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Maradona dropped as Argentina coach AFP - Thursday, July 29 BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - – Diego Maradona's brief but turbulent reign as Argentina coach has come to an end after the Argentine Football Association (AFA) elected not to renew his contract. The football legend's 18-month tenure as manager of the Albiceleste had looked in doubt following tense talks with AFA president Julio Grondona on Monday which focused on Maradona's demands to retain his entire backroom staff. Before that meeting Maradona, whose final game in charge was last month's 4-0 World Cup quarter-final humiliation by Germany, had made it plain he wanted to stay as long as he could keep his staff. "I really want to stay, but it depends on Grondona," Maradona told El Show del Futbol on America TV at the weekend after returning to Buenos Aires following a trip to visit his friend, Venezuala President Hugo Chavez. "If they touch a hair of one of my guys, even the masseur or the kitman, I'm going. "I want to continue the adventure but not with (just) anyone. I chose these people. I want to continue working with them." One was former Argentina defender Oscar Ruggeri, the target of criticism from Grondona after Argentina's last eight World Cup defeat. "I already asked and I will continue to ask that Ruggeri joins me," Maradfona had insisted. "It's a constant struggle. This is the first thing I will discuss with Grondona." Media reports suggest that Grondona had vetoed that wish, triggering the end of Maradona's 18-month spell in charge. AFA spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo, confirming Maradona's departure on Tuesday, said: "The president put some salient points to Maradona in their long conversation yesterday. "And the executive committee unanimously resolved not to renew Maradona's contract as technical director of the national teams." Local media described the exit of the man who lifted Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title as the end of an era. "It's official -- Maradona is no longer the coach of the Argentine team," said La Nacion newspaper. "It's the end of a cycle," the paper added. Maradona's tenure was marked by his use of over 100 players as he grappled with various formations, a two month ban for a foul-mouthed outburst at journalists, an eleventh hour qualification for the World Cup, and the resounding defeat to Germany. With Maradona gone, focus has turned on the identity of his successor. One name in the frame is Alejandro Sabella, 55, who led Estudiantes to the Copa Libertadores last year. Other potential candidates include Miguel Angel Russo (Racing Club) and Sergio Batista, currently in charge of the Argentine under-20s and who helped steer the country to Olympic glory in the Beijing Games in 2008. Batista has been chosen to select a squad for the August 11 friendly against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin. According to Cherquis, there is "no urgency" to find a long-term replacement. Fans reportedly have a soft spot for Carlos Bianchi, who has enjoyed success with Velez Sarsfield and Boca Juniors, but his chances are believed to be slim due to a poor relationship with Grondona. Maradona is the greatest player in Argentina's history, having led the country to their second World Cup title in 1986 and a runners-up finish four years later. He took charge of the national side in November 2008 and oversaw an occasionally chaotic qualifying campaign that included a record 6-1 rout at altitude in Bolivia. Initially, the side played well at the World Cup in South Africa and won all three group matches before beating Mexico in the last 16. Germany sent Maradona's men packing in the quarter-final. Argentina will host next year's Copa America as they chase a first major trophy at senior level since 1993.

Singapore failed on floods: Lee Kuan Yew AFP - Thursday, July 22 SINGAPORE (AFP) - – The Singapore government's measures to reduce the impact of recent floods on homes and businesses were insufficient, the island's founding father Lee Kuan Yew said in remarks published Thursday. Lee, commenting on Wednesday after Singapore suffered three bouts of severe flooding since mid-June, added that constant rain and limited land area made it difficult to totally prevent floods in the tropical city-state. "How can you say that the response is sufficient?" Lee was quoted as saying by the Straits Times when asked if the government's measures to alleviate the flooding had been up to standard. "Of course, Singaporeans expect everything to be perfect - which we try to do, but there are some things which are beyond that." The 86-year-old former prime minister, now an adviser to his son Lee Hsien Loong's government, said Singapore's small land area made it difficult to deal with "acts of God." Singapore used to be an exception in a region plagued by disasters but the recent flash floods have caused serious property damage and disrupted lives across the island, denting its reputation for urban management. Critics have blasted the Public Utilities Board (PUB) for not being prepared to handle the first two floods, while the department defended itself by saying abnormal weather conditions and clogged drains were to blame. Officials have vowed to improve the drainage network and step up alert systems to forewarn residents and businesses to limit the impact of future floods. The government has identified 52 flood-prone zones, including the financial district and the Orchard Road shopping belt, and some establishments including luxury shops have resorted to installing unsightly sandbag barricades. "There is a limited amount of space that you can dig underground, limited amount of space that you can have run-offs for canals," Lee noted. "Whatever we do when we get extraordinary rains like we had recently, no amount of engineering can prevent flooding... unless you want to lose half the roads and have canals."

