US, Pak ties likely to deteriorate: US think tan

The unusual decision of Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, to send a blunt message to Pakistan reflects that bilateral relations are in trouble and likely to deteriorate further, an influential American think tank has said.

In a blunt statement, Mullen identified the Haqqani network as "a strategic arm of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency”, which thereby made the spy agency complicit in the September 13 attacks against the US embassy in Kabul, the June 28 attack against the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul.

"When Mullen, the foremost US defender of maintaining sound working ties with Pakistan's military, expresses this much exasperation, those who seek to retain decent bilateral relations are in trouble.

Ties have become extremely tenuous and are likely to deteriorate further," said Michael Krepon, co-founder of the Stimson Centre, a Washington-based think tank.

"By publicly confirming and not qualifying reality, Mullen has changed the rules of the game, while laying the predicate for US military actions against the sanctuary within Pakistan that the Haqqani network enjoys," he said.

This will embarrass Pakistan's military hierarchy and further inflame anti-US opinion within Pakistan - two consequences that are not unrelated, he said.

"Why would Mullen speak out now? The answer in Pakistan is that Washington needs a scapegoat for a military campaign in Afghanistan that is unlikely to end well," Krepon noted.

"This answer conveniently absolves Pakistan's security establishment of responsibility for this mess. There's another answer: the Haqqani network has raised the stakes and the Obama administration has concluded that it has been unable to influence Rawalpindi's unfortunate choices," he said.

Krepon warned that unless Rawalpindi changes course, Pakistan may find itself reframed from a major non-NATO ally to a state sponsor of terrorism

Yes, Amazon's Kindle Fire is a $199 Android tablet

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos holds up Kindle Fire

Mark Lennihan / AP

The Kindle Fire is shown at a news conference, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 in New York. The e-reader and tablet has a 7-inch (17.78 cm) multicolor touchscreen and will go on sale for $199 on Nov. 15.

By Wilson Rothman

Before Amazon's press event even started, the big news slipped out of the bag: The Amazon Kindle Fire will be a 7-inch Android tablet with a $199 price tag. Then Amazon's Jeff Bezos went on stage and unveiled it, showing off its movie playback capability and other media features.

As rumors had suggested, it is very reminiscent of the $499 BlackBerry PlayBook, though the bezel looks a little narrower. It weighs 14.6 ounces, pretty much exactly the same as the PlayBook.

msnbc.com

In fact, we managed to get a quick shot of the Kindle Fire alongside a PlayBook. As you can see, at right, the Kindle Fire is a little bit more sleekly styled than RIM's far more expensive tablet, but they are hauntingly similar, hardware-wise.

But unlike the BlackBerry tablet or the many struggling Android tablets on the market, Amazon gives you many many reasons, right up front, as to why this tablet matters. As Amazon puts it: "18 million songs, movies, TV shows, books, magazines, apps and games." Not that you get all of those free with purchase, but the device is purpose-built as a conduit for media, whether you pay for an Amazon Prime streaming subscription, subscribe to periodicals or buy books, music or movies a la carte.

As had been foretold, the Kindle Fire has a dual-core processor and a pretty nice custom interface. It does not look anything like a Google-authorized Android tablet, but the tablet plays Android games fairly well — at least in the canned demonstrations shown today.

Part of the reason that the cost can be kept low is that the tablet has just 8 gigabytes of internal storage, half of the baseline storage of most tablets. Amazon expects people to use the tablet mostly in Wi-Fi hotspots, where they can stream content from Amazon's cloud.

The tablet will be available Nov. 15, but you can pre-order it now.

