• 30Nov

    Messi named top European player

    General No Comments
    Lionel Messi

    Messi top-scored for Barcelona final deteriorate with 38 goals


    Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has won the acclaimed Ballon d’Or endowment for the European Footballer of the Year.

    French repository France Football pronounced the 22-year-old Argentine kick 2008 leader Cristiano Ronaldo in to second by a large domain – 473 points to 233.

    “I’m happy to have won, and on tip of it all by a far-reaching majority,” pronounced Messi. “It is pleasing to win it this way.”

    Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard were eighth and 10th respectively.

    Final Ballon d’Or standings

    The endowment is motionless by a check of universe football reporters from a shortlist of thirty players.

    Third and fourth place in the choosing by casting votes were Messi’s Barcelona team-mates, midfielders Xavi (170 points) and Andres Iniesta (149).

    606: DEBATE

    Do you determine with the decision? Where does Messi arrange between the all-time greats?


    David O, BBC Sport

    Striker Samuel Eto’o, who left Barcelona for Inter Milan during the close-season, was fifth.

    Messi played a key purpose as Barca won the three-way of Champions League, done at home joining and crater final season.

    The 22-year-old pronounced he was “really happy” to be the initial Argentine leader of the award, but added: “I have to contend which if the existent manners were in place years ago, Maradona would have won it.”

    The esteem was customarily open to European footballers until 1995, when the manners were altered to embody players from the rest of the world.

    Argentina-born Alfredo Di Stefano won in 1957 and 1959 whilst at Real Madrid but he had acquired Spanish citizenship, Argentine-born Omar Sivori took the esteem in 1961 after appropriation Italian citizenship.

    Messi paid a comfortable reverence to Pep Guardiola, who led Barca to the three-way in his initial deteriorate as coach.

    “I’ve regularly pronounced which he’s been a really critical person, not customarily for me but for the total group. There’s a special attribute which is some-more than customarily a player-coach one,” he said.

    “The titles we won with him have been the key to winning the Ballon d’Or.”

    Lionel Messi

    Argentina star Messi is in the using for Fifa World Player of the Year

    Guardiola pronounced what distant Messi from his rivals was his “competitive spirit”.

    “He has all the resources at his disposal: he’s tough, quick, a goal-scorer, smart and reads the diversion well,” he said.

    “It is a esteem for him and the team. He’s a deserved leader and a player on a opposite level.”

    The highest-placed English player was Rooney, whilst Chelsea brazen Didier Drogba came ninth.

    France Football pronounced Messi was customarily 7 points short of the limit accessible from the 96 jurors.

    The repository quoted Messi as saying: “Honestly, I knew which I was between the favourites given Barcelona had a cultivatable year in 2009.

    “But I didn’t design to win with such a margin.

    “I work at it to my family. They were regularly benefaction when I indispensable them and infrequently felt even stronger emotions than me.”

    Messi becomes the sixth Barcelona player to take the endowment but the initial given Brazil playmaker Ronaldinho in 2005.

    He not long ago sealed a two-year stipulate prolongation with the European champions until 2016 – an softened understanding which includes a buy-out proviso set at 250m euros (£228m).

    Messi top-scored in final season’s Champions League with 9 goals – one of them entrance in his side’s 2-0 feat over Manchester United in the final in Rome.

    That United group contained Ronaldo, the 2008 Ballon d’Or winner, but the Portugal forward, who right away plays for Real Madrid, was eclipsed by Messi on the night.

    Barca physical education instructor Pep Guardiola, carrying accomplished an rare three-way of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles, pronounced after the final: “I think he is the most appropriate player and we didn’t need to win currently to know he is the best.”

    Messi, who assimilated the Catalan giants from Newell’s Old Boys at the age of thirteen in 2000, customarily plays on the right side even yet he is left-footed.

    His scampering runs off the wing and surges opposite the area to fire or play-in a group partner have turn a heading of Barcelona’s eye-catching aggressive style.

    MESSI FACTFILE
    1987: Born in Rosario, Santa Fe on twenty-four June
    2000: Joins Barcelona as a 13-year-old from Newell’s Old Boys girl team
    2003: Makes comparison entrance at sixteen in a accessible opposite Porto
    2005: Leads Argentina to World Youth Championship title, pciking up most appropriate player and tip scorer trophies
    2005: Makes Argentina entrance in accessible opposite Hungary in August. Sent off for elbowing.
    2005: Becomes a Spanish adult in September
    2005: Makes rival entrance for Barcelona in October
    2005-06: Scores 6 goals in seventeen appearances as Barca win Spanish league
    2008: Wins bullion award with Argentina at Olympics
    2008: Finishes second in the Fifa World Player of the Year vote
    2009: Scores second idea in Champions League final feat over Manchester United in May as Barca win their third European Cup
    2009: Signs a two-year stipulate prolongation in Sep to keep him at Barca until 2016

    The attainment of right-back Daniel Alves from Seville in 2008 liberated Messi from his wing duties, permitting him to move deeper in to midfield, remove his markers, couple up improved with Barca playmakers Xavi and Iniesta, and detonate by on idea from executive positions.

    He accomplished as the club’s tip scorer with 38 goals in all competitions final season.

    Messi, whose character is customarily likened to which of Argentine football fable Maradona, came by the Barca girl complement and done his comparison entrance underneath Frank Rijkaard elderly 16.

    He is still customarily twenty-two but has thick with 3 La Liga titles, dual European Cups and a Spanish cup. He helped Argentina win the Under-20 World Cup in 2005, finishing as tip scorer, and won bullion with his nation at the 2008 Olympics.

