Charges will be filed in balloon saga

FORT COLLINS : Deputies searched the home of a couple caught up in Colorado's ‘balloon boy’ saga Saturday night after the sheriff said he was pursuing criminal charges in a case that at first sparked fear for the child, then relief he was okay, then suspicions of a hoax.

The boy's parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, met with Larimer County investigators for much of Saturday afternoon amid lingering questions about whether he perpetrated a publicity stunt when his 6-year-old son Falcon vanished into the rafters of his garage while the world thought he was zooming through the sky in a flying saucer-like helium balloon.

But Sheriff Jim Alderden didn't say who would be charged or what the charges would be. His deputies later showed up at the Heene's Fort Collins home with a search warrant and at least three of them began a search. Sgt. Ian Stewart declined so say what they were after.

Investigators were seen leaving the home just after midnight carrying several boxes and a computer.

Alderden didn't call Thursday's hours-long drama a hoax, but he expressed disappointment that he couldn't level more serious charges in the incident, which sent police and the military scrambling to save young Falcon Heene as millions of worried television viewers watched.

"We were looking at Class 3 misdemeanor, which hardly seems serious enough given the circumstances," Alderden said. "We are talking to the district attorney, federal officials to see if perhaps there aren't additional federal charges that are appropriate in this circumstance."

Suspicion that the balloon saga was a hoax arose almost immediately after Falcon was found hiding in a cardboard box. Heene, a storm chaser and inventor whose family has appeared on the reality show "Wife Swap," and his wife had said one of the boy's older brothers had said Falcon was aboard the homemade balloon when it took off.

Alderden initially said there was no reason to believe the incident was a hoax. Authorities questioned the Heenes again after Falcon turned to his dad during a CNN interview Thursday night and said "you said we did this for a show" when asked why he didn't come out of his hiding place.

Falcon got sick during two separate TV interviews Friday when asked again why he hid.

After the sheriff spoke to reporters, Richard Heene and his wife walked out of his office after meeting with officials for several hours. As reporters yelled questions, all Heene said was, "I was talking to the sheriff's department just now." He then walked to his car with his wife and a friend, and they drove away.

It wasn't clear where the family was late Saturday night. By 9 p.m., an AP reporter at the family home said the couple hadn't returned after leaving the sheriff's office. Their three sons were believed to have been at home being watched by sheriff's officials earlier in the day, but their whereabouts also weren't known to reporters in the evening.

The day began with Richard Heene knocking on the windows of journalists camped outside his home and promising a "big announcement." A few hours later, he did an about-face when he told reporters that they should leave questions in a cardboard box on the front doorstep.

As Heene walked away, a reporter shouted, "Can you tell us once and for all if this is a hoax?"

"Absolutely no hoax. I want your questions in the box," Heene said, waving a cardboard container before going back into his home.

A circus-like atmosphere formed outside, including men holding signs and occasionally yelling "balloon boy." One sign read, "Put balloon boy on TV: America's Most Wanted."

Other gawkers carried aluminum-foil stovetop popcorn makers that resembled the a flying saucer-like helium balloon launched from the family's backyard Thursday, with 6-year-old Falcon Heene believed to be onboard.

The Heenes have said the balloon was supposed to be tethered to the ground when it lifted off, and no one was supposed to be aboard. A video of the launch shows the family counting down in unison, "3, 2, 1," before Richard Heene pulls a cord, setting the balloon into the air.

"Whoa!" one of the boys exclaims. Then his father says in disbelief, "Oh, my God!" He then says to someone, "You didn't put the (expletive) tether down!" and he kicks the wood frame that had held the balloon.

Falcon's brother said he saw him inside the compartment before it took off and that's why they thought he was in there when it launched. Heene said he had yelled at Falcon before the launch for getting inside.

Over the years, Richard Heene has worked as a storm chaser, a handyman and contractor, and an aspiring reality-TV star.

He and his family appeared on the ABC reality show "Wife Swap," and the show's producer said it had a show in development with the Heenes but the deal is now off. TLC also said Heene had pitched a reality show to the network months ago, but it passed on the offer.

