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Russia on Friday called the latest round of talks on the Iranian nuclear standoff "constructive" despite big differences that remain as the parties head for more negotiations in Moscow next month.

However, Russia outlined no new initiatives that could be discussed following a bruising session in Baghdad that ended with Iran declaring its "absolute right" to enrich uranium despite fears it was actually building a nuclear bomb.

"The round was held in a constructive and business-like atmosphere despite the significant differences in approaches that remain," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Iran and the six big world powers held what negotiators called open and intense talks that produced no breakthroughs and almost ended with Iran walking away in fury at Western offers on the table.

But the parties did salvage an agreement to meet again in Moscow on June 18-19 as the July 1 deadline for the enforcement of an EU embargo on Iranian oil looms.

Russia said world powers offered Iran a set of "concrete proposals" in Baghdad concerning its controversial enrichment of uranium to 20 percent.

Moscow's statement did not specify what the offer included amid reports that it concerned providing Tehran better access to aviation parts and agricultural assistance but not the lifting of UN Security Council and unilateral sanctions.

The six world powers "also designated specific initiatives that provide positive incentives for Iran as a reciprocal measure," the Russian statement said.

The wording suggested these sweeteners would be delivered to Iran only after it took the initial step of halting its controversial enrichment programme and shipping the fuel already produced abroad.

"For its part, Iran declared its readiness to hold further discussions about the 20-percent enrichment issue, together with the discussion of an entire range of other issues of interest to Tehran, including the recognition of its right to enrich (uranium)," the Russian statement said.

Moscow has promoted a "step-by-step" solution to the crisis that involves gradually lifting four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions against its trading partner in exchange for Tehran's cooperation over its nuclear programme.

It outlined the initiative to Iran's visiting foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Moscow in August and has since promoted it with sceptical officials in Washington.

But Iran has yet to formally accept the Russian formula and insisted that unilateral and UN sanctions be lifted before it makes any concessions on its part.

Moscow's statement said Russian negotiator Sergei Ryabkov held separate talks in Baghdad with his Chinese and Iranian counterparts in an attempt to find common ground.

Both Russia and China have condemned the EU oil embargo and been far more supportive of Iran than the United States or the European team comprised of Britain and France along with Germany.

Russia has defended its close military and trade ties with Iran as well as its decision to construct the Islamic state's first nuclear power plant.

But it has also been more critical of Tehran's behaviour in the past year and decided to shelve the deal to sell its advanced warhead system to Iran that was opposed by the United States and Israel.

The Moscow statement said world powers were still seeking to "completely restore trust" in Iran's nuclear work.

HARARE  - Zimbabwe's central bank has ordered the country's banks to stop processing mineral exports by Impala Platinum's local unit, which it accuses of failing to comply with an order to bank locally, a state newspaper said on Friday.

 A spokeswoman for Zimplats, which is 87 percent owned by the South African miner, told the state-controlled Herald that the directive was unnecessary because the company had complied with the instructions.

 Central bank governor Gideon Gono said Zimplats had defied his directive, issued in February, to transfer funds from its offshore accounts to Zimbabwean banks, the newspaper reported.

 "Due to failure by Zimplats to adhere with the provisions of this directive ... exchange control has taken corrective measures to enforce compliance," the central bank said in a letter quoted by the newspaper.

 "In this regard, authorised dealers (banks) are hereby advised to stop processing and facilitating international or any cross-border payments on behalf of Zimplats... and to stop facilitating any exports ... on behalf of Zimplats."

 Zimplats was not immediately available to comment, but its spokeswoman Busi Chindove told the paper: "We must say we were surprised because in reality Zimplats had no objection to the initial communication by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe."

 "To this end, the company is now paying for 75 percent of its expenditure in Zimbabwe. The remaining 25 percent relates to ... foreign loans that were raised with the knowledge, support and approval of the monetary authorities."

 If implemented, the central bank move would paralyse Zimplats' exports, which account for 25 percent of Zimbabwe's total mineral exports, according to official figures.

 Zimplats contributes 10 percent to its parent's annual output.

 Zimbabwe ordered foreign mining firms to deposit their export earnings with local banks as the government aimed to address a dollar crunch afflicting its economy.

 Foreign firms have come under pressure from President Robert Mugabe's government, which is championing an empowerment drive to transfer majority stakes to locals.

 In March, Impala Platinum, the world's second largest platinum miner, bowed to pressure and said it would surrender a 51 percent stake in Zimplats to local black investors.

 The world's largest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum, and Rio Tinto, which runs a diamond mine, are among the major international firms operating in Zimbabwe.

BANGALORE  - NBCUniversal is in talks with technology group Microsoft to buy back MSNBC.com, Adweek reported, quoting sources.

 Several sources said negotiations have progressed to the stage where NBCU parent company Comcast was conducting due diligence, the report said.

 A possible deal would help MSNBC have its own website with its own brand, the story said, quoting one person with knowledge of the talks.

 The companies were likely to negotiate a deal ensuring MSNBC.com secures real estate on MSN.com, similar to the treatment Fox Sports receives, the report quoted one source as saying.

 NBC and Microsoft were not available for comment.

SAN FRANCISCO  - Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook will not be earning dividend income on the more than 1 million shares to which he is entitled, which will cost him about $75 million.

 Apple said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday that Cook had asked to be excluded from a recently instituted company program through which employees can accumulate dividends on their restricted stock units that are still vesting.

 Asked why Cook was doing this, Apple declined to comment beyond the filing.

 Cook, who took over as chief executive from late co-founder Steve Jobs in August, has 1.125 million outstanding restricted Apple shares that are vesting over the next 10 years.

 In January, Apple's board granted Cook 1 million restricted stock units (RSUs) for running the company during Jobs' medical leaves and as a retention tool. Half of those units are due to vest in 2016 and the remainder are due to vest in 2021.

 Apple said in March that it would pay a cash dividend of $2.65 per share to its shareholders.

CAIRO  - The Muslim Brotherhood said on Friday its candidate in Egypt's first free presidential vote had won through to a run-off next month against ex-air force chief Ahmed Shafiq, who was deposed leader Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister.

 This week's first-round vote has polarised Egyptians between those determined to avoid handing the presidency back to a man from Mubarak's era and those fearing an Islamist monopoly of ruling institutions. The run-off is planned for June 16 and 17.

 The election marks a crucial step in a messy and often bloody transition to democracy, overseen by a military council that has pledged to hand power to a new president by July 1.

 The second round threatens further turbulence. Opponents of Shafiq have vowed to take to the streets if he is elected.

 But to supporters, Shafiq's military background offers reassurance that he can restore order on the streets, a major demand of the population 15 months after Mubarak's ouster.

 A Shafiq presidency would also mean smoother relations between the head of state and the powerful military.

 "It is clear that the run-off will be between (the Brotherhood's) Mohamed Mursi and Ahmed Shafiq," a Brotherhood election official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

The Brotherhood's Guidance Office, its top body, was meeting to mull a campaign "to galvanise Islamists and Egyptian voters to face the bloc of the 'feloul'," he said, using a scornful Arabic term for "remnants" of Mubarak's order.

