The meeting with family members lasted less than an hour, and then the president was gone, leaving on a helicopter for Kennedy International Airport. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who attended the wreath ceremony, expressed satisfaction with the trip, saying, “I was inspired by the strength of the families who stood here today, thinking of their loved ones, knowing that the first chapter has closed and moving to the next chapter.” Gillibrand was joined by a number of prominent politicians from New York and the tri-state area, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) and Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Republican elected officials like Rep. Peter King (N.Y.) and Gov. Chris Christie (N.J.). King said, “Visiting Ground Zero was the appropriate thing for the President to do. It was very meaningful to the 9/11 families. The President handled it with great dignity.” Many details of the trip came together at the last minute, with some invitees receiving invitations just a few hours before Obama arrived in the city. The small number of family members who were able to attend — just around 60 relatives for the nearly 3,000 individuals who died on September 11 — led to some complaints about the selection process. Donna Marsh O’Connor, who lost a daughter on 9/11, said before Obama’s trip that “The visit is fine but the mysterious planning for it is divisive and problematic.” According to the White House, invitees were chosen in consultation with the National 9/11 Memorial and were intended to serve as a “cross section” of family members. For Ielpi, that cross section worked, creating a “diverse” group around him. And even though fierce critics of the president like 9/11 Burlingame were invited, he said he “didn’t hear any politics.” Though President Obama invited his predecessor to attend the memorial, Bush declined. The event as a whole stood in stark contrast to George W. Bush’s famous stand atop the World Trade Center rubble with a bullhorn, where he promised that “the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!” Nearly ten years later, after two wars and a long, frustrating search for justice for Bin Laden’s victims, Obama seemed content for the most part to let SEAL Team Six’s work speak for itself. On Friday he will meet with members of that elite team. For more >>>

Gaza Under Mysterious Blackout Live

Gaza has been under a mysterious blackout for at least 8-10 hours, according to Twitter reports. No electricity in the August heat means no air conditioning, no internet, no telephone and no lights for the people of Gaza, and inexplicably cellphones are not working either. No party or nation has come forward to explain or take credit for the blackout, and contacts in the army have reported no activity. Speculation that a damaged communication device which was hit during skirmishes yesterday have not been confirmed or denied by officials. No media reports have as yet been issued. For the moment at least, it is as though Gaza has been rendered silent and invisible. Israeli Army bulldozers seen moving dirt on a field nearby shortly before the blackout have led to fears of an oncoming onslaught upon Gaza by the Israeli army. Unable to contact the outside world, residents have spent a long, dark and uneasy night in the Gaza strip. HasanB Hasan Badwan by MmeButterfly1 RT @livefromgaza please, tell the world that Israel cut off the commucation on Gaza sincce yday at 7 pm./ #gaza no cellpohnes no internet 43 minutes ago.

American Retailers Buy Products From Jordan Plant Where Women Workers Are Raped

The largest garment export factory in Jordan that provides clothing for American retail markets including Wal-Mart, Hanes, Kohl's, Target and Macy's employs dozens of migrant workers from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, most of whom are virtually imprisoned in dilapidated surroundings. “We only went to Jordan to earn money to help our families,” says a young woman who goes by the name “Nazma” to protect her identity. “We had no idea that factory managers would rape so many of us young girls.” The garments enter the U.S. duty-free under the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement. · In a report published by The Institute of Global Labor and Human Rights the alleged rapist Anil Santha who is the general manager sends a van on a weekly basis to bring four or five young women to his hotel, where he abuses them. The lives of the young Sri Lankan rape victims are completely humiliated, as in their culture, virginity is highly prized and critical for a good marriage. Reports of Bondage Eccuterre.com reports the institute’s findings are the result of six-month undercover effort, says Charles Kernaghan, its director and lead author of the study. “One young rape victim told us her assailant, a manager, bit her, leaving scars all over her body,” he says. “Women who become pregnant are forcibly deported and returned to Sri Lanka. Women who refuse the sexual advances of Classic‘s managers are also beaten and deported.” Workers are required to work 13 hour shifts for 61 cents an hour and are physically hit and cursed at while working. Many times their wages are shorted because they don’t meet production goals reported by eyewitnesses. · “To press the women to work faster, managers grope and fondle them,” Kernaghan adds. They’re also forced to live in bedbug-infested dormitories, without heat or hot water. · · Although Jordan’s Ministry of Labor has been made aware of the allegations as early as 2007, he says, it has done nothing. Neither have the American corporations that continue to buy Classic clothing and claim no evidence of wrongdoing. “The minimal efforts of Walmart, Hanes, and the other labels to monitor factory conditions at Classic,” says Kernaghan, who wants the companies to immediately remove the accused perpetrators, compensate the victims, and enforce the worker’s rights laws in the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement. · “All we can do is cry,” Nazma says. “We ask the people who buy our garments, please end this abuse and torture we face. We should be able to work without fear of sexual assault.”

