Russia has agreed to co-operate on Nato's programme to defend against ballistic missile attacks, Nato's chief has said.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at a Nato summit in Lisbon that the two sides had agreed in writing that they no longer posed a threat to one another.
"For the first time the two sides will be co-operating to defend themselves," Mr Rasmussen said.
The Lisbon summit has been redrawing Nato's focus to face new challenges.
'Real importance'
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said of the summit: "A period of very difficult, tense relations has been overcome."
This is the first Nato summit Russia has attended since the Russia-Georgia war two years ago.
Nato members had earlier agreed on a programme to develop and deploy defences against ballistic missile attack on their territories.
Mr Rasmussen said he had extended an offer to Russia to co-operate on the programme and was "very pleased that [Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev has taken up that offer".
Mr Rasmussen said this agreement was of "real political importance" and a "true turning point".
Dealing with President Medvedev - Nato's guest here - is one thing, but there are many in the Russian military, its parliament and even in government, who remain more sceptical about Nato's intentions. Indeed some Russian analysts have seen Mr Medvedev's seemingly softer stance towards Nato as a clear sign he wants to put some distance between himself and PM Vladimir Putin. The two men could be rivals for the Russian presidency in 2012. Mr Medvedev may be carving out a position as the man best able to do business with the West, hence his declaration that the "period of cooling relations" between Russia and Nato "is over".
Nato seems to have got most of what it wanted from Moscow: expanded transit routes into Afghanistan; stepped up Russian counter-narcotics training for Afghan security forces; and collaboration on countering terrorism and piracy. Russia's agreement to explore - but not yet join in - deliberations with Nato on missile defence is also a positive sign for the alliance; another sign perhaps that Mr Medvedev wishes to be his own man.
There would be an exchange of information on the threats to European skies, he said, and the two sides "could conceivably co-operate on shooting down an incoming missile".
Mr Rasmussen said: "The Nato nations and Russia have today agreed in writing that while we face many security challenges, we pose no threat to each other."
He said Russia had agreed to allow more supplies to travel through Russian territory to support Nato's mission in Afghanistan and to allow equipment out as well.
Moscow withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 after a bloody 10-year conflict.
Mr Rasmussen said there would also be increased co-operation with Russia on terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, piracy and counter-narcotics.
Mr Medvedev hailed the "constructive atmosphere" of the talks, adding: "We have ambitious plans, we will work across all directions, including European missile defence and the Russia-Nato council has demonstrated that."
Mr Medvedev praised US President Barack Obama for his "courageous" rejection of the version of the European missile shield projected by former President George W Bush.
But Mr Medvedev said many details of the shield plan were still uncertain and that the scheme would "only be peaceful when it is universal".
And he warned: "Our participation has to be a full-fledged exchange of information, or we won't take part at all."
Senate ratification
Mr Obama hailed the "resetting" of Nato-Russia ties.
Warheads: 1,550 (74% lower than the 1991 Start Treaty and 30% lower than the figure of 2,200 that each side was meant to reach by 2012 under the 2002 Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (Sort))
Launchers: 700 deployed intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments
New limit on delivery systems less than half current ceiling of 1,600
"We have agreed to co-operate on missile defence - we have turned a source of past tension into a source of co-operation," he said.
The missile shield programme was a "clear plan to protect" allies in Europe, Mr Obama said.
He also again appealed to the US Senate to ratify a new Start treaty he has agreed with Mr Medvedev.
The treaty would reduce both countries' nuclear arsenals and allow each to inspect the other's facilities.
Mr Obama said the Senate should "rise above partisanship" to ratify the deal.
He said there had already been "18 hearings and nearly 1,000 questions answered" on the treaty and it would have "to start over from scratch in January" if it were not ratified.
Mr Obama said he had won "overwhelming support" among Nato allies for the Start deal.
Mr Medvedev also called on the Senate to be "responsible" and ratify the deal.
The two-day Lisbon summit has been billed as one of the most important in Nato's history, as it seeks to update its strategy and structure to face new security threats.
Proposed Nato missile defence plan #ss-missile{border:1px solid #bdbdbd;} #ss-missile {width: 464px;}
1: Infrared satellite system picks up heat signatures of hostile ballistic missiles launched towards Nato target. 2: Information is transmitted to ground stations for processing. 3: Processed information is then sent to Nato command and control network.
The command and control network relays information to sensor and weapons systems in the region. Once the missiles' engines burn out, the infrared satellite can no longer detect them.
1: Long-range sensors such as the US AN/TPY-2 high-resolution radar and the Dutch sea-based Air Defence and Command Frigate (ADCF), continue to track the missile to help command system calculate options for destroying them. 2: Information is constantly shared among the sensors and weapons systems.
Command system has the option of shooting down the hostile missiles while in the upper or lower layers of the atmosphere. As tracking continues, greater accuracy is achieved. Lower-layer shooter systems include the German or Dutch Patriot battery systems connected to the Nato network.
No rescue mission will be launched until at least Sunday morning at the New Zealand coal mine where 29 men are missing after a blast, officials say.
Police say they "remain positive" that the men will be found alive, but the fear of a second explosion is preventing rescuers from entering.
New Zealand's PM John Key has said bringing the men out of the Pike River coal mine remains his top priority.
There has been no contact with the men since they were trapped on Friday.
Anguish and despair
Regional police commander Gary Knowles said on Saturday that tests had been carried out on samples of gas taken from the mine.
But the tests had to be suspended later because gas levels in the mine had risen.
Speaking at a news conference, Mr Knowles said he was not prepared to send any of the volunteer rescuers into the mine until it was proved to be a safe environment.
Greymouth Mayor Tony Kokshoorn says members of the miners' families are finding the waiting very difficult
"We will still look for that window of opportunity to get underground and get those men out," he said.
"We still remain positive and we believe that once that window of opportunity opens, we are ready to go."
The prime minister, speaking at the same press conference, said his government was "doing what we can to make sure these 29 brave men are taken out of the mine and are here in one piece".
"This is a time of huge anxiety for the families and for the miners, so our heart and thoughts go out to them," he said.
"The big issue is balancing the rescue of the miners with the safety and security of those who undertake the operation. It's a difficult time but we're determined get them out alive."
Accesses Brunner and Paparoa coal seams via 2.3km tunnel under mountains
5.5m-wide, 4.5m-high tunnel bisects Hawera fault, through which methane gas is known to leak
Blast is believed to have happened at 1530 (0230 GMT) on Friday
The families of the missing men have been waiting for news at the surface.
But there is a lack of certainty over when the long-awaited rescue effort will be able to begin, the BBC's Greg Ward in New Zealand reports.
The Mayor of the nearby town of Greymouth, Tony Kokshoorn, praised officials for being honest about the situation, but said there was a sense of "absolute frustration" among relatives and friends of the miners about the lack of progress.
"There is anguish on their faces, the body language is showing real despair at the moment. You can see it building all the time, and this is where it really gets tough for everyone," he said.
Water supplies
The explosion at the Pike River mine is believed to have happened at about 1530 (0230 GMT) on Friday.
An electrician went into the mine at 1550 to investigate a power failure, and 1,500m (4,920ft) into the shaft he discovered the driver of a loader who had been blown off his machine. He then raised the alarm.
