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      Many INLNews readers have asked what is the Bilderberg Group . 
      The is some information from Wikipedia about the Bilderberg Group. 
      INLNews.com in now doing an in depth study into the Bilderberg Group which will soon appear as a special feature on INL News.com

      Please email answers questions about anything you want INLNews.com to look into you you to
                                                                                                                news@inltv.com
      Another Builderberger called to Obama's Cabinet Kansas Governor On Short List For Health Secretary

      OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Once again attention is being focused on Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Will she be named to a Presidential Cabinet position? KMBC's Dan Weinbaum spoke to Kansas Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson, who would replace Sebelius if she goes to D.C. The No. 2 man in Kansas was speaking to a luncheon of real estate managers in Johnson County. Parkinson joked that cameras don't usually follow the lieutenant governor, unless the governor is going somewhere. The hot topic is whether Sebelius will be picked to head the Health and Human Services Department, a Cabinet-level position in the Obama Administration. The first time speculation arose about Sebelius being named to the Cabinet was after the election. The governor nipped that idea in the bud, citing state budget issues. Now, once again, Sebelius' name has been floated as the top of the short list.

      Thursday, Parkinson said he has not heard of any official inquiries. "These are challenging times," said Parkinson. "But as lieutenant governor, I've spent the last two years being ready in case the governor would leave for any reason, and if she leaves, I'm ready." The New York Times reported that the president has Sebelius at the top of his list to fill the position left open after Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination.
       

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      Bilderberg Group

       

      undefined

      Hotel de Bilderberg, Oosterbeek, the Netherlands - scene of the first Bilderberg Conference in 1954.
      undefined
      Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke leaving the 2008 Bilderberg Conference

       

      The Bilderberg GroupBilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an unofficial, annual, invitation-only conference of around 130 guests, most of whom are persons of great influence in the fields of politicsbusinessbanking, and media. Each conference is under intense secrecy and security, with the last meeting guarded by police, security services, military helicopters and even fighter jets.[1][2]

      The group meets annually at hotels or resorts throughout the world—for two consecutive years in Europe followed by a year in theUnited States or Canada. This tradition appeared to be broken in 2008 when the meeting was held in Chantilly, Virginia, so as to give easier access to those associated with the US elections. The 2009 Bilderberg meeting took place from 14-16 May in Athens, Greece.[3]

      Origin

      The original Bilderberg conference was held at the Hotel de Bilderberg, near Arnhem in The Netherlands, from 29 May to 31 May 1954. It was initiated by several people, including Denis Healey and Józef Retinger, concerned about the growth of anti-Americanism in Western Europe, who proposed an international conference at which leaders from European countries and the United States would be brought together with the aim of promoting understanding between the cultures of the United States and Western Europe.[4] Retinger approached Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, who agreed to promote the idea, together with Belgian Prime Minister Paul Van Zeeland, and the head of Unilever at that time, the Dutchman Paul Rijkens. Bernhard in turn contacted Walter Bedell Smith, then head of the CIA, who askedEisenhower adviser Charles Douglas Jackson to deal with the suggestion.[5] The guest list was to be drawn up by inviting two attendees from each nation, one of each to represent conservative and liberal points of view.[4] Fifty delegates from 11 countries in Western Europe attended the first conference along with 11 Americans.[6]

      The success of the meeting led the organizers to arrange an annual conference. A permanent Steering Committee was established, with Retinger appointed as permanent secretary. As well as organizing the conference, the steering committee also maintained a register of attendee names and contact details, with the aim of creating an informal network of individuals who could call upon one another in a private capacity. Conferences were held in FranceGermany, and Denmark over the following three years. In 1957, the first US conference was held in St. Simons, Georgia, with $30,000 from the Ford Foundation. The foundation supplied further funding for the 1959 and 1963 conferences.[5]

      Organizational structure

       

      Meetings are organized by a steering committee with two members from each of around eighteen nations.[7] Official posts, in addition to a chairman, include an Honorary Secretary General.[8] There is no such category in the group's rules as a "member of the group". The only category that exists is "member of the Steering Committee".[9] In addition to the committee, there also exists a separate advisory group, though membership overlaps.[10]

      Dutch economist Ernst van der Beugel took over as permanent secretary in 1960, upon Retinger's death. Prince Bernhard continued to serve as the meeting's chairman until 1976, the year of his involvement in the Lockheed affair. The position of Honorary American Secretary General has been held successively by Joseph E. Johnson of the Carnegie EndowmentWilliam Bundy of PrincetonTheodore L. Eliot, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, and Casimir A. Yost ofGeorgetown's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy.[11]

      A 2008 press release from the American Friends of Bilderberg stated that "Bilderberg's only activity is its annual Conference. At the meetings, no resolutions are proposed, no votes taken, and no policy statements issued" and noted that the names of attendees were available to the press.[12] The Bilderberg group unofficial headquarters is the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.[13]

      Chairmen

       

       

      Participants

      The steering committee does not publish a list of attendees, though some participants have publicly discussed their attendance. Historically, attendee lists have been weighted towards politicians, bankers, and directors of large businesses.[16]

      Heads of state, including Juan Carlos I of Spain and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, have attended meetings.[8][17] Prominent politicians from North America and Europe are past attendees. In past years, board members from many large publicly-traded corporations have attended, including IBMXeroxRoyal Dutch ShellNokia and Daimler.[8]

      The 2009 meeting participants in Greece included: Greek prime ministerKostas KaramanlisFinnish prime ministerMatti Vanhanen[18]; Sweden foreign minister, Carl BildtU.S. State Department number two, James Steinberg; U.S. Treasury Secretary,Timothy GeithnerWorld Bank president, Robert ZoellickEuropean Commission head, José Manuel BarrosoQueen Sofia of Spain; and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.[19]

      European Union

      In a European Parliament session in Brussels, Mario Borghezio, an Italian member of European Parliament, questioned the nominations of Bilderberg and Trilateralattendees for the posts of EU President and EU foreign minister.[20][21]

      In 2009 the group had a dinner meeting at Castle of the Valley of the Duchess in Brussels, in the 12th of November, with the participation of Herman Van Rompuy, who later became the President of the European Council. The newspaper De Tijd (and several others afterwards) reported that, at this meeting, Van Rompuy showed support for a European green tax: "Van Rompuy told the elite club that the European government leaders are increasingly becoming proponents of Europe tapping off green income, so that the contributions of member states to the EU can be decreased." [22] [23] [24]

      Conspiracy theories

      Because of its secrecy and refusal to issue news releases, the group is frequently accused of secretive and nefarious world plots.[25] Critics include the John Birch Society,[26] the Canadian writer Daniel EstulinBritish writer David Icke, American writer Jim Tucker and radio host Alex Jones.

      Bilderberg founding member and, for 30 years, a steering committee member, Denis Healey has said:[27]

      To say we were striving for a one-world government is exaggerated, but not wholly unfair. Those of us in Bilderberg felt we couldn't go on forever fighting one another for nothing and killing people and rendering millions homeless. So we felt that a single community throughout the world would be a good thing.

      According to the American Friends of Bilderberg, the 2008 agenda dealt "mainly with a nuclear free world, cyber terrorismAfricaRussia, finance, protectionism, US-EU relations, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Islam and Iran".[12]


      Origins of conspiracy theories

      Jonathan Duffy, writing in BBC News Online Magazine states:

      No reporters are invited in and while confidential minutes of meetings are taken, names are not noted... In the void created by such aloofness, an extraordinary conspiracy theory has grown up around the group that alleges the fate of the world is largely decided by Bilderberg.[28]

      According to the investigative journalist Chip Berlet, the origins of Bilderberger conspiracy theories can be traced to activist Phyllis Schlafly. In Berlet's 1994 reportRight Woos Left, published by Political Research Associates, he writes:

      The views on intractable godless communism expressed by Schwarz were central themes in three other bestselling books which were used to mobilize support for the 1964 Barry Goldwater campaign. The best known was Phyllis Schlafly's A Choice, Not an Echo, which suggested a conspiracy theory in which the Republican Party was secretly controlled by elitist intellectuals dominated by members of the Bilderberger group, whose policies would pave the way for global communist conquest.[29]

      Before the 2001 meeting, a report in the Guardian stated:

      ...the press have never been allowed access and all discussions are under Chatham House rules (no quoting). Not surprisingly, such ground rules, while attracting publicity-shy financiers, have also fuelled the fantasies of conspiracy theorists. The truth is probably more mundane: powerful people like meeting each other, but they argue that they need privacy if there is to be serious, honest discussions: the G8 summits are a graphic example of how all the meaningful exchanges are kept well away from the pre-prepared final communiques drawn up by civil servants.[30]


      Recent meetings

      Recent meetings:


      Further reading


      See also

       

       

       

       

       

      List of Bilderberg participants From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


      The following is a list of prominent persons who have attended one or more conferences organized by the Bilderberg Group

      The list is currently organized by category. It is not a complete list and it includes both living and deceased people.

       Where known, the year(s) they attended are denoted in brackets.



      Royalty


      Politics

      United Statee

      INLNews.com notes that Wikipedia has missed out the fact that Hilliary Clinton was seen attending the Biderberg Group meeting in Canada which was held recently we think in 1998. you should be able ot see vido of Hilliary Cinton attending this Biderberg Metting at

      Presidents

      Senators

      Governors

      United Kingdom

      Prime Ministers

      Belgium

      Netherlands

      France

      Portugal

      Finland

      Iceland

      Germany

      Poland

      Canada

      Sweden

      Norway

      • Siv Jensen (2009) - Seen in Alex Jones' Blueprint movie.

      EU Commissioners

      European Union Commissioners who have attended include:

      UN, WTO, NATO and other International Organizations

      Military

      Financial institutions

      Major corporations

      University, institute and other academic

      Media

       

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      Our community is the place to explore your passions and interests, meet new people, and most of all—have fun!


       
      Another Builderberger called to Obama's Cabinet Kansas Governor On Short List For Health Secretary

      OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Once again attention is being focused on Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Will she be named to a Presidential Cabinet position? KMBC's Dan Weinbaum spoke to Kansas Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson, who would replace Sebelius if she goes to D.C. The No. 2 man in Kansas was speaking to a luncheon of real estate managers in Johnson County. Parkinson joked that cameras don't usually follow the lieutenant governor, unless the governor is going somewhere. The hot topic is whether Sebelius will be picked to head the Health and Human Services Department, a Cabinet-level position in the Obama Administration. The first time speculation arose about Sebelius being named to the Cabinet was after the election. The governor nipped that idea in the bud, citing state budget issues. Now, once again, Sebelius' name has been floated as the top of the short list.

      Thursday, Parkinson said he has not heard of any official inquiries. "These are challenging times," said Parkinson. "But as lieutenant governor, I've spent the last two years being ready in case the governor would leave for any reason, and if she leaves, I'm ready." The New York Times reported that the president has Sebelius at the top of his list to fill the position left open after Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination.
       
      Conspiracy theories and Secret Societies
       
      Probably my favorite part of fringe group weirdness! I'll admit, as much as I scoff at stories of psychic phenomina, ghosts, alien abductions, and the like, there's always been a special place in my heart for Conspiracy theories and Secret Societies.
      I've got no idea how to start this off, so how about people start talking about what they know about various secret societies and the like. Fair game are:
      The Illuminati, Free Masons, Majestic 12, The Trilateral Commission, Government cover-ups, Nazis in Antarctica
      , Blood banks as Dracula's own pyramid scheme
      And anything else you'd like to bring to the table! Go for it!

      kazakhan
      [URL=http://www.infowars.com/]Info Wars[/URL]
      [URL=http://www.prisonplanet.com]Prison Planet[/URL]
      [URL=http://www.davidicke.com/icke/index1c.html]David Icke[/URL]
      The above sites are full of info', links etc relating to this stuff.
      I'm not sure you can believe it all, especially some of David Ickes ideas. But there is some damn strange shit going on lately:bugeye:
      If there is a global conspiracy, what exactly is it? For what purpose?
      Dr Lou Natic
      The MJ12 are by far the most intriguing IMO, I mean they have underground cities scattered all over the world for crying out loud. And those cities have caged genetically engineered freak animals in them that have been known to mutter phrases like "help me:(" to visitors. Too cool:cool: ... oh wait... thats horrible:(
      Mystech
      Haha I never heard that part of the theory, Dr Lou. Hmm who were the members of MJ12 Uhhh one of those American presidents uhhh was it Truman? And umm. . . uhh, hell I can't remember anyone else :p

      I think I forgot to mention the builderberger group, but that's ok I'm sure everyone was thinking of them, anyway.

      My favorite secret society HAS to be the Free Masons, though. Mostly because they are not acctualy a secret society. I mean they have big friggin' buildings that say "Loyal Order of the Free Masons" on 'em, you can go online and look up all the lodges in the united states (there are like seven of them here in Phoenix alone!) but still many people think you're a conspiracy theory nut if you happen to bring up the Masons, or the idea of Massonic Freedom which is thick in the constitution and the declaration of independence :p Wake up people, all the founding fathers were Masons, it was really big back then! hehe. Allegations of Devil worship or ties to the Illuminati, however I think are completely unfounded.

      Anyway Found a good link for everyone to get you thinking.

      [URL]http://www.Trilateral.org[/URL]

      This is the official web page for the trilateral comission. Read throuh it, exhaust the information that they freely give to the public, and then come back to me and see if you can pin down exactly what the hell it is they do! You can't! They are extreemly vague, it's kind of spooky! They sound almost like a giant global corporate government :eek: And remember, George Bush sr. was a member, and we all know that he got his son into office, I wonder who it was who helped him rig the election. . .
      Circe Mystech, I have a book recommendation for you - "Rule by secrecy" Jim Marrs
      soontide
      New world order and the UN
       
      here is a good link about this..

      [URL=http://www.lewrockwell.com/yates/yates63.html]New World Order?[/URL]

      The UN has always been designed to bring about the total destruction of the idea of national sovreignty and bring about a world govornment. The fact that nations like the US and UK are undermining its influence recently has actually set this idea back. The formation of the international courts, an attempt at international taxation and even the "Kyoto Accord" were all aimed at erroding national sovreignty. If you want a bonified conspiracy. Look no further than the UN.
      fractal_choice
      New World Order
       
      [QUOTE]If there is a global conspiracy, what exactly is it? For what purpose?[/QUOTE]

      The goal is to enslave you.

      This is being achieved right now throught the use of a system of fear.

      This system of fear is based on the "problem - reaction - solution" paradigm

      For example:

      Create a problem: create massive levels of fear in a population. This could be done using an outside threat, whether real or manufactured, to induce massive levels of fear in a population.

      Carry out a reaction: pass laws restricting civil liberties, use the problem to invade any countries you want, to build death camps, to get the population behind a leader and ridicule those that see through the lies as unpatriotic, begin gun confiscation, etc

      Create a solution: gradually introduce tracking mechanisms, so slowly as to be met with little resistance. Eg, face scanning cameras, thumbscanning for licences and for food at schools, proposing implantable microchips, gradually introducing tiny tracking chips known as RFID tags into every purchasable item over $1, tapping your internet and telephone conversations and having giant mainframe computers analyze information from systems such as echelon so that anyone standing in the face of the global elite can be monitored, putting GPS systems in new cars (UK) so that you can be taxed and traced as you drive around, having the right to use cash slowly phased out and a cashless society phased in, etc.

      The problem reaction solution paradigm was successfully implemented by Hitler.

      It is currently being used by a leader, whom shall remane nameless (although I'm sure anyone remotely aware knows who this is).

      The leader does not fully comprehend what he is a part of. Rather he is more like a puppet for the global elites.

      The mainstream media plays a crucial role in generating the fear, propagating the lies ("oh yes, there really are WMD in Iraq", and "oh yes, it really was the Taleban who flew those planes into the buildings" (even though there is no proof - the FBI admits this) and "oh look, so what if Iraq had no WMD and the evidence was completely fabricated, other presidents have lied" and "oh look, the students in Iran are protesting about their government, it's time for Amerika to step in and help them" and other such bullshit that panders to the globalists. The goal is to crush any resistance that may arise in the future when the level of tyranny becomes apparent to the general public. This includes conquering the entire middle east region (install puppet governments offering "democracy"), confiscating civilian arms here in America, persecuting the Christians (this will begin soon), persecuting anyone who believes in a new world order conspiracy, persecuting anyone who makes numerous referneces to the constitution and persecuting home schoolers. The persecution will take the form "aiding or abetting terrorists - or even labelling them as terrorists themselves). Globalist elements within the CIA will carry another attack out in America, because the public is beginning to wake up to the facts of what is happening to our society. This attack will sicken and shock everyone, and the utter scale of the tragedy will allow the government to push through more legislation taking your rights away. The race is on for the people to realize who is behind the attacks so that you will not allow your rights to be stripped from you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and I will try to dig out articles relating to this and will post. Thanks.
      yumyum I think fractal_choice said it all. That looks like that is going to be our future.

      kazakhan [QUOTE]The goal is to enslave you.
      This is being achieved right now throught the use of a system of fear.
      This system of fear is based on the "problem - reaction - solution" paradigm
      [/QUOTE]
      I understand all that, however, what is the purpose of enslavement? There's got to be a little more to it I believe?
      Anyways, I've been in the process of dropping out of the system. No more working for me, I'm looking for a large country property at the moment & have a go at living self-sufficiently, don't know how I'll go but it's better than paying the goverments debts.

      fractal_choice If you look at governments and systems of power throughout the ages, you will see a trend of towards slavery.
      Basically, it seems to me, that ruthless individuals always seem to get into power eventually. I don't and can't understand their mindset, all I know is that these types of people thrive on power, and gaining more and more power.
      To gain more power than they already have, an obvious step is to create slaves - even though they have enormous power now, the power they crave drives them to enslave.
      But I don't believe that this is our future, simply because we can't let this happen. I know more and more people who are thinking along the same lines; waking up to the systems of power that are in place.
      The main problem at this time is the vast amount of technology that can be used against a frightened population - in the guise of protection from a threat.
      Everyone should boycott RFID tags, national ID cards, microchips, GPS tracking in cars etc. It's our decision to go along with this or not, all we have to do is say no, I don't want this system in place.
      The power really is with the people, we must outnumber the people attempting to do this to us by 10 000 : 1.
      I'd say turn off ya tv sets first, at least stop watching the mainstream news. As far as I'm concerned, its a form of brainwashing.
       I've been researching these topics for about 2 years now, and only recently have I realised that this is the truth. It has been an incredible process and one very hard to deal with. But I feel stronger because I am free of the lies that are told to the majority every day. I'll stop ranting now.

      Guyute the last thing i was keeping up with was the majestic tweleve.....but they said that the documents had not been verifed yet. Does anyone know if they have? that wouuld be really helpfull.:)

      fractal_choice Dunno anything about MJ12. But here is an article about the Northwoods plan - although not actually carried out, shows that the American government is capable of treason.
      [url]http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/jointchiefs_010501.html[/url]
      Download the NorthWoods Document [URL=http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/11_20_01_northwoods.pdf]Here[/URL]

      Ertai Well There is a real "secret society" that I know of.. If read a lot on the internet about it, and some books talk about it..
      It as formed a group of members, and is still alive today.. Its hard to explain but envolves aliens, ESP, and a lot of other stuff
      One curiosity.. The maker of Star Trek Deep Space Nine was in fact based on The Nine conspiracy... or phenomena..
      Anyway.. its hard to find a good site that resumes it all but ive found one at the uri geller site (yes this world known psychic as a part on this story too) The funny thing is that this kind of conspiracy is quite real, at least the persons envolved in it..
      Check the facts by yourself if you will:
      [url]http://www.uri-geller.com/nine.htm[/url]
      Check on google for more info.. there is a lot of it spread all over the net and on some books too, in amazon, etc..
      Mystech
      [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by fractal_choice [/i]
      [B]Basically, it seems to me, that ruthless individuals always seem to get into power eventually. I don't and can't understand their mindset, all I know is that these types of people thrive on power, and gaining more and more power.
      [/B][/QUOTE]

      Yes, exactly, a
      nd this is not because power corrupts, but instead that the corupt are drawn to power! So it is that we will always be lead by men with personal agendas, and it's quite likely that these agendas will not truely have the best interest of the governed in mind!




      'I have monkeys in my pants'  20th November, 2009 The most bizarre items confiscated at airports range from endangered animals to human organs. More telegraph.co.uk

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      undefined

      Oprah Winfrey with former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her daughters Willow and Piper. Picture: AP


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      Swansea Crown Court






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      World News Headlines 2 December, 2009
       
       

       
       

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      http://www.usaweeklynews.com/WacoSeige_HillaryClinton.php



       

         Only in America do we have freedom yeah right

                


      A Message to Obama The President of the Unuited States of America Named by  as "The Kitty Cat That Roared" see more at  http://www.usaweeklynews.com/Obama_TheKittyThatRoared.php
      Only if America could be like the song by Brooks and Dunn "Only In America
      "

      TopStories WorldNews EntertainmentNews SportsNews


                                                                   Americans Are Not Stupid

       

      Australian Inrerviewer takes the micky out of Americans as he interviews them all around the USA

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      A lot of people give Americans a bum rap for being stupid

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      Click here to find out the Truth..."That Americans Are Not Stupid....."