Justin Bieber Takes Selena Gomez on a Truly Titanic Date

Justin Bieber sure meant it when he tweeted Friday: "Romance isn't dead. Treat your lady right fellas."
The teen sensation sure treated girlfriend Selena Gomez royaly right after rocking out at Demi Lovato's concert at the Nokia Theater Friday. The Biebs then took his sweetheart Selena to watch Titanic. At L.A.'s Staples Center. Alone!
RELATED: Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez Have a Bunch of Babies—but What Does It Mean?!
According to People, the hair-flippin' teen rented out the entire arena so he and GF Gomez could watch Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio's tear-jerking Oscar-winning classic.
MORE: So True? So False? Did Selena Gomez Tattoo Justin Bieber's Name on Her Wrist?!
So how much does a date like this cost ya?! Well, if you're Justin Bieber—nothing!
The Staples Center's management reportedly lent the singer the massive arena for free because Bieb's sold out the place to screaming girls three times already. Very "king of the world," doncha think?
Must be nice, Selena!

British woman held by pirates reportedly 'sick with fever'

LAMU, Kenya — A British woman abducted from a Kenya beach resort and held in the lair of Somali pirates has taken ill, according to a British newspaper report.

A pirate leader told the Telegraph that Judith Tebbutt is under stress and has a fever.

Tebbutt was taken to Somalia after a brazen raid at the luxury beach resort near the Kenya-Somalia border.

Story: Kenya diplomat: Briton killed, wife kidnapped

Unidentified gunmen raided the Kiwayu Safari Village in the early hours of Sept. 11, shooting dead publishing executive David Tebbutt, 58, and taking Judith Tebbutt, 56, before escaping by boat.

Tebbutt is being held in an unknown location in Somalia

"I was told the hostage is stressed and very sick with fever," said Abdi Yare, who told the Telegraph he had spoken with the kidnappers.

"She also has problems communicating with the kidnappers. She asked for a phone to contact her son and her brother back home," Yare added.

On Monday, Kenyan Ali Babitu Kololo was charged with robbery with violence and kidnapping with intention to murder in connection with the crime at a magistrate's court in the northern coastal town of Lamu. Robbery with violence is a capital offense in Kenya.It was unclear if there had been a demand for ransom to free Tebbutt, and if the word of her illness was a ploy to speed up those demands.

"He pleaded not guilty and the case will be .... heard on October 25," Lamu Senior Resident Magistrate Rwito Kithinji told Reuters, adding that Kololo was also due in court Oct. 4 for a preliminary hearing.

Somali pirates have carried out their kidnappings chiefly in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, but Somali gunmen have attacked Westerners just across the border with Kenya on several occasions.

Kenyan police believe Kololo may have been in working with the attackers at Kiwayu, a luxury 18-cottage resort in a marine reserve that has a chain of islands and coral reefs.

"More charges may be preferred depending on the investigation's outcome. The suspect, we believe, was very much aware of the attack, may have harbored the bandits, knowing very well what they had intended to do," said a senior police source in Lamu.

Mysterious 'booming sounds' perplex scientists

 Mysterious booming sounds are occasionally heard on the North Carolina coast, often powerful enough to rattle windows and doors. They cannot be explained by thunderstorms or any man made sources — their source is a mystery.

Such dins are not unique to North Carolina or the modern age. People living near Seneca Lake in upstate New York have long known ofsimilar booming sounds, which they called "Seneca guns." In coastal Belgium, they are known as "mistpouffers," or fog belches; in the Ganges delta and the Bay of Bengal, "Bansal guns;" in the Italian Apennines, "brontidi," or thunder-like; and by the Harami people of Shikoku, Japan, "yan."

"What's going on is an interesting challenge, whatever it might be," said seismologist David Hill, scientist emeritus at the U.S. Geological Survey office in Menlo Park, Calif.

Long list of explanations A host of plausible explanations may now exist for these enigmas, including earthquakes, rock bursts, mud volcanoes, explosive venting of gas, storm-driven waves, tsunamis, meteors, distant thunder and so-called booming sands.

"It seems there is quite a range of processes in nature that might be responsible," Hill told OurAmazingPlanet.

"Earwitnesses" described sounds like booming cannons or falling stones accompanying small to moderate earthquakes in England from 1880 to 1916. In 1975, U.S. Geological Survey researchers managed to record both acoustic and seismic signals of an earthquake swarm in California, finding that three earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 2.0 to 2.8 produced sounds that began within 0.02 seconds of the arrival of seismic waves at the scientists' station. Similar results were seen with quakes in the French Pyrenees in 2004.

