Pirates capture Greek supertanker

30/11/2009 - 11:12:59    Somali pirates have seized an oil supertanker in an attack that could pose a huge environmental or security threat.

The Greek-owned Maran Centaurus was hijacked yesterday with 28 crew about 800 miles off the country’s coast said a spokesman for the EU Naval Force.

Pirates have increased attacks on vessels off East Africa for the millions of dollars of ransom that can be had.

Although they have successfully hijacked dozens of vessels the last several years, this attack appears to be only the second ever on an oil tanker.

In November 2008, pirates hijacked the Saudi supertanker Sirius Star, which held two million barrels of oil valued at about $100m (€66m). The tanker was released last January for a reported $3m (€2m) ransom after a two-month drama that helped galvanise international efforts to fight piracy off Africa’s coast.

Somalia’s lawless 1,880-mile coastline provides a perfect haven for pirates to prey on ships heading for the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

It has not had a functioning government for a generation and the weak UN-backed administration is too busy fighting an Islamist insurgency to arrest pirates.

Pirates now hold about a dozen vessels hostage and more than 200 crew members. The Maran Centaurus had 28 crew aboard – 16 Filipinos, nine Greeks, two Ukrainians and one Romanian.

Piracy has increased despite an increased presence by international navies patrolling the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.

Dubai debt crisis

When it came the fall was hard and fast. After the Eid holiday, this was the first opportunity investors here had to make their feelings known. And that they did.

Foreign investors, it seems, were the ones pulling out their money. Locals were choosing to sit out the storm.

But whilst the falls were severe, it wasn't the bloodbath that had been expected. Some analysts had predicted that a 10% fall was all but inevitable.

And so there is some comfort that the losses weren't as steep, but there's still unease. The biggest concern here is what this does to Dubai's international reputation. Investors have left. Will they ever come back?
Courtesy: Situation Analysis By Ben Thompson

What went wrong in Dubai?

Dubai does not have the enormous oil wealth enjoyed by its neighbours such as Abu Dhabi. Its main source of wealth has historically been as a port.

In recent years it has sought to make money from property development and luxury tourism, building impressive hotels such as the Burj al-Arab.

The global downturn left many financial workers unemployed. The population fell an estimated 17%, meaning there was little demand for new properties.

There was also less demand for luxury holidays. Dubai companies have borrowed money to fund huge building projects such as "The World" and are now unable to repay it.

There are jitters on financial markets about who lent all the money. European banks are estimated to have lent more than £50bn to the whole of the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai state-backed companies may also have to sell-off some of their assets overseas such as luxury property in London and the Turnberry golf course in Scotland.


Dubai shares plunge as debt crisis fears continue 

The main stock markets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have closed sharply lower.

Abu Dhabi saw a record one-day fall of 8.3%, while Dubai's Financial Market Index lost 7.3% - the biggest decline since October 2008.

Shares traded in the region for the first time since the state-owned property company Dubai World asked for an extension on repaying its debts.

Dubai's finance minister, Abdulrahman al-Saleh, said the government was not responsible for Dubai World's debt.

"Creditors need to take part of the responsibility for their decision to lend to the companies... they think Dubai World is part of the government, which is not correct," he told Dubai Television.

Earlier, Dubai's property developer, Nakheel, had asked for trading of some of its Islamic bonds to be suspended.

The central bank of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Sunday it would provide banks with extra liquidity.

European markets were trading slightly lower. The UK's FTSE 100 was down 0.7%, Germany's Dax fell 0.7% and France's Cac 40 slid 1.3%.

Banks fell more sharply - in the UK, RBS was down 4.6% while Lloyds shed 5.7%.

On the Dubai bourse, construction and financial stocks slumped nearly 10%. The debt-ridden Dubai World fell 15%.

"This was expected because markets have panicked over exaggerated reports in the Western media," Hamam al-Shamaa from Al-Fajr Securities said.

He added that many foreign investors were withdrawing from the market and that tomorrow would probably be a similar day.


World reaction

While shares in the Middle East dropped sharply, Asian shares rebounded on Monday on hopes the Dubai debt crisis will not spread to other financial markets after the UAE central bank decision.

Asian markets closed before the announcement that Nakheel had asked to suspend some of its bonds.

Banks such as Mizuho Financial and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group in Tokyo, and HSBC and Standard Chartered in Hong Kong led the rally.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index rose 2.9%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 3.6% and stocks in Shanghai rose 2.5%.

Shares in Samsung C&T, builder of the Burj tower in Dubai that will be the world's tallest when completed, gained nearly 5%.

The yen rose against the dollar after the announcement from Nakheel, paring earlier declines.

The South Korean won also gained after the finance ministry said its banks had "limited" exposure to Dubai debt.

Crude oil rose by 1% to more than $76 a barrel, after the benchmark commodity slid last week on fears over Dubai's financial health.


