Egyptian Tycoon Sentenced 15 Years In Pop Star's Murder

A superior member of the ruling party in Egypt, Hishaam Talaat Moustafa, has been sentenced to 15 years of jail term, after quashing a earlier death sentence which was awarded to him for killing his ex- lover, Suzanne Tamim. The death sentence was detached on grounds of a technicality.

Moustafa apparently got Mohsen al-Sukkari reportedly to kill the Lebanese singer in Dubai in the year 2008. The case is much talked about in media due to the presence of an elite person.

Sources say that Moustafa killed Tamim because she turned down a marriage propose made by him, since the two were reportedly having an affair. He then allegedly paid Sukkari $2m to end the life of the singer, who rose to reputation in a talent show in the late 90′s.

The killing was done in a very horrible manner, where Tamim was found dead with her throat slit in one of the hotels of Moustafa.

Google Celebrates Flintstones 50th Anniversary Today

The Google Doodle of today refers to The Flintstones. The saga of 'Google Doodle' continues. The search engine giant Google is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Flintstone by portraying a new Google doodle on the home page on Thursday, Sep 30.

Flintstones is one of the world’s most loved cartoon sequences. It was formed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, owners of the famed Hanna-Barbera Productions, in Sep 30, 1960. Flintstones cartoon series was one of the victorious animated American sitcom and was telecasted in ABC from Sep 30, 1960 to Apr 1, 1966.

The Flintstones series portrayed a working class Stone Age man’s life with his relatives and his next door neighbor and best friend. Despite the show ended in 1966, Flintstones continue to be shown in different television channels. Later in 2000, based on Flintstones subject a movie called Viva Rock Vegas was also released.

The famous characters in Flintstones, Barney, Fred, Wilma, Pebbles, and Dino are considered as most loved cartoon characters throughout the world. The Flintstones doodle will be exposed on the Google home page for the whole day of Sept 30, 2010.

Google Inc celebrates unique moments with their Google doodles. Doodles are known as the decorative changes that are made to the Google logo to rejoice holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists and scientists. Over the past 12 years Google has created more than 900 doodles to mark special celebrations and special moments.

Guinness World Record May Title Roly Soon

Taihape has a candidate for the world's oldest dog title, but proving it is another matter. Guinness World Records' existing official title-holder is 21-year-old kelpie cross Sako from Melbourne, Australia, the Mail reported.

And British media last week informed that Billy the Yorkshire terrier, at 22, was the world's oldest dog. But Janise and Mike Seal of Taihape consider their dog Roly matches that milestone.

"So does that make him world famed? We think so, particularly here in Taihape," Mr Seal said.

The Seals got Roly when he was just about six months old from a residence where he was not treated very well and has been with their family ever since.

"We approximate his age to be about or nearly 22. We cannot prove his age, just going on the age of our daughter Natalie, when we brought him home she was seven years old and now she is 28 – so do the calculation yourself."

When he was taken to the Veterinary a month before he was given a clean bill of health, apart from being hard of hearing. "Roly has life too comfortable and is certainly not ready to go to dog heaven just yet."

LG Announces New 3D Notebook

LG has announced a latest notebook computer that has 1080p resolution and support 3D content called the A510. The new notebook is a 15.6-inch machine and its 3D screen uses inert glasses and is LED backlit. Power for the notebook comes from a choice of processor options.

The options for CPUs comprise Core i5 840QM and 740GM, Core i5 580M, 560M, and 460M, as well as Core i3 380M and 370M processors. The notebook runs Windows 7 and comes with a usual pair of passive 3D glasses and a clip on set for those who wear glasses.

Storage is up to 640GB and the machine is capable of having up to 4GB of RAM. The notebook has Blu-ray, a 1.3MP webcam, and Bluetooth. LG is looking to ship the notebook starting in October at an unrevealed price.

A Baby Girl Dies Of Accidental Overdose At Children's Hospital

A baby girl at Children's Hospital died after a nurse incorrectly administered a lethal dose of medication, hospital officials said. Eight-month-old Kaia M. Zautner of Puyallup passed away on Sept. 19 after suffering a brain hemorrhage, according to family members. Hospital CEO Dr. Tom Hansen outlined the incident in a letter sent to staff members last week.

Hansen said a nurse in the intensive care unit recently "administered 10 times the planned dose of a medication, calcium chloride." "The infant was deeply fragile and succumbed to complications from the overdose several days later," the letter said.

A hospital spokesperson refused to offer any additional details about the case, but family members described the harrowing incident on a blog dedicated to tracking the infant's condition.

"What took place is this- One of Kaia's nurses accidently miscalculated the amount of calcium chloride that Kaia was to receive," a post on the blog said. "This was in the morning. Throughout the morning and into the afternoon Kaia started showing signs of elevated runs of heart rate and also her oxygen saturations went way down.

"What this means is that there wasn't adequate oxygen in her blood and the reason this happened is because the calcium chloride caused Kaia's heart to basically go into cardiac arrest and the right ventricular shut down so she wasn't able to transfer very much, if any, blood to her lungs. We aren't sure precisely how long her internal organs and brain were not receiving good oxygenated blood supply, but it was at least an hour."

According to the blog, the baby girl was born "a little blue, not breathing very well and not very receptive." Doctors determined her heart was malfunctioning and hooked her up to a machine that helps control the heart's functions. Blog posts indicate the infant has been harassed since.