Leader faces tough job in uniting Thailand

BANGKOK - Parliament elected Yingluck Shinawatra as Thailand’s first female prime minister yesterday, a month after her party won a landslide victory over a coalition backed by the military and traditional elites. Shinawatra, 44, a political novice, received 296 votes in the 500-seat Parliament, reflecting her party’s comfortable majority. She is the youngest sister of Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister ousted in a 2006 military coup. Thaksin - who now lives in Dubai, evading a jail term here for abuse of power - looms large as the kingmaker and impresario of the incoming administration and his sister’s Pheu Thai Party. Her selection must be approved by King Bhumibol Adulyadej before she can officially take office. Thai news organizations have speculated she will announce her Cabinet in days. Shinawatra must deliver on her party’s ambitious promises: a sharp increase in the minimum wage, the construction of high-speed rail lines, providing free tablet computers to primary school students, and revamping the country’s health care system, among many others. But her greatest challenge may be uniting a fractured society, a task that eluded the four previous governments. Shinawatra has repeatedly sought to assuage the Thai military. Pheu Thai won the July 3 election thanks to strong support from the north and northeastern parts of the country, where her brother’s policies - universal health care, a crackdown on drugs, and greater financing for local governments - proved very popular. The losing Democrat Party is the oldest in Thailand and is generally supported by old-money business owners and the current military hierarchy. But Shinawatra appears to be forging her own alliance with some of the elite. Her victory and that of her party has nonetheless sharpened divisions between rural and urban areas and started a debate over the significance of a woman leading the country. Shinawatra, who is 18 years younger than her brother, has spent recent weeks denying stories in the Thai media that he is calling the shots from abroad, that he is helping choose the Cabinet and wheeling and dealing on her behalf. She has vowed to work independently. “I will be myself,’’ Shinawatra told reporters last month. She is a rarity in the often macho world of Thai politics, but as someone who has never held political office before, she is also one of the least experienced leaders to emerge in a major Asian country in decades. Her political career spans about 80 days. When Pheu Thai named her as a candidate for prime minister, she was urged on by her brother. Some supporters also saw the election as a chance to send a protest message to the military and traditional elite, which had backed the departing coalition and was perceived as applying undue influence behind the scenes. Despite her family’s fortune, Shinawatra was often portrayed in the campaign as an upcountry girl who was in touch with plebeian Thailand. But much of her life has been spent in the shadow of her brother. In the 1970s, her brother obtained a master’s degree in criminal justice at Eastern Kentucky University. A decade and a half later, his sister got a master’s degree in public administration an hour’s drive away, at Kentucky State University, a historically black institution amid horse farms and rolling hills. Yingluck’s professional career began at her brother’s business empire, first at a company that produced telephone directories, then at AIS, the cellphone company, and finally a real estate company.

Ukrainian artist shacks up with lions Live

Zoo owner and artist Aleksandr Pylyshenko looks out from between bars of a cage, next to female African lion Katya, at a private zoo situated in his yard in the city of Vasilyevka, southeastern Ukraine August 3, 2011. Pylyshenko decided to spend five weeks in a cage with a pair of African lions, Katya and Samson, to get money for improving the lions' living conditions, according to local media. He is broadcasting it on internet to attract the public's attention to plight of wild animals in private Ukrainian zoos, which do not get enough fundings. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich (UKRAINE - Tags: ANIMALS BUSINESS SOCIETY ODDLY) For more details click here >>>

woman claims famed hijacker is her uncle, Okla

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The mystery of notorious airplane hijacker D.B. Cooper has stumped law enforcement for nearly four decades, but the distant childhood memories of an Oklahoma City woman seem to be prompting the FBI to take a closer look at the nation's only unsolved skyjacking. Marla Cooper believes her late uncle, Lynn Doyle Cooper, was the man who hijacked that plane in November 1971 and parachuted — with $200,000 in ransom cash — into a rainy night over the Pacific Northwest.

