Citi, Wells Fargo seek to repay TARP loans

Citigroup Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. are seeking to repay billions in federal bailout aid but so far haven't received permission from the government, people familiar with the talks told The Associated Press.

The main sticking point is how much capital the banks would need to raise to repay taxpayers the money they received at the height of the financial crisis, according to two people with direct knowledge of the talks who requested anonymity because the discussions are ongoing.

Citigroup received $45 billion in bailout money and is now 34 percent owned by the government. Wells Fargo received $25 billion.

Citigroup and Wells Fargo declined to comment. Treasury spokesman Andrew Williams would not discuss the negotiations but said banks "are pursuing discussions to understand what needs to be done to move ahead with repayment."

The efforts of Citigroup and Wells Fargo to repay the money come after Bank of America last week announced it would return $45 billion it had received, adding to the $71 billion already repaid by about 50 other financial companies. Bank of America is using available cash and $19 billion raised from a securities offering to repay its funds.

Bernanke: Too soon to tell if recovery will last

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warned Monday that it's too soon to know whether the economic recovery will last and again pledged to hold rates at record-low levels for an "extended period."

The Fed chief's speech to the Economic Club of Washington made clear he thinks the economy will struggle even as it recovers from the recession. He said the economy confronts "formidable headwinds" — including a weak job market, cautious consumers and tight credit.

Those forces "seem likely to keep the pace of expansion moderate," he said.

Asked about prospects for such a "double dip" recession, Bernanke said he could not guarantee it won't happen. He stuck with his forecast for a moderate recovery but said a "vigorous snapback" is less likely.

Bernanke said he expects "modest" economic growth next year. That should help push down the nation's unemployment rate — now at 10 percent — "but at a pace slower than we would like," he acknowledged.

Defense secretary visits Afghanistan

Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived Tuesday in Afghanistan with plans to assure officials and American troops there that the United States is committed to winning the war despite plans to begin pulling forces out in 2011.

"We are in this thing to win," Gates told reporters while traveling to Kabul, where he plans to meet privately with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and later with troops bearing the brunt of combat.

The secretary's trip to Afghanistan is the first by a Cabinet member since President Barack Obama's announcement last week that he will deploy 30,000 more troops with the intention of starting to bring them home in July 2011.

McChrystal's appearance before the House Armed Services Committee starts the first of three days of congressional Afghanistan hearings that are expected to draw hard questions from both anti-war Democrats and conservative Republicans about Obama's stated intention to begin paring down the U.S. role in July 2011.

McChrystal's appearance before the House Armed Services Committee starts the first of three days of congressional Afghanistan hearings that are expected to draw hard questions from both anti-war Democrats and conservative Republicans about Obama's stated intention to begin paring down the U.S. role in July 2011.

U.S. missile kills 3 in Pakistan tribal area

Pakistani intelligence officials say a U.S. missile strike has killed at least three people in a troubled northwestern tribal region near the Afghan border.

The two officials said the two missiles early Tuesday destroyed a car carrying three people in a village near Mir Ali, which is a main town in North Waziristan.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly to the media.

Deadly bomb blasts rock Pakistani city

Bombings in two Pakistan cities killed 46 people Monday, as militants struck back in the wake of an army offensive against a Taliban stronghold in the northwest near the Afghan border.

Two synchronized bombs ripped through a market popular with women in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore about 9 p.m., igniting a massive fire that killed 36 people, authorities said. Hours earlier a suicide bomber killed 10 people outside a courthouse in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

About 100 people were wounded in the attacks in Lahore, which were timed to take place when the Moon Market was as its busiest. Authorities initially said both bombs were believed to be remote-controlled, but they later said a suicide bomber was suspected to have carried out at least one of them.

Most of the militant attacks in recent weeks have been directed at security forces, though several have targeted crowded public spaces like markets, apparently to create public anger and increase pressure on the government to call a halt to the offensive. More than 400 people have been killed since the beginning of October, including 105 in a Peshawar market frequented by women. That attack occurred while U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was visiting Pakistan.

The Taliban generally claim responsibility for those attacks killing security officers, but they do not acknowledge carrying out the attacks targeting civilians. Government officials and security analysts say there is little doubt the militants are behind all the attacks.

8 killed, 26 injured in China school stampede

Chinese media say eight students have been killed and 26 others injured in a school stampede in the central province of Hunan.

The reports say the students were charging out of evening study sessions at 9:10 p.m. on Monday night at Xiangxiang city's private Yucai Middle School when students began to fall on top of one another in a stampede on the steps.

Leaders of the city 720 miles (1,160 kilometers) south of Beijing immediately removed the head of the education bureau and were questioning school officials as part of the accident investigation, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday.