It is not known whether the nurse involved will face any penal action. Hansen said the hospital has notified the state Department of Health, and has launched an investigation to conclude why its safeguards failed to prevent to death.

"This was a catastrophic outcome for the patient and family, and caused severe distress for staff members as well," Hansen wrote. "Perhaps the best tribute we can pay to this family is by doing everything we can to stop future medical errors in our system."

In the wake of the incident, Hansen said the hospital has distorted its policy to only allow pharmacists and anesthesiologists to use calcium chloride in non-emergency situations. He added the investigation is enduring, and officials are looking for additional ways to cut risk to patients.

Iran Unveils New Flying Boats

Flying boats were unveiled by Iran on Tuesday, and the regime says that the so-called stealth plane-boat hybrids have been deployed by the Revolutionary Guards.

The alleged flying boat is a single-pilot seaplane called Bavar 2, on that is equipped with a machine gun and a surveillance camera, Iranian media reported.

"Bavar 2 is a surface-moving flying boat and performs patrol and reconnaissance missions on the sea," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi told the Iranian state-linked Fars news agency.

In the future, Iran is looking to make improvements on the craft’s weapons. "The flying boats will be equipped with missiles and rockets in the near future and this will progress their combat capability," Lieutenant Commander Alireza Tangsiri told Fars.

Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the few countries which managed to design, construct and use flying boats in a short time," said Defense Minister Brig.

Biggest And Brightest Transgenic Glowing Fish Produce Glowing Offspring

The most newly created fluorescent fish are angelfish - the biggest and brightest transgenic glowing fish in the world so far.

Taiwan's largest exporter of ornamental fish, the Jy Lin Company, says it has effectively inserted a fluorescent protein gene into the reproductive organs of the fish. It allows them to produce glowing offspring.

The company says its new breed of fish took more than three years and about 10 million Taiwan dollars to develop because the reproductive cycles of medium-sized fish are harder to control than their small-sized counterparts.

“For species like these, we deployed the technique of reproductive organ electroporation. We insert fluorescent genes into the reproductive organs and leave the male and female fish to reproduce on their own, and then they could give birth to fluorescent babies", said Lin Yu-ho, the developer.

Electroporation is a method whereby an electrical pulse is used to create passages through cell walls for the transplantation of foreign molecules - in this case the fluorescent protein gene.

Although the medium-sized fluorescent fish will not be commercially obtainable until it passes the standards set by genetically modified organism (GMO) laws - to ensure it poses no damage to the natural environment - the angelfish has already fascinated wide attention and won Taiwan's major biotechnological awards. Once they become saleable, Lin hopes to sell the angelfish at the wholesale price of USD$30 per fish.

Emergency Landing Ended In Safe Landing

Last night a plane from Atlanta made an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York lacking part of its landing gear. The pilot, Capt Jack Conroyd, balanced the plane on its left wheel before easing it on to its right wing to slow it down after the jet's right wheel became jammed.

The plane, flying from Atlanta to White Plains in New York, was sidetracked to JFK because of its longer runway after the pilot told air traffic control an indicator light in the cockpit went on. He was heard saying to air traffic controllers "AC4951 Roger and, uhh better work", prior to landing.

Fire fighters were put on alert but were not desired due to the landing, while all 60 passengers and four crew escaped unscathed.

Atlantic Southeast Airlines is investigating the cause of the matter, spokesman Jarek Beem said in a phone interview. He said the airline was tremendously proud of the crewmembers. "They did an outstanding job of following protocol to ensure the safety of our passengers."

Great Plains Rounded Up By Buffalo’s

Buffalo herds on the Great Plains are one of the iconic pictures of the Wild West.

Cowboys and park staff have been hosting the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup as they gather the 1,500-strong herd of buffalo and force them into corrals.

The dust flies and the ground trembles as the biggest herd of buffalo in the US is rounded up and driven past by cowboys on horseback.

The buffalo are rounded up yearly to prepare them for the autumn buffalo sales, which normally take place on the third Saturday in November.

After the round-up, spectators can watch the herd being identified and the calves being vaccinated.

Some of the buffalo are sold off every year as there is only enough winter meadow (when the herd is left to fend for itself) to feed around 1,500.

Scotland Baltacha Tennis Player Withdraws From Commonwealth Games

Elena Baltacha, a tennis player selected to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in India, said she has pulled out of the event because conditions in New Delhi comprise a health risk for her.

"After a lot of thought and discussion, I have taken the distressing decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games. I am extremely disappointed because I was really excited about playing for Scotland but conditions in Delhi are such that going there would pose too high a risk to my health," she said in statement.

"I suffer from a liver condition which is linked to my immune system and makes me vulnerable to picking up infections. At the age of 27 and after many years of hard slog, I am now playing the best tennis of my career, and I cannot afford to jeopardize that by getting ill," Baltacha added.

Organizers are scrambling to pull mutually the Commonwealth Games, set to start October 3 in New Delhi. They take place every four years among members of the former British Empire.

India's ability to host the games has been questioned following a bridge collapse that wounded some two dozen people at the Games' site and criticism of the athletes' village as uninhabitable and filthy.

Concerns about conditions for the games have provoked some teams including Canada and New Zealand to delay their departures and some athletes to cancel their trips altogether. Other teams, like Scotland and Wales, departed for the games after getting assurances from organizers.

English diver Peter Waterfield on Saturday became one of the newest athletes to withdraw, citing security fears and conditions at the village.