    Four years ago, Maradona, who has given turn Argentina manager, pronounced Messi would be the player to take over his layer as inhabitant hero.

    In further to the Ballon d’Or, Messi is prime to be crowned 2009 Fifa World Player of the Year on twenty-one December.

    Final Ballon d’Or standings:

    1. Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona) 473 points
    2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Man United & Real Madrid) 233
    3. Xavi (Spain, Barcelona) 170
    4. Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona) 149
    5. Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon, Barcelona & Inter Milan) 75
    6. Kaka (Brazil, AC Milan & Real Madrid) 58
    7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Inter Milan & Barcelona) 50
    8. Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United) 35
    9. Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea) 33
    10. Steven Gerrard (England, Liverpool) 32
    11. Fernando Torres (Spain, Liverpool) 22
    12. Cesc Fabregas (Spain, Arsenal) 13
    13. Edin Dzeko (Bosnia, VfL Wolfsburg) 12
    14. Ryan Giggs (Wales, Manchester United) 11
    15. Thierry Henry (France, Barcelona) 9
    sixteen Luis Fabiano (Brazil, Sevilla) 8
    sixteen Nemanja Vidic (Serbia, Manchester United) 8
    sixteen Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid) 8
    19. Diego Forlan (Uruguay, Atletico Madrid) 7
    twenty Yoann Gourcuff (France, Bordeaux) 6
    twenty-one Andrei Arshavin (Russia, Arsenal) 5
    twenty-one Julio Cesar (Brazil, Inter Milan) 5
    twenty-one Frank Lampard (England, Chelsea) 5
    twenty-four Maicon (Brazil, Inter) 4
    twenty-five Diego (Brazil, Werder Bremen & Juventus) 3
    twenty-six David Villa (Spain, Valencia) 2
    twenty-six John Terry (England, Chelsea) 2
    twenty-eight Franck Ribery (France, Bayern Munich) 1
    twenty-eight Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast, Barcelona) 1
    thirty Karim Benzema (France, Lyon & Real Madrid) 0

    Back to top

    Previous Ballon d’Or winners:
    1956 – Stanley Matthews (England), 1957 – Alfredo di Stefano (Spain), 1958 – Raymond Kopa (France), 1959 – Di Stefano, 1960 - Luis Suarez (Spain), 1961 - Omar Sivori (Italy), 1962 - Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia), 1963 - Lev Yashin (USSR), 1964 - Denis Law (Scotland), 1965 - Eusebio (Portugal), 1966 - Bobby Charlton (England), 1967 - Florian Albert (Hungary), 1968 - George Best (Northern Ireland), 1969 - Gianni Rivera (Italy), 1970 - Gerd Mueller (West Germany), 1971 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands), 1972 - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany), 1973 - Cruyff, 1974 - Cruyff, 1975 - Oleg Blokhin (USSR), 1976 - Beckenbauer, 1977 - Allan Simonsen (Denmark), 1978 - Kevin Keegan (England), 1979 - Keegan, 1980 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany), 1981 - Rummenigge, 1982 - Paolo Rossi (Italy), 1983 - Michel Platini (France), 1984 - Platini, 1985 - Platini, 1986 - Igor Belanov (USSR), 1987 - Ruud Gullit (Netherlands), 1988 - Marco outpost Basten (Netherlands), 1989 - Van Basten, 1990 - Lothar Matthaeus (Germany), 1991 - Jean-Pierre Papin (France), 1992 - Van Basten, 1993 - Roberto Baggio (Italy), 1994 - Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria), 1995 - George Weah (Liberia), 1996 - Matthias, Sammer (Germany), 1997 - Ronaldo (Brazil), 1998 - Zinedine Zidane (France), 1999 - Rivaldo (Brazil), 2000 - Luis Figo (Portugal), 2001 - Michael Owen (England), 2002 - Ronaldo, 2003 - Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic), 2004 - Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine), 2005 - Ronaldinho (Brazil), 2006 - Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), 2007 - Kaka (Brazil), 2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal).

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  • 30Nov

    Action on HIV

    General No Comments


    By Jane Dreaper


    Health correspondent, BBC News

    Please spin on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

    Advertisement

    Carla Bruni-Sarkozy: “The risk is removing used to the HIV problem”

    The French initial woman says it is “unfair” which women and immature kids in the building universe mostly skip out on diagnosis for HIV.

    Carla Bruni-Sarkozy spoke about her work as an Aids envoy for The Global Fund to symbol World Aids Day.

    She wants to lift recognition about the predicament of immature kids who have been HIV certain given the pathogen has been upheld on from their mother.

    She additionally cited British Prime Minister’s wife, Sarah Brown, as an inspiration.


    It is a on all sides which gives so most open doors and so most seductiveness from the media

    Carla Bruni-Sarkozy

    The Global Fund was set up to quarrel Aids, illness and malaria.

    It receives donations from the governments of heading nations – together with the UK.

    At present, usually about a third of profound women in Africa get tested for HIV.

    And of those who have the virus, 45% get the drug which will stop HIV being upheld to their kid during bieing innate or breastfeeding.

    That figure has softened five-fold in the past couple of years, but the goal is to clean out this track of HIV infection by 2015.

    In her exuberant bureau at the Elysee Palace in Paris, I asked Ms Bruni-Sarkozy given she had selected to work for this cause.

    She said: “I find it unequivocally critical which each woman awaiting a kid can have certain the kid will have a full of health life.

    “We do have the medicines. It’s usually good sense.

    “What motivates me is saying the formula this good work has.

    “Children have been innate full of health and mothers do not broadcast the pathogen to the baby, when they have the medicine.