      USA Weekly  News Exclusive  from the Liverpool Echo Newspaper

      £4 million Drug Bust In Merseyside-United Kingdom
       by Ben Rossington 23-10-09

      Drugs worth more than £4 million were founds in steel barrels after a white van was stopped by police on Merseyside.
       Officers uncovered 35kg of heroin, two-and-a-half kilos of cocaine and nearly 200kgs of cannabis.
      Read Full Story at the bottom of this page

      NICK GRIFFIN: "I AM NOT A NAZI"
       
      Nick Griffin denied being a Nazi when he appeared on the BBC's Question Time. The North West MEP and leader of the far fight BNP party sparked a national outcry when BBC bosses agreed to let him on the popular debate show. BBC centre across the country where locked down in the face of nationwide protests which included more than a hundred people gathering outside BBC Radio Merseyside studio on Hanover Street
      Read the Ful Story further below on this page and read more about Nick Griffin and 
      his contraversial BNP party in the United Kingdom at 
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      TODAY - 04 December, 2009

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      List of Bilderberg participants

      From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

      The following is a list of prominent persons who have attended one or more conferences organized by the Bilderberg Group. The list is currently organized by category. It is not a complete list and it includes both living and deceased people. Where known, the year(s) they attended are denoted in brackets.

      Contents

       [hide]

      Royalty

      Politics

      United States

      Map of countries by the number of politicians, which have attended one or more conferences organized by the Bilderberg Group

      Presidents

      Senators

      Governors

      United Kingdom

      Prime Ministers

      [edit]Belgium

      [edit]Netherlands

      [edit]France

      [edit]Portugal

      [edit]Finland

      Iceland

      Germany

      Poland

      Canada

      Sweden

      Norway

      • Siv Jensen (2009) - Seen in Alex Jones' Blueprint movie.

      EU Commissioners

      European Union Commissioners who have attended include:

      UN, WTO, NATO and other International Organizations

      Military

      Financial institutions

      Major corporations

      University, institute and other academic

      Media

      References

      1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Bilderberg Meeting of 1997 Assembles". PR Newswire. 13 June 1997.
      2. ^ Video showing DSK, Queen Beatrix and James Wolfensohn among others at Bilderberg 2000
      3. ^ a b c d Welcome to ActivePaper
      4. ^ a b "Obituary - Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands". The Times. December 3, 2004. "Bernhard’s visits abroad provided the background for an enterprise which interested him greatly, the Bilderberg conferences at which, from 1954 onwards, statesmen, businessmen and intellectuals from Europe and America had private discussions once or twice a year. The idea of the conferences originated with Dr Joseph H. Retinger as a counter to the anti-Americanism in Western Europe."
      5. ^ Jon Ronson (March 28, 2001). "Exposed: The Secret Club Of Powermongers Who Really Rule The World". The Mirror. "Prince Charles and Bill Clinton have been to sessions."
      6. ^ Jean Stead (April 28, 1986). "Prince Charles attends meeting on South Africa". The Guardian (London). "The 34th Bilderberg conference ended at Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, yesterday after a debate on the South African crisis attended by Prince Charles. He arrived for the economic debate on Saturday and stayed overnight at the hotel."
      7. ^ Mark Oliver (June 4, 2004). "The Bilderberg group". The Guardian.
      8. ^ a b "'High Priests Of Globalization' In Istanbul". Turkish Daily News. May 31, 2007. "The Turkish state minister and chief negotiator, Ali Babacan, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Kemal Dervis, the Association of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen (Tusiad) Chairwoman Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag, Koc Holding Executive Board President Mustafa Koc and the Bogazici University rector, Prof Dr Ayse Soysal, will attend the meeting on behalf of Turkey. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Sofia of Spain, Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium, Greek National Economy and Finance Minister Yeoryios Alogoskoufis, former Prime Minister Francisco Pinto Balsemao of Portugal, former Foreign Minister Michel Barnier of France, Foreign Minister Carl Bildt of Sweden, Finance Minister Anders Borg of Sweden, Foreign Trade Minister Frank Heemskerk of the Netherlands, Finance Minister Jyrki Katainen of Finland, former US secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, Agriculture Minister Christine Lagarde of France, Justice Minister Michael McDowell of Ireland, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato, the EU commissioner for enlargement, Olli Rehn, and the US ambassador to Turkey, Ross Wilson, are among foreign guests of the meeting. Meanwhile, tight security measures were taken in and around the Ritz Carlton Hotel, the venue of the meeting."
      9. ^ "Duke Of Edinburgh In Como Talks". The Times. April 03, 1965. p. 7. "The Duke of Edinburgh took part today in the opening session of the Bilderberg meeting at the Villa d'Este on Lake Como."
      10. ^ "Court Circular". The Times. April 03, 1967. p. 12.
      11. ^ Official List of Participants for the 2009 Bilderberg Meeting
      12. ^ a b c "World Leaders Attended Secret Bilderberg Meeting, The Spotlight Reports". PR Newswire. July 16, 1991. "Michael Boskin, chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisors, is listed as sharing one session with Karl Otto Pohl, president of the Deutsche Bundesbank. (Boskin refused to answer The Spotlight's inquiries about what he said). Jack F. Matlock, U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, was also listed on a panel exploring developments in the USSR. Robert B. Zoellick, under-secretary of state designate for economic affairs was listed on still another panel, as was Thomas W. Simons, U.S. ambassador to Poland. David Rockefeller, former chairman of the Chase-Manhattan Bank and a leading Bilderberger, was reported as pushing for expanded free trade through both the Mexico and GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) negotiations now under way. John S. Reed, chairman of Citibank's parent corporation, was also on the list. Two U.S. governors, Douglas Wilder of Virginia and Bill Clinton of Arkansas are on the list with Diane Feinstein, the ex-mayor of San Francisco who lost a 1990 bid for governor of California. Sens. John Chafee (R-R.I.) and Bennett Johnston (D-La.) are on the list of the American delegation, by far the largest at Baden-Baden. Top industrialists, lawyers, and diplomats dominate the list. The only U.S. labor leader was Lynn Williams, president of the United Steelworkers of America. Arthur Dunkel, director general of GATT, which is currently shaping a completely free trade world in Geneva, and Etienne Davignon, former vice chairman of the European Community, were listed. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Queen Sophia of Spainwere also on the list with the prime ministers of Belgium, Luxemburg and Netherlands and the federal chancellor of Austria. The press lords listed included Conrad Black, the Canadian publisher who recently purchased London's Daily Telegraph and the Jerusalem Post. George Ball, former undersecretary of state, was said to cause an "uproar" when he warned that a Mideast peace conference, if held, would "explode" in the present volatile political climate in that region. Harlan Cleveland, another former high State Department official, was reported to have privately urged the overthrow of the Persian Gulf monarchies as the first step toward a Mideast peace."
      13. ^ "George W. Ball Papers, 1880s-1994" (PDF). Princeton University Library. Archived from the original on 2007-06-24.
      14. ^ "Text Of Remarks By National Security Advisor Samuel R. Berger To The Bilderberg Steering Committee; "Strengthening The Bipartisan Center: An Internationalist Agenda For America"". Federal News Service. November 4, 1999.
      15. ^ a b c Are the people who 'really run the world' meeting this weekend?
      16. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bilderbergers celebrate half a century of intrigue, secrecy. 20. The New American. June 28, 2004. ISSN 08856540. "Attendees from the U.S. this year reportedly included: Senators Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) and John Edwards (D-N.C.); Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates; Donald Graham, chairman and CEO of the Washington Post Company; Richard N. Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations; Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal ReserveBank of New York; Douglas Feith, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense; Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute; Jessica T. Mathews, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Indra K. Nooyi, president and CEO of Pepsico; Peter Weinberg, CEO of Goldman Sachs International; and James Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank.".
      17. ^ a b c Bilderberger Conspiracy
      18. ^ a b Kenneth Maxwell (2004). "The Case of the Missing Letter in Foreign Affairs:: Kissinger, Pinochet and Operation Condor". David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies. Archived from the original on 2007-03-11.
      19. ^ "Herter, Christian Archibald, 1895-1966. Papers: Guide.". Houghton Library, Harvard.
      20. ^ Aubourg, Valerie (2003). "Organizing Atlanticism: the Bilderberg group and the Atlantic institute, 1952- 1963". Intelligence and National Security 18:2: 92–105.
      21. ^ a b Hatch, Alden (1962). H.R.H.Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands: An authorized biography. London: Harrap. ISBN B0000CLLN4.
      22. ^ a b c "Western Issues Aired". The Washington Post. April 24, 1978. "The three-day 26th Bilderberg Meeting concluded at a secluded cluster of shingled buildings in what was once a farmer's field. Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Carter's national security adviser, Swedish Prime Minister Thorbjorrn Falldin, former secretary of state Henry Kissinger and NATO Commander Alexander M. Haig Jr. were among 104 North American and European leaders at the conference."
      23. ^ "The Real Aims of the Bilderberg Club". BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. April 6, 1982.
      24. ^ Jasper, William F. (July 12, 2004). Rogues' gallery of EU founders: the emerging European superstate, now moving forward under the EU, is the result of a deliberate scheme put into motion many years ago by powerful planners and plotters. 20. The New American. p. 15. ISSN 08856540. "Attendees at the founding Bilderberg meeting (1954), for example, included: David Rockefeller, global banker and later chairman of the CFR; Dean Rusk, president of the Rockefeller Foundation and later U.S. Secretary of State; Joseph E. Johnson, president of the Carnegie Endowment; C.D. Jackson, head of Time, Inc.; Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, former head of the OSS, precursor to the CIA; and Lord Dennis Healey, Labor Party leftist and later British Chancellor of the Exchequer.".
      25. ^ a b c Bill Hayton (29 September 2005). "Inside the secretive Bilderberg Group". BBC.
      26. ^ a b "Clinton; Tony and Gordon just have to work this out; The former president, who is expected to play a starring role at the Labour conference, talks to Toby Harnden about the party; its future and its leadership contest". The Spectator. September 16, 2006. p. 14. "In fact, Clinton, then governor of Arkansas and considered a rank outsider for the 1992 presidential race, first met Brown in June 1991 at the Bilderberg conference in the Black Forest resort of Baden-Baden. By all accounts, the two clicked."
      27. ^ Mark Rich (2008). Hidden Evil. ISBN 9781435750104.
      28. ^ U.S. Sen. John Edwards at Bilderberg. (06-JUN-04) UPI NewsTrack
      29. ^ The Nation: Conspiracy Theorists Unite; A Secret Conference Thought to Rule the World
      30. ^ Jackie Kucinich (May 12, 2005). "World leaders attend meeting that they won't talk about". The Hill. p. 4. "Several members of Congress have been said to be on the guest list in the past, including Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Jon Corzine (D-N.J.), Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.). Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C) took a break from the campaign trail to attend the meeting last year. Hagel's office confirmed that he had attended the conference in 1999 and 2000."
      31. ^ Christy Hoppe (Thursday, May 31, 2007), Perry off to secret forum in Turkey, The Dallas Morning News, retrieved 2009-07-21
      32. ^ a b "Why is our governor visiting this group". The Augusta Chronicle. June 19, 2008. p. 8. "Some of the names on the list are intriguing. Some of the well-known names include:Ben Bernanke - chairman, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System; Condoleezza Rice - U.S. secretary of state; James A. Johnson - tasked with choosing U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's running mate; Paul Wolfowitz - with the Institute for Public Policy Research. The one name that stands out in my opinion this year is South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford."
      33. ^ Ian Aitken (May 26, 1989). The Guardian (London). "Mr Paddy Ashdown is not yet wholly at ease with the trappings of office, even if the office in question is only that of leader of the Social and Liberal Democrats. Attending the Bilderberg Conference of European political leaders in Spain last week, he was deeply impressed by the splendour of the official cars and the intensity of the security precautions laid on for his arrival. Reaching the conference headquarters at last, he sank into a chair and said to his neighbour: 'Hello, I'm Paddy Ashdown.' The neighbour smiled diffidently, put out his hand, and said: 'Hello, I'm the King of Spain.'"
      34. ^ Telegraph.co.uk Taxpayers foot bill for Ed Balls 'junket'. Daily Telegraph
      35. ^ a b c "Who pulls the strings?". The Guardian. 10 March 2001.
      36. ^ a b "Memorandum submitted by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards - Complaint against Mr Kenneth Clarke". United Kingdom Parliament. 11 July 1997. "Mr Clarke subsequently explained that he and Mr Blair considered that they were attending the conference as representatives of the Government and the Opposition respectively, and stated that 'I was quite confident that I was at the time meeting the rules applying to Ministers, and it did not occur to me that the new rules concerning registration could apply to this visit'."
      37. ^ House of Commons - Register of Members' Interests, Commons Publications, 2 December 1998, retrieved 2009-07-21
      38. ^ "Register of Members' Interests". 9 June 1999. "3-6 June 1999, to Portugal, to attend Bilderberg meetings. I paid for my own air fare; the hotel accommodation for three nights was paid for by the organisers."
      39. ^ "Register of Members' Interests". 21 May 2003. "15-18 May 2003, to Versailles, France, to attend a Bilderberg Conference. I paid for my own air fare; the hotel accommodation for three nights was paid for by the organisers."
      40. ^ "Register of Members' Interests". 8 June 2004. "3-6 June 2004, to Stresa, Italy, to attend Bilderberg Conference. I paid for my own air fare; the hotel accommodation for three nights was paid for by the organisers.",
      41. ^ House of Commons - Register of Members' Interests
      42. ^ Kenneth Clarke MP, Rushcliffe (TheyWorkForYou.com)
      43. ^ "Register of Members' Interests - Kenneth Clarke". United Kingdom Parliament. 16 June 2008.
      44. ^ "Kenneth Clarke:Full register of members' interests". The Guardian. "5-8 June 2008, to Chantilly, Virginia, USA, to attend Bilderberg Conference. Hotel accommodation paid for by the conference sponsors. (I paid my travel costs.) (Registered 12 June 2008)"
      45. ^ "'Atlantic world' theme for Bilderberg conference". The Times. April 19, 1974. p. 6.
      46. ^ a b [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmregmem/memi19.htm British House of Commons - Register of Journalists' Interests
      47. ^ a b c "Our man at Bilderberg". The Guardian. 19 May 2009. "Mandelson's office has confirmed his attendance at this year's meeting: "Yes, Lord Mandelson attended Bilberberg. He found it a valuable conference.""
      48. ^ a b c d e f g h John Deverell (May 31, 1996). "Vast array of international VIPs talk things over at secretive Bilderberg '96 in King City". The Toronto Star. "Lord Carrington, Conference chairman; former NATO secretary-general; Francisco Pinto Balsemao, Former prime minister of Portugal; Queen Beatrix, Netherlands; Lloyd Bentsen, Former treasury secretary, U.S.; Carl Bildt, The High Representative Sweden; Conrad Black, Chairman, Hollinger, Canada; Frits Bolkestein, Liberal party leader, Netherlands; Jean Chretien, Prime minister of Canada; Etienne Davignon, Executive chairman, Societe Generale de Belgique, Belgium; Stanley Fischer, International Monetary Fund; Charles Freeman, Former assistant secretary of defence, U.S.; Mike Harris, Premier of Ontario; Richard Holbrooke, Former assistant secretary of state, U.S.; Peter Job, Chief executive, Reuters Holding, Britain; Lionel Jospin, Socialist party leader, France; Henry Kissinger, Former U.S. secretary of state; Andrew Knight, News Corp., Britain; Winston Lord, Assistant secretary of state, U.S.; Paul Martin, Finance minister, Canada; Philippe Maystadt, Finance minister, Belgium; John Monks, Union leader, Britain; Mario Monti, European commissioner; Sam Nunn, U.S. senator; William Perry, Defence secretary, U.S.; Jan Petersen, Conservative party leader, Norway; Malcolm Rifkind, Foreign secretary, Britain; Renato Ruggiero, Director-general, World Trade Organization; Mona Sahlin, Member of parliament, Sweden; Klaus Schwab, President, World Economic Forum; Queen Sofia, Spain; George Soros, President, Soros Fund Management, U.S.; George Stephanopoulos, Senior adviser to the president, U.S.; Peter Sutherland, Former director-general, GATT and WTO, Ireland; J. Martin Taylor, Chief executive, Barclays Bank, Britain; Alex Trotman, Chairman, Ford Motor, U.S.; John Whitehead, Former deputy secretary of state, U.S.; James Wolfensohn, World Bank president."
      49. ^ a b "Register of Members' Interests - George Osborne". United Kingdom Parliament. 3 July 2007.
      50. ^ "Register of Members' Interests - George Osborne". United Kingdom Parliament. 16 June 2008.
      51. ^ "Register of Member' Interests - George Osborne". United Kingdom Parliament. 27 May 2009.
      52. ^ Ronson, Jon (10 March 2001). "Who pulls the strings? (part 3)". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-07-04. ""During the Falklands war, the British government's request for international sanctions against Argentina fell on stony ground. But at a Bilderberg meeting in, I think, Denmark, David Owen stood up and gave the most fiery speech in favour of imposing them. Well, the speech changed a lot of minds. I'm sure that various foreign ministers went back to their respective countries and told their leaders what David Owen had said. And you know what? Sanctions were imposed.""
      53. ^ "Heath asks nation to be calm, fair, responsible, constructive". The Times. April 29, 1968. p. 2. "The outstretched hand of Mr. Powell was rejected by the leader of a coloured delegation which tried to present a petition to him today at the ski lodge at Mont Tremblanc Quebec, where Mr. Powell was attending the seventeenth annual Bilderberg conference."
      54. ^ "Register of Lords Interests - Lord Roll of Ipsden". United Kingdom Parliament. 1 October 2004. Archived from the original on 2008-02-07.
      55. ^ "Twenty-fifth Bilderberg meeting held". Facts on File World News Digest. May 14, 1977. "Alec Douglas-Home, the former prime minister of Great Britain, chaired the conference, replacing Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, who had previously headed the Bilderberg invitation committee. (Prince Bernhard had resigned all public positions after the 1976 Lockheed scandal.)"
      56. ^ "News in Brief". The Times. April 26, 1975. p. 5. "Mrs Thatcher, the Conservative leader and Mr Healey, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, were among participants in the twenty second Bilderberg Conference."
      57. ^ a b "Secret Meeting Held in Cannes". The Washington Post. March 30, 1963.
      58. ^ a b c d e f g Geschiedenis: Bilderberg-conferentie 1954
      59. ^ "American Trip By M. Defferre Hope Of Meeting The President". The Times. Friday, Mar 20, 1964. p. 13. "The main purpose of M. Defferre's visit however, is to attend the annual Bilderberg Colloquy at which leaders of western thought are invited to speak their minds in the strictest secrecy."
      60. ^ Valtiovarainministeriö: Heinäluoma Bilderberg-kokouksessa Ottawassa
      61. ^ Valtiovarainministeriö: Katainen Bilderberg-kokoukseen Istanbuliin
      62. ^ a b Tiedote
      63. ^ a b c d e f g "Alþýðuflokksmaður boðinn í fyrsta sinn á Bilderbergfund". Morgunblaðið (The Morning Paper). 24 April 1993.
      64. ^ Vefur Reykjavíkurborgar - Vefur Bjarna Benediktssonar
      65. ^ a b Björn Bjarnason 13.9.2001
      66. ^ Samtíðarmenn 2003
      67. ^ Alþingi - 112. löggjafarþing, 277. fundur, fyrirspurn: greiðsla kostnaðar á fundaferðum ráðherra (Icelandic)
      68. ^ Alþingi - 100. löggjafarþing, 88. fundur, 357. mál, utanríkismál (Icelandic)
      69. ^ Wikileaks - Bilderberg meeting report Aachen, 1980
      70. ^ Alþingi - Æviágrip: Jón Sigurðsson (Icelandic)
      71. ^ Westerwelle traf Gül - EU-Beitritt im Zentrum der Gespräche (German) Free Democratic Party of Germany. 30 May 2007.
      72. ^ Sir Edward Beddington-Behrens (June 13, 1960). "Obituary - Mr. Joseph Retinger". The Times. p. 12.
      73. ^ a b c Glen Mcgregor (May 24, 2006). "Ottawa to host top-secret meeting -- or maybe not: Rumours run rampant that ultra-influential Bilderberg to come here". Ottawa Citizen. "Several Canadian political figures have spoken at Bilderbergs, including prime ministers Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chretien, New Brunswick premiers Bernard Lord and Frank McKenna, and former Ontario premier Mike Harris. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office would not say yesterday whether he has been invited to attend the rumoured Ottawa meetings. Mr. Harper attended the 2003 conference in Versailles, France."
      74. ^ Robert Benzie (June 12, 2006). "Ontario to build nuclear reactors". The Toronto Star.
      75. ^ Svenska Dagbladet Näringsliv 2009-11-12
      76. ^ Svenska Dagbladet Näringsliv 2009-11-12
      77. ^ Svenska Dagbladet Näringsliv 2009-11-12
      78. ^ Svenska Dagbladet Näringsliv 2009-11-12
      79. ^ Svenska Dagbladet Näringsliv 2009-11-12
      80. ^ a b "Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission". European Parliament. 15 May 2003.
      81. ^ Valerie Aubourg (June 2003). Organizing Atlanticism: the Bilderberg Group and the Atlantic Institute 1952-63.
      82. ^ Official List of Participants for the 2009 Bilderberg Meeting
      83. ^ a b Caroline Moorehead (18 April 1977). "An exclusive club, perhaps without power, but certainly with influence: The Bilderberg group". The Times.
      84. ^ Charlie Skelton (May 18, 2009). "Our man at Bilderberg: I should be ashamed". Guardian. "He shows me another: a long-range shot of two happy globalists in an inflatable doughnut ring and Speedos, skidding about behind a powerboat. If only the image was sharper we might see Peter Mandelson snatching a chat with Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank. "So how do we sell ... splooosh! ... wooo! ... the abolition of the pound to the ... sploosh! ... electorate? Again! Again! Once more round the bay!""
      85. ^ a b c d Bruno Fay's blog on Le Monde
      86. ^ Bilderberg-Mirror.org.uk
      87. ^ STLtoday - St. Louis Post-Dispatch Archives
      88. ^ Svenska Dagbladet Näringsliv 2009-11-12
      89. ^ Svenska Dagbladet Näringsliv 2009-11-12
      90. ^ "Prufrock: Rulers of the world prepare to expel Black". The Sunday Times. February 15, 2004. "The final straw came this month when Black said he would sue Henry Kissinger andRichard Perle, both directors of Hollinger and fellow Bilderbergers. Now he is going to be pressed to leave the group."
      91. ^ "Leaders' meeting exclusive, secret: Chance for relaxed discussions". Hamilton Spectator (Ontario, Canada). June 1, 1996.