Such concerns also led to the Friday withdrawals of New Zealand cyclist Greg Henderson and four British cyclists -Peter Kennaugh from the Isle of Man, Geraint Thomas from Wales, and Ian Stannard and Ben Swift from England.

Water Taxi Hits Seattle Pier Injuring 5 People

A water taxi slammed into a pier Sunday in Seattle, Washington, in which at least five people were hurt, authorities said.

Rescue workers responded to the accident that took place shortly before noon, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement. Some 78 people were on board the water taxi that hit Pier 50, it said.

One person fell into the water and was without delay rescued, the Coast Guard said, adding that about five people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

"We seen people fly forward and in fact hit their heads into the glass -- blood everywhere," Leanna Hernandez, who was in the taxi. "It was really scary."

Authorities said the source of the crash is under investigation.

Levee Fails Flooding Wisconsin

As many as 100 homes could be pretentious by flood waters in Wisconsin as forecasters anticipate the total failure of a 120-year-old sand levee along the Wisconsin River.

The levee, close to the city of Portage in Columbia County, began failing Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service's Milwaukee/Sullivan office.

"Once the levee totally fails ... it is unknown how far south the flood waters of the Wisconsin River will travel," the weather agency said Sunday night.

The levee is situated on the south side of the Wisconsin River, just south of Portage. The weather agency urged residents to move to higher ground. Roadways, including parts of Interstate 39, could close.

A Rare Cross Produces Zedonk

A baby zedonk, and strange cross between a donkey and a zebra, is an eye-catching animal attracting attention from around the world. The animal, named Pippi, was born July 21 at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve, close to Dahlonega, Georgia. Her mother is "Sarah," a donkey, and the father is "Zeke," a zebra.

Pippi has black-and-white-striped legs and a brown back. C.W. Wathen, the owner of the preserve, said she was named after Pippi Longstocking, the stripe-socked heroine produced by children's author Astrid Lindgren.

"Everyone that comes out can't believe what they are watching," Wathen said. "We've gotten calls from Russia and have even had visitors from France and England." Dr. Ben Benson, a licensed veterinarian in Georgia who cares for animals at the preserve, said it is very unusual for a female donkey and a male zebra to mate.

"A male donkey and female horse make mules all of the time, but it is highly strange for a female donkey to breed with a male zebra," said Benson. Wathen said handlers at the preserve find her easy to manage and Pippi seems to have the distinctiveness of both a zebra and donkey, so far.

"After her third day of time she spoke -- and she speaks zebra," chuckled Wathen. "It's crazy." "We were expecting a baby donkey and had been nervous that something was wrong, because the mother was way overdue," said Wathen. "We never thought about having a zedonk, so I guess that goes to show you that everything is possible."

Dr. Benson said he speculates the zedonk can live into her 20s and would not be able to reproduce, but time will tell all. The preserve where Pippi lives is a nonprofit organization devoted to rescuing animals.

In addition to Pippi, the preserve is home to a baby grizzly bear, white tigers and many other animals.

UK Opens World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm

The world's largest offshore wind farm opened Thursday off the British coast, with 100 wind turbines proficient of supplying sufficient electricity for 200,000 homes a year. The farm, off the coast of Kent in southern England, is part of a major renewable energy proposal spearheaded by the previous British government.

Swedish energy company Vattenfall will work in the farm after having invested around 880 million pounds ($1.38 billion). British waters are an attractive place for wind farm operators since they are so windy. As an example, an offshore turbine around Britain is expected to produce 50-percent more power than a similar one in Germany.

Of the 16 offshore wind farms now in construction around Europe, half are in Britain, according to the European OffShore Wind Industry. In total, wind can provide energy to nearly 3 million British homes, according to RenewableUK, a trade group for the wind and marine renewables industry.

The Thanet offshore farm opening Thursday will cover an area of 13.5 square miles (35 square kilometers) equivalent to 4,000 football fields, Vattenfall said. The adjoining turbine to land is about 7.4 miles (12 kilometers) northeast of Margate, at the part of England that juts out where the English Channel meets the North Sea.

Companies like Vattenfall must make sure windfarms are in places where locals don't object to the prospect of the turbines offshore, though the company said it anticipated a rise in tourism from people eager to see the site of the windmills in the distance.

Thanet will not stay the world's largest operational offshore wind farm for long. At some point in late 2012 or 2013, the so-called London Array will begin to generate electricity just north of the Thanet site.

Plans there are for more than 300 turbines off the Essex coast. The owners of Array say it could turn out to be the world's first 1 gigawatt offshore wind farm, far eclipsing the 300 megawatts expected to be generated by Thanet.

Virginia Executes Woman To Death By Lethal Injection

Teresa Lewis, called the mastermind in the murder-for-hire deaths of her husband and stepson, was executed at Greensville prison where she was given a lethal injection, prison spokesman Larry Traylor said.

Just outside the prison, a group of some 30 death penalty opponents rang a bell and prayed as Lewis went to her fatality. Lewis, who has an adult son and daughter, requested a last meal of two fried chicken breasts, sweet peas with butter, a slice of either German cake or apple pie and a Dr Pepper soda to drink.

In spite of having an IQ of about 70, Lewis was considered fit for trial in Virginia. She pleaded responsible to hiring two men in 2002 to murder her husband and stepson to pocket their life-insurance policy.

