'Dumb' thief picks police summit
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A man in the US state of Pennsylvania accused of a robbery at a narcotics police convention has been described as probably the state's dumbest criminal.
Retired police chief John Comparetto was attending the meeting of 300 officers when he was allegedly held up at gunpoint in the men's toilets.
He handed over money and a phone but then he and some colleagues gave chase as the suspect tried to flee in a taxi.
They arrested a 19-year-old man over the incident near Harrisburg.
Mr Comparetto described the suspect as "probably the dumbest criminal in Pennsylvania".
The Associated Press news agency reported that when a journalist asked the suspect for comment as he was led from court, he said: "I'm smooth."
Afghan leader welcomes US review
Afghan leader welcomes US review
 The US plans to send thousands of extra troops to Afghanistan |
Afghan President Hamid Karzai says a US review of strategy in the region - announced by President Obama on Friday - was "better than he had expected".
Mr Karzai praised the review's focus on countering militant activity in Pakistan and the US offer to Iran of a role in seeking a political solution.
Mr Obama described the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan as "perilous".
US officials later spoke of alleged links between Pakistan's military intelligence, the ISI, and militants.
Announcing the US review, Mr Obama proposed a big spending programme on infrastructure projects, and said 4,000 extra troops would be sent to Afghanistan to train security forces.
 |   We'll be working very, very closely with the US government to prepare for and to work on implementing all that was laid out in this strategy  Hamid Karzai  |
President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan, meanwhile, has also praised some aspects of the review, including the US offer of civilian aid to try to reduce the influence of Islamic militants in remote border areas of Pakistan.
Speaking to journalists in Kabul, Mr Karzai said he was "in full agreement" with the strategy.
"It is exactly what the Afghan people were hoping for, and we're seeking," he said.
"Therefore, it has our full support and backing... and we'll be working very, very closely with the US government to prepare for and to work on implementing all that was laid out in this strategy."
"This is better than we were expecting as a matter of fact," he added.
'Dangerous'
On Friday Mr Obama said growing radical forces in Afghanistan and the border area in Pakistan posed the greatest threat to the American people and the world.
He painted a bleak picture of the situation, with insurgents increasing their control of territory in the region around the Afghan-Pakistan border - which he termed "the most dangerous place in the world" for the American people - and attacks rising.
He said American strategy must relate directly to the threat posed to the Americans by al-Qaeda and its allies - who, he reminded his listeners, were behind the 9/11 attacks on American soil eight years ago.
Hours after the speech, senior US military officials spoke of alleged links between Pakistan's military intelligence, the ISI, and militants on the country's borders with both Afghanistan and India.
Gen David Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, said that if such links undermined operations against the militants they would damage US efforts to build trust in the region.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Deadly blast hits Pakistan mosque
Deadly blast hits Pakistan mosque
The aftermath of the attack in Jamrud
A bomb has exploded at a mosque near the town of Jamrud in the Khyber agency in north-west Pakistan, killing at least 50 people, officials say.
The top administrator in the Khyber region, Tariq Hayat, said he feared the death toll could rise to 70.
Officials say the attack was a suicide bombing and the mosque has collapsed.
North-west Pakistan has witnessed a number of suicide attacks linked to the Taleban insurgency and also to the Shia-Sunni sectarian divide.
The attack in the village of Baghiani, about 30km (20 miles) from the Afghan border, took place as Friday prayers were beginning.
More than 70 people have been hurt.
Rescuers were at the scene digging through the rubble, pulling out bodies and injured survivors who were rushed to hospital.
'Caught fire'
The mosque was next to a tribal police checkpoint, says the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad, and was crowded with about 250 worshippers, including many police.
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Television pictures showed that the mosque had been blown to pieces.
Noor Mohammad, a policeman in the tribal region, told the BBC: "The blast took place just before the prayer leader announced the start of prayers.
"I was standing on the verandah outside the mosque because I was late and could not find space inside. After the explosion, the doors into the mosque caught fire. Moments later, the mosque collapsed."