Now 48, Cooper said she recently recounted for the FBI her recollection of a Thanksgiving holiday in 1971 at her grandmother's home in Sisters, Ore. "I was 8 years old, so I can't tell you exactly what he said, but I do remember the words: 'Our money problems are over. We just need to go back and get the money,'" she said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday. While federal investigators say solving the hijacking is a low priority because present-day criminals pose a greater threat, the case holds a prominent place in American folklore: the guy who pulled an incredible heist and got away. "We're desperate to believe in people who can do things we can't," said Geoffrey Gray, who has written a book about the case. The FBI isn't convinced D.B. Cooper even survived the jump but has chased more than 1,000 leads in the case. The agency said Monday it was following a new lead, but FBI agent Fred Gutt declined Wednesday to say whether Marla Cooper was their source. "It is an unsolved crime and we are obligated to address that if new, credible information comes to us," Gutt said. Marla Cooper, whose comments were first reported by ABC News, said she recalled two of her uncles, including an uncle she knew as "L.D.," plotting something "underhanded" during that Thanksgiving visit to her grandmother's house. "I knew they weren't shooting straight with me when they were teasing me and telling me they were going turkey hunting," she told the AP. "I was a witness to them returning from their so-called turkey hunt early the next morning ... when my uncle L.D. was very injured and heard them telling my father that they had hijacked an airplane," she said. Over the years, Marla Cooper said she never gave much thought to the incident until she pieced together her memories with comments made first by her father shortly before his death in 1995, and later by her mother two years ago. After her mother's comments spurred her memory, Marla Cooper said she looked up the story of D.B. Cooper and "over the next few days, I was just flooded with memories of what happened." She said she contacted the FBI after she "was certain that what I was remembering were real memories and not imagined." When agents didn't immediately follow up, she spoke with a retired law enforcement agent who later talked to federal investigators. On Nov. 24, 1971, a man who gave his name as Dan Cooper claimed shortly after takeoff in Portland, Ore., that he had a bomb, leading the flight crew of the Northwest Orient plane to land in Seattle. Passengers were exchanged for parachutes and ransom money. The flight then took off for Mexico with the suspect and flight crew on board. The hijacker parachuted from the plane after dark as it flew south, apparently over a rugged, wooded region about 100 miles from Marla Cooper's grandmother's home. The story has captured the imagination of amateur sleuths for decades in part because it has all the elements of a classic tale, including a hero who is perceived as a Robin Hood-type character, said Gray, whose book "Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper" comes out this month. "We all want to believe in heroes, even if they're bad guys," Gray said. A generic looking sketch released by the FBI shortly after the hijacking only added to the media frenzy, Gray said. "That sketch became just a blank portrait for people to fill in with their own fears, suspicions and hunches, and this phenomenon emerged," he said. But without something more than the memories of an 8-year-old girl, Gray said he remains skeptical Lynn Doyle Cooper is actually D.B. Cooper. He said the FBI's case file is littered with names of dozens of people who suspected a relative might be the infamous hijacker. "It's unclear what separates Uncle L.D. from this lot," he said. Seattle-based FBI case agent Larry Carr was tasked with reigniting the case five years ago and the agency posted a "D.B. Cooper Redux" on its site in 2007, urging the public to help solve the enduring mystery. The FBI released photos of a black J.C. Penney tie the hijacker wore and some of the stolen $20 bills found by a young boy in 1980 along the banks of the Columbia River. In the FBI's recounting, it quoted Carr as saying he thought it was likely that Cooper didn't survive the jump. But Carr still sought the public's help. "Maybe a hydrologist can use the latest technology to trace the $5,800 in ransom money found in 1980 to where Cooper landed upstream," Carr said. "Or maybe someone just remembers that odd uncle." The FBI said a new lead came to the bureau after a tipster initially discussed the case with a retired law enforcement officer, who then contacted the agency. Gutt said only after the FBI contacted the tipster directly did the person speak with investigators. The lead focuses on a suspect who died more than 10 years ago. Marla Cooper said her uncle died in 1999 but wouldn't say where he lived before his death. She said her mother recently provided investigators with a guitar strap belonging to her uncle to be tested for fingerprints. Investigators have tested a guitar strap from the suspect who is the subject of the new lead, Gutt said Wednesday, but found it wasn't suitable for fingerprint analysis. They are now working with family members to identify other items that can be analyzed. But the FBI doesn't have a timeframe for how long it will take to vet the lead, which is something they've known about for more than a year, he said.

Michael Cacoyannis: bigger than Cyprus Live

DURING A two-year stint in China I was often asked by people who had never heard of Cyprus what its most famous product was. I would tell them about halloumi cheese and perhaps of the sweet wine Commadaria. I should have told them of Michael (Michalis) Cacoyannis, the Limassol-born director, producer and screenwriter who passed away a week ago in Athens at the age of 89, and the only Cypriot ever nominated for a Best Director Oscar. There is a reason Cacoyannis was not the first thing that sprang to mind about Cyprus but to explain I have to talk about his career first. Cacoyannis is famous for 1964 film, Zorba the Greek, starring Anthony Quinn, nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Director and winning three. The film was based on the eponymous book by Nikos Kazantakis and featured a bigger than life Alexis Zorba. "God has a very big heart but there is one sin he will not forgive," Zorba tells the uptight Englishman, Basil (Alan Bates), slapping the table forcefully. "If a woman calls a man to her bed and he will not go." The dance at the end of the film, Sirtaki, is still very popular. Perhaps the drunken men dancing on tables at popular venues in parts of Cyprus remember Zorba's ecstatic exclamation: “Did you say dance? Come on my boy!” Cacoyannis reportedly said he hated it when he kept getting mentioned as the director of Zorba the Greek. "But it can't be helped and I ignore it," he told the Jerusalem Post's Barry Davis more than ten years ago. Cacoyannis' first love was the theatre which he studied at the Old Vic in London where he was sent in 1939 to become a lawyer. He moved to Greece in 1953 and made his first film, Windfall in Athens, which was nominated for a Golden Palm at the Cannes Film festival. More critically acclaimed and award winning films followed. Stella (1955) established Cacoyannis’ talent and introduced Melina Mercouri as a femme fatale figure, a free spirit reluctant to accept the idea of marriage to football player singer Miltos. She fails to show up in church despite Miltos’ death threats. Among Greek speakers the phrase “Stella… I’m holding a dagger” is still used. Cacoyannis then directed A Girl in Black (1956) starring the beautiful Ellie Lambetti who appeared in his first film and also starred in A Matter of Dignity (1958). Throughout his life Cacoyannis maintained a love for stage, directing plays for six decades, a career spanning longer than his film career. Scores of people stormed the stage in 1983 after watching Cacoyannis' Electra kiss and hug the protagonist, Irene Papas. "Nothing similar has ever happened before," Greek newspaper Eleftheros Tipos said at the time. Papas had also starred in his film version of Electra two years before Zorba the Greek. The film was the first of Cacoyannis’ Euripides trilogy with The Trojan Women following in 1971 and Iphigenia in 1977. His love for the classics also included William Shakespeare. He translated some of his plays to Greek, directing Romeo and Juliet in Paris (1968-70), Antony and Cleopatra in Greece (1979) and Hamlet (2004-5). His last play was an adaptation of Shakespeare's Coriolanus in 2005, The play, on stage for two days only, was heavily attended by politicians and artists in Greece. Cacoyannis' translated the play years before directing it. As if all that was not enough, Cacoyannis also wrote the screenplays for all his films, usually on his own, directed opera and even wrote the lyrics to several songs including two for his Stella composed by Manos Chatzidakis and performed by Mercouri. And if you happen to take a stroll in Athens, thinking perhaps that for all its troubles the lights of Acropolis give charm and poise to the city, then you would be paying tribute to Michael Cacoyannis. He envisioned and worked towards the creation of Friends of Athens, enlisting Pierre Bideau to study the illumination, lobbying for funding via Friends of Athens with the project finally receiving backing from Greek authorities. When his death was announced, Cypriot politicians and officials paid tribute to him talking of the way his work inspired everyone and prompted international interest and admiration. It is ironic then that his documentary film Attila ’74 (1975) is not readily available in Cyprus. Which brings us back to why it was not Cacoyannis whom I thought of when asked to talk about what makes Cyprus famous. The Mail’s Preston Wilder noted that Cacoyannis received more recognition abroad than in his native country. Living and working in Athens and Europe, Cacoyannis was an international figure. Interviewed by James Potts in 1978, Cacoyannis was asked if he had a British passport. “What does it matter? It’s a question of a sense of belonging!” Cacoyannis answered. “It just occurred to me that we might be able to claim you as a British film-maker,” Potts said. FOR MORE DETAILS CLICK HERE >>>

