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He told the Iraq Inquiry he had the feeling intelligence about Saddam's supposed weapons of mass destruction was 'not very substantial'.

China protests European sanctions on Iran

The London Mayor admitted cyclists faced a shortage of bikes and could have problems returning them to the 'docking stations' throughout the city.

The biggest overhaul of the country's now-''antiquated'' benefits system in decades has been unveiled by the Government.

The Qianlong dynasty porcelain pieces were given as a wedding present by the vendor's father and no one knew their value.

Sogen Kato - who was born on July 22, 1899 - had been lying mummified in his bed. Social workers had repeatedly tried to meet him but were chased away by his family.

Lots of us might joke about being allergic to sweaty gym workouts, but for Ruth Holroyd, of Aylesbury, Bucks, it's no laughing matter. Getting out of puff on a treadmill isn't just her idea of hell - a rare condition means it could kill her.

Court of Appeal judges said "ordinary criminal activities" by MPs and Lords were not protected by the ancient defence of parliamentary privilege.

Former anorexic Bianca Greenfield, 17, is one of 100 finalists in the Teen Queen UK beauty competition.

Former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has accepted an invitation from Mississippi coach Houston Nutt to visit the school this weekend, a person familiar with the situation told The...

By CHRIS TALBOTT 2010-07-30T10:48:18Z Former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has accepted an invitation from Mississippi coach Houston Nutt to visit the school this weekend, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Friday....

Lord Prescott has told the inquiry into the war he felt ''nervous'' about the notorious claim published in the September 2002 dossier that Saddam could launch WMD within 45 minutes.

Manuela Staderini, 57, underwent the 50 minute surgery to save her daughter Giuliana Campanani, 37, suffering from chronic renal failure.

The new identity of killer Jon Venables must be kept secret because of the ''compelling evidence'' of a threat to his safety, a judge said today.

The showdown between Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid has fascinated the American public for nearly 130 years with its classic, Old West storyline of the frontier lawman hunting down the...

A baby long-eared bat, the sardine run, and wildfires.

The 43ft-long female was found stuck on the bulbous bow ship which of the Sapphire Princess after becoming attached overnight.

Bradley Manning transferred from Kuwait amid investigation over leaks of classified Afghanistan war material

A US army private under investigation for allegedly leaking classified material to the Wikileaks website has been transferred from Kuwait to the US amid growing White House and Pentagon anger over this week's revelations about the war in Afghanistan.

Bradley Manning, who has already been charged with leaking a video and other material relating to the Iraq war, is now said to be a suspected source for tens of thousands of documents which made their way via Wikileaks to the Guardian, the New York Times and Der Spiegel in Germany.

The war logs revealed that civilian casualties at the hands of coalition forces were far larger than previously reported, soaring Taliban attacks and frustration at what allies see as support for the insurgency from within Pakistan. Critics have claimed the leaks put the lives of Afghan informants and coalition troops at risk.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, said yesterday those behind the leaks might already have "blood on their hands" and the US defence secretary, Robert Gates, promised the criminal investigation would go "wherever it needs to go". He did not rule out the Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, or the Guardian and other publications being a target.

CNN today reported that Manning, 22, who was an intelligence officer in Iraq, was being held at a Marine Corps facility in Quantico, Virginia. No decision had been made yet as to whether he should face trial for the earlier alleged offences, the news channel said.

Mullen told reporters yesterday: "Mr Assange can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he and his source are doing. But the truth is they might already have on their hands the blood of some young soldier or that of an Afghan family."

Gates said: "We don't know how many more there are out there. It could be a substantial additional number of documents. And we have no idea what their content is, either."

He dismissed the idea of talking to Assange to learn more about further information that might be released. "I'm not sure why we would," he said. "Do you think he is going to tell us the truth?"

Gates did not mention Manning by name as he revealed that the Pentagon was tightening rules for handling classified material in war zones as a result of the leak. Pentagon officials said Manning, who had been stationed at a small post outside Baghdad, may not be the sole target of the army inquiry.

"If the kind of breach involved in the downloading of these thousands of documents had occurred at a rear headquarters or here in the US, there's a very high likelihood we would have detected it," Gates said.

Assange said yesterday that Wikileaks had contacted the White House via the New York Times and offered to let government officials go through the documents to make sure no innocent people were identified. The White House did not respond to the approach, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Assange dismissed allegations that innocent people had been put in danger. "We have yet to see clear evidence of that," he said.

• Afghanistan
• US military
• WikiLeaks
• Internet
• Obama administration
• United States

James Meikle
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The work and pensions secretary claims 'dramatic amounts' of money wasted in overpayments and could collapse

The benefits system is on the verge of collapse, the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, said today.

Launching a consultation on cutting the welfare budget and increasing incentives to work, he said the complex system meant "dramatic amounts" of money was being wasted in overpayments.

Duncan Smith blamed many of the problems on the tax credit system introduced by Gordon Brown when he was chancellor.

Duncan Smith told the Today programme on BBC Radio 4: "The first thing that happened when I walked through the doors of the Department for Work and Pensions was my officials said to us 'for goodness' sake, let's get on and reform this because we spend so much money holding together this complex system which is really, really on the verge of breaking down. Every day we worry that we simply will have a system breakdown and we will lose people as a result'."

Duncan Smith revealed claimants might receive different levels of benefit depending on where they live. "We want to talk to people from different areas to see whether or not they think they would prefer to see that."

Duncan Smith, who claims the present system has risen in costs by £60bn over the past 10 years, is expected to float three possible schemes in his announcement today.

Options to be published will include combining elements of the current income-related benefits and tax credit systems, bringing out-of-work and in-work support together in a single system and supplementing monthly household earnings through credit payments reflecting circumstances such as children, housing and disability.

Officials from Duncan Smith's department have pointed to a report this week from the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) highlighting a new PAYE system that would make it easier to adjust tax credits and benefit payments on time as income changes, rather than annually as is the case with work credits, or when a recipient notifies the HMRC of a change in income.

The tax credit system would no longer be based on annual updates of an individual's income.

Department for Work and Pensions officials say the change would put tax credit payments into line with the standards the public expect from banks, and will allow flexibility so that people can be assured of the right support even if they take on temporary work.

• Iain Duncan Smith
• Welfare
• Liberal-Conservative coalition
• Conservatives
• Gordon Brown
• Labour
• Tax credits

James MeiklePatrick Wintour
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Cindy Hickey was sitting in her home office last summer, preparing a receipt for a client of her animal physical therapy business when the phone rang. She picked up, then nearly hung up,...

BP gas station owners across the country are divided over whether the oil giant stained by its handling of the Gulf spill should rebrand U.S. outlets as Amoco or another name as part of...

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have started renovation and modernisation work at Yousmarg, a tourist spot in the Kashmir valley, to attract tourists.ousmarg, which was once a favourite destination of Indian filmmakers, is a small meadow located 50 kilometres from Srinagar.

Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal had another nightmare day behind the stumps on the opening day of first Test against England, where he dropped a couple of sitters to strengthen claims that he is no way near his best form.

Israeli car pelted with stones near Bethlehem

Iran says ready to renew talks on nuclear fuel immediately

The World Orchestra for Peace, symbolizing unity and harmony and led by renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, is set to give a rare concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

Three U.S. troops died in blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the death toll for July to at least 63 and surpassing the previous month's record as the deadliest for American forces in the nearly 9-year-old war.

Shocking images show the mutilated birds bodies scattered across the ground outside a Scout hut. The dead birds, most with their heads chopped off, were discovered by horrified families.

Helicopter crash victims laid to rest

Today, in 1866, the Democratic government in New Orleans ordered a raid on a racially integrated meeting of the Republican Party. 40 people were killed and 150 were injured. Remember.

BigCommerce Delivers Multi-Channel Ecommerce for Small and Mid-Sized Merchants

SAP Completes Acquisition of Sybase, Inc.

European Research Project Aims to Improve the Diagnosis and Therapy of Brain Diseases

TripAdvisor Teams Up With Nokia to Empower Even More Travelers

 The Supreme Court nomination of Elena Kagan won’t hit the Senate floor until the second half of next week.

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Election-year deficit concerns are slowing the annual appropriations process as lawmakers wrestle with everything from healthcare to homeland security.

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FROM STAFF REPORTS

An excessive heat warning is in effect today for five counties in northeast Oklahoma as sweltering temperatures are expected to stick around through the weekend and next week.

Russian energy player, Inter RAO, has posted FY 2009 net loss of 282 million euro under IFRS.

According to the FBI, the four large U.S. cities with the lowest violent crime rates are all in border states

Shoot or don't shoot? Eighteen-year-old William Bryant takes a deep breath and gulps before he aims his pistol and shoots a passenger in a van who appears to be reaching for a weapon. ...

Japan's jobless rate in June rose to 5.3 percent, matching the level seen last November as it worsened for the fourth straight month, but job…

Frank (D-Mass.), the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said on CNBC that the VAT was "as dead as a doornail"

(Reuters) - Social networking website Facebook Inc may postpone its initial public offering until 2012, Bloomberg said, citing three people familiar with the matter said.

The government is looking to bring the private sector back to the fore after state ownership of the economy has risen as high as 60% during the global financial crisis.

Russian Spies

Crist's third-party bid is staffed by a collection of misfits who run the gamut from longtime loyalists to out-of-state hired guns

2 mortar shells land in Eshkol Regional Council; no injuries

Grace Ford, 17, suffered massive injuries after the 90ft fall, including breaking her legs and her pelvis. She died last night, 12 days after the incident in Magaluf.

David Chaytor, Elliot Morley, Jim Devine and Lord Hanningfield are not protected from prosecution by parliamentary privilege

Three former Labour MPs and a Tory peer today lost appeals over a ruling that they are not protected from prosecution by parliamentary privilege over allegations of theft by false accounting.

Court of appeal judges rejected challenges brought by David Chaytor, Elliot Morley, Jim Devine and Lord Hanningfield, who deny the allegiations.

The four appealed against a ruling in June by Mr Justice Saunders, sitting at Southwark crown court. He rejected arguments claiming they were protected by parliamentary privilege and should be dealt with by parliament alone.

Today, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, sitting with Lord Neuberger and Sir Anthony May, agreed with the earlier ruling.

The judge said: "The stark reality is that the defendants are alleged to have taken advantage of the allowances scheme ... to commit crimes of dishonesty to which parliamentary immunity or privilege does not, has never, would attach."

Each of the four defendants, who are all on unconditional bail, now face separate criminal trials, although it is open to them to seek to take their case to the supreme court for a further challenge.

Former Bury North MP Chaytor, 60, of Todmorden, Lancashire, is accused of falsely claiming rent on a London flat he owned, falsely filing invoices for IT work and renting a property from his mother, against regulations.

Ex-Scunthorpe MP Morley, 58, of Winterton, North Lincolnshire, is charged with falsely claiming £30,428 in interest payments between 2004 and 2007 towards a mortgage on his home which he had already paid off.

Devine, 57, of Bathgate, West Lothian, formerly MP for Livingston, is accused of wrongly submitting two invoices worth a total of £5,505 for services provided by Armstrong Printing Ltd.

He also faces a second charge alleging he dishonestly claimed cleaning and maintenance costs of £3,240 by submitting false invoices from Tom O'Donnell Hygiene and Cleaning Services.

And former Essex county council leader, Lord Hanningfield, who is also known as Paul White, 69, of West Hanningfield, near Chelmsford, Essex, faces six charges of making dishonest claims for travelling allowances.

Lord Judge said: "It can confidently be stated that parliamentary privilege or immunity from criminal prosecution has never, ever attached to ordinary criminal activities by members of parliament."

He added: "The stark reality is that the defendants are alleged to have taken advantage of the allowances scheme designed to enable them to perform their important public duties as members of parliament to commit crimes of dishonesty to which parliamentary immunity or privilege does not, has never, and, we believe, never would attach.

"If the allegations are proved, and we emphasise, if they are proved, then those against whom they are proved will have committed ordinary crimes."

He said the court believed the "ordinary process of the criminal justice system should take its normal course".

The judge acknowledged that the issue of parliamentary expenses had "excited huge public interest" and "profound concern".

He stressed that none of the four men had been convicted and the evidence against them had yet to be tested. The appeals raised "important questions of public interest about the nature and ambit of parliamentary privilege" and had required examination in depth.

• MPs' expenses
• Labour
• Conservatives

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

BEIJING, July 30 (Kyodo) _ Civilians have been mobilized to help exhausted soldiers and emergency workers retrieve thousands of chemical-filled barrels that were swept into a major...

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Marlon King was given an 18-month sentence after punching student Emily Carr, 20, in a London nightclub.

The London Mayor admitted cyclists faced a shortage of bikes and could have problems returning them to the 'docking stations' throughout the city.

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• Prescott dismisses Iraq intelligence as 'tittle tattle'
• Former deputy PM says he believed invasion was legal
• Says ex-attorney general was 'not a happy bunny'

11.54am: Chilcot asks Prescott whether there is a mechanism he can imagine to help parliament feel it has enough information to make a decision in a "state of knowledge". Prescott insists there has been more democratic accountability on Iraq than any other military intervention.

The former deputy prime minister concludes by saying no one took the decision to go to war lightly and that he has agonised over every military death, both in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Leadership isn't about the vision of hindsight, he points out. In terms of the qualities needed – he lists a few, including humanity and compassion – he appears to suggest Blair had them all. It is a glowing tribute to the man under whom he served for ten years.

Over to Chilcot, who says it's now about a year since the panel began its work. He points to the substantial archive of evidence on the inquiry website.

Integrating the information is going to begin, and gaps may appear, he explains. Additional information might be sought in writing, but witnesses may be recalled and this would take place in late autumn. He has opened up the possibility of further appearances by Blair or Brown in light of all the other evidence given so far.

He hopes the report can be published at the end of the year. Recommendations will be made about how a similar situation should be handled in future.

11.52am: Earlier, Prescott discussed the evidence given to the inquiry by the former MI5 director general Baroness Manningham-Buller, who said she had made clear before the war that there was no terrorist threat from Iraq.

The Press Association has filed his full quote, in which he rejects her claim:

She was on the JIC [joint intelligence committee] that produced the document that was used by the prime minister to say: 'This is a threat' ... She was always on about the threat of terrorism. Along with it came 'Please give me more money'.

It's quite a stark remark: Prescott is essentially accusing Manningham-Buller of talking up the terrorist threat in order to get more money for the MI5 budget.

11.35am: Freedman asks whether civil servants could have done more to mitigate the "sofa" government Prescott describes.

Prescott refers to former senior civil servants who have given evidence, and says there is a sense permanent secretaries felt they were "left out of it".

He is brought back to comments he made about the importance of parliamentary approval. The vote had come at the end of a long process – but should it have come later? He says no, citing the questions, reviews and scrutiny within parliament that took place.

And then there was the democratic vote: "What was important in Tony's mind was that they were carrying the majority of Labour party members. Tony was worried about that and those debates and issues were an important part of it. You can't say there wasn't debate and accountability, and it wasn't just that one vote. And the government won the vote (despite a Labour rebellion)."

11.32am: Prescott says the nature of international relations tends to turn the prime ministerial into the presidential.

He cites the example of Blair, PM, in video links with Bush, president. "You can't expect Blair to say at that point: 'Hang on a minute, I need to talk to my cabinet'. So in the end the conduct is more presidential in style."

11.30am: Prescott says equipment was discussed in meetings – whether it was sufficient or needed to be improved. There were considerable discussions in the cabinet about it, he says.

Brown told the inquiry he had provided sufficient money for equipment. Prescott suggests that the desire from other services for equipment made it difficult for the armed forces to have everything they wanted.

He indicates that changes were made in the way meetings were run. Sometimes papers were not made available, for example.

There was a point at which he told Blair they seemed to be running things like a shadow cabinet. He spoke to Lord Butler, then the cabinet secretary, but it appears Blair did not really listen to his advice. Prescott says he wanted to move away from the "sofa" style of government, which he says at one point was leaning towards the "presidential".

11.21am: Gilbert refers to Prescott's book again. In it, he says that, when things started to go wrong, they had no option but to go with the US.

Prescott stresses again that there is no doubt Britain was America's junior partner. He points out again that Blair had nonetheless managed to persuade Bush to go down the UN resolution route at first.

He says the process was bringing about democracy, meaning it wasn't possible to just pull out of Iraq. The aim was to influence decisions, but the hawkishness in the US was a problem.

Was he satisfied the UK exerted enough influence? He says that, in the aftermath of the invasion, he did not feel it was sufficient, adding: "There was certainly no satisfaction."

11.17am: Gilbert asks Prescott about the three war cabinet meetings he chaired. He says the discussions were more about the political aspects, such as resources and strategy.

Gilbert asks how ministers kept abreast of developments (deterioration) in Iraq after the war cabinet stopped meeting. Prescott says the discussions moved to postwar issues, so the military aspect was not there any more.

He says people were concerned about the fact that people were dying, and that military action in Iraq was affecting the threat to domestic security. He says he discussed these issues with Blair.

11.10am: Was he playing an important role in making sure the parliamentary party supported the government? Yes he was, he says. He says there were difficult debates ... "but we had to argue our case".

He is asked about the New Statesman interview, in which he reflected on why he "went along" with the invasion. He says he believes that each stage in the run-up was right, and then suddenly you were "staring at the next stage". Saddam was not a good man, he says.

Freedman quotes comments from his autobiography (2008) in which he says he "would do the same thing again". He appears to stand by that.