 Official results are not due to be announced until next week, but representatives of the candidates are allowed to watch the count, enabling them to compile their own tally.

 The Brotherhood official said that with votes counted from about 12,800 of the roughly 13,100 polling stations, Mursi had 25 percent, Shafiq 23 percent, a rival Islamist Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh 20 percent and leftist Hamdeen Sabahy 19 percent.

 No comments from any of the dozen candidates or state election officials were immediately available.

 Election committee officials had said late on Thursday as counting began that turnout was about 50 percent of Egypt's 50 million eligible voters. The Brotherhood official, however, said about 20 million votes were cast, or about 40 percent.

 EGYPTIANS FRET

 The Brotherhood, Egypt's most organised political group, has already secured the biggest bloc for its party in parliament after an earlier vote. Long repressed and banned under Mubarak, the 84-year-old Islamist group has a broad grassroots base.

 Many Egyptians, including those who saw the revolt against Mubarak as a matter of national pride not religion, fret about Islamist gains since his fall. Christians, who form a tenth of the population and who already complain of discrimination, worry that Islamists in power could marginalise them further.

 "We are confident that the next president of Egypt is Mohamed Mursi," said Essam el-Erian, a senior official in the Muslim Brotherhood's party, said after early counting.

 If Mursi becomes president, Islamists will control most ruling institutions - but not the military - in Egypt, the most populous Arab nation, consolidating electoral gains made by fellow-Islamists in other Arab countries in the past year.

 The powers of Egypt's next president remain undefined because of a tussle over who will write the new constitution. He could be restricted by generals determined to retain their privileges and influence, even after the promised handover.

 First-round voting was held in a calm atmosphere over two days with polls closing late on Thursday. Monitors did not report any major infringements that would invalidate the vote, although some candidates grumbled about their rivals' conduct.

 A page on Facebook, a medium used to devastating effect in the revolt against Mubarak, was launched on Thursday and threatened a "revolution" if Shafiq or another former minister under Mubarak, Amr Moussa, was elected.

DES MOINES, Iowa -  On his first visit back to the Iowa state fairgrounds since the 2008 campaign, President Obama used a grassroots on Thursday night rally to launch sharp new attacks against rival Mitt Romney over the debt and deficit and vigorously defend his own handling of the same.

 The venue holds symbolic value for Democrats because it was here, in August that Romney made his now-famous declaration that "corporations are people, my friend."

 Obama thrust the Republican candidate's unflattering moment front and center early on.

 "The worldview that Gov. Romney gained from his experience as a financial CEO explains something. It explains why the last time he visited these same fairgrounds, he famously declared 'corporations are people,'" Obama said, drawing loud boos from the crowd of 2,500.

 "That's what he said, that's what he called them," Obama added. "It also explains why, when a woman right here in Iowa shared a story of her financial struggles, he gave her an answer out of an economics textbook.  He said, 'Our productivity equals our income.'  Let me tell you something: We believe in the profit motive. We believe that risk-takers and investors should be rewarded. That's what makes our economy so dynamic. But we also believe that everybody should have opportunity."

 Ahead of the event, Obama's re-election campaign circulated a video of Romney's Iowa State Fair remarks, all aimed at bolstering their claim that the former private equity executive was a wealth-seeker who put investors' interests ahead of the middle class.   Several of the campaign's major, multi-state TV ad buys - each of which have included Iowa - have touched on the same theme.

 Obama offered his most spirited attacks on Romney over his claims about the burgeoning federal debt and record-high deficits that have been incurred over the past three and a half years.

 "They've got the nerve to go around saying that they're somehow going to bring down the deficit," he said, referring to Romney's budget blueprint. "Economists who've looked at his plan say it would swell our deficits by trillions of dollars, even with the drastic cuts he's called for [on] things like education, agriculture and Medicaid.

 "He promises to do that on day one," Obama added, referring to the new Romney TV ad by the same name.  "We don't need that. That's going backwards. We're going forwards."

 "Forward" is Obama's re-election campaign slogan.

 Romney, on his most recent visit to Des Moines earlier this month, argued that Obama has presided over a "prairie fire of debt," and told voters, "Every day we fail to act we feed that fire with our own lack of resolve."

 His campaign and the Republican National Committee have also stressed that during Obama's first term, $5 trillion was added to the debt, which now exceeds $15.6 trillion.

 "A president who broke his promise to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term has no standing when it comes to fiscal responsibility. By the end of this year, President Obama will have presided over a record-shattering four consecutive trillion-dollar deficits and added an historic amount to our national debt," said Romney spokesman Ryan Williams.

 "When you listen to President Obama's campaign speeches, it's as if he's forgotten that he's been president for nearly four years and has a record to defend. President Obama has proven beyond all doubt that he is not serious about fixing our country's spending problem."

 Offering a rebuttal tonight, Obama said that his administration has taken fiscal issues seriously, attributing high deficits to the "depth of the recession." He said Romney's claims were divorced from reality.

 "I know Gov. Romney came to Des Moines last week worried about a 'prairie fire of debt.' That's what he said: 'Prairie fire,'" Obama said. "But, you know, he left out some facts. His speech was more like a cow-pie distortion."

 "I don't know whose record he twisted the most, mine or his," he added.

 Obama argued that the pace of federal government spending during his tenure has been the slowest of any president in 60 years.

 "By the way, it's like the Republicans run up the tab and then we're sitting there and they've left the restaurant," he said. "Why did you order all those steaks and martinis?"

 The president said Romney's budget - which includes new tax cuts for wealthier Americans - would not be the deficit slayer he claims it would be.

 "Oh, by the way, something else he hasn't told you is how he'd pay for a new $5 trillion tax cut," Obama said.  "That's like trying to put out a prairie fire with some gasoline."

 Obama claims his plan would cut the deficit by $4 trillion over 10 years through a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes.

A New Jersey mayor and his son were arrested Thursday by the FBI for allegedly infiltrating and sabotaging a website tied to an effort to recall him.

The story gives a new and troubling definition to the term "political hack."

[More from Mashable: Obama Answers Twitter Questions Himself]

The FBI has accused Felix Roque, mayor of West New York, N.J., and his 22-year-old son of illegally canceling the domain name registration of Recallroque.com, a site that wanted Roque taken out of office in a recall election earlier this year, according to Politico.

Currently, the site is loading as an an error-laden landing page.


Roque's 22-year-old son Joseph was the mastermind behind the hack. According to a criminal complaint made public this afternoon, he learned how to penetrate email accounts and Recallroque's host, GoDaddy.com, by searching for instructions on the web.

Roque, however, didn't stop there. After taking down the site, he called the owner of the site, who was identified only as a government official in Hudson County, N.J., to intimidate him. Roque told the owner that the site was removed by "high government officials" and that "everyone would pay for getting involved against Mayor Roque."

He also said he had a friend at the CIA, which is how he "got information," and that Roque's own activities weren't "very kosher."

The mayor and his son are being charged with gaining unauthorized access to computers in furtherance of causing damage to protected computers; causing damage to protected computers; and conspiracy to commit those crimes.

The arrests were announced by the U.S. Attorney for the district of New Jersey, Paul J. Fishman.

