Bees join hunt for serial killers :

The way bumblebees search for food could help detectives hunt down serial killers, scientists believe.
Just as bees forage some distance away from their hives, so murderers avoid killing near their homes, says the University of London team.
This "geographic profiling" works so well in bees, the scientists say future experiments on the animals could now be fed back to improve crime-solving.
The team's work is reported in the Royal Society journal Interface.
"We're really hopeful that we can improve the model for criminology," Dr Nigel Raine, from Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL), told BBC News.

Thai school offers transsexual toilet :

With its spacious, tree-lined grounds and slightly threadbare classrooms, there is nothing obviously unusual about the Kampang Secondary School.
It is situated in Thailand's impoverished north-east, and most of the pupils are the children of farmers.
Every morning at 0800 they all gather outside to sing the national anthem and watch the flag being raised.
Then they have a chance to use the toilets, before heading off the first classes of the day.
Kampang is proud of its toilets. Spotless, and surrounded by flowering tropical plants, they have won national awards for cleanliness.
But there is something else about them too. Between the girls' toilet and the boys', there is one signposted with a half-man, half-woman figure in blue and red.
This is the transsexual toilet, and outside, in front of the mirrors, some decidedly girly-looking teenage boys preen their hair and apply face cream.

The strange decline of the paperboy :

People in many areas of the country struggle to get a newspaper delivered. It's the burning issue in the world of the newsagent - where did all the newspaper boys and girls go?
Becoming a paper boy or girl is a rite of passage for many children.
Perhaps more than any other part-time job, it educates the young future worker about the importance of getting up in the morning, of punctuality, of steadfastness.
POSSIBLE FACTORS IN DECLINE
Rising pocket money
Other job opportunities
Concerns over safety
Linked to tiredness in school
New regulations

Olympic boost for Mummy blockbuster ?

As all eyes turn to Beijing for the Olympics, the third instalment of the successful Mummy films offers its own take on China - swapping Egyptian Pyramids for the Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
So is the timing a coincidence? Or are the filmmakers hoping for a box office boost from the Olympic Games?
Seven years after the bandages last came off, actor Brendan Fraser returns in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor as archaeologist Rick O'Connell, this time retired, and with a grown-up son Alex.
When Alex, played by Australian actor Luke Ford, accidentally awakens the Dragon Emperor (Jet Li), his parents leap from their sedentary retirement to help save the world.

For Fraser, China offered the perfect setting for this latest romp.

Lebanese singer 'killed in Dubai'

Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim has been found dead at her home in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, media reports say.
Police in Dubai have declined to comment on the case apart from to say they are investigating and will make an announcement soon.
Media reports say her body was stabbed repeatedly and her face mutilated.
Tamim won fame after appearing on a TV talent show in Lebanon in 1996, but her career was marred by stories about a troubled private life.
After winning a Gold Medal on the Studio al-Fann programme, she was a hailed both for her beauty and as well as a voice that was equally suited to pop tunes and classical Arabic melodies.
Tamim was reported to have fled Lebanon to Egypt some years ago after a number of bitter legal battles with her estranged second husband, music producer Adel Maatouk.
Reports say she disappeared from public view in Cairo in 2007 and was thought to be living in Dubai's exclusive Jumeira district.

MPs ask websites to vet content :

YouTube has been criticised by MPs, who say it must do more to vet its content.
In a review of net safety, the Culture, Media and Sport select committee said a new industry body should be set up to protect children from harmful content.
It also said it should be "standard practice" for sites hosting user-generated content to review material proactively.
YouTube's owners said the site had strict rules and a system that allowed users to report inappropriate content.

Row over video games ratings plan :

Planned changes to the way video games are rated have sparked a row about who should be in charge of giving games their official age classification.
Culture Minister Margaret Hodge has announced a consultation on whether the ratings for games should replicate the system for movies.
But games makers oppose plans, backed by MPs, for the British Board of Film Classification to rate games as well.
The games industry wants its own voluntary code to be made official.
Under the current system the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) only rates those games considered to have significant adult content such as sexual material or extreme violence.
About 3% of all the games sold in the UK fall into this category and can only legally be sold to those aged over 18.
All other games are rated under the Pan European Game Information system - an industry administered scheme.