Bank assistance

On Sunday, the central bank of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it was setting up a facility to provide banks with extra liquidity.

The liquidity will be available to all UAE banks as well as foreign banks operating in the Emirates.

The bank added that the banking system in the UAE was more sound and liquid than a year ago.

That came after Wednesday's announcement from Dubai World asking for a suspension on its debt repayments, which sent world stock markets tumbling.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Abu Dhabi has said it will "pick and choose" how to assist Dubai.

"We will look at Dubai's commitments and approach them on a case-by-case basis," an Abu Dhabi government official said on Saturday.

"It does not mean that Abu Dhabi will underwrite all of their debts," he added.

Paying the price

The BBC's economics editor Stephanie Flanders said the situation in Dubai had alerted investors to the idea that you can lose money on government bonds - even if they appear to have implicit guarantees.

The repercussions of Dubai's debt crisis is already making it more expensive for countries with large deficits to sell their debt.

"There are lots of other governments out there who don't have rich neighbours with oil to bail them out, who may have trouble in the next few months or years," she commented.

"Greece and Latvia are paying more for their debt, thanks to Dubai."


What do global market experts say on the Dubai debt crisis?

Adrian Mowat, Chief Asian and Emerging Equity Strategist, JP Morgan, says the Dubai debt crisis is a buying opportunity.

However, Patrick Shum of BMI Fund Management sees see further downside in markets. "In the near-term, we may see a further downside in the stock market, especially in the financial and banking sector." He feels the Dubai situation won't develop into a crisis as US and European countries will support the Dubai government.

On Wednesday, the Dubai government said it will ask creditors for a standstill on debt worth billions of dollars of two of its flagship firms --  Dubai World, which runs 49 ports around the world, and real estate developer Nakheel. Dubai World is the conglomerate which spearheaded the emirate's breakneck growth. It has USD 60 billion in liabilities and will seek a six-month standstill on its debts with all lenders. Nakheel was the builder of the famous three palm-shaped islands off the coast of Dubai.


Dubai's debt problem was known:

Mowat says holding of Dubai related debt is relatively modest in the global financial system. “People have been aware of the risks in these debts for over two years now. There is plenty of transparency on debt.” He says the cash flow problems with these entities were known for quite sometime. “Professional investors in the bond market are fully aware of the risk.”


Can the problem worsen?

Peter Canelo of Argus Institutional Partners says if Abu Dhabi does not step in then it could be a problem. "Abu Dhabi is going to come in and help fix the situation. They are going to come in and re-negotiate these loans and the terms of these loans. If Abu Dhabi does not do that, then we have a problem."


Don't worry about Dubai crisis, buy on dips: Experts

The markets slid sharply today in line with global peers due to the turmoil triggered by Dubai World's debt repayment deferral. Asian markets too closed down between 2% and 4%. However, Indian markets bucked the trend and were able to come off the day's lows, but ended in the red. The Nifty closed 62 points down while the Sensex ended with cuts of 207 points.

Infrastructure and infrastructure finance stocks were the biggest losers today as a result of that Dubai panic. One sector that held out today was the defensive pharma sector.

The market breadth was abysmal for most of the day today, closing with five declining stocks for every advancing stock on the NSE. Despite being the first day of a new F&O series, volumes were quite heavy with about 120,000 crores being clocked in trade

Investors who have a waiting period of six months or more can look to invest in markets. "I still remain cautious on the market. There is a steep food price inflation. If you look back in time be it 1990-1991, 1997-1998, 1999, or 2007, you will se a dip in equity markets. Typically, these dips are very vicious. Retail participants may see the markets at mouthwatering levels still do not have free cash to support the market. So, you will see very sharp declines during these times. Mercifully, these sharp declines tend to be brief. The rallies that follow tend to be fairly steep thereafter. If you were to buy closer to 4,700, the downside pain from there is substantially limited."   
Condensed from: Vijay Bhambwani

Ajay Loganadan, Head - Investment Advisory Group, HSBC Private Banking, too is not perturbed by the happenings overseas. "If any, it might impact global flows over the near-term into emerging markets and India." He sees the markets finding support over the near-term and advises long-term investors to use any sort of dip as a buying opportunity.

Likewise, SP Tulsian of sptulsin too does not see a major impact of the Dubai spillover on Indian markets. He sees a mild negative impact on banking stock and a more severe impact on realty stocks. 

Sectors to look at now:

Loganadan is bullish on the sugar space. "Fundamentally, there is very clear demand-supply mismatch. It is a cyclical business and we get into this cycle once every three or four years. Sugar companies should be able to command reasonable margins in the next 12-18 months. Right now, given the valuations and outlook for the next 12-18 months, we are overweight on sugar."