All in all, audible sounds from earthquakes might be perceived even when shaking is not, Hill suggested. For instance, while earthquakes are rare in coastal North Carolina, they are relatively common in the Charleston area of South Carolina, the site of the 1886 magnitude 7.6 Charleston quake, and the Catskill Mountains that Seneca Lake is located within do host low-level earthquake activity. Locals could be hearing an earthquake that is too small for them to feel.

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Also, rock bursts, where long-buried rock can suddenly release stress, often because of mining removing confining material above it, can essentially be seen as a type of small, near-surface earthquake. Scientists have reported feeling perceptible jolts and hearing sharp booming sounds from such bursts, Hill said.

Giant waves might also be responsible for the mystery sounds, Hill suggested. Scientists have found that booming sounds are apparently familiar to big-wave surfers during extreme waves. In addition, after the catastrophic 2004 magnitude 9.1 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami, multiple witnesses said they heard loud, offshore booming sounds closely accompanying two or three of the largest waves that struck the coast at any given site.

"I was surprised to learn about the possibility that tsunamis produce these kinds of sounds," Hill said. "I don't think anyone understands that process."

Hill suggests the sounds heard off the coasts of North Carolina, Belgium and the Bay of Bengal might be large waves caused by distant storms that break well offshore, beyond outer banks or barrier beaches. Such waves might also disrupt offshore methane hydrate deposits, leading to explosive venting of high-pressure gas trapped deep within the Earth.

Cop chase ends with head-on crash

OTTAWA — A police pursuit in the city's south end Sunday night ended in a horrific head-on crash that has left three people in hospital and caused morning rush-hour chaos.
Emergency crews were called to the crash site on Hunt Club Rd. at around 11 p.m.
At the scene, a demolished green Lexus rests on the south lawn of Hunt Club. Fire crews had to cut off the top of the car to extricate the two occupants: the male driver and a female passenger. It took about 30 minutes to free them.
The two rescued from the car are believed to be a couple.
Across the road, a blue Mitsubishi sits on the median with a heavily damaged front passenger side.
A police cruiser is also resting on the median, but it doesn't appear to have been damaged in the collision.

According to Jon Ansell of the Special Investigations Unit, police were pursuing the green Lexus.
"From what we gather at the moment, it was a brief pursuit — pursuing the green Lexus," said Ansell. "He was (travelling) westbound, mounted the curb and struck that Mitsubishi head-on."
The man driving the Lexus is under arrest.
Cops are still waiting to speak with the female passenger of the Lexus and the woman in the Mitsubishi. Both have serious injuries and are unable to be interviewed at the moment. However, their injuries are not life-threatening.
The investigation is ongoing.
"What we'd be looking for here is speed," said Ansell. "It looks as though (the man driving the Lexus) would have been going over the limit."

Hollywood star Sarah Jessica Parker reveals she puts family before fashion

sarah jessica parker Image 2

SARAH Jessica Parker is one of the world's most famous fashion queens thanks to her quirky sense of style.

But the Sex And The City star has dropped a bombshell that will shock fashionistas the world over.

She no longer has time to shop for her favourite designer shoes and dresses.

These days, she's just too busy being a mum to lust after the latest Jimmy Choos.

"I'm not a huge shopper," she admitted. "I just tend not to have the time and I think it would be nice to go to a department store or shop but it just doesn't fit into my day.

"But I do borrow shoes for work, like for today, I'm borrowing these shoes that I love and admire. So, I'm a fan of the art form and the product but I don't tend to buy a lot.

"That's just not part of my world. I see it as a treat but I don't get a euphoric high from owning a lot of shoes.

"I find that having children, if I spent that free time running around shopping in a clothing store I'd feel crappy about it.

"But that doesn't mean that I don't look in fashion magazines, which I love doing and I dog-ear those pages."