Group tasks world over Darfur aid :

NEW YORK (AP) -- A Darfur advocacy group complained Wednesday that nations aren't doing enough to help the U.N. peacekeeping mission for the stricken Sudanese region, urging them to provide helicopters and other equipment needed to protect civilians.

Big Olympic spend, but little debate :

With total spending expected to exceed $40bn (£20bn), Beijing's Olympic Games may be the most expensive in history.
China has spent the money on new stadiums, infrastructure projects and cleaning up the capital's polluted environment.
In other host cities, this high cost would have led to heated public debate, but in China there has been little controversy.
In a country where information is not always accessible, many people seem not to know how much is being spent.
Calculating the costs associated with an Olympic Games is a tricky business, and the Beijing event is no different.
One problem is deciding what is - and what is not - an Olympic-related cost.
Sporting arenas certainly come under the former category.

Ex-Thai PM's wife guilty of fraud :

The wife of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been convicted of tax fraud by a court in Bangkok.
Pojaman Shinawatra was sentenced to three years in prison, in the first of a series of cases against the family.
She, her brother Bannapot Damapong and her secretary were charged with trying to avoid paying 546m baht ($16.3m) in tax when transferring shares.
The trio were freed on bail of 5m baht ($149,000) each pending an appeal, Thai court officials said.
Mrs Thaksin's brother was sentenced to three years in jail, while her secretary was handed a two-year sentence.

Karadzic due in war crimes court :

The former Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic, is due to be formally charged by the UN war crimes tribunal.
Mr Karadzic, arrested in Belgrade last week after 13 years on the run, has been extradited to the Netherlands and is being held at a UN detention centre.
At the court in The Hague he will hear the exact charges concerning alleged crimes against humanity and genocide during the 1990s Bosnian conflict.
Mr Karadzic has said he intends to conduct his own defence.
The court appearance is likely to be just the opening skirmish in a long, legal battle, says the BBC's Dominic Hughes in The Hague.

Support for Darfur mission urged :

The international community has been accused of failing to provide basic equipment vital to the peacekeeping mission in Sudan's Darfur region.
The accusation was levelled in a report backed by 36 human rights groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
It comes on the first anniversary of the decision to deploy a UN-African Union force in war-torn region.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is expected to vote on whether to extend the troops' mandate for another year.
The UN estimates that five years of conflict in Darfur have left 300,000 people dead and more than 2 million people homeless.
Khartoum says the scale of the violence and suffering has been exaggerated by the West for political reasons.
It denies charges that it organised the Arab Janjaweed militias, accused of widespread atrocities against Darfur's black African population.

England faces South Africa in third cricket test today :

BIRMINGHAM: Fast bowler Steve Harmison's return to the England team was put on hold Tuesday when he was left out of the starting eleven for the third Test against South Africa starting at Edgbaston today (Wednesday). Harmison and fellow fast bowler Stuart Broad were the two men to miss out from a 13-man squad when captain Michael Vaughan announced the team during his pre-match captain's press conference. Left-arm swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom returns from injury together with all-rounder Paul Collingwood, who was dropped for the second Test at Leeds, where South Africa won by ten wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. Broad and Darren Pattinson are the players dropped. Vaughan said Harmison missed out when it was decided to go into the match with four specialist bowlers instead of five.

Aamir Atlas in World Junior Squash semis :

ZURICH: Aamir Atlas Khan of Pakistan has qualified for the semi-finals in the World Junior Squash Championship, being played in Zurich.Pakistan’s seed one Aamir Atlas Khan defeated Wagih Slaukry 9-1, 9-5 and 9-0 in straight set.The semi-finals of the tournament will be played today.

