phone hacking scandale.robert mordoch

The hacking scandal currently shaking Rupert Murdoch’s empire will surprise only those who have willfully blinded themselves to that empire’s pernicious influence on journalism in the English-speaking world. Too many of us have winked in amusement at the salaciousness without considering the larger corruption of journalism and politics promulgated by Murdoch Culture on both sides of the Atlantic.

The facts of the case are astonishing in their scope. Thousands of private phone messages hacked, presumably by people affiliated with the Murdoch-owned News of the World newspaper, with the violated parties ranging from Prince William and actor Hugh Grant to murder victims and families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The arrest of Andy Coulson, former press chief to Prime Minister David Cameron, for his role in the scandal during his tenure as the paper’s editor. The arrest (for the second time) of Clive Goodman, the paper’s former royals editor. The shocking July 7 announcement that the paper would cease publication three days later, putting hundreds of employees out of work. Murdoch’s bid to acquire full control of cable-news company BSkyB placed in jeopardy. Allegations of bribery, wiretapping, and other forms of lawbreaking—not to mention the charge that emails were deleted by the millions in order to thwart Scotland Yard’s investigation.

All of this surrounding a man and a media empire with no serious rivals for political influence in Britain—especially, but not exclusively, among the conservative Tories who currently run the country. Almost every prime minister since the Harold Wilson era of the 1960s and ’70s has paid obeisance to Murdoch and his unmatched power. When Murdoch threw his annual London summer party for the United Kingdom’s political, journalistic, and social elite at the Orangery in Kensington Gardens on June 16, Prime Minister Cameron and his wife, Sam, were there, as were Labour leader Ed Miliband and assorted other cabinet ministers.

Murdoch associates, present and former—and his biographers—have said that one of his greatest long-term ambitions has been to replicate that political and cultural power in the United States. For a long time his vehicle was the New York Post—not profitable, but useful for increasing his eminence and working a wholesale change not only in American journalism but in the broader culture as well. Page Six, emblematic in its carelessness about accuracy or truth or context—but oh-so-readable—became the model for the gossipization of an American press previously resistant to even considering publishing its like. (Murdoch accomplished a similar debasement of the airwaves in the 1990s with the—tame by today’s far-lower standards—tabloid television show A Current Affair.)

Greece crisis

Among the chic bars along Thessaloniki's historic waterfront, one restaurant stands out. "We want our money!" reads a banner dangling from the terrace of an American-themed diner and grill. Inside, 12 staff have changed the locks, are serving cans of supermarket beer to supporters and taking it in turns to sleep nights on the restaurant floor in protest at months of unpaid wages and the restaurant's sudden closure. This is the new symbol of Greece's spiralling debt crisis: a waiters' squat.
Margarita Koutalaki, 37, a softly spoken waitress, divorced with an 11-year-old daughter, worked here part-time for eight years, earning about €6.50 (£5.70) an hour. Now she is taking turns to sleep on an inflatable mattress in an upstairs room, guarding the squat, while her parents babysit her child.
"I'm owed about €3,000 in unpaid wages," she says, warning her plight is shared by legions of workers all over Greece who are waiting for months for outstanding pay from struggling business owners. "At first we were told we'd be paid the following month, then the pay stopped completely and we were told by phone that the restaurant was closing. We're still working, we're keeping the place going, providing food and drinks to our supporters. We've got more clients than before. This protest is all we can do. It comes naturally."
The waiters serve cheap drinks and cut-price dinners to a new clientele of leftists and protesters from the four-month-old "indignants" movement, who would previously never have set foot in this bastion of imperialism, the Greek franchise of US giant Applebee's. A banner in English tempts tourists with cheap souvlaki and meatballs "in support of the workers".
It is one month since Greece was paralysed by a general strike over harsh austerity measures, with mass street demonstrations and running battles between police and protesters in Syntagma Square, Athens.

Greeks are more distrustful than ever of their political class and its ability to lead them out of the crippling financial crisis. Polls show growing contempt for all parties and the discredited political system. Unemployment is at a record high of 16% – far higher for young people. Those lucky enough to still have a job have suffered dramatic salary cuts and tax increases.

Syrian tanks return to Hama city

As the sun was rising on the last day before Ramadan, the moment Hama's residents had feared finally arrived. Through the barren landscape came the ominous rumble of tanks, heading towards the city from four directions as they bore down on the piles of tyres and bricks that locals had laid out across the main roads as makeshift checkpoints.
"They started shooting with heavy machines guns at civilians, at the young men protecting the barricades," said Omar Halabi, an activist in the city, speaking by Skype. "People started to scream, to say Allahu Akbar and wake each other up. They started to come down into the streets." Few of Hama's residents believed they would get away with protesting in their thousands against the regime of Bashar al-Assad indefinitely, and on the eve of Ramadan, when protests are expected to intensify, the regime clearly decided it had had enough.
The regime's security forces had withdrawn from the city after the weekend of 3 June after shooting more than 70 residents dead after Friday prayers. Since then thousands have poured into al-Aasi square, just steps from the Orontes river which divides the city of some 800,000 into east and west. They have carried olive branches and pink roses calling for the toppling of the regime, repeating chants called out from a central podium and eating food and drink given out by volunteers.