Despite his attempts to get on TV, Heene insisted Saturday that he didn't know what kinds of questions were being asked about him because he didn't have cable.

"I'm going to place the box out front. Please write your questions down, because friends are telling me they're saying this and that. I have no idea what the news is saying," Heene said.

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Bomb blast wounds 24 in Thai south: police

YALA : A bomb attack on Monday on a crowded market in Thailand's troubled south wounded 24 people including three soldiers, local police said.

The device, hidden in a motorcycle parked in front of the market in Yala town, went off at 7:30 am as customers were shopping for food.

A bitter separatist insurgency in Thailand's southern provinces has claimed more than 3,900 lives over the past five years.

The shadowy militants target Buddhists and Muslims, with victims ranging from teachers and security forces to rubber plantation workers.

The insurgency erupted in January 2004, but tensions have simmered in the region, formerly an autonomous Malay Muslim sultanate, since it was annexed by predominantly Buddhist Thailand in 1902.

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No troop decision until Afghan election is resolved: White House

WASHINGTON : It would be irresponsible to send more troops to Afghanistan until a legitimate and credible government is in place, the White House and top Democrats said on Sunday.

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said the most critical issue facing US strategy is whether the Afghans can be an effective partner in destroying al Qaeda safe havens and bringing stability to the region.

"It would be reckless to make a decision on US troop levels if in fact you haven't done a thorough analysis of whether in fact there's an Afghan partner ready to fill that space that US troops would create and become a true partner in governing," Emanuel said in an interview Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

Emanuel stressed that the central question is "not how much troops you have but whether in fact there's an Afghan partner."

As the White House faces mounting pressure in implementing a viable strategy in the 8-year-old war, the outcome of Afghanistan's Aug. 20 presidential election remains in question because of reported ballot fraud. Afghan President Hamid Karzai declared victory, but a runoff election with his closest challenger is now a possibility.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., reiterated the need for a clear commitment from the Afghans before Obama agrees to send more US troops.

"It would be entirely irresponsible for the president of the United States to commit more troops to this country when we don't even have an election finished and know who the president is and what kind of government we're working with," Kerry told CNN.

Kerry said Obama and key White House advisers must assess what the Afghan government will be able to deliver and how they are able to assist "with respect to their army" before the president decides to send additional troops to fight.

Kerry dismissed criticism that Obama's deliberations on additional troops are a sign of indecision or weakness.

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'Noah's Ark' has 10% of world's plants

LONDON : Botanists at Britain’s Kew Gardens have collected seeds from 10% of the world’s wild plants, their first goal in a long-term project to protect all endangered species, they said on Thursday.

Seeds from a wild, pink banana are among the latest additions to the collection at Kew, London, designed to guard against dwindling diversity. The banana from China, musa itinerans, is an important staple for wild elephants and is also useful for breeding new types of the fruit, but is under threat as its jungle habitat is cleared for commercial agriculture.

It became the 24,200th species of wild plant with seeds stored in the Millennium Seed Bank, a nine-year-old conservation project run by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and institutions in 54 countries.

With it the project reaches its target to collect, bank and conserve seeds from 10% of the world’s most under-threat wild plant species — it is already working towards a new goal of 25% of plants by 2020.

The seed partnership focuses on collecting those plants most at risk and storing them sfor future use in conservation or for research. Since 2000, more than 3.5 billion seeds have been collected and stored in air-tight containers in the temperature-controlled vaults.

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FDA Initiatives Lasik Eye Surgery Negative Effect Study

NEW YORK : The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it will be working with the National Eye Institute and the Department of Defence on Phase 2 of a study on the potential dangers of a surgical laser procedure known as LASIK.

It will study the scope of problems linked with laser eye-correcting surgery, such as, blurred vision and dry eyes, including determining the percentage of patients who experience negative side effects after the surgery.

The project composed of three phases saw Phase 1 begin in July, with the agency designing and implementing a Web-based questionnaire that assessed patient-reported outcomes, including evaluating the quality of life issues following the surgery.

