Dude Reports

Awesome Street Art

2009-03-22T01:00:00.001-07:00

Top 5 Fastest Bikes in the World

2009-03-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

With enough raw power to shock even the most seasoned adrenaline junky, the K 1200 S hurls you from a dead stop to sixty mph in just 2.8 seconds. Once you're over the whiplash, you'll keep climbing, topping out at speeds that run neck-and-neck with the fastest production motorcycles in the world.

The Ducati 1098 is a 1099 cc L-twin sport bike manufactured by Ducati. It was announced on November 8, 2006 for the 2007 model year and replaces the 999. The 1098 makes a manufacturer claimed 160 horsepower, 90.4 ft-lb torque, and weighs 173kg. These figures gives the 1098 the highest torque-to-weight ratio of any production sport bike ever made.

The RSV Mille and limited-edition RSV Mille Factory are high performance V-twin powered motorcycles made by Aprilia with a 143 HP 998 cc engine built by the Austrian company Rotax. For 2006. The RSV Mille Factory won the Maxisport category for Masterbike 2006 and overall Masterbike of the year.

The Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle, introduced in 1998, was the first significant motorcycle in the true litre class (1,000 cc) "handling arms race" between the Japanese Big Four motorcycle manufacturers (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha). When introduced, it took the class closer to a true racing motorcycle, and increased the handling capabilities.

Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird is a sport-touring motorcycle built by Honda. It combines big engine power, Easy operational error-tolerance with touring comfort. The Blackbird production started in 1997 and the last year of production was 2006. The Blackbird was the result of Honda's attempt to build the world's fastest production motorcycle, Stealing the crown from Kawasaki.

Crazy Car Crash

2009-03-20T02:12:00.001-07:00

Bush and Obama

2009-03-20T02:08:00.001-07:00

Beautiful Ice Rain in South China

2009-03-20T02:01:00.001-07:00

Bush Want ToTalk About Turkey Again

2008-11-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

Bush is a the great evil in the modern day. And he want to invade Turkey in his last day of administration. Here's the full report.

Here he goes again! Standing in front of thousands of applauding soldiers at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, President Bush staunchly defended the US-led invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

"The consequences of success in Iraq will resonate far beyond that country's borders... will resonate when your children and grandchildren begin to study the history of peace," he said. "Success will frustrate Iran's ambitions to dominate the region. Success will show millions across the Middle East that a future of liberty and democracy is possible."

The president must have missed the sight of tens of thousands of Iraqis who on Friday gathered in Firdous Square where Saddam Hussein's statue once stood and chanted, "No, no, no to the occupiers!" He must have missed seeing them dragging and pummeling his effigy with their shoes -- a gesture of contempt in the Arab world -- then jumping hysterically on it as they stamped out flames that had erupted after someone set it afire.

These telling images of "success" were beamed to millions of viewers in the Arab world. Are they waiting anxiously for a similar experience of liberty and democracy?

Today, Iraqi MPs delayed a vote to endorse a wide-ranging accord that will allow US troops to stay in the country for another three years despite reservations by Sunnis and fierce opposition by Shia hardliners. The vote is now scheduled for Thursday. It has drawn fire from Sunni groups, as well as followers of the Shia leader, Moqtada al-Sadr.

It is still expected to pass, but this is hardly a success Bush can claim. The success belongs to the Iraqi people, as they have managed to win a number of concessions in the deal, including a hard timeline for withdrawal, the right to search US military cargo, and the right to try US soldiers for crimes committed while they are off their bases and off-duty. The agreement also requires that US troops obtain Iraqi permission for all military operations and that they hand over the files of all detainees in US custody to the Iraqi authorities, who will then decide their fate. The pact also forbids US troops from using Iraq as a launch-pad or transit point for attacking another country.

The Bush administration had initially opposed any firm timetable for withdrawing US forces in Iraq and resisted most of these demands.

Guess who wants a similar deal? -- Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, is demanding foreign powers set a "timeline" for the withdrawal of their forces from his country.

He told a delegation from the UN Security Council that without the timeline, he would have to seek a political solution to the Taliban-led insurgency.

"The international community should give us a timeline of how long or how far the 'war on terrorism' will go," Homayun Hamidzada, Karzai's chief spokesman, cited the president as having told the delegation.

Perhaps Bush should add this to his list of "successes."

Bush and Company Put The Iraq War History On White House Website

2008-11-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

What can I say. Bush is stupid, arrogant, evil etc and cannot be put together even with a monkey because he will those monkey too. If he dare to kill innocent people so he can kill a monkey too. Poor monkey, do you know that monkeys and bush are related? Here's the full report.

Before invading Iraq in 2003, the Bush administration mounted a significant diplomatic offensive to rally international support, and officials at the White House, Pentagon and State Department went to great lengths to trumpet those nations that joined what they termed “the coalition of the willing.”

But historians researching those early alliance-building efforts say they are troubled by what seem to be deletions of and alterations to the early official lists of nations that supported the war effort. The lists were posted on the White House Web site.

While administration officials acknowledged that the number of nations supporting the war changed over time, academic researchers say three official lists appear to have been changed, yet retained their original release date, making them appear to be unaltered originals.

Two other White House lists appear to have been taken off the Web site, according to a study of the documents by Scott L. Althaus and Kalev H. Leetaru of the Cline Center for Democracy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

There were 45 coalition members on the eve of the Iraq invasion, but subsequent deletions of the earlier lists and revisions to critical documents made it seem that there were 49, the researchers found.

Two other countries that appeared on early lists of alliance partners were removed, but those updated rosters carried the original date and no mention that they had been changed.

White House officials confirmed Monday that the names of two countries were removed from the list of coalition partners initially listed on the Web pages, an action taken at the request of those nations. Costa Rica and Angola were dropped, but Angola subsequently reappeared.

In recent years, the White House has adopted a policy that requires its official Web site to note when such changes are made to an online item, a spokesman said Monday.

But that appears not to have been in effect for posts released early in the war effort.

In their study, the two University of Illinois researchers wrote that “whether by design or neglect, the result is the same: The removals and revisions of White House documents distort the historical record of what our government has said and done.” In the new study, the researchers traced five online documents that listed the number and names of coalition partners.

The researchers report finding that two were removed, one in late 2004, and another in late 2005 or early 2006. “These two ‘missing’ lists represent earlier and smaller lists of coalition members,” the researchers said.

One list posted by the White House on March 21, 2003, identified 46 countries in the coalition, including the United States. In April 2003, the list was updated to add Angola and Ukraine, bringing the total number of coalition countries up to 48, the researchers found.

“But instead of issuing a new list with a new date, the White House took the unusual step of retroactively revising the original March 21 press release, without indicating that the document had been modified from its original form,” the researchers wrote.

On or before April 13, 2003, the White House posted an updated alliance list that added Tonga to the previous list of 48. This list was temporarily removed from public view in 2004, but by Nov. 3, 2004, the list had been restored with changes.

The revised list also carried a publication date of March 27, 2003, more than a year and a half before the revisions were made, the researchers report. The backdated list was modified again by changing the number of coalition countries back to 49, even though the document lists only 48 by name — without Costa Rica.

Volvo helps Ford to be the tops of safe car list

2008-11-25T08:23:00.000-08:00

Safe car can save your from accident but cannot save you from the death! But the good news is safe car also can save your arm, leg or anything if it build by the recommended car manufacturer. So, here's the full report.

The insurance industry named dozens of new cars and trucks, led by Ford Motor Co. and its Volvo subsidiary, to its annual list of the safest vehicles Tuesday, helped by the increased use of anti-rollover technology.

Ford and Volvo had 16 vehicles in the 2009 model year on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's list of the safest new cars, followed by Honda Motor Co. with 13 vehicles.

Seventy-two cars, trucks and SUVs received the top safety pick designation for 2009, more than double the number of vehicles in the 2008 model year and three times the number in 2007.

"The sheer number of this year's winners indicates that automakers have made huge strides to improve crash protection," said Institute president Adrian Lund.

The selected vehicles are the best in protecting people in front, side and rear crash tests based on institute evaluations during the year. The vehicles are required to have electronic stability control, or ESC, to qualify for the award.

