Cooper claims he learned of Plame through Rove

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In a TIME magazine article, reporter Matthew Cooper claimed he learned that Plame worked with the CIA through a conversation with Karl Rove. However, he denied that Rove directly named Valerie Plame. He also revealed that he discussed Plame with Lewis Libby, the deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney.

The revelation corroborates Rove’s testimony to the grand jury, leaked to several news sources, that he learned of Plame’s name from Robert Novak and another journalist (Rove testified that he cannot remember which one), and that he did tell Cooper in a later discussion that Joseph Wilson’s wife worked for the CIA, though he testified he never mentioned Plame by name.

In a Sunday MSNBC Meet the Press broadcast, Cooper said he secured a more specific written waiver from two sources, Rove and Libby, which led him to reverse his earlier refusal to cooperate with the federal grand jury investigation into the CIA disclosure of Plame. This second waiver was signed only hours prior to the contempt of court proceedings that would have put him in jail, the fate of the New York Times reporter Judith Miller who refused to reveal her sources to the same court. He said during the broadcast there were other White House sources as well, but declined during the interview to disclose their names.

The waiver Cooper secured releases him from the secrecy of grand jury proceedings. He wrote a 1st person account of the conversation with Rove that was published Sunday on the TIME Online Edition. In a marketing move made by TIME, they turned the high interest in the story into an online money maker by charging $1.99 for access to the story. 6 print issues of the magazine come with the … Read More

Kevin Rudd sworn in as Prime Minister of Australia

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Kevin Rudd, current Australian Labor Party leader, was sworn in today as Prime Minister of Australia by Governor-General Michael Jeffrey. Rudd has become the 26th Prime Minister since Australia’s federation in 1901.

Former Prime Minister John Howard and the Liberal Party and Coalition were beaten in the 2007 election which took place last month, by the Australian Labor Party who managed to gain the extra 16 seats they needed to have a majority in the House of Representatives. Mr Howard lost his seat that he held for 33 years, 11 as Prime Minister, to Labor candidate Maxine McKew.

Mr Rudd was sworn in at a small ceremony at Government House by Mr Jeffrey, alongside Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who was also sworn in today. Mr Rudd’s wife, Therese Rein and his three children were also present at the ceremony.

Later that afternoon, Mr Rudd plans to hold a full meeting which all of his newly-sworn-in ministers will attend. In late November, Mr Rudd requested that all his ministers attend a visit at two schools in their local electorate before meeting for a caucus meeting on No … Read More

Lukashenko wins disputed Belarus elections

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It appears that Alexander Lukashenko, 51, has won the 2006 Belarus presidential election, and is heading for his third term in office. The official preliminary results are 82.6 percent for Lukashenko and six percent for the main opposition candidate Alexander Milinkevich, says the BBC. The turnout for the elections was 92.6 percent of Belarus’ seven million eligible voters. The final results will be available Monday morning.

Before the elections, the opposition candidates accused Lukashenko of plans for rigging the elections. Several opposition newspapers were closed down and journalists were arrested some weeks before the elections. Many foreign observers, including the Polish, Finnish and Danish delegations, were refused entry into the country before the elections.

Approximately 10 000 supporters of Milinkevich gathered in Oktyabrskaya Square in Belarus’ capital, Minsk. According to the BBC, they shouted anti-Lukashenko slogans and waved flags that are banned under Lukashenko’s regime. The protests have not involved violence so far.

Lukashenko previously warned people against the start of uprisings similar to recent ones witnessed in the Ukraine and Georgia. He said that people attempting to stage a coup will be treated as terrorists and will be executed. The European Union and the United States have expressed their concerns over allegedly authoritarian rule in Belarus. The EU is planning to deny visas to Belarusian officials with alleged involvement in election rigging, as a response to the denial by Belarus of entry into the country to EU election observers.

Milinkevich demands new elections. According to the BBC, he said, “We demand new, honest elections. This was a complete farce…. We will demand that this election be recognized as invalid, including by international organisations,” Milinkevich said, according to the AFP.

Milinkevich notes that the opposition candidates were restricted from the media, and opposition supporters were arrested. Lukashenko, in contrast, has control over Belarus’ propaganda machine, including state television. According to the AFP, opposition candidate Milinkevich received in total one hour of TV air time for his campaign. Belarus officials reject his demands, and insist the elections were free and honest.

