Billionaire Mark Cuban asks President Bush to cancel inauguration parties

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Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the National Basketball Association’s Dallas Mavericks, has asked U.S. President George W. Bush to cancel the inauguration parties that are planned in his honor and redirect the cost to aid for Tsunami victims.

“It’s up to President Bush to set an example,” Cuban said in his web blog. “Could there be anything more confusing and shocking than to read that our country was offering $35m in aid to the areas affected by the tsunamis, but that the cost of inauguration parties would be about $40m?”

“Does anyone else think that this is wrong?” he said.

The U.S. administration has since raised its aid pledge to $350 million, and sent a contingent of up to 1,200 Marines along with a carrier group to provide assistance to the affected areas.

But many reader comments posted to Cuban’s blog agree with him and say that the United States is still not doing enough to help. Other bloggers have accused Cuban of politicizing the Tsunami disaster relief efforts.

Rex Hammock, publisher of Rexblog.com, wrote that Cuban’s statement is unfairly political and takes focus away from the victims.

“Why not call for the cancellation of the NBA season and take all the dollars advertisers have committed for broadcasting it and send those funds to tsunami relief?” Hammock said. “What, the advertisers won’t do that? Have y … Read More

Saddam Hussein ‘forced’ back to trial

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Saddam Hussein, who had been on hunger strike, has said in his trial today that he was taken to court from his hospital bed against his will.

The former leader of Iraq was rushed to hospital last Sunday after refusing to eat for sixteen days. But according to news agencies, he has ended the hunger strike by eating lunch at the court in Baghdad. “Saddam ate beef and rice and cola with bread which he brought from hospital,” one source told Reuters news agency. He was fasting with three co-defendants, and they were demanding more security for their defence lawyers, three of whom have been murdered.

While Hussein was being treated by doctors in hospital on Monday, the trial recommenced without him. But today, he appeared in front of the court, looking slightly thinner. “I was brought against my will directly from the hospital… the Americans insisted that I come against will. This is not fair,” he claimed. “Three days ago I was taken to hospital and today I was brought here forcibly from the hospital. I was fed intravenously.”

He also said later on in the hearing that if he was found guilty and faced execution, he would prefer to be shot rather than hanged. “I advise you as an Iraqi, if you were in a circumstance in which you have to issue a death penalty, you have to remember that Saddam is a military man and in this case the verdict should be death by shooting not by hanging.”

As his defence team has been boycotting the trial, replacement lawyers have been selected by the court. However, Hussein has dismissed the representatives brought in to defend him. “Your honour, I refuse to appear before this tribunal, but this tribunal can do as it wills,” he added.

In response, Judge Abdel Rahman said: “Your lawyers were informed of the hearing and they chose not to come, despite the fact they have billions of dollars and sit in a neighbouring country, where they incite violence.” Most of Hussein’s legal team is based in Amman, the capital of Jordan.

Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants are on trial charged with crimes against humanity after Hussein allegedly ordered his military forces to kill 148 people from the village of Dujail following an attempted assassination of the former dictato … Read More

Israel pushes further into Lebanon

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Armoured columns of the Israeli Defense Forces are meeting resistance as they move deeper into Lebanon in an attempt to capture the Hezbollah stronghold of Khiam as 40,000 Israeli troops mass on the Lebanese border following an Israeli cabinet decision to widen the war. Israel took control of the strategic southern Lebanese hub of Marjayoun on Thursday as part of its northern push.

Israel ratcheted up its fight against Hezbollah, beginning operations aimed at the heart of Beirut, taking control of a largely Christian southern Lebanese town, named Marjeyoun. The Israeli military also dropped leaflets in Beirut, warning of expanded operations inside the capital and urging people in southern Shiite neighborhoods to evacuate. Those neighborhoods have been bastions of support for Hezbollah. “To the people who live in Hay El Soulom, Borj El Barajneh, Shiyah … For your safety,” one flier warned. “You must evacuate these areas immediately and evacuate any area from where Hezbollah and its members or their assistants are launching their terrorist operations. “Be aware!”

Other Israeli troops also advanced on the town of Khiam. Israeli jets also struck a lighthouse used as a cell phone communications tower in central Beirut. Witnesses said they saw a man being loaded into an ambulance at the scene. There was no immediate information on his condition. The area, located in an upscale neighborhood where slain former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri lived, is outside the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs that Israeli forces have targeted up to now.

Israeli troops had warned residents to remain in their homes as forces moved toward the nearby town of Blatt, Lebanese military intelligence and police said. The secured area overlooks the Litani River, where Hezbollah fighters have reportedly launched rockets into Israel, sources said.

On Wednesday, the Israeli government approved a plan to widen the war in Lebanon in an attempt to destroy Hezbollah installations and neutralize its ability to launch rockets. The cabinet has authorized the Israeli army to advance as far north as the Litani River, 30 kilometres (18 miles) north of the Lebanese-Israeli border. However, Israel says yesterday’s push is not part of that campaign.

“It’s a small operation that looks large from where we’re looking right now, but this is not opening up any new front,” IDF spokeswoman Miri Eisen said. “It’s taking care of one that has been consistently hitting Kiryat Shmona.”

Hezbollah officials reacted angrily to the Israeli cabinet’s decision. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah appeared on Al-Manar television, and threatened to make southern Lebanon “a graveyard” for the Israelis.

“I say to the Zionists, you could come anywhere, invade, land airborne forces, enter this village or that, but I repeat, all this will cost you a high price,” he said.