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2

This is the eighth and final Harry Potter movie. It’s also the worst. That’s no great surprise, because this series has always been better at making promises than delivering the goods. For 10 years now we’ve been saying (or some of us have been saying) that the Harry Potter films spend far more time filling in back-story than actually moving the plot forward; that Harry himself, for such a special boy, never seems to do anything; that the whole saga seems predicated on some future confrontation that’ll only kick off when something else happens – when Harry’s ‘ready’, when he’s amassed all the Horcruxes, whatever. Now, however, the waiting is over. The franchise must deliver, whether it wants to or not. Result? Harry Potter and the Lame Action Movie. Maybe they should’ve changed directors – because David Yates, who directed the last four Potters, is adept at atmospheric moping, as he showed last year in the (far superior) Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and shows again in the first few minutes of this one. Alan Rickman looking moody at a castle window. The gang – Harry, Ron, Hermione – looking worried in a “safe house”, with the Order of the Phoenix disbanded and Voldemort coming ever closer. Furtive conversations. Harry silhouetted at the top of the stairs. This is all good stuff – but then moping turns to action, and directing action is a whole other talent. Maybe the producers should’ve splashed out on Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame, just for this one instalment. Sometimes the problem is a lack of follow-through, cool ideas left hanging (this may also be a problem with the books, which I haven’t read). Take the scene where Harry asks the ghostly “Grey Lady” for advice on how to find a diadem (one of the so-called Horcruxes), for instance. There’s a lot of build-up – elfin Luna explains how to approach the Lady, then Harry must persuade the mournful phantom to divulge her secret – but all she ends up saying is that the diadem is hidden “where everything is hidden”, and even when our hero deciphers the location (the “Room of Secrets”) it’s not clear how he manages to find the diadem in that vast warehouse space. Or take the scene where he looks for a Horcrux in a goblin-run vault, and comes up against a spell that doubles everything he touches: one gold cup becomes two gold cups, then four, then eight and so on. Before long, the pile of mutating treasure threatens to fill the whole room, burying the gang beneath it. They find the Horcrux in the nick of time – but then how do they get out of the room, which is still full of doubled treasures? No idea; we just see them outside. Presumably the spell somehow reversed itself – but you have to show these things in an action movie. The Battle of Hogwarts is notably incoherent. “Hogwarts has changed,” we’re grimly informed. Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) is now Headmaster; staff and students look cowed and terrorised. Yet, again, what follows is bathetic. Snape is defeated in about two minutes, one quick wand-fight in which Harry (as usual) isn’t even involved. Then the battle begins in earnest – and confusion reigns. Voldemort stands on a hill with an army of black-caped villains. They throw bombs at the school, which explode like fireworks and don’t seem to do any damage at all. Then an army of ruffians turns up, attacking with no obvious strategy. Then we cut to Ron and Hermione destroying something – another Horcrux, I think – inside the building, as all the various teachers we’ve seen over the years (Jim Broadbent, Emma Thompson) get about five seconds of screen-time. Then the battle’s over, and Hogwarts is strewn with corpses. Say what you like about Lord of the Rings, at least you could tell who was doing what and why during the battle scenes. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe those who’ve read the books – who, let’s face it, are almost the entire audience at this stage – know exactly what’s going on. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention – but I’ve seen enough action flicks to know lucid staging from this kind of muddle. (Another example: Voldemort kills Snape then just … goes away, allowing Snape and Harry a poignant moment together.) Again and again, Deathly Hallows comes off half-baked and wishy-washy, very much including the question that tormented Potter fans before the book came out, namely ‘Does Harry die?’. To which the answer is Yes … and No. Like the film – like the franchise as a whole – our hero flatters to deceive. “Even among goblins you’re famous, Harry Potter,” says a goblin, but it’s hard to shake the sense that he’s famous for being famous, like Paris Hilton. What exactly has he done, in 20 hours of screen time? Everyone says how “brave” he’s been but it seems like his friends do most of the dirty work, HP himself being more of a symbol. Casting also plays a part here. Harry should be hyper-sensitive, almost neurotic; he’s plagued by nightmares and forever feeling things (not so much doing things). Daniel Radcliffe, however, is a stolid, sensible actor, a matey, down-to-earth, reassuring presence. He’s all wrong for this haunted character. None of this matters, of course. The Potter phenomenon defies explanation, and this eighth part will join its seven forebears among the top-grossing films of all time. What matters is that, after 10 years, we Potter-challenged critics can finally move on with our lives. Harry Potter’s been like a semi-familiar neighbour you run into at the supermarket every few months, each time occasioning a mild panic as you try to be polite and try to remember his wife’s name – but now the neighbour’s moved away, or has he? ‘19 years later’ says the unexpected coda, presenting Harry, Ron and Hermione with kids of their own, yet they look much the same (not for Harry Potter the indignities of old-age makeup!), full of energy and ready – can it be? – for new adventures. Brace yourselves, Muggles. FOR MORE DETAILS CLICK HERE >>>

