Pakistan Tests Nuclear Capable, Medium Range Missile

The Pakistani military says it has successfully test-fired a medium-range, nuclear capable ballistic missile.

A statement said the Shaheen-1 (Haft IV) missile was launched from an undisclosed location during a military exercise Friday.

It said the missile has a range of about 700 kilometers.

Speaking after the test, Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kiyani dismissed fears that the country's nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of Islamic militants. He rejected the concern as "unrealistic" and said Pakistan's armed forces are "capable of safeguarding and securing nuclear assets against all categories of threat."

Pakistan's political turmoil and a rise in Islamic militant attacks across the country have sparked international concerns about the safety of its nuclear arsenal.

Pakistan and its arch rival India, routinely test various missiles.

The two countries are obliged to inform each other ahead of such tests under the terms of an agreement that aims to build confidence between the neighbors that have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.

Vegas resort casino fire fully contained

A fire charred the top of two of three wings of the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino on Friday, causing no major injuries but forcing visitors and employees to evacuate, authorities said.

A bit over an hour after it began, the fire was fully contained, according to the fire departments in Las Vegas and Clark County.

Firefighters would remain at the hotel until "the fire is completely knocked out," said Clark County Fire Chief Steven M. Smith.

That would be at least through the afternoon, he said.

It was mainly an exterior fire, although there might have been slight damage to some rooms, he told CNN after a news conference.

The cause of the fire was unknown. Welders had been working on the roof.

No one was trapped, and there were no reports of major injuries, said Ed Cagalo of the Clark County Fire Department. The 32-floor building was completely evacuated.

The blaze was reported about 11 a.m.

Black smoke and flames poured from the fire, which roared through the building's exterior stucco and foam until firefighters were able to get on the roof and knock down the flames.

Most of the damage was to the top floor of the building. Falling debris ignited parts of an exterior ledge four floors below.

"High-rise fires are never easy to fight. As you can see with it being outside, our firefighters actually had to hang out the windows to try and cut the fire off. We directed our fire streams at an angle so we could make contact with the fire. ... It wasn't an easy fire at all," Smith said.

He urged motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area.

Earlier, the smoke was visible from more than a mile away, CNN producer Darian Billington said.

Billington said traffic was backed up on the Strip, and crowds of people were gathering to watch the blaze.

"It was horrible, there was fire everywhere," a hotel worker who watched the flames from a parking lot told CNN affiliate KVBC.

Four U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters with rescue crews were put on standby at Nellis Air Force Base during the afternoon to assist in any rescue efforts, but were not needed, a Nellis spokeswoman said.

The hotel has more than 3,000 rooms, including 211 penthouse suites, and conference rooms.

The more expensive rooms are on the top floors.

The hotel was built in 1996 for $344 million. It is in the heart of the resort corridor.

The Monte Carlo, a subsidiary of MGM Mirage, has about 3,000 employees.

In 1980, a fire across the street at the MGM Grand Hotel, now Ballys, killed 84 people and injured nearly 700.

Nevada tussle signals rancor for Dems

Hillary Rodham Clinton won her second straight victory in the contest for the Democratic nomination Saturday, winning a Nevada dogfight that seemed to set the stage for an increasingly rancorous campaign between her and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Her margin over Obama — Clinton led by just under 6 percentage points with about 98 percent of precincts reporting — was a convincing victory in a state whose most important player, the Culinary Workers union, endorsed Obama and pressed hard for victory.

Obama won the delegate count, however, earning 13 delegates, compared with 12 for Clinton, according to Associated Press projections. No national delegates were actually awarded Saturday; caucus-goers were technically choosing delegates to the county convention.

The vote was also a devastating crash for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who had won substantial portions of the vote in Iowa and New Hampshire, but was headed toward winning under 4 percent of the delegates in Nevada.

The results reflected the key demographic realities that are coming to define the primary contest, according to early exit polls and observations. Exit polls showed 65 percent of Hispanic voters supported Clinton, while 83 percent of the state’s smaller number of African-American voters largely backed Obama.

That’s a trend that is likely to favor Obama in the next contest, on Jan. 26, in heavily African-American South Carolina and in some large states, like New York. But it could bode well for Clinton in other upcoming states with large Hispanic populations, notably California.

Clinton was also aided by a caucus in which more women — who heavily supported her — participated than men. More than 120,000 people took part, according to the state Democratic Party.

“I guess this is how the West was won," Clinton told cheering supporters after the caucus results became clear.

Obama campaign manager, David Plouffe, was far more pointed in a written statement that accused the Clinton campaign of "an entire week's worth of false, divisive attacks designed to mislead
caucus-goers and discredit the caucus itself."

The caucus fight began in earnest at a genteel debate in Las Vegas Tuesday at which Clinton and Obama both stepped back from the racially divisive politics of the New Hampshire battle and its aftermath.

But then, the two campaigns dove headlong into the mud. Clinton charged, without firm evidence, that the Culinary Workers union was intimidating its workers into supporting Obama.

Then, Obama appeared to call his recent words on racial harmony into question by tacitly sanctioning a Spanish-language radio advertisement aired by the Culinary Workers’ parent union, UNITE HERE.

“Hillary Clinton does not respect our people,” began the ad, which also said that Clinton “has no shame.”

Obama had attempted to use his life story to connect with Hispanic Nevadans, airing an ad that reminded viewers that his father came from Kenya and casting his message of hope in immigrant terms, as “the hope that brought you or your parents to this country.”

