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- 47 killed in wave of bomb attacks in Iraq
- Turkey premier to meet with Istanbul protesters
- Merkel, Obama to discuss NSA surveillance programme
- 2 Yemeni soldiers killed during raid on Al Qaeda
- Mandela remains in serious but stable condition
- Hewitt rallies past Russell in Queen's 1st round
- Ronaldo gives Portugal 1-0 win over Croatia
- Garcia, Woods shown shaking hands on green
- Boston chosen as site for 2016 skating worlds
- Oil prices retreat on China data
- South Africa beats Pakistan by 67 runs
- Teacher jailed 11 years for insulting Kuwait's emir on Twitter
- Iraq: Baghdad market bomb kills 13
- China to send 2nd woman into orbit
- Olympic Park to host professional boxing
| 47 killed in wave of bomb attacks in Iraq Posted: BAGHDAD (AP) - A wave of car bombings rocked central and northern Iraq on Monday, killing at least 47 people and extending the deadliest eruption of violence to hit the country in years.Attackers initially targeted market-goers early in the morning, then turned their sights on police and army posts after sunset. Security forces scrambled to contain the violence, blocking a key road in central Iraq and imposing a curfew in the former Sunni insurgent stronghold of Mosul after the blasts went off.Killing in Iraq has spiked to levels not seen since 2008. The surge in bloodshed, which follows months of protests by the countrys Sunni Arab minority against the Shiite-led government, is raising fears that Iraq is heading for another bout of uncontrollable sectarian violence.The upsurge comes as foreign fighters are increasingly pouring into neighboring Syria, where a grueling civil war has taken on sectarian overtones similar to those that pushed Iraq to the brink of its own civil war in 2006 and 2007.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Mondays attacks as has been the case for much of the violence in recent weeks but coordinated car bombings in civilian areas and against security forces are frequently the work of Al Qaedas front group in Iraq, known as the Islamic State of Iraq.Mondays deadliest single attack hit Diyala province when three parked car bombs exploded virtually simultaneously around a wholesale fruit and vegetable market at the height of business in the town of Jidaidat al-Shatt. The town is just outside the provincial capital of Baqouba, about 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad.The blasts killed 15 people and wounded 46. Soon after the explosions, security forces sealed the roads linking Baqouba to Baghdad in an apparent effort to prevent further attacks.Shortly after midday, another car bomb went off near a fish market in the northern Baghdad suburb of Taji, killing seven shoppers and wounding 25, police said.In the northern city of Tuz Khormato, police said a parked car bomb exploded near a small outdoor market just before the sunset, killing three people and wounding 22. The town is about 200 kilometers (130 miles) north of Baghdad.Baqouba and the surrounding Diyala province were once the site of some of the fiercest fighting between U.S. forces and insurgents in Iraq, and it remains a hotbed for terrorist attacks. The area is religiously mixed and witnessed some of the worst atrocities as Shiite militias battled Sunni insurgents for control in the years after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.The three car bombs used in the attack near Baqouba were deployed in different locations in and around the market in order to inflict the most damage and casualties, police said. One of the vehicles was a pickup truck loaded with produce that was parked inside the market.Provincial councilman Sadiq al-Husseini blamed that attack and Mondays bombing in the produce market on Al Qaeda-linked groups.In the evening, a rapid-fire wave of car bombings erupted in the volatile northern city of Mosul, killing at least 14 and wounding dozens.Police in Mosul said one suicide bomber rammed his car into a police post, killing seven police and one civilian.In another attack, a bomber detonated his vehicle at a security checkpoint, killing three. A similar attack on another checkpoint killed three police.Mosul authorities imposed a curfew on the city. Mosul, the capital of Ninevah province, which borders Syria, has been one of the hardest areas to tame since bloodshed erupted after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.A suicide car bomber also struck a security checkpoint near Madain, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Baghdad, killing four soldiers and wounding 10 others, according to police.Four others were killed when a bomb exploded near a cafe in the Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City in Baghdad late Monday. Police said the blast injured 12. Another explosion in the al-Ameen neighborhood in southeastern Baghdad wounded six.Hospital officials confirmed the death tolls. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to release the details to reporters.According to the United Nations, at least 1,045 Iraqi civilians and security personnel were killed in May. The tally surpassed Aprils 712 killed at the time, Iraqs deadliest month since 2008. According to an Associated Press count, more than 100 people have been killed so far in June.  |
