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Biodun@bbcnews.com

Tuesday, 27 April 2010

Man claims explosives, flight diverted
Topic: Airbus A330, suzanne gould, bbc

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AF	16.37	-0.10
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by Suzanne Gould, BBC News Analyst for the USA, for the BBC's Biodun Iginla

– 24 mins ago

BANGOR, Maine – An American citizen on a flight from Paris to Atlanta claimed to have a fake passport and said he had explosives in his luggage, forcing federal air marshals to intervene and the plane to land in Maine, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

The officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, believe the man's passport was authentic.

There were 235 passengers and 13 crew aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 273, which landed safely just after at 3:30 p.m. at Bangor International Airport, Delta spokeswoman Susan Elliott said.

Federal officials met the aircraft at the airport. The Transportation Security Administration said the passenger was being interviewed by law enforcement.

After the man was apprehended, flight attendants moved passengers forward to clear out space in the rear of the plane, a passenger told me at the BBC.

"We were told there was some danger and some threats made, but beyond that we weren't told anything else," said the passenger, Adithya Sastry. Sastry said a passenger sitting next to him told him that the "young man" who was apprehended was carrying a backpack.

Elliott said late Tuesday afternoon that the Airbus A330 remained on the ground in Bangor but that the airline planned to continue the flight to Atlanta.

All passengers were taken off the plane because it was an international flight and they needed to clear customs, said Rebecca Hupp, a spokeswoman for Bangor International Airport.

NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, did not launch any military fighters in response to the flight, spokesman John Cornelio said. "By the time we were brought into the equation," the passenger was already under the control of air marshals, Cornelio said from Colorado.

The Bangor airport is accustomed to dealing with diverted flights.

It's the first large U.S. airport for incoming European flights, and it's the last U.S. airport for outgoing flights, with uncluttered skies and one of the longest runways on the East Coast. Aircraft use the airport when there are mechanical problems, medical emergencies or unruly passengers.

Delta, based in Atlanta, is the world's largest airline and has a joint venture with Air France-KLM on flights across the Atlantic.

Posted by biginla at 11:28 PM BST

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Goldman CEO denies wrongdoing in crisis
Topic: goldman sachs, judith stein, bbc

Play Video AP – Goldman Sachs exec declares 'I did not mislead'

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AP – Goldman Sachs chairman and chief executive officer Lloyd Blankfein is sworn in before he testifies before …

by Judith Stein, BBC and the Economist's Financial Analyst, for the BBC's Biodun Iginla

– 6 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The CEO of Goldman Sachs testily defended his company's ethics and business practices during the nation's financial crisis on Tuesday, saying customers who bought securities from the Wall Street giant came looking for risk "and that's what they got."

"Unfortunately, the housing market went south very quickly," Lloyd Blankfein told skeptical senators on an investigatory panel. "So people lost money in it."

He was the final witness in a daylong hearing on Goldman Sachs' behavior, which resulted in a government civil fraud charge earlier this month. Five present and two former Goldman officials held their ground in hours of contentious testimony, unflinchingly defending their conduct and denying that the Wall Street investment bank helped cause the near-meltdown of the nation's financial system.

While the famous firm fought for its reputation, senators said the company's actions leading up to the financial crisis clearly demonstrated a need for stronger regulation, and Democrats hoped the hearing would build support for legislation now before the Senate. Republicans have so far succeeded in blocking debate, and did again on Tuesday. But more test votes are expected, and GOP lawmakers floated a partial alternative they said could lead to election-year compromise on an issue that commands strong public support.

If the two parties were far apart on terms of a regulation bill, they united in criticizing Goldman in the highly charged committee room in a direct confrontation between Wall Street and Congress.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the panel's chairman cited a "fundamental conflict" in Goldman's selling securities and then betting against the same securities — and not telling the buyers.

"They're buying something from you, and you are betting against it. And you want people to trust you. I wouldn't trust you," Levin told Blankfein.

Blankfein denied such a conflict. "We do hundreds of thousands, if not millions of transactions a day, as a market maker," Blankfein said, noting that behind every transaction there was a buyer and a seller, creating both winners and losers.