PASYDY: Our rights are inalienable and non-negotiable Live

CIVIL servants said yesterday they were willing to pay their share to tackle the crisis through an emergency contribution but demanded that everyone else should also do their bit, suggesting VAT be increased so that “everyone would pay”. But PASYDY rejected any measures that would affect salaries and pensions in the long-term. “If our share, always in the form of an emergency contribution, is 10 or 20 per cent, we will pay, provided that everyone else with a similar position as civil servants pays,” said Glafcos Hadjipetrou, the chief of government workers umbrella union PASYDY. Speaking after his union’s conference, which convened to discuss measures proposed by the government and parties in a bid to shore up the economy, Hadjipetrou said they agreed to cuts and savings wherever possible. But he warned that with a situation involving “one person hired for every four who retire”, the price would ultimately be paid by the public because government departments would not be able to operate efficiently enough to serve. The ‘one for every four’ measure had been proposed as a way of cutting the size of the broader public sector by 5,000 in the next five years. Hadjipetrou made it clear that civil servants would not accept anything that affects their salaries and pensions. In his speech he said the problem was not the state payroll, or the pensions and suggested that with the same financial facts, Cyprus joined the eurozone in 2008. “The Cypriot economy’s problem is elsewhere and should be sought elsewhere,” he said. “As regards the unacceptable demands for cuts to income and pensions benefits, I declared in the previous conference that we will not accept any restrictions to our rights,” Hadjipetrou said during his speech. “Our position has not changed in the slightest.” Hadjipetrou said salaries and pensions of current civil servants are protected by law and “to us they are rights, which are inalienable and non-negotiable.” He added that the union also rejected measures affecting the rights of newcomers in the civil service. “We would neither accept the new generation of civil servants to serve for the next 30 to 40 years under conditions of 20 years ago because there is a crisis today, or the next two years,” Hadjipetrou said. The package of measures on the table includes provisions that affect newcomers and pensions. Speaking to reporters after the conference, Hadjipetrou said “there are simple solutions” the government could put in place “to end the worry of entering the support mechanism.” Prompted by reporters to elaborate, Hadjipetrou said raising the VAT is a general measure, which everyone would pay. PASYDY’s comments came in the wake of warning that Cyprus may need to enter the EU’s support mechanism if measures are not taken immediately to shore up the economy. Data published on Monday showed the central government budget deficit widened sharply in the first half of this year to 3.47 per cent of gross domestic product on a cash basis, from 1.87 per cent a year ago. Revenue fell 1.42 per cent while expenditure was 9.15 per cent higher. Authorities have said they are aiming for a general government budget deficit, which also includes accounts for local governments and some semi-governmental corporations, of 4.0 per cent of GDP or less for 2011, after a 2010 shortfall of 5.3 per cent. But that forecast was made before the blast slapped the state with a bill, which could reach €3 billion. Preliminary finance ministry assessments have slashed the island's growth outlook this year to zero from expansion of 1.5 per cent. Unions are due to meet the president tomorrow. For more details Click here >>>