| Turkey premier to meet with Istanbul protesters Posted: ANKARA (AP) - Turkeys prime minister will meet with a group of protesters occupying Istanbuls central Taksim Square this week, the deputy prime minister said Monday, as the government sought a way out of the impasse that has led to hundreds of protests in dozens of cities.Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said, however, the government would no longer tolerate illegal acts, and implied that the occupation of Taksim and its accompanying Gezi Park would be over by the weekend.Illegal acts in Turkey from now wont be allowed and whatever needs to be done according to the law will be done, he said after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. All necessary actions against illegal acts will have been completed, and we will see this all together, by the weekend.The protests appeared on the wane, with the smallest number of demonstrators in the past 11 days gathering in Taksim on Monday night. The protesters occupying Gezi Park remain, however.Smaller protests occurred in Ankara too, with about 5,000 people demonstrating. Police there have used water cannon and tear gas to break up demonstrations almost every night.Three people have died and more than 5,000 have been treated for injuries or the effects of gas during the protests. The government says 600 police officers have also been injured.Erdogan will meet Gezi Park protesters Wednesday, following a request by some of the protesters, Arinc said, but not at the square. With no clear leadership organizing the Gezi occupation, it was unclear who the prime minister would be meeting.The unrest was sparked by a violent police crackdown on a peaceful sit-in by protesters objecting to a project replacing the park with a replica Ottoman-era barracks.The crackdown, in which protesters were confronted with tear gas and water cannon as they slept, galvanized tens of thousands of Turks. The demonstrations quickly turned into a denunciation of what many see as Erdogans increasingly autocratic ways and attempts to impose Muslim values on a country with secular laws charges the prime minister vehemently rejects.A law restricting the sale of alcohol and banning its advertising one of the things protesters had pointed to as evidence of decreasing social tolerance was signed into law by President Abdullah Gul on Monday.  |
| Merkel, Obama to discuss NSA surveillance programme Posted: BERLIN (AP) - Germanys chancellor will raise the issue of the U.S. National Security Agencys eavesdropping on European communications when she meets President Barack Obama here next week the latest sign of the international backlash over Americas sweeping electronic surveillance programmes.Obama has defended the once-secret programmes that sweep up to an estimated 3 billion phone calls a day and amass Internet data from U.S. providers, saying they are a necessary defense against terrorism. He assured Americans on Friday that nobody is listening to your telephone calls.That has given little assurance to Germans and other foreigners, who routinely use U.S.-based Internet sites for voice and data communications. European nations often have much stricter privacy laws than those in the U.S., and their citizens defend those privacy rights with more vigor.In Brussels, senior European Union officials said they would also question their American counterparts about the impact of such programmes on the privacy of EU citizens during a trans-Atlantic ministerial meeting in Dublin starting Thursday.German government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters on Monday that Chancellor Angela Merkel would question Obama about the National Security Agency programme when hes in Berlin on June 18 for his first visit to the German capital as U.S. president. The issue could tarnish a visit that both sides had hoped would reaffirm strong German-American ties.Germanys Interior Ministry said it had already been in contact with U.S. officials to determine whether there had been any infringement of German citizens privacy considered an almost-sacred right in a country with a history of deep privacy infringements under Nazi and East German governments.In London, British Foreign Secretary William Hague sought to assure Parliament that allegations that the British government had used information provided by the Americans to circumvent British laws were baseless.Our agencies practice and uphold U.K. law at all times, he said, even when dealing with information from outside the U.K.NSAs capability to monitor a vast array of international communications is a product of the Cold War, when the agency used monitoring sites in Germany, Britain and other countries to spy on communications within the Soviet Union and its East European allies.Ironically, one of the most important sites was located on German soil. The site, known as Teufelsberg or Devils Mountain, sat atop an artificial hill in West Berlin until the facility was closed after the reunification of Germany.Since the end of the Cold War, questions about U.S. surveillance have been raised before, most notably in the late 1990s, when the European Parliament expressed concern that the U.S.-run ECHELON surveillance programme could be used for industrial espionage directed against Europe or other countries.The German Commercial Internet Exchange, located in Frankfurt, is the worlds largest data exchange point, processing information from around the world.Even before the latest revelations, the European Commission said EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding had raised privacy issues with her U.S. counterparts in April.This case shows that a clear legal framework for the protection of personal data is not a luxury or constraint, but a fundamental right, Reding said Monday in a reaction to the revelations.On Tuesday, the European Parliament will discuss the revelations with the European Commission, the 27-nation blocs executive arm.We have always been firm on data protection within the EU and when negotiating with third countries, including the U.S., said caucus leader Guy Verhofstadt of the Alde group of liberal parties. It would be unacceptable and would need swift action from the EU, if indeed the U.S. National Security Agency were processing European data without permission.In Germany, privacy regulations are especially strict.  |
