Aide to Al-Qaeda's Zarqawi Killed in Iraq, U.S. Says
Abu Azzam, a senior aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and the No. 2 al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, was shot dead in an apartment in Baghdad Sunday night.
Azzam ``was a significant al-Qaeda leader,'' Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said yesterday. The Iraqi Government may release a statement on Azzam's death, Whitman said.
Also known as Abdallah Nahim or Abu Selwah, Azzam's real name was Abdallah Muhammed Al-Juhaari, U.S. military spokeswoman Lieutenant Michelle Lunato said today in a telephone interview from Baghdad. He was called the al-Qaeda Emir in Baghdad, she said, and had a $50,000 U.S. bounty on his head.
The effect on the insurgency remains to be seen as the death or capture of key al-Zarqawi deputies in the past hasn't led to a decrease in the number of suicide bombings in Iraq.
U.S.-led troops and members of the Iraqi Security Forces raided an apartment in a residential high-rise building in the capital at 4:50 a.m. on Sept. 25 in response to a tip, according to Lunato. They intended to arrest him ``but they were fired upon and returned fire, killing Azzam,'' she said.
An unidentified person was injured in the fighting, Lunato said. Azzam is believed to have been Palestinian and may have entered Iraq in April 2005, Agence France-Presse quoted National Security Advisor Muwafiq al-Rubaie as saying today.

Oprah books contemporary writers
The book world heaved a happy sigh yesterday at news that daytime TV doyenne Oprah Winfrey has decided to resume her selections of contemporary books for ''Oprah's Book Club," part of ''The Oprah Winfrey Show."
Winfrey's first choice of a book by a living writer since 2002 is James Frey's 2003 memoir of drug addiction, ''A Million Little Pieces." The selection was announced on the program Thursday. In a trademark dramatic touch, Frey's mother was in the studio audience, but did not know ahead of time that her son was to be chosen.
''It's great news," said Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild, about the return of contemporary writers to the book club. ''She reaches writers in a way that few others have been able to. Her recommendations were incredibly powerful, and she elevated authors whom the greater public had largely not known of."

Rita assaults Gulf Coast
A mass killer long before its core drilled ashore, Hurricane Rita assaulted a vast swath of the Gulf Coast early Saturday. Its torrential rain, towering storm surge and destructive winds again inundated parts of New Orleans and threatened to swamp key oil refineries.
Rita's first victims -- 24 elderly or infirm evacuees -- died not from water, not from wind, but from fire. Flames killed them in what they thought was the safety of a bus carrying them away from a Houston suburb -- and from danger.
In terms of power this has already happened, but we expect the damage this hurricane will cause will be on a very large scale. Hurricane Rita will probably go into the record books as the strongest hurricane ever recorded.
Rita is much stronger than hurricane Katrina (category 4) which hit Louisiana just three weeks ago, causing the deaths of almost 1,000 people. The only other hurricanes of Rita's strength to hit the U.S. in the last 70 years was one in 1935, Hurricane Camille (1969) and Hurricane Andrew (1992).

Human remains found in Hithadhoo RAF area
Confirmed news say that human remains were found near the waste dumping area of Hithadhoo at around noon today. According to eyewitness, these human remains were of more than one person. The bodies were not fully decomposed. Police is now investigating this says the source. These pictures clearly shows that these are the remains of more than one person and also it clearly shows that the fate of these people were not natural either. Eyewitnesses say that it looks like these are the remains of three people. There have been no reports of any missing persons in Addu lately and with the lack of expertise in the Maldives police service to investigate such a case, the best they can do is bury the bones as soon as they possibly can and close the chapter despite the fact that this is an obvious crime scene.
See pictures: Pictre 1 : Picture 2 : Picture 3 : Picture 4 : Picture 5 : Picture 6 : Picture 7

The Power of a Photograph
Steve McCurry's image of the Afghan girl on the June 1985 cover of National Geographic Magazine is one that most of us will never forget. Beautiful green eyes shrouded in the misery of that time and place, her haunted gaze burned an unforgettable impression of beauty, dignity and determination in our collective consciousness. A single frame of 35mm film, it is without a doubt one of the most powerful and compelling images of modern times.
Steve McCurry set out to refind the "Afghan Girl" he photographed as a nameless refugee over 17 years ago. Through the concerted efforts of National Geographic, federal law enforcement, a forensic sculptor, iris recognition technology and local contacts in Afghanistan, the "Afghan Girl" was found and positively identified. Sharbat Gula is now a grown woman with a family of her own, continuing the struggle for survival in a land torn by war and political strife. Aged beyond her years, the gaze of her sea-green eyes still penetrates the soul. Her only request of us is a simple one - provide a means for the young girls of Afghanistan to receive the education they have been denied of in the past. National Geographic has now set up the Afghan Girls Fund for this purpose.

