nation academia over the martyrdom of dedicated husband kind father and
valai supporter of the supreme leader the letter said
but ali mohammadi name was also reported as appearing on list of pro mousavi
academics
however according to ali moghara who heads the physics faculty at tehran
university ali mohammadi was just world famous physicist who engaged in no
political activity
tuesday rare assassination came as the government of the islamic republic
faced the most sustained period of protest since the revolution of with
hundreds of thousands taking to the streets of tehran after the election
the opposition charges that the vote was massively rigged in ahmadinejad
favour
for the past seven months the opposition has mounted anti government protests
at every opportunity many of which have been broken up by police who have
arrested hundreds of demonstrators
the killing in broad daylight also came amid an increasingly bitter standoff
between iran and world powers over tehran controversial nuclear programme
which the west suspects is cover for an atomic weapons drive
tehran officials have repeatedly accused the united states and israel neither
of which has ruled out military strike to thwart iran nuclear programme of
seeking to foment unrest inside the country
larijani insisted on wednesday that the scientist murder would have no impact
on iran programme
now they seek to eliminate nuclear scientists you will see that these
terrorist actions will achieve nothing and the iranian nation will safeguard its
nuclear success he said
last month iran accused the united states of seizing an iranian scientist while
he was on pilgrimage in saudi arabia claim washington refused to comment on
and that riyadh denied
iran has ignored repeated un security council ultimatums to suspend uranium
enrichment the sensitive process which makes nuclear fuel but in highly
extended form can also produce the fissile core of an atomic bomb
it is already under three sets of un sanctions and major powers are to meet in
new york on saturday to discuss proposals for fourth
golf woods no longer gets free cars gm
new york jan afp
us automaker general motors said their agreement with tiger woods that allowed
the embattled golf star to have use of its cars for free has ended
woods endorsement deal with gm buick brand ended in however an
arrangement remained in place that allowed him to keep several gm vehicles on
loan
company spokesman said that arrangement ended on december
woods has lost string of endorsement contracts since november car crash
outside his florida home
the mysterious accident touched off sensational sex scandal with woods
eventually admitting to marital infidelity and declaring that he would take an
indefinite break from competition
the gm spokesman said the vehicle loan arrangement had previously been scheduled
to end on december
us telecoms giant at amp and accenture the dublin based technology
management and outsourcing consultancy both dropped their sponsorships of woods
in december
other sponsors swiss watchmaker tag heuer and razor blade giant gillette
have stopped using his image for the time being
sports equipment giant nike which pays woods an estimated million dollars
year has issued unqualified support for woods and electronic game manufacturer
electronic arts is going ahead with plans to roll out an online game featuring
woods
millions brace for holy ganges festival
haridwar india jan afp
millions of hindu pilgrims readied thursday for ritual pre dawn bath in the
waters of the holy ganges river in northern india as the world largest
religious gathering gets underway
they had come from all over india in families and couples wealthy and poor
businessmen and farmhands and itinerant sadhus or holy men draped in saffron
coloured robes
for hindu devotees the three month kumbh mela festival in the town of haridwar
on the banks of the ganges is sacred event that offers them the chance to
wash away their sins and break the karmic cycle of death and reincarnation
even in country where mass events are commonplace the sheer size of the kumbh
mela sets it apart
several million people were set to take part thursday on the first of four
particularly auspicious bathing dates with millions more expected to pass
through the sprawling festival encampment over the next weeks
the pilgrims have been arriving here for weeks washing in the waters daily
before thursday mass ceremony
groups of women clustered on the final step of the ghats leading down to the
river unravelling their saris in the cold weather and using copper bowls to
collect the water and pour it over their naked torsos
men stripped down to their shorts braved swift immersion in the icy river
before rubbing themselves dry with towels
it means lot to us said manish year old engineering student from new
delhi
in our religion the ganga is very pure and full of energy that why we also
call the river mother he said scooping up some of the water in his cupped
palms which he then joined together in the gesture of hindu prayer
nearby an ascetic sadhu naked but for black string undergarment twisted his
long grey beard to wring out the last droplets after emerging from the clouded
river
the festival commemorates mythical battle between gods and demons over
pitcher of the nectar of immortality
during the struggle few drops of nectar fell in four different places
allahabad in the state of uttar pradesh haridwar in uttarakhand ujjain in
madhya pradesh and nasik in maharashtra
the kumbh mela alternates between these four places and takes place every three
years once every years an even larger maha kumbh mela is held the next
will be in allahabad in
the triennial festival also marks the only public gathering of hundreds of naga
sadhus who otherwise live in relative isolation in mountains caves and
communes in the himalayas and other regions of india
naked and generally covered in layer of grey ash they are regarded by
devotees as earthly representatives of the gods because of their self sacrifice