Lewis admits she left the door of the family trailer in rural Pittsylvania County open so the two young accomplices could enter and fire her husband and his 25-year-old son. All three pleaded at fault. The triggermen got life in jail but Lewis was sentenced to death, accused of being the mastermind of the killings.

Lewis is the first woman to be put to death in Virginia since Virginia Christian, a black 17-year-old who died in the electric chair in 1912. She is also the 12th woman executed in the United States since the death punishment was resumed in 1976.

Death penalty abolitionists have championed her case, insisting she has diminished mental faculties and that smarter accomplices took benefit of her.

Facebook Reorganizes Game Applications Less Annoying

John wants to share some level seven Energizing Lotion in FarmVille! How many times have you seen an alike sentence in your Facebook News Feed and either wondered what it means, or removed the message in disgust?

Facebook is conscious of the problem. While some users -- 200 million of them, revealed Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a Gaming Event in Palo Alto - enjoy playing games on the service, others aren't fascinated.

According to Facebook, users either "love playing games or hate them," and the company so far didn't have "the right tools to allow developers to grow their games while at the same time providing a great user knowledge for non-gamers."

Thus, Facebook has devised a plan to make games less infuriating to non-users and more engaging to gamers at the same time. The first part is comparatively easy: Facebook will simply be showing application stories only to users who are already appealing with the application, meaning that people who don't play Farmville won't have to tolerate Farmville-related posts in their feeds.

If Facebook decides you are engrossed in games, it will be displaying full game stories in the News Feed, as well as adding prominent counts to those stories to highlight tasks that need to be concluded within a game.

Bookmarks will get smarter -- apps will be automatically bookmarked and reordered based on genuine usage. Finally, Facebook will start notifying users when their friends begin playing a game (in addition to highlighting their activity within the game).

From the users' viewpoint, these are welcome changes, particularly for non-gamers who won't be pestered by constant game-related notifications. From the game developers' end, it remains to be seen whether these improvements will alleviate the fact that gaming-related notifications will now be less aggressive than before.

Scientists Discover Extinct Amphibian Species

Three species of amphibians thought to be extinct for decades have been rediscovered, scientists have announced.

The three are the cave splayfoot salamander from Mexico, the Mount Nimba reed frog from the Ivory Coast and the Omaniundu reed frog from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The three were found as part of an attempt by Conservation International and the Amphibious Specialty Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature to determine if 100 “lost” amphibian species are actually extinct.

"These are fantastic finds and could have important implications for people as well as for amphibians,” said Robin Moore, who prepared the Search for the Lost Frogs, the official name of the campaign. The creatures could help in medical research or just in defensive water resources, Moore said.

Several specimens of the salamander, of which only a lone individual was recognized in 1941, were found in a system of caves accessible only by a pothole in Mexico’s Hidalgo province, Conservation International said.

The Mount Nimba reed frog, found by a local scientist in a marshy field near Ivory Coast’s border with Liberia, hadn’t been seen since 1967.

The Omaniundu reed frog hadn’t been observed since 1979. It was found in a flooded forest next to a Congo River tributary.

The first stage of the lost frog’s project continues until next month when the Convention on Biological Diversity opens in Japan. Scientists hope they’ll have more successes to proclaim then, but Moore said it’s a tall task.

“These rediscovered animals are the lucky ones – many other species we have been looking for have almost certainly gone for good," he said.

Rare Treat Comes Up Today - Super Harvest Moon

Tonight is the darkness of the Super Harvest Moon. It's the last day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the start of the autumn season and it completely coincides with a full moon tonight. And it's the first time in approximately 20 years that the stars have aligned for an event like this.

When the summer sun starts setting this evening, it will blend with the rising autumn moon to make a unique "360-degree style" twilight. The two low-in-the-sky light sources mix mutually and illuminate the sky all around you, unlike than the typical one-at-a-time approach you see when you drive home from work. And it's from this extra twilight lighting that the Harvest Moon gained its place in the space calendar. With farmers depending on moonlight to harvest their crops they would note the autumnal full moon. Thus the phenomenon's name.

Be sure to take a good long look at the moon as it travels across the sky tonight, because you may observe that it looks a little different. According to NASA's Dr. Tony Phillips, you'll see the "moon illusion" at work. It will look unusually large -- an optical illusion that comes about when the moon sits lower than usual in the sky.

It's not the first time that the moon has coordinated up to the calendar and created an event like this, but it's the closest.

So be sure to take advantage of the extra hours of moonlight and cram in that extra harvest work, or maybe just take pleasure in the show; either way you should definitely take a look in the sky tonight.

Scientists Discover New Species Of Elephant-Shrew

A group of international and Kenyan scientists consider they may have discovered a new mammal species in a Kenyan forest near the Somali border.

The scientists were using camera traps to photograph mysterious elephant shrews in the Boni-Dodori forest. They were delighted to photograph what they believe is a completely new species of giant sengi, or elephant shrew.

"This is a significant discovery," said biologist Dr. Rajan Amin of the Zoological Society of London. "The whole team was very thrilled to capture pictures of this mammal." There are 17 identified species of elephant shrew, all native to Africa. They got their name because of their peculiar flexible nose which resembles an elephant's trunk, and because of their superficial resemblance to true shrews.

The Zoological Society of London and Kenya Wildlife Service captured the images. Researchers hope DNA samples will certainly prove whether it is a distinct species. The discovery could help in accepting this coastal forest region, which has been hard to study at times because of its closeness to Somalia.