Such deadly stampedes have occurred repeatedly in China's schools, usually as students are rushing to exams or charging out of class down tight corridors and narrow stairwells.

Monday's incident was among the deadliest since the crushing deaths of 21 children in a northern China middle school in 2002 after a railing collapsed as hundreds of children were funneling down a pitch-dark staircase after evening review classes

Microsoft, Yahoo seal search deal

Microsoft and Yahoo have signed off on their plan to team up against Google in Internet search.

The step announced Friday seals the terms of a preliminary agreement announced in late July.

Government regulators still must approve the proposed partnership before Microsoft and Yahoo can begin working together.

Microsoft and Yahoo were supposed to sign the final papers in late October, but held off to work out some fine points.

Combined, Microsoft and Yahoo handle 28 percent of the Internet searches in the United States, well behind Google's 65 percent, according to online measurement firm comScore Inc. Google is even more dominant in the rest of the world, with a global share of 67 percent compared to a combined 11 percent for Microsoft and Yahoo.

I do take thee, Facebook and Twitter updates

A Maryland groom has created a viral storm after he interrupted his wedding last month to update his Facebook and Twitter accounts from the altar.

Dana Hanna, who works for a pet Web site, also posted a short video of the ceremony on the Internet. It showed him reaching into his pocket for his phone as the minister was about to pronounce the couple husband and wife.

After Hanna finished twittering he continued the ceremony.

"As I was saying, I now pronounce you husband and wife. It's now official on Facebook. It's official in my book. Dana you may kiss your bride."

Hanna, who lists his profession on the networking site LinkedIn as chief architect at Next Day Pets, described his reaction to the ceremony on his YouTube account the day after the ceremony.

"I surprised not only my guests, but also Tracy (his wife) by pulling out my phone and posting on Facebook and Twitter from the altar during out wedding," he said.

Seventeen kids among dozens killed in Pakistan attack

Militants stormed a mosque near Pakistan's army headquarters, killing at least 36 people, including six military officers and 17 children, during Friday prayers as they sprayed gunfire and threw grenades before blowing themselves up, officials said.

It was the latest in a wave of strikes by suspected Islamist insurgents that has killed more than 400 people in Pakistan since October.

The Associated Press put the death toll at 36. Reuters, meanwhile, reported that said 40 had been killed in the incident, noting that it was not clear if that figure included attackers.

A military statement said four attackers hurled grenades, then opened fire as they rushed toward the mosque, which was located on Parade Lane in a military residential colony, just a few miles from the capital. Two suicide bombers then blew themselves up inside, while the other two militants were killed in an exchange of gunfire, it said.

City residents said access to the mosque was mostly restricted to soldiers and their families.

Attackers slay dozens in Pakistan mosque

Pakistan - Up to three suicide attackers stormed a mosque close to Pakistan's army headquarters, killing dozens of people during Friday prayers as they sprayed gunfire at worshippers and threw grenades before blowing themselves up, officials said.

The Associated Press put the death toll at 36, while Reuters said 40 had been killed in the incident. There was no explanation for the discrepancy in numbers, although the exact number of dead is often difficult to determine in the immediate aftermath of such an attack.

Seventy were wounded in the attack and the identities of the dead were not known, the AP reported.

The brazen attack in what should be one of the most secure areas of Pakistan was the latest challenge by militants against the writ of the state. A local television station said people were executed in cold blood.

Pakistan is fighting Taliban fighters blamed for bombings that have killed hundreds of people since an offensive was launched on their stronghold South Waziristan in October.

The nuclear-armed country faces mounting U.S. pressure to root out Islamist militants operating along forbidding border areas to help in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Bangladesh passenger boat capsizes; 47 dead

Bangladesh - An overcrowded passenger boat capsized in northern Bangladesh on Friday after being hit by a small ferry, leaving at least 47 people dead and several missing, police said.

Rescuers recovered 47 bodies from the capsized boat in the Daira river in Kishoreganj district, local police Chief Anwar Hossain said. The area is 50 miles north of Dhaka.

All the casualties were from the passenger boat, which was carrying more than 80 people, and there was no damage to the ferry, Hossain said by phone from the site of the accident.

He said some passengers managed to swim to safety, while several others were rescued by villagers.

The Big Money’s Twitter 12

If there was going to be a Facebook 50, there had to be a Twitter 12.

After all, 2009 has been Twitter’s year. Traffic has quadrupled, investors have recommitted, the media has fawned. Even if Twitter isn’t the future of social media, it’s certainly the shiniest, newest thing flitting in front of us. And businesses love shiny new things.