The project expected to conclude by 2012, also includes a clinical trial for tracking patients who undergo the procedure.

Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, Acting Head of FDA's Medical Device Division says: 'This study will enhance our understanding of the risks of Lasik and could lead to a reduction in patients who experience adverse effects.'

An estimated 6-million Americans have had Lasik surgery for permanent reshaping of their corneas i. e. a clear layer covering the eye, to improve their vision. With the long-term safety of the procedure unknown, there are no guarantees of 20/20 vision, hoever, ophthalmology societies report 95% of patient satisfaction with their new vision.

Even so, a small number of patients have reported permanent eye damage following the surgery, including double vision, dry eye and halos around objects at night.

After years of complaints, the FDA in 2008 agreed to look into the problems. Last summer, according to the agency it received 140-reports of Lasik-related problems between 1998 and 2006.

Advanced Medical Optics Inc., Alcon Inc., and Bausch and Lomb are some of the Lasik laser manufacturers

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Twitter makes it to university curriculum

CANBERRA : Social networking upstart Twitter has made the jump to academia’s hallowed halls, with ‘tweets’ made compulsory writing for would-be journalists at an Australian university.

“Some students’ tweets are not as in depth as you might like. But I don’t know if getting them to write an essay is any more beneficial,” Jacqui Ewart, senior lecturer at Griffith University, said on Thursday.

Twitter microblogs have become an online phenomenon with users sending “tweets” of up to 140 characters, or just a few words, to increasing numbers of “followers”.

The service rose to global prominence during unrest in the wake of Iran’s recent presidential elections with tweets used to broadcast otherwise restricted information.

The service is being used more frequently by politicians, including Australia’s bookish Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who has asked followers to recommend movie choices and this week “tweeted” about his visit to a rural bakery.

Students were using twitter as “an exercise in self-reflection”, Ewart said, citing increasing demand from employers for people to use social networking tools.

But reaction from students has been mixed, she said, raising questions over the utility of using sites like Twitter and Facebook in a formal education curriculum.

“Quite surprisingly, a lot of students didn’t know what Twitter was. There were a couple of really vocal students who were saying they couldn’t believe we were using it and thought it was a waste of time,” Ewart said.

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LONDON : Giving paracetamol to babies to prevent fever after routine vaccinations may reduce the effect of the shots themselves, Czech scientists said on Friday.

While the paracetamol, known as acetaminophen in the United States, generally does limit post-vaccination fever, it also reduces the child’s response to some of the vaccine antigens, according to a study in the Lancet journal.

Mothers in developed countries whose babies have a series of routine vaccinations at around the age three months are often told by medical staff to give paracetamol to try to cut the risk of fever or febrile convulsions.

But Roman Prymula of the Czech University of Defence said his study showed that giving so-called anti-pyretic medicines like paracetamol after vaccinations should “no longer be routinely recommended without careful weighing of the expected benefits and risks”.

The vaccinations which are generally offered to children as protection against pneumococcal disease, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio and rotavirus.

The effect of some of the vaccines — in particular Hib, diphtheria, tetanus and pneumococcal — is reduced if kids are given paracetamol, the expert said.

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New satellites can overcome glitch in Earth-Mars communication

LONDON : The sun can block direct communication between Earth and Mars for weeks at a time, cutting off any potential mission to the red planet. The solution - satellites on special orbits around Mars.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is working on how to ensure reliable radio communication when Mars and Earth line up at opposite sides of the sun, blocking any signal between mission controllers on Earth and astronauts on Mars.

The natural alignment, known as a conjunction, happens approximately every 780 days, and would seriously degrade and even block transmission of voice, data and video signals.

Researchers have proposed an innovative solution by placing a pair of communication relay satellites into a very special type of orbit near Mars: a so-called ‘B-orbit’ (against an ‘A-orbit’, based on natural orbital laws).

However, to counter the effects of gravity and remain in place, they would have to be equipped with cutting-edge electric ion propulsion.