    “It’s rsther than astray which the babies in France and Europe can be innate healthy, given the mothers can be treated.”

    Ms Bruni-Sarkozy, 41, is a former indication and thespian who tied together the French boss in Feb 2008 after a windstorm romance.

    Brown’s lead

    She took up her purpose as “ambassador for mothers and immature kids opposite Aids” with the Global Fund a year ago.

    Since then, she has visited sanatorium projects in Burkina Faso, in West Africa. She will revisit Benin at the finish of subsequent month.

    Ms Bruni-Sarkozy pronounced Sarah Brown, had been “an e.g. from the notation I met her” given of the “energy and strength” she brought to her work with the White Ribbon Alliance on perplexing to forestall deaths between women in childbirth.

    On her role, Ms Bruni-Sarkozy said: “It is a on all sides which gives so most open doors and so most seductiveness from the media.

    “I can speak about these women and immature kids to the BBC – it’s fantastic!

    “You can move prominence to something that’s may be been in the dark.”

    Complacency warning

    The ultimate tellurian projections indicate which the turn of brand new HIV cases is easing off.

    But the French initial woman cautioned opposite complacency.

    She said: “The risk is removing used to the HIV problem, and – generally for immature people – meditative which given there have been medicines, people have been may be not advantageous enough.

    “There is still no vaccine – at slightest not one which is useable yet. So that’s given World Aids Day is a unequivocally critical day.”

    The Global Fund has perceived appropriation commitments value $20bn given it was determined in 2002.

    Ms Bruni-Sarkozy is the usually ambassador. The conduct of the Fund, Professor Michel Kazatchkine, says she has valid invaluable.

    He said: “She brings a face and a voice for most people in the universe who have been speechless and vulnerable.

    “She has been tremendously beneficial in augmenting the prominence of the Global Fund.

    “We have been benefaction in 140 countries and the vital G8 countries minister to the work – nonetheless open perspective doesn’t know sufficient about the unusual changes and successes in the quarrel opposite these diseases.”

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  • 30Nov

    Mixed picture

    General No Comments


    By Navin Singh Khadka


    Environment reporter, BBC News

    Himalayan glacier

    Some new commentary appear to run opposite to the perspective glaciers have been retreating


    A systematic discuss has been triggered over the state of glaciers in the Himalayas.

    Some new commentary appear to protest claims which the glaciers have been retreating rapidly. Some glaciers have been even pronounced to be advancing.

    There have been transparent signs of freezing shelter and ice warp from alternative tools of the world, but couple of margin studies have been carried out in the Himalayas.

    Its glaciers as well were at large believed to be decrease fast.

    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had pronounced which Himalayan glaciers were decrease faster than in any alternative partial of the world.

    The row observed: “If the benefaction rate continues, the odds of them disintegrating by 2035 and maybe earlier is really tall if the Earth keeps warming at the stream rate.”

    This inform sparked concerns which there could be increasing flooding in the short term, as freezing lakes unexpected overflowed.

    In the longer term, vital glacier-fed rivers, it was feared, would run dry, inspiring millions in the region.

    Glacial conflict

    But a little scientists explain which glaciers in the Himalayas have been not retreating as quick as was believed. Others who have celebrated circuitously towering ranges even found which glaciers there were advancing.

    Himalayan glacier

    Reports sparked concerns about increasing flooding

    Kenneth Hewitt, a glaciologist from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, is one of these scientists. He has been you do margin studies in Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains at the horse opera reaches of the Himalayan operation for the final 40 years.

    Just behind from which region, he told BBC News which he saw at slightest half a dozen glaciers which had been some-more modernized given the final time he saw them – 5 years ago.

    “Dozens of smaller, tall rise run glaciers have modernized together with 7 of Biafo Glacier and 4 of Panmah,” he says.

    “It equates to meridian shift is function here too, but with opposite consequences.”

    Scientists have additionally described a materialisation called freezing “surge”. This is suspicion to be caused by warp H2O underneath the glacier lubricating the belligerent hit and causing it to move forward.

    This is opposite from a genuine allege of a glacier, which is caused by an enlarge in the volume of ice.

    “Rapid, surge-type advances have occurred in at slightest seventeen glaciers given 1985, at slightest 8 given 2000 [in the Karakoram],” says Dr Hewitt.

    Out of date data?

    In the horse opera Himalayas, a little scientists have additionally reported commentary which dispute with the long-held perspective which glaciers have been retreating.

    The Indian supervision has released a contention paper formed on these findings.

    It says: “Himalayan glaciers, nonetheless timorous in volume and all the time display a retreating front, have not in any approach exhibited… an aberrant annual retreat, of the sequence which a little glaciers in Alaska and Greenland have been reported to have done.

    “It is beforehand to have a matter which glaciers in the Himalayas have been retreating abnormally since of tellurian warming.”

    Glaciologist (SPL)

    Scientists contend ground-level work is indispensable to countenance findings

    But remarkable Indian glaciologist Syed Iqbal Hasnain told BBC News which the interpretation referred to in this paper have been from the 1970s.

    “I [was] asked to examination the paper and obviously it does not simulate the stream situation,” he said.

    “Things have altered in the final 4 decades.”

    Professor Hasnain has difficult the Chhota Shigri glacier in Himachal Pradesh for 4 years and has found it to be retreating by 0.8m a year.

    “(There is) no benchmark glacier in India which has been difficult for most years,” he says.

    “Those which have been difficult once or twice by a little institutes have been display disastrous mass shift [or losing ice].”

    He explained which flood and heat were the main factors inspiring either glaciers shelter or advance.

    All data, he says, show which flood is falling. And reduction flood equates to reduction accumulation of sleet and ice.