The attack came just hours before US President Barack Obama was due to unveil details of a new strategy to fight militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Pakistan's security officials have recently concentrated forces in the Khyber region, and especially the Jamrud area, to fight militants attacking convoys carrying supplies for the Nato forces in Afghanistan.
Some reports say the operations have been co-ordinated by US intelligence officials, and security forces say they have captured or killed several al-Qaeda members in the operations.
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The Khyber administrator, Tariq Hayat, said people in the area had been co-operating with security forces.
No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which could also be linked to disputes between local tribal militias, says our correspondent.
On Thursday, at least 10 people were killed in a suicide bombing in Jandola in South Waziristan.
That attack, at a restaurant, was blamed on rivalry between militant factions.
Officials said a group of militants opposed to Pakistan's top Taleban commander had been in the restaurant.
At least 25 people were killed last month in a suicide bomb attack on a funeral procession in Dera Ismail Khan, a town in North-West Frontier Province, close to the semi-autonomous tribal area.
The bomber targeted the funeral of a Shia Muslim cleric who had been gunned down the day before.
The town has a history of sectarian violence between its Sunni and Shia Muslim communities.
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Man guilty of Mizen bakery murder
Man guilty of Mizen bakery murder
 The glass dish shattered when it hit Jimmy Mizen's jaw |
A 19-year-old man has been found guilty of the murder of teenager Jimmy Mizen at a bakery in south-east London.
Jimmy, 16, bled to death when the vessels in his neck were severed as he was hit by a glass dish in the baker's in Lee in May 2008.
Jake Fahri, 19, from Lee, had claimed he acted in self defence when a fight broke out between himself, Jimmy and Jimmy's brother.
A jury found Fahri guilty of murder following a trial at the Old Bailey.
The jury of eight women and four men reached their verdict after less than eight hours of deliberations over two days.
Jimmy's family applauded as the verdict was delivered.
The court heard that Jimmy and Fahri had been rowing in the bakery when Fahri grabbed an advertising sign that was lying nearby, prompting a "tug-of-war" battle.
In an attempt to get Jimmy to let go, Fahri picked up the nearby oven-proof glass dish and flung it at his victim. The dish shattered, and a piece lodged in Jimmy's neck, cutting an artery and his jugular vein.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Police drop Olmert bribery case
Police drop Olmert bribery case
 Mr Olmert denies all the corruption allegations against him |
Israeli police have closed one of the criminal investigations against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's for lack of evidence, a police spokesman said.
The probe was into his purchase of a house in Jerusalem significantly below market price while mayor of the city.
"The head of the investigation team reached the conclusion there isn't concrete evidence of any illegal act," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.
Mr Olmert denies wrongdoing, though a series of probes caused him to resign.
The 63-year-old, who only has days left in office, still faces possible indictment on charges of fraud and breach of trust.
Indictments recommended
| EHUD OLMERT'S POLITICAL LIFE 1993: Begins 10-year stint as mayor of Jerusalem 2005: Leaves right-wing Likud party with former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to form Kadima 2006: Takes over as leader when Ariel Sharon suffers a stroke 2007: Helps re-launch Israeli-Palestinian peace talks after seven-year hiatus 2008: Announces plans to resign |
In the so-called Cremieux property case, Mr Olmert paid $325,000 less than market value for the property in question, which led to suspicions of fraud and bribery.
In December, he was cleared because of lack of evidence of corruption in the privatisation of an Israeli bank while he was finance minister in 2005.
However, he may face charges over separate allegations, including for claiming extra expenses on trips abroad, unlawfully accepting cash from a US businessman and for corrupt political appointments.
Police have already recommended he be indicted in the first of two of these three cases.
Mr Olmert remains in office while his designated successor, Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu, builds a new government following elections in February.
Correspondents say allegations of corruption have swirled around Olmert throughout his three-decade political career, but he has never been convicted of a crime.
Blast rips through Baghdad crowd
Blast rips through Baghdad crowd
 Up to 35 people may have been injured in the explosion |
A car bomb blast which ripped through a crowd of shoppers near a bus stop in northern Baghdad has killed at least 16 people and injured more than 30.