Texan troop call as storm nears
The state of Texas has urged the US federal government to put 10,000 troops on standby for search and rescue work as Hurricane Rita approaches.
While the storm has weakened, the Gulf Coast as far west as Mexico is on alert and more than a million people are fleeing, causing huge traffic jams.
Texas is due to bear the brunt of Rita but storm rains also threaten New Orleans' newly repaired flood defences.
President George W Bush is due to visit Texas to see preparations there.
He is due to leave for two days on Friday and will make a stop in Texas to "get a firsthand look at the preparations... and to show our support for the first responders as they get ready", said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
The visit, Mr McClellan added, would be "as minimal a footprint as possible" and would not interfere with emergency planning in the president's home state. more>

Rapper Paul Wall emerges as U.S. charts 'Champ'
In a week that saw seven albums open in the top 10 of the U.S. pop charts, Houston rapper Paul Wall emerged triumphant with a No. 1 debut, ending the two-week reign of Kanye West.
Wall sold 176,000 copies of "The Peoples Champ" in the week ended September 18, according to Nielsen SoundScan data issued Wednesday, ahead of new discs by Switchfoot, Trisha Yearwood, the Pussycat Dolls, Paul McCartney, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley and Charlie Wilson.
Though Wall has released albums with rapper Chamillionaire and a solo effort — 2004's "The Chick Magnet" — in the last three years, this is the first appearance on the big chart for the Atlantic artist. In the last year, the chopped-and-screwed stylist has earned exposure as a featured rapper on T.I.'s "Urban Legend" and Mike Jones' "Still Tippin," which reached No. 25 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs list.
West's "Late Registration" (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) fell to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 165,000 copies.

Zeta-Jones Gets Cookin'
Scott Hicks will direct Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones is heating up the kitchen.
Zeta-Jones will star for Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures in Mostly Martha, an Americanized remake of the 2001 Sandra Nettlebeck German feature Bella Martha. Scott Hicks will be at the helm of the project, which is being financed and distributed worldwide by Warners and Village Roadshow.
Adapted by Carol Fuchs, Mostly Martha will star Zeta-Jones as a high-powered chef in total career mode. Her life is turned upside down, however, when she becomes the legal guardian of her young niece. Production on the film is tentatively slated to begin in January.
Bruce Berman and Susan Cartsonis will be the executive producers on the project, while Sergio Aguero and Kerry Heysen are the producers.
Repped by CAA, Zeta-Jones will next be seen with Antonio Banderas in The Legend of Zorro, which is due for release in October. Her other recent credits include Ocean's Twelve, The Terminal and Intolerable Cruelty. She won her Oscar as Best Supporting Actress in 2003 for her work Chicago.
Hicks, also repped by CAA, is best known for his work on Shine, which earned seven Oscar nods and won the Best Actor statue for Geoffrey Rush. Hicks picked up Best Director and Best Original Screenplay nominations for his work on the film. His other credits include Hearts in Atlantis, Snow Falling on Cedars and Call Me Mr. Brown.in an adaptation of the 2001 German film Bella Martha.
Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones is heating up the kitchen. Zeta-Jones will star for Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures in Mostly Martha, an Americanized remake of the 2001 Sandra Nettlebeck German feature Bella Martha. Scott Hicks will be at the helm of the project, which is being financed and distributed worldwide by Warners and Village Roadshow.
Adapted by Carol Fuchs, Mostly Martha will star Zeta-Jones as a high-powered chef in total career mode. Her life is turned upside down, however, when she becomes the legal guardian of her young niece. Production on the film is tentatively slated to begin in January.
Bruce Berman and Susan Cartsonis will be the executive producers on the project, while Sergio Aguero and Kerry Heysen are the producers.
Repped by CAA, Zeta-Jones will next be seen with Antonio Banderas in The Legend of Zorro, which is due for release in October. Her other recent credits include Ocean's Twelve, The Terminal and Intolerable Cruelty. She won her Oscar as Best Supporting Actress in 2003 for her work Chicago.
Hicks, also repped by CAA, is best known for his work on Shine, which earned seven Oscar nods and won the Best Actor statue for Geoffrey Rush. Hicks picked up Best Director and Best Original Screenplay nominations for his work on the film. His other credits include Hearts in Atlantis, Snow Falling on Cedars and Call Me Mr. Brown.