Mosman device hoax: how bomb squad would have cracked it

Forget what you've seen in the movies, defusing bombs is a much tougher and drawn-out process than just snipping the correct wire, bomb disposal experts say. Even though the device in yesterday's Mosman scare turned out to contain no explosives, it remained attached to the terrified Sydney teenager Madeleine Pulver for 10 hours during an operation to remove it involving X-rays and advice from British military experts. Felix Hearn, a retired captain with the British army who was an Ammunition Technical Officer with training in bomb disposal, said in cases such as the Mosman ordeal the first police officers to arrive on the scene would evacuate the area and form a cordon. It was also often essential to turn off the gas main, close nearby roads or even close air space. When the bomb disposal officer arrives, he or she would immediately seek as much information as possible from police and witnesses. When the bomb is fitted to a person, much information could be obtained from the victim, typically using a microphone attached to a bomb disposal robot. However, in this case, a female police officer decided to risk her own safety by staying with Ms Pulver and keeping her calm. "You can get a good idea of what you're dealing with without even seeing the bomb," Mr Hearn said. Mr Hearn said that often a bomb disposal robot could carry out the whole process of defusing the bomb but this was nearly impossible when it was attached to a person. He said collar bombs come in several variations. Often they can be set off remotely by a device such as a mobile phone, other times there's a timer - and in both situations the bomb could be booby trapped to explode when tampered with. Mr Hearn said the type of bomb was typically determined using an X-ray which would also be able to precisely locate the main charge, detonator or any timers. NSW Police have already revealed an X-ray was used in the Mosman incident. "It's very hard to deal with a bomb remotely [using a robot] if it's around someone's neck, so you're going to have to go there and manually disrupt it yourself as a bomb disposal operator," Mr Hearn said. At this point, once the type of bomb was determined, the technicians would have sought specialist advice, he said. NSW Police said it received advice from British military experts and the Australian Federal Police. "You would [then] get your screwdriver out and your pliers and you'd take it apart ... there's a possibility you can set off the bomb if you don't know what you're doing and you get it wrong," he said. "But that's why they went to so much trouble to get intelligence and information about the bomb before they went down there." Mr Hearn said the technicians would have tried to release the person from the collar before attempting to defuse it either manually or with a robot. It is not clear if a robot was used in this case. "It's the worst-case scenario if they have to do the whole process with both the bomb disposal operator there and the victim," he said. Collar bombs: a violent history The Mosman ordeal is reminiscent of the case of Brian Wells, an American pizza delivery man involved in a bank robbery. Wells, 46, entered a bank with a device around his neck and a note identifying it as a bomb. The teller filled a bag with money and handed it to Wells before he left the bank and drove away. Police caught up with him in a nearby parking lot but before the bomb squad could arrive the device exploded, killing Wells. It was later revealed that Wells was part of the scheme but was told by his accomplices that the bomb was not real. The incident was used as the basis for episodes of Criminal Minds, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Flashpoint. A comedy loosely inspired by the events, 30 Minutes or Less, stars Jesse Eisenberg and is scheduled to be released in the US this month. Collar bombs are also used often by terrorists such as Colombian revolutionaries who kidnap wealthy individuals and kill them if a ransom is not paid. In 2000, armed men with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia broke into Elvia Cortes's house in a rural area near Bogota and demanded the equivalent of $US7500. They placed a collar around her neck and told her if she did not pay it would explode. Bomb disposal experts tried for hours to defuse the device but it exploded, decapitating Ms Cortes and killing the bomb technician. Trembler switch a major risk Roy Ramm, a former commander of specialist operations with Scotland Yard's hostage response team, said the Mosman case had received significant media attention in Britain. He said the police who went to Ms Pulver's aid would have faced an extremely complex and stressful situation, including the prospect of the device being remotely detonated, or set off by a trembler switch. He said police would have had to keep her extremely still - trembler switches activate bombs when devices are tilted beyond a certain angle. "They primarily would have been concerned about keeping this young woman calm ... to sit extremely still," he told ABC Radio today. Mr Ramm said trembler switches were typically attached to car bombs, used by the likes of the Provisional IRA and other terrorist groups. He said experts responding to the drama would have had a range of technology at their disposal, including airport-style swabs that could detect explosives. But response teams would not have wanted to take any risks with Ms Pulver's life, nor their own. "I think if you're confronted by this device that looks feasible, and might be viable, the fact someone's saying to you I'm 99 per cent sure it's not an explosive device, you've still got a 1 per cent risk and you don't want to take that." Manhunt is on Police are now hunting the person or persons responsible for the incident, after precise instructions were left at the Pulver family home. Mr Ramm said the most important piece of evidence police had was the device itself. "There'll be a really detailed forensic examination of this device to see if there's any DNA on it, to see if it might match DNA held in any databases," he said. If no match was found, any harvested DNA would be held in the hope of matching it to a future suspect. Mr Ramm said police would also carefully look at the woman's movements, including CCTV footage, to see if she was followed, and any abnormal contact with the family. Mr Ramm now advises the United Nations, national governments and police forces on security. Comment is being sought from the NSW Police bomb squad.