“In this case, the elected leader of West New York and his son allegedly hacked into computers to intimidate constituents who were simply using the Internet to exercise their Constitutional rights to criticize the government,” said Fishman.

Film: 'Men In Black 3'; Director: Barry Sonnenfeld; Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement; Rating:***1/2

Science fiction and humour can be a potent mix. Imagine having almost an endless array of things to play gags with. In such a scenario, one is limited only by one's imagination.

While the last outing of 'Men in Black' wasn't a patch on the original, this part manages to get the fun and humour of the series right back and tops it up with the right dosage of sentiment, sprinkled just at the right time.

Though it does not trek unchartered territories, choosing to stay in its now familiar universe, it works up a fun film.

Agent J (Will Smith) is always busy either trying to make his partner Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) smile or wondering the reason for his seriousness.

After Boris The Animal (Jemaine Clement) escapes from a prison, goes back in time, kills agent K and unleashes destruction that will end the world, J too has to travel back in time, team up with the young K (Josh Brolin) and try to save the world.

What he does not know is how this is as much about saving the world and K, as it is about him.

The strength of film, despite the obvious and a very linear plot, is that it manages to include the idea of a popular science fiction film and mesh it up into a convincing film.

Thus, it has a tug-of-war between our heroes, shows the earth at great risk, throws in some cool gadgets, a dangerous extra-terrestrial villain while managing to add an extra spice: a good dose of emotional engagement right at the climax of the film.

The characters are also memorable. Josh Brolin as a fun, younger version of Tommy Lee Jones does well. The villain is ugly and deadly and inspires fear in the viewers.

Yet, what takes the cake is the ending.

You have the actual climax of cool and intelligent action demonstrated by our man in black. But beyond this, the film relies on another climax, an emotional one that rounds up the story and missing explanations (for example, how did he remember the time before time was changed) and sets you off smiling from the theatre.

Will Smith does well to keep the humour going. He is as at ease with Tommy Lee Jones as he is with Josh Brolin. Together, the trio make it a worthwhile watch for lovers of both comedy and science fiction films making this outing a film not to be missed by fans of either.

Colombo, May 24 : Former national team coach Geoff Marsh is suing Sri Lanka Cricket over his dismissal five months ago.

According to Sports24, Sri Lanka Cricket President Upali Dharmadasa confirmed on Wednesday that Marsh had sent a letter of demand, but refrained from discussing the contents of the letter, saying it is a legal matter.

Sri Lanka fired former Australian player Marsh as coach in January, only three months into his two-year contract, and replaced him with former South Africa coach Graham Ford.

There were no reasons given for removing Marsh, who had been in charge for only two Test series involving the Sri Lankan team.

England will take an unbeatable lead in their three-match series against the West Indies if they win the second Test at Trent Bridge starting here on Friday.

And, after a five-wicket victory in the first Test at Lord's, few would bet against Andrew Strauss's number one ranked side going 2-0 up in Nottingham.

The West Indies did take the first Test into the fifth day and twice had England wobbling as they pursued a modest target of 191.

But England were only ever one decent partnership away from victory, which came courtesy of Alastair Cook (79) and Ian Bell (63 not out).

Well though Shivnarine Chanderpaul, officially the world's best batsman, played in scoring 87 not out and 91 at Lord's, the fact he came in with the total on 86 for three and then 36 for three was a testament to the failings of West Indies' top order.

The likes of opener Adrian Barath, Kieran Powell and Kirk Edwards can expect their techniques to be tested again by James Anderson and Stuart Broad, man-of-the-match at Lord's with an 11-wicket haul, at a Trent Bridge ground renowned for aiding swing bowling.

West Indies have won just twice in their last 31 Tests and are without a win in 15 Tests in England, a run including 13 defeats.

They badly need someone in the top order to lend more support to Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels, who made 86 in the second innings at Lord's.

"Shiv and Marlon are leading from the front and the younger players are taking a pattern from their book," said West Indies wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.

"Young Adrian Barath and Kieran Powell went into the nets and batted for a long period of time. Their confidence is still high. If they bat for a long period of time in the middle, they will get runs."

The Indian Premier League and disputes with the West Indies Cricket Board have left the tourists without the likes of star opening batsman Chris Gayle as well as Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.

Meanwhile Ramnaresh Sarwan, like Gayle a former captain, is scoring runs in county cricket for Leicestershire, while paceman Jerome Taylor is injured.

The West Indies suffered another setback when fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who took four wickets on debut at Lord's, was subsequently ruled out of the tour with a back injury.

However Kemar Roach, who troubled England with a fiery spell on the fourth evening at Lord's, should be fit after suffering a recurrence of a longstanding ankle problem.

The present West Indies side may struggle to match the standards and all-round flair of the celebrated teams of the 1970s and 1980s.

But opening batsman Cook insisted the current attack were no pushovers.

"Kemar obviously bowled quick at times and bowled with great control. So did Fidel (Edwards), he's certainly got a lot more control than when he came over a few years ago."

Nor was Cook impressed with the view there were now few genuine fast bowlers around in world cricket.

"I've never agreed with that argument seeing as I'm the one who has to go out and face the new ball," he said.

"It always seems to be people 90 or 100 yards away saying that. There's some fine bowlers around, none finer than our lads, who time and time again have produced the goods."

Gabriel's absence will mean at least one change for the West Indies with fit-again Ravi Rampaul set to come in ahead of Tino Best, summoned from the Caribbean on Tuesday.

And they could add some much needed variety to their attack by recalling spinner Shane Shillingford.

Despite taking 10 wickets in his previous Test appearance against Australia, Shillingford was omitted at Lord's where Samuels' part-time slow bowling posed few problems.

England all-rounder Tim Bresnan may have celebrated his 12th win in as many career Test appearances at Lord's but a match return of one for 144 has left his place vulnerable to a challenge from pacemen Steven Finn and Graham Onions.

New Delhi, May 24: Commerce minister Anand Sharma is likely to meet the chief ministers of all states to address their concerns over allowing 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail.

Officials said the government was keen to open the sector to more foreign investments, and the minister planned to remove the misgivings of states.

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton during her visit to India had discussed opening the multi-brand retail sector and met Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who had been opposing it.

Jean Noel Bironneau, head of French retail giant Carrefour's India business, today met Sharma to discuss the steps taken by the government in this respect.

Although Sharma and Bironneau did not comment on their meeting, it is understood that the French retailer raised the issue of allowing foreign direct investment.

Last year the government had attempted to allow 51 per cent FDI in the segment but suspended the move following widespread opposition, even from its allies.

TOKYO  - Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> said on Friday it would roll out eight compact car models tailored for emerging markets by 2015 in an attempt to catch up to front-runners such as Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co(NYS:GM - News).

Toyota, which lost the crown as the world's top automaker last year, is looking to reduce its dependence on the mature North American, European and Japanese markets. It wants to shift more of its weight to growth markets such as China, India and Brazil, where Volkswagen, GM and Hyundai Motor Co <005380.KS> have taken the lead.

The Japanese automaker aims to sell half of its vehicles in emerging markets by 2015, up from around 45 percent last year and 18.6 percent in 2000.

"In emerging markets, there are four or five automakers vying to take the lead in sales volumes," Toyota Executive Vice President Yukitoshi Funo told reporters.