Jackie Chan Refuses To Star In Action Movies
Jackie Chan has recently declared he would stop making actions films in five years, and will focus on his career as producer and director.The 51-years-old Hong Kong movie icon admires actors like Clint Eastwood, who have continued to appear in action thrillers despite their age.When asked abot his plans at a news conference in Malaysia to promote his latest film, Chan said: "I will make action movies, I think, for a few more years, another five years".The actors intends to produce more action movies or small-budget films and National Geographic-style documentaries, but he also wants to train young directors and stunt actors."I don't think I'll retire" he said. "Maybe from the screen, but (not) behind the screen."Chan stars in The Myth, as an ancient general reincarnated as a modern-day archaeologist. The movie, shot on location in China and India, which also features South Korean actress Kim Hee-sun and Bollywood screen siren Mallika Sherawat, will be released in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia on September 23 and later in other Asian countries. Jackie Chan wants to be recongnized for his acting talent more than for his martial arts skills, and might return with a kung fu project, which is to be shot late next year or early 2007, marking another collaboration with the Rush Hour action-comedy series makers."I know the audiences love to see Rush Hour One, Two, Three, Four, Five. But, I'm tired. I've hurt myself too much, I'm not young anymore", he said"Jackie is not an action star. Jackie is an actor who can act, not a fighter who can act", Chan added."The life of an action star is very short. I want to be an actor like Robert De Niro, like Dustin Hoffman or Clint Eastwood who in their 70s or 80s can still act", Jackie Chan concluded.

Feds mobilizing response to Rita
As Hurricane Rita powered toward the Texas coast yesterday, the Bush administration was doing its best to appear calm and collected while mobilizing as if its core credibility were on the line.
Indeed, political Washington was so jittery over the possibility that the federal government might repeat the errors of Hurricane Katrina that some Republicans reacted with alarm when President Bush spent part of the day attending to routine business — delivering a boilerplate speech at a GOP luncheon and attending a lengthy meeting on his stalled Social Security plan.
"Why he spent 45 minutes on Social Security today floors me," a GOP lobbyist said.
But White House officials said Bush spent much of yesterday on hurricane business and the time devoted to other activities apparently was designed to project a sense of calm.more

Information Ministry sends cases to AG office regarding writings in newspapers and magazines
Regarding some writings published in newspapers and magazines, nine cases have been sent to the Attorney General’s Office, by Ministry of Information. Attorney General’s office said on Tuesday that eight of these cases have been sent to Maldives Police Services and that one has been sent back to the AG’s office due to the completion of investigation.“We are planning to send that case to trial. But it has not been decided when it will be sent,” a person who spoke on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office said. According to him, among the cases sent by Ministry of Information, six cases are regarding the articles published in ‘Minivan’ daily newspaper, one regarding an advertisement in ‘Haveeru Daily’, one regarding an advertisement in ‘Fiyes’ and another regarding an article published in ‘Adduvas’ magazine.

The Minister of Finance of the Maldives, Mr. Qasim Ibrahim explained the economic situation of Maldives due to tsunami disaster in the meeting of Commonwealth Finance Ministers. Commonwealth Finance Ministers went into their first plenary session at the Barbados Hilton on yesterday morning to look at several issues affecting the 53 states stretched across the globe.

Police to probe Moss cocaine claims
Police are to investigate allegations that supermodel Kate Moss has taken cocaine, Scotland Yard said.
Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur ordered the probe after pictures allegedly showing Moss snorting the drug appeared in a newspaper.

A spokeswoman said: "Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur has reviewed the matter and has asked officers from the specialist crime directorate to look at reports, as highlighted in a national newspaper."
She would not say whether Moss would be interviewed by officers.
On Tuesday it was announced that the model was being dropped from a planned advertising campaign for the fashion store H&M.
The clothing and cosmetics giant said in a statement that it would cancel a future campaign with 31-year-old Moss.