    In retreat?

    The light disappearance of glaciers is causing outrageous concern.

    Indian newspapers not long ago reported which a little glaciers were retreating alarmingly fast in Indian-administered Kashmir.

    In China, glaciologists have additionally regularly warned of glaciers in Tibet retreating significantly.

    But a little experts disagree which these conclusions mostly come from studies carried out in the snouts of glaciers, and which they do not paint the finish picture.

    Richard Armstrong, a glaciologist with Colorado University in the US who additionally functions for Nasa, says: “Retreat at the internal indicate of the confine doesn’t report what’s going on in the finish glacier complement which involves thousands of metres of betterment difference.”

    Himalayan glacier

    I do not know of any systematic investigate which supports a finish declining of glaciers in the Himalayas inside of this century

    Michael Zemp
    World Glacier Monitoring Service

    Having difficult glaciers in the Nepalese Himalayas not long ago with the assistance of belligerent interpretation and heavenly body imagery, Professor Armstrong pronounced the top air and aspect hire interpretation indicated which on top of 5,400m there was no melting.

    “It turns out [that] about half of the aspect area of the glaciers which we difficult in Nepal do not knowledge warp at any time of year.”

    Another scientist at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Dr Michael Bishop, echoed Professor Armstrong’s evidence which the state of Himalayan glaciers was being overly generalised.

    Dr Bishop has carried out glacier investigate saved by Nasa. He says: “Some people have been creation extrapolations formed on one or dual glaciers.

    “In the Himalayas, which can’t be finished since of the shift of topography and meridian dynamics.”

    But Professor Hasnain says which those who criticize the anticipating which glaciers have been retreating have been mostly researchers who never go in to the margin and who rely as well heavily on heavenly body images.

    “When you have been measuring from 35,000km (22,000 miles) above, the interpretation cannot be correct and so there needs to be [verification on the] ground,” he told BBC News. “But people do not do that.”

    He says the evidence which glaciers have been not retreating in couple of instances is formed on “flimsy ground”.

    Those who come to which conclusion, says Professor Hasnain, have use of Nasa’s data.

    “But [the US space agency] itself says which the own interpretation is utterly [different] from the belligerent data. That is because it is peaceful to work with us,” he says.

    Satellite design of Himalayas (SPL)

    Some researchers contend heavenly body interpretation is indispensable for a fuller picture


    William Lau, who heads the windy sciences bend at Nasa’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, says: “Nasa products have been really utilitarian in on condition which a extended design of what is function per the anniversary sleet melt, and short tenure variations.

    “[But] all heavenly body products have fundamental uncertainties, and need to be calibrated and certified opposite belligerent observations.

    Meanwhile, experts at the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS), formed in Zurich, Switzerland, contend both in-situ measurements and remote intuiting interpretation have been indispensable in sequence to get a finish design of glacier placement and the changes via an finish towering range.

    Michael Zemp, a glaciologist at WGMS says: “There is a ubiquitous centennial direction of glacier shelter from the moraines of the Little Ice Age (also) in the Himalayas.”

    But, he adds, “I do not know of any systematic investigate which supports a finish declining of [Himalayan] glaciers inside of this century.”

    The Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development has carried out a little studies on glaciers.

    It says which the ubiquitous poise of the Himalayan glaciers is transparent – altogether they have been now in a state of fast and estimable retreat.

    “A couple of glaciers might be behaving otherwise as a outcome of their opposite particular earthy ‘character’,” it adds.

    It appears which the stroke of meridian shift in the segment could be far some-more difficult than formerly thought.

    And notwithstanding varying observations, experts do determine on one thing: there has to be an increasing turn of systematic regard to jot down the changes in Himalayan glaciers and have arguable predictions.

    The deficiency of this interpretation could have the emanate of Himalayan glaciers a gnarled one during the general meridian negotiations in Copenhagen in December.

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  • 30Nov

    Enough to turn your hair grey? It could all be down to your genes

    General No Comments
    Identical twins

    There was really small disproportion in the greying of matching twins

    A woman’s genes have been most some-more expected than lifestyle factors such as highlight or diet to equates to greying hair, a investigate suggests.

    Unilever scientists complicated some-more than 200 matching and non-identical Danish matching tiwn sisters elderly in in in between 59 and 81.

    The scientists found small disproportion in in in between the greyness of the matching twins – who share the same genes.

    But there was some-more disproportion in in in between non-identical twins, whose genes differ, the investigate found.

    The study, published in the biography PLoS One, additionally suggests decrease hair is related to especially genetic factors.

    But it indicates hair-thinning on the tip of the conduct is continuous to environmental and lifestyle factors.


    Greying hair is not down to something you have done, but to genetic factors over your control

    Nina Goad
    British Association of Dermatologists

    On the emanate of greying hair, lead researcher Dr David Gunn pronounced nonetheless most theories had been put brazen to insist opposite rates of greying, there was small tough systematic justification to behind them up.

    Non-identical twins

    There were some-more differences between non-identical twins

    He said: “This investigate offers us a erotically appealing discernment in to the reason because women go grey and it positively suggests which environmental factors have been not as critical as we once thought.

    “The investigate indicates which irrespective of how stressful a woman’s hold up is, there have been larger forces at fool around which have been some-more expected to equates to her hair to grey.”

    Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, pronounced prior work had additionally found couple of identifiable environmental factors between people who went grey most progressing than their relatives.

    “This equates to which for the infancy of people, greying hair is not down to something you have done, but to genetic factors over your control, and which in all your lifestyle will not severely stroke on when your hair loses the colour,” she said.

    “There have been of march exceptions to this rule.”