Oil prices steady in Asian trade :

SINGAPORE: World oil prices steadied in Asian trade on Thursday after a rebound of more than four dollars driven by an unexpected decline in US petrol stockpiles, analysts said. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for September delivery, fell 11 cents to 126.66 dollars a barrel.The contract rallied 4.58 dollars to 126.77 dollars at the close of floor trading Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent North Sea crude for September delivery was 12 cents lower at 126.98 dollars a barrel following a rally of 4.39 dollars a barrel to 127.10 dollars Wednesday in London.

Rupee loses paisas 10 against dollar :

Updated at: 1715 PST, Wednesday, July 30, 2008 KARACHI: Rupee value registered decline by paisas 10 against dollar in inter-bank trading on Wednesday.

The closing rate of dollar at inter-bank today was Rs71.60 compared to Rs71.50 yesterday.

Dealers hope that the rupee value will become stable after the central bank’s announcement of hike in the interest rate.

Israel could strike Iran: Obama :

WASHINGTON: White House hopeful Barack Obama believes Israel will launch a military strike on Iran if nuclear sanctions fail, according to a US news agency.

The comment was reportedly made in a meeting late Tuesday between Senator Obama and Democratic members of the House of Representatives, following the presidential contender's return from an overseas tour that included Israel."Nobody said this to me directly, but I get the feeling from my talks that if the sanctions don't work, Israel is going to strike Iran," an attendee at the meeting quoted Obama as saying, according to the news agency.

Meanwhile, Obama's national security spokeswoman Wendy Morigi declined to comment on the substance of the report. But she stressed: "Senator Obama has always said that Iran must end its illicit nuclear program".

Indian High Commissioner calls on Zardari :

ISLAMABAD: Indian High Commissioner Satiabrat Pal met with co-chairman Pakistan People’s Party Asif Ali Zardari here on Wednesday.According to sources, views were exchanged in the meeting regarding recent firing at the Line of Control.Peace, solidarity and bi-lateral relations were discussed during the 40-minute meeting.Both agreed that the two countries would resolve their issues through dialogue.

48 Taliban killed, 5 security personnel martyred in Swat clashes :

SWAT: More than 48 Taliban militants including 10 commanders have been killed in a fierce clash in the troubled Swat valley in the northwest, while 5 personnel of security forces were martyred, according to military sources.The fighting took place overnight in a village near Matta, a known stronghold of militants in the region."We have inflicted heavy losses on the militants. We have video footage showing bodies of the militants killed in t ... Full Story

Over 10 Taliban killed in Swat operation :

SWAT: More than 10 Taliban have been killed during fresh action in Swat whereas two hours curfew relaxation has been announced in the district.Security forces targeted Taliban hideouts with mortar shells in Sarbanda, Barmaba Khela, Peochar, Numl and Gutshor areas in tehsil Matta.Sources said that 10 Taliban were killed and several injured during the operation. Taliban attacked Kabal police station and Wanai check post. They were managed to flee after joint retaliatory action by police and security forces. Fresh contingents of FC have reached in Matta and Kabal areas.

According to ISPR, curfew has been relaxed from 10:00 am to 12: noon in the district.

Pakistan probables including Shoaib Akhtar clear dope test :

KARACHI: Pakistan’s 26 out of 30 probable cricketers including fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, selected for the ICC Champions Trophy, have cleared dope tests.According to Pakistani Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman, Anti doping agency’s dope control officer Dr. Lubna Sibtain conducted these tests on July 20 in Lahore and the specimen were sent to a WADA’s certified laboratory in Penang, Malaysia for subsequent testing.As per dope test results, all 26 players have cleared. These players included Shoaib Akhtar, who tested positive before the Champions Trophy 2006."The tests were conducted on 26 of the 30 players in the preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy and I can say that it's a great relief that all the tests are negative," PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said.

Three players – Azhar Ali, Yasir Arfat and Bazid Khan - missed the tests carried out last week as they were playing league cricket in England, while Younis Khan was in Saudi Arabia and their tests will be conducted later, said Naghmi. Fast bowler Mohammad Asif did not feature in the latest tests as he is fighting to clear his name after he tested positive for nandrolone during the Indian Premier League earlier this month.