IIHS said electronic stability control is now standard equipment on virtually all new SUVs and three-quarters of passenger cars for the 2009 model year. ESC is standard on more than one-third of 2009 pickups.

Ford was led by the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan midsize cars with optional ESC; the Ford F-150 pickup, Ford Edge and Ford Flex midsize sport utility vehicles; and the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner small SUVs. The list also included the Mazda Tribute, which has the same underpinnings as the Escape and Mariner.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally argued last week in Washington that the automaker had made safety strides when he testified along with other Big Three executives seeking massive government aid.

"Every year, we're going to improve the quality, we're going to improve the fuel efficiency, we're going to improve the safety, and we're going to keep improving the productivity so we can offer the consumer the very best value," Mulally told a House committee.

Honda and its Acura unit had vehicles in nearly every category, including top-sellers such as the Honda Accord; the Honda Civic 4-door with optional ESC; and the Acura MDX and RDX midsize SUVs; and the Honda Fit with optional ESC. The Fit is the first mini-car to earn the safety award.

Volkswagen AG and its Audi brand had nine vehicles on the list, including the Volkswagen Jetta and Passat and the Audi A3, A4 and A6.

General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. both had eight vehicles on the list. GM's included the Cadillac CTS and the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook large SUVs.

Toyota's top performers were the Toyota Corolla with optional ESC, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra and Scion xB.

Using the awards, consumers can compare vehicles without having to review results from multiple tests. Automakers pay close attention to the institute's findings and frequently note positive ratings in television commercials.

The institute has advocated for an early adoption of anti-rollover technology such as ESC ahead of a government requirement for the systems by the 2012 model year.

Electronic stability control senses when a driver may lose control and automatically applies brakes to individual wheels to keep the vehicle stable and avoid a rollover. It helps motorists avoid skidding across icy or slick roads or keep control when swerving to avoid an unexpected object in the road.

IIHS said Chrysler LLC was the only major automaker that did not receive a single award. They said Chrysler could have picked up five awards if the head restraints had been improved in the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, the Sebring convertible and the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country.

Chrysler spokesman Cole Quinnell said he could not comment on whether the head restraints might be upgraded in the future. He said Chrysler vehicles are equipped with a variety of safety features and the institute's results "are just one of the sources of information about a vehicle's crash performance."

10 Taliban were arrested in an Afghan girl attack

2008-11-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

Taliban attack girls and teachers. Can we trust this type of reports? Why they attack school girls and teachers or is it a gorup of bandit who act as a Taliban troops? In this situation is hard to know which one can be trust. Here's the full report.

Afghan police have arrested 10 Taliban militants involved in an acid attack this month against 15 girls and teachers walking to school in southern Afghanistan, a provincial governor said Tuesday.

"Several" of the arrested militants have confessed to taking part in the acid attack, said Kandahar Gov. Rahmatullah Raufi. He declined to say exactly how many confessed.

High-ranking Taliban fighters paid the militants a total of $2,000 to carry out the attack, Raufi said. The attackers came from Pakistan but were Afghan nationals, said Doud Doud, an Interior Ministry official.

The attackers squirted the acid from water bottles onto three groups of students and teachers walking to school in Kandahar city on Nov. 12. Several girls suffered burns to the face and were hospitalized. One teenager couldn't open her eyes days after the attack, which sparked condemnations from around the world.

After the investigation is complete, the accused will be tried in open court, said Raufi.

One of the attack's victims, a teacher named Nuskaal who was burned through her burqa, called Tuesday for a harsh punishment for the attackers.

"If these people are found guilty, the government should throw the same acid on these criminals. After that they should be hanged," said Nuskaal, who like many Afghans goes by one name.

President Hamid Karzai earlier this month called for a public execution of the perpetrators.

Afghanistan's government called the attack "un-Islamic," and the United Nations labeled it "a hideous crime." First lady Laura Bush decried it as cowardly.

Kandahar is the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban and is one of Afghanistan's most conservative regions, a place where women rarely venture far from home.

A Taliban spokesman earlier this month denied that Taliban militants were involved in the attack.

Girls were banned from schools under the Taliban regime, the hard-line Islamists who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. Women were only allowed to leave the house wearing a body-hiding burqa and accompanied by a male family member.

The country has made a major push to improve access to education for girls since the Taliban's ouster. Fewer than 1 million Afghan children — mostly all boys — attended school under Taliban rule. Roughly 6 million Afghan children, including 2 million girls, attend school today.

But many conservative families still keep their girls at home.

Raufi said that girls attending Mirwais Mena girls' school didn't attend class for three days after the attack, but that girls have since returned to class there.

Kandahar province's schools serve 110,000 students at 232 schools, Raufi said. But only 10 of the 232 are for girls. Some 26,000 girls go to school, he said.

Arsonists have repeatedly attacked girls' schools and gunmen killed two students walking outside a girls' school in central Logar province last year. UNICEF says there were 236 school-related attacks in Afghanistan in 2007. The Afghan government has also accused the Taliban of attacking schools in an attempt to force teenage boys into the Islamic militia.

Separately, the U.S. military said its troops killed six militants and detained 12 others in two operations in eastern Afghanistan on Monday. The operations targeted militants associated with the warlords Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Jalaludin Haqqani, the statement from the U.S. military said.

Elsewhere, the country's intelligence agency said it has arrested four people, including three religious leaders and a youth, for alleged involvement in suicide and other bomb attacks in northern Kunduz province.

The ring was broken up after a failed bombing mission in the province earlier this year, when the would-be bomber failed to properly detonate his explosives, the agency said in a statement Tuesday.

Michelle Williams Still Very Sad About Heath Ledger Death

2008-11-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

Poor Michelle Williams, she's really sad about Heath Ledger sudden death. Now she gonna face this world again, how about her future life? Hope she will always strong and go forward. Here's the full report.

People miss Heath Ledger for several reasons - because he won’t be in Batman again or, if you’re odd, because he’ll never make The Patriot 2.

But Michelle Williams has probably the most genuine reason for missing Heath Ledger - not only was she engaged to him, but she also gave birth to his daughter. And because of this, it’s apparent that Michelle Williams is still having trouble coming to terms with Heath Ledger’s death.

In a recent interview with Newsweek, Michelle Williams broke down upon hearing Heath Ledger’s name, telling her interviewer that her grief is only getting worse over time. Warning: the following probably isn’t going to have too many jokes in it…

We’re all going to be hearing a lot more about Heath Ledger in the coming weeks and months. He may have died early this year after accidentally overdosing on prescription medication, but thanks to his turn as The Joker in The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger is going to be all over the place in the run-up to the Oscars.

Variety is already running ‘for your consideration’ adverts mostly of Heath Ledger’s giant face in an attempt to win him the Best Supporting Actor Oscar he’s been linked to since almost the day of his death. And, with The Dark Knight’s DVD release and Oscar-friendly theatrical re-release in January, Heath Ledger is going to be rammed into our faces for some time to come yet.

For casual fans that’s bad enough - the last thing anyone wants is for his turn as The Joker to have the life analysed out of it - but it’s probably even worse for Michelle Williams, Heath Ledger’s ex and the mother of, possibly, his only child. Although they split up last September, Michelle Williams is still finding it hard to deal with Heath Ledger’s death, as The Boston Herald reports:

“It’s so sad. I just wake up each day in a slightly different place . . . grief is like a moving river.” Although the two “Brokeback Mountain” stars had split before Ledger’s death, they remained close. “It’s a strange thing to say, because I’m at heart an optimistic person, but I would say in some ways it just gets worse,” she said. “It’s just that the more time that passes, the more you miss someone.”

It’s sad, but in time Michelle Williams will learn to appreciate the positives from all this. For instance, although it might sting to be known as Heath Ledger’s semi-widow at the moment, in years to come she’ll be thankful that at least she wasn’t known as Michelle Williams from that crappy Ewan McGregor film that nobody watched.

And if Heath Ledger hadn’t died at a tragically young age, would her daughter Matilda still be named as the seventh hottest tot in Hollywood by Forbes magazine? No, no she wouldn’t. But she is now. In your face, eighth-place Madonna’s adopted African kid!

Sarah Palin is a Superstar, what an idiot

2008-11-24T06:53:00.000-08:00

Sarah Palin is more like superstar than as political right now. I don't know if she really can be a leader for a country like US. I'm sure it will be disaster if she become as the President of United States and really sure she is an idiot. Here's the full report.