    Dr David Fisher, of the Dana Faber Cancer Institute, who had has conducted investigate in to greying, concluded which genetics substantially played a key purpose in determining when hair incited grey.

    However, he pronounced there was additionally a little justification to indicate bearing to sure sorts of containing alkali could additionally foster greying.

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  • 30Nov

    In pictures

    General No Comments

    Tags: , , ,

  • 30Nov

    Obama issues new Afghan orders

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    US soldiers in Logar province, Afghanistan (24 November 2009)

    There have been 68,000 US soldiers formed in Afghanistan

    US President Barack Obama has released brand brand new orders for the US infantry in Afghanistan after determining how most some-more infantry to send, officials say.

    Mr Obama told comparison infantry leaders about his long-awaited preference on couple numbers on Sunday night, a White House orator said.

    The boss is right away lecture the UK, French and Russian leaders on the plan.

    The moves come as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pronounced he would send 500 some-more soldiers to the country.

    According to US media reports, Mr Obama is set to rigourously have known which a serve 30,000 infantry have been to be sent to Afghanistan in a televised residence on Tuesday.

    MARDELL’S AMERICA
    Mark Mardell

    It is all partial of the choreography, the thought the UK has an Afghan plan apart from the US is fanciful

    Read Mark’s thoughts in full

    He has been deliberation a ask from the US infantry commander in chief in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal, for 40,000 soldiers.

    Mr Obama met Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday evening.

    He additionally spoke to comparison staff together with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and National Security Adviser James Jones prior to land a videophone discussion with Gen McChrystal and Karl Eikenberry, envoy to Afghanistan.

    Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who is now on vacation Washington DC, was told of the skeleton in person.

    ‘Political surge’

    The US now has about 68,000 infantry in Afghanistan, where unfamiliar forces now sum some-more than 100,000.



    We should be unwell in the avocation if we didn’t work with the allies to understanding with the complaint where it starts


    British PM Gordon Brown

    UK commits one some-more Afghan troops

    Pakistan warns US on Afghan plan

    In his address, the boss is additionally approaching to discuss it the American open again because the US impasse in Afghanistan is required and how prolonged the joining is approaching to last.

    Last week, Mr Obama pronounced he dictated to “finish the job” in Afghanistan.

    The White House pronounced Mr Obama was in the routine of vocalization to all the key US allies in the Afghan conflict, together with Italy, France, Britain and Russia.

    The leaders were sensitive of the brand brand new plan but were not told just how most one some-more infantry the US intends to despatch, the Associated Press reported.

    On Monday, Mr Brown pronounced he was promulgation a serve 500 soldiers to Afghanistan, receiving the country’s sum deployment in the nation to 10,000.

    Taliban members in north-western Pakistan

    Afghan and Pakistani militancy

    Afghans ‘blame misery for war’

    Mapping the belligerent nexus

    He pronounced all conditions had been met to send the one some-more crew and which 8 alternative countries had additionally offering one some-more troops.

    Mr Brown told council “the reserve of people on the streets of Britain” depended on the UK receiving movement to residence the belligerent hazard from al-Qaeda at the source – along the Afghan/Pakistan limit areas.

    “We should be unwell in the avocation if we didn’t work with the allies to understanding with the complaint where it starts,” Mr Brown told parliament.

    Mr Brown pronounced the infantry swell would be followed by a domestic surge, with an lengthened and reformed Afghan military force and some-more in effect and under obligation internal administration.

    Italian Foreign Minster Franco Frattini pronounced on Monday which Rome was additionally rebuilt to enlarge the participation in Afghanistan from the stream 3,200.

    Italy’s Ansa headlines group quoted Mr Frattini as observant the dispute was a exam of Nato’s “credibility” and which it was “clear which Italy contingency finish the pursuit proposed with NATO and have a larger grant if it is needed”.

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  • 30Nov

    To be equals

    General No Comments


    By Karen Allen


    BBC News, Durban

    On a stormy beach in South Africa’s coastal city of Durban, Dumisani Gumbi is going by a difficult aptness programme. He is a crew sergeant with the South African army. He additionally has the Aids virus.

    Dumisani Gumbi

    Dumisani Gumbi says HIV-positive peacekeepers poise no additional dangers

    Since 2001 when he was initial diagnosed with the disease, his career prospects and chances of being sent abroad have floundered.

    For years tens of thousands of HIV-positive infantry group and women similar to him have faced a sweeping ban.

    A towering 30% of South African soldiers have been putrescent with the Aids virus. This being and a brand brand brand new exam box have forced the South African supervision to examination the policy.

    “When we have been fighting or when we have been you do peacekeeping work, we have been not satirical the people. We’re only being peacekeepers similar to any one else,” Mr Gumbi argues, dismissing fears which deploying soldiers with HIV is expected to enlarge the widespread of the disease.

    Voluntary testing?

    After a exam box brought by one of South Africa’s infantry unions and the Aids Law Project, the supervision reviewed the justification and concluded which in certain resources HIV-positive soldiers can be deployed abroad if they pass a battery of a little 39 aptness tests.


    It’s not as if the inundate gates have been open for ill people to be deployed

    Lieutenant General VJ Ramlakan

    “It equates to people who [have] HIV who have been for example on diagnosis and who have stabilised and encounter smallest mandate will right away validate to be recruited deployed and promoted,” explains S’khumbuzo Maphumulo, the counsel in the case.

    In what has been called a “nuanced policy”, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) right away has to cruise any box on the merits and consider the operational mandate of any post.

    Aids contrast for South African soldiers is intentional but the being is which if you exclude to get tested afterwards you will not be deployed.