Basra Crowd Burns British Tanks During Raid on Jail
Crowds in Basra attacked U.K. forces as they tried to free two British servicemen from a jail in the southern Iraqi city, setting tanks on fire in clashes that left two people dead, British Broadcasting Corp. said.
British tanks smashed through the jail's entrance after the men were arrested yesterday for allegedly shooting at Iraqi police, BBC reported on its Web site, citing unidentified witnesses. The attack sparked clashes in which two civilians were killed, U.K. tanks were set ablaze and three British soldiers were injured when protesters threw petrol bombs at the tanks, the BBC reported.

Two girls severely injured, after falling from the back door of an ambulance
Two girls have bee severely injured after falling from the back door of an ambulance when they were assisting two girls who were being taken to Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), due to seizure. The two employees, Mariyam Waheed and Zunniya Badru, of the People?s Majlis office, were injured on Sunday afternoon. ?When the ambulance passed over a speed breaker, in front of former Thaajuddin School building, the back door swung open, the girls fell off and were severely injured,? a staff of IGMH explained. ?Mariyam is still in critical condition. Even now we are carrying out different tests.?According to him, along with the girls, there were four men and three women in the ambulance at the time.According to the information received, one of the girls gets frequent seizure and the other one had never got one before.

Mr. Qasim Ibrahim explained the economic situation of Maldives
The Minister of Finance of the Maldives, Mr. Qasim Ibrahim explained the economic situation of Maldives due to tsunami disaster in the meeting of Commonwealth Finance Ministers. Commonwealth Finance Ministers went into their first plenary session at the Barbados Hilton on yesterday morning to look at several issues affecting the 53 states stretched across the globe.
One of the major issues on the agenda of the meeting was about the high prices of oil and the impact on developing economies. International oil prices were a major burden for Maldives government, whose fuel bill was estimated to increase by $50 million this year.
Mr. Qasim Ibrahim says the Maldives suffered over 470 million U.S dollars in infrastructural damage, and over 100 lives in the disaster. He believes that Maldives will at least take three years to fully recover from the disaster.
The Maldives economy is over 60 percent dependent on tourism and the economy is set to shrink in this year for the first time since its records began, because tourist arrivals have more than halved due to December's tsunami.

Maldives to attempt a world dive record!
Maldives Tourism Promotion Board together with Dhiraagu Maldives is to attempt a new world record for greatest number of scuba divers simultaneously diving on a single site. The targeted number of divers for this attempt is 1000 inclusive of locals and tourists and the tentative location and time has been set for Sunlight Thila on the last week of February.Current world record for the greatest number of people scuba diving simultaneously at the same location is 592, at an event organised by the Durban Underwater Club at Vetch's Pier, Durban, South Africa, on July 7th, 2001.Scuba Diving is one of the major products that attract tourists to the Maldives and as such this event has been incorporated as part of worldwide promotional activities for 2006. Maldives Tourism Promotion Board and Dhiraagu anticipate increased international exposure through this event. This idea of establishing a world record that is very relevant to the Maldives is been initiated by Dhiraagu, and they are receiving extensive support from the scuba diving community and tourism sector in the Maldives.

Nine-man Real Madrid sent reeling by new defeat

Nine-man Real Madrid slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Espanyol on Sunday to leave the misfiring multi-millionaires hovering just one point above the Spanish League relegation zone.
It was Real's third defeat in eight days and left them with just one league win so far this season.
They also had two players - Sergio Ramos and Julio Baptista - sent-off to complete a miserable week which started with a 3-2 home defeat by Celta Vigo and continued with a 3-0 mauling by Lyon in the Champions League.

US clinic to attempt 1st face transplant

Five men and seven women — all severely disfigured — have been shortlisted in the "face race" to receive the world's first face transplant.
The medical team at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio is led by Maria Siemionow, a 55-year-old surgeon who has spent years conducting research into face transplants. She will select the first recipient from the 12 applicants of a new face from a cadaver.
The clinic received approval for the pioneering operation from its ethics board last year, though regulators in Britain and France had rejected the surgery.
Dr. Siemionow wants to give people disfigured by burns, accidents or other tragedies a chance at a new life. Today's best treatments still leave many with scar-tissue masks that do not look or move like natural skin.
These people already have lost the sense of identity that is linked to the face; the transplant is merely "taking a skin envelope" and slipping their identity inside, according to Dr Siemionow.
However, critics say that the operation is far too risky for something that is not a matter of life or death. They warn of a possible worst-case scenario: a transplanted face being rejected and leaving the patient worse off than before.
Teams of surgeons in Britain, France and the US have previously announced that they are close to performing face transplants, but concerns over the ethical implications of the procedure have halted or delayed their plans. Enditem