Wah !...how to stay sober man. Alcohol eases rheumatoid arthritis: study AFP - Wednesday, July 28 PARIS (AFP) - – Drinking alcohol may help reduce the severity of rheumatoid arthritis and cut the risk of developing the painful and crippling disease, a study published Wednesday has shown for the first time. Researchers led by Gerry Wilson, a professor at the University of Sheffield in Britain, asked 873 arthritis patients and a control group of 1,004 people how frequently they had consumed alcohol in the previous month. The participants also completed a detailed questionnaire, were given X-rays and blood tests, and had their joints examined. "We found that patients who had drunk alcohol most frequently had symptoms that were less severe than those who had never drunk alcohol or only drunk it infrequently," said lead author James Maxwell, a rheumatologist at the Rotherham Foundation NHS Trust. X-rays showed less damage to joints, and blood tests showed lower levels of inflammation, according to the report, published in the journal Rheumatology. There was also less pain, swelling and disability. Earlier studies had reported similar results in rodents, but this is the first to show that arthritis symptoms diminish in humans in proportion to the frequency of alcohol consumption. The researchers found that non-drinkers were four times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis that people who drank alcohol on more than ten days a month. They cautioned that any possible benefits from alcohol consumption in relation to rheumatism must be weighed against all the well-known health consequences of immoderate drinking. The findings held equally true for women and men, and for two distinct forms of the disease, one called anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and the other known simply as "negative". "Anti-CCP antibodies are not present in most 'normal' people without arthritis," explained Maxwell. Previous research has shown that these antibodies develop prior to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis, and are likely linked to the process which causes the disease. Some patients don't develop anti-CCP antibodies, but the symptoms are much more severe in those that do. The scientists could only speculate as to why alcohol helped reduce symptoms and risk. "There is some evidence that alcohol suppresses the activity of the immune system, and that this may influence the pathways by which rheumatoid arthritis develops," Maxwell said. Once the disease has developed, it is also possible that drinking may act as a pain killer, he added. One limitation of the study is that it did not measure how much people drank, only the frequency. It also relies on people's memories, and does not report long-term drinking habits. Rheumatoid arthritis affects about one percent of people in the United States and Europe, mainly in older populations. Incidence appears to be somewhat lower in Asia, suggesting that genetics may play a role. Exactly what causes the disease remains a mystery, and there is no known cure.

Campbell completes Newcastle move AFP - 59 minutes ago Campbell on Wednesday completed his move to newly-promoted Premier League side Newcastle on a one-year deal. The 35-year-old has been a free agent since his short-term deal with Arsenal ran out earlier this summer. "At this stage of my career I couldn't have wished for a better move," Campbell, who will wear the number five shirt, told the club's official website www.nufc.co.uk. "To join a club such as Newcastle United, with its proud tradition, heritage and magnificent support is absolutely tremendous for me. "I'd like to thank (manager) Chris Hughton for putting his faith in me and aim to repay him and the supporters by giving everything I possibly can to help re-establish this great club in the top-tier of English football. "I just want to play and can't wait to get started. "There's a real buzz about the place and that's great. "I've played at St James' Park numerous times and always found it a fantastic place to play, there's always a tremendous atmosphere. "Chris will focus everyone together and get them ready for the season." Campbell had been targetted by Newcastle's north-east rivals Sunderland as well as Celtic, but opted for the Magpies wehre he will bolster a defence that has been weakened by Steven Taylor's shoulder injury. Taylor is set to miss the start of the season, which begins away to Manchester United on August 16, but there are fears he could be sidelined for several months, prompting manager Chris Hughton to make his move for Campbell.

Scholes regrets turning down WCup chance AFP - Wednesday, July 28 Manchester United's Paul Scholes has admitted that he may have made a mistake by not taking up England coach Fabio Capello's invitation to play at the World Cup. Capello attempted to draw Scholes out of international retirement in the warm-up to South Africa 2010, but the midfielder turned down the offer. England went out at the second-round stage, and Scholes said: "A couple of weeks into it, I thought I maybe should have gone. I am not saying I would have made a difference. I am saying I might have made the wrong decision." Scholes has made 66 appearances for the national side and scored 14 goals, but has not featured since retiring from international football in 2004. The 35-year-old midfielder is now determined to win the Premier League title back from Chelsea. Scholes, 35, is building up his fitness on United's North American tour and looks set to get another run-out on Wednesday against the MLS All-Stars. Like Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville, who has stayed at home because of a calf injury, Scholes concedes he is given more rest now by manager Sir Alex Ferguson. He said: "I know that playing two or three times a week, it is not going to happen any more. So you just have to be ready when needed. "It is accepted, definitely, given there are that many games and at our age we have to be ready when the manager needs us. "You train every day and I did not miss a day's training last season, which was good. I managed to avoid injury. "When you are at a club like this you have to be capable of doing that, especially like last season when we had that many injuries." United had to be content with the League Cup last year after finishing runners-up to Chelsea and exiting the Champions League at the quarter-final stage when they lost to Bayern Munich. They finished one point off the pace and Scholes reflected on a spell in December when a number of defenders were sidelined at the same time. He said: "We didn't win what we wanted to but were not that far off. You do not want to use excuses but the injuries we had were shocking, really. "Hopefully most of us can stay fit this year and hopefully we can go one step further than last season."