Scientists believe that if the shrew is found to be a distinct species, the discovery could bring more awareness to East Africa's dwindling coastal forests.

Elephant shrews are more intimately related to elephants than to shrews, according to the KWS, which uses the alternate name, sengis. "Sengis belong to an ancient group of animals that evolved in Africa over 100 million years ago, and share a general ancestor with elephants, sea cows, hyraxes, aardvark, tenrecs and golden-moles (the super-cohort Afrotheria)," according to the KWS.

Police Suspects Baby’s Dearth As Murder

Sandy Springs Police are investigating the death of a 2 year old baby, but they are not sure accurately how she died. The child was at the residence of the 11 year old babysitter Saturday Night. Police say the 11 year old sitter is the daughter of the 2 year olds mother co-worker.

Officials say the child's mother called 911 from the baby sitters home after recurring to pick the child up. Authorities say the child was taken to Scottish Rite Hospital where she died shortly after midnight Saturday. An autopsy confirmed that the child died of blunt force trauma. The case is being investigated as a murder. After all of the evidence has been reviewed, it will be turned over to the Fulton County District's Attorney Office to decide what charges will be filed.

Commonwealth Games Bridge Collapses Raises Serious Concerns

A pedestrian bridge under construction for next month's Commonwealth Games collapsed, officials said, adding to concerns raised about India's awareness for the international sporting event.

At least 24 people were wounded, three critically, said New Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat. The bridge near Jawarharlal Nehru Stadium came down as workers were laying a concrete slab, said Rakesh Mishra, engineer-in-chief for New Delhi's Public Works Department.

Designed as a pathway from a parking area to the stadium, the bridge was planned for completion this week. The games begin October 3. "We are probing into it," said Mishra about the cause of the collapse. "It could be defective execution or a fault in the design."

The games, hosted for the first time by the Commonwealth's most heavily populated nation, have already been troubled by delays in construction projects and allegations of corruption.

Also, Mike Hooper, chief executive officer of the Commonwealth Games Federation, complained of the situation inside the rooms where the athletes are expected to live.

And this week, security concerns heightened after a shooting assault Sunday on a bus near a New Delhi mosque injured two Taiwanese tourists. Police, however, downplayed the assault as "local mischief," insisting the city is secure for visitors.

Vatican Apostolic Library Reopens Renovated

The Vatican Apostolic Library reopened its blessed halls Monday following a three-year renovation, according to library officials.

Climate-controlled rooms for precious manuscripts, electronic microchips in books, and state-of-the-art safety measures to stop theft and loss are just a few of the changes made to the library, officials said.

Pictures unconfined by the Vatican give the public a rare view of the library, which is open only to teachers, scholars and researchers.

The library now combines its historical prettiness with new safety and comfort features. They include an enhanced cataloguing system and better spacing for the thousands of people it serves each year, officials said.

The Vatican Apostolic Library is home to world-renowned manuscripts, drawings, engravings, coins and medals.

It also houses millions of written books, including archival materials used by scholars and researchers from all over the world, according to the Vatican.

Stoner Wins In Aragon MotoGP

Casey Stoner subjugated from pole position to secure his, and Ducati's, first victory of the season in Sunday's Aragon MotoGP in Spain.

The Australian ended over five seconds ahead of Honda rider Dani Pedrosa, who was aiming to secure his third successive MotoGP win of the season. The second Ducati of American Nicky Hayden overtook world championship leader Jorge Lorenzo on the last lap to snatch third.

Although it was the first time in 14 races that Lorenzo had failed to finish on the podium, the Yamaha rider continues to lead the world championship standings with just five races lasting.

Lorenzo lies on 284 points, 56 points ahead of fellow-Spaniard Pedrosa, with Stoner in third place on 155 points. Six-time world champion Valentino Rossi of Italy ended sixth and is fourth in the standings on 140 points.

Stoner, the 2007 world champion, told reporters that he was pleased to finally claim his first win since Malaysia last October.

"It's been too long among wins, that's for sure. We started out pretty well this weekend, and we got on with the track. We progressed and got improved."

Three Shot On Army Fort

The FBI is on its way to Fort Bliss in west Texas to examine a shooting at a convenience store on the base that left a man dead and two women wounded, according to base spokesman Dieter Jester.

The man, who authorities say shot the females, was shot and killed by law enforcement officers on the pedestal.

It's unclear what may have been the motive for the gunfire or even if the man or his victims are in the military, or are civilians.

The police officers who killed the alleged gunman responded within three to four minutes because their offices are very close to the base shopping area.

Fort Bliss is located near to the Mexican border near El Paso, Texas, but straddles the Texas-New Mexico border. Most of the base is situated in New Mexico, but the main headquarters is in Texas.

The base is residence to the First Armored Division. President Barack Obama visited there last month to meet the troops and mark the end of the authorized combat mission in Iraq.

Oxford University To Train Students For Future Government

In a hugely significant move, Oxford University will create a new school of government in 2012 following an record £75 million donation by Leonard Blavatnik, the American industrialist and philanthropist.

The school – being launched today – is proposed to train outstanding graduates from across the world in the skills and responsibilities of government.

The event is being backed by world leaders including Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, the former US president, and Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general.

Prof Andrew Hamilton, Oxford’s vice-chancellor, said: “The school represents a vast milestone in Oxford’s history. It will give tomorrow’s leaders the best of Oxford’s traditional strengths alongside new and practical ways of considering and addressing the challenges of good governance.