Like Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson, and Chris Daughtry, Sarah Palin may not have won one of America's biggest competitions, but her loser-status seems to opening doors all over the place. Book deals, movie roles, and talk show appearances are all in the works for Governor Palin, who, free from the restrictions that kept her from giving actual press conferences during the Presidential campaign, seems to be relishing the chance to reintroduce herself to the American public. Remember how we all thought she'd disappear after the election? And remember when Tina Fey, prophet that she is, looked directly into the camera during her final appearance as Sarah Palin on SNL and said, "I'm not goin' anywhere. And I'm certainly not goin' back to Alaska. If I'm not goin' to the White House, I'm either runnin' in four years or I'm gonna be a white Oprah so, you know, I'm good either way." Well, it turns out that Tina was right. Welcome to PalinMania, Part Deux: Sarah The Celebrity.

Palin's spokesman, Bill McAllister, can barely contain is excitement over the growing media frenzy surrounding his famous client: "Tomorrow, Governor Palin could do an interview with any news media on the planet," McAllister says, "Tomorrow, she could probably sign any one of a dozen book deals. She could start talking to people about a documentary or a movie on her life. That's the level we are at here."

Palin's objective, it seems, is to undo the damage inflicted on her public persona during the McCain/Palin campaign. The interviews she was allowed to give were complete and total disasters, and though the blame is being placed on everyone from Katie Couric to gotcha journalists to John McCain himself, it's hard to argue that anyone is more responsible for the flow of WTF that came out of Palin's mouth during those interviews than the Governor herself. Palin has backtracked on her claims of "gotcha journalism" and admitted that Couric's interview wasn't totally unfair. For Palin to suddenly embrace the media she blamed for everything during her campaign shows a calculated desire to keep her national profile high; high enough, perhaps, for a 2012 run at the presidency.

Sarah Unleashed, however, is still having problems, like returning to her stump speech at the Republican Governor's Association Conference, much to the dismay of her fellow up-and-coming governors, including Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, who politely referred to Palin's speech as "interesting."

Palin also seems to be overlooking the element that may ultimately be the key to her success: she needs to prove her abilities as a leader, as a governor, as more than a well-dressed, down home, huntin' fishin' shootin' son of a moose who just wants to connect with Real America. Before she hands in her resume for 2012, she might want to fix the problems in her own state, starting with the $500 million dollar natural-gas pipeline she bragged about all through the campaign that has yet to be built. Troopergate is still unfolding in Alaska as well, as are "questions over issues like financing Medicaid, increasing mining in environmentally sensitive areas and spending on transportation projects," according to the NYTimes. Her reputation also needs repair with her own constituents: as State Representative Les Gara, a democrat, tells the Times “She’s coming back to a divided state, where Democrats had supported her but they watched her for two months call the president-elect of the United States a terrorist sympathizer.”

The Anchorage Daily News certainly isn't happy with Palin's celebrity rounds, releasing an editorial this week that demanded the Governor concentrate on the job she was actually elected to: "There are ... low graduation rates, plummeting North Slope oil prices, proposals to build alternative energy projects, the gas pipeline. It's time for the governor to refocus on Alaska's needs."

So maybe Palin should consider, you know, actually getting to work repairing her state before she sets out to repair her own image. "She has to deal with the perception that she bobbled her debut," Claremont McKenna College political scientist John Pitney tells the AP, "She needs to stay home for a while. If she wants a future in national politics, her No. 1 job is doing a good job as governor."

Israel-linked spy network busted up again by Iran

2008-11-24T06:41:00.000-08:00

Iran really hate Israel and the Israelis also really don't like Iranian. They fight in every field including in spying. Now the recent news is Iran once again busted up another spying network by the Mossad. Here's the full report.

Iranian state radio says an alleged espionage network with links to Israel's Mossad spy agency has been dismantled.

Monday's radio report featured the chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari. He says the Guards' intelligence unit recently discovered the network.

Jafari says the alleged network was trying to collect information on Iran's nuclear program and the Guards' military operations as well as details on military and security officials.

He says equipment was confiscated. He didn't specify who belonged to the network or whether arrests were made.

Earlier this month, Iran executed an Iranian electronics salesman convicted of relaying information on the nuclear program to Mossad.

Paris Hilton Starring 20 Modern Musicals with Daniel Radcliffe and Haley Joel Osment

2008-11-24T06:29:00.000-08:00

I'm not the fan of Paris Hilton. But this is another hot news from her, she will feature in the 20 Modern Musicals with Daniel Radcliffe and Haley Joel Osment. Here's the full report.

We already told you that Haley Joel Osment’s musical could be taken off Broadway early, likely due both to the “mostly poor review” it got and the economy. But if Cedric the Entertainer and Haley Joel Osment can’t captivate those people who are willing to invest in entertainment, who can? Well, I can tell, it’s probably not going to be teen shows; 13, another teen musical, was also taken off Broadway this weekend, a bad sign considering the holidays a just around the corner.

Haley Joel Osment, the teen actor and former child star, took his final bow at the ‘American Buffalo’ performance last night. The curtain will fall on 13 in January.

High School Musical 1-3, however, have all been successful films. So does this just mean people aren’t interested in live arts? Or is Vanessa Hudgens that much more attractive to teens than Haley Joel Osment?

The slideshow shows a few other modern musicals, but I can’t imagine many of these will be any more successful than 13 and the Haley Joel Osment flop. Either way, it’s an interesting study of modern pop culture and the live arts interests of youth today.

U.S. oil gasoline price falls below $2 per gallon

2008-11-24T02:02:00.000-08:00

Hahaha..now the American people can laugh again. This time by the fall price of gasoline int the US almost below $2 per gallon. I think it was the punishment for the people of America by voting The Evil Bush to lead their country. Hahaha..here's the full report.

U.S. average retail gasoline prices fell below $2 per gallon, due to a continuing slide in crude oil prices, falling gasoline demand and a weakening global economy, according to the latest nationwide Lundberg survey.

"It is the first time that the average price for regular gasoline has been below $2 a gallon since March 4 2005," survey editor Trilby Lundberg said in an interview.

The national average price for self-serve regular unleaded gas was $1.9717 a gallon on November 21, a drop of nearly 33 cents in the past two weeks, based on a survey of about 5,000 gas stations.

The average U.S. price per gallon of regular gasoline has now fallen about 81 cents in the past month and is down about $2.14 since peaking in mid-July.

It is world demand and not OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) that drove prices of crude so high earlier this year and it is demand not OPEC that will call the bottom on crude prices, said Lundberg.

Earlier on Sunday, Venezuela's oil minister Rafael Ramirez urged his fellow OPEC members to agree to lower crude oil supply by 1 million barrels per day at an emergency meeting of the group in Cairo on November 29.

U.S. crude fell as low as $48.25 a barrel on Friday, down almost $100 from record highs of over $147 in July. OPEC had agreed in October to cut output by 1.5 million barrels per day from November 1, but this move has failed to stem the decline in oil prices.

At $2.81, Honolulu, had the highest average price for self-serve regular unleaded gas, while the lowest price was $1.61 a gallon in St Louis, Missouri, according to the survey.

Micheal Jackson the Singer and Prince Bahrain the Sheik finally settle lawsuit

2008-11-24T01:52:00.000-08:00

Now Jacko have a better life in his new religion. After convert to Islam, Micheal Jackson conflict with the Bahrain Prince is almost over by settle it out of the court. No more pressure and no more trouble..i hope so. Here's the full report.

Michael Jackson has reached a settlement with a Bahraini sheik who says the singer owes him $7 million after breaching a signed contract, the pop star's spokeswoman said Sunday.

The out-of-court settlement means Jackson will not be giving evidence at London's High Court as scheduled on Monday, Celena Aponte said.

Scores of journalists and fans had been expected to cram the courtroom for the appearance by the always-unpredictable King of Pop. Aponte said Jackson was informed of the deal as he was about to board a flight to London.

"As Mr. Jackson was about to board his plane to London, he was advised by his legal team to postpone his travels since the parties had concluded a settlement in principle," Aponte said. "Therefore, he will not be attending court on Monday."