11.08am: Freedman is trying to get Prescott to draw a picture of the level of anxiety, concern and doubts from around January 2003.

Prescott had said around that time that the "talking outside the side of the mouth" had to stop. He says those kind of comments referred to the off record side swipes that would end up in the press but it was a general point, not specifically about Iraq.

He reiterates the fears over cabinet leaks, notably about Short. He didn't think she would leak details, but says her nature was outspoken. He saw his role in the cabinet as maintaining unity.

11.05am: What is striking about Prescott's evidence is how earnestly he tries to see things from everyone's point of view – to explain the position people found themselves in – and his strong belief that everyone did what they did in good faith.

He accepts there could not have been a political agreement without the legal advice. He does not deny he supported the invasion at the time. The support of Straw, then the foreign secretary, and Goldsmith aside, does Prescott believe his backing for military intervention made a difference to the vote in the House? He says he doesn't believe he had that much influence.

Did he ever think at the time he might not have been able to support it? he says no – he would have backed the prime minister. Otherwise he would have resigned, like Cook.

He reminds the panel New Labour were determined to avoid divisions in the government, and Iraq could have split it if the cabinet had said "no no no".

10.59am: Lyne asks whether it was "politically essential" for Goldsmith to find the right position.

Prescott says US colleagues found it "quite quaint" that Blair intended to take the decision to parliament for a vote.

Is that why Goldsmith was unhappy – because he knew it all rested with him? Prescott says no one was happy, and that Goldsmith was "not a happy bunny" during this time.

He had the weight on his shoulders about having to give a legal opinon ... It was not an easy judgment to make.

It was a very difficult decision – for the prime minister as well. If it's not legal, you'd be pursued for all sorts of war criminal charges. We were very conscious of that.

He reiterates that Goldsmith was trying to argue there was a reasonable case for intervention, based on past breaches. But the reality was that a second resolution would have been better.

10.57am: In a pretty passionate defence of Goldsmith, Prescott explains the dilemma his former colleague faced. If a second resolution wasn't achieved, he knew alternative routes would be pursued and he had to clarify the legal position.

It was his interpretation, in light of material breaches, that the invasion was legal, but perhaps he was worried about whether he could win that argument in court.

10.51am: Lyne takes Prescott on to Goldsmith's advice, which changed in run-up to the invasion.

Prescott says he didn't feel the need to see all the documentation. Goldsmith was saying a military intervention was justifiable and legal due to Iraqi breaches of previous UN resolutions.

He says they just wanted a yes or no, and he didn't feel it necessary to see all the advice (which, it later emerged, said a safer course would be a second resolution).

On the "better view" the attorney general came to later that month, Prescott says Lord Boyce, then the chief of defence staff, wanted clarity.

It's clear from what Prescott says that he was happy to trust the judgment of his colleague and his legal expertise.

10.50am: Going back to the 45-minute claim, the Press Association has filed more on this.

Prescott said he felt "nervous" about the claim published in the 2002 intelligence dossier that Saddam could launch WMD within 45 minutes. On intelligence reports on Iraq, he said some of it appeared to be "tittle-tattle".

Referring to the JIC reports on Iraq, he said:

When I kept reading them, I kept thinking to myself: 'Is this intelligence?' It's basically what you have heard somewhere and what somebody else has told somebody. Presumably that's how intelligence is brought about.

So I got the feeling it wasn't very substantial, but it clearly was robust.

10.37am: Here's a summary of Prescott's evidence so far:

He told the inquiry he was determined to get a UN resolution before the invasion of Iraq. "I was a strong advocate, as was the prime minister, that we must secure a UN resolution" (see 10.08am).

He said it was clear that some in the US administration were determined to invade Iraq come what may. He told the inquiry Blair told him the US was quite prepared to "go without us".

Prescott said he was satisfied that the 2003 invasion of Iraq was legal. He pointed out that parliament had the opportunity to vote on the invasion.

Blair warned Prescott not to be offended by the language during a video link between the then PM and the then US president, George Bush.

Chilcot also asked Prescott to slow down when he was giving evidence, as the panel were having trouble keeping up.

10.35am: Prescott is asked about Jack Straw telling the inquiry that the UN security council was "close to consensus" and suggesting the failure to reach agreement was just down the French.

Prescott says that it isn't right, but goes on to suggest other countries might have been swayed by the French position.

Also, Straw would have known more about the level of entrenchment on this issue by different nations, he says. He accepts that was Straw's judgement and he can't dispute it.

They've just taken a ten-minute comfort break.

10.30am: Prescott is asked whether what would be done if a second resolution was achieved had been thought through.

He points to the fact that military preparations started some months before the invasion. The cabinet asked whether it would be legal to invade without a second resolution. Lord Goldsmith said yes.

Claire Short told the inquiry that she, Brown and Blair were in a meeting together where they decided to "blame the French" for the failed attempt to get a second resolution.

Prescott says the French weren't supporting it, so it was fair to say it. It wasn't just the French who didn't support it, says Lyne. "You're right," says Prescott, but goes on to add that the French "easily come to mind" when blame needs to be dished out. He cites our geographical closeness, but also historical reasons, for why it felt OK to centre attention on Jacques Chirac.

10.28am: Prescott is asked about UN resolution 1441. He says that, under the UN, there was the possibility of regime change – just not achieved in the way the US was intending.

Asked about the push for a second resolution in the early part of 2003, Prescott says it was critical to get an agreement on that – but it became increasingly clear agreement was not going to be reached.

10.20am: The inquiry is asking about the link between talks on Iraq and commitments on the Middle East peace process.

Prescott makes clear his belief that Blair was committed to the process. He also suggests that Bush was making the right noises. It faltered, but he doesn't see that as Blair's failure.

He concurs with David Cameron that, ultimately, Britain was the "junior partner" and the US would have invaded Iraq with or without UK backing.

10.14am: Prescott is asked about conversations between ministers in Britain and their counterparts in the US.

Talking about his discussions with the then vice president, Dick Cheney, he mutters: "You can't convince him of anything". Cheney certainly wasn't in favour of the UN role, and saw Iraq as unfinished business.

The only man who appeared to have changed his mind was Bush, who agreed to go down the UN route.

10.08am: Prashar asks whether Blair had told Prescott about the level of commitment he had given Bush.

Prescott says Blair did not tell him he had promised that he would stand with him. He says it was up to the PM to decide Britain's relationship with the US.

Prescott seems clear that Blair was intent on the UN route. Bush said he was going to go through the UN. But he says Blair told him the US was quite prepared to "go without us".

Blair went back to the cabinet, and to parliament – so even if he had made a commitment to Bush, the final decision was a political one and that meant the vote in parliament, he says.

10.07am: Prescott recalls watching a video link of talks between Bush and Blair.

He says Blair warned him not to be offended by the language, and it wasn't swearing he was talking about. Prescott hints that he was suitably shocked. He doesn't remember when this happened.

10.06am: Prescott says he found it difficult to listen to US colleagues talking about Iraq as "unfinished business". I think he's referring to 2002.

He says he realised the US was set on upon regime change while Britain was committed to the UN route, and told Blair so.

And (not for the first time) Prescott has been asked to slow down a bit – he naturally speaks very quickly indeed!

10.02am: Was Prescott being shown a link between WMD and the threat of terrorism from Iraq?

Lyne raises evidence given earlier this month by former MI5 head Eliza Manningham-Buller, who said the terrorist threat was coming from elsewhere.

Prescott says it was accepted that terrorism was linked to WMD. It was one of the given facts that was accepted, he adds, but says he now wonders whether he should have made that assumption.

9.57am: Prescott talks about Robin Cook, who resigned as the leader of the Commons over Iraq in March 2003.

He says Blair asked him to persuade Cook not to resign, which he tried to do. Cook did not believe there were WMD in Iraq. Prescott says he tried to relay the arguments in favour of the route Britain was taking – but Cook turned out to be right.

9.54am: On the 45 minute claim, Prescott says he assumed its inclusion meant there must be something in it but that he was a bit "nervous" about the conclusions that this could lead to.

The impression was that there might be a nuclear element to the WMD alleged to be hidden in Iraq, he says.

When giving evidence to the inquiry, Blair said he regretted not correcting the impression given by the 45-claim (such as the "Brits 45 mins from doom" headline suggesting Iraqi missiles could hit British troops in Cyprus).

Prescott said he "took the evidence" and hoped matters would be settled through the UN.

9.50am: Lyne cites Blair's admission that there were a lot of ad hoc discussions at which strategy was formed. Most of these were not minuted.

Was Prescott part of the decision making process? Prescott says he was on the sofa all the time – a reference to Blair's "sofa" style of government. He says Blair consulted key ministers, as Margaret Thatcher did before him. He wasn't in every discussion, but he was kept abreast of developments.

Prescott says he was a bit worried that military options were being worked out when there was still a feeling that the route should be through the UN. The Americans were very clear that they wanted support from the UK, he says.

Prior to the April 2002 Crawford meeting between Bush and Blair, there were early stage papers being produced that he didn't necessarily see, but was aware they were being circulated.

His recollection is the same as Gordon Brown's – Brown told the inquiry he was "regularly kept in touch" about what was happening but didn't see the options papers drawn up before Crawford either.

9.45am: Lyne takes Prescott back to the first half of 2002. Was he part of discussions about whether the Britain should take part in military action then?

Prescott says he was, in various committee meetings that took place. He says he, like Blair, was a strong advocate of the UN resolution route. The stance from Britain at the time was that intervention should be through international consensus and the UN.

9.41am: Lyne tells Prescott that his role as deputy prime minister gave him a lot of influence in cabinet, and asked about the fact that many discussions about Iraq were ad hoc, outside the confines of cabinet meetings and unminuted.

Prescott says there was a difference between large ad hoc meetings and smaller ones. He tells the panel he attended more meetings in the process of leading up to the war then afterwards. He felt he received enough information, through private and public meetings as well as cabinet meetings, to have his say.

He raises the issue of confidentiality in meetings because of fears of leaks. Claire Short, the international development secretary at the time of the war, told the inquiry Blair said he did not want Iraq discussed in cabinet because he did not want the fact that it was being discussed to be leaked.

9.37am: Prescott explains, as Blair himself did when giving evidence, that the then prime minister watched coverage of the September 11 attacks – and his views about the terrorism threat changed.

9.36am: Prescott begins by offering his sympathies to families who have lost loved ones in Iraq.

He explains his role in supporting Blair, and gives a long list of duties he undertook, including chairing nine cabinet committees. He says he attended 23 at least 24 war cabinet meetings and chaired several when Blair wasn't around to do so.

9.35am: It might help to remind readers of the full inquiry panel, which is: Sir John Chilcot (chairman), Sir Lawrence Freedman, Sir Martin Gilbert, Sir Roderic Lyne and Baroness Usha Prashar

9.25am: The recently ennobled former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott is about to give evidence to the Chilcot inquiry.

Prescott, the deputy prime minister throughout Tony Blair's years in power, reflected last year on why he "went along" with the Iraq war.

In an interview with the New Statesman in December, he said:

"I do wonder, looking back now, having the privilege of discussing with Tony [Blair] about all this: how did I then go along [with it]?"

Prescott recalled witnessing "hair-raising" conversations about Iraq between Blair and George Bush. He has a relatively short slot – just one and a half hours – to explain what he heard, understood and believed in the run up to the invasion of Iraq and in its aftermath.

• John Prescott
• Iraq war inquiry

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Opinion: The real credit belongs to new leadership and free-market management principles.

His chief of staff, Barry Jackson, is described as "the most important person you don't know."

Opinion: Time is running out to pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

Opinion: Past oil spills show that ecosystems take decades to recover.

Incoming BP CEO Bob Dudley is expected to discuss the oil giant's long-term recovery efforts in the Gulf of Mexico during a news conference in Mississippi on Friday.

He is regaining momentum and campaigning with one of the most unusual teams ever assembled.

The budget wonk bids adieu to his role shaping key policy and, at times, rankling the White House.

Former "Fly Girl" Jennifer Lopez is poised to return to television _ this time as a judge on "American Idol." The singer-dancer-actor was close to signing a deal to join Fox TV's hit...

But they say their hopes for a post-primary turnaround from the one-time maverick are waning.

Nancy Pelosi says House Democrats are going home with a "portfolio of accomplishments."

UN calls on Saudi Arabia to stop deporting Somalis

From above the haunches, this six-day-old foal looks every bit a donkey as she plays with her mother. But the striped legs are a sure giveaway that something is a bit different about her.

Opinion: Supporters must rally for Dems who voted for health reform on the anniversary of Medicare.

Using Face Time, companies are developing video-sex chat services and are hiring workers through internet adverts in the US.

The Walt Disney Company said Friday it has agreed to sell Miramax Films for around $660 million to an investor group.

Adult female humpback found on bow of ship owned by Princess Cruises – the third whale incident involving the firm since 2001

A dead whale has been found pinned to the bow of a cruise ship off the coast of Alaska, the third such incident in a decade.

The whale was removed from a Princess Cruises ship on Wednesday afternoon, having apparently become lodged on the bulbous bow that morning.

The unfortunate whale, believed to be an adult female humpback measuring 13m (43ft) in length, was discovered at around 8am on Wednesday morning, as the Sapphire Princess ship travelled from Ketchikan to Juneau in Alaska.

The Sapphire Princess then stopped south of Douglas Island until the carcass could be removed from the bow by on Wednesday afternoon. The bulbous bow protrudes from the bowline of large ships just below the waterline. It is designed to reduce drag, increasing speed and stability.

Biologists will conduct a necropsy today to try to determine the cause of death, according to local news channel KTUU.

Humpback whales are protected under the US endangered species act and the marine mammal act, although it is unclear whether any legal action would be taken. A spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said it was possible the whale was already dead before becoming pinned to the bow.

It was the third whale incident involving a Princess Cruises ship since 2001. Last year, the same ship was discovered to have a dead fin whale – which like humpbacks, are classified as endangered – pinned to its bow when it returned to Vancouver from an Alaska voyage.

In 2007, the company paid $750,000 (£480,000) to settle a criminal charge related to a dead whale found just outside Glacier Bay, Alaska in 2001.

On that occasion the dead whale, a pregnant humpback, was found to have had its skull crushed.

Although Princess did not admit in the settlement to striking the whale, the company pleaded guilty to failing to operate one of its vessels, the Dawn Princess, at a safe speed around whales.

In a statement released yesterday, Princess said it was "fully co-operating" with the investigation into the incident near Tracy Arm fjord, south of Juneau.

• Alaska
• Marine life
• Animals
• United States
• Oceans
• Endangered species

Adam Gabbatt
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Opinion: Private contractors can help reduce the government be more responsive to disasters.

Obama administration adopts a tougher tone with China as part of a diplomatic balancing act

The combination of the bitter industrial dispute with the Unite union and the closure of most of European airspace for almost a week in April cost the airline around £250 million over the quarter.

A group of lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan calling for an end to deflation urged the government Friday to set specific inflation…

Jordan's Brotherhood to boycott November elections

U.S. efforts to cajole Mahmoud Abbas into talks with the Israelis have yet to yield results. But the Obama Administration could soon find itself on the spot if such talks go ahead

Those supporting the move say it removes a key incentive luring illegal immigrants over the border

Invasion of privacy in the Internet age. Expanding the reach of law enforcement to snoop on e-mail traffic or on Web surfing. Those are among the criticisms being aimed at the FBI as it...

Republicans wanted an election-season ethics case against Democratic powerhouse Rep. Charles Rangel of New York. And now, it looks like they have one. A House ethics panel of four...

By PETE YOST 2010-07-30T09:13:57Z WASHINGTON (AP) -- Invasion of privacy in the Internet age. Expanding the reach of law enforcement to snoop on e-mail traffic or on Web surfing. Those are among the criticisms being aimed at the FBI as it tries to update a key surveillance law....

Three U.S. service members were killed in blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the toll for July to at least 63 and making it the deadliest month for American forces in the nearly...

London launched a major cycle hire scheme on Friday which aims to make transport in the city greener ahead of the 2012 Olympics, following in the tracks of cities like Paris and Shanghai.

By Parvez Butt, Yousmarg (Jammu and Kashmir), July 30 : Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have started renovation and modernisation work at Yousmarg, a tourist spot in the Kashmir valley, to attract to...

Pakistan''s Indus Waters Commissioner Syed Jamaat Ali Shah told ANI here that a permanent solution of the water dispute would decrease tension between the two nations.He said Pakistan has registered i...

(Kyodo) _ Japan will offer $8.17 million to Sudan as an emergency grant aid to assist the conflict-ravaged country in carrying out a referendum next January on the independence of...

(Kyodo) _ The deaths of three more U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan have brought the toll for July to at least 63, making it the deadliest month for American forces in the nearly...

Jobless people who come off benefits and go to work will no longer lose out financially under the biggest shake-up of the welfare system for decades.

(Kyodo) _ The U.S. dollar fell to the lower 86 yen level Friday in Tokyo, briefly hitting a nearly eight-month low as market players unloaded the currency on concerns about the U.S....

Barry Jackson, Rep. John Boehner's chief of staff, is poised to become the most powerful staffer in Congress if Republicans win the House

The death toll in three days of flooding in Pakistan reached at least 267 on Friday, rescue and government officials said, as rains bloated rivers, submerged villages, and triggered landslides. The r...

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday took strong exception to British Prime Minister David Cameron's statement in India that Pakistan was exporting terror. “We ...

Srinagar: Two persons were rescued after a truck fell into a canal after a pillar of the Goshi Bridge was washed away due to heavy floods in the Baramulla district. Several houses and bridges were da...