Such ion thrusters, powered by solar power and using tiny amounts of xenon gas as propellant, would hold the satellites in a B-orbit in full view of both Mars and Earth.

The satellites could then relay radio signals throughout the Mars-Earth conjunction season, ensuring that astronauts at Mars were never out of sync with Earth, says an ESA release.

These findings were released this week at the 60th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), the world’s biggest space event, in Daejeon, South Korea.

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New satellites can overcome glitch in Earth-Mars communicatio

Coffee can give kids sleepless nights, breathing problems

WASHINGTON : Giving coffee to babies won't keep them awake as in case of adults, in fact the hot beverage would have a long-lasting and detrimental effect on little ones' sleep and breathing patterns in adulthood, says a new study.

Breathing problems are the leading causes of hospitalization and death in premature babies. These babies are therefore often given caffeine because of its qualities as a respiratory stimulant.

Up till now, the long-term effects of this treatment in humans have not been examined.

However, in the Journal of Physiology, Gaspard Montandon and colleagues showed that the use of caffeine in neonates can cause serious alterations in the sleeping patterns of adult rats as a result of its effect on the developing respiratory system.

Sleep abnormality is a significant indicator for ill health and reduced life span.

When the caffeine-treated rats reached adulthood, their sleeping time was reduced, the length of time they took to reach the first stage of sleep was increased, and their non-REM sleep was fragmented. Breathing at rest was higher than in rats not treated with caffeine.

In his review of the study, F1000 Faculty Member James Duffin of the University of Toronto says the results "raise concerns about the long-term consequences of neonatal caffeine administration on brain development and behaviour."

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Nasa photos show moon strike created plume

LOS ANGELES : Nasa's much-hyped mission to hurl a spacecraft into the moon turned out some worthwhile data after all, scientists said.

New images show a mile-high plume of lunar debris from the Cabeus crater shortly after the space agency's Centaur rocket struck Oct. 9.

"We were blown away by the data returned," Anthony Colaprete, the mission's chief scientist, said in a report on Friday from the Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., which managed the launch. "The team is working hard on the analysis, and the data appear to be of very high quality."

In media coverage before the impact, many observers said they were disappointed at the lack of spectacle.

But scientists said the mission was carried out for "a scientific purpose, not to put on a fireworks display for the public," said space consultant Alan Stern, a former Nasa associate administrator for science.

By creating the debris cloud, scientists were able to use the $79-million Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite to sample and study the dust. The LCROSS itself crashed into the same crater four minutes after the Centaur's impact, right on schedule, while its companion spacecraft, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, was flying in lunar orbit 50 miles above the site to gather still more data.

But Michio Kaku, a professor at the City College of New York and host of "Sci Q Sundays" on the Science Channel, said Nasa may be jumping the gun in calling the results "a smashing success," acting in response to public criticism of the mission.

"To be a spectacular success, we had to find large quantities of underground ice," Kaku told The Associated Press Saturday. He said scientists still have more work to do to analyze the data for the presence of ice or water.

"They got beautiful pictures of the event, but that's not why we spent $79 million," Kaku said. "Ice on the moon is more valuable than gold."

The crashes created a man-made crater about one-fifth the size of a football field, Brown University geologist and LCROSS scientist Peter Schultz told The AP.

Colaprete said it was too early to say what the plume contained but that several clues, including the temperature of the flash created by the crash, will help scientists find out in coming weeks.

Finding significant amounts of water on the moon would be a major discovery, making eventual colonization easier than it would be if settlers had to transport water from Earth.

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Darwinian medicine' in focus at World Health Summit

BERLIN : A new field of medical research is looking at the emergence of modern epidemics like asthma and obesity through the prism of Charles Darwin's 150-year-old theory of evolution.

In focus at a World Health Summit, which finished Sunday in Berlin, was evolutionary or Darwinian medicine, which aims to help doctors and medical researchers recognise that humans have evolved down the ages.

The body "is not a machine, like a machine designed by engineers, it is shaped by natural selection and has flaws in different pieces," said Randolph Nesse, a pioneer in the field from the University of Michigan.