Posted by biginla at 11:20 PM BST

Updated: Tuesday, 27 April 2010 11:23 PM BST

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250,000 People Ask the FCC to Save the Internet
Topic: fcc, neutral internel, liz rose,

by Liz Rose, BBC News, for the BBC's Biodun Iginla

Free Press, ColorofChange.org, CREDO Action, MoveOn.org and Others Urge the FCC to Act Now

WASHINGTON -- Members of the SavetheInternet.com coalition collected nearly 250,000 signatures on petitions asking the Federal Communications Commission to take swift action to protect the open Internet.

An April 6 federal appeals court decision left the agency’s authority to protect Internet users in legal limbo. The signers urged the FCC to reclassify broadband as a Title II “telecommunications service” under the Communications Act, in order to restore the agency’s ability to stop phone and cable companies from controlling the free flow of communications online.

The coalition, which includes Free Press, ColorofChange.org, CREDO, MoveOn.org, ACLU and hundreds of others, is encouraging the FCC to put the public interest first and to keep the Internet open to all.

“If the FCC fails to act, it will diminish the accessibility and utility of the Internet for everyone,” said Misty Perez Truedson of Free Press, which organized the coalition. “We need to establish clear rules of the road to protect consumers.”

"The Internet holds truly revolutionary potential to give marginalized communities a more powerful political voice and connect them with 21st-century economic opportunity," said James Rucker, executive director of ColorOfChange.org. "But that potential can only be realized if the Internet remains an open communications network, free from discrimination by corporate gatekeepers."

“A free and open Internet is an important part of 21st-century democracy,” said Becky Bond, political director of CREDO Action. “The FCC must take action to ensure that big corporations don’t discriminate when it comes to the ability of citizens to access information over the Internet.”

The SavetheInternet.com coalition is made up of hundreds of groups from across the political spectrum that are concerned about maintaining a free and open Internet. No corporation or political party funds the coalition’s efforts. The coalition is coordinated by Free Press, a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media.

###

Free Press is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal access to communications. Learn more at www.freepress.net

If you would rather not receive future communications from Free Press, let us know by clicking here.
Free Press, 501 Third Street, NW Suite 875, Washington, DC 20001 United States

Posted by biginla at 7:09 PM BST

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Crude mistakes
Topic: oil spills, bbc news, the econom

Oil spills

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News and the Economist

The world's largest oil spills

Apr 27th 2010 | From The Economist online

ON APRIL 22nd Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig 130 miles (209 km) south-east of New Orleans sank into 1,500m (5,000 feet) of water, following an explosion two days earlier. Eleven of the 126 workers who were onboard remain unaccounted for. Around 1,000 barrels (42,000 US gallons) of crude have been leaking from the submersed rig each day since it sank last week. This spill however, pails in comparison to large disasters, both accidental and man-made. During the first Gulf war, the Iraqi army purposely destroyed tankers and oil terminals in Kuwait, releasing 500m barrels of crude, in order to hold-up the US Navy’s imminent approach in the Arabian Gulf. The environmental impacts caused by such spills varies greatly, with those close to the coast and pristine environments by far the most destructive. Hopefully the current oil slick will harden and sink to the ocean floor before it has a chance to make landfall in Louisiana over the next few days.

Readers' comments

The Economist welcomes your views.

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Posted by biginla at 7:03 PM BST

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9 charged with plotting against US seek release
Topic: michigan militia, suzanne gould,

by Suzanne Gould, BBC News Analyst, for the BBC's Biodun Iginla

– Tue Apr 27, 10:29 am ET

DETROIT – Lawyers for nine jailed members of a Michigan militia charged with trying to launch war against the United States can summon a federal agent as a witness at a hearing to determine if they should be released, a judge said.

The decision is significant because defense lawyers believe the agent has information that would weaken the government's claim that the nine are too dangerous to be released from jail while the case moves through court.

U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts planned to hear appeals of another judge's detention order Tuesday.

The eight men and one woman have been in custody since their arrests about a month ago. They were indicted on weapons charges and conspiracy to commit sedition.

The indictment says the nine plotted violent acts against police officers as a steppingstone to a widespread uprising against the government. Defense lawyers, however, say their clients are being punished for being outspoken.

They were not allowed to call a federal agent as a witness during the initial detention hearing in late March. But Roberts ruled Monday night that the agent, whose name has not made public, can be compelled to testify.