       

      Octopus with coconut

      Coconut-using octopus stuns scientists 16 October, 2009

      Scientists say they are 'blown away' by footage of an octopus stealing coconut shells to use as armour. Play video





       

      Ambulance in Venezuela (library photo)

      British boy, 8, shoots himself on holiday 16 October, 2009

      An eight-year-old British boy has reportedly died in Venezuela after accidentally shooting himself. More






      16 December, 2009

      Elizabeth Poblete

      Weightlifter gives birth during training

      An Olympic weightlifter has admitted she didn't realise she was pregnant after giving birth while practising. More






      16 December, 2009

      A Premier League ball

      Full-time Premier League scores

      Get the full-time scores from last night's big matches, including Man Utd, Aston Villa and West Ham. Results





       

      Rage Against The Machine, Joe McElderry

      Rock classic 'outselling X Factor'

      Rage Against The Machine's 'Killing in the Name' is outselling Joe McElderry's 'The Climb'. By how much?





       16 December, 2009

      Scene from the incident

      Major eruption threatens Philippines

      Over 50,000 people are fleeing their homes as the most active volcano in the Philippines threatens to erupt. More






      16 December, 2009

      Ryan Giggs (Reuters)

      Giggs win sparks betting probe

      Ryan Giggs's Sports Personality win has sparked controversy after bookies noted strange betting patterns. More




       16 December, 2009

      Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes off

      Boeing 787 Dreamliner makes first flight

      Boeing's huge new passenger jet, the 787 Dreamliner, has taken off on its maiden flight - two years late. More






       16 December, 2009

      Suzanne Cornwell

      Teen killed in go-kart accident

      A teenage girl from Cambridgeshire has died after her scarf got caught in a go-kart and strangled her. More





       16 December, 2009

      For sale and sold signs

      Best areas to buy and sell your home

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      16 December, 2009

      Rosimeiri Boxall

      Teen bully detained for jump death

      A 15-year-old girl who bullied a vicar's daughter into jumping to her death has been detained for eight years. More






       16 December, 2009

      New Year fireworks

      'What should we call the new decade?'

      We had the Eighties, then the Nineties, then 'the Noughties' - but what do we call 2010-2019? Go to Yahoo! Answers






       16 December, 2009

      Xbox 360 controller

      Where to find the cheapest consoles

      With Christmas only days away, some of the best value game console deals ever are available now. Where?





       16 December, 2009

      Wedding rings

      Marriage 'good for mental health'

      Marriage reduces the risks of depression and anxiety unless the relationship ends, according to research. More






       16 December, 2009

      British Airways fleet

      What the BA strikes mean for you

      Our experts explain how to get your money back if you are one of the million passengers affected. What to do






      16 December, 2009

      Flowers outside home of Millie Martin

      Man due in court over tot murder

      A 30-year-old man is due to appear in court after being charged with murdering a toddler in Northern Ireland. More






       16 December, 2009

      McLaren MP4-12C

      Top 10 sexiest cars of 2009

      Got a spare £150,000? Our list of the year’s hottest cars might help you decide how to part with it. Top 10






       16 December, 2009

      X Factor judges

      How to give your voice the X Factor

      If you want to win 'X Factor' next year, try some expert singing lessons from these UK studios first. Vocal coaches






       16 December, 2009

      Yahoo! Games

      Try the amazing new Yahoo! Games site

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       16 December, 2009

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      'What is your favourite Christmas song?'

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      Marijuana smoking damages sperm
       
      Men who smoke marijuana frequently damage their fertility in several different ways, research suggests.

      Scientists at Buffalo University found regular smokers had significantly less seminal fluid, and a lower sperm count.

      Their sperm were also more likely to swim too fast too early, leading to burn-out before they reach the egg. Lead researcher Dr Lani Burkman said: "The bottom line is, the active ingredients in marijuana are doing something to sperm." Marijuana contains several chemicals known to have an impact on human physiology, including THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). The researchers believe that THC may disrupt the way sperm swim, or it may block mechanisms designed to weed out malfunctioning sperm.

      Key receptors

      It is known that human sperm contains receptors which are stimulated by substances like THC and other cannabis-related chemicals. Tests have shown that sperm exposed to high levels of THC began to swim in an abnormal fashion, and were less able to attach to an egg so that fertilisation could take place. In the current study, Dr Burkman's team carried out a battery of tests on sperm samples taken from 22 men who had smoked marijuana on average 14 times a week for at least five years. In particular, the scientists assessed the sperm to see when they began to swim in a very vigorous fashion. It is vital that a sperm begins to swimming vigorously as it approaches the egg to improve its changes of successful fertilisation. However, if it begins to swim too fast too soon its changes of reaching the egg are significantly reduced. Dr Burkman said: "The sperm from marijuana smokers were moving too fast too early. "The timing was all wrong. These sperm will experience burnout before they reach the egg and would not be capable of fertilization."

      Long-term impact

      Dr Burkman conceded that many men who smoke marijuana have fathered children. However, she said that smoking the drug may tip the balance against men whose fertility was borderline to start with. "THC from marijuana may push them over the edge into infertility." Dr Burkman said it was unclear whether fertility would recover after men stopped smoking marijuana. But she warned that THC remained stored in fat for a long period. "We can't say that everything will go back to normal. "I definitely would advise anyone trying to conceive not to smoke marijuana, and that would include women as well as men." Professor Alison Murdoch, chair of the British Fertility Society, told BBC News Online the results were not surprising as marijuana was a potent drug which was likely to have an effect on many systems in the body. However, she said many other factors, such as diet, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and exercise also had an impact on fertility. "Male fertility is quite complicated. The partners of men with low sperm counts can sometimes achieve pregnancy, and it is only when men produce very, very small amounts of sperm that they can be considered infertile."

      Details of the study were presented to a meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine in San Antonio.

      14 December, 2009

      Shooting star

      Dramatic meteor shower forecast for UK

      The UK will see a dramatic meteor shower tonight, possibly with 100 shooting stars per hour. Where?






       14 December, 2009

      Sports Personality trophy

      Sports Personality 2009 announced

      The winner of the hotly contested Sports Personality of the Year 2009 award has been revealed. Who won?





      14 December, 2009

      A person making a snowman

      Britain braced for big freeze - and snow

      Freezing temperatures are expected to hit the country this week - with even some snow predicted. Where?





      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Houses

      Avoid these costly property mistakes

      If you're buying or selling a property make sure you don't fall foul of these 10 expensive mistakes. What are they?






      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Artist's impression of the sun and a planet

      Four new planets discovered

      Four new planets have been found, three of which orbit a nearby star that is almost identical to the sun. More





      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Joe McElderry

      Joe wins The X Factor: Have your say

      Over 200,000 hopefuls applied for 'X Factor', but there is only one champion - Joe McElderry. Is he a worthy winner?






      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Car in snow

      How to drive in winter weather

      With extreme weather expected to hit parts of the UK, we offer some valuable tips for driving in the winter. Top tips






      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Silvio Berlusconi

      Silvio Berlusconi struck in face

      Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi was taken to hospital with a bloodied lip after a man struck him in the face. More





      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Gordon Brown

      Top political gaffes of the year

      Take a look at our review as we count down the funniest slip-ups made by politicians this year. Top gaffes






      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Prince William

      Palace denies 'Shadow King' reports

      Buckingham Palace has denied reports Prince William is being lined up to take over the Queen's duties. More






      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Microchip

      Microchip detects cancer in minutes

      Blood tests for cancer and other diseases could be carried out in minutes using a new microchip detector. More






      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Wenger congratulates Arshavin

      Liverpool defeated by Arsenal

      Liverpool have crashed to another defeat after Arsenal came from behind to clinch victory at Anfield. Match report




      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Christmas car gifts for under £50

      If you're looking for an ideal Christmas present for a motoring fanatic, check out some of these ideas. What are they?




      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Aled Jones and Terry Wogan

      Crazy Christmas cover songs

      From the odd to the ridiculous, we take a look at some of the strangest Christmas covers on the Web. Listen

      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Earphones

      EU to limit MP3 noise levels

      The EU has plans to limit MP3 noise levels over fears that millions of people are at risk of becoming deaf. More









      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Whack A Banker arcade game

      Whack A Banker game a success

      Recession-hit punters are getting their own back on banks by playing a new amusement arcade game. More









      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Michelle and Ben in 'Coronation Street'

      Michelle's got a young admirer

      Ben's got his eyes on his best friend's mum in next week's 'Corrie', while Bobby goes missing in 'Enders'. More









      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Teenager drinking alcohol

      Child booze crimes on the rise

      The number of children who have been cautioned or taken to court for alcohol-related offences is on the rise. More









      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      Children in a park

      Govt backs down over criminal checks

      Plans to vet 11 million adults who work with children and vulnerable adults are to be watered down. Full story









      TODAY - 14 December, 2009

      A space galaxy

      Year's top 10 scientific breakthroughs

      It's been a busy year in the world of science, so read our review of 2009's most fascinating discoveries. More










      Hit or miss? - recent album reviews

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      More: News Entertainment Sport



       




       

       




      A woman viewing check-in screens in an airport

      Chaos as travel group goes bust

      Thousands of holidaymakers have had their Xmas plans ruined after a travel group went into administration. More







      Sally's bombshell rocks The Street

      Kevin is shocked by Sally's news in 'Corrie', while Maisie and Ryan share a kiss in 'Emmerdale'. Find out more






      The boy's X-ray

      Needles removed from 'ritual' boy's lung

      Doctors have removed four needles from a boy after he was reportedly subjected to a series of bizarre rituals. More






      RAF rescue helicopter

      Man killed after car plummets into sea

      A man has died after his car plummeted off a harbour quay and into the sea, according to police reports. More







      Credit cards

      A secret truth about your credit card

      If you've been thinking about a balance transfer discover this little-known fact about your plastic friends. More







      Mark Hughes

      Manchester City sack Mark Hughes

      Man City have sacked Mark Hughes and brought in a high profile replacement with immediate effect. Who is it?






      Crash test

      The safest cars on the road

      Want to know which cars came out top for safety in crash tests? We list the highest rated from each class. More







      Police

      Mother attacked with bleach in own home

      A woman has been attacked with bleach by thieves who broke into her home and fled with jewellery and cash. More







      Fulham's Bobby Zamora celebrates scoring a goal

      Fulham run riot against Manchester Utd

      Fulham thrashed Manchester United to inflict the champions' fifth Prem League defeat of the season. Match report







      The 'Arbeit macht frei' sign at the Auschwitz Museum

      Poland offers reward for Auschwitz sign

      Poland is offering a reward for the return of the 'Arbeit macht frei' sign that was stolen from Auschwitz. Full story







      Gareth Thomas

      Welsh rugby hero announces he is gay

      Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas has broken one of sport's biggest taboos by announcing he is gay. More






      Gas ring in use

      Cut your energy bills by 20 per cent

      Our money-saving expert reveals how you can cash-in by signing up for an online tariff. Find out more






      An oast house

      Southerners 'have higher quality of life'

      Southerners enjoy a higher quality of life than those in the north, according to new research. Which area came top?







      Barack Obama at the UN Climate Change Conference

      United Nations approves climate deal

      The UN has approved a deal to tackle global warming, despite opposition from a number of countries. Full story






      A Eurostar train

      Eurostar cancels services amid chaos

      Eurostar is cancelling all of its services on Sunday after thousands of travellers were left trapped or stranded. More







      Planes (library photo)

      Avoid travel insurance disaster

      As thousands more holidaymakers are left in the lurch, our expert explains how to make sure you're covered. Get tips






      Snow on Brighton beach

      Your photos of snow around Britain

      Wintry showers have left many places covered in snow, and provided great photo opportunities. View on Flickr






      Sunday roast

      How to simplify cooking a Sunday roast

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      Muse

      Who says science and maths is boring?!

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      Wham

      The most festive Christmas videos ever

      Here are the ten cheesiest music videos that will get you in the mood for the festive season. What are they?











      World News 19 December, 2009
      More: 

      News Sports Entertainment



      Explore the world in photographs

       










       


      A Drive In The Snow
      from @NickyColman

      Dancing in the snow by big-oki™

      Dancing in the snow
      from big-oki™

      "I'm not impressed" by big-oki™

      "I'm not impressed"
      from big-oki™

      Cheeky grin by big-oki™

      Cheeky grin
      from big-oki™

      The Heath I by rc-soar

      The Heath I
      from rc-soar

      The Heath II by rc-soar

      The Heath II
      from rc-soar

      00:46 by Rainbow Mermaid

      00:46
      from Rainbow Mermaid

      Christmas tree by big-oki™

      Christmas tree
      from big-oki™

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest by Whipper_snapper

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest
      from Whipper_snapper

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest by Whipper_snapper

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest
      from Whipper_snapper

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest by Whipper_snapper

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest
      from Whipper_snapper

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest by Whipper_snapper

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest
      from Whipper_snapper

      Burried in snow! by @NickyColman

      Burried in snow!
      from @NickyColman

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest by Whipper_snapper

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest
      from Whipper_snapper

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest by Whipper_snapper

      High Beach Church, Epping Forest
      from Whipper_snapper

      jubilee park kent by Karmin photography

      jubilee park kent
      from Karmin photography

      Robin by dudley72

      Robin
      from dudley72

      Ullswater by emptyseas

      Ullswater
      from emptyseas

      some snow and distant building by Simon Bronson

      some snow and distant building
      from Simon Bronson

      Church in the snow by Paul Simpson Photography

      Church in the snow
      from Paul Simpson Photography

      light snow covering in bethnal green by Simon Bronson

      light snow covering in bethnal...
      from Simon Bronson

      091219-2917-1 by Big Hugs

      091219-2917-1
      from Big Hugs

      Taken in by Simon Peckham

      Taken in
      from Simon Peckham

      Top Walk in Avenham, Preston by Tony Worrall Foto

      Top Walk in Avenham, Preston
      from Tony Worrall Foto

      St Mary's Churchyard, Attleborough by Savagenet

      St Mary's Churchyard, Attleborough
      from Savagenet

      Snow time by Savagenet

      Snow time
      from Savagenet

      Leica M9 London 2 by mongrelnomad

      Leica M9 London 2
      from mongrelnomad

      Fun in the snow by Savagenet

      Fun in the snow
      from Savagenet

      "The Crown" by Savagenet

      "The Crown"
      from Savagenet

      St Mary's Church, Attleborough. by Savagenet

      St Mary's Church, Attleborough.
      from Savagenet

      Bittern (1) by Savagenet

      Bittern (1)
      from Savagenet

      Snow in the park by Savagenet

      Snow in the park
      from Savagenet

      Churchyard, Attleborough by Savagenet

      Churchyard, Attleborough
      from Savagenet

      Attleborough Churchyard by Savagenet

      Attleborough Churchyard
      from Savagenet

      Ploughing through the snow by Savagenet

      Ploughing through the snow
      from Savagenet

      Attleborough Churchyard by Savagenet

      Attleborough Churchyard
      from Savagenet

      St Mary's Churchyard, Attleborough by Savagenet

      St Mary's Churchyard, Attleborough
      from Savagenet

      Bench by Steve Jaszczak

      Bench
      from Steve Jaszczak

      Bittern (2) by Savagenet

      Bittern (2)
      from Savagenet

      Royal Pavilion by Schlork

      Royal Pavilion
      from Schlork

      Bittern (4) by Savagenet

      Bittern (4)
      from Savagenet

      Bittern (3) by Savagenet

      Bittern (3)
      from Savagenet

      19th December 2009 by ::matt.fryer::

      19th December 2009
      from ::matt.fryer::

      This years share of snow.... by S. A. S. I

      This years share of snow....
      from S. A. S. I

      Happy Christmas to all my flickr friends!! by Visual Inspirations

      Happy Christmas to all my flickr...
      from Visual Inspirations

      Self Portrait by SICK YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY

      Self Portrait
      from SICK YOUTH PHOTOGRAPHY

       by drfugo

      Untitled from drfugo

      Snow by clerr.malone

      Snow
      from clerr.malone

      Tear Drop by Su--May

      Tear Drop
      from Su--May

      Snow by clerr.malone

      Snow
      from clerr.malone

      Snow by clerr.malone

      Snow
      from clerr.malone

      Snow in December 09 by Su--May

      Snow in December 09
      from Su--May

      Snow in December 09 by Su--May

      Snow in December 09
      from Su--May

      Breakfast after snow fall by Su--May

      Breakfast after snow fall
      from Su--May

      Breakfast after snow fall by Su--May

      Breakfast after snow fall
      from Su--May

      Breakfast after snow fall by Su--May

      Breakfast after snow fall
      from Su--May

      Roseberry Topping under the Which Way Tree....... by Tall Guy

      Roseberry Topping under the Which...
      from Tall Guy

      Snow in December 09 by Su--May

      Snow in December 09
      from Su--May

      Snow in December 09 by Su--May

      Snow in December 09
      from Su--May

      Lucia by Javier Delgado Esteban

      Lucia



      RoseberryToppingInderWhich_Tall Guy

      BreakfastAfterSnowFall_Su--May

      SnowDecember09_Su--May

      TearDrop_Su--May


      Untitled_drfugo


      HappyChristmasflickr_Visual Inspirations

      ThisYearsShareOfSnow_S.A.S.I

      19thDecember2009_matt.fryer

      RoyalPavilion_Schlork

      SnowBench_SteveJaszczak

      PloughingThroughSnow_Savagenet

      AttleboroughChurchyard2_Savagenet

      ChurchyardAttleborough_ Savagenet

      SnowPark+Savagenet


      Bittern(4)_Savagenet

      StMarysChurchAttleborough2_Savagenet

      "TheCrown"Savagenet

      FunSnow_Savagenet

      LeicaM9London 2_mongrelnomad

      SnowTime_Savagenet

      StMarysChurchyardAttleborough_Savagenet

      TopWalk_AvenhamPreston_Tony Worrall Foto



      091219-2917-1_Big Hugs


      lightsnowin bethnal_SimonBronson


      snowdistantbuilding_Simon Bronson

      Ullswater_emptyseas

      Robin_dudley72

      JubileeParkKent_KarminPhotography


      TRAVEL INSURANCE

      Avoid travel insurance disaster By Victoria Bischoff

      The failed plans of British Airways workers to strike over the Christmas period have dominated the headlines lately.

      While the strikes will not go ahead, the incident has struck fear into the hearts holidaymakers, who have been told travel insurance policy may not have covered them in the event of cancelled flights. According to the Association of British Insurers, people who made holiday arrangements after the strike ballot was announced are unlikely to be covered by their travel insurance policy as they should have “assumed” a walkout would occur. Meanwhile, the collapse of a budget airline, Flyglobespan, means that up to 100,000 tourists will be left out of pocket as a result, and will likely have to fork out thousands of pounds to fly with other airlines.

      To help ensure you do not lose out financially should something like this happen to you in the future, check out these five top travel tips.

      1. Buy your policy early

      It is important to avoid waiting until the last minute to purchase yourtravel insurance policy. Try to buy it at the same time you book your holiday. This will help ensure you are not left in the lurch should something prevent you from travelling.

      Remember, travel insurance is designed to cover unforeseen events and circumstances so your insurer is unlikely to cover you if you took out your policy after the event.

      What's more by buying your insurance early you will leave yourself more time to shop around and find a competitively priced policy.

      2. Cancellation cover

      Ensure your travel insurance policy includes cancellation cover. A good policy will protect you in the event you need to cancel your holiday due to illness, redundancy, bad weather or another unforeseen event.

      In the current climate it may also be worth choosing a policy that will cover you should the company or airline you are using goes bankrupt.

      3. Read the small print

      When you take out your insurance policy it is crucial you take the time to read every word carefully and work out the exact circumstances in which you'll be covered.

      For example, if you think there is a risk you may need to postpone your trip, ensure cover for this is included before you sign on the dotted line.

      Hopefully if you understand when you are entitled to cover and when you are not, you will not be caught out if something unexpected does happen.

      4. Pay by credit card

      It is a good idea to pay for you holiday using a credit card as you benefit from a little extra protection you won't get paying by cash or debit card.

      This is because under Section 75 of The Consumer Credit Act, if you pay for something costing between £100 and £30,000 with your credit card you have the right to seek redress from your credit card provider should something go wrong.

      This means that, if you do not receive your goods or they aren't as described, you should be able to get your money back either from your lender or the company that sold them to you.

      5. Know your rights

      Remember, knowledge is power. Find out who is responsible for refunding or compensating you if your holiday does have to be cancelled. For example, if your flight is cancelled your first port of call for help should be your airline or tour operator. When travelling in the European Union (EU) or with an EU airline, you are also protected by European regulations set out by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Air Transport Users Council (ATUC). If your airline or tour operator is unwilling to pay out (and/or you are not covered by EU regulations), contact your travel insurance provider to place a claim as quickly as possible.

      Ensure you're insured

      Finally, although many BA passengers may well be wondering why they bothered taking out a travel insurance policy right now, it is vital to ensure you have protection in place before you jet off anywhere. Going without travel insurance in the short term might seem like a smart way to save money but it is an unnecessary risk not worth taking. Should you lose your luggage, have your belongings stolen or fall ill, you could be left facing a serious financial disaster - and your relaxing get away could quickly turn into the holiday from hell.


