Miller Media Moments

During the attacks by gunmen on Mumbai Pakistani authorities said they put their air force on high alert after their president received a "threatening" late-night call that they say came straight from the Indian government, according to the Associated Press.

The Indian government are calling the allegations a hoax.

But, the Pakistani president's leadership abilities are also in question.

A Los Angeles Times article said a year ago, Asif Ali Zardari "was best known as the corruption-tainted, polo-loving husband of Benazir Bhutto, the charismatic former Pakistani prime minister who appeared poised to make a dramatic return to power."

"Now Zardari, 53, who took over leadership of Bhutto's party after she was assassinated Dec. 27 and became president three months ago, finds himself head of state at a time of extraordinary turmoil, even by Pakistani standards." (Los Angeles Times)

"It's not so easy," Shaukat Qadir told the Los Angeles Times, a political analyst and retired general. "What he has to do is stand up for Pakistan, but let India know he understands we have to coexist."

Pakistani Information Minister Sherry Rehman said a "threatening" call to Zardari on Nov. 28, when the attacks were still under way, definitely came from India's External Affairs Ministry.

India's Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee denied that Sunday, telling the Associated Press, "I had made no such telephone call."

Pakistan has said it will cooperate with India if authorities prove the attacks came from Pakistani soil. It has denied any of its state agencies were involved, noting it too is a victim of terrorism, and pointed to "non-state actors." (Associated Press)

Posted by mill3444 at 11:48 PM | Permalink

President Bush arrived in Peru's capital, Lima, on Friday to talk with the leaders of Peru about the economic crisis and other looming threats for the country.

President Bush wrapped up his final meeting with leaders of Asia-Pacific nations on Sunday, leaving the economic summit with an endorsement of his plans for international financial regulatory reform, a renewed call for free trade and a promise from China to host another round of the so-called six-party talks, aimed at ending North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, according to the New York Times.

"As we work to rebuild confidence in our financial systems in the short term, we must also work to promote long-term economic growth," Bush said in his weekly radio address released Friday. "Together, our nations must focus our efforts on three great forces that drive this growth -- free markets, free trade and free people." (Washington Post)

Bush's main goal during his two-night stay in Peru was to enlist support for an economic crisis agreement signed a week ago by the United States, China and 18 other major economies. The pact focuses on keeping trade barriers down and encouraging free-market principles while implementing reforms to the global financial system, according to the Washington Post.

Posted by mill3444 at 11:55 PM | Permalink

Space shuttle Endeavour docked Sunday with the international space station, delivering cargo similar to home remodeling gear.

The linkup to the station unites 10 American and Russian astronauts for most of the next two weeks. It occurred at 4:01 p.m. CST, as the shuttle and station sailed 212 miles over the border between India and China, according to the Houston Chronicle.

"The international space station is indeed ready for an extreme makeover," Mike Fincke, the station's commander, radioed Endeavour skipper Chris Ferguson as the shuttle neared. "We'll be sure to open the door." (Houston Chronicle)

The crews will begin one of the 15-day mission's top priorities as early as Monday by transferring a cargo module carrying nearly 15,000 pounds of gear to the station, according to an Associated Press article in USA Today.

New sleep stations, a toilet and a water recycling system are among the furnishings needed so the station can double its crews to six people next year and get more science research done, according to the AP.

The mission also includes four spacewalks to repair a damaged joint that rotates solar wings on the station's starboard side, according to the AP article.

Posted by mill3444 at 5:08 PM | Permalink

The United Nations is sending a convoy of food and medical supplies to help people who have been displaced by recent fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to the BBC News, 250,000 people have found themselves in this situation.

Aid groups were expected to travel into the Congo's rebel-held territory on Sunday, according to CNN International.

On Saturday, aid groups delivered food and water to a refugee camp north of Goma, traveling through a narrow "humanitarian corridor" the rebels established following a cease-fire with government forces that the rebels announced Wednesday. (CNN International)

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told CNN Intenational the international community cannot allow Congo to become "another Rwanda," where 800,000 died during a 1994 genocide.

"Our priority is to restart the activities at many health centres in the area," Gloria Fernandez, head of the UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Goma told BBC News. "We're taking health supplies, water, and sanitation."

Posted by mill3444 at 11:15 PM | Permalink

A Japanese meat producer announced Sunday it will be recalling millions of packages of pizzas and sausages after finding cyanide in the well water normally used in these products.

This announcement is in addition to another contamination announced days earlier.