Chairman of Shangri-La Asia Limited visits Addu Atoll, Villingili.
The Chairman of Shangi-La Asia Limited, Mr. Edward K. L. Kuok, visited Addu Atoll, on 17th July 2005. On his return from Villigli, Mr. Kuok met with the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Dr. Mahmood Shaugee. During the meeting Mr. Kuok stated that he was very impressed with the beauty of the island and he realized the potential of the proposed development in Addu Atoll. He said that he is confident that the resort would be a great success. After the visit, he envisages major alterations to the present development plan of the island to enhance the quality of the product which would require additional investment.
Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation highlighted the importance of completion of the project for the people of Addu Atoll and to the nation as a whole. Dr. Shaugee assured that Ministry of Tourism would provide all the necessary assistance required in facilitating the development of this resort as quickly as possible.
According to Mr. Kuok, the preliminary work of the development would begin within the next two to three weeks and anticipates commencement of the physical development of the island from August 2005 with the target of opening of the resort within the next 24 months.
During his visit to the Maldives, Mr. Kuok also visited some of the resorts in the country and complimented the concept and the style of development. Being an enthusiastic diver, Mr. Kuok is very much concerned with the preservation of the environment. He was very impressed with the effort being made by the government and the people to protect natural beauty of the Maldives.

Courtney Love sentenced to 180 days in rehab
Rock star violated her probation and could have been sentenced to jail time
A subdued Courtney Love, clutching a copy of Bob Dylan’s autobiography, was sentenced Friday to 180 days in jail for violating her probation, but will serve her time in a live-in drug treatment center.
The troubled rocker has been living at a lock-down substance abuse facility since admitting in August she had used drugs, a violation of her probation. A Los Angeles judge said she would be spared jail time because of the headway she made in rehabilitation.
“I’m very pleased with your progress. I think this is an excellent first step on the road to recovery,” Superior Court Judge Rand Rubin told Love after studying a report on her treatment.

Digital mammograms found better for younger women
Digital mammograms work at least as well as standard film technology at detecting early-stage breast cancer, and the newer method offers clear advantages to younger women and those whose breast scans are hard to read.
A major study released Friday gave new impetus to a digital revolution already under way in breast cancer screening. But experts insisted there's nothing wrong with an old-fashioned mammogram, either.
"Nobody has to run out and demand digital," said Dr. R. James Brenner, chief of breast imaging at UCSF and the current president of the Society of Breast Imaging, the nation's largest such organization.
Despite the latest study results, he said, "it's still more important who's reading the picture than whether it was done on film screen or digital."
The long-awaited study was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and published online by the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the release of the key results at a medical meeting. more

Surpise guests from Maldives in Delhi
Last week, two surprise guests from a neighbour in the Indian Ocean landed in Delhi at very short notice. The Maldives foreign minister, Dr Ahmed Shaheed, and finance minister, Mr Qasim Ibrahim, had come with an urgent request ~ to seek help in fixing Maldives’ first budget deficit in decades.
The tsunami and its aftermath had blown a hole of $100 million in the finances of the tiny island nation. As a consequence, for the first time in decades, Maldives encountered a financial crisis. It had accounted for an average GDP growth of eight per cent for the last two decades, thanks mainly to its booming tourism sector. Not only were government revenues affected by the tsunami, tourist arrivals dropped to less than 50 per cent compared to last year, forcing hotels to give large discounts to woo reluctant tourists.
Before they left on 8 September, India had agreed, in principle, to give Maldives a grant of about $2 million in aid. MEA officials said this was the first time India will be giving an outright grant to Maldives, instead of assistance on project-basis. Half of the assured money to Maldives will be the Indian aid of $1.1 million for post-tsunami reconstruction. That money will be doubled and now sent as a one-time grant.