Dubai debt risk as crisis rocks Gulf banks

The US rating agency Moody's has warned that Dubai faces a "systemic increase in debt" after borrowing abroad on a huge scale to fund its construction boom, raising the risk of a financing crunch unless richer neighbours in the United Arab Emirates offer support


Courtesy: Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

Dubai has relied on international borrowing to drive its breakneck expansion, pushing its debts to well over 100pc of GDP. The picture is now darkening fast as crude oil futures start to price in a protracted downturn across the Gulf region.

The Emirates rushed through a guarantee of all bank deposits over the weekend to forestall a wave of withdrawls from smaller lenders.

Neighbouring Qatar said yesterday that it was injecting up to $6bn in fresh capital into its banking system to restore confidence, suggesting that the gas-rich state may not be in a position to provide yet more captial for Western banks. Barclays raised £2bn from Qatar as recently as June.

Moody's said it is hard to assess the contingent liabilities of Dubai because the operations of the booming city-state are less than transparent, but it has identified $47bn (£27bn) in debts accumulated by state-linked companies.

The sheikdom, ruled by the horse-loving Makhtoum family, has staked its future on plans to become the tourist, transport, and finance hub of the Middle East, encouraging outsiders to buy apartments in the plethora of new tower blocks sprouting like poplars across the sand. Citigroup warned last week that a number of Dubai developers have been caught in a severe squeeze, with a growing risk that projects may not be finished.

Moody's said the relentless rise in leverage raised through state firms may leave Dubai exposed to "financing and geo-political risks".

Abu Dhabi, the big brother of the UAE group, controls the world's biggest wealth fund with an estimated worth some $900bn. However, it is not entirely clear whether Abu Dhabi would feel itself obliged to bail out Dubai if that were ever necessary.

Dubai’s $59 billion default sends tremor through global financial system

28 November 2009,   Dubai’s announcement on Wednesday that it would be delaying by “at east” six months the maturity date of $59 billion in bonds issued by the city-state’s largest state-owned company, Dubai World, has sent global shares tumbling. The market reaction to Dubai’s massive debt default is partly explained by the exposure of European and Asian banks to DP World and its tourism subsidiary, Nakheel.

The real reason for the falls, however, is that Dubai’s apparent insolvency confirms that default by hyper-indebted government borrowers is now a real risk right across the globe, especially in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Such a default would not only mean an immediate worsening of the already brutal post-crash conditions suffered by millions of workers in defaulting countries, but would usher in a second, and probably worse, phase in the global financial crisis.

A note published by Bank of America strategists warned of the possibility of a major sovereign default. “One cannot rule out—as a tail risk—a case where this would escalate into a major sovereign default problem, which would then resonate across global emerging markets in the same way that Argentina did in the early 2000s or Russia in the late 1990s,” the note
said.

An editorial in today’s Financial Times noted that while markets were not expected to return to the panic of September 2008, because the financial sector had state backstops, “fearful investors have started to worry about how safe sovereign debt is,” citing Ireland and Greece as two examples.

The Dubai meltdown represents only a small sum in terms of total global indebtedness. Nevertheless it indicates that despite talk of global economic recovery, the world remains on a knife-edge. Attempts at reassurance by British prime minister Gordon Brown indicate that financial and government elites are already fearful. Brown this morning acknowledged the risk that Dubai posed to the global economy but, with careful understatement, told reporters “I think we will find this is not on the scale of the previous problems we have dealt with.”

Ferry disaster toll climbs to 56 at Bhola, Bangladesh

partially sank m.v. Coco-4 launch

Bhola, Bangladesh Nov 29 - Another 21 bodies were retrieved from the hull of M.V. Coco-4 after salvage vessel M.V. Hamza re-floated the partially capsized ferry on the Tentulia river Sunday, raising the death toll to 56.

The local administration has handed over 49 bodies to relatives and estimated some 50 passengers were still missing, said district commissioner Mesbahul Islam.

Rescued from the  partially sank ferry

Rescue operations came to a halt for the day at around 7:30pm, he added.

The accident occurred late on Friday when the ferry was trying to anchor at Nazirpur terminal in Lalmohon, some 40 kilometres from Bhola district town.

It was carrying more than triple its capacity, with over 1,500 passengers, from Dhaka to Lalmohon ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha.

The vessel, crowded from hull to decks with people heading home to celebrate with families, began tipping with the weight of disembarking passengers and partially sank, according to eye witnesses.

Police, divers of BIWTA and fire service men have been engaged in rescue operations for since the early hours of Saturday.

Hundreds of people have been gathered on the bank of the river throughout the Eid day and following Sunday, anxiously waiting for their relatives who were on board the launch. Families wailed over the bodies of dear ones as they were retrieved.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now in Port of Spain attending a Commonwealth summit, expressed her grief Saturday over the launch disaster and ordered speedy rescue operations and investigation into the accident.

The president, Zillur Rahman, also expressed his sorrow condolences for the grieving families.