The Israeli army says 15 of its soldiers were killed in combat on Wednesday, and that 40 Hezbollah fighters died the same day. Hezbollah fired more than 100 rockets into Israel, while no casualties from the Israeli side were reported.

The IDF says it currerntly has approximately 10,000 troops on the ground in southern Lebanon, a number that will swell to 50,000 in coming days.

As the fighting continues, U.S. sources said they no longer expect that a joint U.S.-French UN draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Lebanon would reach a Security Council vote by a hoped for Thursday deadline. Disagreement over whether the resolution should call for an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon is an obstacle.

The resolution was to be co-sponsored by the United States and France, but the two countries are now at odds over how to reword the proposal in light of Arab objections to the original draft. The French have accepted a Lebanese offer to send 15,000 troops into the south to monitor the ceasefire if Israel withdraws immediately, while the U.S. wants Israel to be able to remain in southern Lebanon for a few weeks until a new multi-national force arrives.

More than 1000 Lebanese, mostly civilians, have died in the month-long conflict according to Lebanon’s government. 100 Israelis, mostly soldiers, have also be … Read More

France’s Sarkozy to meet with Brazilian president da Silva

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The Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is due to meet the French President Nicholas Sarkozy later today. Lula da Silva is due to meet with Sarkozy in French Guiana.

The two are expected discuss issues such as greater cooperation between the two countries and the coordination of work on areas around Brazil and French Guiana. In addition, subjects such as biofuels, nuclear science and defence are expected to be discussed in the meeting.

After the meeting, at the headquarters of the local Lula and Sarkozy will present the design for a road bridge that is planned to be built over the river Oiapoque, linking the Brazil to French Guiana. Initial forecasts are suggesting that the bridge, will be about 400 meters long, and will cost approximately US$38.6 million. It is scheduled to be completed for 2010.

The cost of the project is planned to be divided equally between Brazil and France. This was made clear in an agreement between the two nations that was signed in July 2005. The agreement was approved by the Brazilian government in November 2007 and was approved by the French Parliament in M … Read More

Indonesians retrieve missing recorder from crashed Russian jet

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Villagers assisting recovery efforts for a Russian passenger jet that crashed in Indonesia have found the aircraft’s missing flight data recorder. All 45 on board were killed when the Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed during a demonstration flight earlier this month.

Sukhoi’s first-ever Superjet 100 on display, from file. Credit:Marina Lystseva

The cockpit voice recorder was found several days after the plane hit Mount Salak, West Java on May 9. A landslide triggered by the impact had concealed the flight data recorder, but it was uncovered today after recent rains removed some of the soil it was under. “It seems to be intact,” said Ketut Purwa, who is leading the recovery. It was sent to Jakarta for examination.

The recorder was found in a ravine 30 metres from the tail, which was also located by villagers. It contains a log of technical data from the 40-minute demonstration, which aimed to attract Indonesian airlines to buy Superjet 100s.

Tatang Kurniadi, head of the National Transportation Safety Committee, explained “The FDR emits a signal for up to a month but only if it’s underwater. It doesn’t work on land”. In addition to the Indonesian investigation, Russian authorities have launched a criminal probe. The dead include eight Russians. Kurniadi also said work to complete an Indonesian translation of the voice recorder transcript is nearing completion.

The aircraft had asked for permission to descend to 6,000 feet shortly before the crash. It then hit the 7,200-foot mountain near Jakarta. In the midst of an Asian tour, Sukhoi had placed an experienced pilot in charge of the plane.

The Superjet 100 is intended to reinvigorate the Russian aviation industry, and is the nation’s first new airliner since the Soviet era. With a maiden flight in 2008, it entered service last year and Sukhoi boasts 200 orders. The twin-engine jet seats around 100 and costs buyers … Read More31.7 million.

Obama nominates Sonia Sotomayor to U.S. Supreme Court

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U.S. President Barack Obama has chosen Sonia Sotomayor, a United States Court of Appeals judge, as his first nominee to the United States Supreme Court.

Obama and Sotomayor

The 54-year-old Sotomayor, who was born in New York City and attended Princeton University and Yale University, is the first female U.S. Supreme Court nominee of Hispanic or Latino extraction and, if confirmed, would become the third female U.S. Supreme Court justice, following Sandra Day O’Connor and serving alongside Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Sotomayor would take the seat of retiring justice David Souter.

Sotomayor was nominated in 1997 to the 2nd Circuit position she currently holds by then-President Bill Clinton. Prior to this, she was nominated as a district judge by Clinton’s predecessor, George H. W. Bush. Suggested as a potential Supreme Court nominee during the George W. Bush administration, she was characterized at the time by Republican senators as “moderate”.

Sotomayor’s nomination was announced by President Obama today. She must now be approved by a U.S. Se … Read More

Arab League, Group of Eight leaders discuss crisis in the Levant

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The international nature of the crisis between Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah was discussed in an emergency summit of the Arab League in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, and by Group of Eight leaders in St Petersburg, Russia, Sunday.

The Arab League failed to reach an agreement on the issue while the Group of Eight released a joint statement. The Arab League released three separate statements on Lebanon.

The meetings came after Hezbollah attacked Israel on July 12, killing six soldiers and kidnapping two. Israel retaliated by attacking Lebanon, which lead to over 100 civilian deaths. Hezbollah has fired 700 missiles across the border, causing civilian casualties in Israeli towns, including Haifa.

Contents 1 Arab League 2 Group of Eight 3 Related news 4 … Read More