eminem

newest signees—underground supergroup Slaughterhouse, which consists of Royce Da 5’ 9”, Joe Budden, Crooked I and Joell Ortiz, as well as buzzing Alabama upstart Yelawolf—to talk about their plans to take over the rap game as Shady 2.0.
According to Em, this new roster signifies a rebirth of his company Shady Records, which, founded in 1999, lost steam after several members parted ways (Obie Trice, Stat Quo, Bobby Creekwater) three years ago. “Slaughterhouse, it’s kinda phase two of Shady,” Em says in the story. “The new generation of Shady Records.”
While it was no surprise to rap fans that Marshall Mathers was interested in signing the super lyrical crew of his former rap partner, Royce, Em’s deal with up-and-coming Southern rapper, Yela, came as a surprise to the hip-hop nation. But, similar to Slaughterhouse, Em started out as a fan of quick-tongued Alabama MC. “I saw the video to ‘Pop the Trunk,’ and I was like, ‘Yo, this is fuckin’ dope,’ Em says. “I took the CD home that I had already had and started listening to the shit, and I was like, ‘Fuck, he can spit.’”
With the new Shady in tow, Eminem may be ushering in a return to wordplay in hip-hop, something that hip-hop heads have been missing from the genre for quite some time. “It just feels good to put lyricism in the forefront again, in my eyes,” Joell Ortiz says in the article. “Some of my heroes, when I came up rhymin’, were Biggie Smalls, Big L—rest in peace to all these—Big Pun. Dudes who were passionate about the way they put words together, the message they sent when they rhymed, and just bein’ ill with the pen. And I feel like this group, and Yelawolf and Em, are dudes who stand for that. And it’s good to see the pure form gettin’ shine again.”
“‘Be afraid,’” Royce warns other rap crews, “cause as soon as we make the announcement that Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf is signed to Shady, not even 30 days after that, it’s on the cover of the biggest hip-hop magazine.”
Along with the Shady 2.0 cover story, XXL’s March 2011 issue will also feature articles on Young Money’s latest signee Cory Gunz, and Saigon, as he attempts to make a comeback with the long delayed release of his debut album, The Greatest Story Never Told. Rap vet Snoop Dogg, who on the eve of dropping his 11th solo album, Doggumentary Music, also reveals 11 important lessons he learned along the way. In addition, XXL investigates The Fugees’s breakup on the 15th anniversary of the release of their classic album, The Score, the state of the battle rap scene, and hip-hop’s obsession with the Illuminati.

Eminem - Space Bound

Copa América 2011: Uruguay v Paraguay

Let's be perfectly honest, anything written right now is a profound waste of time. We all know this is going to penalties.

You know when people say they don't care who wins, they just want football to be the winner? Well those people have clearly never watched Paraguay strut their stuff in the early hours of the morning. There are support groups set up for that sort of nightmarish experience. It scars you. It changes you. It never leaves you. Remember Ukraine v Switzerland in 2006? It was like that, only imagine it being narrated by James Murdoch.
Paraguay, though. They're not even trying any more. Five games, five draws, five goals scored, five conceded, two 0-0s, two penalty shoot-outs. Against Venezuela, Roque Santa Cruz came off the bench to play up front, realised Paraguay weren't going to bother attacking and decided he'd had enough after five minutes, limping off down the tunnel; (that's my interpretation of his injury anyway). In a way, you have to admire such commitment to negativity. Park the bus, remove the wheels, throw away the keys and then park another one in front of it, just to be safe. You can never be too sure.
There is, of course, a morbid curiosity to all this though. Could they really win the Copa America for the first time since 1979 without actually winning a game? The surrealism of it appeals at least, even if the method doesn't. If you're watching the match, kick back, stick this on in the background and enjoy.
But while Paraguay go for their own slice of history, Uruguay are after some as well. Win this final and they'll be out on their own as the most successful side in Copa America history. They're currently level with Argentina on 14 titles, but will edge ahead if they beat Paraguay, an extraordinary feat for such a tiny country. They're also as nerveless as Germany in a penalty shoot-out, which might actually force Paraguay to do something interesting in this match.
Everything considered, Uruguay should win. Partly because Kenny Dalglish has been wishing Luis Suarez good luck on Twitter. But also because they're simply a better side and have better players. That tends to be enough in football. Indeed Uruguay have been gradually improving since the start of the last World Cup. It's been slightly forgotten that in their first game against France – a 0-0 stinker – they were every bit the Uruguay of old, defensive, dirty and slightly overawed against average opposition. But after that, they were excellent, eventually reaching the semi-finals, which is more than Argentina and Brazil managed. Now they're in the final of the Copa America. The team is packed with some very accomplished players – remember, they're not just about Suarez – and no one should be surprised they've got this far. If they can maintain this upward curve, which is easier said than done, no one's going to want to play them in 2014.