A test on his 'B' sample is due on August 6.

No deadline discussed regarding nuclear program: Iran FM

TEHRAN: Iranian foreign minister Manuchehr Mottaki said no deadline was discussed with European Union’s Javier Solana regarding Iran’s nuclear program.He was speaking with reporters at the conclusion of the fifteenth Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ministerial meeting in Tehran. In response to a question about how sure Iran was of NAM's support on the nuclear issue, he said: We do not make decisions concerning our programmes and activities based on the kind of support we receive from individuals, groups or places.

According to Mottaki NAM's support for Iran's peaceful nuclear activities serves chiefly to address the wrong mindset that exists in the international community concerning Iran. Responding to a question about Iran's nuclear case, Mottaki expressed optimism and said that the talks must proceed within a constructive, defined and defensible framework. He called on Javier Solana and representatives of the 5+1 who attended the Tehran meeting to remain committed to the Tehran talks and stressed: When Mr Solana presented the Iranian party with the so- called non paper, he said that these are our proposals for the negotiations and we are waiting for Iran's proposals on this issue.

Karachi milk sellers increase per litre price :

KARACHI: The milk sellers has increased the per litre price of milk by Rs.4.President Dairy Farmers Association Haji Akhter announced the increment in price of wholesale milk in an emergency meeting of milk sellers here.The wholesale price of milk has been increased from Rs. 38 per litre to Rs. 42 per litre after which the milk sellers have increased the price from Rs.40 to Rs. 44 per litre.The milk sellers said that they had repeatedly requested .... Full Story

Neil Young's 'dangerous' tour documented :

NEW YORK (AP) -- Not every musician will make a film that features a fan facing him from a concert audience with two arms raised, middle fingers extended -- more than one fan, in fact.

Neil Young was singing protest songs on a "Freedom of Speech" tour with David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash at the time. Ignoring that kind of nonverbal speech would contradict the message, wouldn't it?
It was an easy call. Using the nom de plume Bernard Shakey, Young directs "CSNY: Deja Vu," a film that uses the tumult surrounding CSNY's 2006 concert tour as a backdrop for exploring divisions in the country over the Iraq war. It opens in theaters on Friday.
Before the tour, Young had released "Living With War," the blunt anti-war album where he was backed by a full chorus on songs like "Let's Impeach the President." There was little mistaking his intentions; one of the film's funniest moments shows Young almost physically knocked back when a CNN reporter mentioned the song and asked him, "What's that song about?"

Man charged in slaying of pregnant soldier :

(CNN) -- A North Carolina man has been charged with murdering a pregnant Fort Bragg soldier, police said TuesdayFayetteville detectives arrested Edgar Patino, a fellow soldier, at his home in Hope Mills, North Carolina, about 15 miles south of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
He is accused of killing Spc. Megan Lynn Touma, 23, found dead on June 21 in a hotel near Fort Bragg.
She was seven-months pregnant at the time of her death, authorities said.
Touma, a five-year veteran of the Army, had served with the U.S. Army Dental Activity Clinic in Bamberg, Germany, and in Fort Drum, New York, before her stint at Fort Bragg.
Two of Touma's friends told CNN that Touma and Patino had been stationed together in Germany and dated in the past.
Touma's friends said Patino proposed to her in Germany before Touma learned, on her return to North Carolina, that Patino was still married.

Day in pictures :

Where are the new movie themes ?

In the not-so-distant past, every summer blockbuster had to have its own chartbusting theme song.
Bryan Adams did everything he did for Robin Hood; Whitney Houston would always love her Bodyguard; Celine Dion's heart, she assured us, would go on, despite the sinking of the Titanic.
But, musicals like Mamma Mia! aside, recent blockbusters have been bereft of big-name ballads. From X-Men to Pirates of the Caribbean, there isn't a power chord in sight.
Most striking of all is the complete absence of rock music in the rebooted Batman franchise.
Hans Zimmer, who co-wrote the soundtrack for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, says his vision of Gotham City has no room for the likes of U2, Prince and R Kelly.
"There was never any doubt that we were going to be songless," says the Oscar-winning composer.
"And, trust me, we were flooded with requests from every band in the world. I actually had to say no to some really interesting people."