Thus, this year has also seen corporate America come into its own on Twitter. Some use it for customer service, others for exclusive coupons, and still others to pump out RSS feeds of in-house events. In Twitter, PR departments have found a two-way loudspeaker: an unfiltered way to reach a company’s fans and a Big Brother opportunity to keep tabs on its detractors. As an entire social media platform devoted to self-marketing, it’s amazing Twitter isn’t funded by the Chamber of Commerce.

The Big Money set out to figure out which companies sit on top of the Twitter heap. The overarching question: Which companies get the most out of Twitter?

To figure out the answer, we took a mix of the salient metrics: number of followers, growth over the last two months, number of tweets, and whether the account is doing anything besides providing a transplanted RSS feed. We only included companies with follower counts higher than a million. (There were other stipulations—for instance, the feed needed to represent the company, not the CEO of the company, and the business couldn’t be a derivative of Twitter.) The assumption was that a company with 100,000 followers couldn’t be getting more out of Twitter than the one with a million. That left us with 32 companies. With the help of Twitterholic, a site that tracks Twitter accounts’ metrics, we aggregated the sites’ stats and created a weighted rubric by which to judge.

Nepal holds Cabinet meeting at Mount Everest

Nepal's top politicians strapped on oxygen tanks Friday and held a Cabinet meeting amid the frigid, thin air of Mount Everest to highlight the danger global warming poses to glaciers, ahead of next week's international climate change talks.

The government billed the stunt as the world's highest Cabinet meeting. The ministers posed for pictures, signed a commitment to tighten environmental regulations and expand the nation's protected areas, and then quickly flew away.

"The Everest declaration was a message to the world to minimize the negative impact of climate change on Mount Everest and other Himalayan mountains," Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal later said.

The prime minister, his two deputy prime ministers and the 20 Cabinet ministers were examined by doctors before boarding helicopters to Kalapathar, a flat area at an altitude of 17,192 feet next to Everest base camp, the jumping point for climbers seeking to scale the peak.

The Himalayan Rescue Association's Bikram Neupane said the politicians — bundled in thick jackets, windproof gear and woolen hats — all had adequate oxygen levels in their blood and they were in no immediate danger.

Polanski begins house arrest in his Swiss chalet

Roman Polanski began his house arrest on $4.5 million bail Friday, rolling into the luxury resort of Gstaad in a police convoy to a warm welcome from his wife and children at his Alpine chalet.

Polanski persuaded Swiss authorities to end his two months of incarceration in a Swiss jail pending their decision on whether to extradite him to the United States in a 32-year-old sex case.

Polanski's family had been waiting eagerly at the chalet, peeking out the windows to look for him as Swiss authorities worked out the last-minute details of his transfer. He has two children — Elvis, 9, and Moorage, 16 — with his wife, French actress Emmanuelle Signer.

"Roman Polanski was today released from custody pending extradition and transferred to Gstaad, where he is under house arrest at his chalet," the Swiss Justice Ministry said. "Polanski has undertaken not to leave his house and property at any time."

Police in gray and blue jackets and private security guarded his property. Red-and-white striped police security tape and a wooden fence marked out an area around the house that was closed to strangers.

Nokia says N900 sales delayed to November

Top cellphone maker Nokia said on Friday its flagship N900 phone will start selling in November, a month later than originally scheduled, as the company awaits feedback from developers.

The N900 – seen as key for Nokia’s future in the high-end of the market – is the company’s first phone running on Linux software. It will come with a touch screen and a slide-out keyboard, and will retail for around 500 euros ($750), excluding subsidies and taxes.

Al-Qaeda Claims Baghdad Attacks

Al-Qaeda’s front-group in Iraq claimed in an online statement responsibility for the twin suicide bombings that ripped through the centre of Baghdad killing around 100 people, a US-based monitoring group said Tuesday.

The self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq said the attacks were within its campaign dubbed the “Invasion of the Captive,” SITE Intelligence said.

The near-simultaneous car bombings which targeted on Sunday the justice ministry and the Baghdad provincial government headquarters also wounded more than 500 and left body parts and charred corpses scattered around the streets of the capital.

Defence ministry spokesman Major General Mohammed al-Askari had told media that the evidence found confirmed the bombers were linked to Al-Qaeda and supporters of the Baath Party of executed dictator Saddam Hussein.

Iran won’t retreat on nuclear rights

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed on Thursday Tehran would not give up the country’s right to nuclear technology, but said he was ready to co-operate on nuclear fuel.

“As long as this government is in power, it will not retreat one iota on the undeniable rights of the Iranian nation,” Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the northeastern city of Mashhad, broadcast live on state television. He said the provision of nuclear fuel for a Tehran research reactor was an opportunity for Iran to evaluate the “honesty” of world powers and the U.N. nuclear agency watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “We welcome cooperation on nuclear fuel, power plants and technology and we are ready to cooperate,” Ahmadinejad added.