But as casino workers gathered at the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip to caucus, many immigrant voters wore Clinton buttons and carried Clinton signs.

"She's got more experience," said Reyna Wann, a cocktail waitress and union member who went with Clinton. "I love [Obama], but he can come back in eight years."

Wann, a member of the Culinary Workers, said she hadn’t experienced any of the intimidation of which the Clinton campaign had warned, and which several non-union workers said they saw at play. She also said she thought her union should have held an internal vote before its leadership chose Obama.

“She’ll have the support of her husband,” said Mexico-born Humberto Valencias, 48, who works in Bellagio’s guest services division. “Two brains are better than one.”

An Obama supporter at the Bellagio angrily blamed Clinton’s win on the fact that many women support her.

“If I was wearing a dress and a wig, maybe I’d be supporting her too,” said Anthony Edwards, a worker at MGM who said he thought a woman could not be elected in November.

Edwards flew from Nevada to Oklahoma Friday to continue campaigning, while Obama left the state Saturday for a rest in Illinois. Clinton, for her part, celebrated her victory at the Planet Hollywood hotel and casino, thanking workers for putting her over the top.

Inspired India end Australia's Test record bid

An amazingly entertaining game of cricket at the WACA proved the Yogi Berra adage: "It ain't over 'til it's over."
When it finally ended in India's favour, Australia's attempt to create a record of 17 consecutive victories had fallen 72 runs short. In years to come one line in the record book will never tell of the drama, joy and frustration that occurred over four pulsating days of cricket.

The most amazing thing about this match was that it ended in victory to India on the pitch where everyone thought they were least likely to win.

Nevertheless, India had the right man to do the trick; if you want a record-breaking run stopped "who you gonna call?" Not Ghostbusters, but V V S Laxman. The tall, elegant stroke-maker is a record-buster, having caressed his way to a match-turning 281 in Kolkata seven years ago and thereby halting Steve Waugh's team at 16 victories on the trot.

India's win on that occasion was a bolt from the blue, as Australia had enforced the follow-on, but that was but a blip on the Richter scale compared with the upset his classy second-innings 79 caused at the WACA.

Having equalled the record with a turbulent and controversial win at the SCG, Australia were expected to waltz to victory No 17 on the most over-hyped pitch in history. India were supposedly "doomed" on a surface that, according to the pre-match reports, was going to be as quick as Michael Schumacher's Ferrari and as bouncy as Marilyn Monroe's walk.

What transpired was an Australian side undone by some thoughtful swing bowling, just as they were in the 2005 Ashes series. However, Ricky Ponting's team are nothing if not gritty and on numerous occasions they managed to claw their way back into the game until Laxman finally put it out of their reach. Once Laxman had helped stretch the lead to 413, Ponting's team were destined to remain forever level with Waugh's side in the record books.

While Laxman again ruined the Australian party, an equally important contribution from Irfan Pathan was as unlikely before the game as an Indian victory in Perth.

As recently as the warm-up game in Canberra, Pathan was a talented and smart cricketer clinging by his fingernails to the lower reaches of the Eiger's North face having been in sight of the summit. Then, at the WACA, his swing suddenly returned and the odd delivery zipped through in the high 130s as wickets with the new ball boosted his confidence.

In India's second innings he strode to the wicket as a night-watchman and, after outlasting four illustrious partners, returned to the pavilion a bona fide top-order batsman. Suddenly the boy who was supposed to make Indians forget Kapil Dev was beginning to emerge from his funk.

There was also assistance from another impressive young fast bowler in Ishant Sharma. In the mould of West Indies giant Courtney Walsh with the way he hits a good length and attains extra bounce, he traumatised Ponting on the final morning. He swung the ball into the right-hander, had a couple of good lbw shouts turned down and eventually found the outside edge to produce a slip catch. Removing the Australian captain for the second time in the match was a deserved reward for the young bowler's persistence.

That dismissal swung the match dramatically in India's favour, but opposition captains tend to lose their marbles when Adam Gilchrist walks through the gate with a blade in his hand. Anil Kumble's field placings immediately became conservative and he was in danger of conceding the initiative.

Michael Clarke sensed an opportunity and went on the offensive, driving beautifully down the ground and through the offside. But in an inspired move Kumble called on Virender Sehwag, and his attacking off-spinners accounted for Gilchrist, bowled behind his legs, and then Brett Lee via bat and pad to silly mid-off. Sehwag is a good option as a change bowler because he always thinks wickets; nothing the ebullient right-hander does is conservative in thought and he made a huge difference to the attitude of the Indian team in Perth.

However, there was still one last twist to this match as Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark joined company with 160 needed. The futility of the situation didn't deter them and they crunched the ball to all parts. Sixes and fours flew off the bat as the deficit was quickly reduced and a wicket even fell off a no-ball.

However, the second new ball returned some sanity to the bowling and Pathan finally ended Clarke's assault. When Shaun Tait's off-stump was then uprooted it was over; the match and Australia's record run had come to an end at the most unlikely venue and at the hands of the most likely record-buster.

•?Ponting praised the Indian performance after the match, but dismissed suggestions that his team are on the slide.

"I was reading stuff like that in the paper - 'is the invincibility all over?' I wouldn't have thought so, but we'll see," Ponting said. "We'll go away and we'll work harder than anyone. Australian teams historically have been able to bounce back."

Social site Facebook buys Parakey

Social networking site Facebook has bought internet start-up, Parakey, run by two of the co-creators of the popular web browser, Mozilla Firefox.