Three committees have been formed to report on aspects of the launch disaster.

The government formed a five-member probe committee, headed by deputy shipping secretary Baitul Amin Bhuiyan, officials said. It was asked to submit a report within seven working days.

BIWTA on Sunday also formed a five-strong body to investigate the incident, its chairman Abdul Malek told reporters.

"The team will inspect the passenger capacity, fitness certificate of the launch and will visit the spot Monday," he added.

The district commissioner said a three-member committee has been formed on behalf of the district administration. They have been asked to submit a report within three days.

Courtesy: BDNews24.com

Tragedy strikes Bhola at Eid when crowded ferry capsized in southern Bangladesh.

 

Bhola, Bangladesh, Nov - 28 A crowded ferry carrying more than 2,000 passengers has capsized in southern Bangladesh.

The accident happened when the MV Coco-4 arrived at the town of Lalmohan on Bhola Island at about 11 pm. Tragedy greeted families in Bhola on Eid day as 35 bodies, 11 of them children, were recovered after the MV Coco-4 overturned late on Friday at Nazirpur, some 40 kilometres from the district town. The weight of disembarking passengers caused it to tip and partially sink, reports said.

Ten bodies were retrieved from the hull of the vessel and another 35 from the waters of the Tetulia river throughout Saturday, Most of the victims were local. Some 100 passengers were still reported missing as rescue operations were called off for the day with darkness falling and water level rising with the high tide. Rescue workers said the search for victims will resume on Sunday morning. In Bangladesh, ferry authorities usually don't keep passenger lists, making it difficult to know the exact number of passengers on board.

The president expressed his sorrow at the tragedy and condolences for the grieving families.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, attending a Commonwealth summit in the Port of Spain , expressed her deep grief at the launch disaster and ordered speedy rescue operation and investigation into the accident.

Shipping minister Shahjahan Khan reached the scene just before rescue work was suspended. Principal secretary of the prime minister MA Karim was also at the spot.

The Lalmohon-bound launch from Dhaka was carrying more than triple its capacity, with over 2,500 passengers, officials and passengers estimated Its capacity, as inscribed on the vessel, was 600 passengers in the day time and 446 at night.

Families, trying to reach home for the Eid holiday, were crammed into the hull of the vessel, said those who boarded the launch in the capital. They also said there was barely standing room throughout the decks of the launch. Many of the passengers were travelling home from Dhaka to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Azha.

The MV Coco-4 is one of Bangladesh's largest inland vessels, named after the youngest son of ex Prime Mnister Begum Khaleda Zia.

Rare, heavy rains soak pilgrims at Islam's hajj

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Rare, heavy rainstorms soaked pilgrims and flooded the road into Mecca, snarling Islam's annual hajj as millions of Muslims headed for the holy sites. The downpours add an extra hazard on top of intense concerns about the spread of swine flu.
                                                    
Pilgrims in white robes holding umbrellas, some wearing face masks for fear of the flu, circled the black cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca, the opening rite for the hajj. But the shrine — Islam's holiest site — and the nearby, rain-soaked streets did not see the usual massive crowds, because many tried to stay inside nearby hotels or were caught up in the traffic jams heading into the city.

The hajj — a lifetime dream for Muslims to cleanse their sins — is always a logistical nightmare, as a population the size of a small city moves between Mecca and holy sites in the nearby desert over the course of four days.

In the past, the rites have been plagued by deadly stampedes caused by congestion as the massive crowds perform the rituals — and Saudi authorities Wednesday were clearly concerned the rains could worsen the potential dangers. Civil authorities urged pilgrims to move cautiously and not to rush.

This year has brought the added worry that the massing of more than 3 million people from around the world could bring a swine flu outbreak. For months ahead of the pilgrimage, the Saudi government has been working with the United States' Center for Disease Control and Prevention to set up clinics and precautionary measures to stem any outbreak.

So far, four pilgrims have died from the H1N1 virus since arriving in Saudi Arabia in recent days, and 67 pilgrims have been diagnosed with the virus, Saudi Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah told the Arab news network Al-Jazeera English.

Shahul Ebrahim, a consultant from the Atlanta, Georgia-based CDC at the hajj, said it was too early to tell if the rains could exacerbate the spread of H1N1, the flu virus.

"Rain can lead to other waterborne diseases ... such as the common cold, flu. But we still don't know how it will effect H1N1. We can't predict," he told The Associated Press.

So far, the rain was mainly just causing traffic snarls. Winter is the rainy season in Mecca, and light showers are not uncommon, but such a heavy downpour has not been seen for years during hajj. The pilgrimage takes place according to Islam's lunar calendar, and so rotates through the year.