| 2 Yemeni soldiers killed during raid on Al Qaeda Posted: SANAA, Yemen (AP) - Security officials say two Yemeni soldiers were shot dead during a raid on an Al Qaeda hideout in the southeastern province of Hadramawt, where the army is carrying out an offensive.A military statement says security officials detained the owner of the farmland where Al Qaeda militants were operating.They say Abdullah Ashour allowed Al Qaeda to use his land.Also, the army says it has arrested four suspected militants in another area of Hadramawt. The security officials spoke anonymously Monday because they were not authorized to release the information to reporters.The government launched an offensive last week in Hadramawt to try to rout out Al Qaeda forces.President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi warned over the weekend Al Qaeda militants were seeking to control parts of the province.  |
| Mandela remains in serious but stable condition Posted: JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Nelson Mandela was in serious but stable condition in a Pretoria hospital for the third day Monday with a recurring lung infection, and a foundation led by retired archbishop Desmond Tutu described the 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero as an extraordinary gift to South Africa.As family members visited South Africas first black president in the hospital, the government announced in only the second communication on Mandela since he was hospitalized on Saturday that his condition was unchanged.A statement issued for the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation described Mandela as the beloved father of our nation and offered prayers for a man seen by many around the world as a symbol of reconciliation because of his peacemaking role when white racist rule ended in South Africa.Mandela once again endures the ravages of time in hospital, said the Cape Town-based foundation, which was founded by Tutu and his wife Leah to promote peace. We offer our thanks to God for the extraordinary gift of Mr. Mandela, and wish his family strength.Tutu, 81, was also vigorous campaigner against apartheid, which ended when all-race elections were held in 1994 and Mandela president. Like Mandela, Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts on behalf of his compatriots. Mandela shared his prize with F.W. de Klerk, the last president of the apartheid era.We send our blessings to the doctors and nurses responsible for his care, Tutus foundation said.Meanwhile, the African National Congress, South Africas ruling party, dismissed as false a report in Mondays edition of The Star newspaper that Mandelas family had barred senior party leaders and government officials from visiting the hospital.On April 29, state television broadcast footage of a visit to Mandelas home by President Jacob Zuma and other ANC leaders. Zuma said then that Mandela was in good shape, but the footage the first public images of Mandela in nearly a year showed him silent and unresponsive, even when Zuma tried to hold his hand.Some South Africans said that showing images of a clearly ill Mandela was inappropriate and appeared to reflect an attempt by the ruling party to benefit politically from its association with Mandela, a former ANC head, in the run-up to national elections next year. The party denied the accusation.In its brief statement on Mandelas health, the presidency said Zuma reiterates his call for South Africa to pray for Madiba and the family during this time, referring to Mandela by his clan name.Mandela has been hospitalized several times in recent months. During a hospital stay that ended April 6, doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia and drained fluid from his chest.Mandela has been particularly vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during 27 years as the prisoner of the white racist government. The bulk of that period was spent on Robben Island, off the coast of Cape Town where Mandela and other prisoners spent part of the time toiling in a stone quarry.He was freed in 1990, and then embarked on peacemaking efforts during the tense transition that saw the demise of the apartheid system and his own election as president in 1994.The former leader retired from public life years ago and had received medical care at his Johannesburg home until his latest transfer to a hospital.  |