Sympodium encrusting soft coral starting to appear in blue and green colors Sympodium is an interesting encrusting soft coral which is just beginning to show up in some coral shipments. We personally spied the Sympodium colony above tucked away in a corner of a display tank at Amazing Aquariums and Reefs and we’ve been getting reports of this genus showing up sporadically at stores throughout the country. Not to be confused with the “Blue Clove” polyps that became much more widely available in the last couple of years, Sympodium is related to Xenia but it does not pulse and it has much smaller polyps. Better yet, the Sympodium colonies we’ve seen are pretty darn colorful with brightly colored blue or green topsides, contrasting undersides and large knobby reddish brown pinnules. This is the most amazing and colorful unknown soft coral I have ever seen. The colors are absolutely stunning and this is the first coral I have ever seen that looks much better under T-5 HO lighting than Metal Halide. I believe most would argue that this coral is in either the Anthelia or Xenia genus. Anthelia typically have individual polyps joined to a common encrusting base, whereas Xenia typically have a stalk with branches. Although this coral is very compact, there appear to be several individual stalks which branch. I have also observed some individual polyps pulse on occasion. I strongly believe this is a new Xenia species! The center of each polyp (flower) is a brilliant blue which leads into a bright green on each of the tentacles which are “feathered”, the stalk is a knock your eyes out brilliant blue. This rock had some clove or glove polyps mixed between the stalks which looks quite nice. This is a 1/3 piece of a single rock with 10-12 individual colonies on it. I placed each of the thirds into different tanks and different lighting and water flows. All three pieces opened up quickly and seem to like low, medium, and high flow. I did break a piece off of one stalk and the stalk itself seemed to break like a sponge would. It was more brittle than it appeared. I filmed it with my POS digital camera and I will film it again when I upgrade. If you have anything intelligent to add about this unknown soft coral please do so. This specimen was collected in Jarkarta a province of Indonesia.

Amphiprion pacificus, a new species of clownfish discovered Amphiprion pacificus is a new species of anemonefish discovered by Gerald R. Allen, Joshua Drew and Douglas Fenner described in the latest issue of the Aqua, the International Journal of Ichthyology. The researchers discovered A. pacificus in the Wallis Island and Tonga in the western Pacific with other underwater photographs revealing its presence on coral reefs of Fiji and Samoa. The team notes the new taxon is nearly identical in appearance to A. akallopisos from the Indian Ocean. The two share common characteristics — typically pinkish-brown and grading to orange or yellow on the lower portion of the head and side, with a similar white stripe extending from the head along the dorsal midline ending at the caudal fin. Genetic testing does reveal show A. pacificus is more closely related to A. sandaracinos (Orange Skunk Clownfish) hailing from the Western Australia and Indo-Malayan region. The physical differences between the common orange skunk differs from A. pacificus with its more uniform orange coloration and the white forehead stripe extends onto the upper lip. The team also noticed what appears to be differences in the number of soft dorsal and annal rays on each species. This is an exciting find and just like the lightning maroon clownfish from Papua New Guinea, we are hoping enough species can be found in the wild to be able to harvest these unique fish to see if they can be successfully bred in captivity. This post has been promoted to an article This post has been promoted to an article This post has been promoted to an article

Considering to replace the Patch Panel (Phone & Data) at Home & also to carry out Ethernet data connection tests. Can someone recommend a reliable vendor who can perform the above jobs ?

U didn't 'ta-pao' back ???

Unique coral reef spurs Mexico tourism battle AFP - 27 minutes ago CABO PULMO, Mexico (AFP) - – A 20,000 year-old coral reef, the only one in the Gulf of California, is at the center of a dispute over a huge tourist development which could draw thousands to a remote part of Mexico. At the moment, most only hear about Cabo Pulmo, where pristine beaches meet a turquoise sea, by word of mouth. US tourist Lenny McCarl said he discovered the village thanks to his girlfriend's family, during a visit in June. "I like the little niche up here. You drive two hours outside of Cabo San Lucas and you're only 80 miles (130 kilometers) away, but there's no houses, there's just a villa here, a villa there," McCarl said, standing on the beach. The site is less than two hours north of Cabo San Lucas and its luxury hotels and Hollywood celebrity-owned mansions, which have transformed the south of the peninsula in the past few decades. The village also lies next to the site for one of Mexico's largest tourist development projects. A wire fence marks out some 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) destined to include several thousand hotel rooms and condominiums rising in five stages over 25 years. The 500-million-dollar plan includes a tourist town "where school children will parade on the plaza," a jet port for private planes and golf courses. Locals and environmental groups say the scale of the project is bound to impact on the land as well as the sea -- with runoff from golf courses, desalinisation facilities and large yachts in a new marina. "The government is blocking its ears and allowing a project like this, right on the limit of the marine reserve. As if there'll be no damage beyond an imaginary line," said Enrique Castro, whose family has lived in the area for five generations. Commercial fishing is now banned and locals have spent 15 years changing their habits to try to preserve the reef under a government plan hailed as an example of conservation by ecologists. Activities still revolve around the marine-rich Gulf of California, once nicknamed the "world's aquarium" by French explorer Jacques Cousteau. Spanish company Hansa Urbana has meanwhile gathered permits to start building the Cabo Cortes development, including requirements for protecting the environment. Such measures, including a ban on lights on the beach to avoid disturbing endangered turtles, water recycling and solar power, make the project 40 percent more expensive, representative Sergio Tabansky told AFP in Mexico City. More than 60 percent of the land would be left for conservation, Tabansky said, admitting the eco-friendly label was also a good selling point. "We want to help Mexico by giving jobs to Mexicans," Tabansky added, as the country struggles to emerge from one of its worst economic crises in years. The H1N1 swine flu and the global crisis contributed to a drop of 1.1 million tourists in 2009 compared with the previous year, and a two-billion-dollar loss in revenues, the tourism ministry said recently. Promotions and development plans are again picking up in a country which hosts some 22-23 million foreign tourists each year. "Development is inevitable. What we can avoid are the (bad) terms under which we develop, right?" said Alejandro Gonzalez, who manages the Cabo Pulmo marine park for the government. A handful of security guards patrol the vast site for Cabo Cortes on quad bikes for now, as the crisis has slowed construction. Juan Castro, a former diver for pearls, and other locals hope the delay will buy them time to stop it completely. "If the government allows this development, we can say that the government is the only one responsible for whatever damage is done to the reef," Castro said. "It's the heritage of humanity. It's not mine, it's not yours."