Mining experts said it could have been an explosion of methane gas, coal dust, or a combination of the two.
The missing workers range in age from a 17-year-old - believed to be on his first shift - to a 62-year-old.
Mr Knowles said that - based on information provided by the mining company - there were 24 New Zealanders, two Australians, two Britons and a South African national.
Britain's Foreign Office later confirmed that two Britons had been reported missing in the incident. It said both men were from Scotland.
Pike River Mine Chief Executive Peter Whittall said the mine was relatively small, so the men would have been working close together.
1879: Probable gas explosion kills 34 men and boys at Kaitangata mine
1896: Suspected gas explosion kills 65 men at Brunner mine, near Greymouth
1914: Gas explosion kills 43 men at Ralph's mine in Huntly
1926: Explosion kills nine men at Dobson mine, near Greymouth
1939: Carbon monoxide asphyxiates 11 men at Glen Afton mine in Huntly
1967: Gas explosion kills 19 miners at Strongman mine, near Greymouth
Each miner carried 30 minutes of oxygen, enough to reach oxygen stores in the mine that would allow them to survive for several days. The mobile phone of one of the men was said to be still working, but was not being answered when called.
Mr Whittall said there were also supplies of water underground and the temperature was about 25C.
He said that until the location of the missing men could be confirmed, the structure of the mine meant it was not possible to send supplies down "with any certainty as to where it's going".
Two workers who walked out of the mine have been treated in hospital for moderate injuries but have since been discharged.
Officials said one of the men had been very disorientated when he emerged. The other was able to speak to officials and said he believed he had been knocked over by a blast, causing him to briefly lose consciousness.
Are you in the area? Do you know people who work at the mine? Is your community affected by this incident? Send us your comments using the form below.
(Required) Name(Required) Your E-mail address(Required) Town & Country(Required) Your telephone number(Required) Comments
In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name as you provide it and location unless you state otherwise. But your contact details will never be published. When sending us pictures, video or eyewitness accounts at no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws.
Indonesia has demanded an inquiry into reports that a maid working in Saudi Arabia was killed by her employers and her body dumped on a roadside.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said a team had been sent to the Saudi town of Abha to investigate reports of the murder of 36-year-old Kikim Komalasari.
It comes as officials arrived in Saudi Arabia to follow up claims of torture against a second Indonesian maid.
Sumiati Binti Salan Mustapa is recovering in hospital in Medina.
Her injuries include gashes to her face and cuts to her lips, allegedly inflicted by her employers using scissors. She was also burned with an iron and suffered internal injuries, officials say.
Indonesia's president has demanded justice for the "extraordinary torture".
Indonesian media reported on Thursday that the Saudi Arabian government had arrested the female employer of Sumiati, and apologised for the maid's treatment.
'Beyond inhumane'
Reports of the murder of a second maid came on Friday.
Several countries across the Middle East and Asia host millions of migrant domestic workers, ranging from 196,000 in Singapore to approximately 1.5 million in Saudi Arabia.
Whether or not they are well treated is a matter of luck rather than legislation.
Employers have huge control over them and the workers have few rights. Most have their passports taken away.
It is hard to document their treatment as they are "hidden" in people's homes, but abuse is systemic, according to Human Rights Watch.
Traditionally, the Philippines has been a stronger advocate for its workers than the other "sender" countries, but the protest by the Indonesian president is unusually high-level - especially as it occurred during the Muslim Eid celebrations.
There has been growing tension between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia over rising fees charged by private Indonesian recruiting agencies. Saudi Arabia was even considering banning Indonesian domestic workers.
Indonesia's labour minister Muhaimin Iskandar said Ms Komalasari's neck had been slashed and she had severe cuts to the rest of her body.
Indonesia's president described it as "beyond inhumane".
Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Michael Tene told the BBC that the Saudi envoy had denounced the crime and promised to bring the perpetrators to justice.
An Indonesian official said he had been told that Ms Komalasari's employers had been arrested.
Earlier Indonesia's cabinet met to discuss the need for greater protection of the country's migrant workers in the Middle East. There are estimated to be about one million.
Rights organisations say many foreign domestic maids in Saudi Arabia work in harsh circumstances and often suffer abuse from their employers.
Mr Tene said Indonesia was pushing for a memorandum of understanding through diplomacy, but said he was aware that Saudi Arabia does not have such a deal with any other country.
The Saudi Labour Ministry has in the past acknowledged some problems with the treatment of domestic staff, but the government also says foreign workers' rights are protected under Islamic law.
The other way out Topic: cuba, enrique krause, bbc news,
by Biodun Iginla, BBC News and The Economist
Nov 19th 2010, 16:34 by The Economist online | HAVANA
FOR years, international Cuba watchers have predicted two possible solutions to the island’s economic problems. The “biological solution” is the death of Fidel Castro. The “geological solution” is a major oil discovery in Cuba’s section of the Gulf of Mexico. Most have assumed that biology would win.
So far, neither remedy has materialised. Fidel Castro is alive, but no longer president. And despite his looming presence in the background, Raúl Castro, Fidel’s brother and successor as president, is implementing some productive economic reforms that Fidel long resisted.
Concurrently, several international energy companies are making a push to find Cuba’s long-awaited oil. In 2011 at least three exploratory drillings are expected to go ahead. The first is expected to be a consortium led by Spain’s Repsol, the only firm with experience in Cuban waters. In 2004 the company did find oil below the seabed, but deemed it not to be commercially viable. Now, Repsol has teamed up with Norway’s Statoil and India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation for a second attempt. The group’s drilling rig is currently being built in China and is expected to arrive in Cuba early next year.
Those companies will now face competition from Gazprom, Russia’s state oil giant, which has just bought a 30% stake in four Cuban offshore exploration blocks in an apparent late bid to join the action. Malaysia’s Petronas has leased rights to the areas from the Cuban government since 2007. A third entrant is PDVSA, the state oil company of Venezuela, Cuba’s ally and benefactor. PDVSA will probably secure Brazilian cooperation. Companies from China, Vietnam, and Angola are also in negotiations.
How much oil might actually lie in Cuba's sector of the Gulf of Mexico is a matter of dispute. The Cuban government estimates the figure to be 20 billion barrels—an amount which, if recoverable, would transform the country and end its current dependence on subsidised Venezuelan oil. The United States Geological Survey’s estimate is 4.6 billion barrels, a modest but nevertheless significant quantity. Any oil would be difficult to extract, as the potential reserves lie beneath exceptionally deep waters. But prospectors are encouraged by the fact that adjacent American and Mexican fields have proved highly productive.
The latest activity is both tantalizing and alarming for the United States. Its trade embargo means that American oil companies are unable to bid for drilling rights. The policy also restricts the amount of American technology that can be used in exploring for oil in Cuban waters, which partly explains why Repsol has commissioned a Chinese bespoke rig. If a meaningful amount of oil is found just out of the United States’s reach, the embargo’s powerful advocates might begin to face formidable opposition from energy-industry lobbyists in Washington.
Another set of concerns involves the environment, since Cuba’s Gulf zone lies within 80km (50 miles) of Florida’s coastline. A spill could be extremely hard to contain, given Cuba’s lack of relevant technology or experience, and the lack of any bilateral agreement between Cuba and the United States. Then again, the Deepwater Horizon spill showed that America’s own capacity to clean up after itself is limited.