and denial of the material world
the nagas carrying ritual swords and tridents will lead ceremonies on the most
auspicious bathing day of all on april when the mela draws to close
soham baba considered the leader of the nagas told reporters recently in
kolkata that they planned to use the kumbh mela to highlight the issue of
global warming
sadhus like us who go up to the higher reaches of the himalayas to meditate
have clear picture of how bad the situation is he said
pristine lakes and waterfalls that existed till few years ago have dried up
over the years the festival has also become something of tourist attraction
drawing foreigners who sometimes come to participate or simply witness the
spectacle
we can feel the emotion said george leonard retiree from chicago who came
with his wife having timed their trip to india to coincide with the mela
princess caroline defends husband in court
hildesheim germany jan afp
princess caroline of monaco gave spirited defence of her husband to packed
german courtroom on monday against charges he drunkenly beat up hotel manager
on kenyan resort island in
testifying for over two hours and addressed as madame by the judge the
year old said that her aristocratic husband prince ernst august of hanover had
merely given josef brunlehner two slaps with the back of his hand
he told brunlehner that one was for the music and one was for the light show
coming from brunlehner disco on the resort island of lamu the princess said
next to where the couple and friends were having dinner
wearing tortoiseshell glasses light brown camel hair coat with black trousers
and black jumper she said she did not want to justify what happened but
that the blows in question were not hard
entering via side entrance with bodyguards she also denied that the prince
distant relation of britain queen was drunk and said that he had not been
wearing ring which brunlehner claims caused him serious injury
at an earlier trial in the prince was found guilty of aggravated assault
and was fined euros dollars
after years of legal wrangling he was granted new trial due to testimony by
princess caroline before the court which was closed to the public in which she
confirmed her husband account
the defence says brunlehner massively exaggerated his injuries
the hearing was adjourned until january
us reports december budget deficit at billion dollars
washington jan afp
the us government budget deficit hit billion dollars in december sharply
higher from the same month year earlier treasury figures showed wednesday
the budget shortfall for last month compared with billion dollars in
december the figures showed but it was less than billion month
earlier
in the first three months of the us fiscal year the accumulated deficit is
billion dollars up from billion in the same period year earlier
the white house is forecasting deficit for the full fiscal year of some
trillion dollars which would eclipse the record of trillion in the fiscal
year ended september
afptv updated advisory
paris jan afp
we will file the following videos
horror in haiti as thousands feared dead
haiti
rescuers struggled to reach victims trapped in the ruins of the haitian capital
on wednesday with tens of thousands feared dead injured and missing after
devastating quake vast international aid effort has swung into action to help
victims in the impoverished caribbean nation after the powerful quake struck
on tuesday
voiced report transmitted by gmt
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
images of quake aftermath shot by untv transmitted by gmt
raw vid
web mmv
rio swelters as northern hemisphere shivers
rio de janeiro
as much of europe and the united states shivers under one of the coldest winters
on record rio is basking in southern summer heatwave with brazilians flocking
to the beaches to cool off
news
images and soundbites transmitted by gmt
raw vid
web mmv
as part of our coverage of the aftermath of the haiti earthquake we have
already filed the following videos
footage of damaged buildings and crowds in aftermath of quake shot on
tuesday by us ngo the global orphan project in port au prince new offer
raw vid
web mmv
press conference by un chief ban ki moon in new york in which he calls for
major relief effort to aid the western hemisphere poorest country new offer
images and soundbites
raw vid
us president barack obama on wednesday vowed swift and aggressive effort to
save lives in haiti and said search and rescue teams would arrive within hours
after what he described as heartwrenching earthquake excerpts from news
conference new offer
raw vid
french fire fighters and rescue workers flew to port au prince on wednesday
afternoon with water food and rescue equipment aboard in order to be
operational on the disaster zone within hours from bordeaux doctors without
borders said it would shortly send tons of medical supplies including an
inflatable field hospital new offer
images and soundbites
raw vid
web mmv
anxious haitians gathered at france orly international airport on wednesday
seeking news of family and friends who had boarded haiti bound plane but were
diverted to guadeloupe following the deadly quake new offer
images and soundbites
raw vid
web mmv
first still photos of the catastrophe published on twitter
raw vid
web mmv
amateur video footage of the quake published on you tube
raw vid
web mmv
file footage of haiti capital port au prince before the quake
raw vid
images and soundbites from an earthquake expert ex paris
raw vid
web mmv
images and soundbites from french foreign minister bernard kouchner about
the people missing after hotel popular with tourists in the haiti capital
collapsed
raw vid
web mmv
graphic locating epicentre of the earthquake
raw vid
we have also filed the following videos
trial of chief suspect in philippines massacre continues
manila
the chief suspect in the massacre of people in the southern philippines
personally supervised the mass murder of journalists and relatives of his