According to an article by the Telegraph, two major food companies recalled more than half a million packs of instant cup noodles following the discovery of insecticide contamination.

In September, recalls were made of Chinese-milk made products in Japan after industrial chemical melamine was found in the products, according to the Associated Press report in USA Today.

Itoham, the sausage company involved, recalled nearly 2.7 million packages of sausages and pizza sold in Japan, according to the Associated Press.

Itoha spokesman Yoshiro Matsuzaki told the Associated Press this was the first time in 40 years of operation that the company had found unhealthy levels of cyanide in its wells.

"Please accept our sincere apology," Itoham said in a statement, which was reprinted by the AP. "We will do our utmost to prevent future problems and ensure product safety."

Posted by mill3444 at 5:20 PM | Permalink

Millvina Dean was 2-months-old when she arrived to New York City, surviving the sinking of the Titanic. Now, 96-years-old, the woman is selling the ship memorabilia she owns to pay for private nursing home care.

Dean sold a small wicker suitcase, given to her, her mother and brother in New York, that contained survival items along with other mementos of the doomed ocean liner, at auction Saturday in Southern England to help pay her nursing home fees, according to USA Today.

The sale raised $53,906 — ten times the amount she had hoped to make. The suitcase alone sold for $18,650, according to USA Today.

"It is a great amount of money. I am sure she will be very happy when we tell her the news," auctioneer Andrew Aldridge told USA Today after the sale.

Dean moved into a private nursing home in Ashurst, Hampshire, two years ago after breaking her hip, according to BBC News. Although Britain provides free health care, the private facility Dean lives in requires extra fees.

"I was hoping to be here for two weeks after breaking my hip, but I developed an infection and have been here for two years," she told BBC News.

"I am not able to live in my home anymore," she said. "I am selling it all now because I have to pay these nursing home fees."

Dean also auctioned off rare prints of the ill-fated cruise liner and compensation letters sent to her mother by the Titanic Relief Fund, according to BBC News.

Dean's items were sold as part of a larger auction of Titanic memorabilia hosted by Henry Aldridge and Son in Devizes in southern England, according to USA Today.

These other items included the sale of the last known lifejacket and a crew member's watch, according to BBC News.

Dean, her mother Georgetta and brother Bertram Jr. were among 706 people — mostly women and children — who were rescued by the steamship Carpathia. Her father, Bertram Dean, was among more than 1,500 who died, according to USA Today.

Posted by mill3444 at 9:41 PM | Permalink

North Korea was removed from Washington's list of terrorism sponsors and confirmed Sunday they would continue to disable its main nuclear plant.

President Bush said in June that he would look at taking North Korea off the terrorism list in recognition of the country’s commitment to stop its development of nuclear weapons. The offer was in lingo for months as administration officials tried to persuade North Korean officials to allow a strict inspection program to verify that the country was keeping its word, according to the New York Times.

The North's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it will again allow inspections by the U.S. and International Atomic Energy Agency i to verify the disablement process, according to a report in USA Today.

"We welcome the U.S. which has honored its commitment to delist the DPRK as 'a state sponsor of terrorism,"' said the statement, carried by the country's official Korean Central News Agency. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name. (USA Today)

North Korea will allow atomic experts to take samples and conduct forensic tests at all of its declared nuclear facilities and undeclared sites. This is intended to verify that it has told the truth about transfers of nuclear technology and an alleged uranium program, U.S. officials told USA Today.

In part to fend off criticism that they did not get enough concessions from North Korea, Bush administration officials listed restrictions they will still have. Reporters covering the story at the State Department news conference Saturday morning were handed the list of sanctions before they were given the fact sheet that said North Korea was being removed from the terrorism list, according to the New York Times.

“North Korea remains subject to numerous sanctions resulting from its 2006 nuclear test, its proliferation activities, its human rights violations and its status as a Communist state,� Sean McCormack, a State Department spokesman, told the New York Times.

Posted by mill3444 at 10:40 PM | Permalink

European powers agreed Saturday they must find a way to protect their banks from the increase global financial crisis, but could not agree on a strategy.

Unlike the U.S.'s $700 billion bailout plan, Europe plans to continue dealing with its financial problems on a case-by-case basis, according to the Washington Post.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy annouced for, now he and the leaders of Britain, Germany and Italy will use their own means to safeguard banks from collapse, according to the Washington Post article.

Leaders sharply criticized what they said were the American roots of what has become a global credit crisis, according to a report to the New York Times.

