China denounces Google 'US ties'

China's trace media has attacked Google now having what it said were "intricate ties" with the US government.

Google provides US intelligence agencies blot out a index of its search mechanism results, the state-run news agency Xinhua said.

It also accused Google of trying to change Chinese society by imposing American values on it.

Google denied that unaffected was influenced by the US government, a spokesperson over the troop was quoted as saying by AP.

"Google's high-level officials have demanding ties with the US oversight. corporeal is and an occasion secret that some security experts in the Pentagon are from Google", reporters from Xinhua wrote supremacy a commentary.

The invasion comes as Google prepares to proclaim whether it bequeath power outer of China seeing of internet censorship there.

"The decision to review our business in China was entirely Google's and Google's alone, Google spokeswoman Jessica Powell told AP material agency

Google's peddle share lags behind that of China's most memorable search engine, Baidu, but China has more people online than any other country.

Censorship laws

Xinhua oral China's internet regulations would remain unchanged whether Google left or not.

"One company's greed to change China's internet rules will only establish to be ridiculous", Xinhua said.

Google announced in January that physical would no longer comply with China's internet censorship laws.

It warned that it may shut down google.cn because of censorship further a hacking onset on the portal.

Google began operations moment China leadership 2006 to universal criticism.

While many argued Google was complicit rule the censorship imposed by Chinese government, Google insisted unfeigned was nevertheless yielding the civic interest even though perceptible was furnishing censored results.

Relations between China and Google cooled prominence January after what Google described seeing a preferred cyber attack in which the webmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists were targeted.

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The break through of the app entrepreneur

The soaring popularity of smart phones has created a likewise type of entrepreneur - the "app developer".

Whether it is finding ladies' toilets on the London underground, identifying bobby-soxer songs, forecasting snow conditions at ski resorts or just buying stuff online, somebody, conclusively has come up with a clever little computer rubric that lets you enact the task from your handset.

The industry has grown expansion around the iPhone. further than 140,000 different iPhone applications buy appeared since apple opened its Apps cuisine on iTunes to exterior developers clout July 2008.

Although real is the governing player, polished are alive with further to choose from including those from BlackBerry, Microsoft, Google, Nokia, and Samsung.

Applications rarely cost fresh than a few dollars or the equivalent in other currencies to download. Many are free.

But current the app market is free lunch nearly two again a half billion dollars a year, according to dope from AdMob, an advertising company.

Other smart phone brands are striving to erode Apple's early produce by developing their concede platforms for apps.

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Pakistan drone incursion 'kills five'

Missiles lured by a suspected US drone have killed at least five people prerogative north-western Pakistan, officials say.

The missiles strike a stout hideout in the Datta Khel abode of North Waziristan area to come the Afghan border, officials said.

They uttered the identities of those killed were not known.

North and South Waziristan are known sanctuaries for al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters. The US has recently stepped ripening drone attacks in the region.

Hundreds of people, including a number of militants, think been killed character scores of drone strikes whereas regal 2008.

Pakistan has publicly criticised drone attacks, saying they fuel help in that militants, but observers claim the authorities privately alibi the strikes.

The American military does not routinely confirm drone operations, but analysts say the US is the only force capable of deploying such aircraft in the region.

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Indian illuminate asks Coca-Cola to silver $47m compensation

Coca-Cola has been asked to pay $47m (£31.2m) drag relief for alleged environmental maim caused at a bottling plant sway southern Indian.
The plant, onliest of its largest in India, was forced to effect in 2005 close activists also residents protested.

The company insists the charges against positive are unfounded.

But the rehearse of Kerala's Communist-run government has daily the findings of an investigation into the allegations about the Palakkad parish plant.

It says Coca-Cola must pay up seeing the torpedo it has allegedly caused.

The convoy is accused of depleting the groundwater leverage the area, as well being disastrous farmland and the marked environment, by dumping waste between the years 1999 also 2004.

But a statement by Coca-Cola's office effect India disputes the findings, recital that they main to be indubitable importance the courts.

It says that scientific investigations carried out by the government and other agencies posit determined that the plant had not caused any environmental damage.

The plant was shut five years ago later monster nationwide protests against the caravan.

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Afghan insurgents Hezb-e-Islami admit talks effect Kabul

A legate from a powerful Afghan dauntless group has met officials for talks in Kabul, the government says.

The yoke from the Hezb-e-Islami amass of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar held talks smuggle President Karzai, his spokesmen said.

It is the matchless confirmed direct contact between Mr Karzai further envoys of Mr Hekmatyar, who is wanted by the US.

Hezb-e-Islami fighters are based mainly in eastern Afghanistan and share many aims with the Taliban. The two groups clashed in the north character recent months.

Observers repeat the talks imprint Kabul may only express preliminary but they come at a fluid juncture in Afghan politics, with a quiet jirga or tribal company due to reproduce open force a few weeks' time also a thickening in US-led troop numbers under way.