      Useful links: 

      The safest cars of 2009 crash tested

       

       

      Euro NCAP's crash testing offers a standardised way of looking at how safe today's cars are, with each measured for adult and child occupant protection, pedestrian protection and - as of 2009 - safety assist technology like ESP and traction control.

      The 2009 test offers the most specific scoring system yet, with each car rated as a percentage for each four categories then awarded an overall star rating for ease of reference. Most new cars achieve a five-star rating overall now, but the individual category scores still vary greatly.

      It's difficult to directly compare newer cars with those that were scored using the older system, but we've gone through the ratings and listed the best cars in ten classes, as well as giving you a notable alternative for each.

      CITY CAR

      Car: Toyota iQ

      The iQ may be small of footprint, but it scores a massive 91% for adult occupant protection and a high 71% for child protection. Standard electronic stability control means its safety assist rating is good too.

      Alternative: Smart ForTwo

      A pre-2009 result, the Smart wasn't even tested for child protection due to its lack of rear seats. The four-star rating is ok (it has a strong 'passenger cell structure), but its pedestrian protection is quoted as 'predominantly poor'.

      SUPERMINI

      Car: Ford Fiesta

      The pre-2009 result gives the Fiesta a class leading adult occupancy rating and a high child occupant rating too, making this a safe family choice as well as a great drive.

      Alternative: SEAT Ibiza

      The SEAT supermini runs the Fiesta very close, with a higher child occupant rating but slightly lower pedestrian and adult occupant scores. Still five-star though.

      HATCHBACK

      Car: Mazda3

      One of the latest results published, the new Mazda excels in child and adult occupant protection, scoring 84% and 86% respectively. Pedestrian protection is only 51% though.

      Alternative: Kia cee'd

      Tested earlier than the Mazda, but a great score nonetheless. It scored maximum points in the old test for side impact protection.

      FAMILY

      Car: Vauxhall Insignia

      Tested twice, the last time using the 2009 rules, the Insignia scored a massive 94% for adult occupants, with excellent whiplash protection, for example.

      Alternative: Renault Laguna

      Renault prides itself on high Euro NCAP results and the Laguna is no exception. Tested in '07, it was lauded for its child occupant protection.

      CONVERTIBLE

      Car: Peugeot 207 CC

      Scored five-stars for adult occupant protection - but not a car for the kids, because Peugeot's recommended child seat restraint doesn't fit unless the front seats are all the way forward, so it scored 'n/a' for child protection.

      Alternative: Mazda MX-5

      A decent four-star adult rating, which NCAP noted is particularly good given its late-'80s underpinnings, but it's so low that you don't want to get knocked over by one. A mere one star for pedestrian safety.

      COMPACT EXECUTIVE

      Car: Mercedes-Benz C-Class

      A five-star car, much thanks to its huge 86% rating for the plethora of electronic safety nannies it has as standard - an aspect of safety Mercedes pours millions into. 'Pre-safe', for example, pre-tenses the seatbelts before an impact.

      Alternative: BMW 3 Series

      A perfectly safe car for those inside, but Euro NCAP derides its pedestrian protection, giving it 4 points from a possible 36 and calling it 'a very disappointing result for a new design.'

      SMALL SUV

      Car: Nissan Qashqai

      One of the reasons these cars began to usurp the traditional family hatch was their improved safety, and the Qashqai is one of the safest. It's massively safer than the Almera hatch it replaced, and has a particularly good child protection rating.

      Alternative: Ford Kuga

      Not quite as high scoring as the Nissan, but praised for its child protection. However, it was criticised for not providing clear enough information about rearward facing child seat use.

      COUPÉ

      Car: VW Scirocco

      Five stars overall, the recently tested Scirocco scored well for side impact and whiplash protection, and has ESP as standard.

      Alternative: Volvo C30

      The Volvo isn't new but was tested again in 2009, scoring higher than the VW for adult and child protection, but lower for pedestrian and exactly the same 71% score for safety assist.

      MPV

      Car: Renault Grand Scenic

      A massive 99% for safety assist and 91% for adult protection scored, it's mildly ironic that it 'only' scores 76% for child occupant protection. As ever though, Renault's safety record excels.

      Alternative: Ford S-Max

      Ford doesn't offer a passenger airbag deactivation switch for rear facing child seats as standard, but it's otherwise a reassuringly high scoring car, particularly for child occupant protection.

      FULL-SIZE 4x4

      Car: VW Touareg

      It's getting on a little now, but according to Euro NCAP it's 'immensely strong' and gets a five-star adult occupant rating. Noteworthy for the seemingly endless raft of airbags stuffed into the cabin.

      Alternative: Audi Q7

      Criticised because 'poor welding resulted in rupture of the footwell' during a front impact test, the Q7 is nonetheless a good car for the kids, with high praise lavished on its child protection ability.

      Mark Nichol



      Premier League - Manchester City sack Mark Hughes and appoint Roberto Mancini

      Eurosport - Sat, 19 Dec

      Manchester City have sacked manager Mark Hughes and appointed Roberto Mancini on a three-and-half year contract.

      City released a statement confirming Hughes, who has lost just two games this season, has had his contract terminated. Hughes spent more than £100 million pounds on players during the close season in a spending spree fuelled by the petro-dollars of billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a bid to secure a Champions League place. With the likes of Carlos TevezEmmanuel AdebayorRoque Santa CruzGareth Barry andKolo Toure added to the squad, City were tipped as top-four contenders. Even the dream of a first league title since 1968 seemed possible when they began the campaign with four consecutive wins, including a 4-2 home victory over Arsenal. But a run of seven draws halted their early season momentum and Wednesday's dismal 3-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur fuelled rumours that Mancini was being lined as the new manager. City are currently sixth in the table. Mancini, who made his name as a striker at Sampdoria, won three consecutive Serie A titles as coach of Inter Milan before being sacked at the end of the 2007-08 season. Mancini was at Saturday's Premier League game against Sunderland, which saw City beat Sunderland 4-3. Hughes applauded all four sides of the stadium and looked grim-faced as he walked down the tunnel for the final time with his fate already sealed. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said on the club's website after the game: "Prior to the current season beginning, with significant investment in players and infrastructure in place, the consensus between the Board and coaching staff was that appropriate agreed targets should be set for the 2009/2010 season. "The targets were agreed as a result of the player acquisition strategy of the club being radically accelerated in the summer as a result of very favourable conditions for any buying club. It was also based on the fact that the infrastructure of the club had been overhauled completely at great cost in order to create the best possible environment for the team. "A return of two wins in 11 Premier League games is clearly not in line with the targets that were agreed and set. Sheikh Mansour and the Board felt that there was no evidence that the situation would fundamentally change. This is a particularly difficult announcement given the personal investment over the past 15 months on all sides and we would like to put on record our respect for and thanks to Mark Hughes and we wish him the best in his future career." Brian Kidd will join Mancini as assistant manager with Hughes' backroom staff of Mark Bowen, Eddie Niedzwiecki, Kevin Hitchcock and Glyn Hodges also leaving the club. "Roberto is a hugely experienced manager with a proven track record of winning trophies and championships. His experience and track record speak for themselves. What is absolutely clear is that Roberto believes in Manchester City's potential to achieve at the highest level and importantly in his own ability to make this happen. My hope is that our incredible fans will join us in welcoming Roberto to the football club," the statement finished.

      Profile of Mark Hughes:

      Born Nov 1, 1963, in Wrexham, north Wales

      * Joined Manchester United from school in 1980

      Made his debut for first team in the 1983-84 season, scoring against Oxford United.

      Quickly established himself as a powerful forward and was nicknamed "Sparky" by the Old Trafford fans.

      1984 - Made his Wales debut and went on to win 72 caps.

      1985 - Won the FA Cup with United.

      1986 - Joined Barcelona for two million pounds but failed to settle at the Nou Camp and was loaned out to Bayern Munich the following season.

      1988 - Returned to Manchester United for a then club record 1.8 million pounds. Enjoys seven successful years at the club, winning two league titles, two more FA Cups, the League Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup when he scored both goals against Barcelona.

      1995 - Left United for Chelsea after making more than 250 appearances and scoring 82 goals.

      Played a key role in Chelsea's resurgence and helped them to an FA Cup and Cup Winners Cup.

      1998 - Joined Southampton and later moved on to Everton.

      1999 - Appointed Wales coach.

      2000 - Joined Blackburn Rovers and helped them regain their place in the Premier League. Was in the Rovers squad that won the 2002 League Cup. Ended his playing career aged 39.

      2004 - Having narrowly failed to qualify Wales for the Euro 2004 finals, Hughes began his club management career by joining Blackburn Rovers. After steering them away from relegation in his first season in charge he went on to post three top-10 finishes.

      2008 - Appointed Manchester City manager on June 4

      2009 - Sacked on December 19 after 77 games and 563 days in charge. City won 26, drew 16 and lost 25 of those games.

      Reuters / Eurosport

       


      Mother Attacked With Bleach In Her Home Sky News

      A woman has been attacked with bleach by two men who broke into her home and fled with jewellery and cash, police say.

      The 31-year-old woman was at home with her young child in Langwathby, near Penrith yesterday when intruders broke in between 7pm and 9pm. Police say that two men with Polish and Liverpool accents launched the attack, in which bleach was poured over the woman's hands. She sustained "serious injuries to her arm and wrist" Cumbria Police. The child was unharmed. Police are keen to locate the owner of a dark crew-cab 4x4 seen in the area earlier in the day. Detective Chief Inspector Mike Forrester, who is leading the investigation, said: "This is a particularly nasty incident on a lone female and the level of violence used was extreme and unnecessary. "This appears to be a targeted attack, and we have a full team of detectives working on the investigation. "It is extremely rare for this type of incident to happen in this area, and the local community should be assured we are doing all that is physically possible to catch those responsible and to ensure they feel safe in their homes." Anyone with any information can contact Cumbria Police on 0845 33 00 247 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 :


      A secret truth about your credit card By Neill Faulkner

      undefined

      If you're not careful, this secret could cost you dear...

      Your credit card may be hiding a dirty secret. Its parents.

      For example, did you know that M&S Money - the provider of insurance, loans and credit cards -  is wholly owned by HSBC and not Marks & Spencer?

      Didn't think so.

      It just goes to show that favourite brands aren't necessarily controlled by your favourite organisations.

      With credit cards , this matters more than you think.

      There are well over 100 companies and charities that offer credit cards , but there are less than a score of card issuers. Understandably, HSBC is the card issuer for HSBC cards and for M&S Money cards. It's not surprisingly the issuer of First Direct cards, as it wholly owns that online bank too.

       

      Yet it is also the issuer of Marbles and John Lewis cards.

      Why does this matter?

      Most card issuers will not let you have another of its cards, even if you buy a different brand.

      You need to stop using your existing card for at least six months and in many cases longer before you will be considered for another card by the same issuer.

      The problem is that the more times you apply for credit the worse your credit record looks. Therefore, you don't want to apply for another card from the same issuer.

      This is a major problem if you wish to transfer you existing card balance to a cheaper deal. It may be that a new 0% credit card deal will save you hundreds in a year, but you endanger your chances of getting a new card, or any other form of credit, be it loans or mortgages , if you apply for a second card from the same issuer , and get rejected.

      But how do you find out which cards have the same issuer?

      Buried in the small print

      It can be extremely difficult to find out who the card issuer is for any given card. I went to the Tesco Financial Services website and could not find anywhere who the issuer was. It's not in the summary box, which card providers are obliged to present to us at the earliest opportunity. To find out who issues Tesco's card, you must read the terms and conditions.

      However, it's not just that it's buried in the terms and conditions, it's also that the terms and conditions are buried! It's not until you've given Tesco all your personal data by going through its online application form that you are given the opportunity to read the terms of the deal you've just applied for!

      What's more, the terms and conditions don't always say who the issuer is, which is why I had even greater difficulty with Sainsbury's Finance. It was only by calling each of these companies' press offices that I was able to discover that Tesco still uses Royal Bank of Scotland and Sainsbury's now issues its own cards. (It used to be Lloyds.)

      These difficulties finding the issuer are not limited to supermarket credit cards so, to help you out, here's a list of card issuers, which I've worked hard to ensure is as accurate and up-to-date as possible:

      Card issuer

      Card provider (i.e. the brand/the company you applied to)

      Allied Irish Banks

      SAGA

      American Express

      American Express

      Bank of Ireland

      Post Office

      Barclays

      Argos

      Barclaycard

      Capital One

      Capital One

      CitiGroup

      BMIBaby

      Citicard

      Egg card

      Co-op

      Amnesty International

      Barnardo's

      Childrens Aid Societyf

      Co-op

      Greenpeace

      Help the Aged

      Labour party

      Liberal Democrat

      Medical Foundation

      Oxfam

      Ramblers Association

      Save the Children

      Smile

      Stroud & Swindon

      Yorkshire BS

      GE Capital

      ASDA

      Debenhams

      Santander

      Paypal

      HSBC

      First Direct

      GM Card

      HSBC

      John Lewis

      Marbles

      M&S Money

      Waitrose

      Lloyds Banking Group

      all "lifestyle"

      Amazon

      Bank of Scotland

      Cancer Research

      Carphone Warehouse

      Halifax

      IF

      ipoints

      Lloyds

      More Than

      NSPCC

      Smart

      MBNA

      BikeCard

      BMF

      BMI

      breakthough breast cancer

      british heart foundation

      Cheshire Building Society

      Childline

      Football clubs

      homebase

      ICICI

      MBNA

      Melton Mobray Building Society

      Norwich & Peterborough

      PADI

      Play.com

      Rugby League clubs

      Ryanair

      Ski Club GB

      Star trek

      Sonycard

      Toys R US

      Unicef

      Virgin Money

      Virgin Atlantic

      World superbikes

      WWF

      National Australia Group

      Yorkshire Bank

      Clydesdale Bank

      Nationwide

      Nationwide

      RBS Group

      Mint

      NatWest

      Lombard Directf

      Royal Bank of Scotland

      Tesco

      Ulster Bank

      Sainsbury

      Sainsbury's card

       

      Data from company websites, press offices and from Stoozing.com (with a few corrections of my own)

      More from lovemoney.com Free credit rating check

       


      Useful links:


      Eurostar passengers faced more chaos as the company axed its services for Sunday, causing fresh turmoil for train travellers after more than 2,000 spent a night trapped in the Channel Tunnel.

      The decision followed dramatic scenes overnight into Saturday, when hundreds on the service linking Britain to France spent a desperate night stranded under the sea on the pre-Christmas weekend, one of the busiest of the year. Angry passengers have accused the train operator of being woefully unprepared to deal with the breakdowns sparked by freezing weather, with one describing the handling of the emergency as "catastrophic." The trains began breaking down late Friday, unable to cope with the change in temperature as they moved from the freezing conditions in northeastern France to the warm air in the tunnel. Snow at airports and on the roads added to the travel chaos. "Eurostar has confirmed that on account of the continuing severe weather conditions in northern France it will not be running any services," it said in a statement about Sunday travel. The operator said it would be carrying out tests on the line to find out what had caused the problems. "Eurostar does not want to cause its passengers any further disruption," the operator added. On Saturday a couple of Eurostar passenger trains made it through the tunnel, one of which broke down just outside London, and most services linking London with Paris and Brussels were cancelled. Some passengers complained they were left to fend for themselves when the trains failed under the English Channel. Patrick Dussaut, who was with a group of 40 people from a French company hoping to visit Britain, complained they had been stuck in a Eurostar train since Friday evening and by Saturday lunchtime had still not reached London. "People have been stuck in the train for 16 and a half hours non-stop, without being able to open the doors," he told AFP by telephone. "There have been heated arguments between Eurostar staff and passengers who were fed up of being shut inside the trains. On a human level, the management has been catastrophic." Eurostar chief executive Richard Brown apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers. "We are very sorry, we are giving them a full refund of their ticket, another free journey with us, and we will be offering each 150 pounds per person," he told Sky News television. Tunnel operator Eurotunnel, which runs a drive-on train service for cars and trucks, said it resumed services Saturday after being forced to suspend its trains. The disruption in the tunnel was the worst since a large fire on a Eurotunnel train in September 2008 caused a two-day suspension of services. The problems with the Eurostar trains added to an already difficult situation in Europe, which was hit by a the cold snap from Britain to the Black Sea. In southeast England, through which the high-speed Eurostar trains normally run, temperatures were not expected to top minus four degrees Celsius overnight, with Sunday "only just above freezing for much of the time", said the Met Office national weather service. Ferries between France and Britain were also heavily disrupted by the adverse weather conditions. The motorway from London to Dover, Britain's main Channel port, was in places at a total standstill and gridlocked with trucks on Saturday. Air passengers also risked delays Sunday due to freezing conditions and snow in Britain and elsewhere in Europe. A statement on British Airways' website said "delays, cancellations and baggage problems" were "likely to continue". London's main Heathrow Airport warned passengers that "delays and cancellations are possible" and urged them to contact their airlines.


      Man dies as car plummets into sea Press Association

      A man has died after his car plummeted off a harbour and into the sea, police said.

      Firefighters, coastguard and police officers tried to free the man who was trapped in his car under water at Porthleven, near Helston, in Cornwall. Devon and Cornwall Police said they received a call from a member of the public saying they had seen a car drive off the quay at about 8.50pm on Friday night. The harbour master and his deputy helped the emergency services, including specialist water rescue teams, to reach the white Rover hatchback. A rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose attended, and the inshore and all-weather lifeboats from Penlee and a Coastguard cliff rescue team. The vehicle was pulled from the water by a crane at around 10.15pm. The man, the only occupant of the car, was taken by ambulance to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, in Treliske, where he was pronounced dead. Police said no other vehicles were involved. Witness to the incident are asked to contact police on 08452 777 444.


      Four Needles Removed From 'Ritual' Boy's Lung

      Doctors in Brazil have removed four needles from a boy's lung after he was reportedly subjected to a month-long series of bizarre rituals.

      The two-year-old boy is said to be in a stable condition after the five-hour operation at a hospital in the northeast city of Salvador. But a spokeswoman said he will require further surgery to remove dozens more needles measuring up to two inches long still lodged inside his body. "He's OK, the surgery was a success, he's doing fine," said Susy Moreno. The boy's stepfather has confessed to inserting the needles after being advised to perform a ritual killing. Police say 30-year-old bricklayer Roberto Carlos Magalhaes admitted pushing supposedly "blessed" sewing needles into the child's body because his lover told him to while in a trance. The rituals were performed over a period of one month to try to keep the couple together, Magalhaes reportedly told detectives. His girlfriend Angelina Ribeiro dos Santos paid a woman who practiced the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomble to bless the needles, inspector Helder Fernandes Santana said. Doctors believe there may be up to 30 needles lodged in the boy's body. Magalhaes and dos Santos have both been arrested. They have been taken to an undisclosed location for their own protection after a mob threw stones at the police station where they were being held. The alleged abuse came to light when the child's mother took him to hospital after he complained he was in pain. Police and medical staff concluded it would have been impossible for the boy to have ingested the needles, which x-rays revealed were in his abdomen, one leg and his spine. Afro-Brazilian religions practiced in the South American country have no ceremonies, rituals or practices involving harm to people, said the University of Brasilia's director of African-Brazilian studies, Nelson Inocencio.



      undefined

      Christmas chaos as travel group goes bust ITN

      Thousands of holidaymakers have had their Christmas plans thrown into disarray after it was announced that a travel group has entered administration.

      Allbury Travel Group, which traded as Libra Holidays, Argo Holidays and JetLife, ceased trading with 100 holidaymakers still abroad and about 4,000 customers with forward bookings, according to the Civil Aviation Authority. The Hertfordshire-based firm operated air package holidays and flights out of Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham and Leeds Bradford airports to Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, and sold mainly through travel agents. Travellers turned up expecting to fly out for their Christmas breaks on Saturday, only to be told the company had gone into administration at midnight. Laura Tardelli, 35, from east London, saw her week-long break to Taba Heights in Egypt ruined after she arrived with a friend at Gatwick Airport. She said: "My friend and I turned up at the check-in desk to be told there was a problem. We at first thought it was to do with the weather but the lady explained that the company had gone into administration at midnight." "We were told they would have to buy another ticket to get back. I feel totally miffed. The company must have known before midnight that it was going into administration. There's been no emails, no letters, nothing from them to let us know," she added. Allbury Travel Group's website could not be accessed.





      Christmas soaps preview - 19 Dec – 1 Jan

      It's Christmas time in the soap world, but not everything is rosy: Corrie's Sally has some shocking news, Albert Square becomes the scene of a murder, and Maisy and Ryan give in to temptation in Emmerdale.

      Coronation Street

      Kevin faces a terrible dilemma this fortnight when he finds out that Sally has breast cancer, just as he prepares to tell her that he is leaving her for Molly.

      The shock revelation makes him realise how much Sally means to him and how he really should offer her all his support and cancel his plans to leave her.

      Guilty Kevin now has to make sure he tells Molly before she confesses her affair to Tryone. Will Kevin stop her in time?

      Also this fortnight, Gail’s eldest son Nick Tilsley is back. Tina, who doesn’t know him, meets him in a bar: She is so upset with boyfriend Jason that she gets drunk and ends up kissing Nick. And she is mortified to discover who he really is when she sees him again at the Platts’ Christmas lunch. Worse still: She also realises that he is her ex David’s half-brother.

      But why is Nick back anyway? And is this the end for Tina and Jason?

      Also, this fortnight, Ryan and Sian get into trouble when they are caught in bed by Michelle.

       

       

      undefined

      EastEnders

      Archie Mitchell’s reign at the Queen Vic is short-lived when he is killed by a mysterious attacker on Christmas Day.

