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Rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel, no casualties: army
Fearing unrest, Israel delays work at holy site
LA protesters defy eviction deadline
Doctor says gangrene threat to Seif al-Islam wound
Boxing: Confident Khan ready for all comers
Nadal tired but ready for Davis Cup final
Boxing: Haye in Klitschko talks
New sports minister pledges 'great' World Cup
Green Australia attack to face New Zealand
US general to lead probe into Pakistan border attack
Oil prices rise on holiday sales, Europe hopes
Euro rises against dollar on European debt hopes
Stocks soar after big holiday shopping weekend
Eurozone rescue fund to insure bonds
Some boys with autism have larger brains: study

Rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel, no casualties: army

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Several rockets fired from southern Lebanon landed in Israel overnight, but there were no casualties, Israel s army announced in a statement early Tuesday. After the rockets landed in the western Galilee region, the Israeli army retaliated, striking the area from where they had been launched, the army said, without offering further specifics. "The Israeli army considers that it is a serious incident and believes that it is the responsibility of the Lebanese government and the Lebanese army to avoid this kind of attacks," the statement added. Four rockets landed in Israel, according to a report on Israeli public radio. One caused minor damage, while another landed in a populated area but failed to explode. Local military commanders were assessing the situation but people in northern Israel, where the rockets landed, had not been told to go to air raid shelters, said an army spokesman.

Fearing unrest, Israel delays work at holy site

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Israel s prime minister intervened to halt renovation work on a pedestrian walkway adjacent to the most sensitive holy site in Jerusalem to avoid inflaming public opinion in the Arab world, an Israeli official said Monday. The renovation is meant to replace a rickety wooden ramp leading up to the enclosure known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as al-Aqsa. The ramp was meant to be temporary when it was constructed in 2004 to replace an earlier one that collapsed in a snowstorm, but fears of sparking Muslim anger have prevented any further work since then. The dismantling of the temporary walkway, which Jerusalem city officials have deemed potentially unsafe, was supposed to have begun in recent days, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the work postponed, Netanyahu told a security and foreign policy committee in Israel s parliament. He cited the recent anti-government unrest in neighboring Egypt, implying that anger there could be turned against Israel if his government were seen to be endangering a holy site that has repeatedly served as a flashpoint for violence. "It was my assessment that given the demonstrations in Cairo, on that specific day, that specific week it was not the time," Netanyahu told the committee, according to an official who participated in the closed session. He spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the subject. The official gave no date for the resumption of work. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, the Israeli body directly responsible for the ramp, would not provide details on the project, and spokesmen for Netanyahu and Jerusalem City Hall declined to comment.

LA protesters defy eviction deadline

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Hundreds of anti-Wall Street protesters defied a deadline to leave a park near Los Angeles city hall Monday, remaining in place after a night of stalemate with only a few people arrested. Five people were detained as officers cleared the streets around the park to allow morning rush-hour traffic to flow freely, a spokesman said, but the two-month old encampment stayed. "It is not our intent to clear the park at this time," an officer told protesters over a loudspeaker. "It is only our intent to clear the street. Thank you in advance for your cooperation." "Right now we have no plans to go into the encampment," said Los Angeles Police Department commander Andy Smith. Hours before the midnight deadline, LA s mayor had said campers would be given enough time to leave and appealed to them to go peacefully, as the city seeks to avoid clashes with riot police seen elsewhere in recent weeks. While the park was ordered closed from midnight (0800 GMT), police were to "allow campers ample time to remove their belongings peacefully and without disruption," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in a statement Sunday evening. "I am proud of the fact that this has been a peaceful, non-violent protest... because we have done things differently in Los Angeles. I trust that we can manage the closure of City Hall Park in the same spirit of cooperation." The Occupy Los Angeles movement was nearing a critical point in time after Villaraigosa on Friday ordered the protesters to leave the spot where they have been rallying since the start of October, citing public safety concerns. The group called a rally in front of city hall late Sunday -- and by early Monday there were more than 1,000 protesters -- organizers said 3,000 -- and some 500 tents. A group of 25 protesters from the Occupy San Diego camp came up to support the LA movement. "We stand in solidarity with OLA. We came to make a statement because we need change," Claudia Acevedo, 44, said. The mayor announced a series of measures to help the protesters close up their camp, including an extra 50 beds for homeless demonstrators at local shelters, and parking spaces nearby for them to load up their belongings.