| Hewitt rallies past Russell in Queen's 1st round Posted: LONDON (AP) - Former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt rallied past Michael Russell of the United States 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the first round at the Queens Club on Monday.The Australian has won this Wimbledon warm-up four times as well as the 2001 U.S. Open and 2002 Wimbledon. He has now won 111 matches on grass. Roger Federer leads among current players with 112.Hewitt sent a forehand into the net to drop the opening set. He ran away with the second set after saving six break points in the second game to lead 2-0. After an early exchange of breaks in the decider, Hewitt broke to lead 5-3.Its always tough, the first one obviously on grass, Hewitt said. Its a bit slippery under foot and (you) dont probably have quite 100 percent in your footing.Also, yeah, I just didnt feel like I was serving great. Nothing was sort of ... I didnt have too much rhythm at the start, and the ball was propping a little bit out there as well because it hasnt had a lot of play on it. In the end I found my rhythm a little bit better.Hewitt will play 10th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, who rallied to beat Dudi Sela 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4). The Israeli served for the match at 5-4.The only other seeded player in action was No. 9 Benoit Paire of France, who defeated British qualifier Jamie Baker 7-5, 6-2.The top eight seeded players receive a bye into the second round.Andy Murray, the 2009 and 2011 champion, is seeded No. 1. He is followed by Tomas Berdych, who returns to the Queens Club for the first time since his debut in 2005, and 2009 U.S. Open winner Juan Martin del Potro. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2011 runner-up, is seeded fourth. Defending champion Marin Cilic, who was awarded the title last year when David Nalbandian was defaulted for violent conduct, is No. 5.  |
| Ronaldo gives Portugal 1-0 win over Croatia Posted: GENEVA (AP) - Cristiano Ronaldo ended his season by scoring Monday in Portugals 1-0 win in an international friendly over a Croatia team featuring 16-year-old prospect Alen Halilovic making his debut.Ronaldo scored in the 36th minute with an angled left-foot shot into the bottom right hand corner of the goal. It was the 28-year-old Portugal wingers 39th international strike.Still, the match might be remembered as the night the highly touted Halilovic started his international career.The Dinamo Zagreb midfielder stepped on to the stage as a second-half substitute, and showed his potential by firing a left-foot shot just wide of the goal in the 87th minute.The match marked Portugals national holiday and was played in Geneva because the Swiss city has a large Portuguese population.  |
| Garcia, Woods shown shaking hands on green Posted: ARDMORE (AP) - It was the first time they have seen each other since Garcia jokingly said at an awards dinner in England that he would have Woods over for dinner during the U.S. Open and we will serve fried chicken. Garcia apologized for the racially insensitive remark the next day at a news conference.A fan at the U.S. Open took a picture of the handshake and posted it on Twitter.Woods and Garcia both have news conferences on Tuesday.The last time the two shook hands was May 12, early Sunday at The Players Championship after completing the third round when they were paired together. Woods went on to win the tournament.  |
| Boston chosen as site for 2016 skating worlds Posted: LAUSANNE (AP) - Boston has been chosen to host the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships, the first time in seven years the event will be in the United States.The worlds are tentatively scheduled for March 28 to April 3, according to the release Monday from the International Skating Union.This will be the 13th time the United States has hosted the world championships, but the first time in Boston. The city is hardly a stranger to big figure skating events, however. It will host the U.S. championships for the seventh time in January.The last time the world championships were in the U.S., Evan Lysacek won the mens title in his hometown of Los Angeles. He went on to win Olympic gold the next year at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.  |
| Oil prices retreat on China data Posted: LONDON (AFP) - Oil prices fell on Monday in the wake of poorly-received Chinese economic data which offset positive US jobs numbers, analysts said.The price of Brent North Sea crude for delivery in July dropped 46 cents to $104.10 a barrel in late London deals.New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for July, slipped 27 cents to $95.75 a barrel.We attribute the current price weakness to disappointing data from China which were published at the weekend, said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch.China has reported a sharp slowdown to its exports in May from April and said imports unexpectedly dropped owing to weakness in the domestic economy and sluggish demand overseas.Separate data showed industrial production, which measures output at the country's factories and mines, rose at a slower pace than during the previous month while fixed asset investment also came in below expectations.The figures from the world's biggest consumer of energy took the shine off US employment data published on Friday.US Labor Department figures showed 175,000 jobs were generated in May, despite worries that huge government spending cuts would lead to a slowdown in hiring.The numbers for May were a firm gain from April's 149,000 rise, though still below the 193,000-a-month January-April average.The jobs data, which came after several lacklustre US economic reports last week, also boosted hopes the Fed will hold off any moves to rein in its monetary easing programme any time soon.  |