Parakey is described as a platform that "bridges the gap between information on the web and the desktop".

As part of the deal, which is for an undisclosed sum, Mozilla Firefox founders Blake Ross and Joe Hewitt will help to develop the Facebook site.

A notice on Parakey's site says it hopes to makes consumers' lives easier.

"Computers are frustrating," the site says. "Creating documents, finding files, sharing information - why do everyday things still seem so tedious and counterintuitive?"

"Give your computer the bird," it concludes.

College favourite

Facebook was started in 2004 by then-undergraduate Mark Zuckerberg as a social site for fellow Harvard University students and later opened up to users of all ages.

Facebook, once largely confined to American colleges, has grown its audience by more than 500% in the last six months - making it more popular in Britain than in the US.

Facebook allows people to list their personal details online and communicate with other people through the website.

The site's appeal stems from the controls it gives users over who sees what personal details on each member's profile pages.

Firefox has been downloaded more than 300 million times by computer users worldwide and is the second most widely used web browser behind Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

Parakey's founders see their browser operating system as a platform on which other applications could operate.

Facebook has recently decided to let hundreds of independent developers build software within the Facebook site, turning Facebook itself into a kind of operating system for internet users.

Facebook site faces fraud claim

Networking website Facebook is to face legal action on Wednesday in a suit brought by a rival site's founders.

Three founders of ConnectU say Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg stole their idea for the site while at Harvard.

Facebook has become a global phenomenon with about 31 million users, compared with ConnectU's 70,000.

A Federal case accuses Mr Zuckerberg of fraud and misappropriation of trade secrets, and asks for ConnectU to be given ownership of Facebook.

Last year, Facebook turned down a $1bn offer from Yahoo.

Facebook has asked a judge at a Boston district court to dismiss the case.

Copying claim

The ConnectU founders claim that while at college Mr Zuckerberg agreed to finish writing computer code for them, but that he stalled and eventually created Facebook using their ideas.

In court documents, Facebook's lawyers say that ConnectU's "broad brush allegations" had no evidence to support them.

"Each of them had different interests and activities," they said.

"Only one of them had an idea significant enough to build a great company. That one person was Mark Zuckerberg."

Like Facebook, ConnectU is designed to connect people online. Users create profiles and can post pictures and messages.

The legal action alleges that ConnectU founders Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and Divya Narenda began developing a networking site in 2002.

They asked Mr Zuckerberg to help finish the code, which he agreed to, they claim.

"Such statements were false," the court documents allege.

"Zuckerberg never intended to provide the code and instead intended to breach his promise... and intended to steal the idea."

Facebook opens profiles to public

Popular social networking site Facebook has added a public-facing search function in a move which is likely to anger privacy advocates.

The function will initially allow anyone who is not registered with the site to search for a specific person.

More controversially, in a month's time, the feature will also allow people to track down Facebook members via search engines such as Google.

The firm said that the information being revealed is minimal.

Privacy erosion

The public search listing will show the thumbnail picture of a Facebook member from their profile page as well as links allowing people to interact with them.

But, in order to add someone as a friend or send them a message, the person will have to be registered with Facebook.

Users who want to restrict what information is available to the public or opt out of the feature altogether can change their privacy settings. They have a month to do so.

Despite assurances from Facebook, critics have expressed disappointment at the move.

"This move transforms Facebook from being a social network to being a quasi-White Pages of the web," commented technology writer Om Malik in his blog GigaOm.

Mr Malik, and others, are concerned about the data trail that people are routinely leaving behind them on social networking and other sites.

There are concerns that personal content will become aggregated for marketing or other purposes.

Security experts have pointed out the dangers of publicising your date of birth - one of the options in a Facebook profile - because of the way it has been traditionally used as a way of identifying bank customers.

Facebook began life as a way of keeping US college students in touch with each other. Devised by Harvard drop-out Mark Zuckerberg, the site now accounts for 1% of all net traffic and is the sixth most visited site in the US

The social networking site is thought to have about 39 million members. Numbers have jumped since the firm removed the need to have an academic e-mail address in September 2006.

Facebook faces privacy questions

Facebook is to be quizzed about its data protection policies by the Information Commissioner's Office.

The investigation follows a complaint by a user of the social network who was unable to fully delete their profile even after terminating their account.

Currently, personal information remains on Facebook's servers even after a user deactivates an account.

Facebook has said it believes its policy is in "full compliance with UK data protection law".

"We take the concerns of the ICO [Information Commissioner's Office] and our user's privacy very seriously and are committed to working with the ICO to maintain a trusted environment for all Facebook users and ensure compliance with UK law," said a statement from the site.

Protecting principle

At present, Facebook users who wish to remove their profile from the site are given the opportunity to deactivate their account.

But once deactivated the information, though no longer accessible, remains on Facebook's computers.

This is useful if you might reactivate your account later, but not the same as full deletion.

Users who wish to completely delete their information must, according to the automated response from Facebook's Customer Service, “log in and delete all profile content".

For some users that can be a very laborious process and that concerns the ICO.

"One of the things that we're concerned about is that if the onus is entirely on the individual to delete their data," Dave Evans, Senior Data Protection Practice Manager at the ICO told BBC Radio 4's iPM programme.

"An individual who has deactivated their account might not find themselves motivated enough to delete information that's about them maybe on their wall or other people's site."

The over-riding data protection principle motivating the ICO is that organisations should only hold information as long as necessary.

Facebook maintains it is in compliance with all data protection legislation and says it does not use information from deactivated accounts.