Doctor says gangrene threat to Seif al-Islam wound

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Seif al-Islam, the son of slain Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, could develop gangrene if his wound is not treated, the Ukrainian doctor who examined the high-profile captive said. "His injury is serious but when I saw him it was not gangrenous. If not treated it can become" so, said Andrei Murakhovsky, who dressed Seif s wounded right hand the day after his capture in southern Libya on November 19. Murakhovsky expressed concern over Seif s health after noting that he has not seen him since the initial medical visit on November 20. "I was called by the military council. I cleaned the wound and dressed it. But it needs to be dressed again. The military council chief said they will call me again... But they still have not (called)," Murakhovsky said. Seif sustained the injury to his right hand in an explosion a month before his capture, causing damage to his index finger and thumb, he added. A National Transitional Council (NTC) official, meanwhile, said Murakhovsky was the only doctor to have treated Seif since his capture. "It was the only time that a doctor visited him. It was Andrei (Murakhovsky). No doctor has visited him after that," said Ibrahim Turki, the NTC s health coordinator in the southern Libyan town of Zintan where Seif is being held. Gaddafi s son was seen by a team of representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross on November 22, a day after Murakhovsky, and a spokesman at the time said he "appeared to be in good health." The Red Cross officials met Seif for several hours in Zintan but refused to give details of the visit, saying only that the "organisation s findings" would be "shared with the detaining authorities only."

Boxing: Confident Khan ready for all comers

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Britain s Amir Khan is confident of victory next week against Lamont Peterson and ready if unbeaten rivals Floyd Mayweather or Tim Bradley come calling, but has no plans to fight friend Manny Pacquiao. "If I train hard and keep training the way I do, I don t think there s anybody out there who can beat me," Khan said on Monday. Khan, 26-1 with 18 knockouts, will defend his World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation light-welterweight titles on December 10 at Washington against hometown hero Lamont Peterson, 29-1-1 with 15 knockouts. "Our job is to beat him and move on to bigger and better things," Khan said. "This is going to take me from being a good fighter to a superstar. Beating Lamont Peterson will hopefully make me one of the best fighters in the world." A victory by Khan, who has won his past eight fights, likely would launch the 24-year-old Englishman into the welterweight division against such foes as Mayweather, who has yet to name an opponent for his planned fight on May 5. "We need a little more time to think about it, to look into it," Khan said. "I never shy away from any fight. If they put Floyd Mayweather in front of me, I ll be more than ready, but first I ve got Lamont Peterson to take care of." Mayweather s insistence upon tougher blood anti-doping tests, which helped scuttle a showdown with Pacquiao, is no worry for Khan, who faces random tests in Britain and knows them from his 2004 Olympic lightweight silver medal days. "If that fight did come off, I m happy to give them a test," Khan said. "I m a clean fighter. I m used to it." One fight Khan has no plans on making is against Filipino icon Pacquiao, who like Khan trains with Freddie Roach in Los Angeles, where the English pugilist has worked for almost two months and "Pac-Man" trained for his victory earlier this month over Mexico s Juan Manuel Marquez. "We won t fight each other. We have too much respect for each other," Khan said. "Me and Manny, we re cool. I was in his room the day before he fought Marquez." As for talk they might one day meet in the ring, Khan says: "We just laugh about it mainly." Roach sees many similarities in working with Pacquiao and Khan and sees little chance they would fight each other. "They have speed and power. They have good work ethic," Roach said. "They are great role models for everybody in the world. They are great at what they do because they work at it. "They are friends and they respect each other. I don t see it happening. There are a lot of other fights out there and we will look forward to them." The fight that might motivate Khan to stay in the 140-pound division would be rival champion Bradley in what would be a unification showdown. Khan taunted Bradley after his weigh-in for a Pacquiao undercard fight earlier this month, a fight Bradley took after saying no to facing Khan. "I just wanted to make him realize I m not scared. I want to make the fight," Khan said. "If that fight is there it s worth me staying in this division. If he will man up and fight me, I ll fight him anywhere. If not I ll go up. I just need new motivation. I want to face new fighters and have new motivation."