"Particularly in the Southeast Asian region, Volkswagen and others are looking to challenge our lead so we can't be resting on our laurels," he said.

Including the Etios model that it launched in India in December 2010, Toyota plans to introduce eight compact cars by 2015, targeting combined annual sales of more than 1 million vehicles in over 100 countries during that period.

The upcoming cars will be priced around 1 million yen or higher and produced in local markets such as India, Brazil and China. Toyota said it would aim to procure 100 percent of the cars' components locally to lower costs - a move that would require a stronger R&D function in those markets.

By 2013, production capacity in emerging markets will rise to 3.1 million vehicles a year, from 2.38 million in 2010, matching the level in Japan, Toyota said.

Funo dismissed a report published in Japan's Asahi newspaper on Thursday that Toyota was working on a car priced around 500,000 yen for the Indian market, to be sold under a new brand from around 2016.

"We won't go to the 500,000 yen segment - it's not our category," Funo said. "We want to beef up our presence in segments where we can be competitive. There are many other options for customers looking in that price range, including used cars."

Funo added that the cheaper segments were the territory of subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co <7262.T>, which has expertise in smaller, lower-cost vehicles.

Carmakers such as Nissan Motor Co <7201.T> and Hyundai are considering ultra-low-cost cars, potentially tapping a huge base of consumers trading up from motorcycles.

Toyota's cheapest car is the Etios, which sells for about $9,000 in India, or double the price of market leader Maruti Suzuki India's Alto.

Just few years back, when global economic crisis hit the world, the country was in self congratulatory mode as it survived the disaster that supposedly much stronger western economies could not. However, things since then have taken an ugly turn as the rupee seems to be in free fall and now trades at Rs 56 versus US dollar, hitting the panic button. The value of a currency is a reflection of its current and future economic image. The country now stands exposed and visibility on near term catalysts to revive the domestic currency remains poor.

The main reason for this fall is twin deficit in the country. And what makes the situation worse is the timing. The current fall in rupee can't be compensated by attracting capital inflows as global appetite to invest in risky assets remains low. And unfortunately, the rupee seems to have fallen victim to a vicious cycle. Here is a simple example of how the cycle works. India to a huge extent depends upon imports of oil thus generating a huge oil import bill. With every fall in rupee, the demand of dollar versus rupee goes up thus mounting the pressure on the latter. And then, the fuel in India is sold at state determined prices leading to huge amount of subsidies. The outlow on subsidies lead to increase fiscal deficits thus feeding the cycle. Not just that, a higher value of imports stretches the current deficit further. While the Government at last has announced a hike in Petrol prices, it looks like a piecemeal solution to mend the gaping fiscal deficit. Unless the Government takes a tough stand on diesel prices, the situation is unlikely to come under control. This was just a simple example to show how lack of energy reforms impacts the rupee. One can guess what damage it does to the currency if you extend the example to other sectors including fertilizer, power, etc.

Now the question worrying most investors is as to how bad can it get? While balancing current deficit by attracting foreign funds could be a solution, it is easier said than done. A slew of corporate scandals and inaction on policy and reform front is keeping foreign investors at bay. Forget inflows of foreign funds, Indian markets are witnessing selling pressure and forex reserves are falling. Unless the Government bites the bullet and goes for economic reforms, hardly any strategy is likely to bear stable results. An action is long due with regards to reforms on subsidies, taxation, state run companies and increasing transparency and accountability. Anything less will amount of piecemeal intervention that might just smooth the fall but not avert it.

New Delhi, May 24: The Telecom Commission today recommended that the government should auction at least 10 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum and allot four slots to new operators in each circle, including those whose licences have been scrapped by a Supreme Court judgment in February.

"The Telecom Commission discussed parts of Trai's proposals on spectrum. It has decided that 10 MHz of radio waves should be auctioned at one go," said telecom secretary R. Chandrashekhar.

According to Chandrashekhar, the department of telecom (DoT) has enough spectrum to put 10 MHz (per circle) on the block and "additional spectrum can be made available if needed" in circles where there will be shortage.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) had also recommended the sale of 10 MHz in each circle after initially proposing only one slot of 5 MHz per circle.

However, there was no consensus among the panel members on the base price. While Trai has proposed a reserve price of Rs 3,622 crore for the auction of 2G spectrum (1,800 MHz), a DoT panel had suggested that the base price be revised to Rs 4,245 crore per unit.

The commission will again meet on Saturday to take a call on the pricing.

Mobile operators have warned that the high reserve price can result in 100 per cent hike in tariffs. Many new operators, including foreign players Telenor and Sistema who lost their licences in the Supreme Court verdict, have threatened to exit if Trai's high reserve price is accepted.

The Telecom Commission, which is the highest decision making body of the DoT, will send its final report to a ministerial panel by the first week of June.

A final decision on all issues related to the spectrum auction will be taken by the panel, headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The Telecom Commission has also said that if there are more than four registered bidders in a circle, 10 MHz should be auctioned in eight blocks of 1.25 MHz each where existing players can take a maximum of two blocks while new operators take four blocks.

The commission has also agreed with Trai's proposal on a liberal use of spectrum, meaning a spectrum band can be used to provide 2G, 3G or 4G service.

It also said that existing rollout obligations for operators should be maintained, adding that Trai's recommendations on rural rollout obligations will not be conducive for getting high prices through auction.

The commission also pointed out that infrastructure in rural areas could be funded through spectrum use charge.

Washington, May 25 : A study on earthquake activity at the Dead Sea has revealed the exact date of Jesus' crucifixion, which has been debated for years.

Researchers believe that Jesus, as described in the New Testament, was crucified on Friday April 3, 33 A.D.

Textual and geological clues, along with astronomical data, support the date, the Discovery News reported.

Geologists investigated the 4,000-year chronology of earthquake disturbances within the uppermost 19 feet of laminated sediment of the Dead Sea to determine the exact date of Jesus' crucifixion.

The latest investigation, reported in the journal International Geology Review, focused on earthquake activity at the Dead Sea, located 13 miles from Jerusalem.

To analyze earthquake activity in the region, geologist Jefferson Williams of Supersonic Geophysical and colleagues Markus Schwab and Achim Brauer of the German Research Center for Geosciences studied three cores from the beach of the Ein Gedi Spa adjacent to the Dead Sea.

Varves, which are annual layers of deposition in the sediments, reveal that at least two major earthquakes affected the core: a widespread earthquake in 31 B.C. and an early first century seismic event that happened sometime between 26 A.D. and 36 A.D.

The latter period occurred during "the years when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea and when the earthquake of the Gospel of Matthew is historically constrained," Williams said.

"The day and date of the crucifixion (Good Friday) are known with a fair degree of precision," he said. But the year has been in question.

In terms of textual clues to the date of the crucifixion, Williams quoted a Nature paper authored by Colin Humphreys and Graeme Waddington.

When data about the Jewish calendar and astronomical calculations are factored in, a handful of possible dates result, with Friday April 3, 33 A.D. being the best match, according to the researchers.