Network problem

Mr Evans said that he believed that Facebook were committed to being seen to do as much as possible to safeguard people's privacy.

"We've agreed with Facebook to discuss with them issues around what they do with my information if I wish to deactivate my account".

In addition, he said that the ICO would look at Facebook's privacy policy, the rights to data the company asserts and the privacy implications of applications embedded in Facebook.

Although Facebook and many other social networks are based outside of the UK, Me Evans believes that UK law could still apply.

"They are established in the UK for UK legislation to cover their activities."

He said it was the clarity of information users receive on signing up with social networking sites that is the central concern of the ICO.

"One of the things that we'll be working with the sites to achieve is to get better quality information to users to make it absolutely clear to people what exactly will happen to their information once it's posted."

British Gas raises energy prices by 15%

The UK's biggest energy provider, British Gas, today announced an immediate price rise of 15% for its gas and electricity customers.

The company, which has around 16 million customers in the UK, blamed rising wholesale prices for the increase.

It said higher gas prices had reduced its operating margins to around 1% and it would make a loss this year if it didn't pass on the increases.

The much-anticipated price hike, which British Gas's parent company Centrica warned of before Christmas, will add £130 a year to the average dual fuel bill.

The rises almost cancel out cuts announced last March, which saw a 20% drop in residential gas prices and a 17% drop in electricity bills, and brought thousands of customers back to the company.

Phil Bentley, managing director of British Gas, said: "As the UK's biggest buyer of gas, we want lower gas prices. However, lower availability of supplies from both the UK and the continent, coupled with higher global oil prices, have forced up wholesale prices.

"We can't absorb the burden of these higher energy prices and the costs of delivering a cleaner environment. Ultimately, the best way of reducing energy bills is to make our homes more energy efficient."

The company recently announced plans to provide free home insulation to all homeowners aged 70 and above, and is offering the same deal to around 25,000 of its most vulnerable customers.

Around 2.4 million customers on fixed-price plans will be unaffected by the rise, while increases will be delayed until the end of winter for around 340,000 vulnerable customers on British Gas's Essential tariffs.

Crash-land captain praises aircrew

The captain who commanded the British Airways plane which crash-landed at Heathrow spoke of the teamwork and professionalism of his cockpit and cabin crew.

Father-of-three Peter Burkill also revealed that John Coward, his first officer - or co-pilot - was at the controls as the Boeing 777 came in to land.

British Airways staff cheered as the pilots, the plane's cabin services director Sharron Eaton-Mercer and BA chief executive Willie Walsh appeared at the airline's Heathrow headquarters for the brief statement from Mr Burkill.

Father-of-three Captain Burkill said BA staff were trained to deal with emergencies and to follow procedures. He said flying was about teamwork and he praised the "high standard of skill and professionalism" by the crew of flight BA038.

There was also praise from Mr Burkill for the passengers and for the emergency services. He said he could not go into causes of the crash.

He spoke as passengers continued to endure delays and cancellations at the airport as the investigation continued into the dramatic crash landing.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) will on Saturday give the first indication of what might have happened in the last few moments before the Boeing 777 arrived at the west London airport.

AAIB chief inspector David King promised an initial report into the accident "within 48 hours" and a preliminary report within 30 days.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown was among those who praised the captain, whose actions limited casualties among the 136 passengers to just 18 minor injuries despite extensive damage to the plane, which had flown in from Beijing.

Mr Brown said: "I think it's right to pay tribute to the calmness and professionalism of the British Airways staff and the captain and what he achieved in landing the aircraft."

New York's Finance Museum Reopens

Financial dealings, investment issues, and money and banking matters often seem complicated and confusing. But the Museum of American Finance, which reopened its doors this week in the heart of Manhattan's financial district, wants to show the public that Wall Street and the international financial world can be better understood, and enjoyed, when armed with the right information. From VOA's New York Bureau, Mona Ghuneim has the story.

After a $9 million makeover and a move to Wall Street, the Museum of American Finance has a new home. The affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute is now in the historic former headquarters of the Bank of New York, located a block away from the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE.

With a residence in the oldest American bank, founded in 1784 by the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, the museum's location is in itself a part of financial history. But the revamped, relocated museum wants to be more than a historical building. It aims to be an entertaining display center, an engaging learning facility and an interactive space where the public can explore the world of finance. And the museum's president Lee Kjelleren says he hopes people will also gain some insight into their own financial choices.

"Our purpose is to help visitors make more effective financial decisions. There's a practical utility in coming here. We're creating public benefit through showcasing the breadth, importance and richness of our financial history," he said.

Kjelleren says the museum serves as an interpreter of current financial issues as well as a guardian of America's collective financial memory. It does the latter through numerous artifacts, including ticker tape from the stock market crash of 1929, a treasury bond signed by President George Washington in 1792, and a 60 pound gold bar prospected during the California Gold Rush and recovered from an 1857 shipwreck.

In addition to objects and original documents, the museum has video installations and audio clips discussing various aspects of finance, such as bonds, stocks and commodities. In one video, former CEO of the New York Stock Exchange John Thain talks about the city and the 217-year-old financial landmark's significance.

"New York City has always been the heart of the US financial system," Thain explained. "It's really where the Exchange has been located since its very beginning and it really is still the capital of not only the US, but the world's financial market place."

Due to increased security, tours at the NYSE were discontinued after the September 11, 2001 attack on the nearby World Trade Center. Museum president Kjelleren says he wants his space down the street to become the Exchange's de facto visitors' center. He says tourists interested in the Exchange now have a place to go and learn more.