Nadal tired but ready for Davis Cup final

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Spain s top-ranked player had provoked alarm in his home country last week when he said he felt "less passionate for the game" after being eliminated from the ATP World Tour Finals. Following a practice session for the Davis Cup final which begins Friday, Nadal said Monday that his words had been exaggerated. "Things get blown out of proportion very often because conclusions are drawn far beyond the meaning of what s said," Nadal said. "It s true that this season has been tough. More than a lack of passion, it is a weariness from many years of playing at this level, week after week. "The important thing now is to work each day at 100 percent with the excitement needed to win the Davis Cup." The contest is a repeat of the 2008 final, when Spain won 3-2 on a hard indoor surface in Argentina despite missing Nadal because of injury. This time Nadal will lead a Spain team on the clay surface at Olympic Stadium which includes the fifth-ranked David Ferrer and probable doubles partners Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco. Argentina is seeking its first title in four attempts. Juan Martin del Potro and David Nalbandian could face Nadal and Ferrer in the singles rubbers. Juan Monaco, Juan Ignacio Chela and Eduardo Schwank fill out Argentina s provisional squad with captain Tito Vazquez needing to trim his team to four players before the Dec. 1 draw. "They have great players, all of which stand out on the circuit, so the only thing we can do is concentrate on reaching the final as prepared as possible and then hope our rivals don t have an inspired weekend," Nadal said.

Boxing: Haye in Klitschko talks

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Former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye confirmed Monday he is in talks about organising a fight with Vitali Klitschko in March. The British boxer officially retired in October but was known to be ready to fight again if the opportunity arose for him to avenge his July defeat by Wladimir Klitschko or take on his elder brother. "I haven t seen a contract but there s definitely talks going on," Haye told the BBC s Hardtalk programme. "I said before I retired I would love that fight and there s a date in March that s already been talked about." The Ukrainian brothers had claimed talks had been ongoing over a meeting with Vitali, the WBC champion, following Haye s unification loss to IBF/WBO champion Wladimir in Hamburg earlier this year. Haye himself had already stated he had merely "retired from fighting anyone without the Klitschko surname". A date in early March in Dusseldorf, Germany has long been talked about.

New sports minister pledges 'great' World Cup

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Brazil s new sports minister Aldo Rebelo pledged Monday that the South American country will put on a "great World Cup." Addressing corruption scandals and delays surrounding the 2014 World Cup, Rebelo spoke just days after Brazilian media reported that Ricardo Teixeira, the president of the 2014 World Cup organizing committee, is preparing to resign. Teixeira, a member of FIFA s executive committee, is being linked to an investigation of kickbacks at ISL, the marketing agency that owned World Cup television rights until its 2001 bankruptcy with debts of around $300 million. Rebelo was named in October to replace Orlando Silva, who resigned after being embroiled in his own corruption scandal. Rebelo spoke at the opening ceremony of Soccerex in Rio de Janeiro, a global trade show for the football industry. "It is not only the world of football that is going through tough times because of claims of corruption, problems with racism, intolerance," Rebelo told hundreds of delegates at the convention. "These facts are undesirable. These are things that are happening in the whole world." The minister s comments touched on problems surrounding Sepp Blatter, the embattled president of FIFA, who has been under growing pressure to reform football s world governing body following a series of scandals. FIFA has promised to publish Swiss court papers in December identifying senior officials who took payment from ISL. British broadcaster BBC has named the officials as Teixeira and his former father-in-law Joao Havelange, the longtime FIFA president who Blatter succeeded in 1998. Speaking on the sidelines after his address, Rebelo was asked about the tension between FIFA and Teixeira. He hinted new blood might be needed. "This is nothing new, this has always been my opinion," he said. "The renewal and rotating system in any institution is always a good thing for sport and democracy." Rebelo also addressed organizational problems in building infrastructure such as airports and stadiums and getting World Cup venues ready on time.