An undercover agent infiltrated the group, called Hutaree, and secretly recorded the leader, David Stone, declaring "it's time to strike and take our nation back so that we may be free again from tyranny."

Posted by biginla at 6:56 PM BST

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Too big to fail
Topic: wall street reform, obama, chris

Fixing finance

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News and the Economist.com

A setback for Chris Dodd and other Democrats in America’s Senate is only that

Apr 27th 2010 | NEW YORK | From The Economist online

“HERE we are 17 months after someone broke into our house, in effect, and robbed us, and we still haven’t even changed the locks on the doors,” says Chris Dodd (pictured above), the architect of the Senate’s financial reform bill. For the time being, it appears that the Senate will delay hiring a locksmith. On April 26th senators voted against debating the financial reform bill, with Republicans opposing debate until revisions are made. This is disappointing for Democrats, who were hoping to pass financial reform before moving on to other issues, such as immigration and energy.

Financial reform may be delayed for now, but the bill is sure to pass in some form. Republican hostility to financial reform is waning. Voters generally support action to curb what they see as Wall Street’s excessive risk-taking. Richard Shelby, the highest-ranking Republican member on the Senate’s Banking Committee, says Republicans are trying to “tighten language” and improve “two or three things” in the bill, which hardly sounds like a man clearing his throat for a filibuster

Republicans do not want to appear soft on banks, particularly after Goldman Sachs, the golden child of Wall Street, was accused of misleading clients by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Love of bankers is unlikely to be increased by the appearance of Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman’s boss, at the Senate Subcommittee on Investigations on April 27th.

The finance bill has three main parts. First, it attempts to tackle the problem of financial institutions that are too big to fail. Second, it would set up a consumer-protection agency that would try to protect consumers from taking out loans they cannot afford or buying products with hidden costs. Third, it proposes to change the way derivatives are traded.

The Democrats may well modify their proposal to create a $50 billion fund to help dismantle ailing banks, something Republicans argue would add further moral hazard to the system. There looks to be room for compromise on derivatives. Last week the Senate’s Agriculture Committee passed a bill, with the support of a Republican, Charles Grassley, requiring that derivatives be traded on exchanges, and which could forbid banks from having their own derivatives desks. This latter measure looks like a bargaining chip to be used later.

The White House, with a hyperactivity reminiscent of its push for health-care reform, has been encouraging speedy compromise and action. “Unless your business model depends on bilking people, there is little to fear from these new rules,” Barack Obama told bankers in a speech delivered in New York on April 22nd. Joe Biden, the vice-president, and Tim Geithner, the treasury secretary, now have the somewhat harder task of travelling around and explaining how changing regulations on synthetic derivatives will improve the lot of America’s middle class.

Readers' comments

The Economist welcomes your views.

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Posted by biginla at 6:50 PM BST

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Panama's ex-dictator Noriega jailed in France

by Natalie de Vallieres, BBC News Analyst, for the BBCs Biodun Iginla

– 19 mins ago

PARIS – A judge has ordered former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to be jailed in France pending a new trial on money laundering charges.

Noriega has spent the last 20 years in prison near Miami and was extradited Tuesday to France from the United States. He could face another 10 years in prison in France.

French authorities want to try Noriega on charges that he laundered $7 million in drug profits through French banks and purchased luxury apartments with his wife in Paris.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information.

PARIS— Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega faced money laundering charges in a French courtroom Tuesday after being extradited from the United States, opening up a whole new legal battle for the strongman who spent two decades behind bars in Florida for drug trafficking.

French authorities claim that Noriega, who was ousted in a U.S. invasion in 1989, had laundered some $7 million in drug profits by purchasing luxury apartments with his wife in Paris. Noriega was convicted in absentia, but France agreed to give him a new trial if he was extradited.

The 72-year-old Noriega arrived Tuesday morning on a direct flight from Miami and was served with an international arrest warrant. He could face another 10 years in prison if convicted in France. French Justice Ministry spokesman Guillaume Didier has said Noriega could go on trial within two months.

Noriega's French lawyers are seeking his immediate release, saying his detention and transfer are unlawful. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton signed a surrender warrant for Noriega after a federal judge in Miami lifted a stay blocking his extradition last month.

Noriega appeared before prosecutors behind closed doors at the main Paris courthouse Tuesday and they read him the warrant. Later Tuesday, he appeared before a judge who will decide whether or not to keep him behind bars or release him under judicial supervision pending further action.