Britain recognises Libyan rebels

The foreign secretary, William Hague, tells a press conference in London that Britain is to recognise Libya's transitional council as the country's legitimate government and expel all existing Libyan embassy staff. Photograph: Reuters

Britain is expelling the Libyan chargé d'affaires and all eight remaining Libyan embassy staff in London after David Cameron and William Hague ruled that Libya's national transitional council (NTC) was now the "sole governmental authority" in the country.
The chargé was summoned to a meeting at the Foreign Office, where he was given three days to leave Britain.
Other diplomats at the Libyan People's Bureau, in Knightsbridge – which has been under heavy police guard since the launch of the military campaign in March – have been told to leave over the course of the summer.
Hague announced the expulsions at a Foreign Office press conference on Wednesday as he invited the NTC to nominate an ambassador and other diplomats to take over the Libyan mission.
The foreign secretary said: "The prime minister and I have decided that the United Kingdom recognises and will deal with the national transitional council as the sole governmental authority in Libya.
"This decision reflects the national transitional council's increasing legitimacy, competence and success in reaching out to Libyans across the country.
"Through its actions, the national transitional council has shown its commitment to a more open and democratic Libya, something that it is working to achieve in an inclusive political process. This is in stark contrast to Gaddafi, whose brutality against the Libyan people has stripped him of all legitimacy."
Hague said Britain – which has temporarily closed its embassy in Tripoli – now runs its largest diplomatic mission in north Africa after Cairo in the Libyan rebel stronghold of Benghazi. This will be designated as an embassy if the NTC requests an upgrade.
The decision to recognise the NTC as sole governmental authority led to the unfreezing of £91m in UK assets belonging to the Arabian Gulf Oil Company, a Libyan oil firm under the NTC's control.
Foreign Office sources said the assets were unfrozen after the NTC gave assurances that the funds would be used to purchase fuel and not arms, which would be illegal under UN security council resolutions.

Landslides, flash floods hit South Korea

Torrential rain battered the South Korean capital Seoul and surrounding regions Wednesday, causing dozens of landslides and flash floods that killed at least 32 people, the emergency services said.
In the worst single accident, a landslide crashed into a mountain resort at Chuncheon, east of Seoul, destroying three small hotels and killing at least 13 people.
A resident reported hearing what sounded like a train.
"Then I heard someone shouting 'help me'. So I went out to see, and I saw a landslide had swept all over the area," she said.
Another landslide on the outskirts of Seoul buried dozens of houses and killed at least 10 residents, local media reported, adding that one villager was missing.
A tributary of the Han River running through Gonjiam, about 50 km (30 miles) southeast of Seoul, had overflowed and killed five residents, Yonhap news agency reported.
Wild weather has battered the central region of the country since late Tuesday, causing rivers to burst their banks, disrupting travel and triggering power outages.
More than 60,000 homes were still without electricity on Wednesday evening, Yonhap said.
The share price of insurers fell on fears that damage costs would run into tens of millions of dollars.
At Chuncheon, about 100 km (60 miles) east of Seoul, soldiers were drafted in to help with the rescue operation after a wall of mud flattened the small hotels just after midnight.
More than 40 holidaymakers, mostly university students, were sleeping in the inns when the landslide hit.
"We were asleep and suddenly I heard a big sound, and then the ceiling fell down," Lee Beon-seok, a student, told a television station.
Officials said 26 people were injured.
About 400 mm (16 inches) of rain fell on Seoul in a period of 24 hours, and the weather bureau said the heavy rain would last until Friday.
There was no immediate reports of damage to crops, and flights and shipping were not affected.

Moroccan military plane crash kills 78 - military

The military said there were three injured survivors so far from the crash, which happened when a Hercules C-130 aircraft was trying to land in Guelmim, having flown north from the disputed Western Sahara territory.
The crash is Morocco's worst known air disaster since 1973, when 105 people were killed after a Royal Air Maroc aircraft crashed near the capital Rabat.
A resident in the Guelmim area told Reuters there was thick fog in at the time of the crash, which occurred at 9 a.m.(0800 GMT) some 730 km (450 miles) south of Rabat.
"The crash, due to bad weather conditions, caused 78 deaths and (left) three seriously wounded," Morocco's Royal Armed Forces said in a statement carried on the official MAP news agency.
The military said 60 soldiers, 12 civilians and nine crew members were on board at the time of the crash.
The three survivors and 42 bodies recovered so far have been taken to the nearby military hospital, the military said.
In a letter addressed to relatives of the victims, King Mohammed -- who heads the army -- said he was "deeply moved by this painful accident," according to MAP news agency.
The plane had been travelling from the Western Saharan city of Dakhla and was due to travel on to Kenitra, 40 km (25 miles) north of the capital, Rabat.
Morocco keeps the majority of its soldiers in Western Sahara, a territory that Rabat annexed in 1975.
The country's most recent plane crash was in 1994 when all 44 passengers and crew members aboard a Royal Air Maroc aircraft died in a crash near the southwestern city of Agadir.