Green Australia attack to face New Zealand

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Australia will field their most inexperienced bowling attack in decades against a New Zealand team chasing their first Test victory in Australia for 26 years at the Gabba on Thursday. An injury crisis has decimated Australia s pace attack, with skipper Michael Clarke likely to rely on at least two Test newcomers to get the wickets against the Black Caps, who sit a lowly eighth in the world rankings. The sidelining of Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnston, allrounder Shane Watson and exciting youngster Pat Cummins forced selectors to choose Test debutants James Pattinson, Ben Cutting and Mitchell Starc along with new opening batsman David Warner. While one of the tyro pacemen is expected to be named 12th man, Peter Siddle will still lead the most inexperienced Australian Test attack since Merv Hughes and Bruce Reid made their debuts against India in 1985. Suddenly New Zealand, who have won on only three of their last 22 Tests and had been considered an entree to fourth-ranked Australia s four-Test home series against India next month, are injury-free and in scoring form. The Black Caps plastered an Australia A attack featuring Pattinson, Cutting and Starc for 890 runs in a high-scoring four-day draw last weekend, with three Kiwi batsmen, Jesse Ryder (175), Brendon McCullum (146) and captain Ross Taylor (138) hitting centuries. New Zealand s chances have improved of a first Test victory in Australia since the days of pace great Richard Hadlee, who spearheaded their last win, in Perth in 1985. The Australians, coming off a thrilling two-wicket win over South Africa in Johannesburg earlier this month to draw a two-Test series with the Proteas, will still start favourites to beat New Zealand at their Gabba fortress. Australia have not lost a Test at the Gabba ground since defeat to the formidable West Indies in 1988 and still boast an experienced batting lineup featuring Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey, Brad Haddin and Clarke. There will be interest in how Twenty20 specialist Warner handles his first Test opportunity, opening the Australian innings with Phil Hughes, who is still fighting to secure his place in the side after 15 Tests, following the controversial discarding of Simon Katich. Former selector and Test fast bowler Merv Hughes is looking forward to Warner, 25, employing his natural big-hitting game against the Kiwis.

US general to lead probe into Pakistan border attack

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The US military on Monday named an Air Force general to lead an investigation into allied air strikes that left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead and provoked outrage in Islamabad. Pakistan has reacted with fury and cut off crucial supply routes to NATO-led forces in Afghanistan after Saturday s incident near a checkpoint in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar. The chief of US Central Command appointed Brigadier General Stephen Clark, from Air Force Special Operations Command in Florida, as the investigating officer for the probe that will also include a NATO representative, officials said. The governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan "will be invited to participate," Central Command said in a statement. Central Command, which oversees US forces in the Middle East and Afghanistan, wanted to "include these government representatives to the maximum extent possible to determine what happened and preclude it from happening again." The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) sent an initial assessment team over the weekend to the border to look into the incident. Pakistan has charged the air strikes were unprovoked, while Afghan and Western officials reportedly say Pakistani forces opened fire first. Before Saturday s attack, US military officers had been working to shore up cooperation with Pakistani forces along the Afghan border. Communication between units on the border virtually broke down in the aftermath of a US raid in May that killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden at his Pakistani compound.