Monaco's playboy prince sets wedding date AFP - Friday, July 23 MONACO (AFP) - – The countdown began on Thursday to the society event of the decade when Monaco's playboy Prince Albert II set a date next year for his long-awaited marriage to a South African swimming champ. Prince Albert, the 52-year-old son of the late Prince Rainier III and the Hollywood actress Grace Kelly, has no legitimate heir and he has kept royal-watchers guessing about his love life for decades. Now, the Mediterranean statelet's royal household has announced that he will wed a South African former Olympic swimmer 20 years his junior, Charlene Wittstock, next summer at a keenly awaited Riviera royal wedding. The couple will tie the knot in a civil ceremony at the palace on July 8 and then hold a religious service the following day, a statement said. The venue of the church ceremony will be announced at a later date. Prince Albert has ruled Monaco, a city state on the south coast of France and a millionaires' playground, since succeeding his late father in July 2005. Wittstock is a former swimming champion and schoolteacher who met the prince in 2000 after she won gold in the 200 metre backstroke at a Monaco swimming meeting he was hosting. It is not clear exactly when the pair became an item, but they appeared together socially at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the Monaco Grand Prix and at this year's Swedish royal marriage on June 19. Related article: Monaco's original fairytale wedding Their formal engagement was announced four days later. "This is a marriage of considerable importance," said Stephane Bern, the organiser of Monaco's annual high-society ball and expert on princely affairs. "You can expect at least 2,000 journalists. Monaco inspires fascination in people's minds, it's a permanent dream factory," he added, suggesting the frenzy could equal that surrounding the wedding of Prince Albert's father. Rainier's marriage to Kelly in 1956, in which her Hollywood star power met his European aristocratic pomp, was one of the society events of the century and royal-watchers are keenly awaiting Prince Albert's nuptials. Soon to lose his status as one of Europe's most eligible bachelors, Albert has a reputation as a playboy prince, and Monagesque constitutionalists will hope the marriage produces a royal heir. With a fortune estimated at some two billion euros (2.4 billion dollars), the prince has been seen with a string of beautiful women over the years. But, while he has fathered two children -- a girl and a boy who were officially recognised after he had acceded to the throne -- neither can succeed him as Monaco's laws require its rulers to be born in wedlock. The children are Jazmin Grace, 20, whose mother Tamara Rotolo is a former American waitress, and Alexandre Coste, six, the daughter of a French-Togolese former flight attendant, Nicole Coste. Given the constitutional urgency, some have wondered why it took so long for Albert to confirm the engagement. Last year, Bern said that Wittstock was taking the time to learn French and the traditions of the Monagesque court. Monaco, a super-rich enclave on the Riviera coast surrounded on its landward side by France, covers only 200 hectares (494 acres). It is home to 32,000 permanent residents, only 8,000 of them full citizens. Low tax rates, a luxury yachting marina and a famed casino have attracted many wealthy expatriates, and around 36,000 mainly French non-residents arrive every day to work in its tourism and financial services businesses. Prince Albert rules as head of state, supported by a senior French civil servant and a government of four senior advisers. Born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Wittstock competed for South Africa in the Olympics in Sydney 2000. She did not compete in Beijing in 2008, however, despite pressure from former president Nelson Mandela for her to do so. Prince Albert is a fellow Olympian, having competed in five Olympic games as a member of his country's bobsleigh team.

Muslims warned against 'devilish' Man Utd jersey AFP - Thursday, July 22 KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - – Muslims must not wear the famous Manchester United red jersey because of the "devil" emblem on its team crest , Malaysian clerics said Wednesday. Manchester United and the rest of the English Premier League are massively popular in Muslim-majority Malaysia and the rest of the Asian region, but conservative religious scholars said the jersey is un-Islamic. Also off limits are the shirts of teams including Brazil, Portugal, Barcelona, Serbia and Norway, all of which carry images of the cross on their team emblems. "This is very dangerous. As a Muslim, we should not worship the symbols of other religions or the devils," Nooh Gadot, a top Islamic cleric from the southern Johor state, told AFP. "It will erode our belief in Islam. There is no reason why we as Muslims should wear such jerseys, either for sports or fashion reasons," said Nooh, an advisor to the Johor religious council. "Even if it (the jersey) is a gift, we should decline it. It is even more sinful when people realise this is wrong and still buy these jerseys to wear," he added. Nooh said there was no "fatwa", or religious edict, against the shirts but that one was not needed when it was clearly wrong for Muslims to don such a garment. "These Muslims should repent, repent immediately," he said. Another leading cleric, Harussani Zakaria, a cleric from northern Perak state, agreed that devils should be shunned, not celebrated. "Yes of course in Islam we don't allow people to wear this sort of thing," he told AFP. "Devils are our enemies, why would you put their picture on you and wear it? You are only promoting the devil." Malaysia is a generally moderate Islamic country, but conservative clerics have issued controversial edicts in the past including a ban on the ancient practice of yoga, which is criticised for including Hindu religious