A government committee later said the Agadir crash was deliberately caused by the pilot.

nato

British Royal Marines under fire in Helmand. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images
The armed forces of the world's mightiest military alliance, Nato, have failed twice now to win a war. American, British, French and other foreign troops are preparing to withdraw from a combat role in Afghanistan, the first war in which Nato deployed ground forces, while the US, Britain and France again also appear to be on the point of giving up the fight in Libya, saying Gaddafi can stay there after all, provided he gives up power. Since Iraq, a US-led war waged by a "coalition of the willing", the number of willing has gradually decreased. Now, after Afghanistan and Libya, they are likely to be fewer than ever. Nato countries have spent billions – Britain more than £14bn at the last count – failing to counter an insurgency in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, in Libya, they have conducted more than 6,000 strike sorties – with Britain destroying more than 700 targets at a cost of well over £120m at the last count. You cannot "drop democracy from 14,000ft", David Cameron said weeks before enthusiastically joining Nicolas Sarkozy in trying to do just that. Ironically, it was the defence chiefs who were trying to pull him back. Then the head of the navy, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, and the head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, realised they may be on to a good thing. The navy could show it has some uses – firing cruise missiles from its submarines, seizing a rare opportunity to fire its frigates' guns, providing humanitarian relief. The RAF could for the first time show off its Eurofighter/Typhoon's ability to attack targets on the ground rather than practise dogfights with imaginary Soviet fighters. Arms companies could demonstrate how smart their weapons were. What's more, they could point a finger at their political master, Liam Fox, for agreeing to deep cuts in last year's strategic defence and security review (SDSR). We could have done better had HMS Ark Royal and her fleet of Harrier jump jets not been scrapped, navy commanders suggested. That will teach you to threaten to cut the number of Tornado jets, muttered air force commanders. Which leaves the poor army. Though Apache helicopters, which have been attacking targets in Libya from their base on HMS Ocean, belong to the army, ground forces have played no role in the conflict. Afghanistan has delayed deep cuts in the army, though General Sir Peter Wall, chief of the general staff, recently let slip they are well on their way. What role will the army, the navy or the RAF have in future are questions that, after Libya, will be harder than ever to answer. They are unlikely to rely, as they have in the past, on the US, which made it clear from the start it did not want to drop bombs on Libya, and resisted all British attempts to persuade it to do so.

Amy Winehouse: private funeral

Tributes to the late singer Amy Winehouse outside her north London home. Her family has held a private funeral. Photograph: Ian Nicholson/PA
Amy Winehouse's family have held a private funeral for the singer, who was found dead on Saturday at the age of 27. Hundreds of people paid their last respects to the troubled singer at the Edgwarebury cemetery in north London. The service, which included prayers in English and Hebrew, ended with a rendition of So Far Away by Carole King, Winehouse's favourite song. A eulogy by Mitch Winehouse, Amy's father, ended with the words: "Goodnight, my angel. Sleep tight. Mummy and Daddy love you ever so much." A spokesman for the family said Mr Winehouse "told some great stories from childhood about how headstrong she was, and clearly the family and friends recognised the stories and laughed along". "He stressed so many times she was happier now than she had ever been and he spoke about her boyfriend and paid tribute to a lot of people in her life." Among the guests at the service were the stylist Alex Foden, who has been credited with creating Winehouse's trademark beehive hairdo, producer Mark Ronson and singer Kelly Osbourne. After the service, which was led by Rabbi Frank Hellner, Winehouse's body was taken to Golders Green crematorium, where her grandmother was cremated. The family will hold a two-day shiva - a traditional period of mourning in the Jewish faith. Alfie Ezekiel, a friend of her father's, said: "Mitch gave a very good eulogy and he managed to get through it very well, considering." Ezekiel said the service, during which Mr Winehouse was the only family member to speak, was joyful and celebrated the 27-year-old singer's life. "It was very moving," he said, adding that . between 300 and 400 mourners attended the service. Guests left clutching pictures of the star. A postmortem examination carried out on Monday failed to establish the cause of her death. Further toxicology tests will be carried out, with a definitive result expected in two to four weeks.