A representative for the sheik could not immediately be reached late Sunday.

Sheik Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa said he gave the singer millions and planned a series of collaborations following Jackson's acquittal on child molestation charges in June 2005. Al Khalifa, 33, invited Jackson to the small, oil-rich Gulf state to escape the media spotlight.

The sheik, the second son of the king of Bahrain, said he believed he had formed "a close personal relationship" with the star, whom he referred to affectionately as "my brother."

Al Khalifa said he gave Jackson millions of dollars to help shore up his finances and subsidize Jackson's lifestyle in Bahrain including more than $300,000 for a "motivational guru." Al Khalifa, an amateur songwriter, says the pair even moved into the same palace to work on music together.

But Jackson dropped the project in 2006, leaving Bahrain and pulling out of the contract.

Jackson's lawyers have maintained the money was a gift and argued that the musician wasn't bound by the deal because the contract was signed on behalf of 2 Seas Records, a venture which never got off the ground.

The singer originally wanted to avoid coming to London to answer the lawsuit in person, seeking instead to give evidence by video link from the United States. His lawyer, Robert Englehart, had claimed that Jackson should be spared the trans-Atlantic trip due to an unspecified illness, but on Thursday the lawyer said the 50-year-old star had been cleared for travel.

The suit is being heard in London by mutual agreement.

Jackson's purported medical problems and his sometimes bizarre demeanor have been a regular feature of previous court appearances. His 2005 trial was punctuated by complaints of back problems, an apparent bout with the flu and visits to the hospital. At one point, the judge had to order the pajama-clad star into court from the emergency room.

His most notorious appearance came in 2002, when a wide-eyed Jackson testified in a California courtroom with what appeared to be a bandage hanging from his nose.

Geithner likely to be Treasury Secretary

2008-11-22T06:16:00.000-08:00

This man the hope will be a hero like superman, batman, spiderman and whatsoever hero you call it. But that's the America style, they always pretend to be hero and truth is..they are zero.

NBC News has learned that the president-elect is preparing to roll out his economic team on Monday -- and will personally announce the team and answer questions -- part of an effort to reassure markets.

Barring last minute changes, the nominee for Treasury Secretary will be NY Fed President Tim Geithner -- a career Treasury official under both Bob Rubin and Larry Summers -- who actually had worked at the Treasury in three administrations under five Secretaries -- going back to 1988.

Geithner has been a key player in the current economic crisis -- helping Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and his team manage the wall street bailout.

Former Treasury Secretary Summers -- also considered for the post -- might still play a major future role in the Obama administration, according to sources. Summers came under fire from women's groups because of controversial comments he made about gender issues while President of Harvard, but sources say the decision to choose Geithner had more to do with Obama's interest in "change" and getting someone new on the team.

Also expected Monday -- an announcement that former U.N. Ambassador and Energy Secretary in the Clinton administration, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, will be Commerce Secretary.

Paul Volcker is expected to play a continuing advisory role -- not clear if he would have an appointed position.

Other economic appointments for the White house staff will likely include Dan Tarullo, a top Obama advisor, possibly as head of the National Economic Council.

Other economic posts -- perhaps at the Council of Economic advisors in the White House -- could be filled by Obama economic advisors Austan Goolsbee and Jason Furman.

Michael Jackson aka Jacko Converts To Islam

2008-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Now the muslim world has another icon, it's Micheal Jackson aka Jacko and now you can him Mikaeel one of the angel of the god. He convert to Islam and hope for more better life after having so much trouble in his life as a christian. Here's the full report.

Jacko Wacko is at it again. The King of pop manages to make waves in the media for his bizarre lifestyle. This time Michael Jackson has reportedly converted to Islam.

Michael Jackson is now 'Mikaeel', name of one of the angels of Allah. The 50-year old legend wore the traditional Islamic attire as he pledged his allegiance to the Koran at a friend's home in Los Angeles. He rejected the name 'Mustafa', which means "the chosen one," the source added.

The Pop star, who was raised a Jehovah's Witness, showed interest in Islam after discussing the religion with a music producer and songwriter on his new album - both of whom were converts to Islam, says reports. "They began talking to him about their beliefs, and how they thought they had become better people after they converted. Michael soon began warming to the idea," a source said. "An Imam was summoned from the mosque and Michael went through the shahada, which is the Muslim declaration of belief. Jacko rejected an alternative name, Mustafa meaning "the chosen one," the source added.

He was joined for celebration by British singer Yousef Islam, 60, who was called Cat Stevens until he famously converted. However, Jacko is currently faced with charges against him by Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, second son of the King of Bahrain. Reportedly Sheikh Abdulla had lend 7 million dollars to the singer after he faced the child molestation trial.

Wacko Jacko believed it was a 'gift' to him, while Abdullah claims Jackson had promised to return the money back.

Grief mixed with relief as PDs apply last rites to body politic

2008-11-09T21:54:00.000-08:00

I really don't understand what this story try to tell us. Of course it's about politic but it just for small community perhaps. Here's the report.

MARY Harney's eyes shone with the luminous and exhausted calm of someone who had attended the bedside vigil of a dying friend who had finally achieved blessed release, the life-support machine switched off by her own hand.

Nobody quite went so far as to utter the words 'sorry for your troubles', but it was on the tip of their tongues all the same as well-wishing supporters pressed her hand in wordless sympathy. No longer just a party founder but a foundling, as they all were now.

Twenty-three years ago to that very day, young and idealistic, she had been sitting in Dessie O'Malley's house planning the heady and exhilarating birth of a new political party.

Glory days had followed -- 14 TDs returned to the Dail in the 1987 election and, ever since, in government more often than any other party except Fianna Fail. And then the slow and agonising decline until the devastating crush injuries in the 'squeeze' of the last election, with Michael McDowell's ignominious exit from public life outside the RDS, a triumphant mob of Shinners hammering on his ministerial car.

The time to end it all had been then, many agreed at the conference, not limping on 'til they reached the stage of ironic jokes about the 'Progressive Democrat', singular, led by the leader 'Who?'

Box office

The box-office names on which the party had relied for so long were notably absent from the event. No McDowell, no Liz O'Donnell, no Tom Parlon, no Dessie himself. Just Mary, Fiona O'Malley and the bunch of Whos.

More than 70 delegates arrived from Limerick -- that traditional PD stronghold -- and an almost equally impressive number from Galway.

Unsurprisingly, the PDs remained a divided lot right up to the bitter end. There were those who considered the event the funeral of a beloved friend and others for whom it was more like that very modern Irish phenomenon -- one for which the PDs can claim much of the credit -- the celebratory divorce party.

By 4.55pm, it was all over, the decision taken to disband by a slimmish majority of 41 votes -- 201 to 160.

Those PDs who avow there was no rancour, no bitterness may have been speaking too soon. "Where do we go now? an elderly man brokenly asked his wife as they emerged from the room. "Where do we go? Home," she briskly informed him.

Here and there lay hints as to why the PDs had strayed off course. Noel Grealish vigorously defended himself, arguing that he had done nothing to speed up the party's demise and had never dropped hints about joining Fianna Fail. "You shafted us," one member screeched furiously.

Another woman blamed Ciaran Cannon for failing to show strong leadership: "Dead from the neck up -- Fiona would have done much better," she declared. "The Cannon that didn't fire," agreed another. Fiona O'Malley, herself, was grief-stricken - just 16 or 17 when the PDs were formed, she had grown up with them and this was a very sad occasion.

Sirena Campbell had seized a Progressive Democrats banner, umbrella and a little flag as mementos -- "a piece of Irish history that's being consigned and let go", she said, tears in her eyes. She added: "You don't walk out with the head down but with the head held high."

Bob Quinn, who ran as a young candidate in Dublin South Central in 2002 pointed to the PDs' lack of grassroots and fundamental foundation.

He had received great support from McDowell but that was it, he said.

He is now a 'political refugee,' and does not intend to join any party. "There's no one out there that represents my views -- it's just more of the same," he shook his head.

Scarpered

There were fears that Mary Harney had scarpered unseen from the room to escape the media glare, but that wasn't her style.

Ciaran Cannon avowed his continued commitment to politics. He is now considering which party he will join. The unspoken question hung in the air -- which one of them will take him on?

Where had it all gone wrong? Harney was asked by a reporter.