In terms of the earthquake data alone, Williams and his team acknowledge that the seismic activity associated with the crucifixion could refer to "an earthquake that occurred sometime before or after the crucifixion and was in effect 'borrowed' by the author of the Gospel of Matthew, and a local earthquake between 26 and 36 A.D. that was sufficiently energetic to deform the sediments of Ein Gedi but not energetic enough to produce a still extant and extra-biblical historical record."

"If the last possibility is true, this would mean that the report of an earthquake in the Gospel of Matthew is a type of allegory," they wrote.

Williams is studying yet another possible natural happening associated with the crucifixion - darkness.

Three of the four canonical gospels report darkness from noon to 3 PM after the crucifixion. Such darkness could have been caused by a dust storm, he believes.

Williams is investigating if there are dust storm deposits in the sediments coincident with the early first century Jerusalem region earthquake.

BEIJING  - China hit back on Friday at the U.S. State Department's annual survey of human rights, saying that only the Chinese people could pass judgement on what the Foreign Ministry said were the country's obvious achievements in the area.

 Asked about criticism of China in the report, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei condemned it for being prejudiced.

 "The United States State Department's annual report on human rights maligns other countries, and the content concerning China ignores the facts and is filled will prejudice, confusing black and white," he told a daily news briefing.

 Since the launch of landmark economic reforms more than three decades ago, Hong said: "China's human rights endeavours have made achievements that are plain for all the world to see. The Chinese people themselves have the most right to speak about China's human rights situation".

 "In human rights, there is no such thing as the best; there is only doing even better," he added.

 Human rights have long been a source of friction between China and the United States, especially since 1989 when the United States and other Western countries imposed sanctions on China after a crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.

 China rejects criticism of its rights' record, saying providing food, clothing, housing and economic growth are far more relevant for developing countries like it, pointing to its success at lifting millions out of poverty.

 Hong said each country could exchange views and lessons on human rights through "dialogue on an equal footing".

 "By no means should these issues be used as tools to meddle in the domestic affairs of other countries. We hope that the United States will truly take a long, hard look at itself and put an end to its mistaken ways and thinking."

 In what has become China's standard response to the yearly U.S. criticism, the government later issued its annual assessment of the rights situation in the United States, saying U.S. problems meant it had no right to lecture others.

 "The United States has turned a blind eye to its own woeful human rights situation and remained silent about it," the government said in the report, issued by the official Xinhua news agency, pointing to issues as diverse as domestic crime and the war in Afghanistan.

 "The country is lying to itself when referring to itself as the 'land of the free'," it said.

 "CORROSIVE INFLUENCE"

 The U.S. State Department said in its lengthy section on China the government had stepped up efforts to silence activists and rights lawyers, with authorities resorting to extra-legal measures including enforced disappearance and house arrest.

 Under an "arbitrary arrest" section, the State Department catalogued harassment of blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng, who arrived in New York last weekend after weeks at the centre of a U.S.-China standoff following his dramatic escape from house arrest and flight to the U.S. embassy in Beijing.

 Chen, who is preparing to study at the New York University School of Law, has voiced fears his family and supporters will suffer more abuse.

 In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, the self-taught lawyer urged the Chinese government to prosecute "lawless" officials who he said harassed and abused him, his family and supporters, saying such prosecutions could help China establish the rule of law.

 While not naming Chen, China's top state newspaper accused the United States and other Western powers in two commentaries on Friday of exploiting human rights tension in a bid to subvert Communist Party rule and hobble the country's rise.

 In one of the commentaries, researchers from a People's Liberation Army university demanded "high vigilance and precautions against the corrosive influence on our country of Western 'exporting of democracy and human rights'."

New Delhi/Mumbai, May 25  Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh Friday told Air India's striking pilots that the airline may begin hiring new pilots if the 18-day-old strike continued.

'We are not waiting for them, (we) can even begin hiring new pilots,' the minister told IANS after meeting some of the striking pilots.

'I have told them my stand, now they need to think,' Singh said.

'We are now flying half the international routes. And we are making a new business plan. If I have to hire new pilots, I will do that.'

Ajit Singh made it clear that the pilots he met came in their individual capacity since the Indian Pilots Guild (IPG), which is at the heart of the current Air India crisis, has been de-recognized.

He reiterated to the pilots that while the government was ready to pore over their demands, the pilots would have to first call off the 'illegal strike'.

A senior official told IANS earlier that some of the pilots who called on Ajit Singh wanted to rejoin duty 'and said they were ready to cooperate and discuss all outstanding issues'.

'They requested the minister to give them a fair chance to explain their stand,' the official said.

Ajit Singh reportedly advised the pilots to rejoin duty immediately after going through the mandatory guidelines and said no one will be victimised.

'The minister said he is willing to discuss all their issues after they join back,' said the official.

The strike by IPG members entered the 18th day Friday. The strike by over 400 pilots has crippled Air India's international operations, costing it some Rs.280 crore in revenue.

The IPG said it had also offered to meet Ajit Singh and that it would end the strike when the 101 sacked pilots are reinstated.

'We sent a letter yesterday (Thursday) to the minister seeking a meeting with him so that we can explain our situation to him personally. But till now we have not received any invite,' Rohit Kapahi IPG told IANS.

'We want a chance to put across our views to him in a fair and transparent manner so that we can find a way to end the impasse.'

The letter, sent to Singh on behalf of IPG general secretary E.A. Kapadia, said: 'An earnest dialogue will help resolve all issues in the interest of the country, the airline and its employees.'

The IPG pointed out that despite the strike, it had asked a pilot to go to Seattle May 25 to take delivery of the new aircraft joining the Air India fleet.

Hyderabad, May 25  The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here Friday began questioning YSR Congress Party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy in the illegal assets case amid speculations that he would be arrested.

Jagan, as the young leader is popularly known, reached Dilkusha Guest House, the camp office of the CBI, amid tight security at 10.30 a.m. A team of CBI officials led by joint director V.V. Lakshminarayana began questioning him.

Jagan was seen entering the guest house with a smile on his face and greeting the officials with folded hands. He was accompanied by Alla Nani, the Congress legislator from Eluru, and some close aides.

The usually busy Raj Bhavan Road, where the guest house is located, has been sealed by police.

Hyderabad is virtually under police siege with deployment of forces at several places to avert any law and order problems in the event of Jagan's arrest. Prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people have been imposed in the city and other parts of the state.

Dozens of Jagan supporters were arrested by the police in various districts since Thursday night as they were heading for the state capital.

This is the first time since the CBI registered a case of assets disproportionate to income against Jagan and 71 others in August last year that Jagan has appeared before the investigating agency.

The MP from Kadapa has appeared before the CBI a day after Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkataramana was arrested in the same case.

Police have made elaborate security arrangements around the guest house, where Jagan is being questioned about the investments made into his companies by the firms which allegedly received land, licenses and other concessions from the government when his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was the chief minister. Rajasekhara Reddy died in a chopper crash in September 2009.

The CBI, which has so far filed three charge sheets in the case, alleged that Jagan conspired with his father to dole out favours to certain companies under quid pro quo arrangement.

The federal agency is questioning Jagan three days before he is scheduled to appear before a CBI special court.

He is likely to be questioned in the presence of Venkataramana, who was arrested Thursday for his role in issuing orders as minister for infrastructure and investment in the YSR cabinet, leading industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad and bureaucrat K.V. Brahmananda Reddy. All the three are currently in CBI custody.