Lord Patten, Oxford’s chancellor, said: “This is a once-in-a-century chance for Oxford. Through the Blavatnik benefaction, Oxford will now become the world’s leading centre for the training of future leaders in government and public policy – and in ways that take proper account of the very different traditions, institutions and cultures that those leaders

World Chess Olympics To Start In Siberia

A record 1,370 players from 157 countries are taking part in the 39th World Chess Olympics opening today the Siberian town of Khanty-Mansiisk.

Russia is represented by two men's and as many women's teams. The occasion will also see the selection of a new FIDE president to run the federation in the next four years.

Vying for the post are current FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and ex-world champion Anatoly Karpov, put ahead by the US and French national chess federations.

Mass Suicide Fears As Sect Goes Missing

An anxious hunt was mounted for 13 members of a religious sect after it was feared they had committed mass suicide.

The five adults and eight children, aged three to 17, left letters saying they were awaiting an disaster and were going to see Jesus and their relatives in heaven.

But officers found the group, which had busted off from a Christian church, praying a park in Palmdale, Los Angeles County.

Police had searched a extensive swath of southern California after husbands of two of the runaways alerted them.

Officers described the group, made up of El Salvadoran immigrants and led by solitary mum Reyna Marisol Chicas, 32, as 'cult-like'.

The husbands said they thought members had been "brainwashed" by Chicas. Police spokesman Steve Whitmore said: "The letters state they are all going to heaven to meet Jesus. Some were saying goodbye."

World’s Biggest Solar Thermal Plant Licensed By California

California regulators have approved what is for the moment the world’s largest solar thermal power plant, a 1,000-megawatt complex called the Blythe Solar Power Project to be built in the Mojave Desert.

By contrast, a total of 481 megawatts of new solar capacity was installed in the United States last year, mostly from thousands of rooftop solar arrays, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade group.

After years of environmental reviews, the California Energy Commission has in the past three weeks licensed solar thermal farms that would produce 1,500 megawatts of electricity when completed.

Solar Millennium, whose U.S. operations are based in Oakland, Calif., at present has two other solar power plants that would generate a total of 734 megawatts undergoing licensing in California, as well as projects in Nevada.

“The Blythe Solar Power Project will help build the bridge for renewable energy here in California,” Alice Herron, a senior director at Solar Millennium, said at Wednesday’s meeting. “It will take renewable energy from a small portion of our energy base to flattering the backbone of the state’s power base.”

Pennsylvania Water Wells Contaminated With Chemicals

Water testing by a private environmental engineering company has discovered toxic chemicals in wells in a township in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.

Victoria Switzer, a resident of the northeastern Pennsylvania township of Dimock, exposed the results of the water tests from her well this week at an Environmental Protection Agency hearing on hydraulic fracturing in Binghamton, New York.

Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," is a contentious process used to extract natural gas from deep underground. Critics say chemicals used in the procedure can be injected into groundwater. Farnham & Associates established that ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and toluene were present in her water, Switzer said.

The tests, which were established by three certified laboratories, found chemicals in the mass of samples taken from water wells in Dimock, said Daniel Farnham, president of Farnham & Associates, based in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Despite his latest findings, however, Farnham said he cannot reach any conclusions about the source of the chemical compounds originate in the drinking water wells.

Dearth of National Symbol Of China

Officials at a zoo in western Japan are looking into the fatality of a giant panda on loan from China and a $500,000 fine could be imposed if human error was involved.

The 14-year-old Kou Kou had been sedated last week and died of heart failure at the Oji Zoo in Kobe city. Kou Kou was being used to inseminate females, a hard process that often fails when pandas are in captivity.

Zoo officials said Friday they are investigating Kou Kou's death, and a team of Chinese officials has coupled them. The zoo faces a sentence of up to $500,000.

The giant panda is revered as a national symbol of China as well as of friendship between the two Asian neighbors. Only about 1,600 pandas live in the wild.

Woods Struggles In BMW Event While Kuchar Leads

Matt Kuchar holds a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the BMW Championship, as Tiger Woods made a poor start in the defense of his Cog Hill title.

American Ryder Cup star Kuchar -- winner of The Barclays event last month -- downed a long birdie putt on his final hole for a seven-under-par 64, putting him just in front of compatriot Ryan Moore, with Englishman Ian Poulter another stroke behind.

Holder Tiger Woods endured a miserable day in the defense of his title, carding a two-over-par 73 to lie nine strokes off the pace. It was the world number one's maximum round at Cog Hill since posting a 73 in the 2005 Western Open.

Woods needs to finish at least fifth in the 70-strong field to secure one of the 30 places accessible for the final FedEx playoff tournament -- the Tour Championship -- at East Lake, Atlanta in two weeks.

"As of right now, I'm only five shots back from that spot. That is not too bad," Woods told journalists. Kuchar, who heads the playoff standings subsequent his Barclays victory, said: "I was driving it well. I was in fact doing everything well. It felt very good."

Meanwhile, world number two Phil Mickelson fared not much better than Woods, concluding his round with a bogey for a level par 72.

Logitec Launches The World’s Smallest Bluetooth Earphones

Logitec announced their latest product today, something that they are selling as the world’s smallest Bluetooth earphones. Weighing in at a mere 1/3 of an ounce, the LBT-PCHP02 earphones just might succeed for the title.