(Kyodo) _ Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada expressed Friday his "extreme regret" over a reported recent trip to a Russian-held island claimed by Japan by Japanese businessmen who obtained...

Ashkelon: 8 people evacuated to hospital after suffering shock

State asks to extend prisoner's solitary confinement

Calbee Foods Co. said Friday it has launched a recall of six potato chips products as pieces of rubber may have got into packets during…

Severstal, better known for its steel operations, has boosted its stake in gold producer, Crew Gold, from 40.38% to a controlling stake of 50.17%.

London mayor unveils 6,000 hire bikes availabe to Londoners.

(Kyodo) _ Japan's housing starts in June rose 0.6 percent from a year earlier to 68,688 units for the first growth in two months, aided by rises in starts on owner-occupied homes and...

(Kyodo) _ North Korea and the U.S.-led United Nations Command on Friday held their fourth meeting since the sinking of a South Korean warship in March and tentatively greed to meet again...

The Rev Alex Brown, 61, conducted 360 fake ceremonies at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, between July 2005 and July 2009.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- The death toll in three days of flooding in Pakistan reached at least 313 on Friday, rescue and government officials said, as rains bloated rivers, submerged villages, and trigge...

ASHKELON, Israel (Reuters) - A rocket fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip struck the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon on Friday, causing damage but no injuries, officials said.

Shares rise 3% as Bitish Airways starts to recover and expects to break even for the year as a whole

The disruption caused by the volcanic ash cloud in the spring coupled with the effects of a bitter dispute with its own cabin crew knocked British Airways into a £164m loss over the past three months.

BA said its recovery remains on track despite the £250m cost of the cabin crew strike and impact of the ash cloud, which caused travel chaos in April and May.

The airline expects to break even for the year as a whole, news that helped its shares rise almost 3% in early trading. BA's prediction comes despite the fact that its loss for the three months to the end of June was larger than the £148m loss made in the same period last year.

"Despite both revenues and cost being hit by the closure of UK airspace following the Icelandic volcanic eruption and the impact of industrial action, our financial performance improved during the quarter from underlying revenue increases and further cost reductions," said Willie Walsh, the chief executive.

"The trends in our passenger and cargo traffic continue to be positive with yields up and costs down. Together this led to a reduced operating loss for the period, though pretax losses increased as a result of additional finance costs and the impact of non cash foreign exchange movements."

In its statement, the company added that "while some economic experts are flagging the risk of a 'double dip' recession, the steady recovery continues and, on that basis, we continue to target to break even at a profit before tax level for the full year."

Earlier this week, easyJet said the volcanic ash cloud cost it £65m as the budget airline was forced to cancel 7,314 flights and disrupt the travel plans of nearly a million passengers. Last week, Ryanair said it expects the disruption to have cost it €50m (£42m) after it had to cancel 9,400 flights.

But alongside the grounding of flights across Europe as a result of the eruption of a volcano on Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull glacier, BA has also suffered industrial action by cabin crew. So far this year, members of the Unite union have gone on strike for 22 days, with 15 of those days in the three months to end June.

Earlier this month, cabin crew members rejected the airline's final pay offer in a move that raises the prospect of further strike action as early as September, which could ground flights. The Unite union, which represents 90% of BA's 12,000 cabin crew, said 67% of its members voted against BA's final pay offer, which included two years' guaranteed basic salary increase.

Talks are due to be held at the conciliation service Acas on Monday. Union sources said that they were keen to resolve the dispute with BA but they are understood to be pessimistic about the chances of a breakthrough.

The Unite union has planned strike meetings with its officials next week to discuss any progress made at the talks and whether to take further industrial action if the impasse continues.

• British Airways
• Airline industry
• Air transport

Richard Wray
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The Japanese Diet convened Friday with opposition parties set to increase the pressure on the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Naoto Kan following the…

Three Labour MPs and a Conservative peer cannot use Parliamentary Privilege to protect themselves against charges they abused their expenses, Britain's most senior judges have ruled.

RedState Morning Briefing
For July 30, 2010

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Real Change: Faith in Government Collapses Under Obama

2. Why a Federal Grand Jury Could Put Georgia’s Governor’s Mansion in Democrat Hands

3. Sharron Angle is in a Good Position Against Harry Reid

4. Democrats Underestimate the American People Once Again

5. Oil spill update.

6. No, The Thumpin’ is/was not inevitable.

7. The Bizarro World of San Fran Nan and the House Dems

———————————————————————-

1. Real Change: Faith in Government Collapses Under Obama

President Obama and the current Congressional leadership were swept into office on a wave of dissatisfaction with George Bush and a Republican Congress. Polls showed that Americans were open to the idea of greater government intervention as a way to address serious problems. President Obama promised that he would expand the role of government to ‘fix’ health care, Wall Street, the economy, energy, and other challenges. A new poll from the liberal Center for American Progress shows that less than 2 years later, confidence in the ability of government to solve such problems has plummeted. Faith in the federal government is now at its lowest level in the history of the poll.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Why a Federal Grand Jury Could Put Georgia’s Governor’s Mansion in Democrat Hands

I mentioned this article yesterday. A federal grand jury is asking questions about Nathan Deal’s business deals (pun intended).

Deal, for his part, says he is not the subject of any federal investigation — which either means he is right or United States Attorneys are randomly subpoenaing people to talk to federal grand juries about Nathan Deal for no reason other than politics. Riiiigggghhhhtttttt.

This will be the first election since passage of the Voting Rights Act that Republicans do not control the White House during redistricting. That makes solidifying Republican majorities in as many states as possible crucial as we head into redistricting in 2011.

A federal grand jury investigating Nathan Deal could seriously undermine the Republicans’ chances in November should he be the nominee. But to understand why, we need to back up to March 29, 2010.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Sharron Angle is in a Good Position Against Harry Reid

Here is a not so secret dirty little secret. For the past month a lot of conservatives have been nervous over Sharron Angle’s Senate bid in Nevada. Her campaign seemed uncoordinated and unprofessional — amateurishly caught off guard by the hell unleashed on her.

Behind the scenes, Sharron Angle recognized she needed to regroup and reassess. For the past couple of weeks there has been a reorganization, some new faces, and renewed commitment to winning. Angle realizes a lot more is at stake than just beating Harry Reid.

Conservatives went with Angle against Sue Lowden. If Angle screws us, there will be a lot of egg on a lot of conservatives’ faces by the “we told you so” crowd — some of whom would actually like to see Harry Reid win so they can rub it in.

I’ve now been on the ground in Nevada, met with Sharron Angle, gotten to know her updated campaign team, and talked to Nevada voters. Harry Reid should be scared.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. Democrats Underestimate the American People Once Again

Clearly, the Democrats think they have something here tying together the Republican Party and the Tea Party. However, it seems to me that this political miscalculation is exactly why Congress’ approval rating is at 11%.

What the Democratic Leadership doesn’t seem to understand is that the Tea Party isn’t a political party; it’s a set of ideas shared by the overwhelming majority of Americans.

The Tea Party is made up of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, Constitution Party members, and apolitical Americans.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Oil spill update.

So, let us recap: an unexpected leak has dumped highly alarming amounts of crude oil into the water, taxing the resources of local authorities. Wildlife and wetland areas are already affected, and there’s no sign of swift relief. The governor of the state primarily involved - a state that frankly cannot afford more bad things happening to it - is screaming for the relevant federal authorities to get out of neutral and actually help, and screaming largely in vain. And, of course, nobody’s quite sure how much crude has leaked, and how culpable the oil company is in the leak, and whether the same federal authorities that aren’t helping now are responsible for missing the conditions that caused the original leak.

Michigan can’t just seem to catch a break.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. No, The Thumpin’ is/was not inevitable.

Stuart Rothenberg is having absolutely none of this preemptive excuse-making that the Democrats are starting to indulge in. You seem the conventional wisdom is now congealing into the notion that of course the Republicans were going to have a great year in 2010, and it was absolutely silly for anybody to think that it was ever in doubt that this would happen.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

7. The Bizarro World of San Fran Nan and the House Dems

As Friday’s House recess deadline looms, the CLEAR Act is rushing toward a floor vote. The CLEAR Act was supposed to fix whatever went wrong with Federal oversight of the Deepwater Horizon. One provision of the bill, offered by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), would have set up a Congressional commission of petroleum engineering experts to investigate the accident. This proposal was accepted unanimously in committee and a similar idea has been endorse by the Senate.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

World markets fell Friday, overlooking strong earnings in Asia and Europe as Japanese shares tumbled on a strong yen and dour economic figures ahead of a key U.S. growth report. Global...

(Kyodo) _ Japan's Takashi Uchiyama will attempt to defend his WBA super featherweight belt for a second time against fifth-ranked Indonesian challenger Roy Mukhlis at Saitama Super Arena...

Indian and Pakistani officials have met in New Delhi to discuss their water-related disputes, and have said that talks between the two countries will continue.

The crime rates in large U.S. cities near the border, contrary to the fears that lie behind Arizona's tough new immigration law, are among the lowest in the country

The leaks have prompted calls to re-evaluate how the military treats classified information

A brief look at the six men and six women who are tasked with deciding whether the guilt or innocence of the ex-governor of Illinois and his brother

The Walt Disney Co. says it will sell Miramax Films to an investor group for about $660 million, ending a 17-year association with the studio and a six-month bidding process. The New...

VORONEZH, Russia (Reuters) - Forest fires swept across central Russia on Friday, killing at least five people and forcing the evacuation of thousands during the hottest summer since records

The rocks in which they occur show that the reptiles lived on dry river plains hundreds of miles from the sea.

Ella Pamfilova, the chairwoman of the Presidential Council for the Promotion of Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights, is quitting. She has not clarified the reasons for her decision.

Pink Floyd's anthem "Another Brick in the Wall" has become a hit for Iran's resistance movement.

N. Korean diplomats seize books on Kim in Myanmar

Showing extraordinary support for Dominique Cottrez, Emeline and Virginia - who both have children of their own - said she was a 'model mother who supported us'.

The popular sports drink is being sued for its name, which fails to mention its sugar content. Are consumers being misled?

Why Victoria Stilwell and other experts are opposed to the submission techniques espoused by 'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan

Incoming BP CEO Bob Dudley is set to outline his company's long-term efforts to help the Gulf of Mexico recover from the oil spill and will be getting help from a Clinton administration-era

TOKYO, July 30 (Kyodo) _ Japan's vehicle production in the first half of 2010 rose 45.8 percent from the same period last year to 4,841,950 units, posting the largest margin of increase,

President Barack Obama is going to the heart of the U.S. auto industry to push an important election-year claim: his administration's unpopular auto industry bailout has turned into an...

There are well known concerns that Botox injections into the face produce a number of undesired effects, not least creating a mask-like expression devoid of normal movement and expression.

By CHARLES BABINGTON 2010-07-30T08:26:58Z WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is going to the heart of the U.S. auto industry to push an important election-year claim: his administration's unpopular auto industry bailout has turned into an economic good-news story....

ROME (Reuters) - Italy was in political turmoil on Friday after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi dramatically split with his one-time most powerful center-right ally, putting the country at

Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel," was killed Thursday in a gunbattle with soldiers, the Mexican army announced

The Daily Telegraph's Thomas Harding, first British journalist to visit Sangin for three months, filmed dramatic footage of a patrol under fire.

Pakistani rescue workers take a break as they search for evidence and victims at the site of Wednesday's deadly plane crash, in the mountains surrounding Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, July 29, 2010...

A new poll has revealed that only one in five Pakistanis view President Asif Ali Zardari favourably, while the country's Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani is high on the country's popularity charts .

Former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has criticised Prime Minister David Cameron, accusing him of being a "loudmouth" over his remarks about Pakistan's record on terrorism.

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that the issue of hostile statements made by British Prime Minister David Cameron would be taken up at a diplomatic level, and warned that such statements could adversely affect the war against terrorism.

More than 2,000 people lined up on Friday in front of a museum in Kanagawa Prefecture that began exhibiting a small capsule released from the…

(Kyodo) _ The yield on the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond closed lower Friday as an unexpected drop in Japan's industrial production and falls in Tokyo stocks boosted demand...

President Barack Obama travels to the heart of the U.S. auto industry on Friday. The president will push an important election-year claim: his administration's unpopular auto industry...

The Justice Ministry will open the execution chamber at the Tokyo Detention House to the media as early as August, Justice Minister Keiko Chiba said…

The pilot of an Mi-8 Russian helicopter with nine people on board, which was hijacked in Darfur on Monday, is now at the UN mission in the Sudanese province.

North-west region hardest hit as floodwaters wash away roads and bridges, leaving an estimated 400,000 people stranded

The death toll in three days of flooding in Pakistan reached at least 313 today, rescue and government officials said, as rains bloated rivers, submerged villages, and triggered landslides.

The rising toll from the monsoon rains underscore the poor infrastructure in Pakistan, where under-equipped rescue workers were struggling to reach people stranded in remote villages. The weather forecast was mixed, with some areas expected to see reduced rainfall and others likely to see an intensification.

Pakistani TV showed images of people clinging to fences and other stationary items as water at times gushed over their heads.

The north-west appeared to be the hardest hit, and Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the information minister for the province, said it was the worst flooding in the region since 1929. The highway connecting Peshawar to the federal capital, Islamabad, was shut down after the water washed away bridges and other links.

At least 291 people died in various parts of that province over the last three days, said Mujahid Khan of the Edhi Foundation, a privately run rescue service that operates morgues and ambulances across the South Asian country.

In Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, at least 22 people were confirmed dead last night, the area's prime minister, Sardar Attique Khan, told reporters.

The tolls from the deluge were expected to rise because many people were still missing. Poor weather this week also may have been a factor in Wednesday's Airblue plane crash that killed 152 people in Islamabad.

In the Swat Valley, residents were forced to trudge through knee-deep water in some streets.

A newly constructed part of a dam in the Charsadda district collapsed, while the UN said it had reports that 5,000 homes were underwater in that area.

Hussain estimated 400,000 people were stranded in various north-west villages.

"A rescue operation using helicopters cannot be conducted due to the bad weather, while there are only 48 rescue boats available for rescue," he said today.

Pakistan's poorest residents are often the ones living in flood-prone areas because they can't afford safer land.

South-west Baluchistan province has also been hit hard by the recent rains. Last week, flash floods in that region killed at least 41 people and swept away thousands of homes. A UN statement today said 150,000 people were affected there.

The UN said Punjab province in Pakistan's east was also hit by some flooding. Crops were soaked in farmlands throughout the country. The UN said the humanitarian community was trying to put together a proper response, but the rains were making many roads impassable, complicating efforts to assess needs.

• Pakistan
• Natural disasters and extreme weather
• Flooding

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David Cameron is trying shift the blame for the failure of the war in Afghanistan, former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has said.

Arran Coghlan, 40, was arrested in February this year after Stephen 'Aki' Akinyemi, 36, was found lying dead in a pool of blood in the bathroom of Coghlan's luxurious £2million Cheshire mansion.

The US military's top officer, Admiral Mike Mullen said that Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, may already have blood on his hands

[dc_video][/dc_video] Wind: 20 MPH. Top cart speed: 50 MPH. Here’s how it works.

Monsoon rain has caused rivers to burst their banks, destroying thousands of mudbrick houses and causing buildings to collapse.

Basil Marceaux says he's pleased with the national attention he's getting for his Republican gubernatorial bid in Tennessee, even if the coverage has largely mocked the perennial candidate. The 59-year-old entrepreneur from Soddy-Daisy's rambling one-minute candidate statement broadcast on Nashville's WSMV-TV quickly became in Internet hit. The video has since been featured on shows ranging from Chris Matthews' "Hardball" on MSNBC to Comedy Central's "Colbert Report."

NEW YORK: Aafia Siddiqui, who was convicted of trying to murder US agents and military officers in Afghanistan should be sent to prison for 12 years rather than life because she is mentally ill, her l...

LONDON: Former British Foreign Secretary Labour leadership hopeful David Miliband became the highest profile British politician to condemn Prime Minister David Cameron, accusing him of being a “loud...

ISLAMABAD: The appointment of a focal person in the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has raised yet another controversy as the HEC officials say they have not received any notification as yet while t...

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Flood Commission and the Met office have warned the authorities that the next 24 hours are critical and if the ongoing spell of rains continues, innumerable villages in Khyber-P...

PESHAWAR: The death toll from torrential rain and floods in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the last two days reached 199 as dozens more casualties were reported on Thursday.

ISLAMABAD: A probe into the horrifying crash of Airblue’s Airbus into the Margalla hills, which killed all 152 persons on board, has been started to find out all possible factors that contributed to...

[dc_video][/dc_video]

In his first interview after agreeing to step down, Mr. Hayward said he did everything possible once the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded

• Hughes makes deal priority after signing two-year contract
• Bellamy previously signed by Hughes at Blackburn and City

Mark Hughes will attempt to scupper Tottenham Hotspur's move for Craig Bellamy after he was confirmed as Fulham's new manger. Hughes has signed a two-year deal as Roy Hodgson's successor at Craven Cottage and he will make Bellamy, the Manchester City striker, one of his top transfer targets.

Ray Lewington, who has been in caretaker charge since Hodgson's departure, has been retained on the coaching staff.

Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, has a long-standing interest in Bellamy, having tried to sign him in January of last year from West Ham United only for the player to move to Eastlands for £14m. Redknapp is aware the City manager Roberto Mancini has to slim down his squad to 25 senior players to comply with this season's regulations and he hopes to exploit the situation with a bid for Bellamy. Redknapp also wants the City defender Micah Richards.