On the other hand, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s mission to a newly disclosed plant in Iran said the inspectors had what he termed a good trip but he declined to give any details.

Tunisian president wins landslide election victory

Tunisian president wins landslide election victory

Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali has won a fifth term with 89.62 percent of the vote in the North African country’s presidential election, the state news agency said on Monday.

Ben Ali’s margin was down slightly compared with the 94.4 percent he received in the last election five years ago, a dip that may help deflect foreign criticism that the latest race was tilted in his favor.

Ben Ali’s RCD ruling party won 75 percent of the seats in a parliamentary vote held simultaneously on Sunday, the official news agency TAP reported, quoting official results. Tunisia’s most prominent opposition figures did not take part in the election. Two of Ben Ali’s challengers on the ballot rarely criticize the president and the third acknowledged during the campaign that he could not win.

In his 22 years in power, Ben Ali has established Tunisia as a moderate voice in the Arab world and Western governments view it as a bulwark against Islamist extremism, although some have raised questions about its record on democracy.

Israel Drones to be Used by Germany in Afghan

srael Aerospace Industries said Wednesday that the supply unmanned spy planes to Germany that will see action in Afghanistan next year.

The Heron drones will be deployed by the German air force in northern Afghanistan in early 2010 for reconnaissance missions, the company said in a statement.

It would reveal how many aircraft were sold or how, but said it was a multimillion-dollar agreement.

Germany, the Office of Defense Technology and Procurement confirmed that it had signed an agreement to acquire the aircraft.

Israeli drones have been previously provided to the coalition forces to gather intelligence on Islamic militants in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Iran Rejects Deal to Ship Out Uranium

Iran told the nuclear watchdog of the United Nations on Thursday it would not accept a plan of their negotiators agreed last week to send his country’s uranium reserves, according to diplomats in Europe and U.S. authorities reported the response Iran.

The apparent rejection of the offer could relax President Obama’s effort to buy time to resolve the nuclear crisis.

The U.S. and European officials said that Iranian officials had refused to go along with the central feature of the draft agreement reached on 21 October in Vienna: a provision that would have required the country to send about three quarters of its reserves Current knowledge of low-enriched uranium to Russia for processing and returned for use in a reactor in Tehran used to make medical isotopes.

Tamil Refugees in Sri Lanka to be Resettled by Jan 2010

Tamil Refugees in Sri Lanka to be Resettled by Jan 2010, Sri Lankan government hopes to relocate the majority of Tamils displaced by war in January next year, a minister has said amid growing U.S. pressure and other Western nations to send to the Tamils.

“The government has always maintained that IDPs should be designed and delivered in a structured and well managed manner,” Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe.

“We hope to reach our goal of resettling a majority of IDPs on 31 January next year,” he said.

Tamil Today, tens of thousands displaced by war are languishing in refugee camps special and Washington, the EU and human rights groups have called for their early repatriation back home.

“Having overcome the threat of terrorism and achieve military dominance in a ruthless organization that has ruined the life of the nation for nearly three decades, we have a unique opportunity to forge a new Sri Lanka where the human dignity of all citizens is fully safeguarded” , who said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Rishad Bathiudeen said the total number of displaced persons in northern numbering 2.85 LAKH, nearly a Lakh people have been sent back home.

Transsexual Miss World contest aims to boost awareness

Shimmering in a tight gold evening gown, a Japanese television host wept and called for greater tolerance as she was crowned the world’s most beautiful transsexual at a pageant in Thailand.

Haruna Ai, 37, beat off stiff competition from 20 other glamorous contestants at the Miss International Queen 2009 who came to the Thai beach resort of Pattaya from as far as Brazil and the United States. The contest, which was called off last year because of political turmoil in Thailand, is taken just as seriously as more traditional pageants in a nation famed for its sexual tolerance. Millions of Thais watched live on television late Saturday as the statuesque beauties — all of them born men — strutted their stuff at Tiffany’s Show Pattaya, billed as the world’s largest transsexual cabaret. Japan’s Ai won 10,000 dollars, a year’s stay at a Pattaya hotel and a 500-dollar surgical voucher after judges picked her over runners-up Karngsadal Wongdusadeekul from Thailand and Daniela Marques of Brazil. While the audience may have whooped and cheered raucously, contestants and organisers said there was a serious side to the pageant — boosting public awareness of transgender issues.

Russia successfully tests missile

Russia Sunday successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Barents Sea, Russian agencies said, citing the defence ministry.

The missile was fired from the submarine, Bryansk, and the warheads reached their target at the correct time, agencies reported without giving any further details on the type of missile or its range. Vesti television channel reported Sunday that the Bryansk is equipped with 16 Sineva-class ballistic missiles.