Sex abuse link to high rates of mental illness live

Researchers from the University of Melbourne and the University of NSW also found that a high proportion of the abused women suffered from alarmingly high rates of mental illness - up to three times higher than the general population. Public health expert Dr Susan Rees, who led the research, says she is especially concerned about the suicide rate of women who are abused. "What we found was that there's a high association or a strong association between exposure to gender-based violence and all the three broad classes of mental disorder - so that includes mood, anxiety, substance abuse - and a very high association with attempted suicide," she said. "Women who've not experienced gender-based violence have about a 1.6 per cent rate of attempted suicide and that increased to 6 per cent of women who had experienced one type of gender-based violence. "Then for those women who had experienced more - like three to four types - that rose to 34 per cent." Another alarming statistic uncovered is how many younger women and girls are abused. The median age for those abused is 13, and Dr Rees says many more sexual assaults are not reported so the figure could be higher. "Because we're not open about this problem in society enough, then women and young girls are not able to disclose [that] easily and so it's something that remains under-reported," she said. Karen Willis, who runs the NSW Rape Crisis Centre, says the level of abuse against women is a national disgrace. She acknowledges anti-violence campaigns and counselling have helped but says more needs to be done. "We cannot continue to allow such appalling violence to be inflicted on our population, especially in the knowledge of the terrible mental health impacts that sexual assault and domestic violence has," she said. Ms Willis says sexual abuse is under-reported because of society's attitude to those who experience this sort of violence. "When someone says 'I've been sexually assaulted', we want to know where they were, what they were doing, how they were dressed, how they were behaving, had they been drinking, had they had sex before, had they had sex before with that person - 20 million questions including did they say no - before we make a decision about whether we're even going to believe that this person is telling us about having experienced a serious crime," she said. "Those attitudes, that blame the victim or look for excuses for the offender's behaviour, impact greatly on people's capacity to say 'I've experienced a shocking crime'." Time for action But Ms Willis says there are other reasons. "One is that we know that in 70 per cent of sexual assaults the offender is well known to the victim," she said. "Most commonly it's a family member, close family friend, someone the person works or goes to school with. "So there's other issues, you know, taking the husband - the father of your children to court for sexual assault, making a report about your dad for sexual assault, making a report about your boss, making a report about someone you've got to go and sit next to in a classroom next week, creates all sorts of other difficulties, and of course there's fear of the criminal justice process." The Greens say the report highlights the need for urgent policy action. NSW Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon says it is time government policy reflected the severity of the problem. "We've known this trend has been there for a long time and it does really put pressure on the Government, and indeed all political parties, that we need to ensure that these issues do not fall through the cracks," she said. "And we need to be looking at funding of rape counselling services and refuges and the other intervention programs that are available to ensure that the funding is reliable. And one the Greens are looking at is should they come under the health funding in a more extensive way." The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Sydney woman caught in suburban bomb ordeal Live

The NSW bomb squad has surrounded a house in an exclusive Sydney street amid reports that a woman there has an explosive device strapped around her neck. Nearby streets have also been evacuated while bomb squad officers assess the situation in Burrawong Avenue at Mosman on Sydney's north shore. Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch refused to be drawn on whether the device was attached to the woman, saying it was "in the near vicinity". He says bomb technicians and police negotiators are with her inside the house. An earlier police statement said the incident was not being treated as self-harm, while Sydney media outlets have reported it may be related to an extortion attempt. Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch says police are treating the device as "live". "Our initial responders found a young woman alone in the house with a suspicious package," he said. "The young lady at this particular point in time is fine and doing her best to assist police. "We are treating the device as live until we know otherwise. "I'm not confirming anything at this particular point in time, we just need to play our cards pretty close to our chest." The girl, who turned 18 just weeks ago, belongs to one of Sydney's wealthiest families, the Daily Telegraph reported. The Telegraph is also reporting a ransom note is attached to the girl's neck. Authorities were called to the house about 2:30pm (AEST) and a command post has been set up in the street, where multi-million-dollar properties include one belonging to horse trainer Gai Waterhouse. Police are calling for witnesses and anyone who might have information about the situation to call CrimeStoppers on 1300 333 000.