Earlier in the morning, Jagan left his residence at Lotus Pond in the posh Banjara Hills area for the guest house amid tight security. A large number of Jagan's supporters had gathered at his residence to show solidarity with him.

The young leader took the blessings of his mother Vijayamma. His sister, wife and other family members saw him off. Those present at the house included Jagan's aide and auditor Vijay Sai Reddy, also an accused in the case who was recently released on bail.

Police have also imposed prohibitory orders in Jagan's native district Kadapa and several other places in the state to prevent any untoward incident.

Jagan, who was busy campaigning for the party in June 12 by-elections to one Lok Sabha and 18 assembly seats, had reached Hyderabad Thursday night.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  — Winds and erratic flames forced firefighters to sit on the sidelines Thursday as a massive fire that destroyed a dozen homes and several other structures in small New Mexico community grew larger and put more buildings at risk.

Tripling in size over the last day, the lightning-sparked Whitewater and Baldy fires merged to burn across more than 110 square miles of the Gila National Forest by Thursday.

"At this point it's just a monitoring situation to see whether (crews) can find some place where they can build lines or do something to slow it down," said fire information officer Iris Estes.

The wind-whipped fire burned Wednesday afternoon through the Willow Creek subdivision, a small summer community in southwestern New Mexico. Officials confirmed 12 cabins along with seven small outbuildings were destroyed, and the damage assessment continued Thursday.

Fire managers said employees with the State Forestry Division and the U.S. Forest Service would be contacting property owners.

While some residents questioned whether fire managers could have done more early on to contain the blaze, others acknowledged that fighting flames in the area's steep canyons was near impossible now.

"The fire had been around about 10 days, lurking and creeping and then kaboom, it exploded," said Tabitha Sims, secretary of the Willow Creek Landowners Association. "They made a heroic effort at trying to build a break, but I think it was unfortunate that this wind event happened to come right at the worst time."

Sims, an Arizona resident who owns a cabin at Willow Creek, said parts of the area were vulnerable due to a lack of fire over decades. She described Willow Creek as "an incredibly special spot" where generations of families have spent their summers.

"The people who have lifelong memories of going there, I just feel for them," she said.

Seven Willow Creek residents evacuated earlier this week, and the community of Mogollon was under voluntary evacuation. Authorities said many structures were still at risk.

Firefighters were anticipating winds of up to 35 mph late Thursday afternoon.

In northern Nevada, high winds also were expected in an area where a fire broke out Tuesday, burned 7,500 acres and damaged two homes. Crews near the Nevada-California line raced to secure a line above a second rural community Thursday before the winds kicked up.

Meanwhile, firefighters in a rural part of California's San Diego County fought a 1,200-acre wildfire that led to evacuation orders for 100 homes. Gusts of up to 45 mph were forecast in the area Thursday night.

In the Gila National Forest, the flames have raced across more than 70,500 acres of rugged terrain. The Baldy fire was first spotted May 9 and the Whitewater blaze was sparked May 16, but nearly all of the growth has come in recent days thanks to relentless winds.

There is no containment.

The blaze is about half the size of last summer's historic Las Conchas fire, the largest in the state's recorded history. That blaze burned 156,593 acres and destroyed dozens of homes in northern New Mexico's Jemez Mountains.

With drought conditions persisting, New Mexico forestry officials have been urging residents to take precautions to help avoid another record fire season.

Many trails in the Gila region were off-limits due to the Whitewater-Baldy fire and more could be closed as the blaze continues to burn.

About 10 miles to the southeast, volunteers and staff at the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument have been watching the column of smoke develop each afternoon.

"The plume above us yesterday was truly awesome. It was scary awesome," said volunteer Dave Young.

The monument was not in any immediate danger, but Young described conditions in the area as "bone dry."

"We're talking single-digit humidity in the afternoon. We've been down to 1 percent, and you can't get below 1 percent," he said.

Aside from low humidity and high temperatures, Estes said crews were expecting the red flag conditions to last through Saturday.

More than 400 personnel were assigned to the fire.

Anonymity is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the United States was founded, in part, thanks to Thomas Paine's anonymously written, pro-revolution pamphlet Common Sense. On the other hand, 12-year-olds who post anonymously on the internet can be rather unpleasant and cause real problems by cyberbullying. Whether you think the good outweighs the bad, this news is troubling indeed: A far-reaching bill introduced in the New York State Senate could end the practice of posting online once and for all.


Introduced by New York State Sen. Thomas F. O'Mara (R—Big Flats), S6779 would require that any anonymous post online is subject to removal if the poster refuses to post — and verify — their legal name, their IP address, and their home address. From the (likely well intentioned) bill:

"A web site administrator upon request shall remove any comments posted on his or her web site by an anonymous poster unless such anonymous poster agrees to attach his or her name to the post and confirms that his or her IP address, legal name, and home address are accurate. All web site administrators shall have a contact number or e-mail address posted for such removal requests, clearly visible in any sections where comments are posted."

Critics are quick to point out how dangerous and ineffective the anti-privacy bill would be in the off chance that it somehow passes.  After all, IP addresses do nothing to verify a person's identity, and including your home address on a controversial internet post could open you up to real-life threats.

In effect, the bill is an online stalker's dream. Of course, the most likely result of the bill's passage would just be the full-scale elimination of all comment systems everywhere, because the system is an unworkable burden on both the poster and the "web site administrators" who would need to respond to ludicrous take down requests at all times of the day.

GENEVA - An experimental solar-powered airplane took off from Switzerland on its first transcontinental flight Thursday, aiming to reach North Africa next week.

Pilot Andre Borschberg planned to take the jumbo jet-size Solar Impulse plane on its first leg to Madrid, Spain, by Friday. His colleague Bertrand Piccard will take the helm of the aircraft for the second stretch of its 2,500-kilometre (1,554-mile) journey to the Moroccan capital Rabat.

Fog on the runaway at its home base in Payerne, Switzerland, delayed the take off by two hours, demonstrating how susceptible the prototype single-seater aircraft is to adverse weather.

"We can't fly into clouds because it was not designed for that," Borschberg said as he piloted the lumbering plane with its 63-meter (207-foot) wingspan toward the eastern French city of Lyon at a cruising speed of just 70 kilometres an hour (43.5 mph).

Before landing in Madrid in the early hours of Friday, Borschberg will face other challenges, including having to overfly the Pyrenees mountains that separate France and Spain.

Just in case things go disastrously wrong, Borschberg has a parachute inside his tiny cabin that he hopes never to use. "When you take an umbrella it never rains," he joked in a satellite call with The Associated Press.

Piccard — the son of undersea explorer Jacques Piccard and grandson of balloonist Auguste Piccard — will have to cross the windy Straits of Gibraltar from Europe to Africa.

The team has been invited to Morocco by the country's King Mohammed VI to showcase the cutting edge of solar technology.

Morocco is about to start construction on a massive solar energy plant at Ouarzazate. The plant will form part of a country-wide solar energy grid with a capacity of 2000 megawatts by 2020.