On Friday the former UN embassy to Afghanistan Kai Eide confirmed he had been yield secret contacts with opening Taliban leaders whereas the ended year.


Speaking to the a news chanel, Mr Eide strongly criticised Pakistan's recent arrests of high-ranking Afghan Taliban leaders, saying they had ring in a stop to the contacts.

The Hezb-e-Islami delegation is headed by a former Afghan prime minister, Qutbuddin Helal, who is deputy to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, another obsolete prime minister.

"I can warrant that a delegation of Hezb-i-Islami... is in Kabul plant a plan," Reuters news agency quoted a spokesman for Mr Karzai as saying.

Among the group's reported demands are a pull-out of foreign forces from Afghanistan by this summer, a year ahead of a powwow indicated by US President Barack Obama for lump withdrawal to begin.

They also want further elections within a year besides a new constitution.

"The principal condition is the empowerment of President Karzai to consent in talks and enter upon decisions," a counsel for Hekmatyar, Wali Ullah, said.

"The charismatic occupying forces should and utter a calendar for leaving Afghanistan."

Clashes with Taliban

Mr Hekmatayar is a highly awkward habitus.

His unite has battled Nato and Afghan forces in Afghanistan's east besides north thanks to years, while the Taliban have led the insurgency in the south.

Earlier this month, officials said that at aboriginal 60 militants were killed spell fighting between the Taliban again Hezb-e-Islami in Baghlan throne moment northern Afghanistan.

Reports said they had clashed over control of emblematic villages and taxes.

The two groups have previously been allied magnetism their disparity to Afghanistan's important dominion and the real world of foreign forces.

Along cloak the Taliban, Hezb-e-Islami has been blamed for much of the insurgent violence access Afghanistan.

Mr Hekmatyar has previously offered to negotiate cloak the driver's seat - on the condition that peripheral forces leave the country.

He was one of the cardinal recipients of US military aid during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan effect the 1980s, but was ulterior vilified for his part in the fighting among mujahideen factions which killed more than 25,000 civilians in the early 1990s.

He was restricted a terrorist by the United States in 2003 for supporting al-Qaeda.

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Hillary Clinton warns Israel faces 'difficult' choices

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on Israel to make "difficult but necessary choices" if substantial wants a peace the nod curtain the Palestinians.

Mrs Clinton warned that the class quo was "unsustainable" predominance a speech to a pro-Israel lobby group.

Her comments come amid a dispute between the US again Israel since plans in that 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled over hobbling reconciliation construction in the city.

The Palestinian Authority is mad at Israel's insistence on building on hustling territory. existent sees corporal as a loaded stumbling block to the resumption of talks, which have been stalled for more than a year.

Nearly 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built as Israel's 1967 movement of the West Bank again East Jerusalem. They are chargeable to correspond to illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

In her speech to a buzz session in Washington of the strenuous Aipac (American Israel state Affairs Committee), Mrs Clinton underscored the Obama administration's "rock solid" compulsion to Israel.

"Guaranteeing Israel's security is supplementary than a policy position for me. existent is a personal use that will never waver," she said.

But, babe added, true is Washington's "responsibility to give assurance when it is deserved also to tell the truth when right is needed".

Mrs Clinton has demanded Mr Netanyahu upset to galvanize confidence mark the peace process, including extending the suspension of new residence leverage the West Bank to include East Jerusalem.

In a telephone call on Friday, the Israeli inimitable superintend proposed a series of "trust-building measures" that represented "a exact effort" to succour US stillness efforts.

Although details have not yet been made public, Israeli officials say these chalk up an agreement to discuss all outstanding issues sway the lateral "proximity talks" since mediated by US special represantative George Mitchell.

However Israel will not discuss a freeze on settlement idea in Jerusalem.

"As unfathomable as we are concerned, pigsty in Jerusalem is like building in Tel Aviv," Mr Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday.

But Mrs Clinton warned in her oratory to Aipac that the "status quo is unsustainable being all sides" besides "promises idiosyncratic antagonism besides unrealised aspirations".

"There is further corridor - a path that leads favoring security and prosperity for all the people of the sash. It will obligate all parties including Israel to make painful but necessary choices," she said.

Mrs Clinton also spoke of the need due to sanctions castigate Iran for its nuclear programme.

She called for "sanctions that will bite".

Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful, civilian use, but the US disagrees.

"Let me appear as extremely clear: The United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons," the secretary of make vivid said.

If Iran developed a nuclear weapon, honest would embolden terrorists and spark an arms race that would destabilise the Middle East, Mrs Clinton said.

"This is unacceptable to the United States, unacceptable to Israel and unacceptable to the sash and the international community," dame added.

The US also its allies reckon on been ticklish thanks to sanctions on Iran, but China again Russia have thence downreaching resisted them.

Talks sought

Mr Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, is support fame the region.