Civil Defense spokesman Maj. Abdullah al-Harthi said his organization has plans ready to deal with flooding, including 300 buses to evacuate pilgrims if necessary. He said no casualties have been reported from the rains, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

One lane of the main road into Mecca was closed by flooding, reducing it to one lane, said Amer al-Amer, an Interior Ministry spokesman. "It cannot handle the pressure of all the people coming from outside Mecca," he said, adding that it would cause delays of several hours for people trying to reach the sites.

The numbers of pilgrims are expected to exceed last year, when some 3 million attended, al-Amer told AP.

Streets were flooded in the Red Sea coastal city of Jiddah, the entry point for many pilgrims. Pilgrims on Wednesday were making their way to Mecca to perform the circling of the Kaaba and to the nearby desert valley of Mina, where a sprawling tent city has been set up for them to live in.

Water covered the floors in many of the tents, said Suleiman Hamad, a 29-year-old pilgrim in Mina. He said the scene was "muddy, but manageable," with many pilgrims throwing blankets over their heads when they walked outside.

Rain fell sporadically throughout the day, and stopped by late afternoon in many sites — though it continued to fall in Mecca. Al-Amer and other authorities were optimistic that flooded areas would dry by evening.

On Thursday, the mass of pilgrims will flock to Mount Arafat, a plateau outside Mecca where the prophet Muhammad delivered his farewell sermon. They then proceed to Mina, where over the next three days they perform a rite stoning three stone walls in a symbolic rejection of the devil.

Courtesy: HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, Associated Press Writer

Global warming

 activists are warning that global warming could thaw the Arctic and make the sea warm enough for people to swim and sunbathe in.
REUTERS/Francois Lenoir (NORWAY)


Global warming was once an uncommon term used by a few scientists who were growing concerned over the effects  Global of decades of pollution on long-term weather patterns. Today, the idea of global warming is well known, if not well understood. It is not unusual to hear someone complaining about a hot day or a freak storm and remark, "It's global warming."

Well, is it? In this article, we'll learn what global warming is, what causes it, what its current effects are and what the future effects could be. Although there has been a scientific consensus on global warming, some aren't sure it's something we need to worry about. We'll examine some proposed changes in the United States' national policies related to curbing global warming and the criticisms and concerns surrounding them.

Global warming is a significant increase in the Earth's climatic temperature over a relatively short period of time as a result of the activities of humans.

­­In specific terms, an increase of 1 or more degrees Celsius in a period of one hundred to two hundred years would be considered global warming. Over the course of a single century, an increase of even 0.4 degrees Celsius would be significant.

To understand what this means, let's start by reviewing the difference between weather and climate.

Scientists studying our climate have been able to observe and measure changes happening around us. For example, mountain glaciers are smaller now than they were 150 years ago, and in the last 100 years, the average global temperature has increased by roughly 1.4 degrees F (0.8 degrees C) [source: EPA]. Computer modeling allows scientists to predict what could happen if the climate pattern continues on its current course, projecting, for instance, that temperatures could rise an average of 2 to 11.5 degrees F (1.1 to 6.4 degrees C) by the end of the 21st century [source: EPA].

Scientists are able to measure that melt water from Greenland's ice cap directly impacts people in the United States: The flow of the Colorado River has increased sixfold [source: Scientific American]. And scientists project that as the ice shelves on Greenland and Antarctica melt, sea levels could be more than 20 feet (6 meters) higher in 2100 than they are today [source: An Inconvenient Truth]. Such levels would submerge many of Indonesia's tropical islands and flood low-lying areas such as Miami, New York City's Lower Manhattan and Bangladesh.


WHAT IS GLOBAL WARMING?

Carbon dioxide and other gases warm the surface of the planet naturally by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. This is a good thing because it keeps our planet habitable. However, by burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests we have dramatically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures are rising.

The vast majority of scientists agree that global warming is real, it’s already happening and that it is the result of our activities and not a natural occurrence.1 The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable.

We’re already seeing changes. Glaciers are melting, plants and animals are being forced from their habitat, and the number of severe storms and droughts is increasing.


Courtesy: REUTERS PICTURES OF THE DECADE. Climate activists Lesley Butler and Rob Bell (R) "sunbathe" on the edge of a frozen fjord in the Norwegian Arctic town of Longyearbyen April 25, 2007. The

Big Bang atom smasher sends beams in 2 directions

GENEVA – The world's largest atom smasher made another leap forward Monday by circulating beams of protons in opposite directions at the same time in the $10 billion machine after more than a year of repairs, organizers said.

New discoveries on the makeup of universe and its tiniest particles are unlikely before next year, but the Large Hadron Collider has been advancing faster than expected in its startup phase that began Friday night, said Rolf Heuer, director-general of the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

Proton collisions could possibly begin within the next 10 days, officials said Monday.

"It went much faster than foreseen," said Fabiola Gianotti, who speaks for the Atlas experiment, one of four major detectors in rooms the size of cathedrals about 100 meters (300 feet) underground. "We're all very happy."