The bomb went off near a market in the capital's Shaab district, a mainly Shia area, officials say.
Iraqi police believe it was a deliberate attempt to kill the maximum number of civilians possible.
Violence has declined in Iraq recently but on Monday, a suicide bomber killed 25 people in the north of the country.
Nearly 70 people died earlier this month in two suicide attacks in Baghdad.
On Wednesday, a US military spokesman said that attacks across Iraq had fallen to levels of the early months of the US-led war which began in March 2003.
'Sending message'
The car with the bomb was parked near a bus terminal between a hospital and a busy market.
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Iraqi officials say four children and at least three women were among those killed in the blast, which happened on Thursday afternoon.
No-one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
Police think it was a deliberate attempt to slaughter civilians at random, probably by al-Qaeda in Iraq, as a way of sending a message that "we are still here", the BBC's Hugh Sykes in Baghdad says.
Our correspondent adds that the poor and unremarkable Shaab district has been attacked several times before.
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European mobile data prices set
European mobile data prices set
 The cost of sending text messages while overseas should drop |
Using a mobile phone abroad in Europe looks set to get cheaper.
European MPs have brokered an agreement that will see the tariffs for making calls, sending text messages and browsing the web fall from July 2009.
All the prices that have been agreed are regarded as a ceiling and are the maximum that operators will be allowed to charge for the different services.
Before coming into force the tariffs must be approved by member states and the European parliament.
'Disappointment'
The agreement caps the cost of sending a text message at 11 cents (10p) throughout Europe.
Currently, texting tariffs vary widely across Europe. On average Europeans pay 29 cents to send a text and some pay as much as 80 cents.
| ROAMING COSTS - OUTGOING CALLS 43 cents per minute from July 2009 39 cents per minute from July 2010 35 cents per minute from July 2011 |
Other data costs, charged to send e-mails or browse the web, will be regulated at the operator level. The agreement fixes how much a roaming operator can charge a customer's home operator.
From July 2009 the rate will be a maximum of 1 euro (92p) per megabyte and will fall to 50 cents (46p) from July 2011.
| ROAMING COSTS - DATA 1 euro per megabyte from July 2009 80 cents per megabyte from July 2010 50 cents per megabyte from July 2011 |
In addition mobile owners will be able to agree a spending cap with their operators to ensure they do not rack up huge, unexpected bills while abroad. Customers will be warned when they have reached 80% of their spending limit.
The agreement also further pushes down the price of making a phone call while abroad. For each minute of conversation, customers should be charged no more than 43 cents from July 2009. Further falls will follow in 2010, and 2011.
Mobile operators will also have to change the way they charge customers for calls. Currently many round call durations up to the nearest minute before working out charges.
Under the proposed agreement operators will have to move to per-second call charges but can impose an initial minimum charging period 30 seconds in length.
The GSM Association said it was disappointed with some aspects of the deal which brought price caps in earlier and went further than had been initially suggested by the European Commission.
The agreement goes before the European Parliament's industry committee on 31 March and is expected to be voted on in a full session by 24 April.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Sudan's leader ends Egyptian trip
Sudan's leader ends Egyptian trip
 Sudan's leader is accused of war crimes in Darfur |
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has ended talks in Egypt on his second trip abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for his arrest.
Egypt is not a signatory of the ICC's charter, which obliges member states to arrest those indicted if they enter their territory.
Mr Bashir - who made a short trip to Eritrea on Monday - is to hold talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Sudan's leader is accused of war crimes in his country's Darfur region.
It is unclear if President Bashir still plans to attend a 29-30 March Arab summit in Doha, Qatar.
Defiance
Sudan's highest religious authority, the Committee of Muslim Scholars, this week issued a fatwa urging him not to go, citing threats from enemies.
| The president has said before the warrant is not worth the ink it is written with - and this is the message of this trip Ali Youssef Ahmed Sudan foreign ministry |
Mr Bashir was received at Cairo's airport on Wednesday by the Egyptian president and senior government ministers.