Curator and finanical historian Richard Sylla says everyone has something to learn at the museum, even the Wall Street wheelers and dealers. He says he hopes they too will be attracted by the museum's offerings.

"I think Wall Street's going to learn from this museum, the American people are going to learn from this museum, foreigners are going to really visit what is the first financial history museum in the world," he said.

With the US dollar still dropping against the euro, the subprime mortgage and credit crisis headlining business news, and oil prices reaching the 100-dollar mark, maybe we could all benefit from a better understanding of money, and how it makes the world go around.

10 burning questions for LSU in 2008

LSU opened the 2007 season ranked No. 2 in the nation.

While one can expect the Tigers to open much lower in the preseason polls than a year ago, how Les Miles and his 2008 LSU team answer the following questions will go a long way in determining their success next fall.

Here we do our best to outline the 10 hottest topics surrounding the LSU program of the upcoming year.

1. How will LSU handle the national championship hangover?

Looking back at the 2004 season after the Tigers claimed their first crystal ball, LSU faced many of the same problems they will be facing in '08. The departure of valuable grizzled veterans such as Jacob Hester, Matt Flynn, Glen Dorsey and Chevis Jackson, just to name a few, will make a successful title defense hard to fathom. Not to mention the brutal schedule facing the Tigers. As if hosting the '08 media darling Georgia Bulldogs, Houston Nutt-guided Ole Miss Rebels, and Nick Saban's Crimson Tide isn't tough enough, the Tigers will have to travel to unfriendly combines of Auburn, Gainesville, Little Rock and Columbia. Sure, LSU will be oozing with talent, but a repeat just doesn't add up.

2. Will LSU fans finally accept Les Miles as the Tigers' head coach and no longer question his coaching abilities?

What more does the man with the high hat have to prove? His accomplishments and numbers are jaw-dropping, along with his unique coaching style that guarantees a thriller every time the Tigers take the field. With his cumulative record of 35-6 as coach and a flawless record in bowl appearances — including the UNANIMOUS national championship — it's time the kool-aid drinkers still stuck in the Saban era wake up and smell the obvious. Les Miles is for real.

3. Who will Miles hire to replace defensive coordinator Bo Pelini?

Early rumors pointed to Georgia Tech zone-blitz guru Jon Tenuta taking over for the Nebraska-bound coach, but those speculations have been squashed. A likely scenario now seems to be an in-house promotion of defensive backs coach Doug Mallory or a possible co-defensive coordinator position with Mallory sharing the spot with linebacker and special teams coordinator Bradley Dale Peveto.

4. Will Chad Jones continue to return punts for LSU next season?

As amazing of a freakishly talented athlete that Jones is, he didn't exactly look natural returning punts for the Tigers this season. On his good returns, he plowed over defenders and picked up decent gains. On the other hand, Jones seemed to not understand the concept of fair catching the ball, which led to scary collisions and even a couple of fumbles. He is the kind of guy you want on the field at all times, but maybe the LSU coaching staff should dig into the promising '07 redshirt crop and keep Jones doing what he does best — giving defensive coordinators nightmares.

5. Can Ryan Perrilloux get the job done replacing Matt Flynn?

Named the national high school offensive player of the year in 2004 by USA Today, Perrilloux looked to have the potential to be a brilliant star in the talent-rich LSU galaxy of players. After sitting behind No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell and the savvy Matt Flynn, the former Mr. Football of the state of Louisiana finally has a chance to show what he is capable of when given the reins.

The LSU faithful saw glimpses of his ability throughout the season with Crowton using the mobile quarterback to bring a change of pace from Flynn. The college football nation saw that the sophomore was capable of winning the important game when he filled in for an injured Matt Flynn and led the Tigers past Tennessee in this year's SEC Championship game in only his second career start. With Gary "The Wizard" Crowton working his magic with him, there is a good chance the young quarterback could live up to the hype that he set for himself after that brilliant prep career and an impressive start in Baton Rouge.

6. Will Ricky Jean-Francois be LSU's next star defensive tackle and fill the void left by Glenn Dorsey?

It would be hard to imagine that anyone could ever fill the role of a player who snatched up virtually every defensive award possible in '07. To put it in perspective, Dorsey was the first player in college football history to win Nagurski, Outland, Lott and Lombardi trophies. Throw in the fact that the defensive lineman finished ninth on the Heisman ballot — higher than any other defensive player — and it seems like Jean-Francois has no chance to be what Dorsey was to the Tigers.



Despite those staggering facts, LSU's BCS Championship Game hero without a doubt has the upside to become another dominant force on the Tigers defensive front. An amazing freshman season in '06 for Jean-Francois had Tiger fans excited about the defensive line for 07'. But due to a hefty academic suspension, the Miami native was forced to miss all 12 regular season games this past season.

Jean-Francois picked up where he left off when he was reinstated for the SEC title game and showed everyone what LSU's D was missing when he dished out a Most Outstanding Defensive Player performance in the BCS national title game. With his confidence up in the classroom as well as on the gridiron, look for the big fella to have a monster year in '08.

7. Who will step into the leadership role for the 2008 Tigers?

At first glance, all the Tigers that one might classify as a leader seemed to be on their way out after bringing home the hardware this year. That's easily understood because LSU was simply flooded with seniors who were battle-tested SEC veterans. But the Tigers bring back a true commander on the defensive side of the ball in linebacker Darry Beckwith, who will bring quality senior leadership to a fairly young squad next season. Returning on offense is versatile lineman Brett Helms, who has found his home at the center position. The big question is if quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, despite past transgressions, can become a leader on the field and off.

