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An Argentinean cruise ship ran aground off Antarctica Thursday, Argentina's navy said, reported The Los Angeles times.
The M.V. Ushuaia, an Argentine vessel carrying 82 passengers and 40 crew members is not expected to sink, reported N.Y.Times.com.
The cruise boat became stuck on rocks in the Antarctic Peninsula, a long arm of land jutting north toward South America, said Argentine Navy officials.
“The cause of the grounding is something we’ll look into later,� Adm. Daniel Martin said. “Our priority is to help the people on board and control any contamination from the small amount of fuel loss.�
A traveler on another tourist ship, Jon Bowermaster, e-mail a message to The Times. “We had hurricane winds yesterday — 103 miles per hour and gusting — which may have contributed to the grounding,� he said Thursday afternoon.

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Vowing to protect the Russian economy Russian President tried to calm nervous countrymen Thursday, reported boston.com.
Many Russians remember the collapse of the ruble in1998 and the accompanied run on grocery stores, reported L.A.Times.
The ruble has lost strength against the dollar in recent weeks. People have begun to exchange their rubles for stronger currencies.
"We will do our best to prevent a recurrence of the past meltdown in our country," Putin said Thursday.
The oil-rich nation has grown accustomed to high oil prices and the profits that go with them. Russia's $435.5 billion in reserves was reduced by $20 billion last week.

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Massive brown clouds in Asia, China, Africa and parts of the Middle East are changing weather patterns and threatening health, reported the United Nations Thursday, reported The L.A. Times.
The carbon clouds are a result of auto mobiles, slash-and-burn agriculture and coal-fired power plants scientists who have been studying the problem said.
The toxic brown clouds are reducing sunlight in parts of China leading to reductions in crop yeilds, reported StarTribune.com.
The mile thick haze sometimes stretches from the Arabian Peninsula to the Yellow Sea in China.
Rain falling through the haze deposits carbon on Himalayan glaciers causing rapid melting, researchers say.

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While in Russia, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi joked Thursday that president-elect Barack Obama is “young, handsome and suntanned.�, reported the New York Times.
Berlusconi made the comments to Russian President Dmitri A. Medvedev calling them "all the qualities" necessary to develop a good working relationship, reported the New York Times.
Curzio Maltese, an Italian journalist for La Repubblica newspaper said, "Mr. Berlusconi never fails to live up to our worst expectations.�, reported the L.A. Times.
Berlusconi later responded to criticism over the remark, he called it “a great compliment. . . . If they have the vice of not having a sense of humor, worse for them," the ANSA news agency reported.

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An earthquake killed over 200 people in southwestern Pakistan Thursday officials said, reported the New York Times.
The 6.4 magnitude earthquake leveled mud homes and destroyed roads in the remote area of Pakistan, reported the L.A. Times.
Officials said they expect the death total to rise. Additionally, 15,000 people are homeless. They are enduring aftershocks and cold weather, N.Y.Times.
It was a shallow earthquake, which is very destructive,� Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, spokesman for the Pakistan Meteorological Society said.
The earthquake struck along a 44-mile fault line. It has caused repeated destruction. In 1935 a quake along the fault line killed 35,000 people, reported the New York Times.

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Surgeons at La Paz Hospital in Madrid, Spain will operate Friday on 51-year-old Seve Ballesteros to remove a brain tumor, reported the BBC.
Balesteros, a legendary Spanish golfer, will have his third operation to remove the remains of a brain tumor, reported the Associated Press.
La Paz Hospital said Thursday that the surgery is ''of great complexity.''
Between 1979 and 1997 Balesteros won 87 titles, reported the BBC.
Balesteros retired last year after because of knee and back problems, reported the BBC.

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A Nato airstrike in southern Afghanistan Thursday killed 18 civilians announced Afghan officials, N.Y.Times.
Eighteen civilians including three women and 15 children-ranging in age from six months to 15 years were pulled from the rubble, reported the BBC.
Nato forces are investigating the incident. The area is under British military control.
The BBC's Martin Patience said the incident will damage allied forces desires to win over "hearts and minds" of the locals.

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World financial markets, fearing a global recession, tumbled Thursday, reported the BBC.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 8 percent in ten minutes before recovering. The British FTSE 100 slumped 8.4 percent. Paris was down 8.4 percent and Germany was down 8.8 percent. Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average has fallen nearly 20 percent in the last two days of trading, reported NewYorkTimes.
"We've got blind panic selling," said financial analyst David Buik, reported the BBC.
Thus far, efforts to open up credit have done little to stop the selling. Various governments have injected money from the central banks and have cut interest rates.
British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said he is confident Britain's bail-out package would stabilize the economy. He urges other countries to follow Britain’s bank rescue package, reported the BBC.

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Russian President Dmitri Medvedev criticized the United State's economical leadership while speaking in St. Petersburg on Thursday, reported the BBC.
Medvedev was speaking to other European leaders at St. Petersburg State University during the eighth annual Petersburg Dialog, NewYorkTimes reported.
"The times when one economy and one country dominated are gone for good,� said Medvedev.
Russian and German officials blame the U.S. financial crisis on poor regulation.
Criticism has been rising in recent days, “This is not the irresponsibility of some people but the irresponsibility of the system, which as it is known, claimed to be the leader,� Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.

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Somali pirates seized a Ukrainian ship in the Indian Ocean Thursday.
The ship, bound for Kenya's military, was carrying 33 tanks and ammunition, UsaToday.com.
The American Navy was dispatched to intercept the Somali pirates on Friday. Russia has sent a warship to the Somalia coast, officials said, NYTimes.com.
Somali pirates routinely capture ships, including yachts and oil tankers, in the Indian Ocean. The Cargo and crews are held for ransom money.
The pirates are not expected to have the capacity to unload the 40-ton tanks, experts said.
“If there are tanks on board,� Andrew Mwangura, a Kenyan diplomat said, “I don’t think there’s a chance in hell they can get them unloaded,� NYTimes.com.

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North Korea is rebuilding the Yongbyon nuclear reactor, reported The New York times, Friday.
The North Korean Foreign Ministry confirmed the Yongbyon reactor, north of Pyongyang, is being rebuilt. The plant is capable of producing weapons-grade Plutonium.
Korean Foreign Ministry Official, Hyun Hak-bon, was asked when the plant will be restored. "You'll come to know soon," he said.
Korea agreed to dissemble the plant if Washington would remove them from a list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Washington has refused to remove them for not fulfilling the full agreement including a comprehensive inspection.
"A robber-like inspection method in the name of an international standard," would exacerbate tension said Hak-bon, reported the BBC.

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Addressing 260,000 people, Pope Benedict XVI criticized the modern day lust for power and money during a Saturday mass in Paris.
Benedict is concerned that traditional Christian values are being trumped by consumerism. "Has not our modern world created its own idols?� said Benedict. He added, "People have imitated, perhaps inadvertently, the pagans of antiquity�, reported CNN.com.
The Pope met Friday with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarkozy was credited by Benedict for encouraging more religion in French society.
French secularists opposed this stance, saying this is the first time in French history that a pope and a president have shared common politics, reported the BBC.

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