| South Africa beats Pakistan by 67 runs Posted: BIRMINGHAM (AP) - South Africa made light of its weakened bowling attack by rolling over beleaguered Pakistan for 167 to clinch a 67-run win at Edgbaston on Monday, reviving its hopes in the Champions Trophy.The Pakistanis campaign lies in tatters with this second straight loss in Group B, their flimsy batting lineup collapsing as they chased a meager 234-9 on a good pitch despite South Africa being without injured strike bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.In front of raucous support from the large Pakistani community in Birmingham, Misbah ul-Haq (55) was the only batsman to provide any resistance as Ryan McLaren grabbed 4-19 and Chris Morris took 2-25 on his ODI debut.Not having Dale and Morne in the team, any bowling attack will miss them, said South Africa opener Hashim Amla, who anchored his teams innings with a measured 81 from 97 balls. And obviously Jacques (Kallis) and Graeme (Smith) are not here and their experience is missed.But its water under the bridge for us. We have new guys in the team, new energy, and fortunately a victory like this will boost the confidence of everybody.Morkel is out of the tournament with a left thigh injury, but with Steyn back in the nets and potentially returning from a side strain in time for Fridays make-or-break match against West Indies, the Proteas chances suddenly look much rosier.For Pakistan, though, the doom-mongers are out in force. Despite his half-century, captain Misbah was jeered by fans during his innings maybe for his failure to cut loose with the game slipping away and also his nonchalant running between the wicket and again in the post-match presentation ceremony.More worryingly, the batting department appears incapable of making a big total.As a batting unit, we can say we are totally lost, Misbah said.Of the jeers, Misbah added: One day its (praise), one day its boos. When you perform well, everybody appreciates us. When you play like this, you deserve them.Pakistan must now beat fierce rival India on Saturday to have any chance of making the semifinals.Amla made the most of being dropped by the recalled Umar Amin when on 7 to deliver a composed innings sprinkled with nine fours. He departed with his 12th ODI century in sight, messing up a reverse sweep off Saeed Ajmal to send the ball looping to short third man.At 145-3 after 32 overs, the Proteas still looked in good shape but they soon imploded, with four of their six wickets being lost to run-outs. Two came from Muhammad Hafeez, who removed the dangerous AB de Villiers for a run-a-ball 31 just as the captain was starting to blossom, and then JP Duminy 13 balls later.Misbah capped a brilliant fielding display by diving to his left at extra cover to snaffle David Miller (19) in the final ball of the next-to-last over. With Wahab Riaz conceding just three runs in the last over, the target looked very reachable on a lifeless track under brightening skies.We didnt have a lot to defend, Amla said. But the way we fielded and bowled up front made 230 seem a lot more than it was.Pakistans reply began painfully slowly, needing 19.1 overs to get to 50 with Imran Farhat (2), Hafeez (7) and Shoaib Malik (8) all going cheaply the first two to the accurate Morris.The crowd so boisterous before the match and during South Africas innings quickly fell relatively silent but was stirred by Misbah, who continued where he left off in scoring 96 in vain against West Indies on Friday.His half-century included three fours and a huge, arrowed six down the ground but he was running out of partners when he drove to Amla at mid-wicket, making it 148-7 and virtually ending Pakistan chances.McLaren cleaned up the tail to claim his best figures in ODIs and leave Pakistans tournament hopes in tatters.In this competition, if you lose the first one you are pretty much under the pressure to win the next two, Amla said. Fortunately we got on the board.  |
| Teacher jailed 11 years for insulting Kuwait's emir on Twitter Posted: KUWAIT (Agencies) - A Kuwaiti court sentenced a woman teacher to a total of 11 years in jail on Monday for insulting the emir, inciting regime change and insulting a religious sect via Twitter, two sources close to the case said.Huda al-Ajmi, 37, is the first woman known to have been convicted for criticizing the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state’s ruler, described as “immune and inviolable” in the constitution.Kuwait has penalized several Twitter users in recent months for slurs against the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. The political trials have drawn rebuke abroad and anger at home.The sources said the court had given Ajmi two consecutive five-year terms for insulting the emir and one year for insulting an unspecified religious sect. “This is the highest sentence of its kind in these kinds of cases,” one source said.Ajmi has not yet been taken into custody and can appeal the sentences, the sources said. It is rare for a woman to serve jail time for political crimes in Kuwait, which allows more freedom of speech than some other Gulf Arab states.In April a Kuwaiti court gave an opposition politician five years in jail for insulting the emir, but an appeals court overturned the sentence.In February, U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said prosecutors had charged nearly 25 people with offending the emir, sentencing at least six to jail terms, since October. The United States has called on Kuwait to respect freedom of expression.  |