The LBT-PCHP02 is rated as Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, and will be accessible for shipping to the U.S. when they come available in October. Battery life is around 4 hours, which is a bit restrictive. They come in four colors; black, gold, pink, and silver, and have numerous sizes of ear tips as well.

Son Kills His Mother In Baltimore

A man devastated by his mother's analysis shot her doctor Thursday at the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore before supposedly killing her and taking his own life. Officials would not instantly elaborate on the diagnosis that sparked the shooting, but reports speculated that the suspect's mother may have been paralysed after spinal surgery.

After initially identifying the 50-year-old gunman as Warren Davis, police later discovered this was an alias he gave to hospital staff and said he was actually Paul Warren Pardus of Arlington, Virginia. After a three-hour standoff in the mother's hospital room, police entered the room and found Pardus dead from a gunshot wound and his mother insensitive in the bed, apparently killed by her son. The doctor, who was shot once in the abdomen, was in surgery, but his wounds were not considered to be life-threatening.

Guinness World Records 2011 Shows Off Miraculous Animals

The 2011 Guinness World Records book has published promises to show off Mother Nature in all her glory, with hundreds of new, astounding, weird and wonderful animal records joining a host of other exciting record breakers from around the world.


Puggy, a 10 year-old Pekingese, was left for dead by his first owners because of his look. But Guinness World Records officials have found that his tongue is longer than any other dogs. He has secured a place in the Guinness World Records 2011 after judges were told how his 4.5in (11.43cm) tongue was almost as long as his entire body.


Joining Puggy in the record book are A Dexter cow from Yorkshire, Swallow measures in at just 33.5 inches from rear foot to hind, and the bantam bovine is smaller than the standard sheep. At 11-years-old, Swallow - who is at present pregnant has lived a full life and has given birth to nine calves - all of whom tower over her and Darius, the Longest Rabbit, who measures in at 4ft 3 inches.


Also making their debut in the book is the world’s largest fried breakfast an s10.95 six-of-everything gut buster from Marios Cafe in Bolton and terrier Anastasia from California who holds the record for balloon popping who popped 100 Balloons in 44.49 secs on a U.S. TV show.

























Tubby has recycled 26,000 plastic bottles by giving them to his owner Sandra Gilmore. Gregory Ancelotti rode his horse, Doc, 95ft 5in in Milan, Italy, in April 2009, which is the longest distance by a horse on hind legs


Stephen Parkes, aged 44, from Nottingham, scooped the record for the biggest collection of Smurf memorabilia in the world - his stash totalling a whopping 1,061 items.

Fluffy the reticulated python from Columbus Zoo, Ohio, becomes the longest snake in custody, slithering in at 24ft (7.3m).

Guinness World Records 2011 will be published 16 September 2010. Guinness World Records is the globally-recognised authority on record-breaking achievements.

Emergency Declared In California

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday affirmed a state of emergency in Southern California's Kern County, scene of a wildfire that has burned more than 6,000 acres.

About 1,500 firefighters had 50 percent of the fire controlled Wednesday evening, a Kern County Fire Department spokesman said.

The fire has shattered at least one home, threatens many more and prompted evacuations, the office said.

The declaration orders "that all agencies of the state government utilize and employ state personnel, equipment and facilities for the performance of any and all activities" as synchronized by emergency management officials.

By Wednesday, some 6,136 acres had burned, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Lee Bentley said.

About 250 structures are threatened, together with homes and 100 outbuildings, he said.

Four injuries, all minor, have been reported. Smoke is distressing elderly residents, Kern County fire spokesman Sean Collins said.

The exact number of people who have evacuated was not instantly known, but Bentley said that 27 people spent Tuesday night on cots and 12 others stayed in various RVs at a shelter site. Two others were at a second shelter, he said.

Kern County officials were trying to approximate how many people have left their homes.

"We did an overturn 911 call to the area affected. I'm waiting to hear back how many residences that went out to," Kern County spokesman Sean Collins said. "That's not to say that's how many people were evacuated, but it will give us an idea."

The fire ruined out Sunday west of Bodfish. Authorities are investigating the cause. Arson is suspected, Bentley said.

World's Second Biggest Airplane At Harrisburg International Airport

The world's second largest aircraft the Russian-made Antonov AN-124-100 - has made eight trips to Harrisburg International Airport to weight up big Grove cranes made in Shady Grove and JLG lifts that come from McConnellsburg. Crews working for the construction companies, along with HIA crews and the aircraft's own Russian loading crew, began loading four JLG skylifts and an 80-ton Grove crane upon the AN-124-100 on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010. The procedure took just over two hours.

Denver Airport To Host Biggest Solar PV System In Colorado

Denver International Airport will soon be home to the largest photovoltaic solar array in Colorado with help from numerous leading companies in the clean energy sector.

Constellation Energy Group Inc. said it will widen a new solar system at Denver International Airport this year.

The 4.4 megawatt installation is the third solar installation at the airport. Constellation will finance, own and drive the solar system, and the airport will buy the electricity over a 20-year period.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Construction is probable to begin in the fall and be completed by early 2011. Yingli Green Energy will provide the solar panels for the project. The system will supply about 7,000 megawatt-hours of electrical energy to the airport each year. Generating that much energy from traditional sources would discharge about 5,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

While this will be the biggest solar array in Colorado, it will not be the only one at Denver International Airport. There are previously two arrays in operation there, one generating 2 megawatts of electricity and the other generating 1.6 megawatts.