    With larger believe of HIV and accessibility of anti-retroviral drug – which soldiers embrace for giveaway – the South African infantry has turn a universe initial in effectively stealing the sweeping anathema and environment design parameters for assessing either an putrescent soldiers is fit to be deployed.

    Positive peacekeeping

    Army surgeon ubiquitous Lt Gen VJ Ramlakan says which whilst this is an critical step forward, he is cautious.

    “It’s not as if the inundate gates have been open for ill people to be deployed,” he says.

    AFRICA HAVE YOUR SAY

    The subject is how you have certain your soldiers have been safeguarding their partners during sex

    Hawwa, USA

    Send us your comments

    “The fittest soldiers will go where the charge is most demanding. If you have been HIV-positive and sick, you will not be on the frontline.

    “If you have been fit and your CD4 [white red blood cells which quarrel infections] equate is on top of 500 afterwards you might be considered,” he explains.

    The armed forces has not long ago deployed an HIV-positive infantryman to Sudan as partial of peacekeeping operations in the uneasy domain of Darfur.

    He is the initial but there have been most others watchful in the wings.

    Soldiers reception partial in a brand brand brand new infantry practice appear to behind the brand brand brand new Aids policy.

    “We’ve had this review and it’s not unequivocally a problem. We would only similar to to know who is and who is not putrescent so we can assistance them if we need to,” says Maj Talia Thomas.

    As partial of the exercise, a helicopter evacuated a misadventure from the field.

    This is precisely the kind of unfolding which critics of the brand brand brand new process be concerned about.

    All soldiers have been released with rubber gloves in their first-aid kits to strengthen opposite blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.

    Infection fears

    During the exam case, healing experts pronounced there was no justification of increasing risk of delivery in this proceed but counterclaim researcher Helmoed Roemer-Heitman is not convinced.

    He argues it is a large crack of certitude for typical soldiers who design some-more from their commanders.

    South African soldiers on infantry exercise

    Some 30% of South African soldiers have been HIV-positive

    “What we have been you do is exposing them to nonessential risk. It is bad sufficient to vital underneath oppressive conditions and using the risk of being shot at, we have been right away exposing them to a incident when one of their comrades could all inadvertently taint them with a deadly disease,” says Mr Roemer-Heitman.

    The being is which there have been already HIV-positive soldiers handling in peacekeeping missions but their standing simply is not rigourously concurred since of a miss of contrast comforts in most African forces.

    The reason South Africa has taken the lead is in partial since the illness weight of HIV is so huge.

    It has had to change the tellurian rights of particular soldiers with the common rights of a republic which expects a fit fighting force to strengthen them.

    Professor Lindy Heinecken, who has researched the emanate at length at the University of Stellenbosch, says we have been expected to see HIV-positive soldiers in frontline duties but it will rely what line they do and what the infantry considers “reasonable and justifiable”.

    The brand brand brand new process might poise a little wily tactful hurdles if couple reception countries intent to carrying HIV-positive unfamiliar soldiers on their soil.

    Eritrea has already done this indicate and has uttered the concerns to the UN Security Council, asking it to pass a resolution. It argues which the own people’s reserve is being compromised.

    South African peacekeepers in Darfur (file photo)

    South Africa has a little 3,000 peacekeepers around the continent


    But so most has been invested by the South African infantry in the infantry which it cannot means to remove competent staff to the disease.

    Mr Heinecken points to the actuality which “infection rates have been top in the center ranks and at the operational level” and so the infantry has had to take a useful proceed since the impassioned position.

    There have been a little 3,000 South African infantry on peacekeeping duties in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Burundi.

    It is an critical source of income for the nation and puts South Africa in the lead as the continent’s caretaker.

    For it to have adopted such a “progressive approach” is all the some-more conspicuous since which South Africa was a nation whose care until really not long ago denied the couple in between HIV and Aids.

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  • 30Nov

    Fighting on

    General No Comments


    By Mark Lowen


    BBC News, Belgrade

    Kneza Milos – or King Michael Street – in the heart of Belgrade is a place of sheer contrasts.

    Bombed buildings, Belgrade

    The heart of Belgrade provides sheer reminders of the conflict

    Rickety old trams vie for space with chauffeur-driven BMWs, which mount the mountain towards the plush suburb of Dedinje.

    And superb method buildings and embassies mount subsequent to the half-collapsed, burned-out shells of the former infantry headquarters, inebriated intensively by Nato 10 years ago.

    At the time, the Yugoslav supervision of Slobodan Milosevic was attempting to conceal an racial Albanian rebellion in the southern range of Kosovo.

    Nato spoken quarrel on Yugoslavia, job the incident a charitable catastrophe.

    An complete 78-day aerial bombing debate followed until Milosevic withdrew his troops. The domain was placed underneath United Nations administration.

    Nine years later, Kosovo’s racial Albanian infancy unilaterally spoken autonomy from what is right away Serbia, notwithstanding unwell to acquire a UN Security Council fortitude authorising the move.

    Russia had in jeopardy to halt it, joined in antithesis with the Orthodox fan Serbia. A medium call of recognitions of Kosovo followed, led by the United States.

    Serbia cried foul, job the secession illegal. Furious Serb protesters set the US embassy in Belgrade alight.

    As the abandon died down, the brand brand new supervision of Boris Tadic vowed to quarrel on, job for the International Court of Justice in the Hague to inspect the matter.

    Oral arguments

    Now, the hearings have been commencement in the initial ever box of territorial secession brought prior to the ICJ.

    Thirty countries will benefaction their verbal arguments. The emanate appears straightforward: did Kosovo’s stipulation of autonomy imitate with general law?