| Iraq: Baghdad market bomb kills 13 Posted: Baghdad (Agencies) - Three near-simultaneous bombings – two car bombs and a suicide attack – killed at least a dozen people in a fruit and vegetable wholesale market north of Baghdad on Monday, officials said.The blasts went off in the predominantly Shiite town of Judaida al-Shat, which lies just west of the restive city of Baquba, which remains one of Iraq’s most dangerous cities.The bombings left another 48 people wounded, a police officer and a medic said. The explosions went off as the market was packed with grocery stall owners purchasing goods for the day’s trading.No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Sunni militants linked to Al-Qaeda often target Shiite Muslims, whom they regard as apostates, in simultaneous and mass-casualty bombings.The violence comes amid a surge in attacks in Iraq, with unrest in May pushing the month’s death toll to the highest such figure since 2008, raising concerns of a revival of the all-out sectarian war that blighted the country in 2006 and 2007.  |
| China to send 2nd woman into orbit Posted: BEIJING (AFP) - Space officials said Monday, Shenzhou-10 -- the name means Divine Vessel -- will be launched on a Long March rocket at 0938 GMT Tuesday, Wu Ping, spokeswoman for Chinas manned space programme, told a news conference.The crew will be in orbit for 15 days, she said, and will include Wang Yaping, the second woman China has sent into space.Beijing sees the multi-billion-dollar space programme as a symbol of its rising global stature, growing technical expertise, and the ruling Communist Partys success in turning around the fortunes of the once poverty-stricken nation.Wang, wearing a blue jumpsuit with a red Chinese flag affixed to her chest, stood up and saluted journalists at a separate news conference, as she and her two male fellow astronauts sat on a stage enclosed in glass for quarantine purposes.She will give lessons to schoolchildren from orbit, she said, smiling.Wang, 33, is a major in the Peoples Liberation Army and also a member of the Communist Party, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.Flight commander Nie Haisheng, 48, a major-general in the army, who went into space on board Shenzhou-6, told reporters: We will carry out a glorious mission.I would like to thank all my comrades in the army and assure them that we are determined to accomplish our task, he added.The third crew member is Zhang Xiaoguang, 47, a colonel.The craft will dock with the Tiangong-1 -- Heavenly Palace -- space laboratory, and the crew will transfer into it and carry out medical and space technology experiments.The mission will mark a crucial step towards Chinas goal of building a full space station capable of housing astronauts for extended periods.China first sent a human into space only in 2003 and its capabilities still lag behind the US and Russia, but it has a highly ambitious programme including plans to land a man on the moon and build a station orbiting earth by 2020.The previous Shenzhou mission, in June last year, included Chinas first woman astronaut, Liu Yang, who became a national heroine.The coming voyage will be more complex than any mission China has attempted before, Morris Jones, an independent space analyst based in Sydney, Australia, told AFP.Rendezvous and docking is a tricky operation for any space programme regardless of how much experience you have, he said.China has conducted such operations several times before in both unmanned and manned flights, he said, but this time the crew will experiment with carrying out the rendezvous at different angles of approach.I have no doubts that the mission will be successful, he said. The technology is well-tested and its proven itself many times.Officials have said China will land an exploratory craft on the moon for the first time this year.At the same time the United States, long the leader in the field, has scaled back some of its programmes, such as retiring its space shuttle fleet.Jones said the latest mission is another significant step in China achieving its space station goal.By demonstrating rendezvous and docking as well as the ability to live in space for a long period of time, theyre gradually showing that they have the technology and the procedures that they will need to construct that space station, he said.  |
| Olympic Park to host professional boxing Posted: LONDON (AP) - Londons Olympic Park will stage professional boxing in September at the Copper Box Arena, a venue that hosted handball and fencing in the modern pentathlon during last years games.A multi-fight agreement was struck Monday for Sept. 21 at the 7,000-seat venue nicknamed the box that rocks during the Olympics, including a British middleweight title bout between champion Billy Joe Saunders and John Ryder.Organizers hope the deal will re-establish east London as the spiritual home of boxing in the U.K. and demonstrate to tax-payers that venues constructed for the Olympics can have lasting benefits.Promoter Frank Warren says the Copper Box is what all the investment in the Olympics was about legacy and giving London a fantastic arena.The north park of the Olympic Park re-opens to the general public next month for the first time since the games.  |
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