Nafissatou Diallo vs Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Although her case might be in jeopardy, the hotel maid who accused former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault breaks her silence to ABC's Robin Roberts, saying she initially feared for her own life after the attack.
In her first televised interview, Sofitel maid Nafissatou "Nafi" Diallo vividly recounts details of the allegations, as well as what she describes as her initial shock in learning Strauss-Kahn's identity. "I was watching on the news...and they said he was going to be the next president of France," said Diallo, before also decrying media reports that she is a prostitute. "And I said, 'Oh my God...they're going to kill me, I'm going to die! I know if I was in my country...he's a powerful man like that...[they would] kill me before someone knows what happened to me."
Diallo's TV appearance comes on the heels of a Newsweek interview, which hits newsstands this week. You can read that interview in full here.
Meanwhile, as the AFP is reporting, the Strauss-Kahn team has accused Diallo's attorneys of having "orchestrated an unprecedented number of media events and rallies to bring pressure on the prosecutors in this case after she had to admit her extraordinary efforts to mislead them."

ABC quotes Strauss Kahn's attorneys William W. Taylor and Benjamin Bratman as saying, "Her lawyers know that her claim for money suffers when a fatal blow when the criminal charges are dismissed, as they must be."

oslo attaks

since the 9/11 attaks the world blame islam and muslims and acuse theme of terorisme .but muslims is innocent and islame said if you kill a innocent man it's like you kill all the humanity and if you save a man it's like you save all humanity .and they forget about the oclahoma city attaks wich comite by an american not muslim. and now after they kill bin laden the norwegian capital oslo wakeup to teroriste attaks the never seen in his history .hudreds of victims comite by a norwegian citizen christian and this attaks show the world that the terorisme have no religion .or better bame it again on bin laden dead body in the ocean .what you think people of the world.

mila kunis

Mila Kunis (born Milena Kunis 14.8.1983)

Mila Kunis is an American actress, perhaps best known for her role providing the voice of Meg Griffin on the cartoon Family Guy. She became better known, however, with her role in the Oscar-winning movie Black Swan.

Mila Kunis: Childhood

Mila Kunis was born in Chernitvtsi, a city in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union. The Kunis family moved to LA in California, in 1991. Mila Kunis was seven years old at the time. The Kunis family are Jewish and Mila has previously explained that anti-Semitism was one of the reasons that the family left the Soviet Union.

Mila's mother, Elvira, is a physics teacher, as well as a drug store manager and her father, Mark, is a mechanical engineer.

Mila Kunis: Career

Mila Kunis started to take acting lessons at the age of nine, at the Beverley Hills studio. It was here that she met Susan Curtis, who is still her manager to this day. She soon started to get work in magazine adverts and TV commercials for products such as Barbie and Payless Shoes.

Kunis' debut TV role was in the soap opera Days of Our Lives. This was followed up with small roles in 7th Heaven, Santa with Muscles and Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, with Rick Moranis. She also played the role of a young Gia in the Angelina Jolie film, Gia.

Mila Kunis then landed the role of Jackie Burkhart in the sitcom That '70s Show. The show also featured Ashton Kutcher. The show was a huge success and became the second longest-running live action sitcom on the Fox network.

In 1999, Mila Kunis started playing the role of Meg Griffin on Family Guy. The series was created by Seth MacFarlane for Fox Broadcasting Company. The list of voice actors also includes Seth Green. Mila was nominated for an Annie award for her voice acting.

In 2001, Mila Kunis landed role in Get Over It, along with Kirsten Dunst. In 2002, she also starred in the straight-to-DVD horror film American Psycho 2, with William Shatner. The film was widely panned and Kunis herself has distanced herself from the production.

The next few years were not a huge success for Kunis She starred in a number of poorly-received films, such as Moving McAllister with Jon Heder, After Sex with Zoe Saldana and Boot Camp, with Gregory Smith.

The following year, Mila Kunis played a role in the film Extract, with Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman. The film was well received and grossed over $10 million.

2010 saw Mila Kunis starring in The Book of Eli, along with Denzel Washington. She was then chosen to feature in the comedy Date Night, with Tina Fey and Steve Carell.

In 2011, Black Swan was released, to largely glowing reviews. The film also starred Natalie Portman and won a number of Academy Awards in the 2011 Oscars. She was also cast in Friends with Benefits, with Justin Timberlake.

Mila Kunis: Personal Life

Mila Kunis began dating Macauley Culkin in 2002 but they split in 2011

Tour de France 2011

 

Cadel Evans duly crossed the finish line in the yellow jersey on Sunday, the first Australian winner in the history of the Tour de France. But two days earlier and at the other end of the country there had been a moment when it looked as though the game might be up for the man who had twice lost the race by less than a minute and who had gained a reputation for attracting misfortune.