political opponent court heard on wednesday police took handcuffed andal
ampatuan jnr local town mayor and member of one of the country most
powerful muslim political clans to special courtroom at the national police
headquarters where prosecutors began to introduce evidence of the deadliest
political killings the country has known new offer
news
images
raw vid
crops suffer amid europe deep freeze
caillou sur fontaine france
the arctic freeze gripping europe has proved costly for the continent economy
causing severe disruption to transport links and preventing many businesses from
operating normally europe farmers have also been feeling the bite of the
severe cold snap with some struggling to harvest already damaged crops afptv
visited one grower waiting for the thaw in the country frozen rhone region
economy
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
chile opens museum honouring dictatorship victims
santiago
chile this week opened its museum of memory and human rights honoring victims
who were tortured killed oppressed or disappeared during the year old
dictatorship of general augusto pinochet the museum in the capital city of
santiago was cherished project of socialist president michelle bachelet
who along with her mother was tortured by the regime and spent years in exile
while her father died in one of pinochet prisons bachelet father was
general and associate of socialist president salvador allende who was killed
during the coup
news culture amp lifestyle
images and soundbites
raw vid
web mmv
toy makers brush off fears over safety at hong kong fair
hong kong
hong kong is staging asia biggest toy fair and chinese manufacturers are
trying to brush off concerns over safety standards the country has been rocked
by several scandals and more than million toys and kids products made in
china were recalled in three months in because they contained dangerous
levels of lead certain phthalates chemicals that make plastic malleable
have also been banned from toys and accessories that children are likely to put
in their mouths over percent of toys are now made in china
culture amp lifestyle
images and soundbites
raw vid
web mmv
myanmar former political prisoner remains defiant
yangon
myanmar has one of the most oppressive regimes in the world critics say
elections promised by the ruling generals in will be sham if opposition
leader aung san suu kyi is not freed from decades behind bars but former
political prisoner win remains optimistic and is doing what he can to bring
about change
special report
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
as part of our african nations cup coverage we have filed the following report
veteran champs cameroon seek fresh football glory
douala cameroon
cameroon meet gabon in their first test at the african nations cup the four
time champions are now coached by frenchman paul le guen and punters are
pegging them as potential repeat champions afptv visits with fans at home
sport
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
african priests to the rescue of french churches
ax les thermes massat france
with the number of french priests plummeting there are fewer each year in
france the church is now trying to attract clergymen from abroad essentially
africa afptv went to meet two african priests whose calling has brought them to
southwestern france refile of previously offered report
culture amp lifestyle
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
artist christian boltanski stages encounter with death
paris
the hand of god that gives and takes life this troubling and seemingly random
act is at the heart of artist christian boltanski latest work an installation
opening at paris grand palais on wednesday afptv visits the installation and
speaks with boltanski about his oeuvre
culture amp lifestyle
voiced report
nsv vid
broadcast ready vid
web mmv
sarkozy becomes grandfather
paris
french president nicolas sarkozy became grandfather at age on wednesday
when the wife of his son jean gave birth to baby boy sarkozy year old
son jean married jessica sebaoun heiress to the big electronics company darty
in september and the couple announced last year that they were expecting
their first child
news
file footage of jean sarkozy
raw vid
contact
jacqueline pietsch
richard tompsett
afptv
the gmt news advisory
washington jan afp
duty editor andrew beatty
news desk
top stories
death toll in haiti quake may top
iran speaker accuses obama of state terrorism
google threatens to leave china
haiti quake ndlead wrap
port au prince
haiti prime minister warns the death toll may top in calamitous
earthquake which left streets strewn with corpses thousands missing and most
of the capital port au prince in ruins in scene of tragedy and carnage
words gmt by clarens renois picture graphic video
iran unrest nuclear thlead
tehran
parliament speaker ali larijani iran former chief nuclear negotiator accuses
us president barack obama of state terrorism over the killing in tehran of
leading atomic scientist
words gmt by aresu eqbali file picture
we have also moved iran unrest nuclear politics scientist focus
us china it politics internet spy google obama rdlead
washington
the white house says it backs the right to free internet and confirms it has
held talks with google which has threatened to quit china over censorship
demands
words gmt by stephen collinson
haiti quake
haiti quake horror ndlead scene
port au prince
streets in the haitian capital are lined with the bloodied twisted bodies of
the dead as traumatized victims of powerful earthquake battle to survive in
city in ruins
words gmt by clarens renois picture video graphic
we have also moved haiti quake aid msf charity scene ndlead
haiti quake us obama aid ndlead
haiti quake history chrono chrono
haiti quake world aid thlead reax
washington
planeloads of rescuers and relief supplies rush to haiti as governments and aid
agencies launch massive relief operation after powerful earthquake that may
have killed thousands
words gmt picture graphic video