Despite her confession, Sarah's sense of style remains hugely influential. She has her own perfume line and until recently was at the helm of fashion label Halston Heritage.

Anything she wears is photographed, whether she is on the red carpet or in the park with her children.

And for the designers, her seal of approval helps their brand go to stratospheric levels.

That's great news for Scots designer Christopher Kane after SJP revealed she is a fan.

One of her closest friends was the late Alexander McQueen and she often wore his outfits on the red carpet, including his stunning tartan creations, which were a nod to his Scottish roots.

Designs by Christopher, 29, from Newarthill, Lanarkshire, are already loved by stars like Kylie Minogue, Rihanna, Emma Watson and Daisy Lowe.

But if SJP is seen wearing his label it adds a kudos that's hard to deny. Now it's up to Christopher to take up the challenge.

Sarah said: "I think Christopher Kane is very, very talented. Of course, if there was something that was appropriate for me to wear and that I would look presentable wearing, I would be delighted, yes."

And this actress always needs new dresses.

Playing Carrie Bradshaw means she has a wardrobe most women would die for.

But it also adds to the pressure to constantly evolve her look.

So does SJP feel like a fashion icon? "Absolutely not."

It seems she would rather wear the tag of being a mum. She lives with husband Matthew Broderick, of Ferris Bueller's Day Off fame, and their three kids James, nine, and two-year-old twins, born by surrogacy, Marion and Tabitha in New York.

She said: "I love fashion but if I'm not working I'm really just wearing whatever is right to get out of the door, like most mums.

"Of course, there are occasions when my husband and I go out and we dress up because we want to and we go to the theatre or a friend's play that's opening. You just want to be presentable because you don't want to embarrass somebody."

In the flesh, the diminutive actress looks years younger than her 46 years. And it's something she is trying to maintain - but she admits work can often get in the way. And the last few months have been a busy time for her.

Her new film I Don't Know How She Does It is released next week and she has also been filming New Year's Eve, an ensemble film about Hogmanay, which stars Robert De Niro and Jessica Biel.

Sarah said: "Well, I was very undisciplined for many months shooting I Don't Know and New Year's Eve. I was very sloth-like.

"I felt awful not doing something and I just recently started trying to work out again.

"But it's hard to fit it in, meaning I try to schedule it when the babies are sleeping, and then I resent the fact that, while they are sleeping, I'm not reading a book instead.

"These are part of the conflicts but I try to work it out and I have a great person who I think is really, really good and she's very hard on me and I always feel slightly sick afterwards, which is good, I guess."

Although she's been working since 1980 starring in Footloose, Flight Of The Navigator and Honeymoon in Vegas, it was, of course, Sex And The City that made her a global superstar with six TV series from 1998 to 2004 and two films.

SJP knows she'll never escape Carrie, the character that won her four Golden Globes and two Emmys. But she doesn't mind.

She said: "I live in New York and I just take a walk and I remember every street corner where we shot.

"I'm always reminded of the affection that Carrie had for her friendships and for the city.

"And having played her for so long, it would be impossible to shed her completely and I must confess that I very much like having her as part of me."

But she reckons fans must be disappointed when they meet her and find she's not quite like their favourite character.

"I'm sure I disappoint people all the time.

"But I like to tell them before we're too deep in conversation that I'm sure I'll be a let-down to them.

"I'm shorter than they think I'm going to be and I'm never wearing shoes that are to the satisfaction of most people.

"I tend to not have make-up on and I look like much more of a mother or a person not being photographed than people expect, so disappointment is highly likely. But I hope it doesn't affect the exchanges."

Sarah dated Robert Downey, Jr from 1984 until 1991 during his drug addiction period but has settled into married life with Matthew.

So what's the secret to their 15-year relationship? She laughed: "Our secret is not talking about it."

In I Don't Know How She Does It, Sarah plays Kate Reddy, a financier who is the breadwinner in her family. In real life, Matthew holds his own, but she was recently called the world's highest-paid actress by Forbes magazine equalling Angelina Jolie's May 2010 to May 2011 wage of $30million thanks to re-runs of Sex And The City, the release of the movie sequel plus her fashion interests.