These flaws make people "extremely vulnerable," he said at the summit, the first ever, involving 700 delegates from over 60 countries.

"This rapidly growing field of medical research is deeply significant both for medicine overall and for public health care policies, especially the implementation of preventive measures, which are key to stabilising our health care systems," Nesse said.

A key area of focus in Darwinian medicine is the emergence of modern epidemics like asthma and obesity -- modern diseases resulting from changes in the environment which our bodies cannot evolve quickly enough to.

And these rapid changes in our environment can also be the result of human activity, and even caused by efforts to eradicate other diseases.

"The epidemic of asthma worldwide may be directly related to our very effective world health efforts to eliminate worms from people," Nesse suggested.

Kathleen Barnes, summarising the work of a dozen or so researchers from around the world, pointed out that improved standards of hygiene could explain why societies in the rich world have become more susceptible to asthma, to allergies and to auto-immune diseases.

Humans in less developed, poorer societies, "where parasites and microbial infections are high," have lower instances of such ailments, Barnes said in Berlin.

One reason for the obesity epidemic in the West, meanwhile, is the prevalence of high-fat, high-calorie fast food, said William Leonard from Northwestern University in the United States, reporting on another two-day workshop held in Berlin.

But viewed over the long term, it results from the failure of the human body to evolve sufficiently to cope with the disconnect between the growing abundance and richness of food and the declining expenditure of energy needed to obtain it since prehistoric times, Leonard suggested.

Dan Stein from the University of Cape Town in South Africa summarized research on anxiety and depression, and said it was important to make a difference between illness and normal defence mechanisms.

Before giving a speech in public, the body prepares itself for the experience in the same way as it would when confronted by danger, even though a public speaker is not going to be physically attacked by his audience, Stein said.

And depression felt after bereavement or a natural catastrophe is "perfectly normal". He indicated that treating systematically all victims of catastrophes or attacks with cognitive behavioral therapy may be in fact counterproductive.

Alongside scientists and doctors, the World Health Summit involved participants from the worlds of politics, industry and non-governmental organisations, with the aim of raising standards of health around the planet.

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SRK to be honoured by South Korea

MUMBAI : The South Korean embassy will on Thursday confer two special honours on Bollywood star ShahRukh Khan.

"The Korean government has decided to confer an honorary belt in taekwondo to ShahRukh and they are also giving him the title of an honorary ambassador for culture and tourism," said Shah Rukh`s spokesperson on phone from Mumbai.

The event will take place at the Taj Lands End hotel. According to his spokesperson, the talks for the honour had been underway for "a couple of days".

This will be ShahRukh`s second international honour this year after he was presented an honorary doctorate in arts and culture by Bedfordshire University in London for his contribution to culture in July.

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For the doctorate, the 43-year-old was nominated by Routes to Roots, an NGO that works across the SAARC region to bring South Asian people together, in recognition of his exceptional achievement as a film actor and producer

MJ's kids' nanny supplied him drugs: report

CALIFORNIA : The nanny of Michael Jackson’s kids used to supply the late singer with prescription drugs, according to reports.

Grace Rwaramba, 42, has been named in the death probe after police reports claimed that pills for the King of Pop were sent to a mailbox rented by her. Jackson family friend and Chicago teacher Romonica Harris, 42, made the allegation of Grace fuelling the star’s drug addiction in a testimony to the Drug Enforcement Agency and California Attorney.

"Grace supplied him with drugs and refused to allow any family members or friends to help him,” News of the World quoted Romonica's statement as saying.

“She blocked off anyone who wanted to help Michael to get healthy and productive. She is in love with him and refused to completely leave his employment. She expected Michael to marry her but he refused. "She used his children to stay connected to him and had them calling her Mommy," it was added. Romonica further said: "In my opinion Grace was the No 1 enabler in his life."

A spokeswoman for Grace has denied all claims.

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Cindy Crawford fears cancer

LONDON : Supermodel Cindy Crawford`s world famous mole has become a source of concern for her as she is afraid that it may turn cancerous.

