| Carstens set to visit China to seek support for IMF bid Posted: 16 Jun 2011 02:02 AM PDT 
Mr Carstens is hoping Asian countries will follow Latin American nations in backing him. Mr Carstens and the French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde are the two candidates shortlisted by the IMF to take over as the managing director. Mr Carstens is expected to arrive in China at 1300 local time on Thursday. Leading Asian and Latin American countries have said a candidate from outside Europe should be considered for the post. Mr Carstens said that his experience in working with the emerging economies made him an ideal candidate for the job. "For the last several years the economies who have been contributing to world economic growth and stability are emerging markets," Mr Carstens said. "We're doing something right," he added. 'Over-represented' All 10 of the IMF's managing directors since its inception have been European. However, the balance of economic power has shifted drastically in the past two to three years. While the financial crisis took a heavy toll on the US and countries in the European Union, emerging economies, especially in Asia, have witnessed robust growth during the period. "Europe is over-represented in the fund, with more voice and representation that Europe has in the world economy," Mr Carstens said. Mr Carstens has also voiced concerns, that given the debt- crisis in some European countries, there may be a conflict of interest if a candidate from the region were to head the fund. |
| Santos star Neymar puts brakes on Real Madrid move Posted: 15 Jun 2011 07:35 PM PDT 
Neymar has now stressed that he is more than happy at Santos , who he is hoping to lead to Copa Libertadores success later this month as they face Penarol in the final. "I am very happy because I'm getting goals," he said. "I do not know what will happen to my future. I have a contract with the Saints and now I do not know if I will go abroad." |
| Knotty affair: Arnie's mistress reveals all Posted: 15 Jun 2011 07:14 PM PDT 
Arnold Schwarzenegger's mistress has opened up for the first time since their love child scandal broke. LONDON: Arnold Schwarzenegger's mistress has opened up for the first time since their love child scandal broke. In an interview, Schwarzenegger's former maid Mildred Baena said that when her son came to know that the Hollywood star was his father, he exclaimed, "Cool!". Joseph, 13, discovered his true parentage only one year ago and is now looking forward to building a relationship with the former California governor. Baena also spoke of the moment Schwarzenegger's wife, Maria Shriver, realized she had been betrayed after hearing 'whispers' in the house about the resemblance of the boy to her husband. The maid described collapsing to her knees and tearfully confessing to Shriver late last year. But, instead of being vengeful, Shriver told her to get up and then cried with her. |
| 26 held in NY child porn investigation Posted: 15 Jun 2011 08:51 AM PDT 
Authorities have arrested 26 people for possession of videos and images depicting sexual assault of tens of thousands of children, New York District Attorney said. NEW YORK: Authorities have arrested 26 people for possession of videos and images depicting sexual assault of tens of thousands of children, New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance said. In a statement released Tuesday, the prosecutor said the arrests on charges of possession and promotion of child pornography followed a five month investigation. "These defendants stockpiled images of the brutal rapes and sexual assaults of tens of thousands of real children," Vance said. "These victims were made to engage in physically and psychologically damaging sexual assaults that were recorded and disseminated online, feeding the appetites of pedophiles for more victims." He said the victims ranged from one year olds to adolescents. None of those arrested were charged with assault on minors, but Vance said at least one had shown photos and videos of violence to minors to familiarize them with this type of behaviour. At least two others expressed a desire to engage in sexual assaults on children, he alleged. Some of those arrested had jobs that put them in contact with children, including Joshua Ruiz, 32, who worked as a substitute teacher in New York public schools. Glen Barfield, a 39-year-old architect, was accused of exchanging images of pedophilia with a 16-year-old boy living in Canada. The authorities said they seized three computers at the home of Moshe Gerstein, a 35-year-old lawyer, containing about 5,000 images of child pornography. |
| UK demands Lanka probe, sets timeline Posted: 15 Jun 2011 08:49 AM PDT 
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: The British government said Wednesday it is shocked by a documentary that purportedly shows Sri Lankan troops committing war crimes, and warned that it will back international action unless the island nation shows progress with an investigation this year. Foreign office minister Alistair Burt said he was "shocked by the horrific scenes" in the documentary aired by Britain's Channel 4 television late Tuesday. "Since the end of the conflict, the UK has called for an independent, thorough and credible investigation of the allegations that war crimes were committed during the hostilities, and the UK government expects to see progress by the end of the year," Burt said in a statement. "If the Sri Lankan government does not respond we will support the international community in revisiting all options available to press the Sri Lankan government to fulfill its obligations," he said. The documentary appears to show civilian deaths and prisoner executions in the last stages of the country's civil war, which ended in May 2009. It shows screaming civilians running for cover during a shelling attack, and dead men, women and children lying on a road and inside makeshift hospitals that came under attack. It also shows three people who appear to be young female rebel fighters sitting on the ground blindfolded with their hands tied behind them. A man gives instructions and another man who appears to be a soldier shoots at their heads, and they slump down. Channel 4 said the video was obtained from ethnic Tamil civilians and Sri Lankan soldiers, and last month a UN expert said it showed "definitive war crimes." Sri Lanka's government says the video is fake. "As far as the Channel 4 video clip is concerned, at the very outset we had experts brought in and in accordance with their analysis the authenticity of the footage was in serious doubt," Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. "This kind of manipulation will not be taken lightly," he said, without explaining what action the government would take. He also criticized Britain's "unilateral" decision to set a time frame in asking Sri Lanka to show progress in its investigation. Sri Lanka's embassy in London said the film "has the potential to incite hatred amongst different communities in Sri Lanka, including future generations, and thereby, adversely affect the ongoing national reconciliation process." In a statement, it called the allegations regarding army conduct "malicious," but said if they are proven to be true the government-appointed Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission would take legal action. A UN experts panel reported in April that there are credible reports that both the government and Tamil Tiger rebels committed serious human rights violations - including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity - in the last months of the decades-long war. It said tens of thousands of civilians may have been killed, and called for an independent international investigation. UN Secretary General Ban Ki- moon has said he can initiate an investigation only with the approval of the UN General Assembly, Security Council or Human Rights Council. Sri Lanka counts on the support of Russia and China to extricate itself from any possible international action. China was among Sri Lanka's allies that defeated a resolution in the UN Human Rights Council in 2009 within days after the end of the civil war, calling for an investigation into alleged atrocities committed during the conflict. The countries also pushed through a resolution praising Sri Lanka for defeating the Tamil Tiger rebels. |
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