The BBC's Cairo reporter Ranyah Sabry says Mr Bashir was wearing a Western style two-piece suit - the first time since the ICC warrant that he has not worn the traditional white Sudanese national costume in public.
The two leaders discussed the search for a resolution to the Darfur conflict.
After the talks, Egypt's foreign minister emphasised Cairo's opposition to the ICC arrest warrant.
"There is an Egyptian, Arab and African stance that does not accept the court's manner in dealing with the Sudanese president," Ahmed Abul Gheit said.
Ali Youssef Ahmed, head of protocol at Sudan's foreign ministry, said Mr Bashir had wanted to show his defiance of the ICC.
Sir John Holmes' aid warning
"The president has said before that the arrest warrant is not worth the ink that it is written with - and this is the message of this trip," he told Reuters news agency.
"The president will continue to travel to countries that are against the ICC - and there are many of these countries."
Many African and Arab states, along with Sudan's key ally China, have called for the ICC warrant to be suspended, arguing it will hamper efforts to bring peace to Darfur.
The Egypt visit came amid a worsening humanitarian situation in Darfur.
Khartoum ordered the expulsion of 13 international aid agencies in the wake of 4 March arrest warrant.
Deadly camp fire
On Tuesday, the United Nations's humanitarian head John Holmes said the Sudanese government had not done enough to fill the gaps in aid provisions.
 Millions of people rely on aid in Sudan's Darfur region |
"These are band-aid solutions, not long-term solutions," he said.
He spoke at a news conference to release a joint Sudanese-UN assessment that found more than a million people in Darfur would go without food rations by May unless new aid agencies were deployed.
A fire at Abuza camp for displaced people in western Darfur killed at least two people and destroyed 600 shelters on Tuesday.
The rebel Justice and Equality Movement blamed state-backed militias for the attack.
The ICC accuses Mr Bashir of orchestrating atrocities against civilians in Darfur, where his Arab-led government has been battling black African rebels since 2003.
Up to 300,000 people have been killed and 2.7 million have been driven from their homes.
Sudan denies the charges and says the figures are exaggerated.
Man survived both atomic bombings
Man survived both atomic bombings
 Mr Yamaguchi had the bad luck to be in Hiroshima and then Nagasaki |
Japan has certified a man aged 93 as the only known survivor of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both hit by atomic bombs towards the end of World War II.
Tsutomu Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on a business trip on 6 August 1945 when a US plane dropped the first atomic bomb.
He suffered serious burns and spent a night there before returning to his home city of Nagasaki just before it was bombed on 9 August.
He said he hoped his experience held a lesson of peace for future generations.
'Horrifying history'
It was already recorded that Mr Yamaguchi had survived the Nagasaki bomb but on Tuesday officials recognised that he had been in Hiroshima as well.
 More than 200,000 people were killed in the two atomic bombings |
Certification as a hibakusha or radiation survivor qualifies Japanese citizens for government compensation, including medical check-ups, and funeral costs.
His double dose of atomic bombs, however, does not mean Mr Yamaguchi's compensation will increase, a Nagasaki city official said.
"My double radiation exposure is now an official government record," Mr Yamaguchi told reporters.
"It can tell the younger generation the horrifying history of the atomic bombings even after I die."
About 140,000 people were killed in Hiroshima and 70,000 in Nagasaki.
Many survivors fell sick with radiation-related illnesses, including cancers, for years after the bombings.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Astana confident over Armstrong
Astana confident over Armstrong
Armstrong uncertain about recovery
Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel believes cycling legend Lance Armstrong will be fit in time to race in both the Tour De France and the Giro D'Italia.
The 37-year-old American broke his collarbone in Spain's Vuelta Castilla y Leon and is set to undergo surgery.
"I don't think this changes anything for the Tour de France," said Bruyneel.
The Tour starts on 4 July and Brunyeel also said that "it's perfectly possible" Armstrong will be fit to ride in the Giro, which begins on 9 May.