If Noriega is released, even to house arrest or under other strict legal controls, that would be a major victory after a generation behind bars. It could also be an awkward situation for France, where a string of former dictators from Haiti to West Africa have settled in the past, sometimes in luxurious homes purchased with money of dubious origin.

Yves Leberquier, Noriega's French lawyer, said the former dictator is half-paralyzed since suffering from a mild stroke four years ago.

"The man appears to be very weak," said Olivier Metzner, another of his French lawyers.

Leberquier argued that it was illegal to try a former head of state who should have immunity from prosecution.

Other legal objections are that Noriega is considered a prisoner of war, a status Leberquier said French jails aren't ready to accommodate, and that the charges against him are no longer valid because the acts he is accused of happened too long ago, the lawyer said.

Noriega was declared a POW after his 1992 drug conviction by a Miami federal judge. In Miami, Noriega had separate quarters in prison, the right to wear his military uniform and insignia, access to a television and monitoring by international rights groups.

"We're not here to eventually make a moral judgment, we've got legal rules that have to be applied and respected," Leberquier told AP. "For justice to be served, the judiciary must acknowledge it is incompetent to put him on trial" in France.

Panama also has an outstanding request for the former dictator's extradition. He was convicted in Panama in absentia and sentenced to 60 years in prison on charges of embezzlement, corruption and murdering opponents.

Panama's foreign minister, Juan Carlos Varela, told reporters that Panama respects the U.S. decision to extradite Noriega to France but will still try to get him back to Panama "to serve the sentences handed down by Panamanian courts."

Noriega was Panama's longtime intelligence chief before he took power in 1982. He had been considered a valued CIA asset for years, but as a ruler he joined forces with drug traffickers and was implicated in the death of a political opponent.

Noriega was ousted as Panama's leader and put on trial following a 1989 U.S. military invasion ordered by President George H.W. Bush. Noriega was brought to Miami and was convicted of drug racketeering and related charges in 1992.

He finished serving his term in federal prison outside Miami in 2007, but stayed in prison while France sought his extradition.

Sandra Noriega, one of his three daughters, called Noriega's extradition to France "a violation of his rights as a citizen, and a failing by the (Panamanian) government, which is supposed to protect its citizens."

The French indictment says Noriega was born in 1938, although his French lawyers say he was born four years earlier. As a youth he claimed to be older so he could enter a military academy.

France convicted Noriega and his wife in absentia of laundering a total of 35 million francs ($7 million) in cocaine profits through three major French banks and using drug cash to invest in three posh Paris apartments.

His wife, Felicidad Sieiro de Noriega, is living in Panama and faces no charges there.

The in-absentia French conviction, obtained by The Associated Press, says Noriega "knew that (the money) came directly or indirectly from drug trafficking." It said he helped Colombia's Medellin drug cartel by authorizing the transport of cocaine through Panama en route to the United States.

___

Posted by biginla at 6:25 PM BST

Updated: Tuesday, 27 April 2010 6:45 PM BST

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Breaking News Alert!!!--Greek Debt Downgraded to Junk Status by Standard & Poor's
Topic: greece bailout, bbc news, biodun
by Judith Stein and Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Tue, April 27, 2010 -- 12:00 PM ET
-----

Greece's debt has been downgraded to noninvestment status by
Standard & Poor's amid mounting fears that the debt crisis in
Europe is spiraling out of control.

In a statement Tuesday, the agency said that it was lowering
its rating on Greece's debt three full notches, to BB+ from
BBB -- the first level of speculative, or junk, status.

The outlook is negative, meaning the agency could downgrade
the rating again.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/business/global/28rating.html?emc=na

Posted by biginla at 6:21 PM BST

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Tunisian journalist Taoufik Ben Brik released from prison, says family
Topic: Taoufik Ben Brik, bbc news, biod

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News and France24

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Posted by biginla at 6:15 PM BST

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BBC News--April 27, 2010--by Biodun Iginla, BBC News, London, UK
Topic: bbc 2, biodun iginla



	Monday, 26 April, 2010, 23:00 GMT 24:00 +01:00:Europe/London




TOP STORIES

	US extradites Noriega to France Panama's ex-leader Manuel Noriega is extradited from the US to France, where he is wanted for money laundering.