Bwahaha.... this is actually funny. Here the Economist states " the Deepwater Horizon spill showed that America’s own capacity to clean up after itself is limited." Hrmm.. Can you guys remind me what the B in BP stands for? hahahaha... So if the Russians or the Chinese do get in there and we do have another DeepWater Horizon event (likely if either get in there) what shall we call it? "Cunobyl"? or "Tiananmen Well"?
Soon or late the oil will spill from Cuba's shales and so what? The Chinese will take and the Cuban ruling class will have money to survive the 500,000 officers state cuts announced last week. The communist oligarchy will survive until the end of the oil cycle...
The report contains a factual error: Cuba already has offshore oil production. This means Repsol isn't the only company with experience in Cuban waters. At best, it could be said they have experience drilling in deep water in the deeper waters offshore Cuba.
Experience shows exploring and then appraising a deep water oil find require a significant amount of time. Even a highly experienced and motivated company like Petrobras, working hand in hand with government regulators, takes about three years to install a pilot production scheme in a deep water discovery, and they already have a very sophisticated engineering and supply chain system.
The offshore players you mention are, for the most part, quite underwhelming, so I doubt they would have the ability to produce any oil at all within say 5 years from discovery. And I suspect Fidel Castro will be dead by then.
The embargo is a fairly outdated, ineffective, and useless tactic, but this "Cuban oil" boogeyman should not be used as an excuse to end it. It should end now rather than later because this is the move needed to move Cuba forward along in its current "evolution" path. Everybody will benefit when Cuba abandons the outdated marxist model they use. And this may indeed include the Florida Keys.
It is time for the Cuban working class to overthrow this parasitic bureaucratic gang who are in power. Yes, of course they will allow western companies in to exploit the oilfields and the people, the Cuban bureaucracy has more in common with western capital, than with its own workers... as does its Chinese cousin... A political revolution to overthrow the bureaucracy and set up a national council of peoples deputies, election of officials with immediate right of recall by the electorate... a call to the workers of the Americas to join them in revolution. Workers of Cuba! you have nothing to lose but your chains!
The communists have again resorted to oil to sustain their command economies. USSR in the past, Cuba now. But I think Raul Castro is a promising leader that may succeed in the transition of Cuba's economy to a capitalist one. With the foreign oil companies' assistance, the revenue from oil can be put to good use, e.g. upgrading Cuba's crumbling infrastructure and improving their lives in general. (if the money reaches them, that is)
Let's hope the oil is found in considerable quantities. At least some benefits will flow down to the Cubans to give a positive shove to their living conditions.
Leaders of Nato's 28 nations have held discussions with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on the future of the alliance's military campaign in Afghanistan.
The talks in Lisbon focus on pulling combat troops out by the end of 2014.
Nato's secretary general said the goal was "Afghan leadership" but Nato had a "continuing commitment" to the country.
On Friday, the military alliance agreed to develop a joint missile defence shield covering all member states and approved a new 10-year global plan.
The "strategic concept" commits Nato to defending all member states, countering new threats and working towards a nuclear-free world.
US President Barack Obama said the new missile shield would demonstrate Nato's "determination to protect our citizens from the threat of ballistic missiles".
Mr Obama did not mention Iran, judged to be the key potential missile threat to Nato members, correspondents say, and there was little detail on Russia's reaction to the plan.
Moscow strongly opposed previous US attempts to build a missile shield in Europe, fearing its own security could be compromised.
The Portugal summit also backed the swift ratification of the new Start treaty between the US and Russia, aimed at cutting the nuclear weapon stockpiles of both sides.
The treaty faces opposition in the Senate and could be held up by Republicans after they made gains in recent mid-term elections.
'Clear destination'
The Afghan delegation and Nato leaders began several scheduled hours of talks on Saturday morning with the aim of thrashing out a plan for a transition of power from Nato to Afghan forces.
Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) has some 130,000 soldiers based in Afghanistan, most of them from the US.
Mr Obama has spoken of the Isaf mission "moving to a new phase", but insists the target for handing over the overall responsibility for security to the Afghans remains 2014.
Some Nato members have expressed concerns that Afghanistan may not be ready to manage its own security by that time, but Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has described the goal as "realistic".
"Afghanistan's fight against terrorism is of strategic global importance. Success matters as much to us as it does to the Afghan people," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying at the start of Saturday's talks.
Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen hailed Friday's missile agreement as "historic"
Under the plan there would still be a role for Isaf troops in the country in 2015 and onwards, but that would largely be in training Afghan forces.
Ashraf Ghani, a spokesman for President Karzai, said Nato and Kabul had the same "strategic objectives" for the withdrawal - they now needed "to work out a lot of implementation issues" and set milestones for the intervening years.
"A journey that has a clear sense of destination is a much easier journey than a journey into the unknown," the Associated Press quoted him as saying.
"We have now agreed on the destination, this becomes the question of aligning ends and means, together determining the pace and bringing about a common understanding of strategy."
Global role
The two-day Lisbon summit has been billed as one of the most important in the alliance's history, as it seeks to update its strategy and structure to face new security threats.
The missile defence plan is directed against the potential threat from the 30 or so countries that have or are developing weapons capable of reaching Nato soil.
In Washington's view the primary threat comes from Iran. But you will not find any mention of Tehran's missiles in Nato's new plan.
Turkey - which may well be host to a crucial X-Band radar station - insisted it would not back the plan if there was any explicit mention of Iran.
This is only a pointer to some of the many problems that may lie ahead; issues of command and control, data exchange and cost.
Bringing Russia on board too will not be easy; Russia has so far rejected past US invitations, fearful that its own missile force might be compromised.
Any deal with Moscow is likely to involve coordination between separate Nato and Russian systems rather than the full integration of Russia's air defences in the Nato scheme.
However, the document agreed on Friday commits Nato members "to defend one another against attack, including against new threats to the safety of our citizens", without defining a geographical limit to its theatre of operations.
The alliance would also seek to "create the conditions" for a world without nuclear weapons, but until that goal was in sight would remain a nuclear-armed organisation.
That decision will see US nuclear weapons remain in Europe despite calls from Germany and some other members for Mr Obama to pull them out.
Separately, member states reached an agreement to develop and deploy defences against ballistic missile attack on their territories.
Mr Obama said the agreement "responds to the threats of our times" and would benefit all Nato citizens.
"For the first time, we have agreed to develop a missile defence capability that's strong enough to cover all Nato European territory and populations, as well as the United States," he said.
Nato hopes Russia - a long-term opponent of previous US missile defence plans - will also agree to join the project, and will speak about the issue with Mr Medvedev on Saturday.
But the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says that bringing Russia on board will not be easy - Moscow has rejected all previous invitations over fears its own missile force might be compromised.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is due to address the summit on Saturday.
Proposed Nato missile defence plan #ss-missile{border:1px solid #bdbdbd;} #ss-missile {width: 464px;}
1: Infrared satellite system picks up heat signatures of hostile ballistic missiles launched towards Nato target. 2: Information is transmitted to ground stations for processing. 3: Processed information is then sent to Nato command and control network.
The command and control network relays information to sensor and weapons systems in the region. Once the missiles' engines burn out, the infrared satellite can no longer detect them.