BP defends CEO, eyes new option for plugging well Reuters - Thursday, July 22 By Tom Bergin and Anna Driver LONDON/HOUSTON - BP Plc defended its embattled chief executive on Wednesday and denied a report he would leave soon as the company explored a new approach in the Gulf of Mexico to end the worst oil spill in U.S. history. CEO Tony Hayward, criticized for his handling of the disaster, has the full support of the company's board and will remain in his job, a BP spokesman said, dismissing a Times of London report that he would step down within the next 10 weeks. The Times, citing a person close to the matter, said Hayward would have to step down so the British energy giant could protect itself against a potential buyout threat by ExxonMobil or Royal Dutch Shell. The environmental disaster caused by an April 20 oil rig explosion off the coast of Louisiana has devastated U.S. Gulf Coast tourism and fishing industries, dented President Barack Obama's approval ratings and complicated the traditionally close U.S. relationship with Britain. BP capped the blown-out well last week, choking off the flow of oil into the sea for the first time in the three months since the explosion. On Tuesday, U.S. officials gave BP permission for another 24 hours of pressure tests on the capped well a mile below the ocean surface. BP scientists are also weighing another option -- a "static kill" to help smother and plug the leak. This would involve pumping heavy drilling mud and possibly cement into the well, much like BP's failed "top kill" effort in May. The top U.S. oil spill official, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, said BP could have a plan on Wednesday to proceed with the static kill option. With a storm brewing in the northern Caribbean, BP could be forced to delay work to plug the oil leak for up to two weeks if vessels at the site have to move, U.S. officials said. "Any operations out there would have to be suspended whether it's containment or the relief well," Allen said. BP is drilling a relief well intended to intersect and plug the ruptured well next month. BP's market value has fallen around 39 percent since the oil began spewing into the Gulf, and the company worked on Tuesday to line up $7 billion in asset sales to help pay for the spill. BP SHARES RISE BP shares in London and New York rose about 3.4 percent on Wednesday, buoyed by its sale of assets in the United States, Canada and Egypt to U.S. company Apache Corp, a large part of a $10 billion asset disposal plan. "Such a material sale, achieved so quickly, should ease if not banish any lingering concerns about BP's liquidity position," JP Morgan said in a note, adding that the terms of the deal looked robust and underlined the mismatch between what BP could get for its assets and its battered stock price. Dutch bank ING said that BP could afford to go further than its $10 billion target, potentially making over $45 billion from divestments without denting its core activities. BP said Apache would pay a $5 billion cash deposit on July 30 as part of the deal for exploration and production facilities in North America and Egypt. The company said the deal would include assets in New Mexico, natural gas in western Canada and concessions in Egypt. Earlier, it announced it would sell $1.7 billion worth of assets in Vietnam and Pakistan. The head of India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp told Reuters from Vietnam that the company would be interested in buying BP's stake in a $966 million Vietnam project. Vietnam's deputy minister of industry and trade said that BP should give priority to its partners in stake sales before offering them to outside parties. HAYWARD SPECULATION The spill sparked a wave of anger at BP among both the American public and U.S. lawmakers, and Hayward's ouster has been the subject of speculation after a series of public relations gaffes and a failure to quickly stem the flow of oil into the Gulf. There was a growing expectation that Hayward would announce his departure in late August or September, with Robert Dudley, chief of BP's Gulf Coast restoration efforts, seen as the front-runner to replace him, the Times said. But a BP spokesman said of Hayward: "He has full support from the board and will remain in place." Al Troner, president of Asia Pacific Energy Consulting in Houston, said Hayward was not entirely responsible for the disaster, although "he seems to have an unfortunate tendency to put both his feet in his mouth." "There is more than enough blame to spread around here, whether it's BP, the drilling company or the federal government reaction," he said. The continuing disaster remains high on the American and British political agendas and dominated a visit to Washington by British Prime Minister David Cameron. The states of New York and Ohio asked a federal judge to appoint them lead plaintiffs in spill-related class-action lawsuits against BP. In a court filing, the states said their BP investments had lost $181 million because of the company's alleged misleading of investors over the spill.