Ultimately, the collider aims to create conditions like they were 1 trillionth to 2 trillionths of a second after the Big Bang — which scientists think marked the creation of the universe billions of years ago. Physicists also hope the collider will help them see and understand other suspected phenomena, such as dark matter, antimatter and supersymmetry.

The collider was started with great fanfare Sept. 10, 2008, only to be heavily damaged by an electrical fault nine days later. It has taken 14 months to repair and add protection systems to the machine before it was restarted.

The protons on Monday were traveling at almost the speed of light — 11,000 times a second in each direction around the 27-kilometer (17-mile) tunnel under the Swiss-French border at Geneva. The scientists are still testing the machine before causing proton collisions, the heart of the research at the organization, known as CERN.

So far the machine is operating at 450 billion electron volts of energy, which is relatively low compared with its design capability of 14 times that. It soon will overtake the world's current most powerful accelerator, the Tevatron at Fermilab outside Chicago, which operates at 1 trillion electron volts, or TeV.

Steve Myers, the director for accelerators, said the CERN collider should be ramped up to 1.2 TeV by Christmas. CERN might decide to make the first collisions at the current low energy or at 1.2 TeV, but that will be more for calibration purposes than for making scientific discoveries.

Physicists said the discoveries could begin in the first half of next year when the collider reaches 3.5 TeV.

Myers said the collider may even go up to 5 TeV before the end of the year.

Tejinder S. Virdee, a physicist from London's Imperial College who represents more than 2,000 scientists on the experiment at CERN, said it could take several years before the collider discovers the elusive Higgs boson, a particle that theoretically gives mass to other subatomic particles, and thus everything in the universe.

That is because the Higgs boson is believed to be hard to see and needs powerful energy to be revealed, Virdee said.

"This is going to take a few years," he said.

The collider will eventually create conditions many millionths of a second closer than the previous closest to the Big Bang, at which matter is believed to have changed very quickly as the universe cooled rapidly and expanded.

"Nature is always more," said Gianotti. "There would be no charm if we knew now."

Courtesy: ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS, AP Writer

Launching Sale of "Going Rogue" by former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin

People carrying their copies of the former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's book, 'Going Rogue,' wait in line Thursday morning, Nov. 19, 2009 at the Borders Bookstore in Noblesville, Ind., for a chance to see Palin during her book signing.

(Courtesy: AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Sam Riche)

The world's largest and newest cruise ship "Oasis of the Seas"

Oasis of the Seas, the world's largest and newest cruise ship, navigates through a ship channel as a crowd cheers, headed for its home port nearby in Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as seen from a park in Dania Beach, Florida November 13, 2009. The ship, constructed in Finland, is owned by Royal Caribbean International.

Courtesy: REUTERS/Joe Skipper (UNITED STATES BUSINESS TRAVEL SOCIETY)

Mental health cases tax police, emergency workers

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Police found him sitting on the floor of his old apartment near a bucket of urine, still dressed in his hospital gown.

The apartment had been condemned for the squalor — food on the floor, flies — and his smoking in bed. But the mentally ill man, just released from the hospital, had managed to get back in. For the second time in four days, he was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Three firefighters, a battalion chief, the police chief, two police officers, a code enforcement person and a housing official responded, and finally, an ambulance crew — at a cost of thousands of dollars, Police Chief Michael Schirling said.

Police and emergency responders around the nation have long struggled to deal with people who have mental illness, and some say the situation is only getting worse. A poor economy and cuts to institutional programs threaten to overwhelm personnel trained to deal with crime and vehicle accidents, not mental crises.

"The problem seems to be accelerating in scope and severity of late," the police chief said. "More folks in need of mental health services, more significant issues occurring on the street as a result, and fewer available services for folks in acute crisis or those who are service-resistant."

On the same day they removed the mental patient from the condemned apartment, police searched the other end of Burlington for a homeless man who'd been yelling at kids in a residential neighborhood. Parents wouldn't let their children out alone. Some called 911.

The man has paranoid schizophrenia and other mental illnesses but has refused treatment, so police charged him with disorderly conduct. The chief called it a "workaround," designed to get him into the mental health system by judicial order.

"It's a perversion of the system," he said.

And a clear sign that the mental health system has been gutted, he said.

The Burlington Police Department recently hired a mental health specialist with federal stimulus funding to handle some of these calls, in hopes of reducing the number of people with mental illness who are shuttled unnecessarily into the justice system, Schirling said.

Around the country, as many as 1,300 departments have set up crisis intervention teams, modeled after a pioneering Memphis, Tenn., program created in 1988 after police shot a man with mental illness. The teams get specialized mental health training and work with the community on the responses.

The Memphis Police Department now has 225 crisis intervention team members who volunteered for the training.