1: Long-range sensors such as the US AN/TPY-2 high-resolution radar and the Dutch sea-based Air Defence and Command Frigate (ADCF), continue to track the missile to help command system calculate options for destroying them. 2: Information is constantly shared among the sensors and weapons systems.
Command system has the option of shooting down the hostile missiles while in the upper or lower layers of the atmosphere. As tracking continues, greater accuracy is achieved. Lower-layer shooter systems include the German or Dutch Patriot battery systems connected to the Nato network.
On the first day of the NATO meeting in Lisbon, allies agreed to set up the first-ever Europe-wide anti-missile defence shield, inviting Russian President Dmitry Medevdev (pictured) to take part as well.
A purported message by Abdelmalek Droukdel, head of al Qaeda's North Africa branch, said the fate of French hostages depends on Paris talking to Osama bin Laden and withdrawing from Afghanistan. France has rejected the ultimatum.
The relatives of 11 engineers killed in a bombing in Pakistan in 2002 will bring charges against former President Jacques Chirac, who was involved in arms deals believed to have led to the deaths.
The Vatican has announced prospective guidelines for the Catholic Church in order to combat sexual abuse of children by priests. Plans drawn up by the world’s top cardinals include screening priests and increasing cooperation with civil authorities.
Ethnic violence in Guinea’s capital Conakry following a disputed presidential election has left at least seven people dead. The situation appears to have calmed, but simmering tensions remain.
The Irish government officially entered negotiations with members of the EU, European Central Bank and the IMF on Friday as speculation mounted that they are to accept a bailout worth billions of euros.
GM pulled off the biggest initial public offering in US history on Wednesday, raising 20.1 billion dollars after returning to the stock market following a US taxpayer-funded bailout. The US stalwart floundered during the credit crisis.
Rolls-Royce announced Thursday that they are to replace as many as 40 engines across the Airbus A380 fleet of passenger aircraft, following safety fears sparked by a mid-air explosion on board a Singapore Airlines flight earlier this month.
EU and the IMF officials are heading to Ireland this week in a bid to stabilise Irish banks and stem the spread of Ireland’s financial woes following Tuesday’s meeting which ended without a bailout agreement.
US President Barack Obama warned emerging economies like China against relying heavily on exports Saturday at the APEC forum in Japan, as the divisions between America and China on trade and currency issues re-emerged Saturday.
With their best players injured on the bench, England failed to impact on a very average performance from France, who won 2 - 1 at Wembley on Wednesday, with goals from Karim Benzema (pictured) and Mathieu Valbuena.
FIFA suspended two executive members for one to three years and fined them after the ethic’s committee found them guilty of alleged malpractice for the bidding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Germany’s Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) picked up the 2010 Formula One world champion title with a win at the season’s last Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. At 23, Vettel is the youngest F1 driver to claim the title.
Sweden's Robin Soderling clinched the Paris Masters title with a 6-1, 7-6 win in the final over Frenchman Gael Monfils. Soderling becomes the first Swede to win a Masters 1000 tournament since Thomas Enqvist in 2000.
Frenchman Franck Cammas has won the ninth edition of the Route de Rhum, finishing the transatlantic solo sprint from Saint Malo in France to Guadeloupe's Pointe-à-Pitre in his giant trimaran Groupama 3 in nine days, three hours and 14 minutes.
For some wine drinkers and diehard Francophiles, the yearly arrival of the Beaujolais nouveau is a day they await with gusto. For more discerning palates, and most people in France, it’s at best an excuse to throw a party.
UNESCO has chosen the “gastronomic meal of the French” to feature on its list of the world’s intangible cultural treasures. But what exactly is French cuisine?
Six Oslo ambassadors from countries including Cuba, Russia and Iraq have turned down their invitation to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in honour of jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo next month, after pressure from China not to attend.
Eva Longoria, star of the hit American TV series "Desperate Housewives", filed for divorce in Los Angeles Wednesday from her French basketball-player husband Tony Parker. The TV star cited "irreconcilable differences".
Sarah Palin’s participation in a new television show about her life in Alaska has political commentators scratching their heads. Is reality television stardom compatible with presidential aspirations?
In August, more than a quarter of Pakistan was submerged under water. The floods, sparked by heavy monsoon rains, were the worst Pakistan has ever seen. Around 2,000 people were killed and 20 million Pakistanis lost everything: their homes, their possessions, their crops. The catastrophe brought Pakistan to its knees.
This week HEALTH explores several chronic conditions affecting the younger generation. We look at how 21st century kids are coping with juvenile diabetes, ADHD and a rare aversion to ultra-violet light. In particular, we show you the very latest technology and medicinal advances which are helping young patients to live as normal a life as possible.
This week Health has travelled to Chad for a special programme on the latest challenges facing the African country. Like several neighbouring states, Chad was hit by heavy flooding following an exceptional rainy season this year. Many areas in and around the capital are still underwater, months after the heavy rains. We investigate the health implications.
In today’s French press review, we focus on the five year anniversary of the riots that took place in the Parisian suburb of Clichy. The death of two boys chased by the police near a power transformer sparked extreme violence in the region. Also in the papers: medical assistance on the internet and the worst US campaign adverts, seven days before the mid-terms.
Finland has just become the first country in the world to make a law aiming to eradicate smoking entirely. The government has introduced a bill which aims to make Finland smoke-free by 2040. On October 1st, the first measures of the so-called Tobacco Act were introduced, making it harder for people under 18 to smoke, and restricting smoking outdoors. And tougher measures are to come. But can Europe follow the lead?
A purported message by Abdelmalek Droukdel, head of al Qaeda's North Africa branch, said the fate of French hostages depends on Paris talking to Osama bin Laden and withdrawing from Afghanistan. France has rejected the ultimatum.
The relatives of eleven French engineers who were killed in a bombing in Pakistan in 2002 have demanded that President Sarkozy and two other senior politicians be made to testify over alleged corrupt deals that may have caused their deaths.
For some wine drinkers and diehard Francophiles, the yearly arrival of the Beaujolais nouveau is a day they await with gusto. For more discerning palates, and most people in France, it’s at best an excuse to throw a party.
The new French cabinet, the third under the direction of PM Francois Fillon, held its first meeting on Wednesday, a day after President Sarkozy revealed to television audiences the challenges awaiting his new team.
At the end of March 1832 Paris’ Hotel Dieu hospital began to receive a steady stream of patients. A six-month cholera epidemic, which was to claim 7,000 lives in the next two weeks and 19,000 in total, had begun which was to shape the Paris of today.
The Vatican has announced prospective guidelines for the Catholic Church in order to combat sexual abuse of children by priests. Plans drawn up by the world’s top cardinals include screening priests and increasing cooperation with civil authorities.
London has beaten Paris to the number-one spot as Europe’s most tourist-friendly capital, according to a survey published this week. Hotel standards, inner-city transport, tourist information; London’s got it all. Well, that's what the French say...
On the first day of the NATO meeting in Lisbon, allies agreed to set up the first-ever Europe-wide anti-missile defence shield, inviting Russian President Dmitry Medevdev (pictured) to take part as well.
The NATO alliance opened its summit in Lisbon on Friday with ending the war in Afghanistan and erecting Europe-wide anti-missile shield high on the agenda.