Saga of sex, blood and football grips Brazil AFP - Saturday, July 10 RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - – It takes quite a saga to push the World Cup off the front pages in Brazil, but such is the gruesome story of a goalkeeper accused of ordering the murder of his ex-lover whose body parts were then fed to the dogs. At the center of the dark drama is Bruno Souza, a star goalkeeper and captain of defending club champion Flamengo, who surrendered to police Wednesday to face questioning in connection with the disappearance and suspected death of Eliza Samudio. The story of the married 25-year-old player known simply as Bruno has stunned this football-mad nation, where police held a press conference Thursday to lay out the horrific crimes and Souza's bloody role in them. "An idol like Bruno, from such a major team, is a monster for what he has done to this girl," said Minas Gerais state police commissioner Edson Moreira, one of the officials leading the investigation. "The crime was coldly planned and executed. We can conclude that Eliza is dead." Among the macabre details divulged by police: they believe Bruno was in a home near Belo Horizonte home with Samudio last month at the time of her murder, and that her body was later cut into pieces, some of which were fed to dogs in a bid to cover the murder. When Bruno was transferred from Rio de Janeiro to a police station late Thursday in the city of Belo Horizonte, he was met with cries of "murderer!" from a crowd of onlookers, O Globo reported on its website. Samudio was described by the newspaper as "a student, model and pornographic film actress." She was also the mother of a four-month-old baby and reportedly had sought to establish that Bruno was the child's father. Samudio's body has not been found, but Bruno's 17-year-old cousin, who acknowledged helping in her abduction, claimed in a lengthy deposition to police that the woman was strangled, officials said. The cousin also claimed to have heard Bruno tell associates to "solve the problem" with Samudio. According to investigators, she was strangled by a former police officer, Marcos Aparecido dos Santos. Another one of Bruno's cousins said in his deposition that Santos committed "barbaric tortures" against Samudio, and that music was blared from her locked room so that neighbors could not hear her screams, according to the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper. The victim had begged Santos to stop abusing her, saying she could no longer bear it, according to O Estado, citing the deposition. "You are not going to bear it anymore," Santos replied. "You are going to die." Both papers reported that Santos fed some of her remains to the Rottweiler dogs kept at the house. Samudio met Bruno in 2009 at the home of a Flamengo teammate, according to Istoe magazine. In October, when she was five months pregnant, she reportedly filed a complaint against Bruno, saying he kidnapped and beat her and tried to force her to swallow abortion-inducing medication. In June, Samudio met Bruno near Belo Horizonte, apparently thinking the two were going to reach an agreement for care of the baby. It was June 7, the last time a friend saw her alive. Moreira said Thursday that police determined from the evidence that Bruno remained with Samudio until her death. "He was with her. This is the conclusion we reached," he said. Authorities said they ordered the detention of Bruno's wife, Dayana Rodrigues, who was found with Samudio's baby. For his part, Bruno recently told radio Globo that he had a "clear conscience" about Samudio's disappearance. "In the future, I'll laugh about all of this," he said. But in a brief Globo video clip of him discussing his future with police, he sounded somber about his future. "In Brazil, my hope to compete in the World Cup in 2014 is over," he said.

Can MOI-MOI join ??? Sex Party promises 'real action' for Australians AFP - Wednesday, July 21 MELBOURNE (AFP) - – The Australian Sex Party on Tuesday promised to spice up campaigning for next month's elections with a manifesto "unlike Australia had ever seen before". Party chief Fiona Patten launched a risque national campaign at a Melbourne bar, saying her policies "would make (opposition Leader) Tony Abbott's hair stand on end and would turn (Prime Minister) Julia Gillard's hair grey". prospective "We've always been forward and we actually enjoy real action," Patten said, mocking Gillard and Abbott's "Moving Australia Forward" and "Stand Up For Real Action" slogans. The party's policies include legalising euthanasia, decriminalising all drugs for personal use, and watering down strict anti-pornography laws. Although sure to attract criticism from church groups and other conservative elements in society, Patten said it was time an Australian political party pushed the boundaries. Patten said personal freedom issues affect people's lives more often than tax or immigration, and wanted to break down "nanny state" policies that she said had been built up over several decades by the major parties. While the party will struggle for mainstream support, Patten remained confident of at least one Sex Party candidate being elected to the country's Senate. "In the privacy of the polling booth, anything could happen," she said. The Sex Party is running a candidate against Abbott in his Sydney electorate, a comedian who has offered to doorknock voters wearing a "mankini" -- a type of bikini designed for men.

Singapore forces removal of dissident YouTube video AFP - Wednesday, July 14 SINGAPORE (AFP) - – A Singaporean filmmaker on Wednesday complied with a government order to remove a political film from video sharing site YouTube but said others were defiantly spreading it on the web. Martyn See said he was ordered by the information ministry to to take down all digital copies of the film from YouTube and his blogsite by July 14 or face up to two years in jail and a fine of 10,000 Singapore dollars (7,100 US). The banned video titled "Ex-political prisoner speaks out in Singapore" is about a rare public talk in 2009 by Lim Hock Siew, a leftist medical doctor and activist held from 1963 to 1982 during then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's rule. "I have received notices that the film has been downloaded by anonymous netizens who have already, or are in the process of, uploading it to various video sites such as (Vimeo)," See told AFP in an email. "Although I remind all that it is criminal offence... to possess or distribute the film, I have no wish, nor the means, to hinder the viral spread of the video," said See, who has had previous brushes with the authorities. "As such, I hereby declare that the film is no longer in my possession, and its ownership will from now on be given to all citizens of the Republic of Singapore," added See, a 41-year-old professional video editor. In a statement on Monday, the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts said the 22-minute film was submitted to government censors for classification but it was banned "as it is against the public interest." "The film gives a distorted and misleading portrayal of Dr Lims arrests and detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 1963. "The Singapore government will not allow individuals who have posed a security threat to Singapores interests in the past, to use media platforms such as films to make baseless accusations against the authorities, give a false portrayal of their previous activities in order to exculpate their guilt, and undermine public confidence in the government in the process." In his memoirs, Lee Kuan Yew -- now an adviser to his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong -- wrote that the 1963 police raids that landed Lim in detention were part of a crackdown on communists. This post has been promoted to an article This post has been promoted to an article