The 43-year-old beauty gets her moles checked every year for cancer, reported.

At the start of Crawford`s career in the late 1980s it was little more than a freckle but it has grown and now protrudes above the surface of the skin.

Doctors advise that moles which change shape or colour should be monitored in case they turn into cancerous growths.

"It`s not something I really like to talk about. But I do now get this and all my moles checked out every year as a matter of course. Of course it should be an issue we all have to take seriously," said the American supermodel.

Crawford who is mother to two young daughters said that she tries to lead a vice-free lifestyle to maintain her famed good-looks.

"I exercise regularly and eat well. I don`t smoke and I drink only occasionally like tonight when I may have a glass of champagne," said the supermodel.

Crawford was in London at a launch party for Omega watches, a brand for which she has been the spokesmodel for the past 14 years.

Dressed in a little black dress and a sparkling necklace, the leggy model put guests half her age in the shade.

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Kylie's bollywood debut slammed

MUMBAI : Kylie Minogue has failed to impress movie critics who have slammed her bollywood debut in the film ‘Blue’.

The Aussie singer was reportedly paid 611,000 pounds to appear in the 14 million pound project, the most expensive bollywood film ever made. But the movie was tagged "idiotic" with critics panning the pint-sized beauty "as sexy as a fat housewife in a kaftan", according to reports. The 41- year-old star also apparently missed the mark in her dance song Chiggy Wiggy.

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Om Puri turns 59

NEW DELHI : This veteran NSD pass-out has touched upon every genre and slipped into his characetrs with effortless ease. Be it Kakkaji Kaheen, Ardh Satya, Sadgati, Mirch Masala or more recently Chachi 420, Hera Pheri and Malamaal Weekly, Om Puri's acting calibre knows no bounds.

He has turned 59 today. Om Puri began his career in 1976, an age when the “New Age Cinema” was trying to find its feet and has about 150 films to his credit.

Om Puri, a FTI alumnus, along with actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapoor and few others became the face of the art film movement or the meaningful cinema genre. He received accolades for his role as a victimised tribal in ‘Aakrosh’ (a film in which he did not say a singe dialogue), leader of a cell of Sikh freedom fighters in ‘Maachis’ or the police inspector who revolts against social, cultural and political persecution in ‘Ardh Satya’.

His outstanding performance won him the Filmfare award in 1981 for ‘Aakrosh’ besides two Silver Lotus Awards for ‘Arohan’ in 1982 and ‘Ardh Satya’ in 1984.

He has rubbed shoulders with some of India’s finest directors like Shyam Benegal, Gulzar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Govind Nihalani among others.

Comedy is another genre that he has conquered with elan in films like ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron’ (arguably India’s darkest but still funniest comedy), ‘Hera Pheri’ and ‘Chachi 420’.

In 1987, he moved to mainstream cinema and was one of the few to cross over to European cinema. His role as the intolerant father in the acclaimed comedy ‘East is East’ and the radically more enlightened Pakistani taxi driver in ‘My Son the Fanatic’ won him distinction.

While making waves in the world cinema, his films Dev, Kisna, Rang De Basanti, Don and Delhi-6 among others continue to show him as an actor par excellence. He has also worked in Hindi TV serials like Kakkaji Kaheen (1988) as a pan-chewing 'Kakkaji', which was a parody on politicians and Mr Yogi (1989) as a suave 'Sutradhaar' who enjoys pulling the protagonist's leg.

These two serials underlined Om Puri's versatility as a comedian. He was also honoured Padma Shri by the Indian government for his various contributions to parallel and commercial films in 1990. In July 2004, he was awarded an honorary Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contribution to British cinema, making the entire film fraternity and the country proud. He also received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award this year.

He would be seen in London Dreams and Kurbaan next.

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Aussie girl sets off on round-world sail

SYDNEY : An Australian schoolgirl bidding to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world began her journey Sunday, despite urgings from officials to abandon the perilous endurance test.

Sixteen-year-old Jessica Watson set sail on her bright pink yacht from Sydney Harbour at about 9:00am, amid cheers from well-wishers and accompanied by a collection of kayakers and small boats.