8. Which young players will step into the vacancies left by LSU's three departing senior defensive backs?

With game-breakers such as Craig Steltz, Chevis Jackson and Jonathon Zenon moving on to further their careers in the NFL, it would be completely understandable for LSU fans to have doubt concerning next year's defensive secondary. Good news is that the Tigers are drenched with young prospects to fill the roles of the exiting greats. Jai Eugene — the No. 1-rated defensive prospect coming out of Louisiana in 2005 — saw minimal action this season but will most likely be filling one of the open spots at cornerback. But to get that nod, there is a ton of talent Eugene will have to compete with.

Super recruits of the '07 class such as Stefoin Francois, Ron Brooks, Shomari Clemons and Phelon Jones — who all redshirted this season — will be in the mix for spots in the secondary. Throw in Chad Jones, Curtis Taylor and Danny McCray and the future doesn't look quite as bleak. Also, the landing of the No. 1 cornerback recruit in the country, Patrick Johnson from Pompano Beach, Fla., helps the Tigers' chances in revamping those slots. The interesting question is which one of the redshirt freshmen will emerge to be a solid contributor in 2008.

9. Like Chad Jones and Terrance Toliver, which newcomer will contribute in 2008?

Patrick Johnson terrorized offenses and defenses in high school, but his college career will consist of giving quarterbacks grief. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound physical beast of a cornerback should step in and contribute as a true freshman. His closing speed is scary, and when he arrives he is usually in a terrible mood. Chancey Aghayere of Garland, Texas, was an enormous land for this year's Tiger recruiting class as well. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive end is rangy and loves to dish out punishment. His speed and athleticism will have him on the field as a true freshman. Both Aghayere and Johnson are five-star recruits and are ranked among the top 25 prep players in the country.

10. LSU still has plenty of firepower to compete in the SEC West, but can the Tigers make it back to Atlanta?

The West will be extremely competitive once again. Mississippi State, coming off their best season in eight years, will most likely not be the pushover they have been in the past. With Houston Nutt taking over at Ole Miss, the Rebels will continue to improve, but don't expect a one-year turnaround. Nick Saban and Alabama will not lose six games in '08. Arkansas will be rejuvenated with Bobby Petrino coming into Fayetteville, and the Hawgs always give LSU fits. And lastly, there are the Auburn Tigers to think about. And LSU has to travel to the horribly unfriendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium.

But the biggest factor is that LSU has that enormous bull's-eye on its back after finishing a magical season as unanimous national champions. The road to Atlanta is rocky, but the Les Miles era at LSU thus far has been anything but predictable.

Asteroid Will Miss, Not Hit Mars This Month

Bad news for disaster voyeurs: The asteroid that was previously believed to have a decent chance of hitting Mars later this month will almost certainly miss the strike zone after all.
As recently as last month, astronomers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Near Earth Object program (the same folks who are trying to identify space rocks likely to hit us) had said there was at least a 1-in-25 chance of 2007 WD5 smashing into the Martian landscape on Jan. 30.
However, astronomers now have collected more data from four separate observatories, and the updated tracking figures put the chance of impact at just .01 percent, or 1 in 10,000.
Granted, optimists who play the lottery every week might want to keep their eyes trained on the sky. But for the rest of us, that means the true chances of impact are pretty close to nil.
This kind of surging odds, followed by collapsing probability, is typical for such near-miss situations, the JPL researchers say. Every object has a region of uncertainty associated with it, due in part to imprecise measurements. As uncertainty narrows, but a planet (or other impact point) is still within the uncertainty region, the odds of impact climb dramatically.
Finally uncertainty falls to the point where the planet is no longer in the danger zone, and odds collapse. A similar situation happened in early analyses of 99942 Apophis, which was believed in late 2004 to have a 2.9 percent chance of hitting Earth in 2029, but is not now believed to present a danger.
Had the asteroid actually hit the planet, it could have created a crater nearly a kilometer across, and thrown significant dust into the atmosphere. The resulting effects could have helped give scientists new information about conditions on Mars, as well as shed light on what might happen (or might have happened) in the case of a similar collision with Earth.

NASA Sets February 7 As Atlantis’s Launch Date

NASA officials announced that February 7 is the new launch date of the space shuttle Atlantis.
Atlantis, which will carry the European space laboratory Columbus to the International Space Station, had been set for takeoff December 6 but was eventually delayed until indefinitely after several scrapped launches blamed on the failing fuel sensors.
Known as Engine Cut-Off (ECO) sensors, the instruments sit on the bottom of Atlantis' 15-story external tank and serve as liquid hydrogen fuel gauges that ensure a shuttle's three main engines shut down before their hydrogen supply runs dry after liftoff.
Last week, John Shannon, deputy manager for the Space Shuttle Program, said that the launch schedule depends on test results and modifications to a fuel sensor system connector on the external fuel tank Atlantis will use for launch on its STS-122 mission.
Atlantis will carry the European-developed Columbus laboratory and attach it to the International Space Station.
Columbus is about 23 feet long and 15 feet wide, allowing it to hold 10 "racks" of experiments, each approximately the size of a phone booth. Five NASA racks will be added to the laboratory once it is in orbit. Each rack provides independent controls for power and cooling, as well as communication links to earthbound controllers and researchers. These links will allow scientists all over Europe to participate in their own experiments in space from several user centers and, in some cases, even from their own work locations.
The reschedule of Atlantis’s mission will affect also the launch of STS-123. Initially the mission STS-123 on space shuttle Endeavour should deliver the pressurized section of the Kibo (Hope) Japanese Experiment Logistics Module (ELM-PS) was scheduled for February. But now, on NASA website STS123’s launch date is listed as “Under Review”

Marion Jones Sentenced to Six Months in Prison

Marion Jones, the track and field star who pleaded guilty in October to lying to federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing drugs and her connection to a check-fraud case, was sentenced to six months in prison at the United States District Court here on Friday.