    But the discussions will be complex, with both sides enchanting in a tug-of-war over the authorised minutiae. Serbia is expected to contend which UN Resolution 1244, which finished the Kosovan war, validated the territorial firmness of the afterwards Yugoslavia, progressing Belgrade’s office over the southern province.

    Serbian President Boris Tadic (left) and Mark Lowen

    This isn’t about the autonomy of Kosovo. It is about starting from a vacant page to speak with great will to find a sustainable, concede solution

    Serbian President Boris Tadic

    It is suspicion the Kosovan side will disagree which the fortitude did not specifically demarcate secession and which tellurian rights abuses committed in Kosovo by Milosevic’s supervision gave the range the right to self-determination.

    The verdict, after months of deliberation, will be advisory, not legally binding. So what is the indicate of it all, I asked Serbia’s President Boris Tadic?

    Most people inside of the general village – most even in Serbia – right away hold which branch behind the time and annulling autonomy is unrealistic.

    “This isn’t about reintegrating Kosovo inside of Serbia,” says Mr Tadic, in the prosperous vicinity of the presidential palace.

    “This isn’t about the autonomy of Kosovo. It is about starting from a vacant page to speak with great will to find a sustainable, concede solution.”

    So Serbia is ready to lapse to the negotiating table. The complaint is which Kosovo believes there’s zero to come to terms about. Pristina says it is eccentric and that’s final.

    “The story of the Balkans is all about fragmentation and partition. We’ve suffered a lot by that,” adds Mr Tadic, referring to the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s and the wars which followed.

    “That’s because we contingency find a all opposite approach.”

    EU membership

    That accommodating tinge is partial of the brand brand new perspective which the Serbian supervision is perplexing to benefaction over Kosovo.

    “We’re no longer partial of the problem”, says Mr Tadic. “We’re partial of the solution.”

    The reason is clear: Serbia is unfortunate to get on the trail to European Union membership. Brussels says it won’t need Belgrade to recognize Kosovo – “something we will never do,” says the boss – but has demanded larger team-work in between the dual if membership is to be considered.

    And so Mr Tadic faces a formidable balancing act: placating Serbia’s right-wing, still indignant over Kosovan independence, whilst display a “softly-softly” proceed for Brussels.

    So is the ICJ routine simply an try to infer he’s you do something – anything – to quarrel for Kosovo?

    “This is not about an inner domestic game,” he assures me. “It is about principles. We have been fortifying the bona fide inhabitant interests identical to any alternative republic would.”

    Mixed emotions

    On the streets of Belgrade, Kosovo elicits churned emotions. Many right away feel quiescent to the standing quo.

    “It’s still the heart and essence of the nation,” says Jelisaveta Djuric. “But I do not think we can shift things. Far some-more absolute forces have been pulling the strings.”

    Milena

    What’s happened is tragic, but my priority right away is which Serbia joins the EU and which people move on

    Milena
    Belgrade resident

    Bojan, a sports scholarship student, calls Kosovan autonomy “a rapist act.” “People who did it in Kosovo can do it in Spain, in Russia – anywhere which a partial of a republic wants to mangle away”, he warns.

    One woman, Milena, says: “I’ve never essentially been there, so the total emanate isn’t really genuine for me. What’s happened is tragic, but my priority right away is which Serbia joins the EU and which people move on.”

    And which is because the Kosovo emanate still counts to the wider world: countless governments face identical hurdles to their management as which of Serbia.

    Countries from Nigeria to Georgia and Cyprus to China, have refused to recognize Kosovan autonomy for fright of fanning secessionist abandon inside of their borders.

    And so they – and their separatist movements – will be examination this ICJ box really closely in truth to see either the preference competence start what happens in their own backyards.

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  • 30Nov

    Always ‘on the go’

    General No Comments


    By Bill Wilson


    Business reporter, BBC News, Johannesburg

    Dr Danny Jordann, arch senior manager of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa

    Dr Danny Jordaan admits World Cup budgets might be revised

    The arch senior manager of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Dr Danny Jordaan, has a lot on his image at the moment.

    On Sunday he was at a assembly of the South African Football Association, right away he is at the Soccerex football commercial operation eventuality in Johannesburg, and on Friday he will be in Cape Town for the World Cup draw.

    So how is he feeling?

    “I am feeling the tension,” he says.

    “But it is an intensely sparkling time forward of the World Cup pull – I am regularly on the go.”

    We encounter in the upmarket Michelangelo Towers road house in the Sandton district, as World Cup organising cabinet officials hum around perplexing to arrange out his bustling inform of engagements.

    It is an denote of his tall standing, and complicated responsibility, in the football world, which media from all around the universe have been additionally watchful for the possibility to verbalise to him.

    Preparations on track?

    “We have been happy with the state of World Cup preparations,” he says, seated amongst the issuing plants of the plush lobby.

    “Most of the building a whole of stadiums is right away complete, and work on the fringe of stadiums is right away being carried out.

    “We feel gentle which all at stadiums will be ready early subsequent year, in actuality we have been right away contrast lane capabilities, for e.g. there was a diversion in Durban at the weekend.”

    When Fifa carried out the comment inform of bloat following the Confederations Cup this summer it gave South Africa an altogether rating of 7.5 out of 10.

    Areas of regard which it highlighted were accommodation, ride and security.

    Constuction workers outward the Soccer City stadium

    Dr Jordaan says the World Cup has authorised black Africans in to the building a whole industry

    “We have been awaiting rounded off 450,000 supporters from around the universe to come to South Africa subsequent year, and we know they need a bed to nap in and ride to and from venues,” he says.