	Goldman Sachs 'misled investors' Goldman Sachs profited at the expense of clients in the housing market collapse, a US Senate investigation finds.

	Australia shelves climate scheme Australia shelves plans for an emissions trading scheme after failing to get the measure through the Senate.

	Smoke fills Ukrainian parliament A smoke bomb is thrown in the Ukrainian parliament amid protests over Kiev's extension of the lease for Russia's Black Sea fleet.

	Iraq impasse 'heightens violence' Continuing political uncertainty in Iraq is contributing to a rise in the number of civilian deaths, Amnesty International warns.




AFRICA

	President wins key Sudan election Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir is declared the winner of this month's landmark polls, despite facing war crimes charges.

	Nigeria party leader is charged The chairman of Nigeria's governing party, Vincent Ogbulafor, is charged with fraud, as the party considers its presidential candidate.

	Darfur rebels free peacekeepers Four peacekeepers with the joint UN-AU mission in Sudan's Darfur region have been released, the mission spokesman says.




AMERICAS

	US extradites Noriega to France Panama's ex-leader Manuel Noriega is extradited from the US to France, where he is wanted for money laundering.

	US Senate bars bank reform debate US Republican senators block moves to debate a bill proposing the most sweeping financial regulation reforms for 60 years.

	Poison's Bret Michaels 'critical' Poison singer Bret Michaels remains in a critical condition in hospital after being diagnosed with a brain haemorrhage, his publicist says.




ASIA-PACIFIC

	Australia shelves climate scheme Australia shelves plans for an emissions trading scheme after failing to get the measure through the Senate.

	Kyrgyz ex-leader 'facing charges' Ousted Kyrgyz leader Kurmanbek Bakiyev is charged in absentia with organising mass killings, an interim government leader says.

	Nauru poll fails to end deadlock A snap election on the South Pacific island of Nauru returns all 18 MPs to parliament, failing to end long-standing political deadlock.




EUROPE

	US extradites Noriega to France Panama's ex-leader Manuel Noriega is extradited from the US to France, where he is wanted for money laundering.

	Smoke fills Ukrainian parliament A smoke bomb is thrown in the Ukrainian parliament amid protests over Kiev's extension of the lease for Russia's Black Sea fleet.

	Site chosen for super-telescope Europe intends to build the biggest telescope the world has ever seen on a mountain in Chile's Atacama Desert.




MIDDLE EAST

	Iraq impasse 'heightens violence' Continuing political uncertainty in Iraq is contributing to a rise in the number of civilian deaths, Amnesty International warns.

	Al-Qaeda 'tried to bomb UK envoy' Al-Qaeda is behind a suspected suicide attack on the convoy of the UK ambassador to Yemen, reports say.

	Retrial over Lebanon singer death An influential Egyptian businessman stands trial again after being found guilty of killing a popular Lebanese singer in 2008.




SOUTH ASIA

	Briton is jailed in Afghanistan A British man found guilty of corruption is sentenced to two years in one of Afghanistan's most notorious prisons.

	Indian strike over food prices Nationwide protests over the rising price of food and fuel hits various Indian states, disrupting some transport services.

	UN questions Afghan guard's death A UN security guard may have been shot dead by Afghan police responding to a Taliban attack on a Kabul guesthouse last October.




UK

	Lloyds reports return to profit Lloyds Banking Group says it returned to profit in the first three months of the year after losses on bad debts fell.

	Parties clash on family and crime Labour warn children will suffer from their rivals' plans, as parties focus on the family, and what the Tories call the "broken society".

	Briton is jailed in Afghanistan A British man found guilty of corruption is sentenced to two years in one of Afghanistan's most notorious prisons.




UK EDUCATION

	Students threaten to swing seats Students campaigning against increasing tuition fees say they have the support of a thousand election candidates.

	Tories' warning on 'free schools' Prominent Conservative council leaders are warning their own party's schools policy could harm the quality of local education.

	Social mobility 'lagging behind' Social mobility in England lags behind many developed countries - in terms of educational achievement, says a survey.




ENGLAND

	Police publish Blair Peach report A previously secret police report into the death of an anti-racism protester in London 31 years ago is set to be released.