The federal sentencing guidelines recommended Jones face anywhere from zero to six months in prison for her offenses. The maximum she could have faced was five years.
In court filings leading up to the sentencing, prosecutors asked United States District Judge Kenneth M. Karras to give Jones six months in prison; Jones’s lawyers said probation was enough.
At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Jones won three gold and two bronze medals, and until her admission about her drug use in Oct., had publicly insisted she never used performance-enhancing drugs.
It was not Jones lying about drug use that forced her to accept plea deals from the government.
Jones’s pleas were triggered by her involvement in the bank-fraud scheme. Prosecutors for the United States attorneys office in the Southern District of New York have said they had ample evidence, including Jones’s signature on the $25,000 check and the testimony of other defendants in the case, many of whom have already pleaded guilty.
The strength of the government’s evidence in that case was used to persuade Jones to plead guilty to the false statements to federal prosecutors in the Northern District of California, which has been leading the investigation of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative for the past five years.
Jones admitted in court that from September 2000 until July 2001, her former trainer Trevor Graham gave her a substance he told her was flaxseed oil.
When she stopped training with him in 2001, she said she realized it had been a performance-enhancing drug. By the time she was interviewed in the Balco investigation in November 2003, Jones said, she knew it was the designer steroid THG, known as the clear. But she had denied recognizing the substance and denied taking it in that Balco interview.
After admitting to lying about her use of steroids, Jones relinquished the three gold and two bronze medals to the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
The International Olympic Committee is examining how to adjust the medal standings for more than 40 athletes who competed with and against Marion Jones at the 2000 Games.
The reallocation of medals is likely to be one of the largest that the I.O.C. has conducted because of the breadth of Jones’s accomplishments. She became the first woman to win five medals in track and field at the same Olympics.
Perhaps the biggest consequence of Jones’s pleas was the damage it did for Graham, who has repeatedly denied providing his athletes with performance-enhancing drugs.
If Jones is called to testify at Graham’s trial, she can no longer invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination because she waived that with her guilty plea.
When Jones plead in Oct., she stood on the steps of the courthouse here weeping while apologizing for lying and said she was retiring from track and field.

FACTBOX: Countrywide's Mozilo stayed bullish to end

Financial Corp (CFC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Chief Executive Angelo Mozilo remained confident of long-term success for his company, even as the U.S. mortgage crisis spread and his company's shares plunged 86 percent since last February.
Following are quotations from Mozilo in 2007.
March 13. Mozilo is interviewed on CNBC television: "This is now becoming a liquidity crisis, an unnecessary one. There's been a rush to judgment, an overreaction, a baby out with the bath water." He said the winnowing of competitors could allow Countrywide, the largest U.S. mortgage lender, to pick up market share.
April 26. Mozilo again said Countrywide would be one of the survivors, while weak rivals with "irresponsible" loan standards would be forced out. Consolidation has been "more rapid than I've ever seen, and steeper than I've ever seen. As a result, you have less competition ... and rational competition."
May 14. Countrywide says it plans to add 2,000 sales jobs: "The market is undergoing very turbulent times. Our competition continues to consolidate, and consolidate rapidly."
May 21. Mozilo disavows blame for the subprime crisis at a mortgage banking industry conference: "You've got to be careful here about blaming ourselves too much."
Aug 23. Bank of America (BAC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) invests $2 billion in Countrywide: "We've gone it alone for 40 years and can go it alone for another 40 years."
Sept 7. Countrywide says it will cut up to 12,000 jobs or 20 percent of its work force: "We have taken decisive action to ensure that the company continues to be well-positioned for further success."
October 23. In a statement concerning sales of Countrywide stock and a review by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as reported by The Wall Street Journal): "I would like to state categorically that at no time did I make any trading decisions on material, nonpublic information and that I fully complied with all applicable securities laws."
December 3. In an interview on CNBC, Mozilo said he is not in talks with Bank of America for a further cash infusion: "Countrywide is a strong, viable financial company."

source: www.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUSN1129058920080111

Britney spends second day in hospital

Britney Spears has been banned from seeing her sons after a dramatic breakdown in which she held the two boys hostage.

A judge suspended all her visiting rights and gave sole custody to their father, Kevin Federline.

Miss Spears was reported to be on suicide watch in hospital, where by law she can be held against her will for 72 hours.

e events mark a new low for the 26-year-old, who was once the best-selling female artist on the planet. The drama began after Miss Spears attended the latest court hearing in her custody battle with Federline, early on Thursday.

After staying just a few minutes, she returned home for an approved visit with their sons Sean Preston, two, and Jayden James, one.

A distressed Britney in the ambulance: The drama unfolded today after the singer refused to give her sons over to her ex-husband

Paramedics help Britney, strapped down on to a stretcher, into an ambulance after the siege in Beverly Hills

Officers escort troubled Britney to hospital, her sons followed in a car behind

Federline had temporary custody of the boys because Miss Spears has failed to comply with court orders.