She smiled, paused and gave a heartfelt and very human chuckle that asked: "How long have you got?"

"Because we couldn't get an intelligent man like you to vote for us," was her answer.

Ohio braces for possible DHL layoffs

2008-11-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

Scary news for all DHL staffs. Almost 8,000 job cuts may be announced tomorrow, if the DHL's parent company revealed its quarterly earnings report. So what to do now? Say one of the DHL staff that going to be axe by the company. The other person answer it, "now it's time to get new job". Simple answer.

A southern Ohio community is bracing for possible layoffs as DHL Express -- the largest employer in the area -- planned to announce its quarterly earnings report and restructuring details.

DHL's parent company, German-based Deutsche Post World Net, will announce plans for its U.S. operations to investors Monday, said spokesman Jonathan Baker. He did not respond to published reports that Deutsche Post has ordered roughly 8,000 layoffs at DHL's Wilmington hub.

But Ohio officials were scrambling over the weekend to offset possible job cuts to the community. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, sent a letter Friday to DHL Chief Executive Officer John Mullen asking for immediate information about layoffs in the Wilmington area.

According to a statement from his office, Brown also called U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Howard Radzely "to seek immediate attention to a state of Ohio request for emergency funds to assist workers and communities affected by DHL's loss in business since announcing a proposed outsourcing agreement with UPS."

In May, Deutsche Post announced plans to outsource air services with UPS (UPS, Fortune 500). Brown says the plan would mean shutting down DHL's hub in Wilmington and cutting at least 8,000 jobs. Brown testified at two congressional hearings this year that centered on the proposal.

"Everybody is watching to see what happens tomorrow," said UPS spokesman Norman Black.

He added that UPS has been in negotiations with DHL to become its air carrier between U.S. airports, which would reduce costs because DHL currently uses two separate carriers for this task.

Wilmington Mayor David Razik said he had no details about the DHL announcement, but he was preparing for the worst.

"Given the state of the economy and the worldwide economic collapse, we know it can't be good news," he told CNN Sunday night. "Freight is down significantly, DHL is losing customers, they have laid off sales personnel in other locations. We really think it's certainly not going to be good for Wilmington."

Obama to use executive orders for immediate impact

2008-11-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

Another report from Barack Obama. He want to use executive order in his administration just for immediate impact. What executive he mean? I also don't know and hope all people around him is good and nice to other people. Here's the full report.

President-elect Obama plans to use his executive powers to make an immediate impact when he takes office, perhaps reversing Bush administration policies on stem cell research and domestic drilling for oil and natural gas.

John Podesta, Obama's transition chief, said Sunday Obama is reviewing President Bush's executive orders on those issues and others as he works to undo policies enacted during eight years of Republican rule. He said the president can use such orders to move quickly on his own.

"There's a lot that the president can do using his executive authority without waiting for congressional action, and I think we'll see the president do that," Podesta said. "I think that he feels like he has a real mandate for change. We need to get off the course that the Bush administration has set."

Podesta also said Obama is working to build a diverse Cabinet. That includes reaching out to Republicans and independents — part of the broad coalition that supported Obama during the race against Republican John McCain. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been mentioned as a possible holdover.

"He's not even a Republican," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said. "Why wouldn't we want to keep him? He's never been a registered Republican."

Obama was elected on a promise of change, but the nature of the job makes it difficult for presidents to do much that has an immediate impact on the lives of average people. Congress plans to take up a second economic aid plan before year's end — an effort Obama supports. But it could be months or longer before taxpayers see the effect.

Obama could use his executive powers to at least signal that Washington is changing.

"Obama's advantage of course is he'll have the House and the Senate working with him, and that makes it easier," said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond. "But even then, having an immediate impact is very difficult to do because the machinery of government doesn't move that quickly."

Presidents long have used executive orders to impose policy and set priorities. One of Bush's first acts was to reinstate full abortion restrictions on U.S. overseas aid. The restrictions were first ordered by President Reagan and the first President Bush followed suit. President Clinton lifted them soon after he occupied the Oval Office and it wouldn't be surprising if Obama did the same.

Executive orders "have the power of law and they can cover just about anything," Tobias said in a telephone interview.

Bush used his executive power to limit federal spending on embryonic stem cell research, a position championed by opponents of abortion rights who argue that destroying embryos is akin to killing a fetus. Obama has supported the research in an effort to find cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's. Many moderate Republicans also support the research, giving it the stamp of bipartisanship.

On drilling, the federal Bureau of Land Management is opening about 360,000 acres of public land in Utah to oil and gas drilling. Bush administration officials argue that the drilling will not harm sensitive areas; environmentalists oppose it.

"They want to have oil and gas drilling in some of the most sensitive, fragile lands in Utah," Podesta said. "I think that's a mistake."

Two top House Republicans said there is a willingness to try to work with Obama to get things done. But they said to expect Republicans to serve as a check against the power held by Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress.

"It's going to be a cheerful opposition," said Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind. "We're going to carry those timeless principles of limited government, a strong defense, traditional values, to the American people."

Pence, of Indiana, is expected to take over the No. 3 leadership post among House Republicans.

In other transition matters, Obama's new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, would not say whether Obama would return to the Senate for votes during the postelection session this month. Obama's presence would be extraordinary, given his position as president-elect, especially if Congress takes up a much-anticipated economic stimulus plan.

"I think that the basic approach has been he's going to be here in Chicago, setting up his economic, not only his economic team, but the policies he wants to outline for the country as soon as he gets sworn in, so we hit the ground running," Emanuel said.

Also, Emanuel would not commit to a Democratic proposal to help the auto industry with some of the $700 billion approved by Congress to for the financial bailout.

Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a letter Saturday to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson that the administration should consider expanding the bailout to include car companies.

Honeymoon is over: Iran slams Obama for saying it's 'unacceptable' for them to have nuclear weapons

2008-11-09T02:10:00.000-08:00

Who said that every people around the world really love Barack Obama. The Iranian people is not statisfied with this man because his policy stil the same to Mr. Bush. Here's the full report.

Iran criticized President-elect Barack Obama for the first time Saturday, saying the world needs more than cosmetic changes in American foreign policy.

The criticism from Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani followed Obama's comment Friday that it is "unacceptable" for Iran to develop nuclear weapons and there should be a concerted international effort to prevent it.

"Obama can understand that strategic changes in (American) policy are required, not just cosmetic changes," Larijani told state television.

"This is a step in the wrong direction," he added. "If Americans want to change their situation in the region, they need to send good signals."

Iran has denied allegations that its nuclear program is aimed at producing weapons.

Iranians initially welcomed Obama's victory as a triumph over the unpopular policies of President Bush.

Hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated Obama on his win — the first time an Iranian leader has offered such wishes to a U.S. president-elect since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Ahmadinejad's message said "nations of the world" expect changes from Obama — mostly that he will change U.S. foreign policy. He claimed U.S. policy was "based on warmongering, occupation, bullying, deception and humiliation, as well as discrimination and unfair relations" and has led to "hatred of all nations and majority of governments toward the U.S. leaders."

During the campaign, Obama said he was willing to talk directly to Iran about its nuclear program, something the Bush administration has refused to do. He was harshly criticized for that by his rival, U.S. Senator John McCain, and others.

Asked about Iran at his first news conference since his election on Tuesday, Obama reiterated earlier statements saying he will move deliberately on how to respond to Iran and would not do it in a knee-jerk fashion.

"Iran's development of a nuclear weapon, I believe, is unacceptable. And we have to mount an international effort to prevent that from happening," Obama told reporters.

Iranian state radio said Obama's position was a replay of Bush's hard-line stance toward Tehran. It said this will dampen Iranian expectations for changes in U.S. foreign policy with the new administration.

The radio warned Obama "will betray the vote of the American people if he fails to bring back rationalism to the White House."

Priest: Slain dad had taught boy, 8, to use guns

2008-11-09T02:05:00.000-08:00

This is another sad and crazy story again involved the priest. So stupid and animalistic, here's the full report.

A man who police believe was shot and killed by his 8-year-old son had consulted a Roman Catholic priest about whether the boy should handle guns and had taught him how to use a rifle, the clergyman said Saturday.