A suspected bomb on board an Air Berlin flight from Namibia was a security test to gauge aviation security measures, the German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Friday.
Israel's security cabinet has agreed to withdraw troops from part of a disputed village on the Lebanese border and hand over control to a UN peacekeeping force, resolving a key issue between the two countries.
Two people were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Wednesday during the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday. Israeli security claims that the targets were Islamic militants.
In an interview with FRANCE 24 Wednesday, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said he will not sign off on the execution of former foreign minister Tariq Aziz, who was condemned to death on October 26th.
Muslim pilgrims gathered on Tuesday for the festival of Eid al Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, and the symbolic "stoning of the devil" in Saudi Arabia's Mina valley for the third day of the annual hajj pilgrimage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will ask his Cabinet on Sunday to consider a US offer of security and diplomatic incentives in exchange for a 90-day moratorium on the construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Ethnic violence in Guinea’s capital Conakry following a disputed presidential election has left at least seven people dead. The situation appears to have calmed, but simmering tensions remain.
Madagascar's armed forces minister Lucien Rakotoarimasy confirmed on Friday that negotiations between the government and rebel forces are continuing. He also asked for an evacuation of the barracks housing the dissidents and surrounding area.
Two Frenchmen kidnapped in Nigeria at the beginning of November and freed earlier this week have arrived back in France. The pair were two of 17 workers abducted from an oil platform in the Niger Delta.
Abdelmalek Droukdel (pictured), a leader of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said Friday that the fate of five hostages - including two French citizens - depends on Paris dealing directly with Osama Bin Laden and withdrawing from Afghanistan.
Six Oslo ambassadors from countries including Cuba, Russia and Iraq have turned down their invitation to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in honour of jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo next month, after pressure from China not to attend.
Thousands of rescue workers sickened by toxic dust and other debris after the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York accepted a 625-million-dollar compensation payout on Friday after years of legal battles.
Hundreds of angry Haitians, furious with the handling of the devastating cholera epidemic in the country, clashed with UN peacekeepers in Port-au-Prince as violence spread to the capital on Thursday.
In the first civilian trial of a Guantanamo detainee on American soil, Ahmed Ghailani was acquitted by a federal jury in New York Wednesday of all but one of the terrorism charges brought against him. He faces a minimum of 20 years in prison.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic have reported their first case of cholera just weeks after the outbreak gripped neighbouring quake-hit Haiti. The patient was identified as a Haitian citizen who recently returned from a holiday in Haiti.
Russian arms trafficking suspect Viktor Bout arrived in New York from Bangkok Wednesday following a protracted extradition process that has sparked a diplomatic tug-of-war between Moscow and Washington.
As many as 29 miners are believed to be trapped underground after a mine collapsed Friday in a remote part of New Zealand's South Island. The mountainous region is making it difficult for emergency rescue teams to make contact with the miners.
Six Oslo ambassadors from countries including Cuba, Russia and Iraq have turned down their invitation to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in honour of jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo next month, after pressure from China not to attend.
The relatives of eleven French engineers who were killed in a bombing in Pakistan in 2002 have demanded that President Sarkozy and two other senior politicians be made to testify over alleged corrupt deals that may have caused their deaths.
Despite international condemnation and an opposition boycott, Madagascar is holding its first poll since a March 2009 coup. Wednesday’s constitutional referendum has been criticised as a bid to shore up current strongman Andry Rajoelina’s power.
At least 65 people were killed late Monday when a building collapsed in a densely populated area of New Delhi and rescuers expect the death toll to rise. Investigators said the multi-storey structure may have been weakened by recent flooding.
MediaBistro News Feed by Biodun Iginla, BBC News and MediaBistro Topic: media, mediabistro, bbc news
Morning Media Newsfeed
Friday, November 19, 2010
Are you coming to eBook Summit on December 15? Speakers include Ken Auletta (The New Yorker), Douglas Rushkoff (author), Debbie Stier (HarperCollins), and David Gaspin (Condé Nast).
Click here to receive mediabistro.com's Morning Media Newsfeed via email.
advertisement
Fox News Chief Blasts NPR 'Nazis,' Apologizes (Daily Beast) Yesterday, Fox News CEO Roger Ailes apologized to the Anti-Defamation League for describing NPR brass as "Nazis." He wrote: "I was of course ad-libbing and should not have chosen that word, but I was angry at the time because of NPR's willingness to censor Juan Williams for not being liberal enough." Abraham H. Foxman, ADL's national director and a Holocaust survivor, responded: "I welcome Roger Ailes' apology, which is as sincere as it is heartfelt." Yahoo! / The Cutline:Ailes' letter also touched on other recent issues relating to Fox News and references to Nazis and the Holocaust. "I think this all goes back to the visit we received from Rabbi Steve Gutow and Simon Greer," Ailes wrote. "We had a cordial conversation where they explained the sensitivity of the Jewish people, and I said Glenn Beck was very sensitive to Jewish issues and would never intentionally offend them."
House Rejects Bill To Defund NPR (TheWrap) House Democrats rejected a bill -- supported unanimously by Republicans -- to defund NPR. The measure, proposed by Republican Whip Eric Cantor (Va.), was defeated in a 239-171 vote, with only three Democrats joining the Republicans. In their own statement after the measure was shot down, NPR said, "Good judgment prevailed as Congress rejected a move to assert government control over the content of news."
News Corp.'s iPad Daily To Use Drone Choppers For Newsgathering? (NY Observer) Sources say that News Corp.'s much-anticipated The Daily iPad "newspaper" is experimenting with an investigative secret weapon -- the Parrot AR.Drone "quadricopter." It comes equipped with two cameras, an on-board Wi-Fi transmitter, two interchangeable hulls, and an "ultrasound altimeter." Best of all, it can be controlled with an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.
mediabistro.com event
EBOOK SUMMIT December 15, 2010 | New York City Presented by Mediabistro, GalleyCat, and eBookNewser Ken Auletta, bestselling author and media columnist for The New Yorker, discusses the new era of publishing with media theorist Douglas Rushkoff, Movable Type founder Jason Ashlock, literary agent Kate McKean, and more. Register early and save!
Time Warner Cable Offers Cheaper TV Package Without ESPN (WSJ) Time Warner Cable is rolling out a lower-priced cable-TV package called "TV Essentials" that excludes major cable networks like ESPN, Comedy Central, TNT, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Fox regional sports networks, and Madison Square Garden Network. The offering will begin Monday on a test basis in New York, where it will cost $39.95 per month, and northern Ohio, including Cleveland and Akron, where it will cost $29.95 per month for a yearlong promotion.
Cablevision Explores Spinoff Of TV Channels Including Mad Men Home AMC (Bloomberg) Cablevision Systems Corp., the New York-area cable-television provider, is exploring a spinoff of its Rainbow Media Holdings unit, which includes cable channels Sundance Channel, The Independent Film Channel, and AMC, the broadcaster of Mad Men. The unit would be spun off to Cablevision's shareholders as a "tax-free pro rata distribution," the company said in a statement. The plan calls for a completion of the transaction in mid-year 2011.