The success comes after Russia experienced a series of embarrassing failures in tests on its new-generation Bulava missile. A submarine failed to launch the missile in the latest test in October.

Hillary Clinton offers U.S. aid to help boost Muslim ties

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered aid on Tuesday to boost ties with the Muslim world and urged Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries to move beyond recrimination in the search for peace.

“We are determined and persistent in the pursuit of that goal,” she said in a speech at a development forum in Morocco attended by Arab ministers. After a weekend of heated words about the perceived U.S. tilt towards Israel on the issue of settlements on the occupied West Bank, Clinton said it was important for all sides to “be careful about what we say” and avoid angry rhetoric.

Australia boat accident, twelve dead

Twelve people were feared dead on Tuesday more than 24 hours after an unidentified boat sank in rough seas far off Australia’s northwest, an official said.

One body had been recovered and 11 people were still missing in the remote spot 2,700 kilometres (1,700 miles) from Australia’s mainland, a customs spokeswoman told media. Some 27 survivors had been picked up by a passing tanker.

Two bodies sighted in the water have yet to be recovered, a news agency said early Wednesday.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the 39 people on the stricken boat, which went down overnight on Sunday, were bidding to join the more than 1,700 asylum-seekers who have made the perilous voyage to Australia this year.

“Obviously, considering the amount of time they’ve been in the water, there are concerns for their safety. But we’ll keep looking,” the customs official said of the missing.

Choppy seas continued to hamper the search by the Bahamas-registered LNG Pioneer, which diverted to the scene after a plea by Australian authorities and has now been joined by a Japanese fishing boat.

Quake Jolts Bandar Abbas, Hurt 209

Quake jolts Bandar Abbas magnitude earthquake has jolted Iranian city Bandar Abbas, leaving as many as 209 persons injured.

According to sources, the quake jolts were felt in Iranian city Bandar Abbas and its adjoining areas early on Wednesday morning with intensity 4.9 recorded at Richter scale but no causality has been reported in the calamity as yet.

“As of 6:00 am today, we have 209 people wounded in the earthquake said Farshid Abedi, the head of the main medical university in Hormozgan province where Bandar Abbas is located.

A Christmas Carol Premieres in London

The premiere of A Christmas Carol took place in London’s festive West End tonight. Jim Carrey, Bob Hoskins and Colin Firth all turned up to promote the movie at the star-studded premiere in Leicester Square. Daniel Merriweather, Denise Van Outen, Faryl Smith, Lisa Butcher, Little Boots, Meg Matthews, Ozwald Boateng, Peter Andre, Phil Tufnell, Richard Hammond, Saffron Aldridge, Spandau Ballet, Taio Cruz, The Noisettes, The Saturdays and more celebs turned up to celebrate the launch of the film, which also coincided with the turning on of London’s Christmas lights

Plane Crash in Russia,Ten Dead

Plane Crash in Russia, 10 Dead, Ten people are believed to have been killed when a Russian long-range anti-submarine aircraft, a Tu-142, crashed in the Tatar Strait in Russia’s Far East.

The plane was said to have been on a routine training mission when it lost radio contact with air traffic control.

The emergency services say, despite the bad weather, they have located the wreckage site some 15-20 kilometres from the coastline, and are now searching for surviving crewmembers.

Video of Bin Laden Osama Released With Pashto Translation

Osama Released With Pashto Translation, Al Qaeda has re-released a videotape of Osama bin Laden with Pashto translation.
Same video was released earlier on July 12, 2000. Intel Center US, which monitors terrorism activities, said this video was earlier released in Urdu and Arabic. Osama in the video had urged Pakistani people to play their role for brining change in country’s foreign policy.

Sri Lanka Slams LTTE Proxies Attempt to Hold Elections

Sri Lanka Slams LTTE Proxies Attempt to Hold Elections, Sri Lanka has reacted strongly to attempts by the LTTE authorities to hold elections to “government crime” among the Tamil diaspora, as called on foreign governments not to allow the separatist activities in its territory.

The elections for the government of the “crime” of Tamil Eelam will be held in April 2010 between the diaspora community “Advisory Committee for Crime Interim Government of Tamil Eelam, had said on Nov. 5.

“If they try to perpetuate the terrorism of the LTTE in the appearance of the various movements over others, this will also be offset by us,” said Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said.

“No country should allow any host or group meetings that serve a separatist cause in Sri Lanka,” the Minister told the state run Sunday Observer.

“The LTTE is banned in countries like the U.S., where Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran which is said to have taken over the activities of the diaspora to the LTTE, is based”, the newspaper said.

Rudrakumaran, which is called the “coordinator of the group,” said the survey was conducted among the diaspora community to elect members for what they called the “Provisional Government of the Crime of Tamil Eelam (PTGTE).