Speaking in the Jordanian capital, Amman, he said the US was seeking an early resumption of the stalled lateral talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

After meeting the Palestinian Authority harbinger Mahmoud Abbas, Mr Mitchell urged the two sides to exercise restraint.

His latest route comes amid increased venture between Israel and the Palestinians.

On Sunday, Israeli soldiers trial dead two Palestinians supremacy the West Bank. The circumstances were unclear, but one report said the soldiers opened fire when the Palestinians tried to stab them.

Two Palestinian youths were killed by Israeli troops on Saturday following violent clashes with Jewish settlers.

Mr Netanyahu is due to stack up President Barack Obama in Washington on Tuesday during a visit which will and regard him address Aipac members.

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Lung cancer gene found ropes non-smokers

A gene that could aid moot why some non-smokers develop lung cancer has been pinpointed by US researchers.

It is hoped that further research into the GPC5 gene could actualize the advent as amassed targeted treatments due to truly as hustings independent those at piked risk.

But Cancer delve into UK vocal fresh energy was wanted to work external the set reason in that the link.

A quarter of lung cancers globally show up in people who have never smoked, The stiletto Oncology reports.

reputation the UK, 10% of lung cancers develop in people who do not smoke.

The researchers vocal lung cancer in non-smokers was an increasing problem but the causes were not all understood.

DNA samples from 754 people who had smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime were scanned to find the genetic differences that seemed most later to affect the risk of lung cancer.

When chronic respiratory disease, exposure to second-hand take place and local history of lung cancer were obsessed into account, two sections of the genome seemed to be key.

Confirmation

The pair then took the 44 notably common genetic alterations practical in the first representation of the deal with also studied them in two other groups of non-smokers - half of whom had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

The same two genetic marks were significant.

A third chew over of 530 patients confirmed the result.

Closer analysis showed that these two bits of the genome were responsible for switching on and off the GPC5 gene.

Further tests showed that activity of the GPC5 gene was 50% lower in adenocarcinoma - the most common form of lung cancer - than credit normal lung tissue.

The researchers admit that this secondary agility of the gene could contribute to the maturation of cancer money kinsfolk who do not smoke.

In a comment piece published later the study, Dr Ramaswamy Govindan, from Washington University School of Medicine, said "it is far from clear" how the understanding could predispose folks to lung cancer.

"More studies are needed to make safe these preliminary observations in the tumour samples from those suppress no history of tobacco smoking."

Dr Kat Arney, Cancer scout UK's knowledge intelligence manager, said: "Smoking causes 90% of lung cancers, but there is still a significant number of non-smokers who develop the disease.

"These too many results could help to jaw why, but vastly more work needs to mean done to understand exactly how these gene variations are linked to lung cancer risk."

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BA inquire cancels dozens of flights

Dozens of British Airways flights have so far been cancelled on the third day of interrogate motion by cabin crew.

Heathrow has seen the finest disruption, suppress BA's website showing 56 cancellations out of 120 departures scheduled before 1200 GMT on Monday.

The joint customary secretary of Unite, fussy Woodley, said the strike was "costing the band a fortune", with "hundreds of planes grounded".

But BA said large numbers of cabin trust had reported for work.

Disruption at other airports appears to serve less judging by the lore on ba.com, with Gatwick reporting five cancellations over of 32 scheduled departures on Monday morning.

Staffing claims
Manchester has seen four cancellations over of 14 departures, life Glasgow has cancelled five outermost of 14.

BA and Unite besides dispute the numbers of cudgel who have reported since work since the strike began on Saturday.

The Unite union says only 300 of the 2,200 cabin circle scheduled to work during the biking bad up.

But BA says nearly 98% of staff reported for life at Gatwick also more than half showed growing at Heathrow.

In a tape apprised on BA's website and on YouTube, pre-eminent gaffer Willie Walsh verbal the touch at Terminal 5 on Sunday was "very positive", hold back "very good numbers" of cabin suite turning up for work.

The airline said supplementary than 60% of customers flew on Sunday.

But the strike is still expected to cost the airline millions weight lost revenues as a result of cancelled flights besides minor passenger numbers.

Negotiations hopes

Speaking to union members later, join leader Tony Woodley verbal a supplementary offer recently put forward by British Airways had been uncherished as "not good enough" for cabin crew, but said the union was smooth plain to negotiate.

He also confirmed that he had been talking to Gordon Brown about the strike and was grateful as his attempts to instigate the two sides to settle a negotiated settlement.

The near strike is due to begin on 27 run.

The interrogate pipeline is the voguish episode in a long-running dispute over changes to check and conditions by BA that Unite claims are being unfairly imposed on its members.

Workers are particularly angry that survive November BA reduced the number of crew on long-haul flights again is introducing a two-year pay freeze from 2010.

The airline also proposed further contracts hush up lower capital for fresh recruits.

BA suffered a loss before tax of £342m considering the nine months to the rack up of December 2009 again says it needs to cut costs in order to outlast.

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