Sarah said: "I wish those numbers were true. I saw a new number this morning that I was stunned by. But they can't be accurate. I will just say that they are terribly off."

What Is the Best Non-Prescription Eyelash Enhancer?

Eyelash enhancers are the latest beauty trend these days, and cosmetic companies everywhere are launching products that promise to give women longer, fuller, darker lashes, without the fuss of mascara, false lashes, or extensions.
The results for this year’s top-performing eyelash enhancers are in … with iQ Derma’s SmartLash coming in with a solid 5-star rating on Dermstore.com, the #1 online destination for skin care and beauty.
What Is Eyelash Enhancement?
If you aren’t yet aware of this increasingly popular method of achieving longer lashes, eyelash enhancers are formulas that are topically applied to the base of your lower and upper lashes.  They can even be used on sparse, thin eyebrows.  
Is It Safe?
While prescription eyelash enhancers are often formulated with prostaglandin, a hormone that can cause side effects such as darkened irises (potentially irreversible) and blurred vision, more and more companies are developing safer, non-prescription alternatives that deliver impressive results.
Most non-prescription formulas are hormone and paraben-free.  Instead, they’re formulated with polypeptides, amino acids, and conditioning ingredients to help rejuvenate lashes and strengthen them against breakage.  So, you still get longer, fuller, darker-looking lashes and shapelier brows, without the negative side effects.

Before and After Use of SmartLash

How Soon Can You See Results?
In some cases, users have reported seeing results in as little as seven days, while others may see results in four weeks.
SmartLash, for instance, has published its clinical results, which show that 46 percent of participants saw a difference in their eyelashes and/or brows in just seven days, while 100 percent saw a difference in 14 days.  They also experienced up to a 68 percent increase in the appearance of lash length.

Dramatic images of World Trade Centre collapse on 9/11 released for first time

We have seen the Twin Towers collapse hundreds of times on TV. The steel and glass skyscrapers exploding like a bag of flour, the dust and smoke pluming out across Manhattan. But never like this, from above.

Nine years after the defining moment of the 21st century, a stunning set of photographs taken by New York Police helicopters forces us to look afresh at a catastrophe we assumed we knew so well.

You know but cannot see the 2,752 men, women and children who died at the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001. None is visible here

All we see is the spectacular moment of collapse, what film directors call the wide shot, showing the towers in their urban setting, before, during and after their fall. 

Even for those who were there, like me, running from the cloud and choking in the dust, it is hard to believe. But what is all too evident to everyone is that this event changed the world, with consequences that will haunt us for decades. 

With the Twin Towers collapsed the world we thought we knew.

These dramatic images were taken by police photographers in helicopters and it is the first time they have been seen, having been released under a Freedom of Information request made by America's ABC News.

Burning buildings can be seen crumpling in on themselves as plumes of smoke rise up over the New York skyline that terrible September morning.

The images show how the police helicopter first began taking images from afar before moving in to reveal the devastation taking place underneath.

They also reveal the horror faced by those trapped in the burning buildings and then the walls of smoke and debris that enveloped the surrounding area as the towers came crashing down.

Released more than eight years after the deaths of 2,752 people on that day, they are powerful reminders of the attack that led to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The legacy of the New York attack continues today with as British forces joining with Afghan soldiers and Nato to launch the biggest attack on the Taliban - accused of harbouring Al Qaeda who organised the 9/11 attack - since the initial 2001 offensive.

Meanwhile, in New York, work is continuing to build on the rubble of what became known as Ground Zero.

Structural steel for the 1,776ft tower, which will be known as 1 World Trade Centre, has already reached 200ft above street level.

Workers are now installing 16 steel nodes on the 20th-floor of the tower which will serve as joints between the steel framing for the building's podium and the steel for the rest of the tower. The 104-storey skyscraper is due to be completed in 2013 and will be one of the tallest buildings in the U.S.