He added: "A broken collarbone in the month of March does not at all compromise the start of the Tour de France or your performance in the Tour de France."
| 606: DEBATE behavedave |
Armstrong was caught up in an incident about 12 miles from the finish in the Vuelta Castilla y Leon on the first stage of the five-day event.
He remained in Spain on Monday night before flying home to Texas where he will be assessed by a specialist.
"Sitting in the airport getting ready to fly home. Layover in NYC then ATX!" Armstrong wrote on his Twitter feed.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Ex-ministers arrested in Guinea
Ex-ministers arrested in Guinea
 Ahmed Tidiane Souare (r) submitted to the army leaders days after the coup |
Guinea's military authorities have arrested three former ministers, among them ex-Prime Minister Ahmed Tidiane Souare, sources have told the BBC.
They have been taken into police custody but have not yet been charged.
Two former Mines Ministers, Ousmane Sylla and Lounceny Nabe, have also been detained.
Since taking power last December, Guinea's military leaders have arrested numerous former top officials, including the ex-president's son.
Ousmane Conte, son of former President Lansana Conte, was last month shown on national television, admitting to smuggling cocaine.
Other officials have been summoned to appear before a commission investigating corruption claims.
Mr Souare was prime minister at the time of Mr Conte's death.
He publicly acknowledged coup leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara as "Mr president" just three days later.
Capt Camara seized power last month after the death of President Conte, who had ruled since 1984.
President Camara's National Council for Democracy and Development has promised to stand down and hold elections by 2010.
Guinea is to remain suspended from both the African Union and the West African regional bloc Ecowas until the polls are held.
New terror strategy to be issued
New terror strategy to be issued
 The counter-terrorism document will go into more detail than ever before |
Details of the UK's counter-terrorism strategy are to be published, including government concerns about the weapons that could fall into terrorist hands.
The updated strategy has a new section about the risk of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons.
It also says the al-Qaeda leadership is likely to fragment, but the threat from those it inspires will remain.
Ministers earlier said 60,000 workers are being trained to help respond to a terror attack as part of the strategy.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "Terrorists will try to stay one step ahead of us.
"But we've made sure that we've invested the resources, built the people - both in the police and in the agencies - and built the widest partnership necessary to to give us the best chance of being able to deal with that threat."
Renewed emphasis
The new counter-terrorism document talks about the need to "challenge those who reject the rights to which we are committed, scorn the institutions and values of our parliamentary democracy, dismiss the rule of law and promote intolerance".
There will be more focus on preventing the radicalisation of Muslims. Last month, sources told the BBC's Panorama programme that conservative Muslims who teach that Islam is incompatible with Western democracy will be challenged as part of a new approach.
A senior Whitehall source said that Muslim leaders who urge separation would be isolated and publicly rejected, even if their comments fell within the law.
Writing in the Observer newspaper on Sunday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the government's strategy was not just about training and equipping professionals, but also better informing the public so everyone would become more vigilant.
"The approach we are taking tackles the immediate threat through the relentless pursuit of terrorists and disruption of their plots, builds up our defences against attacks and our resilience to deal with them," he said.
He added that it also "addresses the longer term causes - understanding what leads people to become radicalised, so we can stop the process".
The strategy also puts a renewed emphasis on the extreme risks from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons if they get into the hands of terrorists.
On Sunday the home secretary said shop and hotel workers would be among the 60,000 people trained to deal with an incident.
The updated approach, aimed at tackling immediate terrorist threats and the causes of extremism, would be the most comprehensive in the world, she added.
But the Tories have said not enough action was being taken against extremists.
Mumbai attacks
The counter-terrorism document, being published by the Home Office, will go into more detail than ever before, with Ms Smith saying counter-terrorism was "no longer something you can do behind closed doors and in secret".
It will reflect intelligence opinion that the biggest threat to the UK comes from al-Qaeda-linked groups and will also take into account recent attacks on hotels in the Indian city of Mumbai.
The paper - called Contest Two - will update the Contest strategy developed by the Home Office in 2003, which was later detailed in the Countering International Terrorism document released in 2006.