Monthly Mag 2010 Ad Pages 'Improve' To +4.22 Percent (minOnline) After 2009's recession-impacted -20.05 percent, 149 tracked monthly magazines rebounded modestly in 2010 -- a year without any major economic shocks, but also one plagued by high unemployment and home foreclosures. The uncertainty is reflected in the modest +4.22 percent ad-page differential, but the 99-monthlies-up/50-down ratio is far better than 2009's 10-up/141-down.
B2B Publishers Say 2010 Subscriptions Struggled, Will Be Better Next Year (paidContent) B2B publishers Informa and Reed Elsevier say subscription-renewal rates remained tough during the past few months. In interim market updates, Reed Elsevier said subs "remain constrained by low customer activity levels and budgets, while advertising, promotion, and other cyclical markets have continued to stabilize." Informa said professional sub "renewals continue to be as tough as expected," although 2011 indications are encouraging.
Hannity, Beck Dumped In Philly (Mediaweek) Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck, two of radio's biggest talk personalities, were bumped from their Philadelphia affiliate WPHT-AM yesterday, leaving both national radio programs without clearance in the eighth-largest radio market. No doubt Premiere Radio Networks, the Clear Channel programming arm that syndicates the shows, is scrambling to find two of its top-rated personalities a Philadelphia home. Having top-10 clearances is a must for national advertisers.
Fair Use: How Much Is Too Much? (eMedia Vitals) Page-view "journalism" and content aggregation are the cornerstones of the explosive growth of Gawker, The Huffington Post, and slews of other blogs, but does that growth come at the expense of the publications that conducted the original reporting? Every editor and publisher should be well-versed in fair-use standards in order to take advantage of aggregation opportunities themselves while also protecting their copyrighted materials from story harvesters.
student news
Mediabistro graduate Colleen Mescall found a new career and a passion for blogging after she took our intro to magazine writing class. Congratulations, Colleen! read her story
Crunching Denton's Ratio: What's The Return On Paying Sources? (NJL) Just for a moment, let's set aside the traditional moral issues journalists have with paying sources. Does paying sources make business sense? Financially speaking, the justification given for paying sources is to generate stories that generate an audience -- with the hope that the audience can then be monetized. Does it work?
Slide Shows: A Faustian Bargain (CJR) As page views became a priority, Web editors had to decide when slide shows morph from fun novelty to craven solicitation. But maybe this pandering is worth it. Every site is trying to figure out a sustainable business model, and even the most asinine galleries help to subsidize the serious, thoughtful, and wordy articles that don't earn as much traffic. Perhaps we should stop thinking of slide shows as the scourge of online journalism. Instead, we should consider them its savior.
CIO.com Named 'Web Site Of The Year' By ASBPE (Folio:) CIO.com is the "best Web site of 2010," according to the American Society of Business Publication Editors, which cited its "comprehensive news content and ease of operation." The announcement is part of ASBPE's unveiling of the winners of its digital Azbee Awards in 28 categories. Other "Top 10 Web Sites" included Computerworld, DVM360.com, ENR.com, HotelNewsNow.com, NetworkWorld.com, and SmartMeetings.com.
mediabistro.com event
SOCIAL GAMING SUMMIT - EAST December 1, 2010 | The New Yorker Hotel, New York City Explore the intersection of games and the social web. Speakers include Trip Hawkins (Digital Chocolate), Katharine Lewis (FM Ventures), and Dennis Ryan (PopCap). Register today!
News Corp.'s Myspace Deepens Ties To Facebook With 'Mash Up' Account Links (Bloomberg) News Corp.'s Myspace is adding more features from Facebook, owner of the world's largest social network, in an effort to draw users and boost ad sales. Myspace subscribers may now coordinate accounts using Facebook "Mash Up," a service that lets Facebook users export their preferences, Myspace CEO Mike Jones said in an online press conference. There is no financial component to the relationship, Jones said.
60 Minutes iPad App Debuts (CBS News) CBS' 60 Minutes is now available on the iPad -- the first primetime news magazine to have its own stand-alone application for the hand-held device. The app delivers video and text versions of 60 Minutes program content, including weekly previews, segments, Web extras, and clips. It also features new, original content from 60 Minutes online series 60 Minutes Overtime.
A New Breed Of Journalist Fits Right In At Forbes (Forbes) A single journalist can use the Web to research, report, and investigate. That same journalist can then produce and program it all, then distribute and market it across the Web, then join and moderate a rewarding conversation. This new kind of journalism is continuous and never-ending, because the individual content creator has truly become part of a community. News consumers benefit as full participants in a transparent process that offers more information and context.
student news
Mediabistro graduate Kara Richardson Whitely published her book, Fat Woman on the Mountain: How I Lost Half Myself and Gained Happiness, after taking personal essay and nonfiction book proposal courses. Congratulations, Kara! read her story
• RT @cnnmoney: House fails to pass bill to extend jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed. http://ow.ly/3c6WC — @mbJobPost • Cooks Source Magazine Forced To Close, Following Facebook Backlashhttp://nick.ly/9MofG0 — @AllNick • Here for our monthly breakfast with fellow CEOs. Ping me for the next invite. (@ Cereal Entrepreneur Breakfast) http://4sq.com/9Emaic — @LaurelTouby • When is the last time Jerry Yang of Yahoo has been quoted or appeared anywhere? Does anyone care? I do. — @AlanMeckler • RT @insidecablenews: don't know what's sadder FNC devoting time to a car chase or @SteveKrak &@BrianStelter going gaga on Shep's coverage? — @TVNewser
Morning Media Newsfeed Needs You! Send us your story tips, job changes, insider gossip, and all that other good stuff: tips@mediabistro.com
More than 160,000 people in the media business read this email every day. To learn about advertising or othercreative partnerships, contact Dave Arganbright at (212) 547-7931 or via email.
LISBON, Portugal – NATO will start drawing down its troops in Afghanistan next July and its combat role in the war-torn nation will end by 2014 or earlier so security can be turned over to the Afghans, a top alliance official said Friday.
"We think that goal is realistic, and we have made plans to achieve it, but of course if circumstances agree, it could be sooner, absolutely," said Mark Sedwill, NATO's top civilian representative in Afghanistan.
Sedwill said the troop withdrawal starting next year will be "shallow" and eventually accelerate but did not elaborate.
The escalating war in Afghanistan, where the alliance is struggling to contain Taliban militants, looked set to dominate a two-day NATO summit opening Friday in Lisbon.
NATO spokesman James Appathurai also said the alliance's 28 leaders, including President Barack Obama, were set to approve the withdrawal plan. He said NATO is "quite confident of the end of 2014 timeline for handing responsibility to Afghan security forces" as requested by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Appathurai and Sedwill did not say how many NATO troops would stay in Afghanistan after 2014 serving as military advisers and trainers.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting, said the session at Karzai's hotel was "candid and friendly" and covered key aspects of theNATO mission in Afghanistan — including the planned transition to Afghan security control, as well as international civilian assistance to Kabul.
They reached a "common understanding" on outlines of a longer-term Afghan-NATO partnership, the official said.
NATO officials say they expect unanimous support from the allies for Obama's plans for a new, expanded missile defense system in Europe that would be based on an existing shield meant to defend military units from attack. The U.S. already has a missile defense system based mainly in North America, and it is planning one for its European allies.
But Obama will face tough questions from U.S. allies on his exit strategy in Afghanistan. He will also meet with leaders of the European Union on Saturday to defend his preference for stimulus spending at a time when many European nations are enacting economic austerity measures.