Facebook sued by father over 'explicit' photos of 12-year-old daughter

A Northern Ireland man has sued Facebook after his 12-year-old daughter was able to post lewd photos of herself to the social network, reports the BBC. The lawsuit has called into question whether Facebook, which officially bars anyone under the age of 13 from becoming a member, does enough to verify the age of its users.

“My own personal view is that Facebook isn’t suitable for under-18s, but the company isn’t even able to uphold its own policy of keeping under-13s out,” said Hilary Carmichael, the father’s lawyer. “An age check, like asking for a passport number, would be a simple measure for Facebook to implement.”

According to Charmichael, the photos in question were “sexually explicit,” and showed the girl “heavily made-up,” and “in a provocative pose,” which made her appear “much older than her 12 years.”

The girl also reportedly posted information about where she lives and which school she attends.
The lawsuit, filed in a Belfast High Court on Monday claims that Facebook was “guilty of negligence.” It also alleges that the Palo Alto, California-based website created “a risk of sexual and physical harm” to the girl.
If the girl’s account is not deleted by Facebook, the lawsuit promises that “an application will be made to stop Facebook operating in Northern Ireland,” according to Charmichael’s website.
Ms. Charmichael has also created another website, called “Children on Facebook,” which seeks to find other concerned parents who believe their children’s rights have been infringed upon by Facebook in the same way.

The case also raises the question: Who is responsible for the well-being of children online, Facebook, the children’s parents, or both?

In 2008, Facebook’s now-former Chief Privacy Officer, Chris Kelly, responded to the New York state attorney general at the time, Andrew Cuomo, (now Governor Cuomo) who said Facebook was “a magnet for those who prey on the young.” Kelly told The Sunday Times of London that both sides must play their part.

“There are multiple layers of responsibility and the core for us is to provide the tools that will be effective at protecting kids,” said Kelly.He added: “One of the things that you have to do is educate kids not to meet anyone that they only know online, and to tell their parents where they’re going and what they’re doing, and have the parents be an active participant in their lives.”

Facebook has not yet responded to this most recent lawsuit.

Irene batters New York, raising fears of flooding

Officials warned that the storm remained dangerous - as New Yorkers breathed a sigh of relief

Continue reading the main story

Seawater surged into flood-prone areas of New York on Sunday as Tropical Storm Irene hit the city, downgraded from a hurricane but still bringing fierce winds and rain.

Some 370,000 people were ordered to evacuate and streets are eerily quiet, a BBC correspondent says.

At least 11 deaths have been linked the powerful storm.

Irene has already destroyed buildings in North Carolina and Virginia, and left millions without power.

The storm was classified as a hurricane when it swept through the Caribbean last week. Despite the downgrade to a tropical storm, it has still been destructive and disruptive. It is expected to hit Canada on Sunday night.

US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that while there was still a way to go with Irene, the "worst of the storm has passed", adding that the precautions taken had "dramatically decreased" the threat to lives along the eastern US.

But National Hurricane Center director Bill Read warned that heavy rains meant there was still a major flooding risk to river systems, especially in New England

power reports fewer than 2 dozen remain in dark from Irene

Dominion Virginia Power spokesman Dan Genest said that as of 6:30 p.m. today, just 19 customers who lost power during Hurricane Irene remain without electricity.

The outage number on the Dominion website may not reflect the actual number of customers without power.

“As we get to this point, sometimes to get more people back on, we have to disconnect people temporarily to make it safe for us to do it,” Genest said. “It could be new outages.”

He's said it has been a long, hard haul on customers and electrical crews to restore power to the 1.2 million Dominion customers that lost power due to Irene. 

About 408,000 Dominion customers in the Richmond region lost power when Hurricane Irene blew pastVirginia nine days ago.

Crews from as far away as Ohio and Florida travelled the Richmond region repairing downed lines or blown transformers.

“We are very close to being able to say Irene is behind us,” Genest said. “I think overall, it went well. There are always bumps in the road when you have 1.2 million customers out. There are certainly going to be some lessons we can learn when we sit down to critique this.”