The crisis has become the biggest financial challenge for European leaders since the introduction of the euro as Continent-wide currency in 1999, according to the New York Times.

Some leaders are arguing Europe must come together with a solid plan and others want to handle it individually.

Meanwhile, European countries are putting their faith in the European Central Bank, which president of the bank, Jean-Claude-Trichet called "an anchor of stability," according to the New York Times.

"They can count on us," Trichet said of the 320 million Europeans in the euro zone. (New York Times)

Posted by mill3444 at 12:06 AM | Permalink

Three Chinese astronauts returned safely to Earth on Sunday after completing the nation's first-ever spacewalk.

The re-entry capsule of the Shenzhou VII came down by parachute and landed on grasslands in north China, according to a report by the New York Times.

The purpose of the spacewalk was to test China's mastery of the technology involved. Astronaut Zhai Zhigang remained outside in space for 13 minutes, according to report from the Associated Press.

The spacewalk was broadcast live by state TV stations and crowds gathered to watch on outdoor television screens, the Associated Press reported.

The completion of the mission added to national pride already gained from the Beijing Olympics.

"It was a glorious mission, full of challenges but the result is perfect," Zhigang told the state media after the landing.

China has spent billions of dollars building up its space program and is only the third country after Russia and the United States to send humans into space with its own space ship, according to the New York Times.

Posted by mill3444 at 5:09 PM | Permalink

Across India, petitions for divorces by women are rising along with headlines and blog entries surrounding the topic, according to a Washington Post report released Friday.

The Washington Post report read, "In a country where marriage is a cornerstone of family life, there has long been a deep social stigma associated with divorce. Arranged marriages are still common, linking families and, often, lucrative businesses."

But, this way of thinking may be reserved to India's older population.

"India is a young nation, with 75 percent of the population under age 35, according to the Washington Post.

The Indian capital city of New Delhi has seen the amount of divorce cases in family courts almost double in four years. The city of Kolkata has seen case numbers increase by 200 percent in recent years. (Washington Post)

"We Should Celebrate Rising Divorce Rates," read a headline on the editorial page of Mail Today, a tabloid in New Delhi, the Washington Post reported. "70-year-old woman wants divorce after 53 years!" read another recent headline in the The Times of India newspaper.

While the divorce rate is more than 50 percent in the U.S., a woman's divorce calls for headlines in India.

The Times of India article, which ran Aug. 31, describes the story of Bimla Devi and her journey to filing for a divorce from her husband of 53 years.

"I was thrown out of my home some 30 years back when I suffered from TB. My husband left me on road and I know how I managed to survive and get myself treated by visiting different hospitals in the capital," Devi told The Times of India.

Unlike U.S. newspapers, the story does not present the side of the woman's husband and the article sites the increase of divorces filed at the end of the story.

"New Delhi has emerged as the de facto divorce capital of the country with about 8,000 to 9,000 cases filed each year. The number of women filing for divorce has seen a steep increase (The Times of India). "

Posted by mill3444 at 9:33 PM | Permalink

Scientists at the CERN laboratory outside Geneva activated Large Hadron Collider, the world's most powerful particle collider on Wednesday.

After working on the collider for 14 years, the $8 billion project was revealed, making it the most expensive scientific experiment to date, according to a New York Times report.

Although this debut only served as a first test, scientists say this "powerful tool is almost ready to reveal how the tiniest particles were first created after the 'big bang,' which many theorize was the massive explosion that formed the stars, planets and everything (USA Today)."

Celebration "pajama parties" occurred across the globe, USA Today reported.

Physicists are still speculating exactly what the machine will do.

Some have even labeled it a "doomsday" machine, but CFERN physicists say the fear is just science fiction (New York Times).

Physcists can agree that they don't know what will happen when the collisions reach the energies just after the Big Bang, something the collider will be able to do.

"There are so many theories we don't have a clue," Dr. Oddone told the New York Times. "That's what makes it so exciting."

The collider's two largest detectors, which are likened to two huge digital cameras weighing thousands of tons, can take millions of photos in seconds (USA Today).

The debut of the machine only marked the first of several collisions that are expected to occur in the coming weeks.

Boaz Kilma, a Fermilab particle physicist, told the New York Times all of the speculation about what the collider will do has created buzz and excitement about particle physics.

"Bad publicity is still publicity," Kilma told the New York Times. "This is something people can talk to their neighbors about."

Posted by mill3444 at 4:30 AM | Permalink