Lukashenko denied being a dictator, saying “… it’s impossible to have a dictator in Europe. Only stupid people would think that.” He said the U.S. president George W. Bush is more of a dictator than he h … Read More

North Korea denies entry of IAEA inspectors

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After Christopher R. Hill, the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. met with North Korean (DPRK) diplomats on Thursday, the country decided not to give International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors permission to enter the country, claiming that the $25,000,000 remitted to them has not yet arrived.

“As of now, the frozen funds had not reached our bank account. Nobody knows why the remittance is delayed. Our side has informed the IAEA that we have no objection to them preparing the visit as a plan, but we are not ready to give our official confirmation for the visit as scheduled by the agency,” said counsellor Hyon Yong at North Korea’s embassy located in Vienna.

The money is believed to still be in the possession of the Central Bank of Russia, which received control of the funds after they were transferred via the United States Federal Reserve System to Macau’s Banco Delta Asia. Russian officials state that the funds transfer was to “be completed by today,” but as of now the funds have not yet arrived to N. Korea.

Earlier this week North Korea invited IAEA inspectors into the country to monitor the shutting down of their nuclear reactor located in … Read More

Q and A with New Zealand Prime Minister hopeful

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Wikipedia, Wikinews’ sibling project, has in-depth background articles on:

• Political parties in New Zealand
• New Zealand House of Representatives
• Politics of New Zealand
• Mixed Member Proportional voting system
• Previous New Zealand General … Read More

Bush backtracks over legal status of alleged “Dirty Bomber” Jose Padilla

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President George W. Bush ordered Jose Padilla, detained by the US Military as an alleged terrorist, to be transferred out of military custody in order to face trial in a federal criminal court. He is charged with conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, aiding terrorist groups and other acts against US nationals outside the United States. These actions come six days ahead of a decision by the US Supreme Court on whether it should review the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling that the president is authorised to hold Padilla as an “Enemy Combatant” without charge.

Jose Padilla, a US citizen born in Brooklyn, has been held without charge in a military brig at a US Navy detention facility in South Carolina for the three-and-a-half years since his arrest in 2002. The administration had at the time alleged that Padilla was plotting to detonate a Radioactive “dirty” bomb in the US and later, Deputy Attorney General James Comey alleged that he was involved in plots to blow up Hotels and high-rise buildings[1]. The present indictment does not include any charges over these allegations. Instead, Padilla is charged with travelling abroad to train in “violent Jihad”, providing material support to terrorists by sending money, physical assets, and new recruits to Jihadi groups, and conspiring to murder individuals overseas[2].

The change in custody restores to Padilla a number of rights he had been denied when the administration designated him as an “Enemy Combatant”, including the right to access federal courts and be defended by an attorney. That constitutionality of detaining suspects without charge under this designation has been challenged in court, on behalf of Padilla and in September, a 3-judge panel of the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the government’s powers to detain Padilla. The Supreme Court was set to decide on whether it will review that decision next week. Padilla’s status, for the purpose of this trial, is that of an ordinary criminal indictee, possessing the legal rights conferred on him by the US Bill … Read More

Pope speaks with astronauts in orbit for first time

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Pope Benedict XVI spoke with astronauts aboard the International Space Station yesterday, marking the first time a pope has conversed with astronauts in orbit.

Organized by the European Space Agency (ESA), the call originated from the Vatican Library at 7:11 am Eastern time. German ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, president of the Italian Space Agency Enrico Saggese, and General Giuseppe Bernardis of the Italian Air Force were also in the room at the Vatican. Aboard the spacecraft were Italian, U.S., and Russian crew members of the Endeavour STS-134 mission and Expedition 27.

Endeavour commander and U.S. astronaut Mark Kelly greeted His Holiness aboard the spacecraft. The Pope wished Kelly’s wife, Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, well as she recovers from an assassination attempt that took place in January. Doctors inserted a hard plastic implant, or a bone flap, into Giffords’s skull last Wednesday. The Pope also asked of the astronauts’ impressions of the planet from space.

“We fly over most of the world and we don’t see borders, but at the same time we realize that people fight with each other and there is a lot of violence in this world,” Kelly said. The Pope sent his condolences to Italian astronaut Pao … Read More, whose mother died earlier this month while he was in space.