International terrorism expert and professor at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, Rohan Gunaratna says the LTTE international wing factions Rudrakumaran heading political affairs of his party.

US investigators believe gunman acted in rampage

investigators believe the army doctor accused of killing 13 people in a shooting rampage at a Texas military base acted alone, but his motive for the massacre was unclear.

President Barack Obama will Tuesday attend a memorial service to honor victims of the rampage at Fort Hood attributed to Muslim US army doctor Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who is also suspected of wounding 30 people. “All evidence at this point indicates the suspect allegedly acted alone,” Chris Grey, spokesman for the US Army criminal investigation division, told reporters, adding that no motive had yet been established.

Eight killed in Indonesian Landslide

A landslide has killed at least eight people in Indonesia, officials said on Monday.

Five people are still listed as missing after the landslide hit a village in Palopo district, South Sulawesi province on Sunday, health ministry crisis centre head Rustam Pakaya said.

Nine people were injured. A rescue team from provincial capital Makassar is on the way to the area.

“The affected area is near the top of the mountain and there’s a lot of rain there. The landslide was caused by a flash flood triggered by rain,” he said.

Animals need to be closely watched for flu

New influenza virus detected in turkeys, minks and household pets

Some pigs, turkeys and household pets have become infected with the H1N1 flu, but the pandemic virus does not yet appear to be spreading quickly among animals, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said it was not clear how the isolated animals had contracted the flu virus that is spreading quickly among humans in the northern hemisphere, particularly in Eastern Europe.

A novel flu virus — looking like a mix of human and swine genes — has been detected in some mink farms in Denmark, and seems to have infected only the animals and not the farm workers in proximity to them.

Scientists halt brain disease with gene therapy

Deactivated version of AIDS virus stalls rare and fatal ailment in two boys

Scientists have managed to halt a rare and fatal brain disease with an experimental gene therapy technique using a deactivated version of the AIDS virus, a study published on Thursday showed.

The international team used a disabled form of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to deliver working genes to two boys with the brain disease X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). Their success may help shape future treatment.

Patrick Aubourg of Inserm-University Paris Descartes, who led the study, said it was the first time scientists had successfully used an HIV-derived delivery technique for gene therapy in humans, and the first time gene therapy had been used effectively in a severe brain disease.

Judge stops sites from selling Beatles songs

Two music sites were selling Fab Four songs for 25 cents apiece

A federal judge has temporarily blocked two music-sharing Web sites from selling songs by The Beatles and other artists for 25 cents apiece.

U.S. District Judge John F. Walter on Thursday blocked the sites BlueBeat.com and Basebeat.com and owner Hank Risan from selling copyrighted songs by The Beatles and others. Music company EMI Group filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday seeking an injunction against the sites, claiming they were engaging in music piracy.

EMI claims the Web sites have infringed on its copyrights to numerous artists' songs, including The Beach Boys, Coldplay and Lily Allen. Its complaint states BlueBeat.com and Basebeat.com were offering the recently released digitally remasters of The Beatles catalog for 25 cents per song; the box set of 13 albums retails for $250.

Hollywood studios’ negotiator dies at 69

Nick Counter led the studios through two grueling writers’ strikes

Nick Counter, a longtime negotiator for Hollywood producers who led the studios through two grueling writers' strikes last year and in 1988, has died. He was 69.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers says Counter died at a Los Angeles hospital on Friday.

Counter served as the group's president for 27 years and negotiated more than 300 collective bargaining agreements with entertainment industry guilds and unions on behalf of movie studios, television networks and independent producers.

Joe Jackson seeks stipend from son’s estate

Will only called for money to be paid to mother, three children, charities

Michael Jackson's father is seeking an allowance from his son's estate to help cover expenses that exceed $15,000 a month, according to court documents filed Friday.

The request seeking an unspecified amount for Joe Jackson was filed by lawyer Brian Oxman, who said there was no apparent reason for the administrators of the estate to not seek an allowance for the Jackson family patriarch.

Michael Jackson's 2002 will, however, omitted any mention of his father. The two had an often-strained relationship, and Michael Jackson said at one point that he would get physically sick — as a child and as an adult — at the sight of his father.

The singer's private trust calls for money to be paid to his mother, Katherine, his three young children, and various charities.

A judge has approved more than $26,000 in payments to Katherine Jackson each month, and a $60,000 monthly payment for the care of the children.

The latest court documents said Joe Jackson receives a $1,700 monthly Social Security payment and had relied on his son for support for many years.

Space elevator team wins $900,000 from NASA

LaserMotive takes prize in Power Beaming Challenge; more cash left to win

A Seattle-based team has won $900,000 in this year's Space Elevator Games, a NASA-sponsored contest to build machines powered by laser beams that can climb a cable in the sky.