Oil prices rise on holiday sales, Europe hopes

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Oil prices climbed above $98 per barrel Monday after shoppers pumped up holiday retail sales in the US, and investors bet that Europe would find a last-minute solution to its financial crisis. Benchmark crude rose $1.44 to end the day at $98.21 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price foreign oil including much imported by US refineries to make gasoline rose $2.26 to finish at $108.02 a barrel in London. Benchmark oil has recovered much of the ground it lost since Nov. 16, when it hit $102.59 a barrel. Prices rebounded Monday following strong holiday sales in the U.S, where shoppers spent nearly $1 billion more on Black Friday than they did a year ago. The robust weekend sales are a promising sign that consumers are opening their wallets a little wider. "The US is probably doing better than we gave it credit for," PFGBest analyst Phil Flynn said. "Consumers are buying more, and that s going to get manufacturers to produce more products, and it ll take more energy to make and distribute those goods." Meanwhile European leaders are considering new solutions to their credit problems, with little time to left to preserve the euro currency and perhaps head off a recession in the region. Among the ideas is a plan for eurozone countries with the best credit to pool their resources to assist the most indebted members of the 17-nation currency block. Some analysts say the euro could collapse in days, unless action is taken. Oil prices climbed along with a surge in world stock markets. Stock indexes in Italy, Germany and France rose more than 4 percent on Monday. In the US the Dow Jones industrial average, the Standard & Poor s 500 and the Nasdaq all rose more than 2 percent. In other energy trading, heating oil rose 4.26 cents to finish at $2.9699 per gallon, and gasoline futures rose 6.92 cents to finish at $2.5181 per gallon. Natural gas fell 17.8 cents, or 5 percent, to end the day at $3.3640 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Euro rises against dollar on European debt hopes

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Hopes rose Monday that the International Money Fund is putting together a $794 billion rescue package for Italy. Investors are hoping that European leaders will finally agree on a solution to the region s debt crisis. The euro rose to $1.3315 in afternoon trading Monday from $1.3230 late Friday. The euro fell to a 7 1/2-week low against the dollar Friday after Italian borrowing rates soared, a sign that investors were worried the country may not be able to pay its debts. In the US, the National Retail Federation said Sunday that 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, up from 212 million last year. They also spent more. The average shopper spent $398.62, up from $365.34 a year ago. Traders felt more comfortable buying the euro and other high-yielding risky currencies since they view the increase in spending as a sign that the US might avoid another recession. In other trading, the British pound rose to $1.5513 from $1.5433. The dollar fell to 0.9228 Swiss franc from 0.9318 and to 1.0344 Canadian dollar from 1.0503 Canadian dollar. The dollar rose to 77.94 Japanese yen from 77.76 Japanese yen.

Stocks soar after big holiday shopping weekend

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A strong start to the US shopping season and fresh proposals for a far-reaching solution to Europe s debt crisis sent stocks sharply higher Monday. The Dow Jones industrial average soared 300 points at midday, making up more than half of the ground it lost last week. Initial reports show a record number of shoppers hit the mall or bought gifts online during the holiday weekend. Thanksgiving weekend is a make-or-break time for many retailers. For the past six years, Black Friday has been the biggest sales day of the year. The retail numbers add to a growing set of indicators, including steady drops in the number of applications for unemployment, that suggest the US is far from the second recession economists had begun to fear in August. "This goes in stark contrast to the gloom and doom that had been over markets," said Rob Lutts, president of Salem, Massachusetts-based investment firm Cabot Money Management. "A lot of the stocks I follow have been more oversold than any time I can remember in the last few years." Markets in Europe also rose sharply as leaders there discuss new approaches for containing the region s debt troubles. One plan calls for Europe s most stable economies jointly sell bonds to provide assistance to the region s most indebted members, like Greece and Portugal. Investors are hoping that the recent signs of deterioration in the debt crisis will finally get Europe s leaders to agree on a package of measures that can ease market concerns over whether the euro currency itself can survive. The Dow jumped 310 points, or 2.8 percent, to 11,541 at midday. The index plunged 564 points last week on fear that Europe s debt crisis was spreading to large countries like Spain and even Germany. Alcoa Inc. jumped 5.7 percent, the most of the 30 stocks in the Dow. The Standard & Poor s 500 rose 36, or 3.1 percent, to 1,194. The Nasdaq composite rose 87, or 3.6 percent, to 2,528. Banks had some of the biggest gains as investors became less fearful of an imminent freeze-up in Europe s financial system. Morgan Stanley jumped 5.4 percent and JPMorgan Chase & Co. rose 4 percent. Retailers also rose sharply. Macy s Inc. rose 6 percent and Best Buy Co. rose 4.2 percent. A record 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites during the four-day holiday weekend starting on Thanksgiving Day, up from 212 million last year, according to early estimates by The National Retail Federation released on Sunday. They spent more, too: The average holiday shopper spent $398.62 over the weekend, up from $365.34 a year ago. It s still unclear whether retailers  will be able to hold shoppers  attention throughout the remainder of the season, which can account for 25 to 40 percent of a merchant s annual revenue.