But Hughes has a close relationship with Bellamy, having worked with him during his first managerial job in charge of Wales; taken him to Blackburn Rovers from Newcastle United in the summer of 2005 for £5m and then signed him for City. Although Bellamy's weekly wage might represent a stumbling block, Hughes would like to buy him for the third time. Bellamy, 31, has played for eight clubs during his career and has had £45m spent on him in transfer fees. Hughes is also interested in another two of his former City players, the midfielder Stephen Ireland and the striker Roque Santa Cruz.

Hughes acknowledged the success Hodgson enjoyed at Fulham – most notably taking them to the Europa League final last season – but has already set out his own blueprint for taking them forward.

Hughes said on the club's website: "I have discussed my aspirations with the chairman [Mohamed Al Fayed] and [the chief executive] Alistair Mackintosh and believe that we are aligned in our aims for what can realistically be achieved here. I am joining on the back of two of the most successful seasons in the club's history and that in itself brings with it the challenges of expectation and ambition.

"I am confident that with some additions to the squad, hard work and commitment, we can move this club forward. I hope the Fulham fans will enjoy some special times during this season's campaign."

Redknapp himself would not be drawn on the Bellamy deal last night. "I like Craig Bellamy but I don't know if they [City] would sell him," said Redknapp after Spurs' 4-1 friendly defeat by Villarreal. "The chairman deals with all the transfers. He asks me what I want and I tell him. I don't know where he's at with Bellamy, if anywhere."

• Mark Hughes
• Fulham
• Tottenham Hotspur
• Transfer window

David HadertDavid Hytner
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The secrecy around Chelsea Clinton’s wedding has led to frenetic attempts to puncture the family’s new reticence.

Spectacular video of dense fog descending upon the Australian cities of Sydney and Brisbane.

ISLAMABAD (AFP) – Investigators spent a third day searching Friday for the black box of a Pakistani jet that crashed into Islamabad's hills, killing all 152 people on board, officials said. ...

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Chris Matthews strayed from the liberal talking points today. But don’t worry, it only happened for a little while. Two hours, in fact, before he was back to his old self, lashing out irrationally at conservatives. We’re not sure where Matthews’ original bout of intellectual honesty came from, but we’re pretty sure that some sort of JournoListy Intervention occurred to get him back on message.

For those of you who don’t know (and according to the latest ratings, that’s most of you), Matthews does a 5pm “Hardball” on MSNBC that repeats at 7pm. Today, during the 5pm hour, Matthews had as his guests hardcore leftists Joan Walsh of Salon.com and former Governor Howard Dean. The issue at hand was Shirley Sherrod’s promise to sue Andrew Breitbart. Well, that wasn’t the real issue at hand. The idea was to beat holy hell out of Breitbart, but things didn’t exactly go according to the JournoListy Playbook.

Believe it or not, Matthews defended Breitbart.

In the early part of the 5pm segment with Walsh and Dean, there appears to be some confusion over whether or not Matthews was aware of the fact that Breitbart posted two excerpts of Sherrod’s speech as opposed to the whole 35-plus minutes. But later in the segment — and this is important — after this discrepancy is cleared up and the full excerpt in question has been aired for Matthews and the “Hardball” audience (this, according to Newsbusters), a fully informed Matthews still defends Breitbart making the crucial and oft-ignored point that…

Well, there you go. [Quoting Ms. Sherrod] “I opened my eyes. I realized it wasn’t about black and white. It was, but it was about other things, about poverty.” So, Joan, that part, that part in there about redemptive revelation was actually in the initial tape.

Watch this part of the exchange below, and remember that this occurs after Matthews has seen the full excerpt in question. Whatever confusion there might have been earlier, is completely cleared up by this time:

—–

Well, obviously this couldn’t have sat well with the left-wing Journolistas who are now in full Destroy Breitbart mode and therefore in no mood for independent thinkers not fully on board with today’s talking points.

So rather than accept the fact that a fully informed Matthews was still intellectually honest enough to make the point that the rest of the MSM is willfully ignoring — that Ms. Sherrod’s redemptive revelation was not cut from the excerpted video — something inexplicable happened between the 5pm and 7pm broadcast, and it’s not crazy to speculate that this something was probably a whole lot of angry phone calls, a flood of scathing emails, and a producer meeting or two that included any and all variations of the word apostate.

An international story that’s grabbed thousands of headlines over the last week, and Matthews did a 180… between shows? Someone got to him. The MSNBC Thought Police? The JournoList Thought Police? (Did I just repeat myself?)

What else could it have been? Something happened. Something so effectively transforming that it spun Matthews completely around enough that sometime before the 7pm “Hardball” rerun was set to air, he magically decided he wanted a redo. And so for what might have been the first time in the show’s history, Matthews re-taped an entirely new program for the 7pm hour — a program that would allow him to make up for his short but near fatal bout of intellectual honesty and put him safely back in line and on the record with his left-wing pals. See for yourself…

Remember, the video above represents Matthews’ 5pm opinion of the Sherrod excerpt Breitbart posted. The video below represents Matthews’ 7pm opinion of that very same excerpt:

—–

What a difference a couple of hours makes! And oh, yes, Joan Walsh was much, much happier with this Chris Matthews. And so was Mediaite. I’m sure a big teddy bear bouquet from Media Matters is already on the way.

As you can see from the 7pm clip, Governor Dean wasn’t able to return for the magic redo, so another hardcore left-winger, Politico “reporter” Ken Vogel, was brought in to complete the left-wing echo chamber.

My favorite part of Vogel’s reportering analysis is his having to finally face the unhappy fact that Ms. Sherrod’s redemptive moment was indeed included in the Breitbart excerpt. Grief-stricken that this fact is now out there for the world to see, Mr. Vogel enters the first stage of grief — denial — and writes this inconvenient fact off as a mistake, as though Breitbart would’ve removed the moment of redemption if only he had seen it.

Well, the one person who removed that moment of redemption was Vogel himself when he declined to mention its existence in this Politico piece (co-authored with Keach Hagey) from the 22nd:

[Breitbart posted] a video misleadingly edited to make it appear that a black Agriculture Department employee named Shirley Sherrod was boasting of discriminating against a white farmer.

Big Government’s Mike Flynn addressed this wildly incorrect statement later that very same day:

At the very end of one of the video excerpt’s, Ms. Sherrod begins to explain how she later realized her initial discrimination of the white farmer was wrong. In Andrew’s article about the speech he noted

Eventually, her basic humanity informs that this white man is poor and needs help.

If we were trying to show that Ms. Sherrod was “boasting” of discrimination and were prone to editing the tape as evidence, wouldn’t we have cut that part out?

And yet this “journalist” has yet to correct the record.

Or should I call him a “JournoListo“?

At least 49 people were killed in a landslide in north Pakistan on Friday, local TV channels reported. Thirteen bodies have been recovered so far as rescue operation is still underway in Bisham area o...

Communication infra-structure has been damaged as the continuing overnight string of torrential rains and subsequent floods took a heavy toll of over 110 lives in the worst-hit northwest Khyber Pakhtu...

One passenger aircraft engine caught fire on Friday morning after hitting a bird at Karachi airport, south Pakistan, local media reported. No casualties are reported. A loud blast was heard in the eng...

Chris Matthews strayed from the liberal talking points today. But don’t worry, it only happened for a little while. Two hours, in fact, before he was back to his old self, lashing out irrationally at conservatives. We’re not sure where Matthews’ original bout of intellectual honesty came from, but we’re pretty sure that some sort of JournoListy Intervention occurred to get him back on message.

For those of you who don’t know (and according to the latest ratings, that’s most of you), Matthews does a 5pm “Hardball” on MSNBC that repeats at 7pm. Today, during the 5pm hour, Matthews had as his guests hardcore leftists Joan Walsh of Salon.com and former Governor Howard Dean. The issue at hand was Shirley Sherrod’s promise to sue Andrew Breitbart. Well, that wasn’t the real issue at hand. The idea was to beat holy hell out of Breitbart, but things didn’t exactly go according to the JournoListy Playbook.

Believe it or not, Matthews defended Breitbart.

In the early part of the 5pm segment with Walsh and Dean, there appears to be some confusion over whether or not Matthews was aware of the fact that Breitbart posted two excerpts of Sherrod’s speech as opposed to the whole 35-plus minutes. But later in the segment — and this is important — after this discrepancy is cleared up and the full excerpt in question has been aired for Matthews and the “Hardball” audience (this, according to Newsbusters), a fully informed Matthews still defends Breitbart making the crucial and oft-ignored point that…

Well, there you go. [Quoting Ms. Sherrod] “I opened my eyes. I realized it wasn’t about black and white. It was, but it was about other things, about poverty.” So, Joan, that part, that part in there about redemptive revelation was actually in the initial tape.

Watch this part of the exchange below, and remember that this occurs after Matthews has seen the full excerpt in question. Whatever confusion there might have been earlier, is completely cleared up by this time:

—–

Well, obviously this couldn’t have sat well with the left-wing Journolistas who are now in full Destroy Breitbart mode and therefore in no mood for independent thinkers not fully on board with today’s talking points.

So rather than accept the fact that a fully informed Matthews was still intellectually honest enough to make the point that the rest of the MSM is willfully ignoring — that Ms. Sherrod’s redemptive revelation was not cut from the excerpted video — something inexplicable happened between the 5pm and 7pm broadcast, and it’s not crazy to speculate that this something was probably a whole lot of angry phone calls, a flood of scathing emails, and a producer meeting or two that included any and all variations of the word apostate.

An international story that’s grabbed thousands of headlines over the last week, and Matthews did a 180… between shows? Someone got to him. The MSNBC Thought Police? The JournoList Thought Police? (Did I just repeat myself?)

What else could it have been? Something happened. Something so effectively transforming that it spun Matthews completely around enough that sometime before the 7pm “Hardball” rerun was set to air, he magically decided he wanted a redo. And so for what might have been the first time in the show’s history, Matthews re-taped an entirely new program for the 7pm hour — a program that would allow him to make up for his short but near fatal bout of intellectual honesty and put him safely back in line and on the record with his left-wing pals. See for yourself…

Remember, the video above represents Matthews’ 5pm opinion of the Sherrod excerpt Breitbart posted. The video below represents Matthews’ 7pm opinion of that very same excerpt:

—–

What a difference a couple of hours makes! And oh, yes, Joan Walsh was much, much happier with this Chris Matthews. And so was Mediaite. I’m sure a big teddy bear bouquet from Media Matters is already on the way.

As you can see from the 7pm clip, Governor Dean wasn’t able to return for the magic redo, so another hardcore left-winger, Politico “reporter” Ken Vogel, was brought in to complete the left-wing echo chamber.

My favorite part of Vogel’s reportering analysis is his having to finally face the unhappy fact that Ms. Sherrod’s redemptive moment was indeed included in the Breitbart excerpt. Grief-stricken that this fact is now out there for the world to see, Mr. Vogel enters the first stage of grief — denial — and writes this inconvenient fact off as a mistake, as though Breitbart would’ve removed the moment of redemption if only he had seen it.

Well, the one person who removed that moment of redemption was Vogel himself when he declined to mention its existence in this Politico piece (co-authored with Keach Hagey) from the 22nd:

[Breitbart posted] a video misleadingly edited to make it appear that a black Agriculture Department employee named Shirley Sherrod was boasting of discriminating against a white farmer.

Big Government’s Mike Flynn addressed this wildly incorrect statement later that very same day:

At the very end of one of the video excerpt’s, Ms. Sherrod begins to explain how she later realized her initial discrimination of the white farmer was wrong. In Andrew’s article about the speech he noted

Eventually, her basic humanity informs that this white man is poor and needs help.

If we were trying to show that Ms. Sherrod was “boasting” of discrimination and were prone to editing the tape as evidence, wouldn’t we have cut that part out?

And yet this “journalist” has yet to correct the record.

Or should I call him a “JournoListo“?

Three U.S. service members were killed in blasts in Afghanistan, bringing the toll for July to at least 63 and making it the deadliest month for American forces in the nearly 9-year-war.

And then there were two. After a year of high expectations and underwhelming performance, Ellen DeGeneres announced today that she will not return to American Idol next year

Defence secretary Liam Fox rebuked by chancellor, who says there are no exemptions for his budget

George Osborne has delivered a rebuke to the defence secretary, Liam Fox, declaring that the costs of Britain's new Trident nuclear deterrent would come from the main defence budget.

In a sign of the Tory leadership's growing impatience with Fox, who has embarked on what Downing Street sources have dubbed "freelance" missions, the chancellor said there could be no special accountancy exemptions for the defence budget.

Speaking in Delhi, Osborne said: "The Trident costs, I have made it absolutely clear, are part of the defence budget. All budgets have pressure. I don't think there's anything particularly unique about the Ministry of Defence.

"I have made it very clear that Trident renewal costs must be taken as part of the defence budget."

His remarks will be seen as a reprimand for Fox, who has complained that the MoD was being asked to pay the £20bn costs of replacing Trident.

Fox believes that those costs should be the Treasury's responsibility, because Britain's continuous at-sea defence is a matter of national security.

The defence secretary told BBC1's Andrew Marr show on 18 July: "There has always been an understanding that the [capital] budget for the nuclear deterrent came from outside the core defence budget. Running costs for the deterrent have always come from inside.

"That is something we are discussing in the runup to the spending review. To take the capital cost would make it very difficult to maintain what we are currently doing in terms of capabilities."

There have been tensions for some time between Fox and Osborne over Trident. The Treasury regards Fox's remarks as a classic example of ministerial lobbying before a spending review.

Osborne is due to outline the tightest spending squeeze in a generation in October. One source said: "The costs of Trident have always come out of the MoD budget. We know what Liam is up to. But does he expect that the department of culture will pay for Trident?"

The MoD has been promised it will be treated more lightly than other departments in October. But these reassurances are aimed at troops in Afghanistan.

Senior Whitehall officials made it clear yesterday that if the cost of Trident has to come out of the defence budget there would be a serious knock-on effect on the rest of Britain's large weapons project.

"It will be a huge blow," said one source, who asked not to be identified.

The MoD declined to comment.

• Trident
• Nuclear weapons
• George Osborne
• Liam Fox
• Defence policy
• Conservatives
• Liberal-Conservative coalition

Nicholas WattRichard Norton-Taylor
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

One of the top three leaders of Mexico's most powerful drug cartel, Ignacio 'Nacho' Coronel, is killed in gunbattle in the biggest victory yet since President Calderon launched a military offensive against drug traffickers in late 2006.

House panel hits N.Y. congressman with 13 ethics violations and offers little indication of whether it will be a plea deal or a public trial

BP's departing chief executive says he did everything he could following the oil rig explosion, claims he 'became a villain for doing the right thing' | FULL COVERAGE

Undercover sting operation by the Government Accountability Office shows that obtaining U.S. passports by submitting false info is easier than you'd think

A French woman who admitted to giving birth to and smothering eight babies over a 17-year period was secretive but always supportive of her family, according to two of her daughters.

China blocks Google after the company stopped censoring search results.

Drivers Defeating Big Brother's Speed Cameras

Mullen: WikiLeaks May Have 'Blood on Hands'- Report: GI Tied to Leaked Data

Foreclosures Up in 75% of Top Metro Areas

Texas Mayor Shot Daughter From Behind

Prisoner Escapes After Posing as Other Inmate

Fox News Poll: GOP 11-Point Lead in Midterms- FULL COVERAGE: 95 Days to Decide

Gruesome Charges Against 'Nazi' Revealed

Israel Rejects Claims of Holy Land Health Risks

Has Obama's 'Race to the Top' Lost Its Shine?- CLICK HERE FOR TAXPAYER CALCULATOR

Breakthrough Allows Disabled to 'Sniff' to Talk

Grizzly Bears Captured After Fatal Mauling

Poll: Obama Losing Ground With Women

EXCLUSIVE: Network Aids AWOL Afghans North

The Roman Colosseum: Your Ad Here

The death toll in three days of flooding in Pakistan reached at least 267 on Friday, rescue and government officials said, as rains bloated rivers, submerged villages, and triggered landslides.The ris...

Gareth Anderson's comments, which were made in a video diary, have provoked an angry reaction in his home town but he has so far refused to apologise.

On September 9-10, 2010 the Russian city of Yaroslavl will host Global Policy Forum “The Modern State: Standards of Democracy and Criteria of Efficiency.”

Conflict-related population displacements have been continuing in northwestern Pakistan as the government tries to take the fight to pro-Taliban rebels - highlights below.

Eoin Morgan's maiden Test hundred was key to England's revival against Pakistan as they made 331 for four by stumps on the first day of their series opener at Trent Bridge on Thursday.Former Ireland l...

A lawsuit says the pair, known for support of conservative causes, made $550 million in undisclosed profits. Their attorney says the charges are 'without merit.'

Sam and Charles Wyly, Dallas billionaire investors known for their support of conservative candidates and causes, made $550 million in undisclosed profits through 13 years of insider trading, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit filed Thursday.

Police found the handgun used in the shootings alongside the bodies of 12-year-old Bryan Gonzalez and his 10-year-old brother Christian. There was no sign of a struggle.

Country musician Jimmy Wayne walks from Nashville to Phoenix to raise awareness of homeless youngsters.

The Air Force has chosen Luke Air Force Base as its preferred training base for the new F-35 fighter.