      It is clear that Archie had made enemies at Albert Square, especially since he and Janine had finally managed to take over the pub at the disgust of the Mitchells.

      But who exactly killed him and why? Ronnie and Janine top the suspect list initially but with so many enemies living on his doorstep, almost anyone could have his blood on their hands.

      Also this fortnight, Christian wants his secret lover Syed to cancel his wedding plans. Syed’s mum is shocked when she finds out about their affair - but will he choose his future wife or his gay lover?

      Also this fortnight, Jean is terrified when she sees Stacey collapse in front of her and is unaware that Stacey has a big secret.

      Emmerdale

      There’s forbidden attraction in the Dales this fortnight as Maisie Wylde and Ryan Lambe realise that they have feelings for one another.

      Not only is this bad news for Ryan’s girlfriend Katie, it is also problematic for Maisie and Ryan themselves: They’re not aware of the shocking truth, that they have the same father, Mark.

      After trying to hide their feelings, Maisie and Ryan end up sharing a kiss – in front of a stunned Nathan.

      Also this fortnight, Cain and Charity surprise everyone with their decision to get engaged. Despite their ups and downs, the pair come to realise that after all they’ve been through, maybe it could be worth giving their relationship another go.

      Cain is amazed when Charity actually goes as far as proposing to him. But when she does, it strangely seems like the right thing to do. Are they making a mistake that they will later regret?

       

       

       

       

       



      A man staring at a turkey

      'How to cook the perfect Xmas dinner?'

      Cooking Christmas dinner can be daunting, so how do you create a perfect festive feed? Go to Yahoo! Answers







      TODAY - 25 December, 2009

      Archie in 'EastEnders'

      Murder on Albert Square

      The mystery behind Archie's murder deepens in 'EastEnders', while an old face returns to 'Corrie'. Find out more







      BMW in snow

      How to drive safely over Christmas

      Driving at Christmas comes with many distractions – our guide shows you the best way to ensure a safe trip. More






      TODAY - 25 December, 2009

      A footballer kicking a ball

      Find a Boxing Day match near you

      Football matches on Boxing Day are as traditional as Christmas turkey - check where your team is playing. More







      Trees at sunrise

      What's the best photo you took in 2009?

      Photo-sharing site Flickr wants everyone to choose the best photograph they took this year. See others and upload yours







      TODAY - 25 December, 2009

      A group of santas

      'The best free family games at Xmas?'

      What are your favourite free games to keep the family entertained over Christmas? Go to Yahoo! Answers







      Santa watching TV

      Complete Christmas TV listings

      Find out when your favourite movies, shows and repeats are on over Christmas with our TV listings. More






      TODAY - 25 December, 2009

      Two people holding a Christmas cracker

      'What celebrity would you invite for Xmas?'

      What celebrity past or present would you invite around for Christmas dinner, and why? Go to Yahoo! Answers





      TODAY - 25 December, 2009

      Children in car

      How to keep kids entertained in the car

      Having trouble keeping the kids happy on long car journeys? We pick 10 ways to keep them entertained. Top tips






      TODAY - 25 December, 2009

      George Michael

      The most festive Christmas videos ever

      Add to the Christmas atmosphere by watching the 10 most cheerfully festive music videos ever made. Full list







      TODAY - 25 December, 2009

      Glasses of mulled wine

      'How do you make mulled wine?'

      It's an Xmas favourite, but how do you make mulled wine and what are the best ingredients? Go to Yahoo! Answers









      TODAY - 25 December, 2009

      Man and woman dressed up in Christmas costumes

      'What are your unusual Xmas traditions?'

      Christmas has its classic traditions, but what makes your celebrations special and different? Go to Yahoo! Answers






      TODAY - 25 December, 2009

      Glasses of mulled wine

      'How do you make mulled wine?'

      It's an Xmas favourite, but how do you make mulled wine and what are the best ingredients? Go to Yahoo! Answers















       
      World News 21-12-09

      updated 12:08 AM GMT


      updated 12:10 AM GMT

      updated 12:11 AM GMT

      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Brittany Murphy

      A tribute to actress Brittany Murphy

      We look back at Brittany Murphy's career highlights following her sudden death over the weekend. More







      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Bernie Ecclestone

      New Formula One street race agreed

      A European city has signed a deal with Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone to stage a grand prix. Which one?







      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Guinness

      Blaze breaks out at Guinness factory

      A 'large-scale fire' at the Guinness factory in Dublin caused plumes of black smoke to billow across the city. More





      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      A goalmouth

      Premier League stars in Fifa World XI

      Two England internationalists and three other Premier League stars have been named in the Fifa World XI. Who?






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield

      Dancing On Ice line-up revealed

      An 'EastEnders' actress, an 80s singer and a boyband star are among this year's 'Dancing On Ice' celebs. More






      Pete Doherty being arrested

      Doherty arrested over 'drugs in court'

      Pete Doherty has been arrested on suspicion of taking drugs to court, where he had just been spared jail. More





      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Police (library photo)

      Teen stabbed to death in street

      An 18-year-old boy has been found stabbed to death in an East London street, police have said. More





      Sam Riddall

      Hit-and-run mum sentenced

      A mum-of-two who fled the scene of an accident after knocking down and killing a boy has been sentenced. More






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Russell Crowe

      World exclusive new Robin Hood trailer

      Be first to see the action-packed new trailer for 'Robin Hood', starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. Watch





      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      VW Golf

      Who has won Used Car of the Decade?

      The car that ‘shook up a conservative small family car sector’ has won the latest industry award. Who won it?






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Nadia Fawzi

      Girl reunited with mum after kidnap

      A British girl who was abducted and taken to Libya has been reunited with her mother after two years. More






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Seven swans a-swimming

      The true cost of 12 Days of Christmas

      How much would it cost to buy your true love everything in the song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'? Price breakdown






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      John Terry

      Chelsea back John Terry after claim

      Chelsea have defended captain John Terry after allegations that he took secret cash payments. More







      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Russell Crowe

      World exclusive new Robin Hood trailer

      Be first to see the action-packed new trailer for 'Robin Hood', starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. Watch






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      VW Golf

      Who has won Used Car of the Decade?

      The car that ‘shook up a conservative small family car sector’ has won the latest industry award. Who won it?






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Nadia Fawzi

      Girl reunited with mum after kidnap

      A British girl who was abducted and taken to Libya has been reunited with her mother after two years. More






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Seven swans a-swimming

      The true cost of 12 Days of Christmas

      How much would it cost to buy your true love everything in the song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'? Price breakdown






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      John Terry

      Chelsea back John Terry after claim

      Chelsea have defended captain John Terry after allegations that he took secret cash payments. More






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Auschwitz sign

      Auschwitz sign found cut in pieces

      Polish police have found the 'Work will set you free' sign from the Auschwitz death camp cut in three pieces. More






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      The BMW 1 Series Concept ActiveE

      Preview of BMW's first electric car

      BMW is unveiling its first electric car at next month's Detroit Motor Show, but here's a sneak preview. Take a look






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      John & Edward Grimes

      Top 3 TV programmes of 2009

      Over 35,000 Yahoo! users have voted for their favourite TV shows of 2009 - but which one came out top? Find out






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      John & Edward Grimes

      Top 3 TV programmes of 2009

      Over 35,000 Yahoo! users have voted for their favourite TV shows of 2009 - but which one came out top? Find out






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Train at station

      Get a rebate on your train fare

      If your Christmas travel plans have been disrupted, follow these five simple steps to make a claim. Get tips






      TODAY - 21 December, 2009

      Man and woman dressed up in Christmas costumes

      'What are your unusual Xmas traditions?'

      Christmas has its classic traditions, but what makes your celebrations special and different? Go to Yahoo! Answers







      TODAY - 22 December, 2009

      Eurostar

      Christmas travel chaos continues

      Travellers are facing further chaos with Eurostar trains still suspended and more warnings of airport disruption. More






      TODAY - 22 December, 2009

      Kevin and Sally in 'Coronation Street'

      Sally's bombshell rocks The Street

      Kevin is shocked by Sally's news in 'Corrie', while Maisie and Ryan share a kiss in 'Emmerdale'. Find out more


      ODAY - 22 December, 2009

      Audrey Nyanor

      Police probed over toddler error

      An investigation has been launched to discover why police handed a toddler over to the wrong woman. More

      T

      ODAY - 22 December, 2009

      Audrey Nyanor

      Police probed over toddler error

      An investigation has been launched to discover why police handed a toddler over to the wrong woman. More





      TODAY - 20 December, 2009

      Audrey Nyanor

      Missing 18-month-old found safe and well

      An 18-month-old girl who was taken from a police station by a mystery woman has been found safe and well. More

       

       
       

      Money being burned

      Protect yourself from banking tricks 20 December, 2009

      If too much of your hard-earned cash is going to your bank, wise-up to these common tricks. What are they?

       

       
       

      TODAY - 20 December, 2009

      Fasion faux pas

      Top five celebrity fashion faux pas of 2009 20 December, 2009

      Join us as we count down the year's worst celeb fashion faux pas - there are some serious shockers. Top five

       

       
       

      Roberto Mancini

      All about Man City boss Roberto Mancini 20 December, 2009

      Find out more about the new manager of super rich club Man City, who replaces the sacked Mark Hughes. Profile

       

       
       


      West Ham's Alessandro Diamanti and Herita Ilunga battle for the ball with Chelsea's Joe Cole

      West Ham battle to hold Chelsea 20 December, 2009

      West Ham battled hard against Chelsea to avoid spending Xmas at the bottom of the Premier League. Match report

       

       
       

      A scene from 'Avatar'

      Avatar moons may be science fact 20 December, 2009

      Habitable moons like the one depicted in new movie 'Avatar' may become science fact within a few years. More

       

       
       
       

      The BMW 1 Series Concept ActiveE

      Preview of BMW's first electric car 20 December, 2009

      BMW is unveiling its first electric car at next month's Detroit Motor Show, but here's a sneak preview. Take a look

       

       
       

      Money

      Get the best return on your cash 20 December, 2009

      If you're thinking about where to put your nest egg read our tips on how to get the best return on your cash. Tips

       

       
       

      Wham

      The most festive Christmas videos ever 20 December, 2009

      Here are the ten cheesiest music videos that will get you in the mood for the festive season. What are they?

       

       
       
       

      A Eurostar train

      Eurostar services remain cancelled

      Eurostar trains remain cancelled as the operator tries to resolve problems which have left many stranded. More

       

       
       

      TODAY - 20 December, 2009

      Muse

      Who says science and maths is boring?!

      See how the right qualifications could land you a job putting on spectacular gigs with bands like Muse. More

       

       
       

      TODAY - 20 December, 2009

      Marmosets

      Apes 'threatened by climate change'

      Some species of monkeys and apes are in danger of being wiped out by global warming, say scientists. Full story

       

       
       

      TODAY - 20 December, 2009

      Zinedine Zidane

      Top sporting stars of the decade

      Join Eurosport-Yahoo! as we count down the decade's greatest sporting stars in our special advent calendar. More

       

       
       

      TODAY - 20 December, 2009

      Credit cards

      A secret truth about your credit card

      If you've been thinking about a balance transfer discover this little-known fact about your plastic friends. More

       

       
       

      TODAY - 20 December, 2009

      Police

      Mother attacked with bleach in own home

      A woman has been attacked with bleach by thieves who broke into her home and fled with jewellery and cash. More

       

       
       
       

      TODAY - 20 December, 2009

      Police

      Mother attacked with bleach in own home

      A woman has been attacked with bleach by thieves who broke into her home and fled with jewellery and cash. More

       

       
       
       

       

       

       

       
       
       
       

       


      Police officers (library photo)

      Father shoots 4-year-old daughter dead  30 December, 2009

      A four-year-old girl has been shot by her father during a violent row between her parents, police have said. More







      Man with snowy umbrella

      Weather 'misery' on return to work  30 December, 2009

      The UK had a miserable post-Christmas return to work with heavy snow and persistent rain in places. Where?







      Snowdon

      Man badly hurt in mountain slide  30 December, 2009

      A 23-year-old man has been seriously injured after sliding 150ft down an icy mountain on his backside. More







      Tiger Woods

      Tiger Woods scandal 'cost billions'  30 December, 2009

      The Tiger Woods sex scandal may have cost his sponsors' shareholders up to £8.35bn, according to a study. More







      Jake Wilson

      Boy of five dies on mini motorbike  30 December, 2009

      A boy who died after an accident on a mini motorbike was an 'experienced' rider, relatives have said. More







      The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

      The biggest movie releases of 2010  30 December, 2009

      Check out our selection of the best films due for release in 2010 - which will you be watching? Find out more







      Goldfish

      See-through goldfish developed  30 December, 2009

      Scientists have developed a goldfish whose organs can be seen through translucent scales and skin. Why?







      Wallet with cash and cards

      How to financially survive January  30 December, 2009

      January is always tough after Christmas - these tips will help you survive the month with cash remaining. More







      Liverpool and Villa players in the snow

      Liverpool snatch late winner  30 December, 2009

      Liverpool snatched a late goal at a snowy Villa Park to give them a vital win against Aston Villa. Match report







      Police at the scene

      Package triggers airport bomb alert  30 December, 2009

      An Italian bomb squad has detonated a suspect package left at Milan's Malpensa airport. More







      Cigarette butt in ash tray (library image)

      Successful New Year's resolution tips  30 December, 2009

      Three quarters of Britons will not achieve their New Year resolutions in 2010, a psychologist has claimed. Why?







      Akmal Shaikh

      Briton's execution condemned by PM  30 December, 2009 

      Gordon Brown has condemned China's execution of a Briton, after a last-minute reprieve was denied. More







      Edinburgh

      Top 10 ideas for New Year's Eve  30 December, 2009

      No idea what to do on the 31st? We take a look at 10 of the UK's best New Year's Eve destinations. Where?






      Sport's biggest earners of 2009 30 December, 2009

      Find out how much the world's biggest sporting superstars have earned over the last year. Who earned the most?







      Edwin van der Sar

      Man United star's wife suffers a stroke  30 December, 2009

      Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is on compassionate leave after his wife suffered a brain haemorrhage. More







      Archie in 'EastEnders'

      Murder on Albert Square  30 December, 2009

      The mystery behind Archie's murder deepens in 'EastEnders', while an old face returns to 'Corrie'. Find out more















      Akmal Shaikh

      Briton's execution condemned by PM

      Gordon Brown has condemned China's execution of a Briton, after a last-minute reprieve was denied. More






      The St James Park tanker

      UK chemical tanker hijacked by pirates

      Somali pirates have hijacked a UK-flagged tanker carrying chemicals and 26 crew in the Gulf of Aden. More








      Police officers (library photo)

      Man and four-year-old girl found dead 29 December, 2009

      A man and a four-year-old girl have been found dead inside a house, following reports of a domestic dispute. More







      Snow on roads

      Fresh warning of heavy snow

      A weather warning has been issued for parts of the UK, with up to a foot of snow predicted for some areas. Where?






      Edwin van der Sar

      Man United star's wife suffers a stroke

      Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is on compassionate leave after his wife suffered a brain haemorrhage. More






      David Beckham

      Sport's biggest earners of 2009

      Find out how much the world's biggest sporting superstars have earned over the last year. Who earned the most?






      The biggest movie releases of 2010

      Check out our selection of the best films due for release in 2010 - which will you be watching? Find out more






      People shopping at Christmas

      Unwanted Xmas gifts: Know your rights

      At this time of year it pays to know your rights when it comes to unwanted or faulty Christmas presents. More info






      Edinburgh

      Top 10 ideas for New Year's Eve

      No idea what to do on the 31st? We take a look at 10 of the UK's best New Year's Eve destinations. Where?






      A comedian

      Top 3 stand-up comedy acts of 2009

      Over 39,000 Yahoo! TV readers have been voting for their favourite stand-up comedians of the year. Find out who?






      Wallet with cash and cards

      How to financially survive January

      January is always tough after Christmas - these tips will help you survive the month with cash remaining. More






      Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

      Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for plot

      An al-Qaeda group has claimed responsibility for the failed Christmas Day airliner bomb plot. More






      TOP SEARCHES OF 2009

      1. Big Brother
      2. X Factor
      3. Job centre
      4. Michael Jackson
      5. Jade Goody
      1. Premier League
      2. Swine flu
      3. Katie Price
      4. Cheryl Cole
      5. Train times








      World News Headlines for 29 December, 2009

      More : News  Sports  Entertainment


       



      undefined



      Is Myspace the key to News Corp's new strategy?
      Rupert Murdoch has outlined online far-reaching strategies before
      Rupert Murdoch and his family own almost 30% of News Corp

      "Young people don't want to rely on a God-like figure from above to tell them what's important .." Rupert Murdoch

      What Myspace means to Murdoch
      Analysis By Jeremy Scott-Joynt  BBC News business reporter Tuesday, 19 July 2005
      Just three months ago, news magnate Rupert Murdoch made an unusual admission.
      He had realised, he told a high-powered audience at the American Society of Newspaper Editors in Washington DC, that he had got something rather important rather wrong.
      News Corporation, the global media group he controls, had failed properly to engage with the online world - and risked losing its hard-won position in news as a result.
      As a "digital immigrant" - as he described himself - he acknowledged he found it difficult to visualise how News Corp should change its ways. But he had no doubt that radical change was coming, and that it was inevitable.
      Commentators took the unusual "mea culpa" as a sign that News Corp was gearing up for a wholesale revamp of its approach to the internet.
      On 19 July, what appears to be the first really substantive part of the new strategy swung into action: the purchase, for $580m, of the firm behind the wildly popular Myspace.com online community.
      Deja vu?
      Cynics may charge that Mr Murdoch has been here before.
      In 1999, another keynote speech laid out lofty ambitions for News Corp online - only for several well-financed operations to close down within months of their launch.
      Before that came failed initiatives such as Delphi Internet in the mid-1990s, an online service which mingled News Corp's UK content with US material and failed to capture anyone's imagination, and an abortive internet service provider experiment called LineOne.
      Everyone's an editor
      Even so, buying Intermix - and thus Myspace - seems to match the requirements Mr Murdoch laid down in his 13 April speech.
      The central message was that the days of newspapers editing content into a one-size-fits-all package to be consumed without question by the reader were numbered.
      Young people "don't want to rely on a God-like figure from above to tell them what's important," Mr Murdoch said.
      "And to carry the religion analogy a bit further, they certainly don't want news presented as gospel.
      "Instead, they want their news on demand, when it works for them. They want control over their media, instead of being controlled by it. They want to question, to probe, to offer a different angle."
      Myspace fits neatly into that definition. It is a network of pages - most set up by individuals, some by musicians and other creative types - each mixing self-generated text and pictures, links to other content elsewhere, and streamed music and video to create networks of friends and contacts.
      The result is a densely interwoven community, which its adherents - 14 million a month, by some measures - say is highly addictive.
      Not that different, in fact, from Mr Murdoch's description of a world where users act as their own editors, choosing their own news and content from the huge range of possibilities available online.
      Of course, every page of Myspace content contains adverts - and Mr Murdoch left his listeners in no doubt that their books would bleed red ink unless they found ways of exploiting the boom in online advertising.
      Backing brands
      What remains unclear is where the other part of Mr Murdoch's vision fits in.
      Later in his speech, he talked of the importance of brands - the heart, after all, of the News Corp empire.
      Despite the doomsaying, newspaper journalists and editors were perfectly positioned to keep supplying the core content on which the communications communities would be built, he said.
      "We have the experience, the brands, the resources, and the know-how to get it done. We have unique content to differentiate ourselves in a world where news is becoming increasingly commoditized."
      That may prove challenging - after all, suspicion of existing media outlets is rife in weblogs and other chatty outposts of the web.
      Then again, earlier in July News Corp announced the launch of Fox Interactive Media, a hub for Fox news, sport and entertainment in the US.
      Myspace, News Corp says, could drive traffic to Fox Interactive Media.
      And most importantly, Myspace has detailed logs of its users' preferences, online behaviour and personal information.
      That could help the company tailor what it does to the ever-more-discerning market which Mr Murdoch believes he has identified.

      http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4695495.stm
      Tuesday, 19 July, 2005,
      News Corp in $580m internet buy
      News Corp, the company run by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, has made one of its first major internet purchases.
      It has bought Intermix Media, owner of Myspace.com, the fifth most-viewed internet domain in the US and owner of other sites for $580m (£332.85m).
      Mr Murdoch says the networking site will drive traffic to his Fox TV sites.
      Last week the company set up a new internet unit. Mr Murdoch has said that newspapers have been slow to respond to competition from the internet.
      Advertising advantage
      "With a significant amount of advertising dollars moving from traditional outlets to online, News Corp, like most media companies, is looking to boost its internet assets," Alan Gould, an analyst at Natexis Bleichroeder, told Reuters.
      The US market for internet advertising is growing at 15% in 2005, according to media buyers Universal McCann.
      Myspace.com users connect to the site for dating, making friends, professional networking and sharing interests.
      Earlier this year, New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer accused Intermix of deceptive business practices, including the use of spyware that delivered pop-up adverts and redirected users to its search engine.
      Intermix agreed to pay $7.9m to settle the suit but did not admit wrongdoing.
      http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4515459.stm
       Thursday, 5 May, 2005
      News Corp's quarterly profits dip
      "Two of the crown jewels, cable networks and filmed entertainment, performed better than expected.."  Christopher Marangi, Gabelli & Co
      The Super Bowl is the biggest event on the US sporting calendar

      News Corp, the media company controlled by billionaire Rupert Murdoch, has seen quarterly profits drop by 8%.
      The firm blamed costs relating to its sports television operations and its broadcasting of the Super Bowl - the American football championship game.
      Profit in the quarter to 31 March was $400m (£210m) from $434m a year ago.
      Looking to calm fears of a takeover tussle, Mr Murdoch said he wanted to buy all or part of an 18% stake Liberty Media had built up in News Corp.
      News Corp, which has moved its listing from Sydney to New York, said it has about $6bn in cash.
      Goggle box
      Despite the dip in profit during the fiscal third quarter, sales growth continued and the company reiterated its full year targets.
      Sales in the quarter rose 17% to $6bn. "The quarter was in line, but not high quality," said Jeffrey Bray of Babson Capital Management. "Expectations have been drifting downward for a month."
      Profit from television operations slid 15% to $221m, mainly due to charges from the unwinding of a partnership with Cablevision Systems and higher programming costs during the Super Bowl.
      The Fox Entertainment Group again was the firm's best-performing division, buoyed by the performance of its films "Alien vs. Predator" and "I, Robot".
      Cable television, which includes Fox News and National Geographic, also performed well.
      "Two of the crown jewels, cable networks and filmed entertainment, performed better than expected," said Christopher Marangi, an analyst at Gabelli & Co.
      Loss-making Sky Italia, the Italian arm of the firm's satellite broadcasting business, is expected to turn a profit in the current quarter after it narrowed its three-month shortfall to $21m.
      SEE ALSO
      News Corp in $580m internet buy
      19 Jul 05 |  Business
      News Corp's quarterly profits dip
      05 May 05 |  Business

      RELATED INTERNET LINKS
      News Corporation
      Myspace

       

       
       

       

      Katherine Jackson
      © Charles Dharapak/AP
      Katherine Jackson

      More on Wonderwall: Photos of Jackson's final days
      http://wonderwall.msn.com/music/The-Last-Photos-of-Michael-Jackson-3342.gallery

      Judge backs Michael Jackson lawyer and friend

      http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=419208>1=28102
      LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Michael Jackson's longtime attorney and a family friend should take over the pop singer's estate, a judge said Monday.

      Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff issued his ruling after a court hearing Monday morning. Attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain had been designated in Jackson's 2002 will as the people he wanted to administer his estate.

      Jackson died June 25, deeply in debt. But a court filing estimates that his estate will be worth more than $500 million.

      The singer's mother, Katherine Jackson, had applied to oversee her son's estate, but that was before the will surfaced. Her attorney, Burt Levitch, expressed concerns about McClain and Branca's financial leadership.

      Levitch told Beckloff that Branca had previously been removed from financial positions of authority by Jackson. Branca's attorney says he was rehired by Jackson on June 17, days before Jackson's death.

      Katherine Jackson did not appear at Monday's hearing. Branca did attend.

      Related: Jackson and mother Katherine had unbreakable bond

      Branca and McClain will have to post a $1 million bond on the estate, Beckloff ruled.


      Michael Jackson, 1958-2009

       

       


      http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9775030/Relative:-Police-suspect-GF-was-McNair-shooter


      Sahel Kazemi.
       (The Tennessean / Associated Press)



      Steve McNair played 13 NFL seasons.(Chris McGrath / Getty Images)

      Relative: Police suspect GF was McNair shooter


      Updated: July 6, 2009, 5:30 PM EDT


      NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - As police continued to investigate the Steve McNair homicide case, a relative of the woman found shot to death next to McNair claims police have told him they are almost sure 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi was the shooter, and that Kazemi purchased a gun in the past week.

      Farzin Abdi, Kazemi's nephew, didn't know what day of the week the gun was purchased or what type of gun it was.

      Nashville police didn't immediately have a reaction to the Abdi's comments.

      "There was no way she was depressed and wanting to do this," Abdi said. "She was so happy. ... She just had it made, you know, (with) this guy taking care of everything."

      Abdi said Kazemi believed McNair was divorcing his wife and she was preparing to sell her furniture to move in with him.

      Shot twice in the head and two more times in the chest, McNair was the victim of a homicide, police declared Sunday. But authorities wouldn't say it was a murder-suicide — even with Kazemi dead at his feet from a single bullet.

      McNair had been dating Saleh Kazemi for several months, and Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said Sunday that a semiautomatic pistol was found under her body. She was shot in the head.

      McNair, who was married with four sons, had a permit to carry a handgun in Tennessee, and he was arrested once before with a 9mm weapon although charges in the case were dropped. Police said they had not yet determined who owned the gun found at the scene.

      Investigators weren't looking for a suspect but were questioning friends of the couple as well as Kazemi's ex-boyfriend. They were also waiting for results of drug and other laboratory tests before deciding whether McNair was killed in a lovers' quarrel.

      "That's a very important part of the investigation as we work to ultimately classify Miss Kazemi's death," Aaron said.

      A public memorial and viewings are scheduled later this week for McNair.

      The public will have a couple of opportunities to attend viewings in Nashville on Thursday and a memorial will be held later that evening at Mount Zion Baptist Church.

      A funeral will be held Saturday in Mississippi but arrangements are not yet final.

      Fans are asked to make donations to the Steve McNair Foundation.

      The details surfacing after McNair's death stand in stark contrast to the public persona he enjoyed during his career.

      McNair repeatedly played through serious injuries and pain to win, though he came up a yard short of forcing overtime on the Tennessee Titans' famous drive to lose the 2000 Super Bowl.

      Generous, he frequently took part in charity work for both the Titans and later the Baltimore Ravens after a 2006 trade. McNair even helped load donated food, water and clothes onto tractor-trailers that he had arranged for Hurricane Katrina victims, and paid for three football camps for children himself this year.

      McNair and Kazemi were found dead at a Nashville condominium — which overlooks the Titans stadium — that he rented with his friend Wayne Neeley. Police believe both died early Saturday. Neeley found the bodies hours later, and called a friend, Robert Gaddy, who played at Alcorn State with McNair. Gaddy dialed 911.

      "People have certain things that they do in life," Gaddy said. "We don't need to look on the situation at this time (but) on the fact we just lost a great member of society."

      The quarterback's agent, Bus Cook, said he had never heard Kazemi's name until news of the shooting broke Saturday. What McNair's wife knew wasn't clear Sunday. Cook said Mechelle McNair was "in and out of it." He said she had no comment after the police called his death a homicide.

      "It doesn't make any sense. I don't know what to say," Cook said.

      Mechelle was "very upset, very distraught" Sunday, Cook said. She was preparing to finish funeral arrangements Monday.

      McNair split his time between Nashville and his farm in Mount Olive, Miss. He recently opened a restaurant near Tennessee State University that was aimed at serving healthy, affordable food to college students.

      McNair was also seen so often at Kazemi's apartment that a neighbor thought he lived there.

      McNair met Kazemi when his family ate often at the Dave & Buster's restaurant she worked at as a server, and the two began dating in a relationship that included a vacation with parasailing. Photos posted on TMZ.com showed McNair gazing and smiling at the young Kazemi.

      "She pretty obviously got mixed up way over her head with folks," said Reagan Howard, a neighbor of Kazemi's.

      A man who answered the door at a house in the Jacksonville, Fla., suburb of Orange Park said it was the home of Kazemi's family, but said her relatives did not want to comment.

      "We don't have anything to say, please leave us alone," he said.

      The victim's sister, Soheyla Kazemi, told the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville that the young woman had expected McNair to get a divorce. "She said they were planning to get married."

      Kazemi often was dropped off by limousine in the early morning hours and recently went from driving a Kia to a 2007 Cadillac Escalade registered to both herself and McNair. Her niece told The Tennessean that Kazemi thought McNair was divorcing his wife of 12 years soon.

      Nashville courts had no record of a McNair divorce case, but a home he owned in Nashville is on the market for $3 million.

      The real estate agent declined to comment. Her online listing for property described it as a "gigantic house" of more than 14,000 square feet and photos showed a pool, home theater, baby grand piano and ornate furnishings throughout.

      McNair and Kazemi were together Thursday night when she was pulled over driving that Escalade. She was arrested on a DUI charges, and he was allowed to leave in a taxi even though he was charged with drunken driving in 2007 when his brother-in-law was stopped for DUI while driving McNair's pickup truck.

      McNair led the Titans to the 2000 Super Bowl, which they lost 23-16 to the St. Louis Rams despite his 87-yard drive in the final minute and 48 seconds. He was co-MVP of the NFL with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in 2003.

      Manning said in a statement Sunday that he had some great battles with the quarterback.

      "Sharing the NFL MVP honor with him in 2003 was special because of what a great football player he was," Manning said. "I had the opportunity to play in a couple of Pro Bowls with him, and the time spent with him in Hawaii I'll never forget. I'll truly miss him."

      The Titans drafted Vince Young in 2006 to replace McNair, who had mentored him since he was a teenager. They never played together but did play against each other that year.

      "He was like a father to me. I hear his advice in my head with everything I do. Life will be very different without him," Young said in a statement Sunday.

      McNair grew up in Mount Olive, Miss., and became a football star at Alcorn State, the Division I-AA school in his home state as he dominated the Southwestern Athletic Conference. He became a Heisman Trophy contender as reporters flocked to little Lorman to watch the man known as "Air McNair.

      He still holds the Division I-AA (now known as Football Championship Subdivision) records for career yards passing (14,496) and total offense (16,823). McNair was drafted in 1995 by the Houston Oilers, who eventually became the Titans.

      Picked four times for the Pro Bowl, McNair finished with 31,304 yards passing and 174 touchdowns. He led both the Titans and Ravens to playoff berths, including two AFC championship game appearances with Tennessee. Injuries finally led to his retirement after the 2007 season

      Besides his wife, McNair is survived his sons Junior, Steven, Tyler and Trenton.




      Fox News Contributor Rips Into Palin: "The Woman Is Inarticulate, Undereducated" (VIDEO)

      The Huffington Post   |  Rachel Weiner 
      First Posted: 07- 6-09 01:24 PM   |   Updated: 07- 6-09 01:42 PM

      Even Fox News has started to turn on Sarah Palin. In the midst of a segment about the Alaska Governor's battle against "liberal" attacks, Liz Trotta went off-message.

      Frankly, "the woman is inarticulate, undereducated," Trotta said, arguing that for once liberal criticism was "well-deserved."

      "I think all the liberal stylists ... really have a case. She just begs for adjectives like flaky and wacky." When pressed, she added, "We're talking about somebody who, right from the get-go, has been a flashy person who gets into a lot of trouble and really has no credentials for any 

      More in Politics...

       

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      Sarah Palin's Second Chanc

      Karen Dalton-Beninato Karen Dalton-Beninato: Pleading the Fifth: The Palin Constitution Revolution
      I don't know what to call it but the Convolution Party aired its brand new platform on the steps of a Land of Lincoln courthouse, some in their Glenn Beck Live Free or Die shirts.

       

      Read more from Huffington Post bloggers:

       




      Lance Armstrong and his Astana team were fined for arriving late for the pre-strage registration this morning in Marseille, France. Rules state that riders must show up 20 minutes prior to the start or face a fine of 100 Swiss Francs ($92). Sneering contempt from the Tour de France competitions director is an added bonus.


      Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:01 am EDT

      Lance and Astana earn a $92 fine for showing up late

      By Chris Chase

      "Today, and as usual, the Astana team arrived late at the pre-stage registration, in contempt of the crowd, who has once again not seen Lance Armstrong," [Tour competitions director Jean-Francois] Pescheux told Reuters before the start of the third stage from Marseille to La Grande Motte.

      "They don't care about the fine. We are going to ask the UCI to be tougher."

      Of course they don't care about the fine. Ninety-two dollars? Lance drops more on that at breakfast. Has that amount changed since the first Tour in 1903? The last time I heard of a $92 fine I was watching The People's Court ... in 1987.  

      And what's with the attitude, M. Pescheux? Let's not be perpetuating stereotypes about the French. It's bad enough that Lance is reinforcing notions that Americans show up late to everything. 

      One of the excuses floated for that late arrival for Astana was that there was bad traffic in Marseille. The irony of showing up late to a bike race because your car was stuck in traffic is something even Pescheux should find amusing.

      Update: Armstrong apologized for his tardiness on his Twitter account this afternoon, 

      blaming it on a visit from actor Ben Stiller.


      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31759835/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/?gt1=43001
      Police may have killed suspect in S.C. slayings

      Similar vehicle links series of five deaths to man shot overnight in N.C.


      Image: Possible suspect
      AP
      This is an updated drawing of the suspected serial killer in Cherokee County, S.C., made available on Friday.













      Video
        Manhunt for S.C. serial killer
      July 6: Residents of a South Carolina town were terrorized after five people were shot to death in about a week. NBC’s Ron Mott reports from Gaffney, S.C..

      Today show


      Video: Crime & courts  
      Former DC mayor arrested on stalking charges
      July 6: Former Washington D.C. Mayor, and current D.C. Councilman Marion Barry has been arrested for allegedly stalking a female acquaintance. WRC's Darcy Spencer reports.


      On the run

      The U.S. Marshals want your help finding their "15 Most Wanted" fugitives, a notorious list of suspects fleeing everything from murder and robbery to child sex charges. To date, about 200 of the fugitives profiled on the list have been found. Tips leading to an arrest are rewarded up to $25,000. Click here to see the fugitives. 


      NBC, msnbc.com and news services
      updated 2:41 p.m. ET July 6, 2009

      Authorities were investigating whether a man who was shot and killed Monday morning by police in North Carolina may be linked to the slayings of five people in South Carolina in a week.

      South Carolina law enforcement officers were in Gaston County, N.C., near Charlotte, after county police shot and killed the man, who they said opened fire on them Monday morning, NBC News’ Ron Mott reported.

      Investigators told NBC station WCNC of Charlotte that a gray or champagne Ford Explorer was found outside the house in Gaston County, about 30 miles north of Cherokee County, S.C., where five people were found shot to death in three incidents over eight days bridging last week.

      Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton said Monday that a gray Ford Explorer was believed to link all five of the South Carolina killings.

      “The physical evidence, the evidence that we have, the eyewitnesses that we have, puts the same person, we think the same vehicle, at all three locations,” Blanton said in an interview on NBC’s TODAY.

      Questioning three people
      Gaston County police were questioning three people who were reported to have entered a house about 2:40 a.m. when they discovered that one of them had an outstanding warrant. The man, whose identity was not released, fired a single shot when officers tried to serve the warrant, injuring one of the officers in the leg. Police fired four shots, killing the man at the scene, they said.

      The killings began a week ago Saturday in Cherokee County, S.C., when the wife of Kline Cash, a 63-year-old peach farmer, found her husband shot to death in their rural home. Then, on Wednesday, relatives discovered the bodies of Gena Linder Parker, 50, and her mother, Hazel Linder, 83, bound and shot to death in a separate attack at Linder’s home.

      Thursday, Stephen Tyler and his daughter Abby, 15, were shot as they were closing the Tyler Home Center near downtown Gaffney. He died Thursday, while Abby Tyler fought for her life for two days before dying Saturday at a hospital.

      Blanton said deputies were searching for a man about 6 feet 2 inches tall with salt-and-pepper hair.

      Hundreds of people thronged funeral services Sunday for the mother and daughter. Law enforcement officers provided security for the family and mourners. The crime spree terrorizing Cherokee County forced many people to curtail Fourth of July festivities.

      Celebration turns to mourning
      The Herald-Journal of Spartanburg, S.C., reported that the Tylers’ minister at Cherokee Avenue Baptist Church, Clyde Thomas, urged congregants to keep the faith in the face of tragedy. The newspaper said he had a pistol in his office Saturday.
      “As Christians, we don’t live by explanations. We live by promises. We live by faith, not sight,” Thomas said.
      Thomas said he had originally planned to deliver a sermon titled “Happy Birthday, America” for the Fourth of July service. But instead of upbeat patriotic music, Sunday’s program was changed to add hymns reflecting a time of mourning.

      The killings alarmed many residents, and some talked of arming themselves.
      “The irony is that the freedoms we have, we’re locked behind closed doors with firearms,” Thomas said. “We should be celebrating freedom, but we find ourselves very much restrained by fear.”
      Blanton, the sheriff, said all the victims were shot. The shootings all occurred within about 10 miles of each other in Cherokee County, a community of 54,000 people set amid peach orchards and farms.

      Investigators have released a sketch of the suspect, saying he was in his 40s and roughly 200 pounds.

      More on South Carolina

       

      http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-experts-10_boilerplate_phrases_that_kill_resumes-97

      The Savvy Networker

      10 Boilerplate Phrases That Kill Resumes


      The Savvy Networker

         by: Liz Ryan

      The 2009 job market is very different from job markets of the past. If you haven't job-hunted in a while, the changes in the landscape can throw you for a loop.

      One of the biggest changes is the shift in what constitutes a strong resume. Years ago, we could dig into the Resume Boilerplate grab-bag and pull out a phrase to fill out a sentence or bullet point on our resume. Everybody used the same boilerplate phrases, so we knew we couldn't go wrong choosing one of them -- or many -- to throw into your resume.

      Things have changed. Stodgy boilerplate phrases in your resume today mark you as uncreative and "vocabulary challenged." You can make your resume more compelling and human-sounding by rooting out and replacing the boring corporate-speak phrases that litter it, and replacing them with human language -- things that people like you or me would actually say.

      Here are the worst 10 boilerplate phrases -- the ones to seek out and destroy in your resume as soon as possible:

      • Results-oriented professional
      • Cross-functional teams
      • More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience
      • Superior (or excellent) communication skills
      • Strong work ethic
      • Met or exceeded expectations
      • Proven track record of success
      • Works well with all levels of staff
      • Team player
      • Bottom-line orientation

      You can do better. What about adding a human voice to your resume? Here's an example:

      "I'm a Marketing Researcher who's driven by curiosity about why people buy what they do. At XYZ Industries, I used consumer surveys and online-forum analysis to uncover the reasons why consumers chose our competitors over us; our sales grew twenty percent over the next six months as a result. I'm equally at home on sales calls or analyzing data in seclusion, and up to speed on traditional and new-millennium research tools and approaches. I'm fanatical about understanding our marketplace better every day, week and month -- and have helped my employers' brands grow dramatically as a result."

      You don't have to write resumes that sound like robots wrote them. A human-voiced resume is the new black -- try it!

      Liz Ryan is a 25-year HR veteran, former Fortune 500 VP and an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new millennium workplace. Contact Liz at liz@asklizryan.com or join the Ask Liz Ryan online community at www.asklizryan/group.
      The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.


      Also on Yahoo! HotJobs:

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      12 tips to get your resume noticed
      Find a new job near you

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    •  

       


      http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,530284,00.html



      American Life League


      Seventh Grader Sues School Over Right to Wear Pro-Life T-Shirt

      A California mom says her public school administrators violated her daughter's First Amendment rights when they ordered the seventh-grader to take off her pro-life T-shirt.

      Anna Amador has gone to court on behalf of her daughter, who she says was ordered by her principal to
      change her shirt on "National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day." The shirt the girl was wearing displays two graphic pictures of a fetus growing in the womb.
      The incident occurred in April 2008 at McSwain Elementary School, a K-8 school in Merced, Calif. Amador alleges in her legal complaint that school Principal Terrie Rohrer, Assistant Principal C.W. Smith and office
      clerk Martha Hernandez mistreated her daughter and denied the girl her First Amendment rights when they ordered her to leave the cafeteria and change her shirt.
      "Before Plaintiff could eat [breakfast] she was ordered by a school staff member to throw her food out and report immediately to Defendant Smith's office, located in the main office of McSwain Elementary School," the complaint reads.
      "Upon arriving at the main office, Defendant Hernandez, intentionally and without Plaintiff's consent, grabbed Plaintiff's arm and forcibly escorted her toward Smith's office, at all times maintaining a vice-like grip on Plaintiff's arm. Hernandez only released Plaintiff's arm after physically locating her in front of Smith and Defendant Rohrer...

      "Smith and Rohrer ordered Plaintiff to remove her pro-life T-shirt and instructed Plaintiff to never wear her pro-life T-shirt at McSwain Elementary School ever again...
      "Completely humiliated and held out for ridicule, Plaintiff complied with Defendants' directives and removed her pro-life T-shirt, whereupon, Defendants seized and confiscated it. Defendants did not return Plaintiff's property until the end of the school day."
      The school administrators dispute some of the allegations, said Anthony N. DeMaria, attorney for the McSwain Union Elementary School District.
      "I think the school district has a very strong defense," DeMaria said. "The complaint does not properly characterize the events that happened. Certainly we dispute some of the events."
      He said he was unable to reach the administrators to determine which parts they say are incorrect, because school is out for the summer. Rohrer, the principal, told FOXNews.com on Monday that she could not issue a statement without consulting with the school superintendent and their attorney. The other defendants and school district employees did not respond to calls and e-mails from FOXNews.com.
      The school district sought to get the case thrown out due to "failure to state a cognizable claim," but a U.S. Eastern District Court judge ruled last month that all but one of Amador's claims could go forward.
      The complaint quotes school district officials saying that they ordered Amador's daughter to remove the shirt because it constituted "inappropriate subject matter" in violation of the school's dress code, which bans clothing with "suggestion of tobacco, drug or alcohol use, sexual promiscuity, profanity, vulgarity, or other inappropriate subject matter."
      Amador claims in the legal complaint that other students at the school have been allowed to wear expressive shirts, and she blames the school for “inconsistently applying their Dress Code based upon subjective determinations as to which messages are acceptable and which messages are not.”
      One of the girl's lawyers, Mark A. Thiel, said that the images on her shirt of a fetus in the womb were same as those in her science textbooks. He said no student had complained about the shirt, and he said the girl's parents were not called when the incident took place.
      "This was a young girl, not even in high school. But they didn't call," he said.
      A spokeswoman for the local Planned Parenthood chapter declined to take sides in the case.
      "Even offensive speech is protected as long as it doesn’t impinge upon the rights of others," said Deborah Ortiz, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte.
      "School administrators have a mission to educate, and the student’s right to political speech should be protected in balance with this education mission."
      UCLA law professor and First Amendment expert Eugene Volokh said Supreme Court precedent appears to support the girl's case.
      "During the Vietnam War, the Supreme Court ruled that wearing black arm bands [at school, to protest the war] was OK,” Volokh said. “If students can wear armbands in protest, why can't they wear a pro-life shirt?"
      He said the case would be different if there was evidence that the shirt could have led to disruption or fighting.
      "Schools have a lot more authority than the government does in regulating speech,” he said. “If someone is speaking on a street corner and it looks like other people are going to start a fight over it, the government's job is to protect the speaker. That is not the case in schools. We need to make sure students learn. So if speech is highly disruptive, well … in that case we can suppress it.
      "But the school's position that they can restrict speech just because they find it inappropriate is not correct."
      But the fact that it's a K-8 school with very young children could change things, said Brooklyn Law School professor William Araiza. He pointed to the 2007 Supreme Court decision in Morse v. Frederick, where the court allowed a high school to suspend students in Juneau, Alaska, who waved a banner that read “Bong hits 4 Jesus” from across the street during an Olympic torch relay, because it was seen as promoting illegal drug use.
      “[The school] could almost use a “bong hits” kind of rationale about protecting students from inappropriate messages,” Araiza said. “For instance, would you allow a 4th grader to wear a gruesome picture of a bomb scene? You probably wouldn't.”
      First Amendment attorney William Becker, who represents Amador, disagreed that the shirt could be seen as containing inappropriate messages.
      "The message of the T-shirt is that life is sacred," he said. "One would be very hard pressed to find anything wrong with that particular idea, except that some people do object to the political message.”