The homemade cable-climber built by the LaserMotive team climbed a 3,000-foot (900-meter) tether suspended by a helicopter at a speed of 8 mph (3.7 meters per second or 13 kilometers per hour) during a Wednesday attempt.

LaserMotive's robot climber managed to get all the way up the cable four times in two days, with a best time of about 3 minutes and 48 seconds (translating to a speed of 3.9 meters per second).

Rules vary for jobless benefits, home credit

New law helps long-term unemployed, offers bonus for home buyers

Unemployed workers and home buyers caught a break thanks to a new law signed by President Barack Obama Friday. The law offers tax credits for home buyers, extending and expanding a popular program, and extends jobless benefits up to 20 weeks for unemployed workers who can’t find a job. Here’s how the plans will work.

Lone GOP vote came after call from President Obama

Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao was the only Republican to vote in favor of the Democratic health care bill that passed the House late Saturday, a vote that came after President Obama called to personally to ask for his support, Cao told CNN.

The president dialed the freshman congressman from Louisiana around noon on Saturday, hours before a vote on an amendment offered by anti-abortion Democrats that banned most abortion coverage from the public option and other insurance providers in the insurance "exchange" the legislation would create. That measure passed later in the evening.

Cao said he explained to the president he could not support the health care bill without the amendment, but said he would support the bill if the abortion measure passed. It was a sentiment he also expressed to House GOP leadership ahead of the vote, he said.

Obama, Netanyahu to meet Monday, White House says

President Obama will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday evening after a rough stretch in U.S. efforts to settle the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The White House announced the meeting on Sunday.

Netanyahu has resisted Obama administration calls to halt Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the heart of a future Palestinian state, though he announced his government would limit construction of new settlements.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced last week that he would not run in the next Palestinian elections, set for January, amid open frustration among Palestinian leaders with Washington.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton fueled Palestinian anger last week when she described Netanyahu's decision to restrict -- but not halt -- West Bank settlements as "unprecedented."

Clinton later clarified that the United States "does not accept the legitimacy" of building Israeli housing on occupied Palestinian land. But she was unable to persuade Abbas to resume talks with Israel.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address a conference of Jewish groups in Washington on Monday, but no meetings had been scheduled between the U.S. and Israeli leaders as of late last week, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said Thursday.

Obama, Netanyahu to meet Monday, White House says

President Obama will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday evening after a rough stretch in U.S. efforts to settle the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The White House announced the meeting on Sunday.

Netanyahu has resisted Obama administration calls to halt Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the heart of a future Palestinian state, though he announced his government would limit construction of new settlements.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced last week that he would not run in the next Palestinian elections, set for January, amid open frustration among Palestinian leaders with Washington.

UN nuclear watchdog receives initial response from Iran on fuel agreement

Spent nuclear fuel29 October 2009 – Iran has submitted an initial response on a draft agreement on fuel for its civilian nuclear research facility to the head of the...

UN nuclear watchdog receives initial response from Iran on fuel agreement

Spent nuclear fuel29 October 2009 – Iran has submitted an initial response on a draft agreement on fuel for its civilian nuclear research facility to the...

2009 World Series Odds

The Yankees failed to close out the 2009 World Series in Game 5, now its back to the Bronx for Game 6 of the 2009 World Series. It came down to the wire once again as the Yankees threatened to end the 2009 World Series in Philadelphia. The Yankees jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as Johnny Damon was driven home off the bat of A-Rod. A-Rod has returned to true form and could still be in contention for the 2009 World Series MVP with a World Series win from the Yankees. A big play in the 2009 World Series odds Game 5 matchup was when Shane Victorino was hit on the knuckles after attempting to draw back from a bunt attempt. According to the Phillies dugout Victorino's x-rays came back negative but his fingers swelled causing him to be removed from play after seven innings.According to Victorino "Hitting was difficult. I couldn't get my grip and A.J. apologized when I got to first, so it wasn't retaliation, I can tell you that. Everything's fine. I definitely feel great."

Tpull's Weekly DC Comics Review

Tim’s father and Dick’s parents make the dynamic duo fall prey to the manipulations of the Black Lantern enemies, but their attacks are far more mental than physical. Perhaps because these non-powered heroes rely more on their unemotional intellect than the physical powers, the bad guys resort to a more mental approach, causing both of them to lose their cool reserve and let their emotions ride free. That is exactly what the bad guys need to power themselves up. Only the timely arrival of Etrigan, possessed by Deadman, saves the new Batman and Robin.