Digital Mammography Proves Superior for Younger Women
Digital mammography was significantly more accurate in detecting premenopausal breast cancer than traditional film-based mammography, researchers reported today on the basis of a study of nearly 50,000 women.
In the study, which was funded by the National Cancer Institute, digital mammography performed significantly better than film mammography among women younger than 50 years compared with those who were at least 50 (P=0.002).
Moreover, digital mammography was more accurate than film mammography among women with heterogeneously dense or extremely dense breasts (P=0.003).
The results were reported this morning at the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) meeting here by Etta D. Pisano, M.D., of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for colleagues of the Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST). Concurrently, the results were published online by The New England Journal of Medicine. more

LARGEST FEET RECORD HOLDER DIES

Guinness World Records is sad to announce that Hollywood actor Matthew McGrory, who boasted record-breaking size 29 1/2 feet, has passed away at his home in Los Angeles. The 32-year-old record breaker – who was also the world's Tallest Actor – met up with GWR recently for a photoshoot for the 2006 book. "We're all shocked," said editor Craig Glenday. "It sounds such a cliche but he was truly a gentle giant, a really nice guy. He'll be missed by everyone at Guinness World Records."

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant
Ithaa is the only all glass undersea restaurant in the world. Set five metres underwater on a coral reef, Ithaa's innovative glass aquarium design gives diners 360-degree views of the surrounding reef life, while offering an exciting and novel fusion Maldivian-western menu. Ithaa, which means ''pearl'' in the local language, promises a unique dining experience, with humans inside the aquarium and the fish looking in. .....It's amazing dhoa....

Do The Experiment
Ingredients:
4 laughing eyes
4 Well-shaped legs
4 Loving arms
2 Firm milk containers
2 Nuts 1 Fur-lined mixing bowl
1 Firm banana
Directions:
1. Look into laughing eyes.
2. Spread well-shaped legs with loving arms.
3. Squeeze and massage milk containers very gently.
4. Gently add firm banana to mixing bowl, working in and out until well creamed. Recommendations: For best results. Continue to knead milk containers.
5. As heat rises, plunge banana deep into mixing bowl and cover with nuts, leave to soak (preferably NOT overnight).
6. The cake is done when banana is soft. If banana does not soften, repeat steps 3-5 or change mixing bowls.
Notes:
1. If you are in an unfamiliar kitchen, wash utensils carefully before and after use.
2. Do not lick mixing bowl after use.
3. If cake rises, leave town.

Annan urges UN reform and end to world poverty

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is urging world leaders to persevere on reforms in the United Nations and take bolder steps to protect human rights and fight world poverty.
Addressing the summit Annan called a year ago to win approval for an ambitious blueprint he hoped would reform the world body on its 60th anniversary, Annan said "a good start" had been made.
Still, he told the leaders Wednesday that the document they will adopt at the end of the UN World summit is not the "sweeping and fundamental reform" he proposed.
Speaking to the more-than 150 presidents, prime ministers and monarchs, Annan called for unity.
"Because one thing has emerged clearly from this process on which we embarked two years ago: whatever our differences, in our interdependent world, we stand or fall together," Annan said.
"Whether our challenge is peacemaking, nation-building, democratization or responding to natural or man-made disasters, we have seen that even the strongest among us cannot succeed alone," he said, apparently referring to difficulties the United States is facing in coping with Hurricane Katrina.
Annan added that there was one area in particular where the UN was still not doing enough.
"Our biggest challenge and our biggest failing is on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament," he said.
"Twice this year... we have allowed posturing to get in the way of resolves. This is inexcusable."
Canada was among 12 countries that tried unsuccessfully to break the logjam.
"I'm disappointed, in terms of the negotiations on UN reform, that there was not more progress in a number of key areas," Prime Minister Paul Martin said in a written statement.
"Frankly this group should have done better and Canada will keep pushing," he said.
Still, he expressed his satisfaction that the UN document is backing his call for the world body to intervene in countries when necessary to stop genocide, war crimes and ethnic cleansing.
"I was delighted that the Canadian principle of Responsibility to Protect is now a principle that belongs to the assembly of nations," Martin said.
As for U.S. President George Bush, he made it clear his priority is stopping terrorists.
He called on the world's leaders to "put the terrorists on notice" by tackling problems that might incite deadly attacks.
"There can be no safety in looking away or seeking the quiet life by ignoring the hardship and oppression of others," Bush said.
"Either hope will spread or violence will spread, and we must take the side of hope," he added, before thanking nations for offers of assistance in the wake of Katrina.

Microsoft patch requires patching

QUALITY problems have forced Microsoft to can the planned September release of its monthly software patch. The company has given no indication of when the security update will be ready.Microsoft has confirmed it will not release the September 13 update as scheduled.
It normally releases its monthly updates on the second Tuesday of the month.
Microsoft Australia-New Zealand chief security adviser Peter Watson said the company had last week provided its normal advance notice to customers that it intended to release a security patch this week.
"We put advance notification out to identify to customers the potential patches that we are planning to release as part of our monthly update process," he said."We did identify that there was going to be one security update."