After the move nationally to deinstitutionalize the mentally ill 50 years ago, resources were not adequately invested in community services, officials said. Many communities don't have enough beds in inpatient hospitals or community mental health programs — where people are monitored to make sure they take medication — to respond to people in crisis. The problem is likely to worsen as states slash budgets.

"Cuts to inpatient hospitals and community services are particularly devastating because they increase burdens on law enforcement and leave police officers and other first responders with few options when they respond to people with serious mental illness who are in crisis," said Ron Honberg, director of legal affairs for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

By the end of 2011, state mental health budgets are expected to be slashed by 21.8 percent, on top of what has already been trimmed, according to the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors.

In June, the association initially forecast reductions of 10 percent to 30 percent in 10 states this year, 10 percent in 18 other states, and undetermined cuts in 13 more. Those cuts are likely to be more severe, the association now says.

Burlington's Schirling doesn't track how much time his department spends on mental health-related calls but says it's certainly daily. National police organizations contacted by The Associated Press don't keep a tally, either. One gauge is that 4.2 million emergency room visits nationally in 2006 were for mental disorders, according to the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Of the top 20 people who are getting service from us on a day-to-day basis, the majority of those people have an underlying thread of a mental health problem," Schirling said.

The HowardCenter, a nonprofit organization that serves 837 adults with serious and persistent mental illness in Vermont's Chittenden County, does a good job with its clients, Schirling said, but its community homes are often full and many people resist treatment.

Case managers have an average of 50 clients. "It's hard to do a lot of preventive work with those caseloads," said Todd Centybear, the HowardCenter's executive director.

It's not clear-cut that more community programs would reduce the number of emergency-room visits because some people refuse treatment, said Michael Hartman, Vermont's mental health commissioner. Medication also doesn't work on everyone and substance abuse is often intertwined with mental illness. And some people who are perceived as strange, talking or yelling to themselves aren't necessarily dangerous, he said.

The best approach, Hartman says, sometimes is having police work with mental health agencies and local hospitals.

In Des Moines, Iowa, police have dramatically reduced the number of mental-health related arrests by relying on a team of nurses and social workers to assist with crisis calls.

Of the average of 2,000 mental health crisis calls that come in a year, only 3 percent end up in arrests, compared with the majority of them that did before, said Kelly Drain, a senior police officer with the Des Moines Mobile Crisis Response Team.

The team tries to get them services or needed medical help.

"So it's helped as far as people going to jail. It's helped with unnecessary hospitalization. It's helped with saving police time on these calls," she said.

In Burlington, the man whose apartment was condemned was released twice from the hospital. After his third emergency-room visit, he was sent to the state's psychiatric hospital.

Burlington police hope the newly hired "outreach interventionist" will be able to handle some of the calls and develop a relationship with those who are frequently called about. By checking in and referring them to services, the specialist should be able to mitigate problems and help the subjects avoid the criminal justice system, Schirling said.

"Because they're completely falling through the cracks," he said. "They're not cracks, they're chasms."

Courtesy: LISA RATHKE, Associated Press Writer – Sat Nov 21, 1:30 pm ET

Sarah Palin gives Oprah biggest audience in two years

Oprah Palin Oprah Winfrey’s interview with former VP candidate Sarah Palin scored the talk show host her highest rating in two years.

Monday's episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" drew a 8.7 household rating and 13 share -- the best since Winfrey had the entire Osmond family on the show in 2007.

That means Palin also topped Winfrey's heavily viewed interviews with Whitney Houston at the start of the season.

Palin is making the rounds to promote her new book, "Going Rogue," which came out Tuesday.

Winfrey began the interview by asking Palin if she felt snubbed at not getting an invitation to appear on the show last year. Winfrey said she didn't have any candidates on her Chicago-based show during the campaign because of her support for President Barack Obama.

Palin said she didn't feel snubbed and told Winfrey, "No offense to you, but it wasn't the center of my universe."

Palin said in another interview broadcast Tuesday that a 2012 presidential bid is "not on my radar," but wouldn't rule out playing some role in the next presidential election.

"My ambition, if you will, my desire is to help our country in whatever role that may be, and I cannot predict what that will be, what doors will be open in the year 2012," she told Barbara Walters.

When asked whether she'd play a major role, the former Republican vice presidential candidate replied that "if people will have me, I will."

Obama, Hu talk global challenges as world watches

Obama, Hu talk global challenges as world watches

BEIJING, CHINA – Seeking help with an array of global troubles, President Barack Obama said Tuesday that his closely watched talks with his Chinese counterpart are vital not just for their nations but the world.

Marking 30 years of relations between the U.S. and China, Obama said: "I think it's fair to say that our two governments have moved forward in a way that can bring even greater cooperation in the future."

Obama spoke after private talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, as the two leaders began a larger round of conversations with members of their delegations. Both men were expected soon to issue statements.