By 2011, Britain will be spending
PC rules supreme in gaming world
PC rules supreme in gaming world
| By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News, San Francisco |
 PC's remain the favourite way to play games says report |
The personal computer is king in the world of games, according to a new report by the PC Gaming Alliance.
On the opening day of the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, the Alliance said the industry made about $11 billion world wide last year.
PCGA president Randy Stude said these figures underline the PC as the "No 1 platform for gaming world wide".
"Despite Xbox LIVE and PlayStation, the online platform that remains the most accessible and robust is the PC."
According to research company IDC, there are over 1 billion personal computers world wide. The PCGA maintains that 250 million are being used for gaming.
The report also revealed that three of the biggest trends for last year were the growth of digital distribution, the rise of free games with a micro transaction model, and the increased presence of game cards at major retailers such as 7-Eleven
"The biggest story in PC games is the expansion beyond retail," said Mr Stude.
"PC games have successfully pioneered online subscription and distribution models that have resulted in a global boom that shows no signs of slowing."
In 2008, Americans spent more than $21 billion on video game hardware, software and accessories, up from $18 billion in 2007, according to market researcher NPD Group. And sales continued to rise in January and February of this year.
Thriving and hiring
Such figures come as a welcome boost for GDC as the recession casts a shadow over the event, the biggest of its kind in the world.
Even though organisers are expecting attendance to be down slightly from last year's 18,000 people, GDC event director Meggan Scavio told BBC News the economic downturn is not deterring people from coming.
 Gaming is showing strong sales despite an economy heading south |
"It's true that maybe some of the bigger players, publishers and studios can't send as many people as in the past but at the same time I have found that people are finding their own way to come to GDC.
"They are sharing hotel rooms, they are car pooling, they are probably sharing passes and they come for the entire week."
Ms Scavio also pointed out that even though companies like Electronic Arts, THQ, Lucas Arts and Sega have had to make jobs cuts over the last few months, it is not all doom and gloom within the industry.
"We have a career pavilion here with 50 booths. There are studios that are hiring, companies are hiring. People like Nintendo and Blizzard are still thriving and people are forming their own independent studios and are looking to take people on."
That is welcome news for Jeff Ball who is a musician and attending GDC for the first time with the aim of making contacts and getting work.
"I've just graduated and I'm trying to network and meet as many people as I can because that's how you get into the industry and coming here is thee place to do that."
Mr Ball is not alone in looking for business opportunities.
Pierre Langer of Dynamedion, Europe's biggest audio studio for video games, has attended GDC for the last five years. He told BBC News that this year he has changed his strategy for drumming up business.
"Over the last few years I just hung out and met people in a casual way. This year it's different and I am doing a lot of meetings. I have 40 meetings in the next 4 days," said Mr Langer.
"Year of opportunity"
While the conference does not really get underway until Wednesday with the opening of the Expo, many attending the first day viewed the economic health of the industry in a positive light.
"I think people are optimistic," said Marti Miernik of PR Sirens who is here promoting a game called Space Trader Wars for HermitWorks Entertainment.
 GDC attendance is expected to be down this year |
"I think some of the shaking out of the economy has already happened and it's time to move forward. In the last week the market turned from under 6,000 to 7,500 so things are shifting and people are looking much more positively at what's going on," said Ms Miernik who has attended GDC for the last five years running.
Meanwhile first timer Andy Park of AOS Inc said he believes the recession is actually good news for the gaming industry.
"I don't know that the climate is affecting games too much. If anything I would think the games industry maybe ought to see a little kick because of this.
"People aren't buying stuff so much but the idea of going to the movies or buying a new game which you can use again and again and again probably still holds water," Mr Park told the BBC.
Ms Scavio said that while the industry is far from recession proof, this is undoubtedly a time for people to be creative.
"I like to call this the year of opportunity but the other message this year at GDC is that this community is resilient, creative and young and will definitely find its way out of this crisis.
"Throughout the week you will see deals going on in every corner of the building and pitches being made at every turn," asserted Ms Scavio.