The NATO leaders are expected on Saturday to endorse the plan by Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, to start handing over responsibility for security in some areas of Afghanistan to government forces next year.
Obama told El Pais, Spain's leading newspaper, he expected the allies will pledge additional trainers for Afghan security forces.
"This effort is going to take time and our commitment to Afghanistan and the Afghan people is for the long-term," Obama said. "We cannot turn our backs on the Afghan people."
Clinton defended the high cost that European nations are paying for their participation in the war in Afghanistan, and urged them to stay the course despite dire economic difficulties for many countries that have translated into wage cuts, lost jobs and massive government budget reductions.
"Though we are very supportive of the difficult decisions that will have to be made concerning the economy, just as back home President Obama is making difficult decisions concerning our own economy, we believe that the mission we are pursuing in Afghanistan must continue," Clinton told reporters.
The alliance has 140,000 troops in Afghanistan, two-thirds of them Americans. The government's security forces are being built up to just over 300,000 members. Their Taliban opponents are estimated to number up to 30,000 men.
Allied commanders have highlighted their successes this year against Taliban insurgents in Helmand and Kandahar provinces, to emphasize that transition is ready.
But allied casualties have also reached record levels of some 650 dead this year, and the Taliban have spread out into other parts of Afghanistan.
On other issues, NATO's newly expanded anti-missile shield would cost euro200 million ($273 million) over the next 10 years, according to NATO chief Fogh Rasmussen, who also wants Russia to cooperate in the project. Despite claims by protesters that debt-plagued Europe can't afford it amid austerity cuts, alliance officials insisted the project is worth it.
"We think it's a good thing to have a missile defense system which is NATO-based," Britain's Defense Secretary Liam Fox told BBC Radio 4's Today program. "That provides us with communal protection over the years ahead, it's cost-effective for us, and there are some 30 countries now which either have or are developing ballistic missiles."
NATO's leaders will not explicitly identify any potential enemy, although in the past officials have publicly singled out Iran and its ballistic missile program. But alliance member Turkey, which maintains close ties with Tehran, refused to let NATO name Iran as a threat.
"We cannot accept that any specific country (including) our neighbor Iran to be shown as a target," Turkish President Abdullah Gul said. "It is absolutely out of the question."
Founded in 1949 to counter the threat of a Soviet invasion, the 28-member alliance is in the midst of a mid-life crisis as it searches for relevance almost 20 years after the collapse of its communist rival.
Other elements of NATO's new mission statement expected to be adopted Friday include new roles such as cyber-warfare and missions outside NATO's traditional area in Europe, such as anti-piracy patrols off the Somali coastline.
NATO's previous strategic concept focused mainly on its peacekeeping role in places like Bosnia and Kosovo. It was adopted in 1999, soon after the end of the Cold War and before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States forced the alliance to take on missions such as counterinsurgency warfare in Afghanistan.
The new document will also warn European governments not to slash defense spending at a time of economic crisis, because of the growing discrepancy in military capabilities between the United States and Europe's NATO members. Most European nations are not even meeting the minimal requirement of devoting 2 percent of their GDP to defense.
America's latest defense budget of over $710 billion dwarfs the combined annual military expenditures of its European allies, which total about $280 billion.
BY MELISSA GRUZ, BBC NEWS US DESK, FOR THE BBC's BIODUN IGINLA
| 1 hour, 6 minutes ago
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John Pistole testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2010, before the the Senate Commerce Committee hearing to examine the TSA. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)View more photos
WASHINGTON — The head of the Transportation Security Administration says the close-quarter body inspections causing a furor among some passengers and pilots are unavoidable in a time of terrorist threats.
John Pistole tells CBS's "The Early Show" he understands public distaste for more intense security procedures, particulary hand pat-downs. He called it a "challenge" for federal authorities and airport screeners.
But Pistole said the attempted bombing of a U.S. bound plane last Christmas and the effort to ship packages with bombs to this country on cargo planes more recently makes tougher security necessary. He said Friday, "The bottom line is, we're trying to see that everybody can be assured with high confidence that everybody else on that flight can be properly screened."
Leaders of NATO's 28 member states are meeting in Lisbon for one of the most important summits in the military alliance's history. But will they reconsider the old way of doing business in NATO's critical mission in Afghanistan?
The relatives of eleven French engineers who were killed in a bombing in Pakistan in 2002 have demanded that President Sarkozy and two other senior politicians be made to testify over alleged corrupt deals that may have caused their deaths.
Ireland is expected to receive an EU and IMF-funded loan of tens of billions of euros in order to help the country overcome its spiralling debt crisis, Central Bank Governor Patrick Honohan said on Thursday.
A Swedish court has ordered the arrest of runaway WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is accused of rape and sexual molestation. The prosecutors also plan to issue an international arrest warrant.
Guinea remained under a state of emergency on Thursday, after the nation's disputed presidential election sparked widespread violence across the country. The death toll has now risen to seven.
GM pulled off the biggest initial public offering in US history on Wednesday, raising 20.1 billion dollars after returning to the stock market following a US taxpayer-funded bailout. The US stalwart floundered during the credit crisis.
The head of Ireland's Central Bank said on Thursday that he expects the government to accept a joint EU/IMF bailout, potentially worth "tens of billions" as euro-zone finance ministers arrive in the country to hold advanced talks with the government.
Rolls-Royce announced Thursday that they are to replace as many as 40 engines across the Airbus A380 fleet of passenger aircraft, following safety fears sparked by a mid-air explosion on board a Singapore Airlines flight earlier this month.
EU and the IMF officials are heading to Ireland this week in a bid to stabilise Irish banks and stem the spread of Ireland’s financial woes following Tuesday’s meeting which ended without a bailout agreement.
US President Barack Obama warned emerging economies like China against relying heavily on exports Saturday at the APEC forum in Japan, as the divisions between America and China on trade and currency issues re-emerged Saturday.
With their best players injured on the bench, England failed to impact on a very average performance from France, who won 2 - 1 at Wembley on Wednesday, with goals from Karim Benzema (pictured) and Mathieu Valbuena.
FIFA suspended two executive members for one to three years and fined them after the ethic’s committee found them guilty of alleged malpractice for the bidding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Germany’s Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) picked up the 2010 Formula One world champion title with a win at the season’s last Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. At 23, Vettel is the youngest F1 driver to claim the title.
Sweden's Robin Soderling clinched the Paris Masters title with a 6-1, 7-6 win in the final over Frenchman Gael Monfils. Soderling becomes the first Swede to win a Masters 1000 tournament since Thomas Enqvist in 2000.
Frenchman Franck Cammas has won the ninth edition of the Route de Rhum, finishing the transatlantic solo sprint from Saint Malo in France to Guadeloupe's Pointe-à-Pitre in his giant trimaran Groupama 3 in nine days, three hours and 14 minutes.
For some wine drinkers and diehard Francophiles, the yearly arrival of the Beaujolais nouveau is a day they await with gusto. For more discerning palates, and most people in France, it’s at best an excuse to throw a party.
UNESCO has chosen the “gastronomic meal of the French” to feature on its list of the world’s intangible cultural treasures. But what exactly is French cuisine?
