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Thursday, May 21, 2009

Obama stands by Guantanamo closure

Barack Obama, the US president, has defended his decision to close the Guantanamo Bay US prison camp, saying it probably "created more terrorists around the world than it ever detained"."We're cleaning up something that is quite simply a mess," Obama said in Washington on Thursday, as he attempted to broker a consensus among officials who have rejected his plans to close Guantanamo."As commander in chief, I see the intelignence, I bare the responsibility of keeping this country safe and I categorically reject the assertion that these [the camp and military tribunal system] are the most effective ways of keeping this country safe," Obama said.The prison and the military tribunals were authorised by George Bush, his predecessor as US president, after the September 11, 2001, attacks.Obama stressed that efforts to reverse Bush-era policies such as Guantanamo had begun before he took office as president."In 2006, the supreme court invalidated the entire system," Obama said in his speech, delivered at the National Archives in Washington.He noted that roughly 500 detainees had already been released by the Bush administration and criticised Guantanamo and its military tribunals as endangering US citizens, saying they "alienate us in the world and serve as a recruitment tool for terrorists"."They risk the lives of our troops ... and make it more likely our citizens will be miss-treated if captured in battle," he said.

How to fit 300 DVDs on one disc

A new optical recording method could pave the way for data discs with 300 times the storage capacity of standard DVDs, Nature journal reports.The researchers say this could see a whopping 1.6 terabytes of information fit on a DVD-sized disc.They describe their method as "five-dimensional" optical recording and say it could be commercialised.The technique employs nanometre-scale particles of gold as a recording medium.Researchers at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia have exploited the particular properties of these gold "nano-rods" by manipulating the light pointed at them.The team members described what they did as adding two "dimensions" to the three spatial dimensions that discs already have.They say they were able to introduce a spectral - or colour - dimension and a polarisation dimension.

New 'American Idol' Named in Show's Finale

Kris Allen's smooth vocals and boy-next-door image propelled him to "American Idol" victory Wednesday, turning the theatrical powerhouse Adam Lambert into the most unlikely of also-rans."I'm sorry, I don't even know what to feel right now. This is crazy," said a stunned Allen, 23, of Conway, Ark.As host Ryan Seacrest said in announcing the result of the viewer vote, "The underdog, the dark horse, comes back and wins the nation over."Lambert's commanding vocal range and stage presence — and the judges' adoration of him — at times turned "Idol" into "The Adam Lambert Show," with the other contestants mere guests. But it turned out that "Idol" viewers could embrace a gifted performer like Lambert, one who sported black nail polish and bold self-assurance, only to a point.Simon Cowell tipped his hat to both contestants Wednesday."To both of you, and I don't normally mean this, I thought you were both brilliant. .... The future's all yours," the judge said.Before the results were announced, Lambert and Allen had a moment of musical camaraderie: They joined together with Queen on the rock anthem "We Are the Champions."

Oil drops below $62 in Asia

Oil prices eased off six-month highs Thursday in Asia after rallying the day before to above $62 a barrel on a bigger-than-expected fall in U.S. crude inventories.Benchmark crude for July delivery was down 49 cents to $61.55 a barrel midday in Singapore in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Oil has surged about 75 percent since March on signs the global economy, while still struggling through a severe slowdown, may have avoided a worst-case scenario.On Wednesday, the July contract rose $1.94 to settle at $62.04 after the government said U.S. crude inventories fell for a second week, suggesting demand may be improving.Crude stockpiles dropped by 2.1 million barrels for the week ended May 15, according to Energy Department's Energy Information Administration. Gasoline inventories dropped by 4.3 million barrels.

Iran Says It Test Fired Missile That Could Hit Israel, U.S. Bases in Mideast

Iran tested its longest-range, solid-fuel missile yet Wednesday — a launch that displayed Tehran's reach and burnished the president's hardline reputation ahead of next month's election.Defense Secretary Robert Gates confirmed the test, which was announced by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The launch raised concerns about the sophistication of Tehran's missile program and Pentagon officials cautioned that it leaves Iran at a crossroads."They can either continue on this path of continued destabilization in the region or they can decide that they want to pursue relationships with the countries in the region and the United States that are more normalized," said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman.Solid-propellent rockets are a concern because they can be fueled in advance and moved or hidden in silos, said a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss technical details of Iran's missile program.Israel said the test appeared to be in part Iran's response to a positive meeting on Monday between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Barack Obama. Following the meeting, Obama threatened Iran with further international sanctions if it does not agree to reopen negotiations on its nuclear program.

Aid groups demand Sri Lanka access

The Red Cross and the United Nations have called on the Sri Lankan government to allow them unrestricted access to refugee camps near the former conflict zone.At least 280,000 people have been displaced due to fighting between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the military, and many of them have been sent to overcrowded camps in the country's north.Pressure continues to mount on the Sri Lankan government to open areas that have been off limits to journalists and aid workers, amid reports that thousands of civilians were killed in the crossfire between the army and the LTTE in the final weeks of the war.The request comes a day after a decision by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to suspend its aid operations in Sri Lanka due to restrictions placed on it by the government.The ICRC told Al Jazeera on Wednesday, a day after the government declared victory over the LTTE, that "additional restrictions" meant it had no choice but to halt its activities. 

Four men arrested on suspicion of planning attacks in New York

Four men have been arrested in New York on charges ranging from planning an attack on a Jewish synagogue to shooting down planes at a National Guard air base with surface-to-air guided missiles, the US district attorney said on Wednesday.Four men were arrested on charges linked with planning attacks against a Jewish synagogue and New York military bases, the US district attorney said in a statement Wednesday.The men were arrested "on charges arising from a plot to detonate explosives near a synagogue in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York, and to shoot military planes located at the New York Air National Guard Base at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, New York, with Stinger surface-to-air guided missiles," read the statement.To obtain weapons, the defendants dealt with an FBI informant, who provided the group "with an inactive missile and inert explosives," officials said.The men had been tracked over the past year, officials said.The suspects were identified as James Cromitie, also known as Abdul Rahman; David Williams, also known as Daoud or simply DL; Onta Williams, also known as Hamza; and Laguerre Payen, also known as Amin and Almondo.The statement was signed by acting attorney for the southern district of New York Lev Dassin, as well New York city police chief Raymond Kelly, and the acting head of the local Federal Bureau of Investigations office.

Sudan vows to destroy Chad forces

Sudan has threatened to destroy any Chadian forces that invade its territory.The warning on Wednesday came after Chad's defence ministry said it was planning to enter Sudan to attack rebel groups that recently launched an assault on Chadian soil.There was no sign of Chadian troops entering Sudan later in the day."The Sudanese ministry of defence pointed out it will not tolerate any aggression on the Sudanese lands, and warned that the Armed Forces will destroy any force that attempt to attack the Sudanese territories," Sudan's state news agency SUNA reported.Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent weeks despite both nations signing a reconciliation agreement in Doha, the capital of Qatar.