In China for the first time, Obama joined Hu in sending cooperative signals. Their talks centered on nuclear proliferation, hurting economies, climate change, human rights, North Korea and Iran.

The pair sought to strike a balance between trading partners and competitors during Obama's weeklong trip to Asia.

"We believe strong dialogue is important not only for the U.S and China, but for the rest of the world," Obama said, flanked by his national security team as the session began with great ceremony.

Hu reciprocated with kind words in public: "I look forward to having an in-depth relationship."



The presidents met at the Great Hall of the People, located on the edge of Tiananmen Square.



The buildup to the meetings in China brought a cautious balancing from the first-term U.S. leader.



A day before, Obama before prodded China about Internet controls and free speech during a forum with students in Shanghai. His message was not widely heard in the country; his words were drastically limited online and shown on just one regional television channel.

He also suggested that China, now a giant in economic impact as well as territory, must take a bigger role on the world stage — part of "burden of leadership" it shares with the United States.

"I will tell you, other countries around the world will be waiting for us," Obama said in an American-style town-hall discussion with Chinese university students in Shanghai, where he spent a day before flying to China's capital for a state visit with President Hu.

Eager to achieve a successful summit, the two leaders were likely to avoid public spats on economic issues. With America's budget deficit soaring to a yearly record of $1.42 trillion, China is the No. 1 lender to Washington and has expressed concern that the falling price of the dollar threatens the value of its U.S. holdings.

In the U.S., American manufacturers blame China's own low currency value for contributing to the loss of 5.6 million manufacturing jobs over the past decade. During that time, America's trade gap with China has soared.

Obama's town hall meeting in Shanghai on Monday showed how difficult it is for the governments to work together. The U.S. initially requested a larger venue and a live broadcast on a major network. In the end, Chinese officials put the event on the eastern fringes of the city. Only local Shanghai TV carried it live, though it was streamed on two popular Internet portals and on the White House's Web site, which is not censored.

In brief remarks before the initial talks, Hu noted Obama's Shanghai meeting with students, calling the session "quite lively." Obama smiled broadly throughout the welcoming remarks late Monday, then told Hu that "the world recognizes the importance of the U.S.-Chinese relationship" in tackling global problems.

The two met again — more formally — on Tuesday, complete with the military pomp of a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People and a joint appearance before reporters. With sightseeing in Beijing's Forbidden City sandwiched in between, the two leaders' day was to end at a lavish state dinner in Obama's honor.

"Mr. President, let me say on behalf of the American people how very grateful we are for your hospitality," Obama said at the top of his first meeting Tuesday. Obama was spending Wednesday in Beijing as well before completing his weeklong Asia travels in South Korea.


Topmost on Obama's ambitious agenda with Hu is the so-far elusive search for global agreement on a new climate change pact, stymied by disagreement between rich nations like the U.S. and developing nations such as China. Wealthier countries want legally binding greenhouse-gas reduction targets for themselves as well as for energy-guzzling developing nations such as China, India and Brazil. Those poorer nations say they will set only nonbinding goals and they demand assistance to make the transition to harder targets.

Amid those differences, Obama and Hu are expected to announce new cooperation on a related but easier front: clean-energy projects. With China and the U.S. the world's two largest emitters of heat-trapping gases, Obama warned that "unless both of our countries are willing to take critical steps in dealing with this issue, we will not be able to resolve it."

Another key area for Obama is securing stronger Chinese backing for halting the nuclear weapons ambitions of Iran and North Korea.


Beijing has supported sterner sanctions against Pyongyang for its continued nuclear weapons program. And, as North Korea's last major ally and a key supplier of food and energy aid, China is a partner with key leverage in six-nation talks with the North over the issue. But on Iran, where China has significant economic ties, Beijing has appeared less willing to endorse a tougher approach to restrict Tehran's uranium enrichment and suspected pursuit of atomic bombs.

Iran plays down UN nuclear report

Iran has played down a report by the UN's nuclear watchdog that found questions remained unanswered about a nuclear facility near the city of Qom.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran must explain the history and purpose of the recently declared site.But chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh said the report was "repetitive" and Tehran had handed over all information on the facility.
Iran denies claims by some Western nations it is developing nuclear arms.
A UN team was allowed access to inspect the Qom site last month.In its report, the IAEA said the delayed declaration of the plant raised concerns about other possible secret sites.

'Full co-operation'
Mr Soltaniyeh told al-Alam TV: "Iran has provided all information about the new facility and the material inside it."We will later proceed with installing the required equipment. The facility will go online in 2011.He said he was "comfortable" with the report, as it confirmed Iran was "fully co-operating" and that the activities at Qom were "in accordance with the IAEA instructions and limitations"."Inspectors scoured the facility for two complete days. Everything was compatible with the non-proliferation treaty," he said.