"Denver's airport has a widespread name as a 'green' airport. Our partnership with Oak Leaf Energy, Constellation Energy and Intermountain Electric not only expands our sustainability pains, but is a great example of public-private partnerships advancing the 'green economy," said DIA's aviation manager, Kim Day.

World's Tiniest Airline Seat 'Skyrider'- Discovered

A new airline seat, which is said to be the smallest, is set to be unveiled at a US aircraft show later this week.

The seat, dubbed as the 'Skyrider', is bent like a saddle, forces passengers to sit at an angle, with part of their weight taken on their legs, which are also tucked under the seat in front. It is expected that the Skyrider will allow just 23 inches of legroom, seven inches less than the average seat pitch of around 30 inches.

But it claims the seats, which are fractional overlapping of the passengers seating between rows, will amplify the number of seats in economy class without sacrificing passenger comfort.

The seats, designed by Italian aircraft seat design company Aviointeriors, were styled on saddles used by cowboys and will be contented for flight of between one to three hours.

The seat is similar to a saddle. Cowboys ride eight hours on their horses during the day and still feel comfortable in it. The makers also claim that numerous airlines have expressed their interest in the seats, and should they plan to go ahead and install them the company would have to apply to aviation authorities for suitable certification.

The Skyrider is to make its introduction at the Aircraft Interiors Expo Americas conference in Long Beach, California and is styled on saddles used by cowboys in the Wild West the makers assert you can sit on a horse for long periods of time and not feel discomfort.

Several airlines have previously expressed an interest according to Dominique Menoud, director general of Aviointeriors Group: "We feel exceptionally confident that this concept will have great appeal to airlines for economic purposes." Passengers would forfeit less to sit in an area of the cabin installed with the seats.

West Nile Virus Claims Life Of Humans

Health officials say one new case of West Nile virus has been reported in Mississippi, bringing the state sum to five so far this year.

The Mississippi Department of Health said in a news release that the new casing occurred in an adult in Calhoun County. Earlier, two positive cases were reported in Leflore County with one each in Coahoma and Scott counties.

Health officials say there have been two optimistic West Nile Virus mosquito samples reported in Madison and Hancock counties.

Symptoms of West Nile virus may include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, a rash, muscle flaw or swollen lymph nodes. In a small number of cases, infection can result in encephalitis or meningitis, which can direct to paralysis, coma and possibly death.

Fear Sparks Spotting ‘Killer Shrimps’ In Britain

Recently, reports surfaced that the “killer shrimp” Dikerogammarus villosus had been found in Britain by anglers at the Graftham Water reservoir in Cambridgeshire.

The shrimp eats a number of freshwater invertebrates with other shrimp, damselflies, small fish and water boatmen—all commonly found in Britain’s waters. It tends to insistently pursue its prey, often leaving it dead but uneaten. It is known to have caused the extinction of numerous other species in other areas.

Dikerogammarus villosus can grow up to 30 mm long and has usually inhabited the steppe region between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. It has been encroaching upon Western Europe for the past ten years via the Danube, scientists wonder.

An expert in Holland has now decisively identified the species.

Biologists are currently testing water to see how extensive the problem might be and what measures-need to be taken.

“We are overwhelmed that this shrimp has been found in Britain,” Dr. Paul Leinster, head of UK’s Environment Agency, told BBC.

Richard Benyon, the minister in charge of the natural environment, said: ‘I am particularly concerned to hear that this highly invasive species has been found in Britain.

D. villosus is a tremendously vicious predator, devouring invertebrates like native freshwater shrimp and even small fish. The BBC even says that the species often kills its victim and leaves it uneaten.

Ciaran Nelson from Anglian Water said: ‘We are asking all water users at Grafham to take the actions asked of them on-site. This includes checking their equipment for shrimp when they depart the water and removing any that they find. They should also ensure their equipment is methodically cleaned and dried before it is put into any other water. Subject to these controls, recreational activities on the reservoir can persist.’

European Parliament Adopts Restrictions On Animal Testing

Europe has banned the use of great apes in animal testing. After two years of debate on how to defend animals without scampering scientific research, the European Parliament has agreed to cut the number of animal tests in Europe and enforce stricter rules for animals used in research.

Under the legislation, experiments on great apes such as chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans are to be banned and strict limits set on the use of primates in general.

Members of the 27-nation bloc, which have two years to conform to the rules, also need ''to ensure that whenever an alternative method is available, this is used instead of animal testing''. But those favoring eradication of animal testing said the rules failed to go far enough.

Newborn Baby Found In Manila Airport Rubbish

Authorities at Manila airport in the Philippines have found a newborn baby in a waste bag apparently unloaded from a plane that landed in the city from the Middle East.

Security officials brought the baby boy, who was enclosed in blood and wrapped in tissue paper, to an airport clinic, where he was examined and fed. "After he was cleaned, he let off a soft cry," airport nurse Kate Calvo said. "He was healthy; his vital signs were okay according to our doctors."

A security executive noticed something moving in a rubbish bag that was reportedly unloaded from a Gulf Air plane that arrived from Bahrain and found the baby inside, an airport statement said. The baby was afterward handed to social workers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Social welfare secretary Dinky Soliman said she was angered by what happened and has ordered police to search for the infant's mother, who could be illegally charged. "I was simply annoyed, no infant should be treated that way," Ms Soliman said.

She said the baby will be handed to the mother's family or put up for adoption.