361 rice sacks missing from the store room of STO, the case under police investigation

State Trading Organization (STO) has taken to police for investigation a case in which 361 sacks of rise had been missing from STO?s godown,.According to the Director of STO, Faarooq Ahmed, those rice sacks were from two different shipments.?From the 11 May 2005 shipment, 265 sacks have been missing and 96 sacks from 27 May 2005 shipment,? Faarooq said. He said that they became aware of the missing sacks during the calculation. The calculated value did not match the value in stock.A sack of rice is being sold for Rf 199. At this rate, the cost of 361 sacks will be Rf 71,839.Faarooq said that, regarding the case, they had questioned the ?Staple Food? section staff and the security staff.?However we are unable to point out who is responsible for this, hence we handed over the case over to police, on 29 August. The case was sent to the ?Staple Food? head office on 21 August,? Faarooq said.According to Faarooq, since nobody had been found guilty yet, they have not taken any action on any staff.Maldives Police Services has not revealed any information regarding this case.

Henry injury adds to France’s World Cup worries
France fear they might miss both Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry when they face Switzerland in a World Cup qualifier next month. Playmaker Zidane, who returned to international soccer last month to help France qualify for next year’s finals in Germany, faces a struggle to be fit in time for the game in Berne on October 8.

Oracle Bought Indian Software, Not Cheap Labor: Andy Mukherjee
For those who equate India's strength in computer software with its vast army of cheap engineers, Oracle Corp.'s decision this month to buy a controlling stake in I-Flex Solutions Ltd. must have come as a surprise.
Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison, who shelled out $909 million for I-Flex, clearly was interested in something other than a high headcount.
The Mumbai-based company employs 5,500 people. By contrast, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., India's No. 1 software exporter, has 44,000 people; Oracle itself has 9,000 engineers in India.
I-Flex's revenue of 11.4 billion rupees ($260 million) makes it a mid-sized company in a nation where each of the top three software exporters has sales in excess of $1 billion.
Besides, I-Flex's profit dropped 86 percent in its fiscal first quarter from a year earlier. That's highly unusual in India. Infosys Technologies Ltd., the country's No. 2 software exporter, had its worst quarter in recent years in the three months to September 2002, when net income rose 12 percent.
So what did Ellison see in I-Flex when he bought Citigroup Inc.'s 41 percent stake in the company for $593 million and agreed to make an open offer to other shareholders for an additional one- fifth of the equity?
The answer is: intellectual property.

Maldives volunteers in the Greener World Weekend celebrated globally

Hundreds of thousands of volunteers from 29 Asia Pacific countries are expected to take part in the annual Clean Up the World Weekend, celebrated globally on the 16th - 18th of September. Some of the resort hotels in Maldives will volunteer as part of the Greener World event and they will clean and promote green living in the Maldives community.

Hurricane Katrina Search and Rescue

Many victims and refugees from Hurricane Catrina are homeless, stranded, starving and thirsty - many still awaiting rescue.

see more pictures

Apple's thinnest and, quite possibly, coolest iPod yet

iPods have been around long enough that many of us take them for granted. Yes, they’re small. Yes, they hold a lot of music. And yes, they’re cool. That’s pretty much the baseline for any iPod. It takes something special to break through our now-jaded iPod sensibilities. The iPod nano, with its tiny size, sleek look, colorful display, and responsive controls is that special something.(this one is cool dhoa.)

Firefox 1.5b1 released

The Mozilla Organization has released Firefox 1.5 beta 1, which they describe as “the first Beta release of our next generation Firefox browser.” Firefox is the Web browser that’s made a splash across Mac OS X, Windows and Linux operating system platforms for its speed, privacy and security capabilities, support for tabbed browsing, customizability and other features. It’s free to download and use. Known as “Deer Park” in its early development, the new version of Firefox features automated update capabilities, faster browser navigation, drag and drop reordering of tabs, improvements to popup blocking, a “Clear Private Data” feature, the addition of Answers.com to the search engine list, improvements to usability, better accessibility, improved support for Mac OS X and more. You can review what’s new online.