The father, Vincent Romero, 29, was from a family of avid hunters and wanted to make sure the boy wasn't afraid of guns, said the Very Rev. John Paul Sauter of St. Johns Catholic Church. The boy's stepmother had suggested he have a BB gun, the priest said.

Romero taught his son how to use a rifle to kill prairie dogs, Sauter said. Police say the boy used a .22-caliber rifle Wednesday to kill his father and another man, Timothy Romans, 39, of San Carlos.

The priest did not say how he advised the couple but said Saturday that the boy "was just too young."

"That child, I don't think he knows what he did, and it was brutal," Sauter said.

The boy, who faces two counts of premeditated murder, did not act on the spur of the moment, St. Johns Police Chief Roy Melnick said. Police are looking into whether he might have been abused.

"I'm not accusing anybody of anything at this point," he said Saturday. "But we're certainly going to look at the abuse part of this. He's 8 years old. He just doesn't decide one day that he's going to shoot his father and shoot his father's friend for no reason. Something led up to this."

The boy's father and stepmother had gotten married in September, said Sauter, who presided over the wedding.

Romero had full custody of the child. The boy's mother had visited St. Johns from Mississippi the previous weekend and returned to Arizona after the shootings, said Apache County Attorney Brad Carlyon.

On Friday, a judge ordered a psychological evaluation of the boy. Under Arizona law, charges can be filed against anyone 8 or older.

The boy had no record of complaints with Arizona Child Protective Services, Carlyon said.

"He had no record of any kind, not even a disciplinary record at school," he said. "He has never been in trouble before."

In a sign of the emotional and legal complexities of the case, police are pushing to have the boy tried as an adult even as they investigate possible abuse, Melnick said. If convicted as a minor, the boy could be sent to juvenile detention until he turns 18.

"We're going to use every avenue of the law that's available to us, but we're also looking at the human side," he said.

The boy's lawyer, Benjamin Brewer, said his client is generally in good spirits.

"He's scared," he said. "He's trying to be tough, but he's scared."

Police are also investigating whether there were any domestic violence calls to the Romero home in the past, Melnick said.

Officers arrived at Romero's home within minutes of the shooting Wednesday in St. Johns, which has a population of about 4,000 and is 170 miles northeast of Phoenix. They found one victim just outside the front door and the other dead in an upstairs room.

Romans had been renting a room at the Romero house, prosecutors said. Both men were employees of a construction company working at a power plant near St. Johns.

The boy went to a neighbor's house and said he "believed that his father was dead," Carlyon said.

Melnick said police got a confession, but Brewer said police overreached in questioning the boy without representation from a parent or attorney and did not advise him of his rights.

FBI statistics show instances of children younger than 11 committing homicides are very rare. According to recent FBI supplementary homicide reports, there were at least three such cases each year in 2003, 2004 and 2005; there were at least 15 in 2002. More recent statistics weren't available, nor were details of the cases.

My Chance Encounter With Obama in Hawaii

2008-11-09T02:01:00.000-08:00

This report include Barack Obama picture links collection. The very interesting one is Obama's family tree's. Here's the full report.

It was three days before the new year in late 2006, and I was eating a burger with the traveler and writer Paul Theroux on Oahu's North Shore. Beside us in the rickety little shack was a quintessentially Hawaiian group of Chinese Americans, African Americans, semi-Southeast Asians and kids who could have been any or all of the above, waiting for the dad in the group to bring over their avocado burgers from the counter. It took Paul and me a few seconds to realize that the dad in question - who looked like a skinny teenager - was, in fact, the freshman Senator from Illinois, who was expected to enter the presidential race in the next week or two. (See pictures of presidential First Dogs.)

We couldn't help breaking in on his private moment to say hello, and Barack Obama, intruded upon in a place he'd probably come to get away from people like us, could not have been more friendly and engaged; we felt we could have talked burgers - and places and books - with him all day. But you expect that of a politician, whose livelihood depends on winning hearts. The more remarkable thing, we both felt, was that this sparkling stranger was so much like the kind of people we meet in Paris, in Hong Kong, in the Middle East: difficult to place and connected to everywhere. Like the air of his home island (not really Eastern or Western, but a vibrant mingling of the two), he spoke for the dawning global melting pot of today. (See pictures of Barack Obama's family tree.)

It has become part of the familiar story now, repeated so often we can barely hear it, but anyone who steps out of the U.S. today, in any direction, quickly sees that the American Century has become the Global Century and that where a generation ago much of the globe was trying to look like America, now it's America that needs to get in tune with the rest of the globe. The very presence of someone like Obama shows this is possible. But the story of the 21st century so far has been of a fast-moving train that the U.S. (like its enemies) declines to board.

Everywhere I've been this year - from Jerusalem to Japan to Colombia to Italy and back again - I've heard people essentially say that America is an overweight, white plutocrat who is not only out of touch with the world but also shows no signs of wanting to grow closer to it. This is as unfair as any image - contradicted at every moment by the kindness and curiosity of many Americans - but it remains a potent one in a world where people communicate more with images than ideas and assumptions travel faster than truths. The best way to begin to correct it is to show the world a leader who can't really say how much he's African or Asian or American or just a product of their mixing in Hawaii. The point is not just that Obama will bring globalism to America; in his name, his face and his issues, he'll bring America back to the globe.

You could, in fact, say it is the questions that he draws from his experience that are as important as any answers he may come up with. How to make a peace between the black and the white inside him (or inside our cities and our country)? How to do right by our relatives in Africa without dishonoring the grandparents from Kansas who raised us? How to bring the modest Muslim school in Java together with Harvard Law School? The questions Obama has been thinking about all his life are the very ones that dominate the world today. And the mounting economic crisis only makes the construction of a wider identity - and conversing across the waters - more urgent, not less so. I happened to be in Alaska the week Sarah Palin was introduced to the world, and around me I saw the America I had grown up on: full of open space and possibility, blessed with great oil reserves and immigrants from everywhere, scenically gorgeous - but tied to the go-it-alone spirit of a "last frontier." It looked as much like the America of my boyhood as Hawaii and the burger joint looked like the America of tomorrow. The kids next to us in the North Shore shack seemed much less concerned with where they came from than with where they were headed.

Barack Obama the man is sure to disappoint some of the expectations his fans have; any man would, especially in the age of the 24/7 news cycle. But the past and the future that he speaks for are precisely the ones that belong so uniquely to the new century and the 95% of humans who are our neighbors at the global burger table. It's more than possible to make your fortune in Alaska - but I'd much rather find the future in Hawaii.

See pictures of Barack Obama's campaign behind the scenes.

See pictures of the world reacting to Obama's win.

U.S. Carmakers Said to Seek $50 Billion in U.S. Loans

2008-11-07T08:28:00.001-08:00

GM, FORD, CHRYSLER are now seek for '$50 Billion in Federal Loans and here's the full report.

General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC, strapped for cash as sales plunge, are seeking $50 billion in federal loans to help them weather the worst auto market in 25 years, a person familiar with the matter said.

The package would be $25 billion for health-care spending and $25 billion for general liquidity that could be delivered in different ways, including short-term borrowing from the Federal Reserve, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the plan isn't public. In return, the companies would be willing to take steps such as granting stock warrants, the person said.

The automakers should receive ``additional help'' from President George W. Bush's administration, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said after meeting with their chief executive officers in Washington yesterday. Congress approved a $25 billion loan program in September to help build fuel-efficient vehicles.

The three companies, their unions and legislative allies are hunting for aid after a combined $28.6 billion in combined first- half losses. New vehicles sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 10.6 million in October, the lowest since 1983.

Ford is also among automakers approaching European governments for 40 billion euros ($51.2 billion) in loans, Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth told reporters today after the company said it used up $7.7 billion more cash from auto operations than it generated last quarter.

In the U.S., the Bush administration should use its existing authority to provide the help, Reid said yesterday in a statement, without being specific as to the amount. Congress will also continue exploring ways to aid the automakers, the Nevada Democrat said.

`Immediate Liquidity'

Spokesmen for the automakers have declined to say how much assistance they're seeking. The UAW said Nov. 5 it backed $25 billion in loans for automakers' health-care costs and other aid for ``immediate liquidity.''