The art is great, some of the best I’ve seen by Syaf. The fact that Damian brought Commissioner Gordon to where Alfred could help puts a little trouble into the idea of maintaining a secret identity, but I’m sure they’ll write it off as Gordon being woozy and out of it. The solution to the problem is innovative: Batman and Robin encase themselves in ice, the Black Lanterns cannot locate the two subjects, nor feed on their emotions, and so take off in search of other prey. Deadman possesses each one to enable the breakout from the ice. A handy advantage that should be used elsewhere in this meta-event.

This was a very satisfying mini-series. Good marks for both story and art.

Dancing With the Stars

Last night's double elimination on Dancing With the Stars provided the perfect opportunity for Weepy, Grumpy, and Dopey to use their special ''name of couple'' sparkly paddles for the second night in a row...and also to revive their faux-dramatic ULTIMATE DECIDERS roles from the Ballroom Kids competition of seasons past. Ballroom kid Melissa Joan Hart was eliminated first, to zero fanfare. I think her crazy two-toned eye shadow last night and Mark's perma-pissed facial expression for the past few weeks are what I'll remember most about this couple, though Mark would prefer we remember their Charleston. That left Louie Vito and Michael Irvin to compete in a dance-off with 30-second routines they'd learned the same morning, then get chastised for not putting more preparation into the dances. Shut up, judges! I was actually surprised that the Paddles of Pre-Determinism ended up stacked in Michael Irvin's favor considering the air of overwhelming indifference with which they've treated him this season, but maybe they just feared for Chelsie's life after Louie dropped her twice Monday night. So it's bye-bye to Louie, then, and bye-bye to his final aerial trick about a split second too soon. The harsh cut away from the full-twisting back flip off the technicolor platform is always the deepest.

Home Not so Sweet for Bruins

By Carmine Frongillo, The Sun, Lowell, Mass.

Oct. 30--BOSTON -- The first month of the NHL season is quickly coming to a close and the Boston Bruins are still searching for an identity.

It was easy to assume the Bruins would pick up right where they left off last year, when they skated to the best record in the Eastern Conference.

But anyone who pledges allegiance to the Black & Gold now realizes that was then and this is now. And in the here and now, the Bruins are scuffling along, without key offensive cogs Marc Savard (broken foot) and Milan Lucic (broken finger), trying to put forth a consistent effort every game.

The Bruins had the misfortune of getting into a breath-holding contest with the New Jersey Devils at the TD Garden last night. And as is often the case when it comes the Devils, the Bruins ended turning blue in the face first.

Dainius Zubrus scored with 1:26 left to play to lift the Devils past the Bruins, 2-1. The loss left the Bruins with a 5-5-1 record.

Patrice Bergeron scored Boston's goal with assists from Marco Sturm and Zdeno Chara at 2:32 of the second period.

"There are a lot of things that have to change," said Bruins' coach Claude Julien. "A couple of our top players aren't at the top of their game just yet. There are some key injures that are slowing us down a little bit. But I see some positive signs that the team is coming around.

"We really didn't get going last year until November. People want to make assessments, but you really can't make them because

every year is different. You have to get bounces. You have to be healthy. A ton of things come into play. We just have to take this year and work towards making it a success. That's all we should be thinking about right now."

The Bruins have only scored 31 goals through their first 11 games. This means there isn't much margin for error for the goaltenders, as Tim Thomas (29 saves) found out last night. Both of the Devils' goals came on rebounds that bounced past Thomas and were whacked into open nets.

"We've been getting some scoring," said Thomas. "It's just that we haven't scored on the nights where we've played a good defensive game. They haven't seemed to go together. The games where we've gotten the goals are games when we've had a lot of turnovers and gave up a lot of chances. Then we have a game where we play well defensively and don't give up as many chances, but we don't score. We were trying to score (tonight) but we just couldn't get any in. New Jersey is the master at keeping the score down."

Black Friday deals have already been disclosed for a handful of retailers. Sears is going to host “Black Friday Now” sales throughout November and December. Target has a site set up where consumers can enter their email address to receive Black Friday 2009 email updates.

With all the speculation about Black Friday 2009 deals, we haven’t heard much about retail behemoth Wal-Mart. One would think that Wal-Mart would have the best Black Friday deals of them all…after all Wal-Mart is all about cutting out the competition.

Recently, Wal-Mart launched an attack against bookstores. Wal-Mart and Amazon.com have lowered the price of highly anticipated hardback titles to just about $9. This could pose a threat to local bookstores, that thrive on their loyal customer base. Just how loyal do you think the customer base will stay when they can get a $30 book for $9?

The Wal-Mart Black Friday deals 2009 will be the gold standard for the industry. There will be thousands of Black Friday deals to be had at a multitude of retailers, but expect heavy crowds and amazing deals at your local Wal-Mart store.

So far, only a few select Black Friday ads have been leaked. They include Gander Mountain and Harbor Freight.

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