Eurozone rescue fund to insure bonds

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The 17-nation eurozone plans to use its bailout fund to insure bonds from financially troubled countries within the bloc by up to 30 percent, according to a new proposal. According to draft guidelines, bonds being issued in the future would receive fixed credit protection equal to 20 to 30 percent through the European Financial Stability Facility. The actual rate will be determined "in light of market circumstances." The guidelines said the the main objective is to allow member states to issue bonds "at sustainable rates maximizing EFSF capacity while providing a predefined degree of protection to investors." They were approved by the German Parliament s budget committee on Monday. The guidelines have been drawn up to increase the firepower of the bloc s €440 billion ($588 billion) rescue fund and prevent crisis situations in the future. "It is important that the resources available are sizable enough to counter doubts that the country has sufficient funds to meet its financing needs and to give market confidence," the guidelines state. "However, the tool should not merely be seen as a liquidity facility but as an effective and comprehensive crisis prevention tool." Despite market rumors that the bailout fund might fall short of the €1 trillion ($1.3 trillion) goal it hoped to reach through leveraging, the German government still believes it to be a reachable target, according to a German lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Some boys with autism have larger brains: study

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Abnormal brain growth starting at four months of age occurs in a type of autism in which toddlers lose language and social skills they once had, according to a US study published Monday. The brains of boys with regressive autism grew six percent larger than typically developing counterparts and toddlers who showed signs of autism early in life, a form called early onset autism. The research, involving 180 subjects and described as the "largest study of brain development in preschoolers with autism to date," also found no evidence of a brain growth spurt in girls with autism. "This adds to the growing evidence that there are multiple biological subtypes of autism, with different neurobiological underpinnings," said co-author David Amaral, research director of the MIND Institute at University of California, Davis. Autism includes a wide spectrum of developmental differences and may range from mild social awkwardness to complete inability to communicate, repetitive movements, sensitivity to certain lights and sounds, and behavioral problems. As many as one in 110 children is diagnosed with autism, though its cause remains a mystery. The disorder is more common in boys than girls by a factor of four to one. Previous studies have suggested that clinical signs of autism tend to coincide with a period of abnormal brain and head growth that becomes apparent between the ninth and 18th month of life. However this study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences issue of November 29, is the first to show a difference in brain size between toddler boys with regressive versus early onset autism. "The finding that boys with regressive autism show a different form of neuropathology than boys with early onset autism is novel," said lead author Christine Wu Nordahl, a researcher at the MIND Institute. "Moreover, when we evaluated girls with autism separately from boys, we found that no girls -- regardless of whether they had early onset or regressive autism -- had abnormal brain growth." The findings showed that boys with regressive autism had a "pronounced increase" in head circumference beginning as early as four months of age and lasting through 19 months. The data was based on head circumference measurements taken from pediatric well-baby visits from birth through 18 months, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans done on all 180 participants at age three. The authors noted that the study was limited because it relied upon parental reports of when the children s autism began to appear. Previous research has "pointed out significant complexities in defining and measuring the onset of autism symptoms," with as many as 45 percent of kids in one study showing signs of autism on video that were not reported by parents. "The major finding of this study is that a subset of boys with regressive autism have normal head circumference at birth, which diverges from normality around four to six months of age, well before any loss of skills were documented," said the study, calling for more research. "Thus, rapid head growth beginning around four-six months of age may be a risk factor for future loss of skills."

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Cricket - Sports

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

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