Egypt's Mubarak on Hospital Bed at Historic Trial Read more

An ailing, 83-year-old Hosni Mubarak lay on a hospital bed inside a cage of mesh and iron bars in a Cairo courtroom Wednesday as his historic trial began on charges of corruption and ordering the killing of protesters during the uprising that ousted him. The scene, shown live on Egypt's state TV, was Egyptians' first look at their former president since Feb. 10, the day before his fall when he gave a defiant speech refusing to resign. Inside the cage, an ashen-looking Mubarak craned his head up to see the proceedings, a sheet drawn up to his chest. His two sons -- Gamal and Alaa, who are on trial with him -- stood next to his bed, leaning over to talk with him. The elder Mubarak and his nine co-defendants, also including his former interior minister, all wore white prison uniforms. Outside the Cairo police academy where the trial wasx being held, hundreds of his opponents and angry supporters scuffled. In a chaotic scene, hundreds of policemen in gleaming white uniforms and riot police with shields and helmets separated demonstrators hurling stones and bottles at each other. It was a sign of the profound emotions stirred by the unprecedented prosecution of the man who ruled Egypt with unquestioned power for 29 years until he was toppled in February by an 18-day uprising. For many Egyptians, the trial is a chance at retribution for decades of oppressive rule in which opponents were tortured, corruption was rife, poverty spread and political life was stifled. But for others, he was a symbol of stability. The courtroom itself is divided. Relatives of the defendants sat in rows of seats near the cage. A fence running through the middle of the chamber divided them from the rest of the audience of around 300 people, including a few relatives of of protesters killed in the uprising, kept far enough that they cannot shout or throw anything at the former leader. Security was extremely heavy outside the courtroom, set up in a lecture hall at what was once named the Mubarak Police Academy in the capital Cairo. Early in the morning, some 50 of Mubarak's supporters chanting slogans and holding portraits of the former leader gathered outside the venue. "We will demolish and burn the prison if they convict Mubarak," they screamed at hundreds of police and army troops backed by armored personnel carriers. The pro-Mubarak protesters threw stones toward a giant screen set up outside the police academy, though a police cordon kept them a distance away. Anti-Mubarak protesters held up shoes at the screen in a sign of contempt for the ousted president. For the president's opponents, it was an unbelieveable moment. "I have many feelings. I am happy, satisified. I feel this a real success for the revolution, and I feel that the moment of real retribution is near," Mostafa el-Naggar, one of the leading youth activists who organized the anti-Mubarak uprising and a member of one of Egypt's newest parties, Justice, said after Mubarak's arrival at the venue. "This is a moment no Egyptian ever thought was possible." The trial answers, at least partially, a growing clamor in Egypt for justice not only for the wrongs of Mubarak's authoritarian regime but also for the violent suppression of the largely peaceful uprising, in which 850 protesters were killed. It came only after heavy pressure by activists on the now ruling military -- one of the few demands that still unites the disparate protest movement. Near Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the protesters, a dozen people swarmed around newspapers at a stand, reading headlines about the trial. One man spit on a picture of Mubarak on a front page. "When he is in the cage and we know he is there, then we know we have started to put our feet on the path of justice," said the newspaper seller, Nabil Hassan, 65. "If he and his accomplices are in court, he becomes one of the people no different from anyone else facing justice. I have faith in Egyptian judges." Before giving up power, as protests raged around him, Mubarak vowed he would die on Egyptian soil. After his fall, he fled to one of his residences in Sharm. In April, he was moved to a hospital there and placed under arrest as he underwent treatment. Doctors say he suffers from heart problems. There had been skepticism up to the moment Mubarak left the hospital for the airport in a six-car convoy that he would actually appear for the opening of his trial. He was flown by helicopter from Sharm directly to the police academy for the trial Wednesday morning. Mubarak, his former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly, and six top police officers are charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the protesters killed during the uprising, according to the official charge sheet. All eight could face the death penalty if convicted. Separately, Mubarak and his two sons -- one-time heir apparent Gamal and wealthy businessman Alaa -- face charges of corruption. The two sets of charges have been lumped together in one mass trial. For weeks after his fall, while Mubarak lived in a palace in Sharm el-Sheikh, the ruling generals who took power from him -- and who were all appointed by Mubarak before the uprising -- appeared reluctant to prosecute him. Their hand forced, the generals now seem eager to show the public that they are bringing the fruits of the revolution. The trial will be televised live on state TV, and judges say proceedings will be expedited, without long postponements. Many Egyptians are eagerly anticipating the chance at retribution against the longtime ruler. But they also question whether the trial will truly break with the injustices of the past. Some worry that Egypt's new military rulers are touting the trial as proof that democratic reform has been accomplished, even as activists argue that far deeper change is still needed. The prosecution is an unprecedented moment in the Arab world, the first time a modern Mideast leader has been put on trial fully by his own people. The closest event to it was former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's trial, but his capture came at the hands of U.S. troops in 2003 and his special tribunal was set up with extensive consultation with American officials and international experts. Tunisia's deposed president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, has been tried and convicted several times since his fall several weeks before Mubarak's, but all in absentia and he remains in exile in Saudi Arabia. Up until Mubarak was moved from his hospital early Wednesday morning, there had been heavy skepticism that he would actually show. It was thought that he might be exempted for health reasons, after weeks of reports of his worsening condition from the Sharm hospital where he has been held in custody. If he had not shown, it could have triggered another upheaval of rancorous protests. For the military, the trial is a chance to try to strengthen its position. The broader public has grown discontented with the breakdown in security around the country and faltering economy since the uprising began. Youth groups that led the uprising have continued protests against the military, saying they are fumbling the transition to civilian rule and have not moved to dismantle remnants of Mubarak's regime still in place. The military itself has been tainted by reports of human rights violations, including torture. The generals have tried to turn the public against activists, accusing them of receiving foreign funds and training. On Monday, tensions were hiked when troops broke up a 3-week-old sit-in in Tahrir Square by hard-core protesters. Prosecuting Mubarak is widely popular among a public angered by widespread corruption, police abuses and his lock on political power. Regime opponents, whether Islamists or pro-democracy activists, are eager for retribution after years of crackdowns and torture against them. The question is whether it will mean a real uprooting of the system he headed. Mubarak was placed under arrest in April but was admitted to the Sharm hospital for a heart condition, sparing him the indignity of detention in Cairo's Torah Prison, where his sons and some three dozen former regime figures have been held. Media reports have spoken of Mubarak refusing to eat and suffering from depression. On Monday, state television said the most recent tests showed his health was "relatively stable" given his age but that his psychological condition was worsening. But Health Minister Amr Helmy said last week that Mubarak was fit to travel to Cairo to stand trial.