Analysts estimate that GM also will report a third-quarter operating loss today, after Ford said its loss on that basis was $2.98 billion. The financial demands on the automakers include contributing to UAW-run trusts being created to take over responsibility for retirees' medical bills.

GM CEO Rick Wagoner, Ford's Alan Mulally, Chrysler's Robert Nardelli and United Auto Workers President Ronald Gettelfinger also met yesterday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat. The auto chiefs didn't take questions from reporters.

`Necessary Funding'

GM will work with Reid and Pelosi ``to ensure immediate and necessary funding to keep the auto industry viable,'' the Detroit-based automaker said in a statement.

Nardelli said in a statement Chrysler was ``encouraged'' by the lawmakers' understanding of the importance of the auto industry. Mulally said ``we applaud their efforts.''

The government wants to ``ensure the viability of this industry,'' Pelosi told reporters before her meeting with the CEOs. U.S. officials also will be ``looking out for taxpayers,'' she said.

The meeting with Pelosi was ``very positive,'' according to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, who also attended. Hoyer, when asked whether the automakers mentioned bankruptcy, said, ``No, but I'm not going to say anything further.''

Representative Sander Levin, a Michigan Democrat who also attended, said the meeting ``went very well'' and that the outcome would be ``positive.''

Obama's Plans

President-elect Barack Obama said last week he plans to work with the industry to make it more competitive. Obama has called for a $175 billion stimulus package to follow the $168 billion package signed into law in February.

Automakers, the UAW and state political leaders have sought support from the Energy Department, the Fed, the Treasury Department and from Congress.

The Energy Department said Nov. 5 it has moved ahead with one piece of automaker aid as it set the interim rules for the $25 billion low-interest loan program, which was crafted to help the companies retool plants to build more-efficient vehicles.

The government needs to ensure that this money goes for the purposes Congress intended, said Public Citizen, a consumer- advocacy group in Washington.

The Energy Department ``should not provide loans to upgrade plants that produce performance vehicles,'' Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen's president, said in a statement.

EU voices strong concern over Russian missiles plan

2008-11-07T08:16:00.001-08:00

The Russian want to terrorist the world again? Here's the full report.

The French presidency of the European Union expressed "strong concern" Friday over a Russian plan to station new missiles near Poland's border.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced Wednesday that Moscow would deploy missiles in its western outpost of Kaliningrad in response to U.S. plans to station an anti-missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.

"The presidency of the European Union council expresses its strong concern after the announcement by President Medvedev ... of the deployment of a complex of Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad," the presidency said in a statement.

"This announcement does not contribute to the establishment of a climate of trust and to the improvement of security in Europe, at a time when we wish for a dialogue with Russia on questions of security in the whole of the continent," it said.

The Bush administration says its missile shield aims to protect its European allies against possible attack by "rogue states," particularly Iran, and by terrorist groups. Moscow views the system as a direct threat to its national security.

The dispute comes ahead of a November 14 summit between Russia and the 27-nation EU in the French city of Nice. The EU froze talks on a new partnership pact with Moscow after Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war in August.

POLES CLAIM VINDICATION

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Medvedev's move vindicated Warsaw's plan to station U.S. Patriot missiles on its soil, a deployment it persuaded Washington to make in return for its agreement to host part of the shield system.

Medvedev's plan "just shows that our decision to protect our air space with U.S. help is a correct one," Sikorski told the Polish parliament.

Under proposed confidence-building measures, Sikorski said Russia could send inspectors to bases in Poland on condition that Moscow also allows Polish inspectors into Russian bases.

Both the U.S. and Polish legislatures have still to ratify the accord on the missile defence shield.

Sikorski said Poland and the United States were pressing on with negotiations on the logistical aspects of the deal without waiting for President-elect Barack Obama to take office.

Earlier this week, Sikorski said Obama had told him two months ago that he had concerns over the missile defence shield's effectiveness and whether it was not directed against Russia. But Sikorski said he expected Obama to push ahead with the system once he had secured reassurances over its aims.

Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a Moscow foreign ministry source as saying Russia would study Washington's proposals on the missile shield and on how to find a replacement for a key nuclear arms reduction treaty.

Russia wants to find a replacement for the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which set ceilings on the size of Russian and U.S. nuclear arsenals but expires in December 2008.

"We have received these proposals and we will study them," Interfax news agency quoted the unidentified source as saying.

Obama faces Cold War threat, a warning from Israel

2008-11-07T08:04:00.000-08:00

Now Barack Obama get threat and warning at his first day job, here's the full report.

With barely time to savour his triumph, Barack Obama has been confronted with various international crises to test his mettle.

The U.S. President-elect faces threats from Russia, Israel and Afghanistan as it emerged his election team's computers were hacked by a 'foreign entity' during the election.

Officials at the FBI and the White House believe the hackers sought to gather information on the evolution of both his and Senator John McCain's policy positions with the idea of using that information in negotiations with the next administration.

Obama technical experts later speculated the hackers were Russian or Chinese, and security ended the intrusion, Newsweek reported.

The first of the challenges thrown at the President-elect, who received his first national security intelligence briefing yesterday, came from the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

He threatened to base warheads along the Polish border if Obama goes ahead with a Bush administration plan to create a missile shield in Eastern Europe.

Then Israel warned Obama last night that his claim that he was ready to open talks with Iran could be seen in the Middle East as a sign of weakness.

Furthermore, Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai demanded that Obama 'put an end to civilian casualties' by changing U.S. military tactics to avoid airstrikes in the war on the Taliban. He spoke out after seven wedding party guests were accidentally killed by an American airstrike.

After 2 year marathon, Barack Obama heads back to gym

2008-11-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

After the races, now it's time to go back to rebuild fitness! Go Obama. Here's the full report.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - What do you do after a two-year long-shot presidential run finally ends in victory?

For Barack Obama the answer is: you head for the gym.

Obama, who hit the gym regularly on the campaign trail, could have been forgiven for skipping his regular exercise routine on Wednesday, less than 12 hours after winning a hard-fought U.S. presidential battle against Republican John McCain.

Despite getting little sleep after returning home at nearly 2 a.m. after a historical and emotional night in Chicago's Grant Park, the well-disciplined Obama opted to head to the gym around mid-morning.

But Obama first spent a little quality time at home, enjoying something he said he missed most while out on the campaign trail: breakfast with his wife, Michelle, and daughers Malia and Sashsa.

Wearing a dark baseball cap and sunglasses, Obama then sped away in his motorcade for a few blocks to the gym near his house where the first-term senator from Illinois often retreated for exercise and time away from the media during the 21-month presidential campaign.

The new president-elect, who played his traditional election-day game of basketball on Tuesday with some friends and staff members before the polls closed, stayed inside the gym for about an hour.

He made a quick departure, though a steadily growing group of a few dozen people had gathered across the street from the apartment complex that houses the gym.

The crowd cheered as Obama got into his car and headed off in his motorcade.

Obama had no plans to hold a news conference or any public meetings on Wednesday, preferring to set about the business of transitioning to the White House in private.

But before entering a downtown office building for some meetings and conference calls to thank campaing staff across the country, Obama offered up a few words to the media.

But he gave no clue about his future Cabinet appointments or plans for the transition. He talked only about sleep, or lack thereof.

"Hey guys, how's it going? You get any sleep last night?" he shouted to the media gathered to watch him enter the building.

Some photographers complained about getting little sleep, after covering Obama's acceptance speech and waiting for him to attend victory celebrations with supporters until late into the night.

When the question of sleep was thrown back at him, Obama replied: "Not as much as I'd like."

Then the man who will be president on Jan. 20 turned and walked into an office building and set about putting the wheels in motion on his new administration.

With 11 weeks to go before he takes office, Obama is expected to quickly name some key Cabinet officials including his economic team.

Feds disrupt alleged skinhead plot to kill Barack Obama

2008-10-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

Now Barack Obama is in danger. Skinheads want to kill him and is not shocking me because skinheads are racist. Here is the full report.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Two white supremacists allegedly plotted to go on a national killing spree, shooting and decapitating black people and ultimately targeting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, federal authorities said Monday.

In all, the two men whom officials described as neo-Nazi skinheads planned to kill 88 people—14 by beheading, according to documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Tenn. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community.

The spree, which initially targeted an unidentified predominantly African-American school, was to end with the two men driving toward Obama, "shooting at him from the windows," the court documents show.