Chandler undercover Detective Carlos Ledesma was killed, two detectives were injured, and several suspects were arrested during an undercover drug deal that went bad in south Phoenix.

Chandler Police Department mourns the death of Detective Carlos Ledesma, who was slain in south Phoenix during an undercover operation.

A veteran from Huachuca City helped write a law that went into effect July 29 that requires that the POW-MIA flag be flown at the state Capitol, at all Superior Court buildings, city or town-hall and county-administration buildings whenever the American flag is flown.

Being a school board member in Arizona is often a thankless task, but if you're interested, the time to file signatures is fast approaching.

Political observers say it probably won't.

A child bride who became Warren Jeffs' chief accuser says the reversal of his conviction will empower polygamist sect leaders and damage child victims.

The Arizona Department of Transportation recommends drivers consider alternate routes or give themselves extra travel time while the following restrictions are in place:

Three fires break out as L.A. officials tour the area urging preparedness.

Three wildfires broke out in northern Los Angeles County on Thursday, the worst of which was threatening at least 1,500 homes in Leona Valley, near Palmdale.

The Los Angeles construction magnate and his partners, including Colony Capital, will pay about $660 million for the studio.

After months of negotiations with various buyers that failed to bear fruit, Walt Disney Co. finally reached a deal to sell its Miramax Films unit in a deal that severs the independent movie pioneer's 17-year association with the Burbank studio.

Ignacio Coronel Villarreal died in a gunfight in an upscale suburb of Guadalajara, authorities say. Separately, dozens of Tijuana law enforcement officers are arrested in an anti-corruption sweep.

In a significant blow against the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, Mexican troops on Thursday killed one of the group's top figures during an arrest raid in western Mexico.

Boris Johnson's answer to Paris's Vélib bike-hire scheme launched in London today. Follow live updates and post your views and experiences of Barclays cycle hire

11.06am:
Right, I'm off to the nearest docking station to ask punters what they make of it. Back soon...

10.52am:
Boris Johnson outlines his "many concerns" about the scheme to LBC's Nick Ferrari before joining him on a leisurely cycle (on the pavement) around Leicester Square.

10.44am:
Helen Pidd looks at some of the other bike hire schemes that got there before London, while other cities look on with interest.

Blackpool, Cardiff and Reading were early adopters, and Dumfries in Scotland is joining the gang next month.

Across the country, transport departments are keeping a close eye on London. Liverpool, Edinburgh, Newcastle, York and Birmingham councils all said they were interested in setting up their own programmes if Londoners embraced the idea.

10.39am:
Blogger Tom Hall suggests some cycle hire related japes including taking one to Paris, and taking a passenger in one of the magazine racks.

10.10am:
The first thousand were journeys by 9am, according to the scheme Twitter feed.

9.46am:
More unverified teething problems, highlighted by Twitterer Jonathan Groves:

"Holborn site down. Full of bikes, no-one can take them. Red Lion Square now accepting bikes but not issuing."

And Gareth Williams tweets a picture of hazard taper around empty docking stations in Baker Street.

9.32am:
YouTube user gaz545 gives a new hire bike a detailed once over.

9.21am:
Antiwar stickers have been stuck under the Barclays logo on some of the bikes.

One reads: Barclays: £20m investment in bikes, £7300m investment in bombs.

9.16am:
Lots of references to "Boris bikes" on Twitter. The name seems to be catching on.

9.06am:
Rob Ainsley blogging at Real Cycling is "delighted" with scheme, but reports these teething problems:

Some of the bikes have had their brakes overtightened, so that the back wheel hardly goes round. Pedalling one of these feels like going uphill, or cycling home after a particularly large and convivial dinner. (This affected several bikes we tried at the Southwark St station, and the one I took out at Keyworth St.)

The problem with this is that if you take a bike out, find it's stiff and then re-dock it, you have to wait five minutes until you can take another one out. So pioneers are advised to check the back wheel spins OK before putting your key in to take the bike out. Otherwise you'll have five minutes to fill, and presumably in London docking stations are like bus stops and you're not allowed to talk to anyone.

And, inevitably, some tedious whinger had put stickers on some bikes complaining about Barclays sponsoring earthquakes in the third world or something, which involved extra work for some TfL people this morning going round unsticking them.

Working out where the live docking stations are isn't yet totally reliable either. You can't find out from the docking station terminals because they're not fully operational yet. The printed TfL map was compiled a while ago and it shows some docking stations that haven't been built (such as the one on Lambeth Bridge).

The online TfL map shows the updated locations of docking stations, but some of them haven't actually gone live yet (such as the one on Albert Embankment, just down from Lambeth Bridge, which was covered with tape and not yet in service this morning).

8.44am:
The satirical website The Poke has been having fun with the scheme and Photoshop.

Batting away criticism that the £750 million price tag for the Millenium Bicycle was 'scandalous', Johnson boasted that "this extra wheel will be just the beginning. Over time we will add the Millennium Wicker Basket, the Millennium Child Seat, and the Millennium 'Ping' Bicycle Bell – itself large enough to include a five star restaurant hosted by Michel Roux."

8.36am:
Dave Hill has blogs his verdict here.

The bikes' weight and bulk look belie how easy they are to ride. I pedalled pretty effortlessly down Whitechapel Road. The three gears worked smoothly and the brakes did what brakes are meant to do. There's a warning message between the handlebars about the potential danger from motor vehicles turning left. Yes indeed. With the Gherkin in my sights ahead I could have struck out for the City, but rather than push my luck I turned off down the side streets and meandered for a quarter of an hour or - discovering in the process red flashing lights near the rear wheels - so before returning the bike to a different, bigger docking station further down Whitechapel Road in New Road.

8.22am:
Boris Johnson has spoken (with another jibe at David Cameron's Big Society). "This is the Rolls Royce of bicycles. I'm not saying it will win the Tour de France, but it is a beautiful, beautiful machine. I believe this cycling revolution will tackle all sorts of problems in society: pollution, it will help to get us fitter, it will help to tackle the scourge of obesity, or Big Society, as it is sometimes confusingly known. I think it will be a wonderful way of getting people out of their cars."

He adds: "In 1904, 20% of journeys were made by bicycle and in London. I want to see that kind of figure again. If you can't turn the clock back to 1904 ladies and gentlemen, what is the point of being a Conservative?"

Here's the audio thanks to the community blogger SE1.

8.18am:
The prolific letter writer Keith Flett tweets:

8.10am:
Former mayor Ken Livingstone grudgingly welcomes the scheme, but points out he thought of it first. He emailed this statement:

I am delighted that the London bike hire scheme has become a reality at last and I encourage Londoners to register and take advantage of the new bikes."

"Despite the delays and set-backs in delivering the scheme, I believe today marks a step on the road to making London a true cycling city but there remains a concern that while millions has been spent on a central London scheme at the same time Boris Johnson cut cycle funding in many outer London boroughs.

8.05am:
"Barclays Cycle Hire will revolutionise how we get around central London," says Boris's transport man David Brown said. Really?

7.48am:
The early verdict on Twitter has been generally positive. But here are some gripes:

MahaViv: "Do no locks on the London Barclays Bike Hire scheme mean you literally can't even risk stopping for lunch somewhere?"

laurenuu: "Well I already thing [sic] the TfL cycle hire is crap. For the first month you have to register for it in advance. Thought it was making it easier"

Ecojames: London Bike Hire Scheme - yet another scheme to rip off Londoners and tourists alike [nblo.gs]

However, Andrew Garnett, editor of New Transport magazine is more typical in expressing enthusiasm.

"Had my first go on London cycle hire. Brilliant, intuitive bike that you feel rather grand riding. A massive, thumping 10/10 from me!"

7.39am:
The magazine Time Out has prepared this useful clickable Google Map of the all the docking stations, together with a guide to the scheme.

7.33am:
The Londonist blog also likes the bikes with some quibbles about the heft.

Sturdy doesn't really do it justice: these are designed to withstand a beating from both careless cyclists and drunken vandals alike. They're heavy and slow to turn, which might catch out anyone familiar with a nimble Brompton.

In a token gesture towards safety, there's a sign planted in the middle of the handlebars warning cyclists to beware large vehicles turning left. Well, we can't say they didn't warn us! There's also a functional bag holder and strap on the front, which didn't look like the kind of place you'd want to store something valuable like your laptop.

Overall it was a pleasant, indeed fun, experience, and at least one Londonista will be riding to work today to see how the bikes perform on a proper trip.

7.26am:
"Yesterday I was sitting in the office saying 'it's never going to work' and then when I hoped on a bike I was immediately converted. I just felt a celebrity - everyone was like 'are you on one of Boris's bikes'," says new enthusiast Helen Pidd.

7.08am:
Occasional cyclist and the Guardian's London blogger Dave Hill tried out a bike in Whitechapel. He found the appearance of the bikes "over Barclayed" but otherwise he gives them high marks. "I hope Boris isn't listening, but nothing seemed to be wrong with it, so I'm going to give it a provisional 10" he told me.

6.44am:
Not all the docking stations are ready. There are supposed to be 36 bikes available at London Zoo (according to my phone app), but when I went there this morning, just after 6am, only four bikes were there and the docking post was wrapped in hazard tape.

Here's some very amateur mobile phone footage:

6.30am:
Up to 6,000 bikes at 400 "docking stations" were due to made available for hire today for the launch of Boris Johnson's much-trumpeted Barclays Cycle Hire scheme.

Perhaps in an effort to lower expectations, the London mayor has already predicted that "lots of things will go wrong" – and some already have, according to the Evening Standard.

Yesterday, Transport for London confirmed that only about 300 stations and 5,000 bikes would be ready today. They also said that around 11,000 people had registered to use those bikes.

We'll be tracking the first day of the launch as the public puts the bikes, and the docking stations, to the test. Please send us your first impressions.

And if you're having trouble finding one of the hire bikes, try out one of the mobile phone apps reviewed by the Londonist blog.

In Paris the successful Vélib scheme prompted something of craze for performing stunts on the hire bikes, such as riding down steps and skate board ramps and filming the results.

If you happen to spot anything like this, do let us know.

So far the London bikes have had mixed reviews. They are too slow, too heavy, don't have a lock or a basket, but otherwise they're fine, according to the Guardian's Leo Hickman, who was given a preview.

The Green London Assembly member Jenny Jones is an enthusiast, but she's worried it's too expensive, too small compared to Paris, and she doesn't like the lack of a lock either.

Then there's the name. If you object to the official corporate title please suggest another one.

• Cycle hire schemes
• Cycling
• London
• Boris Johnson
• Transport

Matthew Weaver
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Kayley Boleyn and Christopher Taylor inflicted more than 70 injuries on Ryan Lovell-Hancox. Boleyn was handed a 13 year minimum term and Taylor at least 15 years.

Bosses furious at the move fear they will be hit with a spate of grievance claims by older employees who may feel they have been unfairly dismissed.

Terrified Georgia Fenn, left, was burned all over her body with cigarettes, stamped on until she passed out and doused in boiling water.

There are well known concerns that Botox injections into the face produce a number of undesired effects, not least creating a mask-like expression devoid of normal movement and expression.

More than 850 childcare providers, catering for nearly 20,000 children, have been found to be ‘inadequate’ at safeguarding the under-fives in their care.

Two colonies of age-old and endangered tadpole shrimps discovered alive and well near Solway coast

A field near Gretna in Dumfriesshire might not be an obvious place to find the world's oldest living creatures, but a team of scientists has done just that.

Two colonies of a prehistoric shrimp that evolved when the dinosaurs ruled the Earth have been found alive and well in the Caerlaverock nature reserve on the Solway coast.

The discovery has led experts to think there could be more of the little crustaceans, which are listed as endangered species, elsewhere in the area.

The ancient creatures, known as Triops cancriformis or tadpole shrimps, are thought to have the oldest pedigree of any living animal. Fossil evidence suggests they have hardly changed in the more than 200m years that they have been around.

Wild tadpole shrimps can grow to more than 10cm long and are remarkable in surviving three major extinctions in the Earth's history. The shrimps have an extraordinary lifecycle. They live in temporary pools of water in which they lay eggs. When the pools dry out, the adults die off, but their eggs remain dormant until the pools fill up again.

Researchers at Glasgow University discovered the rare shrimps after collecting samples of mud, which were dried out and then made wet again before being placed in glass tanks. A fortnight later Elaine Benzies, a research student, noticed a tadpole shrimp swimming around in one of the aquariums. "I hadn't expected to find it and was just going in to check on the heat and lights. It was great to see everyone in the lab gathering round and peering into the tank to look at this ancient survivor from the past," she said.

Until recently, researchers believed the ancient shrimps lived only in a single pond in the New Forest in Hampshire. Six years ago, Larry Griffin, a scientist at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, discovered what appeared to be an isolated colony of the creatures in a pool at Caerlaverock.

"At the time it seemed that the Caerlaverock colony was a vulnerable historic outlier," he said. "But now that we know how this curious creature survives, we have realised that there's a good chance there are more populations out there.

"Triops matures rapidly and produces hundreds of eggs in just a couple of weeks. The pond they live in may dry out, but the eggs can survive in the mud for many years. Although in the UK they are all females, they have both male and female reproductive parts, so just one egg needs to survive to regenerate a whole population."

• Zoology
• Evolution
• Biology
• Biodiversity
• Animals
• Scotland

Ian Sample
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Hundreds of firefighters battled a third wildfire in the Los Angeles area early Friday as two more raged within 60 miles of one another.

The strain on the faces in the photographs underline Russian PM Vladimir Putin's statement that they had been 'living tough lives'.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - The death toll in three days of flooding in Pakistan reached at least 267 on Friday, rescue and government officials said, as rains bloated rivers, submerged villages, and trigger...

On any day up to 3,000 slave girls are for sale on Karachi's streets.

Thousands of women are imprisoned for adultery and even locked up for having been raped. In a bare prison cell, a veiled teenage girl huddles against the wall. Ruqaiya Khan is in prison because she wants independence from her family, and in Pakistan Islamic law says that a woman's place is in the home. Stark faces peer from behind the bars of a Karachi insane asylum, housing 1200 women. Abuse and over-work cause women to die on average younger than men. We speak to lawyers who fight the cases of women trapped by Pakistan's harsh Islamic laws. On any day up to 3,000 slave girls are for sale on Karachi's streets. We speak to a 14 year old who was sold. A community leader says that even the government is involved in a protected and flourishing slave trade. Pakistani prostitutes dance for our camera. The brothels are legal. In Pakistan men have made a society designed only for their comfort.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon praised Friday a landmark treaty banning cluster munitions which comes into force this weekend as a major advance in efforts to rid the world of the "abhorrent...

At least 230 people have died while hundreds of others have gone missing in floods triggered by heavy rains in the past three days in Pakistan's northwestern region bordering Afghanistan.

Legislation.gov.uk will shine a light on 800 years of laws - some rather strange, some simply out of date.

Ashkelon mayor: Worst incident since Cast Lead

Three U.S. service members have been killed in Afghanistan, bringing the toll for July to at least 63 and making it the deadliest month for American forces in the nearly 9-year-war. A...

Montana wildlife officials have trapped an adult female grizzly bear that they believe killed one camper and injured two others in predawn attacks near Yellowstone National Park.

Tempe Transportation Center soon will provide locally grown produce, gourmet coffee, art and wine

A worrying 35 per-cent of those aged 16-34 have hypertension, despite the widespread belief that it is an 'old age' problem.

An abandoned well struck by a barge in southeastern Louisiana early Tuesday is still spewing a mixture of oil, gas and water, and it could take 10 days before it is capped.

Matthew 5:14-16

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

I’ve noticed my light hasn’t been too bright in recent weeks. Well, it might be into months now. I’ve been angry and frustrated, just like so many millions of others of my fellow Americans. I’ve let that anger invade, and have actually hated for the first time in my life. I don’t hate. Hatred takes way too much energy, and I’m about as lazy as they come…..no energy to spare. So, I’m going to work on getting rid of that hate, and replace it, with prayers and love. And pity.  It took my pastor’s sermon Wednesday night for me to even realize I was harboring such emotions.  I don’t like it.

We are instructed to love, even the sinner, and gracious sakes, we sure are being sinned against lately, aren’t we!  I know it’s going to be easy to rid myself of such a strong emotion.  It didn’t crop up over night, and it was be expelled overnight either.

So, I apologize for letting my bitter hatred overwhelm me, and will do all I can to resolve the problem.  And it is my problem.  The person hated doesn’t care, one way or the other.  The object of hatred never does, and it never hurts them.  It hurts me/us.

I choose to use my light, instead of burying it under the bushel of my own making.  Bear with me. 

US: 3 American service members killed, July deadliest month of Afghan war for US military.

The head of the council advising Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on human rights Friday unexpectedly announced her resignation. Ella Pamfilova, the activist who headed the president's...

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has postponed his visit to the United Kingdom following British Prime Minister David Cameron's hostile remarks against Pakistan.

Monsoon rains and floods continue to wreak havoc across Pakistan, as the death toll in rain-related incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) climbed to 200.

The Pakistan Foreign Office has reacted sharply to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's suggestion of a NATO operation inside Pakistan, saying that the comments were "incomprehensible".

The world’s population will top 7 billion next year, while the ratio of working age adults to the elderly will decline precipitously in developed countries.

The death toll in three days of flooding in Pakistan reached at least 267 on Friday, rescue and government officials said, as rains bloated rivers, submerged villages, and triggered...