"I can't believe we are finally here. Today, I am going to sail around the world," Jessica said in a statement on her website.

The teenager badly damaged her boat when she crashed into a 63,000-tonne cargo ship shortly after beginning a test run last month, prompting Queensland state officials to urge her to reconsider her quest.

But Watson, who will sleep in 20-minute naps during the eight-month non-stop sail, was determined to embark on the voyage which she said she had been dreaming about since she was about 11.

"There are people out there who I suppose have their doubts, and rightly so because it's a big, scary and possibly dangerous thing, but I am not here without confidence," she said earlier this month.

Watson plans to travel north from Sydney to the equator above New Zealand, around South America's treacherous Cape Horn and back via the Southern Atlantic and the Cape of Good Hope, completing a 23,000 nautical mile sail.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard wished Watson the best of luck but said that she, along with many Australians, was nervous for the teenager who set off Sunday under a dreary, grey sky.

"The seas are, obviously, a dangerous and lonely place, but I think we'd all be wishing Jessica well," Gillard told commercial television.

"Ultimately, people have to make their own decisions. But my words at this stage, given that she's determined to go, would be to wish her the best of luck and to urge her to keep safe.

"And if that means that at some point she's got to abandon the journey, then the most important thing here is a young person's life."

Watson was urged to abandon her trip after her September collision with the container ship which snapped the mast of her 10.23-metre yacht "Pink Lady" and damaged its rigging and hull.

Maritime Safety Queensland found Watson had probably dozed off before she hit the much larger vessel, did not have a fatigue management plan and that her safety guide was a page from a school book covered in childish doodles.

The authority concluded the teenager was too inexperienced to attempt the gruelling voyage, prompting Queensland Premier Anna Bligh to urge Watson to consider abandoning the trip.

"This is a very high-risk venture, frankly it's one that I would be reconsidering, but ultimately it's a decision for them," Bligh said at the time.

Tony Bullimore, the British yachtsman who survived five days in the upturned hull of his yacht after capsizing in the Southern Ocean in 1997, praised Watson as a "tremendously courageous young lady" but said it was normal to be worried.

"It's a long way round the world and you meet all sorts of conditions," he told Sky News. "It can be tough."

Watson, who has been in Sydney for almost two weeks awaiting favourable winds for her departure, spent Saturday night going over her preparations and relaxing with family and friends.

Her mother posted the first message on Watson's blog on Sunday, saying her daughter was "a little pre-occupied on her first day" but wanted to sincerely thank all her supporters.

Watson, who smiled and waved at supporters as she was escorted out of Sydney Harbour by New South Wales Maritime boats, hopes to beat the record set by fellow Australian Jesse Martin who completed the journey aged 18 in 1999.

In August, Britain's Mike Perham, 17, became the youngest person to sail round the world but rudder problems and other hitches forced him to pull into port three times.

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Fox crowned Queen of the Geeks

LOS ANGELES : Transformers beauty Megan Fox is officially the queen of science fiction after fans voted her best sci-fi actress at the Spike TV Scream 2009 festival.

The star-studded event, held on Saturday at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, pays tribute to the best in sci-fi, horror, fantasy and comic-inspired films and TV shows.

Fox received her prize for her role in summer blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, with the film also scooping an award for its special effects and Isabel Lucas receiving a breakout performance trophy for her role as a seductive, shape-shifting robot.

Vampire movie Twilight scored four awards -- best fantasy film, breakout performance for Taylor Lautner and best fantasy actors for stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.

Bloodsuckers proved popular at the ceremony, with hit TV show True Blood landing four trophies for best TV show, best villain, and best horror actor and actress for Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin.

Stars including Tobey Maguire, Jessica Alba, Kate Bosworth, Harrison Ford, Justin Long and Christina Ricci were on hand to present the prizes.

Pirates of the Caribbean actor Johnny Depp presented his on-screen father, Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards, with the Rock Immortal award.