"Both individuals stated they would dress in all-white tuxedos and wear top hats during the assassination attempt," the court complaint states. "Both individuals further stated they knew they would and were willing to die during this attempt."

An Obama spokeswoman traveling with the senator in Pennsylvania had no immediate comment.

Sheriffs' deputies in Crockett County, Tenn., arrested the two suspects—Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman 18, of Helena-West Helena, Ark.—Oct. 22 on unspecified charges. "Once we arrested the defendants and suspected they had violated federal law, we immediately contacted federal authorities," said Crockett County Sheriff Troy Klyce.

The two were charged by federal authorities Monday with possessing an unregistered firearm, conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed gun dealer, and threatening a candidate for president.

Cowart and Schlesselman are being held without bond. Agents seized a rifle, a sawed-off shotgun and three pistols from the men when they were arrested. Authorities alleged the two men were preparing to break into a gun shop to steal more.

Jasper Taylor, city attorney in Bells, said Cowart was arrested on Wednesday. He was held for a few days in Bells, then moved over the weekend to another facility.

"It was kept under lid until today," Taylor said.

Until his arrest, Cowart lived with his grandparents in a southern, rural part of the county, Taylor said, adding that Cowart apparently never graduated from high school. He moved away, possibly to Arkansas or Texas, then returned over the summer, Taylor said.

Attorney Joe Byrd, who has been hired to represent Cowart, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday. Messages left on two phone numbers listed under Cowart's name were not immediately returned.

No telephone number for Schlesselman in Helena-West Helena could be found immediately.

The court documents say the two men met about a month ago on the Internet and found common ground in their shared "white power" and "skinhead" philosophy.

The numbers 14 and 88 are symbols in skinhead culture, referring to a 14-word phrase attributed to an imprisoned white supremacist: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children" and to the eighth letter of the alphabet, H. Two "8"s or "H"s stand for "Heil Hitler."

Court records say Cowart and Schlesselman also bought nylon rope and ski masks to use in a robbery or home invasion to fund their spree, during which they allegedly planned to go from state to state and kill people. Agents said the skinheads did not identify the African-American school they were targeting by name.

Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of the Nashville, Tenn., field office for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, said authorities took the threats very seriously.

"They said that would be their last, final act—that they would attempt to kill Sen. Obama," Cavanaugh said. "They didn't believe they would be able to do it, but that they would get killed trying."

He added: "They seemed determined to do it. Even if they were just to try it, it would be a trail of tears around the South."

An ATF affidavit filed in the case says Cowart and Schlesselman told investigators the day they were arrested they had shot at a glass window at Beech Grove Church of Christ, a congregation of about 60 black members in Brownsville, Tenn.

Nelson Bond, the church secretary and treasurer, said no one was at the church when the shot was fired. Members found the bullet had shattered the glass in the church's front door when they arrived for evening Bible study.

"We have been on this site for about 120 years, and we have never had a problem like this before," said Bond, 53 and a church member for 45 years.

The investigation is continuing, and more charges are possible, Cavanaugh said. He said there's no evidence—so far—that others were willing to assist Cowart and Schlesselman with the plot.

At this point, there does not appear to be any formal assassination plan, Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said.

"Whether or not they had the capability or the wherewithal to carry out an attack remains to be seen," he said.

Zahren said the statements about the assassination came out in interviews after the men were arrested last week.

The Secret Service became involved in the investigation once it was clear that an Obama assassination attempt was part of this violent, far-reaching plot.

"We don't discount anything," Zahren said, adding that it's one thing for the defendants to make statements, but it's not the same as having an organized assassination plan.

Helena-West Helena, on the Mississippi River in east Arkansas' Delta, is in one of the nation's poorest regions, trailing even parts of Appalachia in its standard of living. Police Chief Fred Fielder said he had never heard of Schlesselman.

However, the reported threat of attacking a school filled with black students worried Fielder. Helena-West Helena, with a population of 12,200, is 66 percent black. "Predominantly black school, take your pick," he said.

Comedian Jerry Lewis makes another anti-gay slur

2008-10-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

Gay is not a comedy and comedian really hates gay. Jerry Lewis show his anti-gay again. Here's the report!

Jerry Lewis made an anti-gay slur on Australian television similar to one he apologized for using on his annual telethon a year ago.

Following a news conference in Sydney Friday, Lewis, 82, was asked by a Network Ten national TV reporter for his opinion on the Australian nation sport of cricket.

"Oh, cricket? It's a f-- game. What are you, nuts?" Lewis replied.

The network broadcast the comment in full on its Friday evening news bulletin along with footage of Lewis handling an imaginary cricket bat with an effeminate gesture.

Lewis apologized in September last year for using a similar anti-gay slur in Las Vegas during his annual Labor Day telethon that raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

New York-based media discrimination watchdog Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, as well as gay rights group Australian Coalition for Equality called for Lewis to apologize again.

"Last year, Mr. Lewis apologized for using an anti-gay slur on live television, and expressed his desire to raise public awareness about the impact of this kind of defamation," GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano said in a statement.

"Clearly he did not take the lessons of that unfortunate episode to heart because, in an effort to be humorous, he has once again managed to offend and defame the gay community," he said.

"For someone so well known for helping others, Mr. Lewis shows an incredible lack of dignity and respect when he makes comments that contribute to a climate of intolerance," Giuliano added.

Lewis was still in Australia on Saturday and has performances booked there through Nov. 1. His Australian spokeswoman Julie Cavanagh said he did not intend to comment.

The comedian held Friday's news conference to promote his latest stage show that is touring Australia. It is a retrospective of his career that includes show tunes with a 24-piece band, excerpts from his scores of movies and television shows, and his trademark slapstick comedy.

Barack Obama Bombshell Redistribution of Wealth Audio Uncovered

2008-10-26T22:57:00.000-07:00

This is the very interesting report, and it's about the popular Mr. Obama again. Obama Bombshell Audio Uncovered. He wants to Radically Reinterpret the Constitution to Redistribute Wealth! In a 2001 Chicago Public Radio Interview Obama is discussing the best way to bring about a Redistribution of Wealth! This Video Exposes the radical underneath the rhetoric!

Palin warns Obama would create nanny state if elected

2008-10-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

Everybody in the USA hate Sarah Palin and the most hater of her is Barack Obama. But for the fight back, this is another hot story from Palin for Obama...finally the fightback..

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (CNN) — Campaigning Saturday in Iowa, a state where polls show Barack Obama enjoying a healthy lead just 10 days before the election, Sarah Palin warned that putting Obama in the White House along with Democrats running both chambers of Congress will turn the country into a nanny state.

Palin cautioned Iowans that under Obama’s “big government agenda,” their income, property and investments would be “shared with everybody else.” She labeled Obama’s plan to provide tax credits to lower and middle-income wage-earners “the philosophy of government taking more, which is a misuse of the power to tax.”

“It leads to government moving into the role of taking care of you, and government and politicians and, kind of moving in as the other half of your family to make decisions for you,” she said. “Now they do this in other countries where the people are not free. Government as part of the family, taking care of us, making decisions for us. I don’t know what to think of having in my family Uncle Barney Frank or others to make decisions for me.”

With audience members shouting “socialist!” throughout her speech, the Alaska governor said that time is running out for Americans to realize the danger of a having a Democrat in the White House.

“Are we hearing what he is saying with 10 days to go?,” she asked plaintively. “Are voters hearing what he is saying about his plans for bigger government?”

At the beginning of her remarks, Palin appeared to ad-lib a riff about her much-discussed wardrobe, which has the been the subject of scrutiny since Politico reported last week that the RNC spent $150,000 on clothes for Palin and her family before the Republican National Convention in September.

“Your state is filled with good, hard-working people all loving the outdoors,” she said, “and it was nice and crisp getting off the airplane and coming into the — it reminded me a lot of Alaska, so I put my warm jacket on, and it is my own jacket. It doesn't belong to anybody else."

Palin was introduced by Col. Bud Day, who shared a cell with John McCain in Vietnam and is one of the Arizona senator’s most loyal campaign allies. Day reached back 60 years to invoke the 1948 presidential election, and said that if Harry Truman was able to come back to defeat Thomas Dewey, McCain will be able to do the same against Obama.