Royal screening for Harry Potter :

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince has been chosen for this year's Royal Film Performance.
The sixth Potter instalment will receive its European premiere in front of a yet-to-be announced member of the Royal Family on 17 November.
Actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint reprise their roles, while Jim Broadbent joins the cast.
Last year's Royal Film Performance was cancelled amid controversy about the chosen movie, Brick Lane.
Protestors claimed the film, based on Monica Ali's novel, portrayed residents of London's Brick Lane as uneducated.
A royal spokesman said the controversy had been taken into account, but it had also been impossible to find a date for The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall to attend a screening.
It marked the first time the annual gala had been scrapped since 1958.

China becomes biggest net nation :

China now has the world's largest net-using population, say official figures. More than 253 million people in the country are now online, according to statistics from the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).

The figure is higher than the 223 million that the US mustered in June, according to Nielsen Online.

The development is significant because the US has had the largest net-using population since records of how many people were online started to be kept.
"This is the first time the number has drastically surpassed the United States, becoming the world's number one," said a statement from the CNNIC, the nation's official net monitoring body.
The 2008 figure is up 56% in a year, said CNNIC. Analysts expect the total to grow by about 18% per annum and hit 490 million by 2012.
About 95% of those going online connect via high-speed links. Take up of broadband has been boosted by deals offered by China's fixed line phone firms as they fight to win customers away from mobile operators.
China's mobile phone-using population stands at about 500 million people.

Search site aims to rival Google :

Former workers at the web giant Google have launched a rival search engine.
Called Cuil, from the Gaelic for knowledge and hazel, its founders claim it does a better and more comprehensive job of indexing information online.
The technology it uses to index the web can understand the context surrounding each page and the concepts driving search requests, say the founders.
But analysts believe the new search engine, like many others, will struggle to match and defeat Google.

HP, Intel, Yahoo in cloud tie-up :

Chip giant Intel is teaming up with web firm Yahoo and hardware company HP to create virtual research centres for cloud computing.
Cloud computing offers online storage and promises a range of new services for data and devices that are plugged into the cloud.
Initially six data centres will be available for pre-selected researchers to test new applications.
Research firm Gartner has dubbed cloud computing as influential as e-business.

Scrabulous halted on Facebook :

The developers of popular Facebook application Scrabulous suspend the game for some users following legal action.

Scrabble's owners sue Scrabulous

Fans fight for Scrabulous future

73-year-old porn star bedazzles Japan's aged :

Shigeo Tokuda looks like your average retiree, wearing a classy gray suit and distinguished glasses. But there is nothing average about this 73-year-old when he steps in front of the camera. Shigeo Tokuda is a porn star.

Monetary policy to be announced today :

KARACHI: Governor State Bank of Pakistan Dr Shamshad Akhtar is presenting today the Monetary policy for the next six months.Besides increase in discount rate, increase in the minimum rate of profit on bank accounts and change in procedure of re-finance are expected in the monetary policy.For reviewing the monetary policy, a meeting of the SBP Monetary Board will be held on Wednesday at the State Bank in Karachi in which the new policy will be approved.

America's house price time bomb :

With the American housing market in its worst crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, President Bush is expected to sign into law a massive new government intervention designed to slow the slide.

Banks in the US could end up owning ever more houses
The intervention would come as a little known quirk of US law threatens to drive down house prices even faster.
Faced with seemingly never-ending falls in the value of their properties, some American home-owners are taking radical action; they are choosing to walk away from homes and their mortgages.
In May 2006, at the height of the housing boom, Karen Trainer bought a $500,000 apartment in California - with money borrowed from her bank.
By this year, Karen still owed $500,000 on her mortgage, but her apartment was worth $200,000 less.
So she was deep in negative equity and, to make matters worse, the interest rate on her loan was about to increase.
"I thought 'this is crazy'," Ms Trainer says. "It just does not make financial sense."