When Alberto Contador suddenly attacked, barely 20km into Friday's stage and soon after the riders had begun to climb the lower ramps of the Col du Télégraphe, Andy Schleck jumped away in instinctive pursuit of the defending champion. Behind them Evans wobbled, slowed to a halt and got off his bike. He looked at his back wheel in suspicion, shook it, and then remounted, getting a push from a fat man in a replica maillot jaune.
His BMC team‑mate Marcus Burghardt slowed in order to help him with the task of rejoining the small elite group now rapidly disappearing up the road, but a minute later Evans was off his bike again. What fresh catastrophe was this? The team car arrived and he was handed a new machine. When he restarted, it was as part of a larger group almost two minutes behind the leaders. It looked like a potentially decisive moment, the one in which Evans left Contador and the younger Schleck to fight it out for the yellow jersey, as they had in 2009 and 2010.
Twenty‑four hours earlier, Evans had distinguished himself as the only rider willing to respond to the attack made by Schleck on the crossing of the Col d'Izoard. Ascending the final climb of the day, on the Galibier, the Australian repeatedly gestured his frustration as the other leading contenders – Contador, Ivan Basso, Samuel Sánchez and Damiano Cunego – refused to join in. So with 10km to go, and Schleck more than four minutes ahead, he went for broke, grinding it out all the way to the line and halving the Luxembourg rider's lead, while also denying him the yellow jersey by a margin of 15 seconds.
That was the counterattack which won the Tour, but the following afternoon, as they approached the Alpe d'Huez, it looked as though the effort might have taken too much out of Evans's formidable reserves of energy. Somehow he recovered and was once again on the counterattack in the last couple of kilometres, finishing with Schleck and ensuring that Contador, up ahead in the leading group of three, could not make significant inroads. Another day later, in the time trial on Saturday, he burned up the hilly course around Grenoble to such effect that he finished only seven seconds behind Tony Martin, a specialist against the clock, with the nearest challenger – Contador – a whisker short of a minute away.
Evans, halfway though his 35th year, is the oldest Tour winner since the war, superseding Gino Bartali, the great Italian champion, whose two victories straddled the conflict and who was 34 years and one week old at the time of his second success in 1948.
The oldest of all is Firmin Lambot, a Belgian maker of equestrian saddles, who was 36 in 1922 when he secured his second victory without winning a stage. Evans's single stage win this year came on the first Tuesday, after a tough ride that ended on the Mur de Bretagne.
Evans was born and raised in the Northern Territory and spent his early years without television or radio, which explains his ignorance of the exploits of Phil Anderson, who became the first Australian to lead the Tour back in 1981. After moving to Geelong, near Melbourne, Evans was 14 when he watched a broadcast of Miguel Indurain winning one of his five Tours and was hooked.
He followed Anderson's pioneering path to Europe 10 years ago and his odyssey of misfortune and near-misses lasted until the autumn of 2009, when he demolished his reputation for being a wheelsucker – a rider who sits behind others, benefitting from their efforts without launching his own attacks – with a magnificently aggressive victory in the world championship road race in Mendrisio, Italy, close to his adopted home.

US debt crisis threatens global markets as Congress is locked in blame game

Democrats and Republicans are locked into a dangerous game of seeing who will crack first over the national debt crisis, with the White House warning that the next few days could be stressful for world markets and Americans.

With time running out, congressional leaders from both sides met on Saturday after the dramatic collapse of negotiations between Barack Obama and the House Republican leader, John Boehner, on Friday. But the congressional talks broke up late on Saturday night after failing to make progress.

The White House chief of staff, Bill Daley, interviewed on Sunday on CBS, predicted that the next few days will be tense. "In the end, we may have a few stressful days coming up - stressful for the markets of the world and the American people."
In an effort to reassure markets reopening after the weekend, he claimed he was confident a deal would be reached before the 2 August deadline. The White House refused to discuss what contingency planning is taking place in the event no compromise.
Obama is no longer directly involved in the negotiations following the sudden deterioration in his relationship with Boehner, who, in a breach of Washington etiquette, refused to return the president's phone callson Friday. But Obama will remain engaged behind the scenes, and has left his diary for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday virtually clear. The Republicans and Democrats have been trying to ensure the other will be blamed by voters if it all goes wrong. The Republicans accused Obama, when a deal was close on Thursday night, of adding extra bits, in particular tax rises.

Libya talks could see ousted Muammar Gaddafi stay in country

Terms under which Muammar Gaddafi could leave power are being explored by the UN envoy on Libya as the US, France and other countries signal that he could stay in the country after stepping down.