The mission is described as the final dress rehearsal for a round-the-world flight with a new and improved aircraft in 2014. That trip will include stops in the United States, said Borschberg.

In 2010, the Swiss flew non-stop for 26-hour to demonstrate that the 12,000 solar cells attached to the aircraft can soak up enough sunlight to keep the plane airborne through the night. A year later, he took Solar Impulse on its first international flight to Belgium and France.

The project began in 2003 and is estimated to cost about $100 million over 10 years.

JERUSALEM  — After a prolonged chill, security ties between Israel and China are warming up.

With Israel offering much-needed technical expertise and China representing a huge new market and influential voice in the international debate over Iran's nuclear program, the two nations have stepped up military cooperation as they patch up a rift caused by a pair of failed arms deals scuttled by the U.S.

The improved ties have been highlighted by this week's visit to Beijing by Israel's military chief and a training mission to Israel by the Chinese paramilitary force that, among other things, polices the restive Tibetan and Muslim Uighur regions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to travel to China in the coming weeks.

After their meeting Monday, both China's chief of staff, Gen. Chen Bingde, and his Israeli counterpart, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, hailed the growing ties and held out the possibility of even closer military cooperation.

Chen told the official China Daily that China "attaches importance to the ties with the Israeli military and is willing to make concerted efforts with the Israeli side to deepen pragmatic cooperation."

In a statement released by the Israeli military, Gantz mentioned a commitment to developing the relationship, including "joint courses that are scheduled to take place." It did not elaborate.

Such comments are a remarkable turnaround from just a few years ago, when ties deteriorated after the failed arms deals.

Israel and China established diplomatic relations in 1992, and the two countries traded military technology for nearly a decade. Some military analysts believe that Israel helped China develop its J-10 fighter plane during the 1990s, a claim that both countries have denied.

These ties suffered a blow in 2000 when the U.S. pressured Israel to cancel the sale of a sophisticated radar system to China, fearing it could alter the balance of power with Taiwan. The cancellation infuriated China, cost Israel hundreds of millions of dollars, and frayed ties.

Then, in 2005, the U.S. persuaded Israel not to service spare parts for unmanned aircraft drones already sold to China, concerned that it would upgrade China's airborne anti-radar capability. Israel officials say that Israel has since halted weapons sales to China.

But in recent months, relations have begun to improve. In June 2011, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak traveled to China. Chen, the Chinese military chief, visited Israel in August, and in December, Israel's paramilitary Border Police unit hosted a delegation from the People's Armed Police.

During the monthlong course, "cadets were taught a variety of information, with an emphasis on fighting terror, dealing with disturbances, self defense, open field combat and more," according to an Israeli police statement. It was the first such exercise, police said.

This newfound cooperation has raised concerns among human rights advocates. Israel's Border Police serve on the front lines of anti-Israel demonstrations in the West Bank and have been accused of using excessive force dispersing crowds. It denies the allegations.

The People's Armed Police, or PAP, has also been accused of using excessive force, particularly in Tibet, a western region where the indigenous Buddhist population has pushed for independence.

Policing Tibet is a small part of a challenging mission. Believed to have as many as 1 million members, the PAP is responsible for asserting government control over a rapidly changing society beset by soaring numbers of protests, strikes and ethnic unrest by Tibetans and Muslim Uighurs on China's Central Asian frontier.

Set up in the early 1980s to take over domestic security from the armed forces, the PAP has been derided for much of its history as undisciplined. The units proved unfit to handle the Tiananmen Square democracy demonstrations in 1989, forcing the Communist Party to call in the People's Liberation Army.

In the past decade, the government has launched a full-force upgrade. It now has rapid-response, counterterrorism, anti-hijacking and other specialized units.

Nicholas Bequelin, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said PAP units engaged in "widespread abuses" in putting down a mass Tibetan uprising in 2008, using live ammunition against unarmed protesters, disappearances and other acts of disproportionate brutality.

He said the Israeli training "must include a human rights component, such as the principle of proportionate use of force."

Israeli officials rejected any notion of wrongdoing, saying that all cooperation was "transparent" and done with the full knowledge of the U.S. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a sensitive diplomatic issue.

The Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv did not respond to a request for comment.

According to Israeli diplomats and analysts, the interests on both sides are clear. Israel has a strong interest in getting closer to a rising world power, while China is interested in Israeli military and technological know-how.

"I'm sure Israel does whatever it can to let the Chinese know that despite limitations on military transfers, Israel still has a strong will to attain good relations," said Yoram Evron, a China expert at Haifa University and the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank.

He said he believes the warming ties were initiated by the Chinese, who were caught off guard by the Arab Spring protests convulsing the region in the past year and a half.

"Due to the Arab Spring, China may have the impression, a stronger impression than before, that Israel is relatively stable compared with other players in the region," he said.

An Israeli diplomat involved in Asian affairs said the security ties are part of a larger blossoming of relations. China is now Israel's third-largest trade partner, after the European Union and United States. Bilateral trade exceeded $8 billion last year, roughly 20 percent higher than the previous year.

While those figures are minuscule for China, the diplomat noted that China is very interested in some key industries in which Israel has expertise. He cited Israeli water technologies in agriculture, desalination and wastewater management.

He said Israel has signed number of trade agreements with China in recent years, including a new scholarship program to bring 250 Chinese university students to Israel annually. It also has expanded its diplomatic presence in China with a new consulate in the city of Guangzhou, and another one set to open in Chengdu next year.

Israeli officials acknowledged their motives go beyond trade. They said they routinely raise concerns about Iran's nuclear program with China, which is both a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and which relies on Iran for roughly 10 percent of its oil supply.

Israel, like the West, believes Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb, and has hinted it will attack Iran if it concludes that international diplomatic efforts to stop Iran have failed. An Israeli attack could disrupt the flow of oil and send global energy prices skyrocketing, a nightmare scenario for China.

So far, the Israeli lobbying has yielded mixed results. China has helped pass four sets of economic sanctions against Iran, but has tried to dilute the language.

"We would like to see them taking more concrete steps because they have clout over Iran," the diplomat said. "We explain that if the issue is not resolved, it might affect stability in the Middle East."

Iran's navy said Thursday it saved an American-flagged cargo ship that was being attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Oman.

An Iranian warship responded to a distress signal from the US-flagged Maersk Texas, a cargo ship of 150 metres (500 feet) and 14,000 tonnes, which was besieged by "several pirate boats," the navy said in a statement reported by the official IRNA news agency.

The cargo vessel "was saved by the navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran" on Wednesday, IRNA added.

The pirates "fled the scene as soon as they spotted the presence" of the warship. Maersk Texas "thanked the Iranian navy and sailed towards its destination safely," it added.

It was the first time the Iranian navy protected a US ship from pirates.

Maersk Line told AFP that its vessel, Maersk Texas, had "thwarted an attack by multiple pirate skiffs at noon local while transiting the Gulf of Oman, northeast of Fujairah" but denied it had been helped by the Iranian navy.

"Maersk Texas heard from the Iranian navy over radio to the initial distress call, but our vessel received no assistance from the Iranian navy," spokesman Kevin Steers said in an email sent to AFP in Washington.

"All hands onboard are safe and unharmed, and the vessel is proceeding on its voyage," he added.