Iraq's growing female bomber fear :

=Monday's triple suicide attack against Shia pilgrims in Baghdad highlighted what seems to a growing phenomenon - the use by Sunni-based radical Islamist insurgents of women to carry out suicide attacks.
Police said all three of the attackers in the bombings, which claimed the lives of about 25 pilgrims, were women.
Eyewitnesses in the city of Kirkuk - where at least 22 people were reported to have been killed by a suicide bomb attack on a crowd of protesting Kurds - said the attacker there was also a woman.
American military figures indicate that there have been at least 27 suicide bombings carried out by women in Iraq this year, a sharp jump from only eight in 2007.

Latif asks cricketing nations to take part in Champions Trophy :

KARACHI: Former captain of Pakistan cricket team Rashid Latif said that cricket community should support Pakistan in war against terrorism by participating in Champions Trophy because boycott would encourage the extremists.Talking to Geo News correspondent Ateequr Rehman, Rashid Latif said that cricketing nations should play their due role in war against terror by participate in Championship Trophy which would be held in Pakistan. The entire world is in a grip of terrorism and any untoward incident could be happened anywhere in any part of world. Recent blasts occurred in India is an example of this; therefore everyone must play his due role in war against terror, Rashid said.He said that boycott of the tournament or sending B teams would encourage the extremists. Champions Trophy should be organized in Pakistan according to schedule and cricketing countries must participate in it.This step would boost the cricket and discourage the terrorists, he added.

KARACHI: The PTCL employees have ended their strike on acceptance of all their demands :

KARACHI: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices have been increased once again surging by 3 rupees in Punjab and 5 rupees per kilo in NWFP and Sindh as rising cost of production forces producers to reduce output by another hundred tones.Chairman LPG distributors association, Abdul Hadi Khan told Geo news that producers have decreased their output by 500 tones in a period of just 35 days.Now, daily production stands at 1700 tones which is able to me .... Full Story

PTCL employees end strike on acceptance of demands :

KARACHI: The PTCL employees have ended their strike on acceptance of all their demands.According to sources, salaries of contract and regular employees have been raised by 35 per cent after their successful negotitations.The contract employees have been regularized while they will be given all benefits except pension.This has been decided at the negotiations to form a committee for increase in salaries and this committee will submit ... Full Story

Giant chunks break off Canadian ice shelf :

Giant sheets of ice totaling almost eight square miles broke off an ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic last week and more could follow later this year, scientists said on Tuesday.
Temperatures in large parts of the Arctic have risen far faster than the global average in recent decades, a development that experts say is linked to global warming.The ice broke away from the shelf on Ward Hunt Island, an small island just off giant Ellesmere Island in one of the northernmost parts of Canada.It was the largest fracture of its kind since the nearby Ayles ice shelf -- which measured 25 square miles -- broke away in 2005.Scientists had already identified deep cracks in the Ward Hunt shelf, which measures around 155 square miles. The shelf is one of five along Ellesmere Island in the northern Arctic."Because the break-off occurred between two large parallel cracks they're thinking more could go this summer before the freeze sets in".said the scientist
"It underscores the fact that each year we're now crossing new thresholds in environmental change in the High Arctic, and of course our concern in the longer term is that these may signal the onset of serious change at all latitudes, much further to the south, for example," he told Reuters.

World's Skin Cancer Hot Spots :

You probably know by now that making bad decisions when it comes to sun protection can be life threatening. While some people smartly skip the mid-day sun altogether, others work outdoors in tank tops every day or hit the beach with a bottle of baby oil, increasing their chances of developing skin cancer. But it isn't all about daily habits--a portion of the risk has to do with culture and family history. Where we live (a result of latitude and long-term migration patterns), prevailing cultural beliefs (and the associated garb), and common vacationing habits all play a role in our chances of developing ailments related to sun-exposure.