Abdul-Elah al-Khatib of Jordan, the UN special representative, is due to return to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and the rebel stronghold of Benghazi next week for talks with both the regime and opposition about a political solution to end the crisis.
Diplomats said on Thursday that Khatib was going back to work on the issue of "sequencing" the linked issues of Gaddafi surrendering power, a ceasefire and talks on a political transition. Last week the international contact group on Libya authorised Khatib to discuss terms. "Gaddafi must leave power according to a defined framework to be publicly announced," it said. That framework is being quietly assembled.
Britain's formal position is that Gaddafi should face justice at the international criminal court, which has accused him of crimes against humanity dating back to the start of the uprising in February. Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam and intelligence chief, Abdullah Senussi, are also wanted.
Khatib, a former Jordanian foreign minister, is keeping a low profile, but some Nato governments are less reticent and say he senses a greater readiness in Tripoli to listen to his proposals. Libya denies there is any discussion of Gaddafi's departure.
France's foreign minister, Alain Juppé, said on Wednesday that Gaddafi could stay in Libya if he stood down. "One of the scenarios effectively envisaged is that he stays in Libya on one condition which I repeat – that he very clearly steps aside from Libyan political life," Juppé told LCI TV. "A ceasefire depends on Gaddafi committing clearly and formally to surrender his military and civilian roles."
The latest US position is that it is "up to the Libyan people to decide" whether he could stay in the country.
Italy's foreign minster, Franco Frattini, said on Thursday that Rome would back any decision by the Libyan people for an "internal solution" to Gaddafi's relinquishing power.

USAid agency seeks assurances over Somalia famine relief effort

The US development agency USAid said the $28m (£17m) it pledged to Somalia this week would target areas hardest hit by the drought. But, given the strength of feeling the Americans have towards al-Shabaab – it's on a list of terrorist organisations – and the fact that it controls the two areas of Somalia the UN declared to be famine zones, Bakool and Lower Shabelle, it is difficult to see how those most in need will benefit from the money.

Donald Steinberg, deputy administrator of USAid, said on Wednesday that America needed assurances from the UN that al-Shabaab would not restrict delivery of US-funded aid in rebel areas before it would allow its aid to be delivered.

"We are committed to saving lives in Somalia and we are already working in any area not controlled by al-Shabaab," said Steinberg. "We've instructed Unicef and WFP [World Food Programme] that they can use our assistance in any part not under al-Shabaab control. As soon as the UN and WFP declare that Shabab is not going to be taxing or hindering assistance using the local population as hostages and can prove unfettered access, we are prepared to go ahead with assistance through any agency."

International NGOs working in Somalia already face heavy restrictions on their activities but Islamic Relief perhaps has more freedom than others. It has been working within a 30-mile radius of the capital, Mogadishu, but last week it was able to travel deeper into central and southern Somalia on an assessment mission and is confident it can swiftly scale up its existing operation to reach more people.

Anders Brehing Breivik

Anders Behring Breivik, the man accused of the murder of at least 92 Norwegians in a bomb and gun massacre, boasted online about his discussions with the far-right English Defence League and other anti-Islamic European organisations.
The Norwegian prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg, said Norwegian officials were working with foreign intelligence agencies to see if there was any international involvement in the slaughter. "We have running contact with other countries' intelligence services," he said.

Breivik was arrested on Utøya island where he shot and killed at least 85 people, mostly teenagers, at a youth summer camp for supporters of Norway's Labour party after bombing Oslo's government district just hours before. Dressed as a police officer, he ordered the teenagers to gather round him before opening fire. Survivors described how dozens of people were mown down. The massacre led to the largest death toll ever recorded by a single gunman on the rampage.

Ida Knudsen, 16, said she had been in a group of 100 who had initially run from the killer, but that was reduced to about 60 as the gunman pursued them. Eventually she was one of 12 who climbed into a boat and escaped.
Another survivor, 15-year-old Mattori Anson, described how he fled into a cabin with 40 other teenagers. They blocked the door and the killer tried to get inside. "Then he began shooting at the door." Eventually he gave up and the occupants all survived.
With the entire island a crime scene, officers were still combing the shoreline on Saturday and boats were searching the water for more bodies amid fears the toll could rise further. Police were continuing to investigate whether there had been a second gunman on the island.
The disclosure of Breivik's claimed links with far-right organisations came as details continued to emerge about the rightwing Christian fundamentalist and Freemason behind Norway's worst postwar act of violence.
It was revealed that the 32-year-old former member of the country's conservative Progress party – who had become ever more extreme in his hatred of Muslims, leftwingers and the country's political establishment – had ordered six tonnes of fertiliser in May to be used in the bombing. While police continued to interrogate Breivik, who was charged with the mass killings, evidence of his increasingly far-right world-view emerged from an article he had posted on several Scandinavian websites, including Nordisk, a site frequented by neo-Nazis, far-right radicals and Islamophobes since 2009.

norway attaks

Several people have been injured in a large explosion which has damaged government buildings in central Oslo, including the office of the Norwegian prime minster.

A Reuters correspondent said he counted at least eight injured people after the unexplained blast.
The tangled wreckage of a car was outside one building but the cause of the blast was unknown with police and fire officials refusing to comment.
The explosion at around 3.30pm (2.30pm BST) blew out most windows on the 17-storey building housing prime minister Jens Stoltenberg's office, as well as nearby ministries including the oil ministry, which was on fire. Norwegian news agency NTB said the prime minister is safe. Newspaper offices in the area were also reportedly damaged.
The city centre - which usually empties in July as Norwegians take holidays - is currently closed off with all public transport to and from the centre suspended.
It has been known for some time that al-Qaida core and other related "franchises" - including in the most active in Yemen – have been attempting to develop operations. Which leads to a second question: why Norway?...
The answer to that is three fold. In then first instance, with the increased levels of security and surveillance in the UK and the US as well as other European capitals, Norway might have been seen as a softer target despite the recent breaking up of an al-Qaida cell in Norway.