Guess no more ultra-exotica corals for moi-moi. Eurozone risks threaten nascent recovery: IMF AFP - Thursday, July 22 WASHINGTON (AFP) - – The eurozone's fiscal crises "threaten" the area's nascent economic recovery and could lead to persistent unemployment and dampen investment flows, the IMF warned Wednesday. The recovery, driven mainly by external demand, "is likely to be slowed in the near term by market tensions related to sovereign risks," the International Monetary Fund said in a report. "Over the medium term, the need for fiscal consolidation and structural rigidities will weigh on it, leading to persistent unemployment and subdued investment," the Washington-based fund said after annual consultations with the 16 member economies of the eurozone area. The IMF warning came ahead of European banking sector "stress test" results -- due to be published on Friday -- designed to assess the capacity of 91 European lenders to withstand economic or financial crises. Although the markets took a "favorable view" of the stress tests, "some uncertainty regarding the stringency of the tests is likely to remain," the fund said, calling for more transparency and an expansion of these assessments. It wanted "a more detailed disclosure" of outcomes together with remedial actions by weak institutions to mitigate capital shortfalls, and called for "broadening the transparent use of stress tests beyond the largest institutions." The markets have turned their attention to the health of banks after an explosion of public deficits and debts in the 16-nation eurozone weakened the single currency. The debt drama forced European governments to bail out Greece and set up a 750-billion-euro (957-billion-dollar) safety net with the IMF for other countries to tap into if they get in trouble. The IMF said the depreciation of the euro was "now broadly consistent with fundamentals" and would provide some relief, especially in the area's export competitiveness. But it warned that the sovereign crisis "has created significant downside risks," saying "further market disruptions cannot be ruled out." "Since its onset, spillovers to the banking system have increased market and credit risk, and could fuel the adverse feedback loop between the banking system and public finances," the IMF said. It also raised the specter of "competitiveness problems and private debt overhang" that it said also loomed large in some member countries. "Immediate action is needed to establish fiscal sustainability. Credible fiscal adjustment must be at the core of the response," the fund advised eurozone nations. "Countries facing market pressures have no option but to adjust forcefully and meet their deficit targets." The IMF said the crisis was "a wake-up call" for the euro area, putting the spotlight on the "deficiency of area-wide mechanisms in disciplining fiscal and structural policies." Despite a strong and far-reaching eurozone policy response to the crisis, "market confidence will take time to restore," it said. The fund prodded the eurozone nations to "urgently" address the crisis in a well-coordinated manner. "Now is also the time to establish an effective economic and monetary union by strengthening the enforcement of sound fiscal and structural policies and completing the area-wide framework for financial stability," it said.

Here we go again...time to cut back $pending$. Bernanke warns of 'uncertain' economic outlook AFP - Thursday, July 22 WASHINGTON (AFP) - – Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke warned the outlook for the US economy was "unusually uncertain", saying the central bank could step in if the recovery fails. Bernanke told US lawmakers the world's largest economy would see "moderate growth, a gradual decline in the unemployment rate and subdued inflation over the next several years," compounding fears of a painful exit from recession. Underlining the severity of the crisis, Bernanke warned that private sector hiring was still growing at "a pace insufficient to reduce the employment rate materially." His comments kicked off a two-day hearing in Congress, which is deeply divided over how to deal with high unemployment and a stuttering recovery. With the unemployment rate running at 9.5 percent and amid fears of a looming double-dip recession, Bernanke came under pressure from senators to further stimulate the economy. Bernanke said the Fed was "prepared to take further policy actions as needed," but stopped well short of saying action was imminent. "If the recovery seems to be faltering, then we will at least need to review our options," he added. His comments marked a rapid turnaround for the central bank, which had been focused on winding down crisis measures that left the Fed holding more than a trillion dollars in assets. But amid growing clamors for a re-entry rather than an exit strategy, doubts have also grown about whether the Fed has any arrows left in its quiver. The bank's two main routes to stimulate the economy -- lowering interest rates and buying up securities to provide market liquidity -- appear blocked. Interest rates are already at historic lows and concerns about the soaring US deficit would make buying up more assets deeply unpopular. But Bernanke insisted the Fed could act if necessary. "We do still have options," he said, outlining four measures that could help stimulate growth, including buying new assets and lowering selected interest rates. According to Geoffrey Yu of UBS, by lowering the interest rate for deposits held at the Fed, the central bank could help stimulate lending, which has been tight since the current crisis began. "The... hope is that banks would be incentivized to lend more into the wider economy rather than dump funds with the Fed," Yu said. But Bernanke indicated any action was unlikely until it becomes clear the economic recovery is neither sustainable nor self-propelling. "We are going to continue to monitor the economy closely and continue to evaluate the alternatives that we have," Bernanke said. "If the recovery is continuing at a moderate pace, the incentive would be less." His comments appeared to offer little succor to investors worried about a double-dip recession. "Although the outlook has become more uncertain, the Fed has not changed its policy stance in favor of further accommodation," said Michael Gapen of Barclays Capital. "We do not take a policy signal from this." The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down over 100 points, or one percent, after Bernanke made his remarks. "Bernanke disappointed by not providing hope for a near-term change in monetary policy," Charles Schwab & Co. analysts said.