	Girl charged with stabbing murder A 14-year-old girl is charged with the murder of a 45-year-old man in Brixton, south London, police say.

	East London Line opens to public The new East London Line opens to the public, becoming part of the £1bn London Overground engineering project.




NORTHERN IRELAND

	Town leads in anti-social orders More than half of all anti-social behaviour orders in NI relate to people living in the Ballymena council area, the assembly hears.

	CCTV examined over US bat attack CCTV footage is being examined in an effort to find those behind a baseball bat attack on a County Armagh student in Chicago.

	Car set alight in petrol bombing A car and a house are damaged in a petrol bomb attack in Maghera in County Londonderry.




SCOTLAND

	SNP to begin BBC debate legal bid The Scottish National Party is to lodge court papers over its exclusion from the prime ministerial debate on BBC One.

	Police report 77 unsolved murders Scotland's eight police forces say there are 77 unsolved homicides on their files, but they are committed to reviewing them in the light of new evidence.

	RSPB buys site for nature reserve RSPB Scotland is buying a slice of coastal land in southern Scotland in a bid to create a new nature reserve.




WALES

	Swine flu cost in Wales revealed Official figures show the swine flu outbreak cost Wales £35m, but the true cost to the NHS might be higher.

	Queen back in town after 35 years The Queen is to visit Caernarfon Castle, the scene of the Prince of Wales' investiture in 1969, for the first time in 35 years.

	Decision due for beach festival Festival organisers are waiting to hear whether they can stage a five-day event at Pembrey Country Park.




ENTERTAINMENT

	Hollywood sign is saved by Hefner The famous Hollywood sign in Los Angeles is saved from demolition with a $900,000 donation from Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.

	Poison's Bret Michaels 'critical' Poison singer Bret Michaels remains in a critical condition in hospital after being diagnosed with a brain haemorrhage, his publicist says.

	Avatar breaks US DVD sales record Avatar becomes the fastest-selling home entertainment release of all time in North America, shifting 6.7 million DVDs and Blu-rays in four days.




SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

	Australia shelves climate scheme Australia shelves plans for an emissions trading scheme after failing to get the measure through the Senate.

	Chimps 'feel death like humans' Chimpanzees deal with death in much the same way as humans, according to two studies.

	Site chosen for super-telescope Europe intends to build the biggest telescope the world has ever seen on a mountain in Chile's Atacama Desert.




TECHNOLOGY

	UK seeks cyber security experts A government-backed competition has been launched to find Britons who can help protect the nation from cyber threats.

	Attack makes chips more reliable An attack on a widely used web security system could soon help make silicon chips more powerful and reliable.

	Sony signals end for floppy disks Sony says it will stop selling floppy disks in 2011, signalling what could be the end of the venerable computer format.




HEALTH

	Chocolate 'linked to depression' People who eat chocolate regularly are more depressive, experts discover.

	'Pick the right veg' for health Obvious choices of fruit and vegetables are not necessarily the healthiest, say researchers.

	Chilli peppers 'help pain relief' The hot substance in chilli peppers is opening up a new way to block pain, say experts.

ON THIS DAY NEWS FROM THE BBC ARCHIVES

1945: Russians and Americans link at Elbe
Russian and American troops join hands at the River Elbe in Germany, bringing the end of the war a step closer.

1984: Libyan embassy siege ends
The siege of the Libyan Embassy in London ends 11 days after the shooting of WPC Yvonne Fletcher outside the St James's Square building.

1961: Sierra Leone wins independence
Sierra Leone becomes the latest West African state to win independence, after more than 150 years of British colonial rule.

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		Help If you are having problems with story links or for general help visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/email/wa/help Feedback Please send feedback to: mailto:dailyemail@bbc.co.uk

		Copyright BBC 2004

Posted by biginla at 6:11 PM BST

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by Liz Rose, BBC News, for the BBC's Biodun Iginla Free Press, ColorofChange.org, CREDO Action, MoveOn.org and Others Urge the FCC to Act Now

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News and the Economist

The world's largest oil spills

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by Biodun Iginla, BBC News and the Economist.com

A setback for Chris Dodd and other Democrats in America’s Senate is only that

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by Liz Rose, BBC News, for the BBC's Biodun Iginla

Free Press, ColorofChange.org, CREDO Action, MoveOn.org and Others Urge the FCC to Act Now