By RIAZ KHAN and ROSHAN MUGHAL 2010-07-30T06:25:50Z PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) -- The death toll in three days of flooding in Pakistan reached at least 267 on Friday, rescue and government officials said, as rains bloated rivers, submerged villages, and triggered landslides....

The United States has closed indefinitely its consulate in the violence-hit Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez while it carries out a "security review," officials said Friday. "The US...

Efforts are underway to recover hundreds of barrels of hazardous chemicals which are floating down a Chinese river towards Russia.

Ellen DeGeneres is dancing off "American Idol" after one season and Jennifer Lopez is poised to step in. Lopez is close to signing a deal to join Fox TV's hit singing contest as a...

July 30 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan stepped up rescue efforts after flash floods and heavy rains in the northwest killed 275 people and left thousands stranded in the region’s worst storms. Communic...

BY CHRIS CASTEEL

Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe says the bad things in a new energy bill would outweigh the positives.

Russia has collected an impressive one-two win in the Men’s High Jump competition at the European Athletics Championship in Barcelona, with Aleksander Shustov beating Ivan Ukhov for gold.

The deal ends a laborious bidding process that saw the label’s co-founders, Harvey and Bob Weinstein, fall short in their attempt to regain control.

BY SONYA COLBERG

Fathers of two military personnel killed in Iraq rallied Thursday against a $37 billion U.S. military funding bill.

LOS ANGELES/BANGALORE (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co said on Friday it had sold film studio Miramax for about $660 million to an investor group, ending months of talks between the media group...

Moscow is hosting its first international sport forum, where the expected 30,000 visitors can also see the second International Sport Movie Festival.

Bomb explodes in Bangkok; one man seriously injured

Rocks have been identified on Mars which may contain evidence of life, researchers have said.

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is launching a fraud investigation into the life insurance industry for "practices that appear to have denied grieving military families and others of millions in life-insurance cash," Cuomo's office announced Thursday.

Over 100 people have died in flash floods triggered by torrential rains in Pakistan and Kashmir.

Barack Obama seems to have a pattern of using ceremonial or stately events as opportunities to ambush and humiliate people.

Barack Obama's presidential election victory in 2008 represents the most successful new product introduction in American history.

The numbers tell the story.

Solar winds, spacequakes, and "global warming."

A campaign to circumvent the Elector College is underway, and it must be resisted.

Time to face up to the awful truth

Our friends, the Russians.

Arlington National Cemetery is the biggest "mom thing" there is.

LAS CRUCES - David Casteel never gave much thought to his catalytic converter until it went missing Wednesday.

LAS CRUCES - David Casteel never gave much thought to his catalytic converter until it went missing Wednesday.

LAS CRUCES - The Las Cruces Police Department has scheduled at least one sobriety checkpoint within city limits Friday through Sunday.

LAS CRUCES - Researchers at New Mexico State University are hoping to persuade the National Solar Observatory that its Las Cruces campus is the best place to consolidate its operations.

LAS CRUCES - The city of Las Cruces Laabs Pool, 701 W. Picacho Ave., will be closed the evening of Aug.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, spoke to CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk about the thousands of pages of classified U.S. documents released this week...

EL PASO -- Wearing orange on Tuesday could get you a free Whataburger, thanks to the fast-food chain, which is celebrating its 60th birthday.

An Army private suspected of leaking classified material, including videos, has been transferred from Kuwait to a Marine Corps brig in Quantico, Virginia.

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics , the world's No.1 memory chipmaker, warned of weaker margins and profit growth after posting record quarterly earnings, as prices of chips and flat...

IN BRIEF

OKLAHOMA CITY

Man arrested

in slaying

Javare Coit, 18, of Oklahoma City, was arrested Wednesday on a murder complaint in connection with last Friday's shooting death of Raheem Turner, 18, Oklahoma City police Sgt.

Those who fight hazing say Dez Bryant's 'no' helps cause

Qassam rocket falls in Ashkelon; 2 suffer shock

Texas schools to get accountability ratings today

The Chancellor risked a Cabinet split by insisting that the Ministry of Defence must pay for the full cost of replacing the Trident nuclear weapon system.

From underworld figures and political activists to famous artists and star athletes, Bollywood is going biographical with a series of films based on, or inspired by, real lives. The...

EL PASO -- Marching season is here again, and summer band camps are about to kick off in earnest all over town.

Addressing season-ticket holders at the team's state of the franchise address this week, team president Jed York acknowledged that being pretty good is getting pretty old.

Officials: Floods kill at least 267 in Pakistan

There they go again...........devout Muslims making my point for me, yet again. Report this would-be murderer to the authorities, please. I am so sure the Obama administration is working hard to keep folks like me safe. (/sarc tag off.)

Greetings from the religion of peace and love...............this is what Islam teaches its followers. Fact.

Zach Chesser aka Abu Talhah Amrikee Follower? "Make Dua For Pamela Geller To Be Executed"? Pet Jawa hat tip Armaros

Via StarCMC

Big file so below the fold:

 

BY NOLAN CLAY

Oklahoma City woman let boyfriend take care of their daughter even though he was a convicted child abuser.

El Maida Shrine Circus -- Circus Valentine will perform today through Sunday at the El Paso County Coliseum.

The impact of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been as disastrous to the firm's finances as it has to the environment.

The U.S. Consulate in Juárez will be closed today and until a security review is completed, officials said Thursday evening. Officials did not disclose the reason for the security review but said the situation is under investigation and advised U.S. citizens to avoid the area around the consulate until it reopens. All appointments and services scheduled for today are canceled.

ISLAMABAD (AP) - Anguished relatives sought the remains of loved ones killed in Pakistan's worst-ever plane crash, some grieving at a hospital collecting bodies Thursday and others joining the recover...

Just a short ride southwest of Moscow lie the fruitful lands of the Kaluga region. Hectares of fields make for great farming. With the help of American breeders, the region hopes to supply the whole country with steak.

(RTTNews) - Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S., is concerned about the growing Indian influence in Afghanistan, and says his country does not want to be caught in a "pincers movement" ...

Alcatel-Lucent SA says its net loss in the second quarter was a wider-than-expected euro184 million (US$240 million) but said it remains on track for a targeted improvement in profitability

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Asian stocks sagged on Friday as worries U.S. growth data may surprise on the downside and downbeat comments from a Federal Reserve official gave investors reason book

GAUHATI, India—Suspected separatist rebels triggered a land mine explosion Friday that killed at least four paramilitary soldiers and injured 25 others in India's remote northeastern state of Assam, police said.

By AUDREY McAVOY 2010-07-30T05:16:04Z HONOLULU (AP) -- A federal prosecutor said Thursday a former B-2 bomber engineer helped China design a stealth cruise missile to raise money to pay the $15,000-a-month mortgage on the mansion-like home he built on Maui's north shore....

Christiane Amanpour's biased reporting causes a backlash to her selection as host of ABC's This Week

BY DARLA SLIPKE

Oklahoma State University launched a social media network to help new students connect with one another and campus activities.

A brush fire swept over more than 7 square miles, prompted evacuations and burned structures in rural Los Angeles County Thursday as water-dropping helicopters and crews scrambled to get...

The already fragile economic recovery may be getting weaker. Economists expect the government to report Friday that economic growth slowed in the April-to-June quarter as consumers...

Rescue and government officials say floods kill 267 people in Pakistan over last 3 days.

Rangel is only the latest example.

A missed appointment laid the groundwork for Charity Pairolero's backyard sanctuary.

Getting a handle on Memphis' problems with vicious dogs won't be easy.

Plane carrying coffins of Air Force soldiers lands in Israel

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of columns in Home & Garden about all aspects -- the serious and not so serious -- of living a greener life.

I am not only saddened, but downright outraged that another young man has lost his life to Memphis crime (July 29 article, "Wright found dead").

Mayor A C Wharton has talked a lot lately about making Memphis a "city of choice."

A protest Friday afternoon outside Iran's U.N. mission in New York kicks off a weekend of events demanding the country release three American hikers it has held for one year.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three months after the catastrophic oil rig explosion that sent millions of gallons of crude spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. House of Representatives was...

The modern Republican argument about taxes seems to boil down to two principles, both misguided: Taxes can be reduced, but they can never be allowed to go up. And whatever level taxes are at, they are too high.

Even before a report on the nation’s output in the second quarter comes out on Friday, economists are tempering their outlook.

Spectators at Tom Lee Park will see the explosive power of tunnel-hull racing boats this weekend as the vessels reach speeds of more than 125 mph on the flowing waters of the Mississippi River.

BY MICHAEL MCNUTT

The governor's request for assistance is made after a separate federal agency denied help for Oklahoma County residents who had property damage during severe storms and flash flooding earlier this month.

Stephanie Miller hopes to plant a few seeds with her new quarterly magazine, Photosynthesis.

Here are a few questions from readers:

Garden calendar

In the midst of three major construction projects and a planning process that promises even more dramatic changes, Shelby Farms Park is getting a new leader.

His mentor is technically a "Big Brother," but William Terrell once invited him to his elementary school Father's Day program.

As they enter the final days of the 2010 summer campaign, Shelby County mayoral candidates Mark Luttrell and Joe Ford are presenting voters with what each describes as records of accomplishment.

A Germantown woman was killed early Wednesday when her car veered into a freight truck’s path on Interstate 40 in Arlington.

A proposed metropolitan government would have an upper limit on property taxes in its first five years, the Metropolitan Government Charter Commission voted Thursday.

Candidates are shelling out big money in one of the most hotly contested Shelby County school board races ever.

Season ticket prices to jump an average of 20 percent for coming season

Tribune exclusive: The Stanley Cup winners had capacity attendance, along with record merchandise sales, television ratings and sponsorship revenues. But financially the team was a loser. One consequence: Season ticket prices will increase an average of 20 percent.

A House panel outlines 13 counts against the New York Democratic lawmaker, whose political career spans 40 years.

Rep. Charles Rangel of New York was charged Thursday with 13 counts of violating House ethics rules, placing the Democrat's storied, 40-year political career in jeopardy.

Second Quarter 2010 Webcast Conference Call - SMIC (NYSE: SMI, SEHK: 981)

BY JULIE BISBEE

Dimmed lights on the dome, high-efficiency plumbing, are among energy-saving measures being employed at the Oklahoma state Capitol complex.

From Matthew Bracken, author of Enemies Foreign And Domestic, Domestic Enemies - The Reconquista, and Foreign Enemies And Traitors:

The CW2 Cube -- Mapping the Meta-Terrain Of Civil War Two
by Matthew Bracken

A second civil war in the United States would be an unparalleled disaster. Nobody who is sane and who has studied modern civil wars from Spain to Lebanon to the Balkans and beyond would ever wish to see one occur. But if political, cultural and demographic trends are sweeping us toward that unhappy destiny, it would be wise to at least cast a weather eye over the possible terrain.
First, a caveat. I am not going to waste our time making politically-correct genuflections after every controversial sentence, because this essay is intended to be read by mature and rational adults.

Before we move on to the cube, let’s begin with the CW2 Square. The cube is best tackled in another step. Draw the square and label one axis Poorer to Richer. Label the other axis Darker to Lighter. Darker, for brevity, includes African-Americans, Hispanics and so on. Lighter refers to those of European ancestry. The two opposed meta-groups are the poorer and darker versus the richer and lighter, or whiter if you wish to be blunt. The richer/whiter have the power of their wealth, but counterbalancing that advantage is the fact that the poorer/darker have succeeded in wresting control of much of government power. This is so, even if most of their elected leaders are anything but poor or dark.

Now, before you scream out your exceptions, yes, there are rich black cattle ranchers and poor whites living in blighted urban areas and so on. However, to focus on them is to miss the critical centers of gravity of Civil War Two for the over-study of interesting but insignificant outliers. Filling one corner of the CW2 Square will be the poorer and darker, who primarily are liberal and progressive Democrats who believe in a malleable “living Constitution.” And in the other corner will be the richer and whiter, who mainly are conservative or libertarian Republicans who believe in the original intent of the written Constitution. Again, keep your eyes on the two meta-cores, not the exceptions.

Now, let’s add the third dimension and shoot another axis out from the square to form the CW2 Cube. Label the third axis Urban versus Rural, or City versus Country if you prefer. This axis gives a geographical dimension to the meta-terrain, but there will be no convenient dividing line between the opposed sides as there was during the first civil war. It has frequently been observed that today’s red-blue political map is better understood at the county than at the state level. Even blue states like Illinois, California and New York are rural-red outside of their blue urban cores. Obviously, these urban cores are heavily populated but geographically small, with all that means to the electoral process today and to a possible civil war later.
So the opposing corners of the CW2 Cube can be seen as the poorer, darker cities versus the richer, whiter rural areas. Again, don’t quibble about outliers. Yes, there are a few rich, conservative African-Americans living in Wyoming, many poor white liberal Democrats in rural West Virginia, some rich conservatives in San Francisco and every other exceptional case imaginable.

Most of us live in the mushy, mongrel middle, far from the tips of the two opposite corners. But the centers of gravity of Civil War Two shall be as I have described: the relatively richer, whiter and more rural against the poorer, darker and urban.
One can also propose many more axes of conflict than can fit on a cube, such as the religious versus the non-believers, socialists versus capitalists, statists versus individualists and so on. However, after you reflect upon the CW2 Cube, I think you will find that most of these extra axes can be overlaid parallel to one of the three already posited.
*******
So, of what use is the CW2 Cube, other than in providing a conceptual map for Civil War Two? In my research as a novelist who attempts to write realistic fiction about the coming years, I have long been a student of modern civil wars. One repeated lesson of modern civil war is that there is inherently dangerous, even fatal terrain. Some of this predictably-dangerous terrain is often highly desirable and even advantageous before the outbreak of civil war.

To begin: you do not want to live as a trapped and cut-off minority in what might become “enemy territory.” If you live amidst your civil war enemies, as defined and located within the CW2 Cube, you will be in mortal danger even if your immediate neighbors know, love and respect you. Those persons who have a stake in fanning the flames of CW2 (and their number shall be legion), will intentionally target those remaining “holdouts” who may be respected minority neighbors. (In this essay, minority means “the minority within a given group or area.” Blacks are the majority in some areas, and whites are the minorities in others, and so on.)

Frequently in modern civil wars, roaming armed groups (in or out of uniform) will even force people to kill their own beloved and respected minority neighbors as an ultimate loyalty test. If they refuse, they may themselves be killed as “traitors.” Besides pre-conflict racists and radicals, there will be an ever-increasing pool of persons attempting to expel minorities from their homes. Those embittered unfortunates who have already been ethnically cleansed will be seeking new living quarters, and the homes and property of “enemy” minorities still living in majority territory will be the first on the chopping block. (Not the auction block, because payment of any kind is rarely offered.) This process of minority eviction becomes self-perpetuating.

Often, those members of minorities who escape as refugees are the lucky ones who do not lose their lives during the back-and-forth of escalating violence. The fact that they may have been loved, admired and respected for many years by their majority-population neighbors will not protect them. This is a clear lesson of modern civil war. Another is that while the rich or the well-to-do can sometimes hide their wealth and pass as proles, the same cannot be said about concealing one’s racial or ethnic identity.

Does this mean that all white city-dwellers should head for the hinterland, or that dark-skinned folks living in the country should move to the city? It’s not for me to say. We all hope and pray that there will never be a second “hot civil war” in America, instead of merely the “cold civil war” we are engaged in today. But the lessons of modern civil wars should not be ignored. Another lesson is that it will take tremendous moral courage to defy the hot-heads and radicals, and shield your minority neighbors from harm. Think of Anne Frank. Think of those indescribably brave inhabitants of the former Yugoslavia who hid their minority neighbors, when the discovery of that fact could and often did lead to their own deaths.
*******
While Civil War Two is on the table for discussion, allow me to introduce two aggravating factors that don’t fit neatly on the cube. The first is the concept of multiple embedded minorities. Picture the old cartoon mainstay showing a line of fish getting ready to gobble another fish, from the leviathan down to the small fry. You might live in a neighborhood where you are in the majority, but the neighborhood is in a town where you are in the minority. And the town is surrounded by a larger area where your own kind once again predominates.

Or you might fit into the picture as the smallest of all fish, living in the only minority household within a majority neighborhood. From street to neighborhood to city to state to region can easily place you in the middle of several levels of embedded minorities-within-majorities. This formulation might work for many decades during times of relative prosperity and well-being, but during a civil war it is a recipe for disaster, as unstable as nitroglycerin-filled bowling pins. It’s all cool just as long as the pins are standing still and calmly hanging out together, but look out when the Black Swan bowling ball comes rolling in! An unstoppable chain reaction ensues, as each new act of violence is avenged up and down the line.

Remember that funny line-of-fish cartoon, and imagine it a few seconds later when the biting begins. It’s not so funny then -- especially for the smaller fish.

The second aggravating factor is the unstable triangle of the three-sided civil war. The Bosnian Serbs, Croats and Muslims provide a classic example. Each side of the unstable triangle will backstab yesterday’s ally at the moment they perceive themselves to be at a local disadvantage, or when they see an opportunity to wipe out an historic enemy with a new Final Solution. The unstable ethnic triangle in the United States will in many places be composed of black, white and Hispanic sides. By comparison, the old black and white social dichotomy was inherently stable, even when it might have been rife with injustice.

In some areas, Asians, Middle-easterners, Native Americans and other groups will contribute to the formation of regional social geometries that are even more unstable than the unstable triangle. Study modern civil wars and you will cringe at the implications. A steel roller-coaster overloaded with old dynamite and electric blasting caps during a lightning storm comes to my mind.