Juz ensure that ya ATM-Machine is 'well-lubricated' !

Looks like it's time to 'spring-clean' ya good-stuffs.

I 'steered' away when told about the cost.

Aiyoh...football dun play, wanna play '19th Hole'. World Cup 2010 - Ribery charged in vice probe Reuters - Tue, 20 Jul 21:26:00 2010 France internationals Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema have been placed under judicial investigation on suspicion of soliciting sex with an under-age prostitute, the Paris public prosecutor's office said. Police investigating a prostitution ring questioned the Bayern Munich winger and Real Madrid striker for several hours at the Paris vice squad headquarters. The offence is punishable by a maximum penalty of three years' imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros (£38,000) although a conviction hinges on proving the accused knew the girl's age. Ribery's lawyer said he did not know she was under 18 at the time. The prosecutor's spokesman said Ribery and Benzema were released from custody pending further investigation after being questioned by magistrate Andre Dando. Police had postponed the hearing until after the World Cup, in which Ribery was part of a disastrous French campaign that led to a public outcry after players protested against the coach and the team failed to win a single game. Benzema was not in the 23-man squad. "One has to ask whether he is not being made to pay for France's World Cup failure," said Ribery's lawyer, Sophie Bottai. French media have suggested the players were clients of a night club in Paris's Champs Elysees district that allegedly featured escorts, including the under-18 girl at the centre of the affair, Zahia Dehar. The scandal, which gripped France before the World Cup, took a new twist in April when the young woman at the centre of the case gave an interview to Paris Match magazine, implicating players and denying being a prostitute. She said Ribery, married with two children, had invited her to Munich in April 2009 to celebrate his 26th birthday in a luxury hotel, adding that he had paid her for three encounters last year. According to French law, paid sex with someone under 18 is deemed sex with a minor. Zahia, who turned 18 in February, confirmed reports in the French press that she was under age when she met Ribery, but added that she had not told him how old she was. Bottai said that for her client to be found guilty, the girl "would have had to look like a minor and that was not the case and ... had informed him that she was under age, which was not the case". Zahia had "said in all the press that she told him (Ribery) and others that she was an adult", Bottai added. Ribery was France's most popular player before the World Cup fiasco, in which Les Bleus were eliminated in the first round without winning a match, and he took part in a revolt by players who boycotted a training session before their final game. Police also placed Ribery's brother-in-law under investigation but released Benzema's agent after seven hours in custody over the incident. Benzema, who was excused from training by his club for personal reasons, told French radio in April he had done nothing wrong. His lawyer Sylvain Cormier reiterated his client's position on television channel i-Tele. The "Zahia affair" will do little to improve the French squad's image after the team looked lost on the pitch in South Africa and tarnished their reputation with bickering off it. Junior Sports Minister Rama Yade said on April 30 that any player placed under investigation should not represent France.

I saw a much bigger frag that day & also nice cool blue cesp.

Goldman Sachs profits fall 82 percent AFP - Wednesday, July 21 NEW YORK (AFP) - – Goldman Sachs on Tuesday announced its profits slumped 82 percent in the second quarter, hit by a massive US fraud settlement and the costs of a new British tax on bonuses. Reporting its worst quarter since the height of the economic crisis nearly two years ago, the storied Wall Street firm said earnings were slashed on account of exceptional government payouts worth 1.15 billion dollars. The New York-based firm set aside 600 million dollars to pay for a new British tax on executive compensation and 550 million dollars to settle US government fraud charges. The announcement came just days after the firm agreed to pay the US Securities and Exchange Commission a record settlement for mistakenly giving "incomplete" information to clients. The SEC accused Goldman of allowing a prominent hedge fund to design a complex financial product for clients that was designed to fail and which the hedge fund was betting against. But Goldman's woes were not limited to strained relations with government. Reporting net earnings of 613 million dollars, Chief Executive officer Lloyd Blankfein said the business environment had become tougher for the embattled firm. "The market environment became more difficult during the second quarter, and as a result, client activity across our business declined," he said in a statement. Second quarter revenues hit 8.84 billion dollars, down 36 percent from the year before. It was a stark contrast to the first quarter of the year, when Goldman reported profits had nearly doubled to 3.46 billion dollars. This quarter profit in Goldman's all-important investment and trading businesses each fell around 35 percent versus the second quarter of 2009. There may yet be worst to come for the firm. Chief financial officer David Viniar told investors on Tuesday that the latest earnings did not include the potential cost of US financial reform, which is expected to be signed into law by President Barack Obama on Wednesday. That prospect led Standard & Poor's and other analysts to slash their estimates for Goldman's earnings this year. "Trading revenues were hurt by lower activity levels, and new rules to be enacted will likely weigh on this business," Standard & Poor's financial sector analyst Matthew Albrecht told clients.