NSW school maintenance a “disgrace”: Opposition

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New South Wales opposition leader, Peter Debnam has called the maintenance backlog in NSW schools a disgrace following an announcement by the Iemma government to spend AUD$120 million over four-years.

Mr Debnam challenged the government to fix the problem before the election in March next year and said that the plan was a “fraud”.

In 2005, the NSW Auditor-General released a report disclosing a $116 million maintenance backlog in schools across the state. The report stated that there were 1,000 outstanding maintenance jobs, ranging from leaking roofs and fraying carpets to classrooms in need of paint across the states’ 2,224 government-owned schools.

On Sunday, NSW Premier, Morris Iemma announced that his government would be spending $120 million over a four-year period to clear the backlog. During the announcement, he admitted that the government needed to do more to clear the backlog. “It is part of our plan to ensure our children have the best possible education and the best possible learning environment,” he said.

Teachers have said that the level of funding and time frame were not enough to clear a backlog spanning 10 years. President of the NSW Teachers Federation, Maree O’Halloran said, “Why should children have to wait four years for overdue maintenance work which forms the maintenance backlog?”

“In 2005, the Auditor-General identified a $115 million maintenance backlog and Professor Tony Vinson called for an additional $90 million dollars for maintenance per year, over two years.” said Ms O’Halloran.

Opposition education spokesperson, Brad Hazzard said that the government’s plan is a fraud and that the reason students are leaving school is because of the out-dated infrastructure.

“The announcement of extra money is a fraud because it is over four years,” said Mr Hazzard.

“The State Government has shown no foresight about the major problem that causes … students to walk away from the public school system annually – 1960 infrastructure in the 21st century.” said M … Read More

Hualien warm-up of 2007 ING Taipei Marathon kicked off

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This is the fourth year as ING Antai titled for sponsoring Taipei International Marathon, as “ING Running Club” in some area still continued, the first warming up competition kicked off on September 1 at Meilun Stadium in Hualien County. More than 3,000 people participated in this event including 400 professional runners.

ING Antai not only sponsored winning prize for winners of Blind Group, but also donated charity running shoes for disadvantaged minorities and poverty kids. And the event supervisor – Chinese Taipei Road Running Association invited runners become charity ambassadors of marathon by participating this event. For welcoming Armed Forces Day, main organizer Hualien County Government invited 41 soldiers from Air Foces in Taiwan participated this event.

Due to the absence of some professional runners, it has another brand new line-up as Men’s and Women’s groups has new champions. Wen-chien Wu broke the game record with 31 minutes and 7 seconds at Men’s Group; Nien-tsu Lin from National College of Physical Education and Sports won Women’s Group Champion with 37 minutes and 30 seconds; and Kun-ming Li won Blind Group with 50 minutes and 5 … Read More

Minnesota 2% biodiesel mandate becomes effective September 29

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On September 29, Minnesota will become the first U.S. state to require diesel fuel sold at filling stations in the state to be blended with 2% biodiesel. This follows the statewide mandate requiring ethanol to be mixed into gasoline—also a first by Minnesota—which took effect in 1997. The biodiesel mandate was approved by the 2002 state legislature, and was sent to then-Governor Jesse Ventura. Ventura allowed the bill to become law without his signature, stating his concern that the increased cost of fuel would affect the trucking industry—potentially spurring inflation—though he felt that this was nearly balanced by the positive impact the mandate would have on agriculture in the state.

The law had an initial target date of July 1, 2005, but would only go into effect once production capacity exceeded 8 million gallons (30 millon liters) per year. At the beginning of 2005, the state was only capable of producing three million gallons each year, but two new facilities in Albert Lea and Brewster increased state capacity twentyfold when they opened this summer. Each of the two new plants can produce 30 million gallons (113 ML) annually. Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson verified production levels in the August 29 edition of the Minnesota State Register, meaning that the law will become effective following a month-long notification period.

The prices of diesel and biodiesel have equalized, so the negative economic impact initially feared by Ventura are not expected to come to pass and the effect should be pennies more or less per gallon. Despite the dramatic increase in capacity, biodiesel production is not yet a broad solution to shortages or high prices—in 2001, the state used 14.3 million gallons of petroleum … Read More