And finally, some urban settings are just disastrous during a modern civil war, even if they might offer a terrific quality of life during peacetime. Perhaps the top the list of danger areas are high-rise buildings located near potential civil war flashpoints or fault lines. Living in a cluster of high-rises divided by a “green line” during a guerrilla sniper war is a worst-case horror show. Not to mention the misery attendant to life in a tall building without running water, electricity, sewage service, working elevators, heating or air-conditioning. While under intermittent sniper fire. For months.

So should you stay or should you go? If you don’t believe that another civil war in America is possible, then simply disregard this column. But if you think that a second civil war could happen then picture the CW2 Cube and map your location within it. If you think that you live near a possible civil war fault line, especially as a local minority, consider relocating.

After the fact, a common sentiment heard from urbane, secular Bosnians living in the Olympic City of Sarajevo expressed complete disbelief that a brutal, bloody civil war could have come to their modern European city and tear their lives apart.

But it did.

A parting suggestion to students of modern civil war is to read “Seasons in Hell: Understanding Bosnia’s War” by the British journalist Ed Vulliamy. It’s currently collecting dust at your local public library, waiting only to be read.

Forewarned is forearmed.

Matthew Bracken is the author of the “Enemies” trilogy, beginning with 2003's “Enemies Foreign And Domestic”. For more information, go to http://www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com

See also Misha Glenny's The Third Balkan War for his account of what happens when a society commits autogenocide.

BY MICHAEL MCNUTT

Drawing places Republicans on top of the Oklahoma ballot for Nov. 2 election.

From Facebook:

I am proud to endorse a straight shooter for Governor of Wyoming. Rita Meyer is ready to put her years of valuable public service to good use in the state’s beautiful capitol.

Before serving Wyoming with distinction as State Auditor, Rita served our nation as a combat veteran of both Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom who achieved the rank of Colonel during her 23 years of service in the Wyoming Air National Guard.

Wyoming is a beautiful, resource-rich, independent state that is ready for Rita. She may not have millions of dollars to campaign with, but she has enough volunteer human resources and is running her campaign the old fashion way – grassroots and gritty! Voters know that Rita has a unique blend of steel magnolia and mama grizzly. Her true grit has not escaped the eye of other Americans who know that at every level of political office we all benefit with commonsense constitutional conservatives in service.

Please join me in supporting Rita by visiting her website at www.ritameyer.com and following her on Facebook and Twitter.

- Sarah Palin

In case you missed it, Governor Palin hit the 2 million mark on Facebok today. Join the money bomb in progress. E-mail your donation details to moneybomb@conservatives4palin.com!

A federal prosecutor said Thursday a former B-2 bomber engineer helped China design a stealth cruise missile to raise money to pay the $15,000-a-month mortgage on the mansion-like home he...

It isn't much of a stretch for Jill Biden when she takes an acting turn in an episode of Lifetime network's "Army Wives." The second lady, playing herself, visits the show's Fort...

A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service arbitrarily excluded "critical habitat" that could be occupied by the elusive Canada lynx. U.S. District Judge Donald...

Homes and other structures were burning late Thursday evening in Leona Valley, an unincorporated town of 2,200 people that was evacuated earlier in the day because of the fast-moving Crown fire.

Charlie's Very Very Bad Day!

Charlie Rangel is an American Politician. He has been a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1971, representing the 15th Congressional District of New York, and is the most senior member of that state’s congressional delegation. He is a founding member of the Congressional Black Congress.

With his gravelly voice, cheery bonhomie and 40 years in the House, New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel is one of the best known and best liked members of Congress. But after the House ethics committee finally brought charges against him Thursday, Rangel risks being remembered in the twilight of his career as just another crooked pol who thought the rules didn’t apply to him.

Panel hits Rangel with 13 ethics charges

The deal between the lawyers will have little meaning if the committee members don’t approve it, and Republicans said at the proceeding they were insisting on going forward with a trial. The panel is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans.

“Mr. Rangel was given multiple opportunities to settle this matter. Instead, he chose to move forward to the public trial phase,” said Rep. Jo Bonner of Alabama, the senior Republican on the ethics panel

Chairman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., has made clear that she wants the committee to be unanimous — leaving little chance for agreement without Rangel capitulating on virtually all counts.

[...]

In the frantic hours leading up to the meeting, Rangel’s lawyer, Leslie Kiernan, talked to attorneys for the panel about how to avoid a trial for the 40-year veteran.

Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the top Republican on the panel that will try Rangel, said that the Democrat had been “given the opportunity to negotiate a settlement during the investigation phase.”

However, he said, that phase is now over. “We are now in the trial phase,” he said.

A congressional trial could be avoided only if Rangel admitted to substantial violations, or resigned.

Punishment could range from a report criticizing his conduct to a reprimand or censure by the House, or a vote to expel him — which is highly unlikely. Any agreement would have to be approved by Rangel and ethics committee members.

“Sixty years ago I survived a Chinese attack in North Korea and as a result I haven’t had a bad day since,” Rangel told reporters earlier Thursday. “But today I have to reassess that statement.”

Remember this:

Tax cheat Rangel caught on tape: “Why don’t you mind your g**damned business?”

Sorry, Charlie.   I guess it is our g**damned business!

Alvin Greene, a Democratic jobless veteran who won the Senate primary in South Carolina, could be an inspiring success story, but the (grand) jury is still out.

The aspiring Democratic U.S. senator from South Carolina is a bumbling speaker. He's been accused of showing porn to a teenage college student, a felony. He's never heard of the pollution control strategy called "cap and trade." And when asked whether he believes Palestinians should have a separate state, he looked confused, then snapped, "For what?"

Mother plans to change plea to guilty in abuse case, meets briefly with girl

Men are ten times more likely than women to lose concentration behind the wheel because they see a person in a skimpy outfit, according to researchers.

El Mañana Limits News Coverage

The New York Observer reports:

Mike Grimm, a G.O.P challenger for Mike McMahon's Congressional seat, took in over $200,000 in his last filing.

But in an effort to show that Grimm lacks support among voters in the district, which covers Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, the McMahon campaign compiled a list of Jewish donors to Grimm and provided it to The Politicker.

The New York Observer reports:

Mike Grimm, a G.O.P challenger for Mike McMahon's Congressional seat, took in over $200,000 in his last filing.

But in an effort to show that Grimm lacks support among voters in the district, which covers Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, the McMahon campaign compiled a list of Jewish donors to Grimm and provided it to The Politicker.

Dallas/Fort Worth airport to dedicate marker to crash of Delta 191

Sheriff's Dept. Addresses Rumors About Zetas Taking Over Ranches

Tibet Leader Coming to Laredo

MDA Lockup

"Side Man" At The Laredo Center For The Arts

A review of 11 trials suggests extra calcium can do more harm than good, even though broken bones account for thousands of deaths each year.

Ruth Graham takes a week off, so our interns find some of their favorite entries to the KeithOlbermann.com essay contest

Gov. Perry Disaster Declaration

Juan Caballero Makes Announcement

Some are just shocking, some are weird and others might actually win some votes

Conoco Gas Theft

U.S. House panel backs bill including $882M for Trinity project

The public phone – reinstalled in Northlew, Devon, after residents agreed to pay BT £15 a month - is now the cheapest in Britain.

On Wednesday Governor Palin endorsed Michael Grimm in his bid to be the next congressman from New York's 13th Congressional District. This has resulted in some rather bizarre behavior on the part of his opponents. Grimm must first defeat the establishment candidate, Michael Allegretti, who had a bit of a mental meltdown when informed that Governor Palin had endorsed his opponent:

“I find it amusing that my Republican opponent has had to go from Washington to Alaska to find an endorsement,” said Allegretti, who is clearly not star-struck by Palin’s blessing. "I want to give some advice to Sarah Palin and I doubt she's ever taken the ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island, but you can't see Russia from the ferry, but you can see Brooklyn so I hope she gets a chance some time."

Heh. In a post last night, Ian noted that the 13th District voted for the McCain-Palin ticket in 2008. It's hard to understand why this moron thinks attacking the most popular Republican in the country with discredited liberal talking points will endear him to Republican Primary voters. The good news is that after September 14 he'll have plenty of time to contemplate his do*chebaggery. Once Grimm defeats Scozzafava Allegretti, he'll face incumbent Democrat Mike McMahon in November, whose campaign suffered a mental meltdown of its own:

Mike Grimm, a G.O.P challenger for Mike McMahon's Congressional seat, took in over $200,000 in his last filing.

But in an effort to show that Grimm lacks support among voters in the district, which covers Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, the McMahon campaign compiled a list of Jewish donors to Grimm and provided it to The Politicker.

The file, labeled "Grimm Jewish Money Q2," for the second quarter fundraising period, shows a list of over 80 names, a half-dozen of which in fact do hail from Staten Island, and a handful of others that list Brooklyn as home.

"Where is Grimm's money coming from," said Jennifer Nelson, McMahon's campaign spokeman. "There is a lot of Jewish money, a lot of money from people in Florida and Manhattan, retirees."

Er...with enemies like this...

You can help Michael Grimm defeat these two buffoons (Allegretti and McMahon) by visiting his website here and making a donation. You can also follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

RAMSTEIN, Germany — Not even Mother Nature could slow down Jason Perry as he fought through lightning delays and downpours en route to his fourth consecutive U.S. Air Forces in Europe golf championship Thursday at Ramstein Air Base’s Woodlawn Golf Course.

SEOUL — Officials from North Korea and the American-led United Nations Command held a “substantive” third planning session on Friday morning to prepare for higher-level talks about the March sinking of a South Korean patrol ship, a UNC spokesman said.

BY BRYAN DEAN

Open enrollment begins Sept. 1 for the TotalCare program, in which Oklahoma City residents pay a monthly fee to cover costs of ambulance rides not paid for by insurance.

Border Battle II This Weekend

NEW YORK - Two-thirds of Pakistanis oppose the US-led war in Afghanistan and roughly six in 10 think the US is an enemy, according to a new survey.The data, released Thursday by the non-partisan Pew R...

Many in Pakistan think of Wikileaks as an attempt to drive a wedge between Afghanistan and Pakistan Truth is often the first casualty in any arena of conflict and this is where the crucial role of whi...

First a caveat: If there is any validity to the charges that the affiliations of principals or the finances of Cordoba House are questionable or linked in any way to terrorists, then there are other l...

The Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron is Britain’s youngest leader–and it shows. His off the cuff remarks have created diplomatic rows with Israel and Pakistan. His undiplomatic language i...

The ANA has the highest defection rate on the planet–were Soldiers during the day and ‘Taliban’ during the night take the training, and arms to the Afghan National Resistance (aka Taliban)

On September 11 2010, members of the Dove World Outreach Center – a Gainesville, Florida church – plan to burn copies of the Koran to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

The EDL Nazis intend to march in Bradford over the August Bank Holiday during Ramadan and the reaction from the Bradford Mosques is to put out a statement saying the EDL are not wanted.

He doesn't say if aide acted without his knowledge.

Found via Kaching and or

American Digest

So, there’s a guy on Twitter that lists the things he would do to bang Scarlett Johansson. (My crush on her diminished when she started in with the political talk. She’s a dunce. But a purty dunce.)

Here are some of the things the guy would do:

• Do a modern dance routine at Folsom Prison
• Trade backpacks with a Muslim
• Egg yolk popsicle
• Bill Gates haircut
• Wear a baseball uniform to a funeral
• Make this movie: Monkey Rock Star
• Bring swastika JELL-O Jigglers to a middle school graduation
• Smoke my own socks
• Sail around Somalia in a golden boat
• Have two sex changes

Not bad. Here are some of the things I would do to not have sex with Michelle Obama:

• Eat whatever I find in Neil Diamond’s sideburns
• Attend Hell’s Angel’s rally on a hoppity-hop making vroom vroom noises
• Hot Sauce Bidet
• Give Oprah a hickey…  in her armpit
• Play “tummy sticks” with Henry Waxman
• Paper-cut on eyeball, with grapefruit pulp chaser
• Slow drive a black Lincoln Convertible through Dealey Plaza humming Pop Goes The Weasel on a bullhorn
• Attend a La Raza rally with a wet back
• Drink tea made from Steven Hawkings’ drool rag

These are just some of the things…

Flash flood fills street in minutes

In last night’s documentary, the Cabinet Secretary revealed the crucial role he played in pushing the Lib Dems and Tories together.

Fayetteville Police say Amber Drain, 22, has been arrested and charged with murder after admitting to slamming her boyfriend's child against the floor because he wouldn't stop crying.

On Wednesday, approximately 7,000 containers of hazardous substances were washed away to a tributary of the Amur River with floods from the territory of chemical plants in China. Russian Emergency Ministry has sent a request to the Consulate General of China in Khabarovsk to specify the measures that China has adopted to eliminate the consequences of the emergency

Kids Count study suggest N.M. might not be the best place to raise a family. NM Ranks Low For Raising Children

Sarah Prior holds a partial set of dentures used by the late British prime minister Winston Churchill after they sold at auction in Aylesdham, England, Thursday for US$23,723.

Six out of ten people admitted to packing more than they did five years ago, with only 4 per cent saying they took less.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ellen DeGeneres is dancing off "American Idol" after one season, leaving Fox's hit show with two vacancies on its judging panel.

In their first response since WikiLeaks placed thousands of secret documents online detailing the names and locations of anti-Taliban informers, the Afghan militants said ‘we know how to punish them'.

GPD conducting administrative review of 911 call

At the beginning of the 2006 floods, most of the flooding and damage happened on the westside. A lot of the projects have been completed there since. So, KFOX asked residents from the area if the work done has solved the problems.

By The P/Oed Patriot

According to an Article in  National Review  ,an internal draft memo has been leaked from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) discussing ways to do an end run around Congress on Amnesty.

The Article Reads:

“the agency is considering ways in which it could enact “meaningful immigration reform absent legislative action” — that is, without the consent of the American people through a vote in Congress. “This memorandum offers administrative relief options to . . . reduce the threat of removal for certain individuals present in the United States without authorization,” it reads.

Also: “In the absence of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, USCIS can extend benefits and/or protections to many individuals and groups by issuing new guidance and regulations, exercising discretion with regard to parole-in-place, deferred action and the issuance of Notices to Appear (NTA), and adopting significant process improvements.”

The National Review article claims that the USCIS is thinking about using “Deferred Action”.  The Definition of Deferred Action according to the USCIS is:

“an exercise of prosecutorial discretion not to pursue removal from the U.S. of a particular individual for a specific period of time.”

Since the Writing of the National Review Article the USCIS has responded to the leak of the Draft memo.

Basically they claim that the Draft memo is just a way to “internally” discuss Ideas and that they have no intention of doing Deferred Action on the entire Illegal population.

The Key Word there is …..”Entire”

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Ousted Agriculture Department employee Shirley Sherrod said Thursday she will sue a conservative blogger who posted a video edited in a way that made her appear racist.

In 2003, doctor's patient said he assaulted her, but it took four years and more complaints by women before he was charged or reviewed by state regulators

A 17-year-old girl reported to Berwyn police in 2003 that her doctor, Ricardo Arze, had pulled off her clothes and sexually assaulted her in his exam room, state records show.

NEW DELHI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister David Cameron Thursday urged Pakistan to crack down any terror group operating within the country and said Britain will not accept any terror grou...

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The U.N. Refugee Agency dispatched the first shipment of aid for flood victims in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

After 200million years the tadpole shrimp is still showing its extraordinary ability to survive.

By ANDREW MIGA and DAVID B. CARUSO 2010-07-30T05:33:15Z WASHINGTON (AP) -- A bill that would have provided up to $7.4 billion in aid to people sickened by World Trade Center dust fell short in the House on Thursday, raising the possibility that the bulk of compensation for the ill will come from a legal settlement hammered out in the federal courts....

I'm not sure what I can add to this occasion that hasn't already been laid out by my fellow barbarians, but here goes.

Two million people now follow Governor Palin on Facebook, and that number is steadily climbing. Two million plus hear directly from Governor Palin without the biased filter of the lamestream media. 

If you can't go through 'em, go around 'em:

"You go through the gate. If the gate’s closed, you go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we’ll pole vault in. If that doesn’t work, we’ll parachute in. If the other side tries to push back, your attitude should be “go for it.” Get in their faces and argue with them. (Sound familiar?!) Every possession is a battle; you’ll only win the war if you’ve picked your battles wisely. No matter how tough it gets, never retreat, instead RELOAD!

Most politicians are on Facebook, but none wield it like Sarah Palin. She's Facebooking the Revolution:


She's controlling her message; a Facebook phenomenon. In the words of Mary Matalin:

“I can’t answer what her strategy is, but I can say that it’s working.”

Having been the Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin knows what it is to have to go directly to the American people. Back in July of 2008, it was about getting out the message of drilling in ANWR. She said:

We're doing things differently; we're not just talking to those on the Hill, we don't have...a lot of the movers and shakers, the high paid lobbyists...

We are shifting gears away from the conventional way of trying to get a message out, and we're going right to the people of America.

This strategy causes some in the media to get their underpants all wound up in a bunch. After all, they're the ones who are supposed to tell the American people what to think. She should have to go through them! She's not playing by the rules!


She's doing very poorly in this war. Tsk, tsk.

Sarah Palin knows that the media plays a very important role in this republic, and it's a crying shame that many have chosen to sacrifice their journalistic integrity to protect a pipe dream.

Thank goodness we live in America where new innovations are making it easier and easier to go around the lamestream media filter and to get out the truth. In any other age, the media would have succeeded in their campaign of deception and destruction. This is still a battle, but it's a battle we can win.