Accepting the award, Richards commented, "I liked the living legend, that was all right, but immortal is even better."

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Suicide bomber kills 40 in attack on Iran's elite Guards

TEHRAN : A suicide bomber blew himself up at a meeting of the elite Revolutionary Guards in South-eastern Iran on Sunday, killing 40 people including top commanders and tribal leaders, the Interior Ministry said.

The attack took place in the city of Pisheen with in restive Sistan-Baluchestan province.

Iran's parliament speaker said the United States was behind the attack, while the Guards accused Western powers of carrying out the assault, the deadliest against them since a bombing in February 2007 in the same province killed 13 people.

"Based on the information as a result of today's terrorist action. So far 40 people have been killed and dozens have been wounded," the interior ministry said on its website.

Iran's state broadcaster said Sunday's blast occurred at around 8:00am in front of a local gymnasium in Pisheen.

Fars news agency said the bomber struck when Guard officers were preparing for a meeting with local leaders of communities. Some local tribal heads were among the dead, media reports said.

The official IRNA news agency said the suicide bomber "wearing an explosives vest blew himself up inside the meeting."

Fars said: "In this terrorist act, General Nur-Ali Shushtari, deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards ground forces, General Mohammad-Zadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards in Sistan-Baluchestan province, the Guards' commander for the town of Iranshahr and the commander of the Amir al-Momenin unit died."

Three other commanders from the adjacent province of Kerman were also killed, according to Fars.

In a separate statement later he said the United States was implicated in the deadly attack.

"We consider the recent terrorist attack to be the result of US action. This is the sign of America's animosity against our country," Larijani said.

Iranian officials and several government bodies term Western powers, including the United States, as "world arrogance."

source:www.aaj.tv

Gen Petraeus, ISAF Commander MacCrystal arrive in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD : The US Central Command Chief General David Petraeus and ISAF commander in Afghanistan General McCrystal on Sunday arrived in Islamabad, Aaj News reported.

The US Generals would separately meet with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani on Monday.

According to the sources, they would discuss to provide weapons for monitoring the conversation of militants besides the glasses which are used to see at night.

They would also discuss provision of more gunship helicopters besides Kerry-Lugar bill.

War on terrorism and military operation against militants in South Waziristan would also be discussed in the meeting.

source:www.aaj.tv

Security concerns lead to closure of schools, colleges countrywide

ISLAMABAD : All educational institutions run by the federal government and the armed forces and some top-ranking private sector institutions will remain closed for up to a week in Islamabad, cantonments, all major cities, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir, Aaj News reported late on Sunday.

The channel said the government had decided to close schools and colleges for a week because of security concerns.

Meanwhile, the City School, Grammar schools and the Beaconhouse School System have also decided to close their institutions for three days.

The decision would not affect schools and colleges run by provincial governments and other private sector institutions.

Students living in hostels have also been sent home over security concerns.

The channel reported that a notification would be issued on Monday for the holidays.

Garrison School will also remain closed for three days.

In Balochistan, the federal government schools and colleges would also remain closed, while PAF Schools would not open in Mianwali today.

The private Roots School System also announced the closure of its institutions in the federal capital.

source:www.aaj.tv

60 militants killed in Rah-e-Nijat operation

WANA : At least 60 militants were killed and five soldiers were martyred in operation Rah-e-Nijat during last 24 hours, Aaj News reported on Sunday.

The channel quoted the ISPR as saying that the bombardment of jet aircrafts was continue in Makeen, Ladha and other areas as a result 60 militants were killed.

The ISPR has also confirmed the martyrdom of five soldiers in the operation during last 24 hours.

Earlier, a foreign news agency had claimed that 20 militants have been killed and their several hideouts devastated in the military operation against the militants.

The sources had informed the channel that more that 5000 foreigners including Uzbek, Chechen and Arab are present in Waziristan, adding that they are receiving arms and financial assistance from Afghanistan. Operation in Waziristan would be like Swat operation, the sources added.

Meanwhile, the registration of the people, migrating from Mehsud area, have been initiated.

source:www.aaj.tv