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      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31733401/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/?GT1=43001

      Video

        Murders leave S.C. town on edge
      July 4: Fourth of July celebrations in Gaffney, S.C., took on a somber tone amid a desperate search for a killer believed to be responsible for at least five murders. NBC’s Ron Mott reports.

      Nightly News


      Image: Possible suspect
      AP
      This is an updated drawing of the suspected serial killer in Cherokee County, S.C., made available on Friday.










      S.C. town terrorized by 5 killings in past week AP

      15-year-old girl latest victim of suspected serial killer

      GAFFNEY, S.C. - A teenage girl shot while helping her father in their family's small furniture and appliance store died Saturday, becoming the fifth victim of a suspected serial killer terrorizing a small South Carolina community, authorities said.

      Abby Tyler, 15, died about 11:15 a.m. at a Spartanburg hospital after fighting for her life for two days, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said.
      Tyler was wounded and her father was killed Thursday as they worked to close the Tyler Home Center near downtown Gaffney.
      County Sheriff Bill Blanton said investigators believe the killings are linked and the search is on for a suspected male serial killer. An 83-year-old mother and her daughter were shot to death Wednesday, and a 63-year-old peach farmer was found dead at his home a week ago.
      Blanton said all the victims were shot, but he would not say how the deaths were linked. The shootings all occurred within about 10 miles of each other in Cherokee County, a rural community of 54,000 people set amid peach orchards and farms some 50 miles west of Charlotte, N.C.

      Killings have terrorized community
      The spree had alarmed residents canceling Independence Day holiday plans and arming themselves. The sheriff has warned door-to-door salesmen to stop knocking and anyone who breaks down on the county's rural roads to wait instead of walking to a house for help because he worries "people are going to start shooting at shadows."
      The killings began a week ago Saturday when the wife of 63-year-old peach farmer Kline Cash found him dead in their home. Then last Wednesday, relatives found 83-year-old Hazel Linder and her 50-year-old daughter, Gena Linder Parker, bound and shot to death in a separate shooting at Linder's home.
      Dozens of local, state and federal investigators were assigned to the case when the killings were linked. But a day later, the killer struck again, less than a half-mile from the sheriff's office serving as the headquarters for the investigation, killing 48-year-old Stephen Tyler and his daughter.
      "We're knee-deep in the investigation," Blanton said Sunday. "There's fear and concern here and there should be concern."
      Investigators have released a sketch of the suspect, saying he is in his 40s, with salt and pepper hair, about 6-foot-2, and roughly 200 pounds. They think he is driving a silver 1991-1994 Ford Explorer. 

      The last time the town was this threatened like this was 1968, when the "Gaffney Strangler" killed four women over 10 days and vowed to kill more. The town banded together, despite racial prejudice, to find the man who was killing white and black women.
      The strangler, Lee Roy Martin, called the editor of a local newspaper on Feb. 8, 1968, and told him where to find the bodies of two women he'd dumped in the woods. He threatened to kill even more women until he was "shot down like the dog I am."
      People started to comb the community for clues, which led to Martin's arrest. He was convicted of four murders and sentenced to four life terms. In 1972, he was stabbed to death in his cell.

      More on South Carolina
      MORE FROM CRIME & COURTS
      Crime & courts Section Front

      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31707246/ns/health-addictions/

      Video

        Police fight Florida pill mills 
      April 30: Florida police face drug addicts and dealers from other states seeking painkillers. Watch more of Mark Potter's report.

      Nightly News

      Video
        Prescription drugs 'killing our young'
      July 5: In their own words, parents, community leaders and advocates discuss the "epidemic" of prescription drug abuse.

      Nightly News


      Interactives and quizzes

       
      NBC News/Voince Genova
      Lynn and Sam Kissick discuss the tragic death of their Daughter as a result of a

      prescription drug overdose


      NBC News / Vince Genova
      Sarah Shay seen before her tragic drug overdose.














      Prescription drug abuse ravages state's youth

      Prescription drug abuse is  a fast-growing problem that exists across the country,
       but officials say the problem is particularly acute
       in the cities and rural areas of Eastern Kentucky. NBC News' Mark Potter reports.

      Kentucky officials see an ‘epidemic’; officials say drugs coming from Florida

      By Mark Potter

      Correspondent

      NBC News

      updated 8:17 a.m. ET July 6, 2009

      MOREHEAD, Ky. — Late in the morning last New Year's Day, Sam and Lynn Kissick received a devastating phone call that would tear their lives apart.
      The caller informed them their 22-year-old daughter, Savannah, was being rushed by ambulance to the St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead, Ky. She had long battled drug addiction, but it looked like this time, Savannah had overdosed on a combination of painkillers and sedatives while celebrating New Year's Eve. 
      After racing to the emergency room to be by Savannah's side, her parents were met by a physician with grim
      news. "I'm sorry, Mr. And Mrs. Kissick, but she didn't make it," he said.
      Savannah had just become the latest fatality linked to prescription drug abuse, a fast-growing problem that killed more than 8,500 Americans in 2005, according to the latest available statistics from the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says nearly 7 million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, noting that is "more than the number who are abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy and inhalants combined." The DEA also reports that "opioid painkillers now cause more overdose deaths than cocaine and heroin combined."
      "Something needs to be done, because it's killing our kids every day." said Lynn Kissick.  "People need to stand up and take notice. Our kids are dying. They're dying because of these drugs."

       A regional ‘epidemic’ 
      While the problem exists in every state in the country, Kentucky led the nation in the use of
      prescription drugs for non-medical purposes during the last year, according to the state'sOffice of Drug Control Policy. Officials said prescription drug abuse is particularly acute in the cities and rural areas of Eastern Kentucky.
      Last year alone, at least 485 people died in Kentucky from prescription drug overdoses,
      according to the state's Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Medical Examiners' records indicate the drugs most commonly found in those death cases were methadone, the painkillers oxycodone and hydrocodone, alprazolam (Xanax), morphine, diazepam (Valium) and fentanyl.
      "It's an epidemic and I'm afraid we're losing a whole generation," said Beth Lewis Maze, the Chief Circuit Judge for the 21st Judicial Circuit in Kentucky. "These pain medications are so highly addictive that these young people are digging themselves a very deep hole."
      In the region's newly formed drug court, Maze sees the ravages of prescription drug abuse at all levels of society. "I see good kids from good families, doctors, lawyers, teachers," she said.
      Greenup County Coroner Neil Wright calls prescription drug abuse "public enemy number one."  Half of the 50 deaths he logged last year were drug related, and "85 to 90 percent" of those calls involved prescription pill overdoses. "It affects everybody. I don't care, rich, poor, educated or non-educated, it affects everybody."
      Down the street, Greenup County Sheriff Keith Cooper dug through the many evidence bags his deputies have filled with prescription pill bottles and cash seized during drug arrests.
      "We are drowning in a sea of prescription medication," said Cooper, who complained about the skyrocketing number of crimes committed by addicts searching for money to buy painkillers.
      "It affects, quite literally, every kind, every type of crime that we have, the burglaries, the thefts, the accidents, the domestic disputes between families. It's breaking families up."
      In neighboring Rowan County, where Savannah Kissick died, Chief Deputy Sheriff Roger Holbrook was arrested recently on federal charges that he had conspired to distribute oxycodone. 

      Crowded rehabilitation clinics 
      Pastor Wayne Ross runs the Shepherd’s Shelter adult drug and alcohol treatment center in Mount Sterling, Ky. His 50 available beds are filled with residents struggling to recover from drug addiction, almost all of them from prescription pill habits. 

      Savannah Kissick was one of his clients, and she had graduated from the recovery program. Her return to drug abuse and her death from an overdose shook Ross and the clinic staff members who had worked hard for her success. 
      "I cried, it breaks my heart," said Ross, who officiated at Savannah's funeral. "She's not the only one. We've been directly involved with five different people who have OD'd. Three of the funerals I did, myself, as a minister. It just breaks my heart."
      Kay Fultz, 36, is also from Morehead, Ky. and is currently a resident of the Shepherd’s Shelter who said that at the height of her addiction, she was taking as many as 50 oxycodone pain pills a day and was dealing drugs to support her own habit.
      "It just starts out as a party drug, you know, every now and then," Fultz said.  "Once you start doing it every day, I mean it just takes compete control of your life."
      Finding a prescription drug supply was easy for Fultz. "It's very simple to get. It's everywhere," she said. But once addicted, the costs are severe. "I've lost everything. I've lost everything and it's so easy to do."

      Florida connection 
      During a recent classroom session at his clinic, Ross asked the residents where they bought their prescription drugs. Every person in the room had either traveled to Florida to obtain the medications, or had purchased drugs from someone else who had bought prescription painkillers there. 
      Florida has become notorious as a destination for addicts and drug dealers from around the southeastern United States.  They are drawn to the many pain clinics in Florida, some of which dispense hundreds of painkillers at a time after only a cursory medical exam.
      "You can go down there and within 24 hours have everything you need," said Fultz, who added that the medical exam she was given at a Florida pain clinic, where she pretended to suffer from pain, was not at all professional.
      "I mean, they look at your MRI, ask you how you are feeling — ‘I'm feeling pretty bad’ — and you leave there with pills."
      Sam Kissick, Savannah’s father, believes the drugs that killed his daughter came from Florida.
      "From where I'm sitting, it looks like they're handing it out like candy on Halloween," he said. "Anybody that goes down there can come back with carloads of pills, and then they're dumped out on our streets."
      To addicts in Kentucky, Florida is “like the promised land,” said Cooper, the Greenup County sheriff.
      Local police, federal agents and medical officials in Florida are targeting illicit prescription drug sales. The state legislature recently passed, and Gov. Charlie Crist signed, a law to regulate and monitor pain clinics, although the procedure won't be fully implemented until late next year. 
      Kentucky and most other states already have such monitoring laws in place, making it much more difficult for addicts and dealers to buy large amounts of prescription medication by going from clinic to clinic – a common practice in Florida.

      Families left behind 
      Karen Shay, a dentist in Morehead, Ky., also knows too well the cost and pain of prescription drug abuse. Two years ago, her 19-year-old daughter, Sarah, died from an overdose after partying with friends, who dropped her body off at a hospital and drove away. 
      Sarah Shay and Savannah Kissick had been childhood friends.
      "We have two young ladies that were beautiful, talented and intelligent, had the world by the tail, could have done anything and they're gone,” Shay said. “They're gone."
      In her work, Shay also sees the desperation of drug addicts, some of whom have visited her office seeking pain medication for fake dental problems. Because of Kentucky's prescription monitoring law, Shay is able to run computer checks on patients she suspects of doctor-shopping for painkillers and turns many of them away.
      "If [the painkillers are] taken the way they're supposed to be, it's a very powerful, helpful drug.  But when they're not taken the way they're supposed to, then it becomes a killer," she said. "It's amazing when you look in the paper, how many people have died from drug abuse. "

      During a recent visit to the cemetery where Sarah is interred, Shay cleared away the dying flower petals and placed a colorful pinwheel below her daughter's crypt. Looking upward to the plaque showing Sarah's name and picture, she quietly spoke the words, "Hi, Baby," then bowed her head. 
      "When you lose somebody like that, it puts a hole in your heart that nothing else will ever fill," she said.
      For the Kissicks, whose loss is more recent and raw, anger mingles with grief.
      "It's time that people were held accountable for what's happening. I think it's time that someone was held responsible,” Lynn Kissick said.
      The parents want to raise awareness about the problem so that others don’t have to endure their pain.
      "The drugs, they don't discriminate and it can happen to anybody," said Sam Kissick. "You may never have any idea that your child is exploring or fooling with prescription drugs at all, until they've already gone too far with it."

      Sitting at their dining room table recently, Savannah's parents sorted through colorful photographs of their daughter. 

      "She had a beautiful smile," said Lynn. In a quiet voice, Sam agreed, "That she did."
      Chantix, Zyban must carry depression warning

      More addiction stories

       

       


      MORE FROM MSNBC.COM

       

       

       

       


      http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/06/south.carolina.killings/index.html


      Police say the murder scenes are linked and they are searching for a man resembling this sketch.

      Police say the murder scenes are linked and they are searching for a man resembling this sketch.


      N. Carolina shooting stirs interest in S. Carolina serial killings


      • STORY HIGHLIGHTS
      • Police say no confirmed link between N. Carolina crime, S. Carolina serial killings
      • But video of N. Carolina crime site shows car similar to one sought in serial killings
      • North Carolina authorities say "evidence" prompted call to South Carolina police
      • Killer has slain five people in Gaffney, South Carolina, area, police say

      DALLAS, North Carolina (CNN) -- Police in Gaston County, North Carolina, shot and killed a suspect during a possible robbery early Monday, then called in police from South Carolina who have been chasing a serial killer.

      There was "evidence in regard to the man that was shot," said Capt. Joe Ramey of the Gaston County Police Department.

      He did not give specifics, and he said he could not state for certain that the suspect had a link to the serial killer case.

      "We saw evidence they needed to know about," Ramey told CNN.

      Gaston County is about 33 miles northeast of Gaffney, South Carolina. Police say a serial killer in the Gaffney area has killed five people since late June.

      Police in Cherokee County, which includes Gaffney, had issued a basic description of the killer and said he may be driving a Ford Explorer from the early 1990s.

      Video from outside the home in North Carolina on Monday showed a vehicle that seemed to match that general description.

      Early Monday, in Dallas, which is part of Gaston County, police received a call about a possible burglary in progress, police said. When they entered the residence, they found two people who lived there and a third who "was an acquaintance," police said in a news release.

       

      "A second check on the suspect individual uncovered an outstanding warrant" from nearby Lincoln County, police said. "Officers attempted to serve the outstanding warrant when the suspect pulled a gun and fired at officers. Officers returned fire killing the suspect."

      One officer was shot in the leg and has been treated and released from a hospital, police said.

      Jennifer Timmons of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division told CNN there was no immediate confirmation of any link to the serial killer case. "Processing any crime scene is going to take a while," she noted.

      The killer's latest victim was 15-year-old Abby Tyler, who was shot last week and died Saturday. Her father, Stephen Tyler, 48, had been pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, in their family-run furniture and appliance store.

      As residents mourned the Tylers over the weekend, they also had words of warning for the man terrorizing the community.

      "If he comes to me, face to face, I'm ready, I'm loaded, and I'm aimed for him," said Sarah Banister, a neighbor of one of the killer's victims.

      "I'm afraid for my life," said Robby Banister, her husband. "It's gonna be kind of like a dogfight. I'm telling you: I'm going to win."

      In an interview Monday on CNN's "American Morning," Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton said investigators have determined "through evidence" that the five killings are linked. Authorities are not giving details about the evidence.

      "We don't have a current motive or connection between the murders," said Blanton. "With a community this small, it's very possible I knew all the victims, and it's possible that all the victims knew each other. But we don't have any information right now that links the killer to [them]."

      Police released a sketch that they say is their best guess about the killer's appearance, based on witness reports. He is identified as a white male, approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall, with salt-and-pepper hair.

      The vehicle he was driving may be a Ford Explorer, possibly "goldish-tan or champagne" in color, Blanton said.

      "We're focusing on anything that even looks like a Ford Explorer," he said. Witnesses have said the killer appears to weigh about 250 pounds, "so we're saying probably 230 to 250," he said.

      The killer apparently also "had a ball cap on," but his clothes have been different, Blanton added.

      The first shooting occurred June 27, when peach farmer Kline W. Cash, 63, was killed. His wife found him dead in their home, the sheriff's office said.

      Blanton said Cash's home may have been robbed.

      Four days later, the bound and shot bodies of Hazel Linder, 83, and her 50-year-old daughter, Gena Linder Parker, were found in the Linders' home, where she lived alone.

      Blanton said authorities are still trying to determine if anything was taken from that home.

      Leave has been canceled for all members of the police department and the sheriff's department, their respective chiefs have said.

      About 100 investigators from North and South Carolina are working the case, Blanton said.

       

      Asked how the 50,000 Cherokee County residents can try to stay safe, Blanton said, "Generally it's the same information just a crime prevention officer would use. People need to check on their neighbors, especially family, loved ones that live alone or elderly that live together. Travel in at least groups of two or more. But I've noticed the community is concerned and have a right to be."

      People in Cherokee County are operating "on regular schedules," businesses are open, and some schools began Monday, Blanton said. "But people are using caution. And that's what we're asking them to do. Just be cautious until we do catch this murderer." 

       

       


      Sepide Salmani, left, 23, comforts Soheyla Kazemi Sunday, July 5, 2009 in Orange Park, Fla. as they talk about the death of Soheyla Kazemi's sister, Sahel Kazemi, 20, in Nashville, Tenn. Sahel Kazemi  and former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair(notes) were found dead Saturday at a Nashville condominium that he rented with a friend.

      Sepide Salmani, left, 23, comf… 
      AP - Jul 6, 1:09 pm EDT


      http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-mcnairkilled&prov=ap&type=lgns

      Relative: Police say woman with McNair bought gun

      By TERESA M. WALKER, AP Sports Writer

      NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—Steve McNair’s(notes) 20-year-old girlfriend bought a gun a couple of days before she was found dead alongside the slain former NFL quarterback, her relative said Monday.

      Farzin Abdi said police told him about the gun purchase by his aunt Sahel Kazemi, who was raised with him like a sister. Kazemi and McNair were found dead on Saturday in a Nashville condominium leased by the former Titans star.

      Abdi said police told him they are almost sure Kazemi was the shooter, but the 27-year-old nephew said he doesn’t believe she would do it. Abdi didn’t know what day of the week the gun was purchased or what type of gun it was.

      “There was no way she was depressed and wanting to do this,” he said. “She was so happy. … She just had it made, you know, (with) this guy taking care of everything.”

      Nashville police didn’t immediately have a response to Abdi’s comments.

      Abdi said Kazemi believed McNair was divorcing his wife and she was preparing to sell her furniture to move in with him.

      Nashville courts had no record of a McNair divorce case, but a 14,000-square-foot home he owned in Nashville is on the market for $3 million.

      Mechelle McNair has been described as very distraught about her husband’s death and has not commented on it.

      NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—Steve McNair’s(notes) 20-year-old girlfriend bought a gun a couple of days before she was found dead alongside the slain former NFL quarterback, her relative said Monday.

      Farzin Abdi said police told him about the gun purchase by his aunt Sahel Kazemi, who was raised with him like a sister. Kazemi and McNair were found dead on Saturday in a Nashville condominium leased by the former Titans star.

      Abdi said police told him they are almost sure Kazemi was the shooter, but the 27-year-old nephew said he doesn’t believe she would do it. Abdi didn’t know what day of the week the gun was purchased or what type of gun it was.

      “There was no way she was depressed and wanting to do this,” he said. “She was so happy. … She just had it made, you know, (with) this guy taking care of everything.”

      Nashville police didn’t immediately have a response to Abdi’s comments.

      Abdi said Kazemi believed McNair was divorcing his wife and she was preparing to sell her furniture to move in with him.

      Nashville courts had no record of a McNair divorce case, but a 14,000-square-foot home he owned in Nashville is on the market for $3 million.

      Mechelle McNair has been described as very distraught about her husband’s death and has not commented on it.

      NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—Steve McNair’s(notes) 20-year-old girlfriend bought a gun a couple of days before she was found dead alongside the slain former NFL quarterback, her relative said Monday.

      Farzin Abdi said police told him about the gun purchase by his aunt Sahel Kazemi, who was raised with him like a sister. Kazemi and McNair were found dead on Saturday in a Nashville condominium leased by the former Titans star.

      Abdi said police told him they are almost sure Kazemi was the shooter, but the 27-year-old nephew said he doesn’t believe she would do it. Abdi didn’t know what day of the week the gun was purchased or what type of gun it was.

      “There was no way she was depressed and wanting to do this,” he said. “She was so happy. … She just had it made, you know, (with) this guy taking care of everything.”

      Nashville police didn’t immediately have a response to Abdi’s comments.

      Abdi said Kazemi believed McNair was divorcing his wife and she was preparing to sell her furniture to move in with him.