Iran's navy keeps a presence in Gulf of Oman to protect cargo ships and transiting oil tankers and also defend the country against potential threats.

According to Iranian commanders, Iran's navy have carried out hundreds of anti-piracy operations, engaging in hundreds of armed clashes with pirates in the past three years.

The US navy patrolling the area have on a number of occasions rescued Iranian ships. The latest incident was in January when a US warship secured the release of 13 Iranian fishermen near the entrance to the Gulf who had been held captive by pirates for 45 days.

A legal battle erupted between DISH Network and some of the major broadcast networks Thursday as the two sides traded lawsuits over the satellite distribution company's "Hopper" DVR, which threatens to bring down the television business model by allowing viewers to skip over commercials entirely.

Dish Network Corp asked a Manhattan federal judge to declare that its "Auto Hop" feature does not infringe any copyright owned by the four major U.S. television networks: Walt Disney Co's ABC, CBS Corp's CBS, News Corp's Fox and Comcast Corp's NBC.

 CBS, Fox and NBC, meanwhile, are filing their own lawsuits to stop Dish from transmitting their programs in a way that lets viewers watch them without commercial interruptions. ABC's plans were not immediately clear.

 With 14 million subscribers, Dish is the second-largest satellite TV provider in the United States behind DirecTV.

 TV networks are upset that Dish, led by billionaire chairman Charles Ergen, would introduce the "Auto Hop" feature that may well please viewers, but would undermine the networks' key source of revenue: advertising.

 Dish introduced a high-definition DVR called the Hopper earlier this year and declined to say on Thursday how many of its subscribers are using the new device that contains the ad zapper.

 It added Auto Hop on May 10 and began advertising the product just as the networks were conducting their crucial "up-fronts," where they tout their pr programming for the next season to their own advertisers. TV ad spending is estimated to reach more than $200 billion globally in the next five years.

 Brean Murray analyst Todd Mitchell said Dish is embroiled in this latest dispute because it is sick of paying high programming fees and wants to negotiate better deals with broadcasters.

 "This is about programming costs," Murray said. "Dish is saying, if you want to charge me up to the wazoo, we will disable commercials. But if you charge us less, we can disable the feature."

 Ergen has consistently provoked programmers, most recently threatening to drop AMC Networks from its systems and criticizing it for devaluing its content by putting its shows on Netflix. Ergen once publicized the home number of Mel Karmazin, then-CEO of Viacom, during another tussle over fees.

 In its complaint, Dish maintained that the Auto Hop lets viewers fast-forward through but not delete commercials, and said the feature does not alter the broadcast signal.

 The feature does not affect cable programming, and requires viewers to wait until 1 a.m. on the morning after a show airs before they can skip over commercials.

 Dish also said other companies offer products with similar features, citing Microsoft Corp's offering of a commercial-skipping feature as an add-on to its Windows Media Center.

 Dish's senior vice president of programming Dave Shull said in an interview that Dish hopes to resolve the matter with networks and that the ad skipping feature "is not nearly as detrimental as they fear."

 Fox, in its lawsuit filed in a California federal court, countered that Dish has only "narrow permission" to retransmit its broadcast signals, and should not sell a product that lets it trumpet "commercial-free TV" without permission. It also seeks compensatory and other damages.

 Scott Goggin, a Fox spokesman, said Dish's launch of an ad zapper reflects a "clear goal of violating copyrights and destroying the fundamental underpinnings of the broadcast television ecosystem," requiring a swift response.

 The Dish lawsuit is: Dish Network LLC v. American Broadcasting Cos et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 12-04155. The networks' lawsuits include: Fox Broadcasting Co et al v. Dish Network LLC et al, U.S. District Court, Central District of California; and NBC Studios LLC et al v. Dish Network Corp in the same court.

When Porsche first launched the Porsche Boxster in 1996, the little brother of the 911 came off as a consolation prize for owners who couldn't afford the "real" Porsche sports car. But with the 2013 Boxster, Porsche has crafted a car that's almost good enough to generate sibling rivalry.

For the third generation, Porsche made a complete redesign of the mid-engine 981 Boxster. The wheelbase is 2.36 inches longer, the height is 10mm lower and the front track is 1.57 inches wider. The body extensively uses aluminum to reduce overall weight by 55 lbs in the Boxster and 77 lbs in the Boxster S, making it the lightest roadster in its class.

The flat-6, 2.7-liter engine in the Boxster is up 10 horsepower compared to the previous model, bumping it to 265 hp with 206 ft-lbs of torque, mastering a 0-60 mph run at an estimated 5.5 seconds, with the optional Sports Chrono package and Porsche's PDK seven-speed automatic transmission.

The sportier 3.4-litre Boxster S gets a jump of 5 hp to 315 and 266 ft-lbs of torque. With all the options installed the claimed 0-60 is just 4.8 seconds. Fuel efficiency has been improved for both models with 10 percent better mileage compared to the previous Boxster.


The old Boxster had a rear end that looked like Donald Duck's bill, but the slightest re-work on the 2013 has tied the car together nicely. The exterior has had some nip-tuck and the design takes cues from the Carrera GT. Seeing the two next to each other, the influences pop out, especially from the side angle presenting the new air scoops just behind the doors. The new LED rear taillights with the integrated edge works nicely, complimenting the car's more aggressive stance.

The interior is sophisticated German class through and through. It sports an elevated center control and Porsche's traditional 3-gauge cluster. The far right compartment becomes a multifunctional display, including a handy nav screen, complimenting the larger main display. Everything is wrapped in leather and it takes a keen eye to spy even the slightest hint of plastic trim.

Twisting the key triggers a subtle, somewhat docile, growl. But put the Boxster S in to Sport Plus mode and you discover a more prominent grunt and a throttle pedal that taunts you with all the power lying just under sole of your shoe, daring you to release it.

At speed the 2013 Porsche Boxster handles magnificently, a precise and balanced instrument for carving out a corner. On the pristine circuit at Barber Motorsports Park, you could kick the rear out in a predictable fashion, inspiring the confidence that only encouraged you to push harder. The larger brake disks and improved cooling made braking exceptional with zero fade. Steering is weighty and sharp, giving you a true sense of the enormity of grip available.

The torsional stiffness of the car has been improved by 40 percent, and you can feel it. As you conquer the apex and begin to apply power, Porsche's clever torque vectoring system rotates the car, allowing you to get back to power aggressively without a sniff of understeer. The rear squats and the Boxster launches like an Olympic sprinter bursting off the blocks.

The PDK transmission shifts with a spleen-snapping sharpness. The changes are instantaneous and downshifts provide a satisfying, perfectly matched blip followed by a beautifully deep crackle from the power plant.

Off the track, the Boxster only got better. Put the top down and suddenly Leeds, Ala., becomes an acceptable substitute for anywhere between Milan and Monaco. The car feels refined and leaner than its predecessor, effortless to drive at speed, yet satisfying.

With prices starting at $49,500 for the Boxster and $60,900 for the Boxster S, what we have here a truly brilliant machine. It emerges from the shadows cast by its big brother and blossoms into a car more than capable of holding its own. The Porsche Boxster is no longer a car to settle for — it's a car to yearn for.