According to The Sun, Miss Spears has been addicted to a cocktail of narcotics including a drug designed to make race horses leaner.

On top of the horse drug, she allegedly binged on speed, crystal meth and ecstasy - washed down with vodka.

Inside the house she began drinking vodka, sources report. And when it was time to hand the boys back in the evening, she refused.

When a court-appointed monitor and later Federline's bodyguards were refused entry, the situation rapidly deteriorated and police were called.

Miss Spears then barricaded herself and the children inside the master bedroom's ensuite bathroom, and refused to emerge.

Eventually, her cousin Alli Sims smashed the bathroom door open with a hammer, sources say. Shortly after 10pm, police and paramedics were allowed to enter the home.

By 10.50pm, when the singer emerged on a stretcher, there were five police cars, a fire crew and paramedics outside, with a police helicopter hovering overhead.

Miss Spears was tied down, and looked dazed, but was speaking to paramedics. A convoy of squad cars with sirens blaring and paparazzi photographers swarmed around the ambulance on its sprint to the hospital, and media helicopters whirred overhead capturing the scene live for U.S. TV audiences.

The ambulance took Miss Spears into an underground car park at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, where she was seen sitting upright with a confused smile.

Soon afterwards Federline arrived, followed by Miss Spears's father Jamie.

There was no sign of her current beau, photographer, Adnam Ghalib, with whom she has recently been spotted.

Sources suggest that Miss Spears's bizarre actions might have been triggered by her missing a dose of prescription medication.

It was initially thought that her behaviour had been aggravated by the use of illegal stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine.

However hospital sources indicated that tests for illegal drugs were negative.

Doctors can hold Miss Spears for up to three days under a so-called 'section 5150', while they perform a psychiatric evaluation.

To do this, they will have needed evidence that she was a danger to herself or others because of her mental state.

Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, headed to court yesterday morning to request that Miss Spears should be deprived of all her child visitation rights.

Commissioner Scott Gordon approved the motion, granting Federline sole physical and legal custody.

Afterwards, Mr Kaplan said: "I'm not happy about any of these events. There's no winners here." Mr Kaplan said Federline was not in court for the hearing.

Miss Spears has been on a very visible downward spiral since she split from her boyfriend Justin Timberlake in 2002.

First she tried to sex-up her clean-cut image with raunchy onstage antics, which alienated her younger fans. In 2004 she married childhood sweetheart Jason Alexander, a union that lasted just 55 hours.

Her second marriage, to Federline, ended in divorce after two years in November 2006.

Four months later, it was clear she had hit an all-time low, with constant partying and rumours of heavy drug use and drinking. Miss Spears then checked in and out of rehab four times in the space of a few days.

In one extraordinary episode, she shaved her head as paparazzi photographers watched. Days later she attacked them with an umbrella outside Federline's home.

There followed a failed attempt to relaunch her career, a court order for her to be randomly drug-tested and attend parent counselling and a damning interview in which a former bodyguard revealed her frequent use of cocaine and ecstasy and his fears for her children's safety.

Police spokesman Jason Lee said today: "Officers were called to Britney Spears's home. She was refusing to hand the children over to their father as part of a court order.

"We believe Britney Spears is under the influence and needs to be evaluated.

"At this stage we do not know what she may or may not have taken - that's why she needs to be evaluated.

"But obviously if the test does prove positive, then we would be looking to move her to a police station and charge her."

The drama is the latest episode in the ongoing custody battle between Spears and Federline, who married in October 2004 but divorced last July.

On Wednesday, Spears visited Mr Kaplan at his office in Los Angeles to make a legal statement over allegations that she had "misused alcohol and other substances" in front of her sons.

Wearing a pink dress and sunglasses, the singer arrived 90 minutes late, according to Mr Kaplan.

She missed a similar appointment last month and again on Wednesday, when her law firm, Trope and Trope, filed a court motion asking to be withdrawn from the case due to a "breakdown" in communication with their client.

Britney: A look back at the singer's tumultuous life

3 January 2004: Marries childhood friend Jason Alexander in Las Vegas - the marriage is annulled after 55 hours

18 September 2004: Marries backing dancer Kevin Federline after meeting in a Hollywood nightclub.

14 September 2005: Son Sean Preston is born by Caesarean section February 2006: Photographed driving with her baby son sitting unrestrained on her lap.

12 September 2006: Gives birth to second son Jayden James

7 November 2006: Files for divorce citing irreconcilable differences and asking for fully custody of her children

16 February 2007: Spends less than 24 hours in rehab in Antigua

17 February 2007: Shaves head in full view of paparazzi at a California hair salon

21 February 2007: Attacks photographer's car with an umbrella outside Federline's home

22 February - 20 March 2007: Attends Promises rehab clinic in Malibu and leaves after 'successfully completing the programme'

9 September 2007: Gives glazed lacklustre performance of new single at MTV video awards in Las Vegas dressed in bra and hotpants

19 September 2007: Ordered by Los Angeles court to undergo random drug testing and attend parent counselling

21 September 2007: Charged with hit and run and driving without a licence

23 September 2007: Former bodyguard reveals her frequent use of cocaine and ecstasy and his fears for children's safety

1 October 2007: Loses custody of Sean Preston and Jayden James and only allowed supervised visiting rights

3 January 2008: Taken from her home by stretcher in an ambulance and held in hospital for psychiatric evaluation