Six Oslo ambassadors from countries including Cuba, Russia and Iraq have turned down their invitation to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in honour of jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo next month, after pressure from China not to attend.
Eva Longoria, star of the hit American TV series "Desperate Housewives", filed for divorce in Los Angeles Wednesday from her French basketball-player husband Tony Parker. The TV star cited "irreconcilable differences".
Sarah Palin’s participation in a new television show about her life in Alaska has political commentators scratching their heads. Is reality television stardom compatible with presidential aspirations?
This week HEALTH explores several chronic conditions affecting the younger generation. We look at how 21st century kids are coping with juvenile diabetes, ADHD and a rare aversion to ultra-violet light. In particular, we show you the very latest technology and medicinal advances which are helping young patients to live as normal a life as possible.
This week Health has travelled to Chad for a special programme on the latest challenges facing the African country. Like several neighbouring states, Chad was hit by heavy flooding following an exceptional rainy season this year. Many areas in and around the capital are still underwater, months after the heavy rains. We investigate the health implications.
In today’s French press review, we focus on the five year anniversary of the riots that took place in the Parisian suburb of Clichy. The death of two boys chased by the police near a power transformer sparked extreme violence in the region. Also in the papers: medical assistance on the internet and the worst US campaign adverts, seven days before the mid-terms.
Finland has just become the first country in the world to make a law aiming to eradicate smoking entirely. The government has introduced a bill which aims to make Finland smoke-free by 2040. On October 1st, the first measures of the so-called Tobacco Act were introduced, making it harder for people under 18 to smoke, and restricting smoking outdoors. And tougher measures are to come. But can Europe follow the lead?
An accident at an Alumina factory in Hungary smothers three villages with a toxic sludge, leaving 9 dead and scores of others burned and badly injured. HEALTH meets those burned by the alkaline mud which ate deep into their skin. At Budapest’s hospitals doctors still rely on results from Greenpeace to see what metals or toxic materials are present in the mud.
The relatives of eleven French engineers who were killed in a bombing in Pakistan in 2002 have demanded that President Sarkozy and two other senior politicians be made to testify over alleged corrupt deals that may have caused their deaths.
For some wine drinkers and diehard Francophiles, the yearly arrival of the Beaujolais nouveau is a day they await with gusto. For more discerning palates, and most people in France, it’s at best an excuse to throw a party.
The new French cabinet, the third under the direction of PM Francois Fillon, held its first meeting on Wednesday, a day after President Sarkozy revealed to television audiences the challenges awaiting his new team.
At the end of March 1832 Paris’ Hotel Dieu hospital began to receive a steady stream of patients. A six-month cholera epidemic, which was to claim 7,000 lives in the next two weeks and 19,000 in total, had begun which was to shape the Paris of today.
A government reshuffle has bestowed the high-profile foreign affairs ministry to former justice minister Michele Alliot-Marie, who despite being a fixture of France's political class, remains relatively unknown to the rest of the world.
Namibian police have discovered a suspect laptop amongst luggage bound for Munich just a day after terrorism intelligence forced Germany to tighten security at airports and train stations. A terrorist attack on the country was said to be imminent.
Ireland is expected to receive an EU and IMF-funded loan of tens of billions of euros in order to help the country overcome its spiralling debt crisis, Central Bank Governor Patrick Honohan said on Thursday.
The head of Ireland's Central Bank said on Thursday that he expects the government to accept a joint EU/IMF bailout, potentially worth "tens of billions" as euro-zone finance ministers arrive in the country to hold advanced talks with the government.
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Wednesday that security was being stepped-up for certain potential targets in Germany, based on "concrete indications" of planned terror attacks in the country.
Prompted by the fracture of his governing coalition, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has warned Italians that if he loses a confidence vote in December the country would hold early elections.
Israel's security cabinet has agreed to withdraw troops from part of a disputed village on the Lebanese border and hand over control to a UN peacekeeping force, resolving a key issue between the two countries.
Two people were killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Wednesday during the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday. Israeli security claims that the targets were Islamic militants.
In an interview with FRANCE 24 Wednesday, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said he will not sign off on the execution of former foreign minister Tariq Aziz, who was condemned to death on October 26th.
Muslim pilgrims gathered on Tuesday for the festival of Eid al Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, and the symbolic "stoning of the devil" in Saudi Arabia's Mina valley for the third day of the annual hajj pilgrimage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will ask his Cabinet on Sunday to consider a US offer of security and diplomatic incentives in exchange for a 90-day moratorium on the construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Guinea remained under a state of emergency on Thursday, after the nation's disputed presidential election sparked widespread violence across the country. The death toll has now risen to seven.
Six Oslo ambassadors from countries including Cuba, Russia and Iraq have turned down their invitation to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in honour of jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo next month, after pressure from China not to attend.
One of Morocco’s most outspoken activists and a campaigner for democracy throughout regimes of colonial rule and then monarchy, Abraham Serfaty died on Thursday aged 84.
The Nigerian military handed over 19 oil-rig workers on Thursday, following recent raids by guerrilla organisations in the country's Niger Delta. The Delta region is at the heart of one of the world's largest oil industries.
Madagascar’s prime minister Camilla Vital (photo) said all was under control on the island following a declaration by a group of army officers that they had attempted a coup d’état. The country voted Wednesday on a referendum for a new constitution.
In the first civilian trial of a Guantanamo detainee on American soil, Ahmed Ghailani was acquitted by a federal jury in New York Wednesday of all but one of the terrorism charges brought against him. He faces a minimum of 20 years in prison.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic have reported their first case of cholera just weeks after the outbreak gripped neighbouring quake-hit Haiti. The patient was identified as a Haitian citizen who recently returned from a holiday in Haiti.
Russian arms trafficking suspect Viktor Bout arrived in New York from Bangkok Wednesday following a protracted extradition process that has sparked a diplomatic tug-of-war between Moscow and Washington.
Sarah Palin’s participation in a new television show about her life in Alaska has political commentators scratching their heads. Is reality television stardom compatible with presidential aspirations?
Violent anti-UN demonstrations have spread across Haiti, killing two people and injuring some 20. The protesters blame Nepalese peacekeepers for a cholera epidemic which has now killed more than 1,000 people on the earthquake-devastated island.
Six Oslo ambassadors from countries including Cuba, Russia and Iraq have turned down their invitation to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in honour of jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo next month, after pressure from China not to attend.
The relatives of eleven French engineers who were killed in a bombing in Pakistan in 2002 have demanded that President Sarkozy and two other senior politicians be made to testify over alleged corrupt deals that may have caused their deaths.
Despite international condemnation and an opposition boycott, Madagascar is holding its first poll since a March 2009 coup. Wednesday’s constitutional referendum has been criticised as a bid to shore up current strongman Andry Rajoelina’s power.
At least 65 people were killed late Monday when a building collapsed in a densely populated area of New Delhi and rescuers expect the death toll to rise. Investigators said the multi-storey structure may have been weakened by recent flooding.
Accused Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, known as the "Merchant of Death", was flown out of Bangkok on a special US jet after Thai authorities on Tuesday approved his extradition to the United States on terrorism charges.
Reach
Infuriating
Amazing
Important
Sad
Uplifting
Odd / Funny
Are you in the area? Do you know people who work at the mine? Is your community affected by this incident? Send us your comments using the form below.