2 Faced Baby Born In India :

A very special girl was born last March in a small suburb of Delhi, India.She was born with 4 eyes, 2 noses, 2 mouths, 2 ears, and 1 dimple on a shared cheek.“I had never seen something like this in my life so naturally I was a little scared when I first saw her,” her father was quoted as saying. The young girl and her mother are both healthy and the family has no intentions of seeking surgery to correct the deformities. “The doctor said everything is normal when she was born. So where’s the need to get medical help?” said the child’s father. “She’s fed through one mouth and sucks her thumb with the other. We use whichever mouth is free to feed her.”

Giant Eye, Hurricane Dolly, More :

Visionary new Tosca set graces the world's biggest floating stage for the 63rd Bregenz Festival of opera on the Bodensee (Lake Constance), which began Wednesday and runs until August 23.Formed by a glacier during the Ice Age, the Bodensee is shared by Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, though its borders are disputed. Austria, for example, sees the lake as undivided and jointly controlled by the three countries, whereas Switzerland contends that borders run through the middle of the lake.

The Obama Principle :

Despite Barack Obama's moves to the center, the Democratic presidential nominee has planted his flag firmly with liberals when it comes to one issue: race and gender preferences in public education, employment and contracting.
Over the weekend, Mr. Obama accused his Republican rival of flip-flopping after John McCain endorsed an initiative to ban preferential treatment pushed by former University of California regent Ward Connerly. Such proposals will be on ballots this fall in Arizona, Colorado and Nebraska.

Despite Barack Obama's moves to the center, the Democratic presidential nominee has planted his flag firmly with liberals when it comes to one issue: race and gender preferences in public education, employment and contracting.
Over the weekend, Mr. Obama accused his Republican rival of flip-flopping after John McCain endorsed an initiative to ban preferential treatment pushed by former University of California regent Ward Connerly. Such proposals will be on ballots this fall in Arizona, Colorado and Nebraska.

But then Mr. Obama also claims to oppose quotas, saying he supports "affirmative action as a means of overcoming both historic and potentially current discrimination." Any such programs can't be "simply applied without looking at the whole person." In other words, he wants it both ways: He favors race preferences but they need to be packaged "individually."
Should the issue of racial preferences come up in the debates this fall, you can expect both candidates to try to engage in "nuance." But Mr. Obama will have the harder time. Even in Michigan, which hasn't voted Republican for president in 20 years, the initiative Mr. Obama campaigned against won easily with 58% of the vote.

See all of today's editorials and op-eds, plus video commentary, on Opinion Journal.

Obama promises efforts to revive economy :

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday blamed "irresponsible decisions" by the Bush administration and Wall Street for the country's economic woes as the White House said the budget deficit would soar to record heights next year.
Turning to domestic problems after a week's tour of the Middle East and Europe, Obama met with more than a dozen economic advisers, appearing with them briefly before retreating for a two-hour closed meeting. The new deficit numbers were the latest sign of an economy in decline, with foreclosures rising, home prices falling, energy prices soaring and nearly a half-million job losses since January.
"It was not an accident or a normal part of the business cycle that led us to this situation," Obama said. "There were some irresponsible decisions that were made on Wall Street and in Washington."
Obama said the economy needs both short- and long-term fixes, including another "stimulus" from Congress, and a longer-term focus on renewable energy to curb high gas prices and on universal health care to trim costs. He said he would move "rapidly and vigorously" to respond.
"We are also going to have to provide some short-term relief," Obama said. "People are hurting right now. We need to respond rapidly and vigorously to problems, and to anticipate the problems that may be on the horizon."

Britney Spears Nominated for Video Music Award :

Britney Spears is in the running for a 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, it was announced on Friday.
After thousands of votes on VMA.MTV.com (along with ballots from select industry insiders), the 26-year-old VMA veteran is up for Best Female Music Video for "Piece of Me."
At last year's VMAs, Spears appeared nervous, out-of-shape and just plain out-of-it on stage, botching what was supposed to be her "comeback performance."
Spears will compete in the category against Katy Perry for "I Kissed a Girl," Rihanna for "Take a Bow," Mariah Carey for "Touch My Body" and Jordin Sparks for "No Air."
The 25th annual awards will be hosted by British actor/comedian Russell Brand. The show will air live on Sept. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT from Paramount Studios in Hollywood.

Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O'Connell expecting twins

LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) - Actors Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell are expecting twins this winter, a spokesman for Romijn said on Monday.
It will be the first delivery for the couple, who married in 2007.
Romijn, a 35-year-old former fashion model, starred as the mutant Mystique in the "X-Men" movies. She was previously married to "ER" actor John Stamos.
O'Connell, 34, had a breakout role in the 1986 movie "Stand By Me" and has appeared on the TV show "Crossing Jordan."
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Dean Goodman)

Troubled Singer Amy Winehouse Rushed to Hospital :

R&B/Pop star Amy Winehouse was hospitalized Monday (Jul 28) for a reaction to medication but was expected to be released by morning, according to a representative. According to spokesman Chris Goodman, Winhouse was rushed from her London home to University College Hospital. "Doctors have advised that she will be kept under observation overnight and is likely to be released tomorrow," read a statement released by Goodman and U.S. publicist Tracey Miller. This is the second time in little over a month that Winehouse has been in the hospital. She was admitted to a London clinic in June after collapsing at home. Any the time, father Mitch Winehouse said she had developed early stage emphysema from smoking cigarettes and crack cocaine.

Record $482 Billion '09 Deficit Forecast :

The federal budget deficit will grow to a record $482 billion in the fiscal year that begins in October, the White House said yesterday, driven by war costs, tax rebates, and a slowing economy that will leave the next president little room to fulfill costly campaign promises.
White House budget director Jim Nussle said unexpectedly slow economic growth, sharp declines in housing prices and an unanticipated increase in inflation will help drive next year's tide of red ink close to half a trillion dollars, up sharply from February's $407 billion estimate.

"We are not happy about the deficit," Nussle conceded.

Another batch of four F-16s joins PAF :

SARGODHA: A simple but impressive ceremony for handing over of four, F-16 aircraft to Pakistan Air Force was held at PAF Base Mushaf, Sargodha. Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal, Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed received the fighting Falcons from Lieutenant General Martin E Dempsey, acting Commander US CENTCOM. Addressing the ceremony, Tanvir said that the batch of aircraft which arrived today have the same operational capability as of the already possessed F-16 aircraft by the PAF and will significantly augment its combat capability in defending the aerial frontiers of Pakistan.A contingent of high-ranking officials from Air Forces of Pakistan and United States were also present on the occasion.

Disease Early Warning System to be improved in Sindh: Health Minister :

KARACHI: Sindh Health Minister Dr. Saghir Ahmed has issued directives to the officials concerned to provide the Dengue Virus diagnostic system free of cost to all the patients suffering from the disease. He urged that platelets units should be made available in all Sindh government hospitals.Talking to Geo News here, the Minister said in order to check the spread of Dengue Virus across province, the Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) would be improved on emergency basis.

Bajaur Tahrik-e-Taliban’s 4 senior members form new group :

KHAR: Bajaur Agency Tahrik-e-Taliban’s four senior members, defecting from the Tahrik, announced here forming their own Tahrike-e-Taliban Al Jihad. Bajaur Tahrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman, Salar Masood from an unknown place on telephone told the journalists that four member of the Tahrik have resigned, which included Molvi Munir, Dr. Abdul Wahab, Molvi abdul hameed and he himself. He said that the four leaders, presenting their resignations to the Bajaur Tahrik-e-Taliban Amir, Molvi Faqir Muhammad, have set up a separate organization named Tahrik-e- Taliban Al Jihad. He said that some members of Tahrik-e-Taliban had killed innocent people in Mohmand Agency, which was brought to the notice of Amir Baitullah Mahsood, but no action was taken. He said that the four leaders have ceded from the Tahrik in protest.