    “The World Cup pull on Friday will assistance us to fine-tune the place to live and transportation.

    “Once the fixtures have been suggested we will know what is compulsory in any venue city. For e.g. the direct to see North Korea fool around New Zealand will be reduction than for an England game.”

    However, he says which the organising cabinet has already motionless it needs 1,000 some-more buses and 200 some-more aircraft.

    And he says which if vital sides similar to Brazil have been drawn to fool around in a not as big town, afterwards airports will be kept open longer to safeguard everybody is equates to to get in and out.

    Budget review

    The organising cabinet had formerly estimated a bill of 3.2bn rand (£263m, $431m) to run the World Cup, but he right away admits they have been “probably 10% over what we envisaged as the budget”.

    “We have been impacted by the tellurian mercantile resources similar to everyone,” he points out.

    “We have to demeanour at the bill serve and lift out a last review, and have been right away intent in that, but it does appear which there will be a little bill over-runs.”

    However, he is unapproachable to indicate out what has been completed for South Africa in conditions of infrastructure growth around the World Cup.

    “There have been vital upgrades to the airports in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and a brand new one built in Durban,” he says.

    The airports have been built not usually for the World Cup, but for the post-tournament tourism progress which the nation hopes to experience.

    Soccer City stadium, Johannesburg

    Construction of the World Cup stadiums have been on track, says Dr Jordaan

    South Africa is seeking for the 10 million visitors figure likely for 2010 to bloat to fourteen million by 2015.

    “That equates to the airfield capacities have had to increase,” says Dr Jordaan.

    “We have additionally been constructing, and upgrading, roads.”

    One ride plan which most had envisaged being ready for the subsequent year, the Gautrain – a fast ride sight complement joining Johannesburg, Pretoria and Oliver Tambo International Airport – is not right away enclosed in the World Cup equation.

    “The Gautrain was never a 2010 project, it had a execution date for 2014 – however we will see if we can may be get partial of it using by the World Cup, but it is unlikely.”

    Telecoms is an additional mercantile shred which he says has been increased by the final of the World Cup, with games being promote in HDTV, and additionally accessible on a mobile phone platform.

    Skills knowledge

    As great as at the macro level, Dr Jordaan has additionally betrothed to make use of the World Cup to inspire entrepreneurship in between the black African population, and to await the investiture of small, middle and micro businesses.

    “We have seen this in the building a whole of the stadiums. Although the vital contracts have left to the big building a whole firms, we have seen small black companies removing the event for sub-contracting work,” he says.

    “We have been saying the mutation of the building a whole attention in South Africa.

    “We have additionally seen a tall series of women operative in the building a whole attention during the World Cup – as reserve officers, plan managers, or – in Cape Town – as a derrick operator.”

    Dr Jordaan additionally says he hopes the World Cup will move some-more skills believe to South Africa.

    “If we wish the manage to buy to go on to grow afterwards we need to take some-more skills,” he says.

    “One approach is to rise programmes in universities to get some-more skills in to the economy, and the alternative approach is by skills transfers.”

    He says this could be completed by partnerships in between South African and European firms, with the World Cup giving internal firms the possibility to go down this path.

    It seems the organising cabinet is pulling out all the stops to safeguard a successfully-run World Cup, with durability mercantile benefits to the country.

    Now he says the responsibility is on the South African football group to fool around the part.

    “It is critical South Africa has a great World Cup to means the seductiveness in the contest of the population.”

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  • 30Nov

    Serena given fine & suspended ban

    General No Comments
    Serena Williams

    Williams was mad with the line decider after being called for a foot-fault

    Serena Williams has been fined and since a dangling three-year anathema from the US Open for her harangue at a line decider at Flushing Meadows.

    The universe series one verbally abused an central after a foot-fault call which gave Kim Clijsters a compare indicate in their semi-final this year.

    “I am grateful which we right away have closure on the incident,” pronounced Williams.

    The 28-year-old will catch the anathema if she commits any offer “major offence” prior to the finish of 2011.

    If she is found to have breached the statute by the International Tennis Federation’s Grand Slam committee, her excellent will additionally stand in to £106,000.

    After the compare in September, Williams was fined £6,000, which has been enclosed in the ultimate chastisement of £53,000.

    The fine, a entertain of the £212,000 Williams perceived for reaching the semi-finals, still tops the prior top Grand Slam excellent of £38,000 since to Jeff Tarango in 1995.

    After the incident, Williams expelled an primary matter which did not embody a true apology, but after pronounced she longed for to “sincerely apologise” for her behaviour.

    606: DEBATE

    The excellent is still sincerely kindly – but a anathema dangling for which prolonged is a most improved summary to send out


    Biscuits

    “I need to have it transparent to all immature people which I rubbed myself inappropriately,” she said.

    “It’s not the approach to action – win or lose, great call or bad call in any sport, in any manner.”

    The International Tennis Federation’s Grand Slam Committee met final week to determine on a punishment.

    It found her guilty of “the Grand Slam vital corruption of aggravated behaviour”.

    Williams was trailing 6-4 6-5 and portion at 15-30 when the baseline decider called a foot-fault on a second serve.

    That stirred the American to travel over to the official, regulating her racquet to gesticulate in a huff as she verbally abused her.

    The central reported what she had listened to the umpire, and Williams, who had progressing been warned for racquet abuse, was in the future since a indicate chastisement – handing Clijsters the match.

    The United States Tennis Association concluded with the low mark levied by the ITF.

    “As a choosing by casting votes part of of the Grand Slam Committee, the USTA agrees with the one more penalties levied opposite Serena Williams,” it pronounced in a statement.

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