Now, as you well know, we're holding a Money Bomb for SarahPAC to mark this occasion. Since she's hit 2 million followers, some have suggested donations of either $20, $200, or whatever you can afford. No amount is too big or too small.

So go here and donate if you can. And if you have an extra second, drop by the Governor's Facebook page and leave some comments encouraging others to do the same.

As the 'Cuda would say, "Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America."

UPDATE: Or, as Tammy Bruce says, "She typed. She sent. She conquered."

This is beneath disgusting. The Democrat party exalts in evil. How anyone could associate himself with these quislings is beyond me.

McMahon Campaign Hits Grimm For Taking "Jewish Money" The Observer hat tip Atlas readers

Mike Grimm, a G.O.P challenger for Mike McMahon's Congressional seat, took in over $200,000 in his last filing.

But in an effort to show that Grimm lacks support among voters in the district, which covers Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, the McMahon campaign compiled a list of Jewish donors to Grimm and provided it to The Politicker.

The file, labeled "Grimm Jewish Money Q2," for the second quarter fundraising period, shows a list of over 80 names, a half-dozen of which in fact do hail from Staten Island, and a handful of others that list Brooklyn as home.

"Where is Grimm's money coming from," said Jennifer Nelson, McMahon's campaign spokeman. "There is a lot of Jewish money, a lot of money from people in Florida and Manhattan, retirees."

As a point of comparison, the campaign also provided in-district and out-of-district fundraising totals from McMahon and Grimm's G.O.P primary opponent, Michael Allegretti. However, they did not provide an out-of-district campaign filing from Grimm, but only a file of Jewish donors to him.

Nelson said that the list was compiled by the campaign's finance director, Debra Solomon and that she did not know exactly how the finance team knew who was Jewish and who was not.

"She herself is Jewish so she knows a lot of people in that community," Nelson said.

[..]

Reached by phone, Grimm, who is part-Italian, part-German, said he was proud of his Jewish support and said he was disturbed to hear that the McMahon campaign compiled a separate list of his Jewish donors.

"The fact that a U.S. Congressman would separate out any group by religion or even by ethnicity is nothing short of outrageous," he said. "This goes beyond politics."

While China's boom has always been dogged by environmental and safety hazards, the frequency of disasters this summer has raised new questions about whether the country can maintain its pace of expansion without doing more harm than good

Pakistan than in any other nation polled this year.Comparatively, 18 percent of Pakistanis have at least some confidence in Osama bin Laden to do the right thing in world affairs. The study finds that

Friday, July 30, 2010 Statement shakes up British diplomacy, sparks terror row with IslamabadBy Murtaza Ali ShahLONDON: Former British Foreign Secretary Labour leadership hopeful David Miliband becam...

Friday, July 30, 2010 By Rabia Ali KarachiBilal Jamaee, one of the plane crash victims, often used to tell his friends that he wanted to be buried at a graveyard situated in the University of Kara...

Friday, July 30, 2010 By our correspondent A man was killed while his wife was injured when his friend opened fire on them in the Surjani Town police limits on Thursday.Thirty-year-old Asif Ali wa...

CM orders removal of encroachments along Nullahs Friday, July 30, 2010 By our correspondent KarachiSindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Thursday ordered the authorities concerned to remai...

Friday, July 30, 2010 By our correspondent KarachiSindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Thursday visited various localities of the city to see the situation in the aftermath of rains.The loca...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Karachi Cohesive effort of doctors, nurses, paramedics, ancillary staff and the administration is crucial for providing comprehensive care to indoor patients, read a joint resol...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Haleem Brohi is no more xKarachi July 28, 2010, will be remembered as one of the most unfortunate days in the history of Pakistan. The nation was already in mourning over the...

Gynaecologist sees no improvement in maternal health issues Friday, July 30, 2010 By Saher Baloch KarachiNo woman should have to pay with her life for giving life, hoped United Nations Secretar...

Friday, July 30, 2010 KarachiSwitzerland currently ranks fifth in terms of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Pakistan, as Swiss-based multinational companies have invested over $1.2 billion during t...

Friday, July 30, 2010 By Jamal Khurshid Karachi The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed the provincial law officer to file comments on a petition seeking an inquiry into target killings, r...

Friday, July 30, 2010 By Salis bin Perwaiz KarachiThe locality of Gulistan-e-Jauhar was worst-hit during the recent spate of targeted violence in the city.The violence started when armed men ridin...

Friday, July 30, 2010 By our correspondent KarachiForty-year-old Wahid Gul was killed after an armed man, travelling on the rooftop of a mini-bus, opened fire at him and pushed him off the moving ...

Friday, July 30, 2010 By our correspondent Karachi The Additional District and Sessions Judge issued notices to the counsel of Rana Maqbool, a former Inspector-General of Sindh, who is the current...

Friday, July 30, 2010 KarachiSindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan, who is also the chancellor of public-sector universities in the province, has not agreed to a suggestion to increase the tuition fee...

on Tariq Road during Ramazan Friday, July 30, 2010 The Jamshed Town administration on Thursday decided that the entry of taxis and rickshaws into Tariq Road would be completely banned during the h...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Our correspondent IslamabadThe Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has launched a one-month relief plan for 15,000 families affected by the disastrous situation resulting fr...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Shakeel Anjum IslamabadFlood in nullahs of Islamabad due to torrential rain on Thursday swept three young persons away whose bodies have been also missing, police sources sai...

Lowl-ying areas inundated, water gushed into houses; people warned to shift to safer places Friday, July 30, 2010 Saeed Ahmed RawalpindiNullah Leh wreaked havoc in the Rawalpindi City causing h...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Our crime correspondent Islamabad: The ICT administration has dispatched relief and rescue teams to low lying areas of Islamabad to help the affected people. The rescue teams...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Our correspondent RawalpindiThe water of Soan River gushed into homes in the Azeem Colony on Thursday after heavy downpour in the city. Rescue teams rushed to the area to pro...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Our correspondent IslamabadThe outgoing Country Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr. Khalif Bile Mohamud hosted a reception for health journalists here T...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Sandeep Pandey On the face of it, it appears that the recent foreign ministerial level talks between India and Pakistan were a failure. The blame game is on. Both sides have ...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Myra Imran IslamabadYouth Prime Minister Hassan Javed Khan, who lost his life in the tragic incident of Airblue plane crash in Margallah Hills on Wednesday, had so many plans...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Our correspondent Islamabad: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Thursday rang up Chairman CDA Imtiaz Inayat Elahi and expressed his concern over the choked drainage system...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Afshan S. Khan RawalpindiAn art exhibition was held at the Fatima Jinnah Women University on Thursday where the work of Fine Arts students was displayed. The show assembled t...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Our correspondent IslamabadSaudi Public Assistance for Pakistan Earthquake Victims (SPAPEV) has completed most of the over 50 million dollars projects in the October 8, 2005 ...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Our crime correspondent IslamabadComplete coordination among various institutions is vital to root out the factors causing crimes, said Inspector General of Police Syed Kalee...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Our correspondent IslamabadTo bid farewell to the ambassador of Poland, Dr Kryzstof Debnicki and his wife, Justice Ali Nawaz Chohan and Mrs Chohan hosted a dinner in their ho...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Our correspondent IslamabadThe government fully recognizes the importance of provision of safe drinking water as crucial to human health and it has launched a project of deli...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Islamabad BEFARe a national NGO in collaboration with ActionAid Pakistan and with the support of European Union under the C-PRISM project, organised its sixth one-day policy sem...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Rashid Khalid Islamabad Most of the public-sector universities in the country have failed to pay 50 salary increase to their staff in the salaries for the month of July.Presi...

60 bodies so far handed over to heirs Friday, July 30, 2010 Khalid Iqbal IslamabadThe dead bodies of eleven plane crash victims were taken to Karachi through Pakistan International Airlines fli...

Friday, July 30, 2010 Shahina Maqbool IslamabadMuch of the commotion witnessed outside the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) after the June 28 air crash could have been avoided, if the...

British high commissioner condoles with Youth Parliament members Friday, July 30, 2010 Our correspondent IslamabadBritish High Commissioner to Pakistan, Adam Thomson, who joined Youth Parliamen...

The practice of preventive detention, under which German courts can keep violent offenders imprisoned indefinitely, has stirred controversy after the European Court of Human Rights ruled against the measure.

BY MEGAN ROLLAND

School begins Monday at two of the district's three schools under improvement plans, but a necessary contract with the union hasn't been signed and some teachers still are waiting to be transferred.

BY SEAN MURPHY

As Oklahoma lieutenant governor for the last four years, Jari Askins has been riding in parades, cutting ribbons and visiting festivals and fish fries from one corner of the state to the other.

Experts say that exposure, combined with an energized ground game, a flurry of last-minute automated telephone calls and face-to-face politicking in northeast Oklahoma, helped Jari Askins squeak out an upset victory in this week's Democratic primary for governor.

Askins edged longtime Attorney General Drew Edmondson by fewer than 1,500 votes — or less than six-tenths of 1 percent of the votes cast.

***UPDATE:  “Hardball” Defense of Breitbart Memory-Holed

****

Today, on MSNBC’s Hardball, Chris Matthews acknowledged (and appears to be the first member of the mainstream media to acknowledge) that the video Andrew Breitbart posted in his July 19th Big Government article about an NAACP audience’s reaction to a particular moment in Shirley Sherrod’s speech, does in fact include Ms. Sherrod discussing her redemptive revelation (transcript from Newsbusters):

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well, there you go. [Quoting Ms. Sherrod] “I opened my eyes. I realized it wasn’t about black and white. It was, but it was about other things, about poverty.” So … that part, that part in there about redemptive revelation was actually in the initial tape.

This then prompts Mr. Matthews to ask his guests, Governor Howard Dean and Joan Walsh, a question that answers itself:

Yeah, but why do you think if this was a complete slime job, why do you think Breitbart kept that in there, Governor? Why did he keep in that part – let me let the Governor in here. Why did he put the redemptive part in here at all?

Dean admits he has never even viewed that 2:36 video in its entirety! Nor has he even read Andrew Breitbart’s original article, which states:

Eventually, her basic humanity informs that this white man is poor and needs help. But she decides that he should get help from “one of his own kind”. She refers him to a white lawyer.

Of course that has not stopped Dean from appearing on multiple networks and ripping Fox News as being racist for having played the video of Shirley Sherrod released on BigGovernment.com (yes, the same 2:36 video he has not watched all — any? — of).

It’s reasonable to assume Dean isn’t the only member of the media or punditry guilty of this negligence. While the Democrat Media Complex rushes to condemn Breitbart for not offering adequate context in his multimedia presentation, how many actually stopped to read and watch the context that was given in the first place. (Hint: The over/under is Chris Matthews.)

Will the rest of the MSM follow Matthews’ lead, take a breather from their feeding frenzy, and follow suit? Or will they continue to mischaracterize and misinform?

***UPDATE:  “Hardball” Defense of Breitbart Memory-Holed

***

Today, on MSNBC’s Hardball, Chris Matthews acknowledged (and appears to be the first member of the mainstream media to acknowledge) that the video Andrew Breitbart posted in his July 19th Big Government article about an NAACP audience’s reaction to a particular moment in Shirley Sherrod’s speech, does in fact include Ms. Sherrod discussing her redemptive revelation (transcript from Newsbusters):

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well, there you go. [Quoting Ms. Sherrod] “I opened my eyes. I realized it wasn’t about black and white. It was, but it was about other things, about poverty.” So … that part, that part in there about redemptive revelation was actually in the initial tape.

This then prompts Mr. Matthews to ask his guests, Governor Howard Dean and Joan Walsh, a question that answers itself:

Yeah, but why do you think if this was a complete slime job, why do you think Breitbart kept that in there, Governor? Why did he keep in that part – let me let the Governor in here. Why did he put the redemptive part in here at all?

Dean admits he has never even viewed that 2:36 video in its entirety! Nor has he even read Andrew Breitbart’s original article, which states:

Eventually, her basic humanity informs that this white man is poor and needs help. But she decides that he should get help from “one of his own kind”. She refers him to a white lawyer.

Of course that has not stopped Dean from appearing on multiple networks and ripping Fox News as being racist for having played the video of Shirley Sherrod released on BigGovernment.com (yes, the same 2:36 video he has not watched all — any? — of).

It’s reasonable to assume Dean isn’t the only member of the media or punditry guilty of this negligence. While the Democrat Media Complex rushes to condemn Breitbart for not offering adequate context in his multimedia presentation, how many actually stopped to read and watch the context that was given in the first place. (Hint: The over/under is Chris Matthews.)

Will the rest of the MSM follow Matthews’ lead, take a breather from their feeding frenzy, and follow suit? Or will they continue to mischaracterize and misinform?

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has made a decision to shut down at least 200 gypsy camps and expel their inhabitants. This measure, first of all, will affect the gypsies from Bulgaria and Romania. The French President decided to take this radical step after the events of July 17 and 18 in the town of Saint-Aignan that caused a wide resonance in the country. Then a 22-year-old gypsy in his automobile broke through a fence put up by security personnel, and hit one of the gendarmes who attempted to block his path

Despite billions in aid from Washington and a shared threat from extremists, Pakistanis have an overwhelmingly negative view of the United States, according to results of a Pew Research Center poll re...

A new poll finds that Pakistanis have grown less fearful of extremists taking over their country.That could be a reflection of gains that Pakistani government troops have made against militants since ...

Bartlesville woman dies after driver of her car runs stop sign

Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel, a top Mexican drug trafficker, has been in a military operation that may prove to be a boon for President Felipe Calderon's struggling war against drug cartels.

Forest fires in two central Russian regions burned down over 800 houses and killed at least five people in the last 24 hours, the emergencies ministry said on Friday.

Georgia should prepare for “total defense” and “de-occupation” of the country. President Saakashvili said this while speaking at the Georgian Defense Ministry. His speech was dedicated to the second anniversary of the outbreak of war in South Ossetia. The main part of Saakashvili's speech was traditionally devoted to denouncing “imperial plans” of Russia that allegedly wanted to establish full control over Georgia

BY RANDY ELLIS

A former Oklahoma high school coach was charged with three counts of second-degree rape and one count of second-degree forcible sodomy Thursday for allegedly having repeated sex with an 18-year-old female McAlester High School student while he was a teacher and coach there.

WASHINGTON: Issuing a stern warning to ISI, a top American military official has asked the Pakistani spy agency to "strategically shift its focus", as any ties with the terrorist outfits that has c...

Salmonella outbreaks that sickened more than 400 in the U.S. and Britain have been traced to mice sold as food for exotic pets.

There are financial benefits for the senate candidates to run in both elections.

Rapper-turned-underwear model-turned-Oscar-nominated actor Mark Wahlberg has been honoured by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Sam and Charles Wyly, billionaire Texas brothers who gained prominence spending millions of dollars on conservative political causes, committed fraud by using secret overseas accounts to generate more than $550 million in profit through illegal stock trades, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Thursday

BY CHRIS SCHUTZ

A Moore student says instincts kicked in when she saw a man fleeing at Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City.

BY CHRIS CASTEEL

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa, is disappointed that a California base was chosen over Altus Air Force Base for the location of a new spy plane.

The death toll since Wednesday has risen to 113. More than 400,000 people have been affected. The provincial government has declared a state of emergency and asked people living along the banks of th...

Newspapers and TV shows grapple with the secrets of an upcoming celebrity marriage.

The latest news apparently is the frog has promised his future in laws that once married he will revert to Islam. Given the bed hopping history of Beeson who has shagged his various mistresses while a...

As the events are being unfolded, CAA (Civilian Aviation Authorities) has submitted an initial report which contains the warning from the control tower to the pilot. The report says the recording is a...

The reports open a surge of fresh speculation and scanning over the most critical and cantankerous topic of the 9 year old war and that is the involvement of Pakistan military, intelligentsia and spy ...

Most of the American propaganda on Pakistan is “Rumors, bullshit and second-hand information” Since late 2006, United States government, military, intelligence and media have been orchestrating re...

The evidence is piling up showing US hostile intent and effectively the US itself is becoming less of a friend – if ever it was – and more of an enemy. Even if we feel that is too drastic ...

Israel’s attack on a humanitarian aid ship headed for Gaza may prove to be the greatest strategic error the government has ever made. Like the Soweto riots in South Africa in 1976, or Bloody Sunday ...

When international condemnation intensified in relation to the crime committed by Israel against the aid flotilla unarmed activists, who were trying to bring food and medicine to the civilians besiege...

The trust placed by consumers in scientific studies and Federal oversight committees has been violated in service to profit so that products are allowed to enter the marketplace with reduced safety st...

Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel allegedly fired at soldiers.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, spoke to CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk about the thousands of pages of classified U.S. documents released this week...

Fox said the talk show host was leaving immediately, despite having four years remaining on her contract.

Pakistan stepped up rescue efforts after flash floods and heavy rains in the northwest killed 291 people and left thousands stranded in the region’s worst storms. Communication systems collapsed.

Not all prophecy in Scripture has been fulfilled yet but the second coming of Jesus Christ was totally fulfilled in the first century. The second coming of Christ had to do with the destruction of the Jewish Age and the establishment of Christ's Kingdom. The modern state of Israel today has the right to exist like any other nation, but it does not have the right to territorial conquest and control in the name of Zionism. Most evangelical Christians, who are dispensationalists, are still seeking for an Israel that the New Testament says is the spiritual body of Christ

He's accused of abusing office to burnish his name.