Download Firefox 1.5 Beta 1

+ Firefox 1.5 Beta 1 for Windows (English)
+ Firefox 1.5 Beta 1 for Linux (English)

+ Firefox 1.5 Beta 1 for Mac OS X (English)

Poor People Using Mobile Phones?
Check this article on Haveeru.com. It says "Dhiraagu introduces prepaid vouchers for the poor". This is sick! Poor people with mobile phones? How can somebody be poor and still subscribe to a prepaid mobile service? Hell with whoever wrote it. This is pure racism (or whatever is the correct term to use there). This is a politically incorrect, uncivlized, hillarious and naive headline by Haveeru. Man, these people need to open up more into the real world. What kind of sick reporters are there in Haveeru nowadays anyway?

Fahimagu So Windoze...

I just can't help but laugh about this. Sure this TV Programme is good for the general public and has some interesting parts too. But do they really have to be so Windows always. Look at the screenshot and you know what I am talking about.

mi manje ah kihineh vegentha miulheny

Why do humans wear clothes?
Of course, it’s not true that you humans wear clothes to keep warm. If so, why do you keep them on in your houses and offices with their so-called central heating? Admit it, my hairless little cousins, you’re ashamed of your sexual organs. You’re constantly wondering weather they are “normal” or “average” and are terrified of the thought that some other person might look at your goodies and think: “Ai Carumba! I haven’t seen a piece of equipment like that since the plumber fitted a new ballcock in the toilet.”I once saw one of your films where an unfortunate prostitute woman got attacked with a knife for laughing at her client’s dick. I suppose that’s one of the hazards of having sex in your front-to-front “missionary” position. Female gorillas never get to see the dicks that drill them.

Virginity is painless

It’s easy for wild animals to choose the right time for their sexual initiation. For females it should happen whenever they are in season; for males it should happen whenever they get the chance. For you humans, of course, things are not so simple. In your world, the first sexual experience has a cultural significance unknown to wild animals. To be a human virgin is sometimes good and sometimes bad, but almost never a matter of no importance.
The human female does not normally mate as soon as she is in season. She is taught that her nubile body, with its unblemished treasure, is not be squandered on the first lecherous oaf who crosses her path. The logic behind this doctrine is sound. The young woman must seek impregnation by the best available male, and then rely upon his assets for the support of their offspring. To achieve this end, she must convince him that she is not the kind of sly wench who would bear the child of another man and pass it off as his own. The human male, for his part, will not commit his resources to any female unless he is confident that he will escape the fate of the cuckold. Thus, the unwed female has traditionally taken pains to preserve her chastity – or at least the appearance of it.

Picture of East Male'. its stormy, Our fears about sea level rise are very real.

"I’ve never seen anything like this before. What surprises me is how much [of the ocean warming] is in the deep water."

Maldives set for first fall in GDP on record

The Maldives' economy is set to shrink in 2005 for the first time since its records began because tourist arrivals have more than halved due to December's tsunami, the island chain's foreign minister told Reuters on Tuesday.
Ahmed Shaheed said gross domestic product (GDP) -- which totalled around $700 million in 2004 -- was expected to fall 2.4 percent this year. Annual growth had averaged around 8.0 percent over the past two decades thanks to the tourism industry.
"We are in perhaps the worst position for decades," Shaheed said in an interview during a visit to neighbouring Sri Lanka.
"The forecast for economic growth this year is negative 2.4 percent. This is worse than what we forecast at the beginning of the year, which was about 1.0 percent (growth)."
It will mark the economy's first contraction since records started being kept in the mid-1970s. The Maldives' economy grew 7.0 percent in 2004.
"We are still talking about 50 percent less than last year's arrivals even with discounted rates for sales," Shaheed said.
"In pure arrival terms ... we are still at 180,000 arrivals nine months on, and last year we had a total of over 600,000," he added. "We are unlikely to make even 50 percent of arrivals even by the year's end. This is the main reason for this downturn in the economy."

mee salhi kujjeh dhoa

mee s.hulhudhoo kujjeh.mi foto hadhiyaa koffai vanee maakalhey

Jeelan dhoa...anekka jeelan ves Model kuran fesheetha

Be crazy. Be interesting. Be different.

Being crazy means living like a genius, free from societal restrictions, outside of the mental ruts that are carved out for us. That doesn't mean you can't be like everyone else. It just means that you are free to recognise and choose from the infinite alternative choices.

the new born/hatched/spewed-forth babies of our five-cent-coined animal - the echidna.