      Nashville courts had no record of a McNair divorce case, but a 14,000-square-foot home he owned in Nashville is on the market for $3 million.

      Mechelle McNair has been described as very distraught about her husband’s death and has not commented on it.

      NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—Steve McNair’s(notes) 20-year-old girlfriend bought a gun a couple of days before she was found dead alongside the slain former NFL quarterback, her relative said Monday.

      Farzin Abdi said police told him about the gun purchase by his aunt Sahel Kazemi, who was raised with him like a sister. Kazemi and McNair were found dead on Saturday in a Nashville condominium leased by the former Titans star.

      Abdi said police told him they are almost sure Kazemi was the shooter, but the 27-year-old nephew said he doesn’t believe she would do it. Abdi didn’t know what day of the week the gun was purchased or what type of gun it was.

      “There was no way she was depressed and wanting to do this,” he said. “She was so happy. … She just had it made, you know, (with) this guy taking care of everything.”

      Nashville police didn’t immediately have a response to Abdi’s comments.

      Abdi said Kazemi believed McNair was divorcing his wife and she was preparing to sell her furniture to move in with him.

      Nashville courts had no record of a McNair divorce case, but a 14,000-square-foot home he owned in Nashville is on the market for $3 million.

      Mechelle McNair has been described as very distraught about her husband’s death and has not commented on it.

      Before their deaths, the public knew nothing of Kazemi’s relationship with McNair, a star who had earned the respect of his fellow NFL players for shaking off defenders and injuries and the love of fans amazed at how the quarterback kept showing up for work—and winning.

      He endeared himself further with his charity work. Not just from the checks he handed out, but for throwing himself into the efforts, like he did when loading boxes onto tractor-trailers bound for Hurricane Katrina victims.

      Publicly, McNair was a happily married man and proud father of four sons who split his time between his Mississippi farm and a home in Music City, where celebrities are cherished, not hassled.

      His death, however, thrust a darker side of his private life into the spotlight.

      “People have certain things that they do in life,” said McNair’s longtime friend Robert Gaddy, who called 911. “We don’t need to look on the situation at this time (but) on the fact we just lost a great member of society.”

      Even McNair’s longtime agent said he didn’t know about the former quarterback’s relationship with Kazemi.

      “As good as he was on the football field, that couldn’t touch the person,” agent Bus Cook said Sunday, still shaken by McNair’s death. “I mean it just couldn’t.”

      Hints of a problem with alcohol surfaced in May 2003 when a Nashville police officer pulled McNair over on suspicion of drunk driving. Police said the quarterback’s blood alcohol content was 0.18 percent—well over Tennessee’s legal limit. He also was charged with having a 9mm weapon with him, but all the charges were later dropped.

      McNair was charged with drunken driving in 2007 because he let his brother-in-law drive his pickup truck. Those charges were later dropped when the DUI charge against the brother-in-law was reduced to reckless driving.

      And McNair could have been charged again Thursday night when the same officer who arrested him in 2003 stopped a 2007 Cadillac Escalade driven by Kazemi and registered to both her and McNair. Kazemi was arrested on a DUI charge, and he was allowed to leave in a taxi.

      Police labeled his death a homicide Sunday, revealing McNair had been shot four times—twice in the head, twice in the chest—when found in a rented condominium he shared with a longtime friend, Wayne Neeley. Police found a semiautomatic pistol under Kazemi’s body.

      But police spokesman Don Aaron said they were reviewing every possibility, interviewing friends of both and an ex-boyfriend before labeling Kazemi’s death.

      On the football field, he simply was “Air McNair,” a winner.

      McNair still holds the NCAA’s Football Championship Series (formerly Division I-AA) records for career yards passing (14,496) and total offense (16,823) from his days at tiny Alcorn State in Mississippi.

      He played 13 NFL seasons, starting with the then-Houston Oilers, and led Tennessee to its famous last-second 2000 Super Bowl loss to the St. Louis Rams. He ended his career in Baltimore last season, after being traded away by the Titans after they drafted Vince Young(notes) as a replacement to the aching and expensive veteran.

      McNair’s friends want the quarterback to be remembered for his generosity. He gave away turkeys and checks in Tennessee, toys in Baltimore and paid for three football camps himself this year. Cook talked to someone Saturday who saw McNair cleaning up the field after one camp at Southern Mississippi.

      “That was Steve McNair. That’s who he is. And who he was,” an emotional Cook recalled.

      A viewing will be held Thursday at a Nashville funeral home, followed by another viewing at Mount Zion Baptist Church with a memorial service Thursday night. A funeral service will be held Saturday in Mississippi, but final details were not set.

      McNair met Kazemi at the Dave & Buster’s restaurant where she worked as a server and where his family ate often. The two began dating a few months ago in a relationship that included a vacation with parasailing. Photos posted on TMZ.com showed McNair gazing and smiling at the young Kazemi.

      Associated Press writers Travis Loller, Lucas L. Johnson II and Joe Edwards contributed to this story.

      Other Celebrity Updates


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      Megan Fox returns to her hotel, following the 'Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen' premiere, when a young fan attempts to hand her a rose in London, England.  June 15, 2009. Will Alexander/WENN.com







      Harry Potter actor tells of swine flu fear

      by AFP  July 6, 2009

      Actor Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, spoke Monday of his fears after contracting swine flu, saying he initially thought he might die.

      Grint described contracting the A(H1N1) virus, which has spread around the world, as "quite scary" but he recovered after spending a few days in bed.

      "It was quite scary when I first found out I had swine flu," he said at a press conference with other Potter actors including Emma Watson in London.

      "I thought 'Am I going to die?' But it was just like any other flu really."

      "I had a sore throat and I went to bed for a few days."

      Grint was speaking ahead of the world premiere in London on Tuesday of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince", the sixth instalment of the phenomenally successful Harry Potter films.

      The 20-year-old's publicist confirmed on Saturday that he had suffered from the virus, taking several days off filming the next movie in the blockbuster series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

      Four people have died in Britain of swine flu, and the country has Europe's highest number of reported cases with nearly 7,500.

      The government has warned that figure could rise to over 100,000 new cases a day by the end of August.

      Photo Galleries

       

      http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090706/ap_on_en_mu/us_michael_jackson

      Jackson's mother loses control of son's estate AAP

      LOS ANGELES – A judge said Monday that Michael Jackson's longtime attorney and a family friend should take over the pop singer's estate for now, rejecting a request from Jackson's mother to be put in charge or share control.

      Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff backed attorneyJohn Branca and music executive John McClain, who had been designated in Jackson's 2002 will as the people he wanted to administer his estate. Attorneys for the pop singer's mother repeatedly objected to their appointment at Monday's court hearing.

      "It's our desire to do everything we can to carry out Michael Jackson's wishes and to maximize the estate," said Howard Weitzman, who spoke after the hearing on behalf of Branca. Weitzman issued a statement later calling the judge's ruling "the correct decision."

      The singer's mother, Katherine Jackson, had applied to oversee her son's estate, but that was before the 2002 will surfaced. Her attorney, Burt Levitch, expressed concerns about McClain and Branca's financial leadership.

      Jackson died June 25, deeply in debt. But a court filing estimates that his estate will be worth more than $500 million. His assets are destined for a private trust.

      A public memorial has been scheduled for Jackson in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday. Dozens of police officers and a fire truck were parked outside Dodger Stadium on Monday, where ticket winners could start picking up their coveted passes to the Staples Centerceremony.

      More than 1.6 million people registered to win the coveted free tickets, and only 8,750 names were chosen. Los Angeles officials are concerned about other fans clogging city streets.

      One person who won't be at the memorial is Debbie Rowe, Jackson's ex-wife and the mother of Jackson's two oldest children. She had planned to attend, but backed out Monday.

      "The onslaught of media attention has made it clear her attendance would be an unnecessary distraction to an event that should focus exclusively on Michael's legacy," Rowe attorney Marta Almli said. "Debbie will continue to celebrate Michael's memory privately."

      Lucky fans celebrated when they got an e-mail saying they had scored the hottest ticket in town. "Congratulations, your application was successful," said the message sent to Deka Motanya, 27, of San Francisco.

      She immediately Twittered: "OMG OMG OMG OMG i got tickets to the michael jackson memorial service!!!"

      On eBay, bids were reaching as high as $3,000, though it was impossible to verify the seriousness of those offers. Others on Monday were submitting bids more in the $100-$200 range.On Craigslist, asking prices also were in the thousands. Some unable to attend, though, simply wanted to give away their tickets — as one post read — "to only true fans."On the legal front, Katherine Jackson's attorneys had asked that she be appointed to serve as a co-administrator with Branca and McClain. Beckloff refused to grant that request.Branca and McClain will have to post a $1 million bond on the estate, Beckloff ruled. Their authority over the estate will expire Aug. 3, when another hearing on the estate will be held.
      "Mr. Branca and Mr. McClain for the next month are at the helm of the ship," Beckloff said.Attorneys also disclosed that another Jackson will from 1997 has been lodged with the court, but will only become a factor if the 2002 will is invalidated. Details of the older will were not disclosed.Levitch, an attorney for Katherine Jackson, told Beckloff that Branca had previously been removed from financial positions of authority by Jackson. Branca's attorney says he was rehired by Jackson on June 17, days before Jackson's death.Katherine Jackson did not appear at Monday's hearing. Branca did attend.

      Levitch said it was unclear whether McClain would serve as an administrator because he was of ailing health. Attorneys for McClain and Branca described him as having a physical disability but having a completely sound mind. They also noted a decades-long relationship with the Jackson family.

      The judge granted Branca and McClain several powers over the estate, including the rights to negotiate a settlement with concert promoter AEG Live over refunds for Jackson's canceled London shows. Beckloff stressed that Katherine Jackson should be given complete information about major transactions, but that he as the judge would grant final approval.

      John E. Schreiber, an attorney for Katherine Jackson, said, "Frankly, Mrs. Jackson has concerns about handing over the keys to the kingdom."

      Branca had a 5 percent interest in Sony/ATV Music Publishing in September 2005, according to Uniform Commercial Code filings in New York, but his interest was terminated in December 2007.

      Branca also was a trustee in MJ Publishing Trust, which held Jackson's 50-percent stake, but is not believed to be any longer, said John Schreiber, a lawyer for Katherine Jackson.

      Her lawyers had argued in court that Katherine Jackson needed to be special administrator of the estate to be able to determine if Branca and McClain had other dealings with Jackson or his partners.

      Paul Gordon Hoffman, an attorney for Branca and McClain, said some of Katherine Jackson's concerns were unfounded.

      "We're not aware of any real conflicts at all," he said in response to a claim that the men may have business dealings with parties such as concert promoter AEG Live.

      In contrast, Hoffman said Jackson's mother had more of a potential conflict administering the estate because she is a likely beneficiary.

      "If there are any conflicts by the parties, Katherine Jackson rather than Mr. McClain and Mr. Branca have them," Hoffman said.

      Beckloff noted the contentious relationship brewing between Katherine Jackson and Branca, who personally delivered the will to the family's home a week ago.

      "We're getting off to a bit of a rocky start here out of the gate," Beckloff said toward the end of Monday's hearing.

      L. Londell McMillan, Katherine Jackson's main attorney, said after the hearing that he did not expect a protracted fight.

      "We have no reason to believe this is going to turn into a nasty fight over millions and millions of dollars," McMillan said.

      He said he and other attorneys will be watching Branca's and McClain's actions closely.

      "We will be working to ensure that Mr. Jackson's legacy will be treated with dignity," McMillan said. "Mr. Jackson's life and legacy will be memorialized tomorrow and we will move forward."

      Associated Press Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch and Associated Press writers Daisy Nguyen and Ryan Nakashima contributed to this report

       

       

       

      Related

      http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_michael_jackson_memorial;_ylt=Ak2zm1YlxGnWtcPKzYqoKbonHL8C;
      _ylu=X3oDMTE2YmdmNnFpBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN5bi1yLWItbGVmdARzb



      AP – A child passes a large poster at the Staples Center in Los Angeles , Sunday, July 5, 2009.
      The venue 

      Debbie Rowe confirmed to attend Jackson memorial

      LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe will attend the pop superstar's memorial service.

      Former Jackson business associate Marc Schaffel said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that Rowe was confirmed for VIP seats
      . Rowe is the mother of Jackson's two oldest children.

      Meanwhile, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry said she'd "love it" if the Jacksons helped defray some of the city's expected costs associated
      with Tuesday's memorial, but that officials hadn't heard from the family.

      Perry said the city didn't immediately have an estimate of those costs. More than 1.6 million fans registered online for a chance to attend the
      Staples Center
       ceremony, and only 8,750 names were chosen. Los Angeles officials are concerned about other fans clogging city streets.

      "We're encouraging people to stay away," Perry said on CBS' "The Early Show" on Monday.

      The Rev. Al Sharpton, in an appearance Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America," made no mention of whether the Jacksons would help the city
      with some of the expected costs.

      "The city is trying to do what it should do to secure people," said Sharpton, a family friend. "That's what cities do. Clearly, no one in the family
      are happy that the city is incurring any expense at all. You're talking about an historic figure that will have an historic celebration, probably one
      that we would not see similar in this generation."

      Meanwhile, lucky fans celebrated when they got an e-mail saying they had scored the hottest ticket in town. "Congratulations, your application
      was successful," said the message sent to Deka Motanya, 27, of San Francisco.

      She immediately Twittered: "OMG OMG OMG OMG i got tickets to the michael jackson memorial service!!!"

      It was a real-life version of Willy Wonka's golden tickets. Each selected person gets a pair of free tickets, with the odds of being chosen about 1 in 183.

      Dozens of police officers and a fire truck were parked outside Dodger Stadium on Monday, where ticket winners could start picking up their coveted passes.

      Nancy Kothari, 31, drove all night from Yuma, Arizona, to be at the stadium before the gates opened.

      "I grew up with Michael Jackson, with his music," Kothari said. "`Thriller' was the first album I ever had."

      Kothari said she expected the service to be "extremely sad."

      "I'm kind of nervous in a way, but also excited," she said.

      Tickets were handed out in a drive-through process. Voucher holders had to get past a police checkpoint outside the stadium, then drive into a parking
      lot where orange traffic cones marked about 20 lanes. A police officer and an event staffer stood at the end of each lane. Drivers pulled up, handed over
      their vouchers, had a band placed on their wrist and were given tickets and another wristband.

      Ticket winners were to show up with a unique code and instructions, and organizers were to check IDs to make sure those picking up wristbands were
      the same people who originally applied online, said Staples Center spokesman Michael Roth.

      Fans must have both the ticket and the wristband to enter Staples Center on Tuesday. Wristbands that have been ripped, taped or tampered with will
      be voided.

      But Roth acknowledged that high-priced scalping of the free passes was possible because winners were permitted to give anyone their second bracelet.

      "Theoretically, the second wrist band can be sold," Roth said.

      Organizers were considering how to distribute any unclaimed seats, but had not immediately decided on a plan, Roth said.

      The memorial service will be broadcast live on five television networks.

      David Gobaud, 25, who studies computer science at Stanford University, said he didn't believe his e-mail of acceptance was real at first.
       "It's Michael Jackson, one of the greatest musical stars of all time," he said.

      Zach Moss, a 21-year-old ticket winner from Chicago who is working as a DJ in Las Vegas this summer, said clubgoers have responded strongly
      to Jackson's music since his death.

      "You can play two, three Michael Jackson songs back to back and people are going to have this huge jubilation celebration," he said.
      "Everyone throws their drinks up and shouts, 'MJ!' It's extremely powerful."

      The tickets will admit 11,000 people to the Staples Center plus 6,500 in the Nokia Theater overflow section next door. The streets around
      Staples Center will be closed to prevent those without tickets from trying to attend, police said.

      Assistant Police Chief Jim McDonnell warned the ticketless to stay away. He would not say how many police would be on the job, but alluded
      to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the recent championship celebration for the Los Angeles Lakers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

      "You'll be standing in the hot sun on a city street with a lot of other people," he said. "But not within eyeshot of Staples."

      The ceremony will not be shown on Staples' giant outdoor TV screen and there will be no funeral procession through the city.
      No details were available about the actual memorial events.

      The joyful anticipation among the chosen fans comes as the courts continue to untangle the future of Jackson's estate and police probe the
       circumstances of his death.

      Jackson died at age 50 on June 25 after going into cardiac arrest in the bedroom of his rented mansion.
      The cause of Jackson's death has not been determined. Autopsy results are not expected for several weeks.

      Jackson's family was planning a private ceremony at the Forest Lawn cemetery in the Hollywood Hills,
      McDonnell said. He did not provide further details.

      Associated Press Writers Jacob Adelman and Michael R. Blood, Television Writer David Bauder and
      National Writer Jesse Washington contributed to this report.

      Michael Jackson dies at 50
      Slideshow:Michael Jackson dies at 50

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      Court Sides With MJ's Will And WishesCBS 2 / KCAL 9 Los Angeles -

      Michael's mom was stripped of her right to control Michael Jackson's estate. David Goldstein reports.




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        With the 4th of July in mind, we asked some country-music artists to reveal why they're proud to be an American. (July 3)

      • ShowBiz Minute: Jackson memorial, custody, albumAP - Fri Jul 3, 11:58 AM ET

        Michael Jackson memorial service set for Tuesday in Los Angeles; Michael Jackson's ex-wife Deborah Rowe shows interest in custody of kids; AEG chief says rehearsal footage of Michael Jackson may become live album. (July 3)

      • 'Fat Princess' ready for a close-upAP - Fri Jul 3, 11:29 AM ET

        Sony's quirky 32-player online video game "Fat Princess" is set for release soon on the PlayStation Network. (July 3)

      • The future for Michael Jackson's children?AP - Fri Jul 3, 11:18 AM ET

        The AP's Natalie Rotman discusses what lays in store for Michael Jackson's three kids. (July 3)

      • Quick Fix: See John RunABC News - Fri Jul 3, 11:00 AM ET

        ESPN's John Anderson reveals the simple motivation behind his running regimen.

      • Jackson rehearsal footage to be live albumAP - Fri Jul 3, 9:51 AM ET

        CEO of AEG Live, Randy Phillips, talks about plans for a Michael Jackson memorial concert and says there is enough rehearsal footage of Jackson to make up to two live albums. (July 3)

      • Tim Lovejoy on hysteriaBBC - Fri Jul 3, 9:01 AM ET

        Reaction to Michael Jackson's death might have recalled the outpouring after the death of Princess Diana or Jade Goody, so we spoke to broadcaster Tim Lovejoy and put hysteria in the spotlight.

      • Diane Kruger Goes Back to Her RootsAP - Fri Jul 3, 7:46 AM ET

        The German model-turned-actress Diane Kruger talks about her love for Germany whilst visiting Berlin Fashion Week. (July 3)

      • Russian Cold War bunker now a museumAFP - Fri Jul 3, 5:19 AM ET

        Beneath the Russian capital lies a town of its own: a maze of rooms and corridors built during the cold war in case of a nuclear attack. For the last couple of years, one of Moscow's nuclear bomb shelter has been turned into a new, interactive museum. The AFPTV went on a tour.

      • Lawyer: Rowe deciding whether to seek custodyAP - Thu Jul 2, 11:42 PM ET

        Deborah Rowe, the ex-wife of Michael Jackson and the mother of two of his children, has not reached a final decision on whether to seek custody of the children. Attorney Eric M. George made the disclosure on a telephone conference call. (July 2)

      • Jackson burial, tribute won't be at NeverlandCBC.ca - Thu Jul 2, 11:26 PM ET

         

      • An inside look at NeverlandAP - Thu Jul 2, 6:02 PM ET

        Michael Jackson turned Neverland ranch into a fantasyland that included a zoo and a Disney-like train station. The AP's Jason Bronis takes a tour of the singer's former home. (July 2)

      • Raw Video: A tour inside NeverlandAP - Thu Jul 2, 5:06 PM ET

        With Peter Pan as inspiration, Michael Jackson turned his lush Neverland ranch into a whimsical retreat that even included a Disney-like train station where he could recapture his lost childhood. (July 2)

      • Michael Jackson rehearsal video releasedAP - Thu Jul 2, 4:40 PM ET

        Concert promoter AEG Live released this clip of Michael Jackson rehearsing his 'This Is It' tour two days before his death in Los Angeles. (July 2)

      • Video shows vigorous Jackson before deathAFP - Thu Jul 2, 4:21 PM ET

        A video released Thursday showed Michael Jackson vigorously practicing a song-and-dance routine days before his death, supporting accounts he had been in good health.FOOTAGE HANDOUT AEG LIVE.

      • Jackson's Ex-Bodyguard on M.J.'s Drug UseABC News - Thu Jul 2, 4:01 PM ET

        Matt Fiddes says the singer abused prescription medications.

      • Life and Style: Jackson Feared MurderABC News - Thu Jul 2, 3:31 PM ET

        Emily Smith talks about the magazine's exclusive with Michael Jackson's attorney

      • The Women of EscalaABC News - Thu Jul 2, 3:31 PM ET

        The classical string quartet talks about "America's Got Talent" and Simon Cowell

      • Jermaine Jackson: 'I wish it was me.'AP - Thu Jul 2, 3:08 PM ET

        In an exclusive interview with NBC's 'Today' show, Jermaine Jackson says he wishes he had died instead of his younger brother. (July 2)

      • 'Annie Hall' for a New GenerationABC News - Thu Jul 2, 3:01 PM ET

        "500 Days of Summer's" Zooey Dechanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

      • Gig Guide for 7/2FOX News - Thu Jul 2, 2:03 PM ET

        ThePalestra.net music crew takes you through the night in great live music from coast to coast for Thursday July 2nd

       

       

       

       

       

       

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