haiti quake un ban thleaad
united nations
the powerful haiti quake dealt devastating blow to the united nations which
may have lost dozens of staff in impoverished country it was trying to
stabilize un officials say
words gmt by gerard aziakou picture
haiti quake internet twitter ndlead
washington
with communications in haiti ravaged by an earthquake tech savvy residents turn
to twitter to send pictures and news of the devastation while others use the web
service to mobilize appeals for aid
words gmt pictures
haiti quake science lead
paris
the quake that hit haiti was killer that had massed its forces for century
and half before unleashing them against wretchedly poor country turning
buildings into death traps experts say
words moved by richard ingham
filing plans by region
americas
us china it internet software spy google
san francisco
the cyberattack that outraged google into defying chinese censors may have been
just one in series of online assaults by spies out for precious source codes
as well as intelligence to use against human rights activists
words gmt by glenn chapman
finance economy us banking inquiry ndlead
washington
top us bankers acknowledge mistakes that led up to the global financial crisis
as special commission launches its inquiry into the economic calamity
words gmt by parameswaran
middle east
mideast israel turkey diplomacy rdlead wrap
jerusalem
israel formally apologizes to turkey after deputy foreign minister danny ayalon
gave ankara ambassador an angry dressing down in front of cameras in row
over turkish television series
words gmt by ron bousso
europe
europe weather thlead wrap
london
fresh heavy snowfalls bring new winter woe to parts of europe closing schools
disrupting transport links and delaying humanitarian flight to earthquake
stricken haiti
words gmt picture
asia
afghanistan unrest ndlead wrap
kabul
two us soldiers french trooper and five afghans are killed in bomb blasts in
afghanistan as the un reports the deadliest year yet for civilians in
spiralling taliban led insurgency
words moved by sardar ahmad
we have also moved afghanistan unrest nato protest rdlead
india religion festival
haridwar india
millions of hindu pilgrims ready for ritual pre dawn bath in the waters of
the holy ganges river in northern india as the world largest religious
gathering gets underway
words gmt by beatrice le bohec picture
first intensive round of cyprus talks ends without progress
nicosia jan afp
rival cypriot leaders ended first round of intensive talks on wednesday in an
accelerated un led drive to try to reunify the island in but with few
signs breakthrough was imminent
can say we have some concrete results but we weren talking to just pass
the time president demetris christofias said after three days of talks
but very very careful about saying whether there has been convergence
very patient because our aim is not to fail our aim is to succeed
un envoy alexander downer was also reluctant to talk about progress
there will be further three days of intensive talks so you need to look at
it in the totality of this period the australian said
the greek and turkish cypriot leaders say they are committed to finding
solution this year and the united nations hopes will see cyprus
settlement
after months of sluggish negotiations christofias greek cypriot and
turkish cypriot leader mehmet ali talat are stepping up the pace
they have agreed to meet six times for marathon talks over three week period
they next meet on january and
on saturday christofias is to fly to athens for talks with the greek government
and talat is also expected to hold contacts in ankara
governance and power sharing top the agenda as the turkish cypriots have tabled
new proposals on rotating presidency veto rights how votes should be
weighted and the makeup of the upper and lower houses in federal cyprus
the greek cypriots labelled the proposals unacceptable and tabled their own
page document
the prickly property rights chapter will also figure on the agenda at some
stage although the more divisive issues of security and territorial adjustments
are being left to one side for the moment
christofias has ruled out draft agreement at this stage as both the greek and
turkish cypriot sides are adamant that nothing is agreed until everything is
agreed
any deal which emerges must be put to greek and turkish cypriot voters in
separate but simultaneous referendums
the talks were launched amid much optimism in september but after more
than meetings the two sides remain divided on core issues
the international community has called for the momentum of the talks to
increase and un chief ban ki moon is mulling cyprus visit by april if
progress is made
talat is eager to agree the outline of deal by april when he faces hard
battle for re election against hardline challenger further complicating
reunification efforts
negotiations will be suspended probably from february to allow talat to
campaign
cyprus has been split since turkey occupied its northern third in in
response to an athens engineered greek cypriot coup aimed at uniting the island
with greece
the lack of deal on eu member cyprus is also slowing turkey own ambitions to
join the european union
top us lawmaker praises google china warning
washington jan afp
democratic house speaker nancy pelosi on wednesday praised google for
threatening to quit china over censorship demands and urged other high tech
companies to resist beijing
the announcement that google will fully review its business operations in china
and will no longer tolerate censorship of its search engine should serve as an
example to businesses and governments she said in statement
pelosi said google is to be commended for defying chinese internet censors and
risking banishment from the lucrative market to protest cyberattacks aimed at
chinese human rights activists
china based cyber spies struck the internet giant and at least other
unidentified firms in an apparent bid to hack into the email accounts of