A more detailed explanation of the problems that Norway has had with Al Qaeda were supplied a year ago by the Atlantic magazine in an article by Thomas Hegghammer, a senior fellow at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment in Oslo, and Dominic Tierney.

That piece followed the arrest of three men in Norway and Germany for allegedly plotting a terrorist attack involving peroxide explosives. All of those arrested were were Muslim immigrants to Norway.
The first explanation," wrote Hegghammer and Tierney, "is Afghanistan. Norway has been part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan from its foundation in late 2001.... In late 2007, for example, Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaida's
second-in-command, said that the group had previously threatened Norway because it "participated in the war against the Muslims...
A second contributory factor for why Norway may have been eyed in the past for potential jihadi terrorist attack is the fact that in 2006, a Norwegian newspaper reprinted a series of Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad which prompted threats against the country. A third potential explanation is the recent decision last week by a Norwegian prosecutor filed terror charges against an Iraqi-born cleric for threatening Norwegian politicians with death if he's deported from the Nordic country. The indictment centered on statements that Mullah Krekar - the founder of the Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam - made to various media, including American network NBC

lady gaga

                                                                                                                                                                         Lady Gaga says designing her own wedding dress 'will be a pain in the ass' – and she won’t wear it in public because her wedding will be 'top secret'. The star, in Australia to promote her new album, was asked if she would like to get married by a local radio show. She replied: "Yeah sure, if someone will have me." Asked how she will create her wedding dress, she replied: "That will be a pain in the ass won’t it. "I'm just exhausted thinking about it, well no-one will ever see it. "I'm not going to let anyone photograph or see my wedding, it’s going to be top secret." Discussing having a baby, she said: "Yeah, and I would keep all of that for me, for me it’s all about the music, the other things, that’s family, I like to keep family separat

Lady Gaga has revealed that she plans to adopt a family of children from all over the world. Gaga, 25, has said children would be the 'perfect accessory to her world' as she admits she would like to become a mum. According to UK newspaper Daily Star, Gaga said she wants to have kids by the time that she is 30 and recently told a friend that she wants 'lots of babies'. The Born This Way star recently performed at the Sydney club, Nevermind, during her trip to Australia, where she was later made an honorary citizen of the city to thank her for her gay rights work..

Lady Gaga went Phantom of the Opera as she played Sydney Town Hall's spectacular 121-year-old organ, the largest in the world, in a one-off, one-hour, one-million dollar concert to promote her latest album, Born this Way. The superstar came onstage for the special gig Down Under almost an hour late on Wednesday night (July 13), totally befitting her pop diva status. But she instantly got the 1,000-strong Aussie audience on side, telling them: "I'm so happy to be in Australia, I won't leave it so long the next time before I get to come back again." She played all her hits, including Telephone, Born this Way, Alejandro, Poker Face and Bad Romance. Fans who attended had all won competitions to see the gig.

The ex-lover of Lady Gaga’s on-off boyfriend Lüc Carl says the singer could be set for further heartbreak. In an exclusive interview with Star magazine, Alex Stebbins claims the New York barman dumped her, so that he could rekindle his six-year romance with the pop megastar. According to Stebbins, the pair originally broke up because of Carl’s lack of commitment. “After being together for so long, she [Gaga] was saying, ‘I love you’ – but he never did. That was her biggest problem. She loved him and wanted it reciprocated, but he wasn’t ready,” claims the 25-year-old musician. The Bad Romance singer, who is rumoured to have recently reunited with her 30-year-old ex, has made no secret of her feelings for him in the past and wrote her hit track, Yoü And I, about their tumultuous relationship.

willow smith

Will Smith's pop star daughter Willow has been named an American fashion icon by top designer Derek Lam. The 10-year-old Whip My Hair hitmaker and actress has been showing off her sassy style on the red carpet in recent months and her bold and colourful wardrobe choices have caught the eye of California-based Lam, who has chosen Willow Smith has his top pick for Vogue magazine. He describes the youngster as: "Naturally talented, charismatic, unblemished optimism, with the whole wide world open to her possibilities and abilities. I think she is the future-forward American icon." Vogue editors asked a slew of designers to name their style picks and Smith is in good company - Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen, actresses Michelle Williams and Cate Blanchett, model/filmmaker Christy Turlington and U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama all feature on the list. Pop pair Taylor Swift and Katy Perry are also highlighted by Tommy Hilfiger, »

Miley Cyrus

When photos of Miley Cyrus outside of Hollywood's Chateau Marmont hit the Internet on Tuesday (March 15), gossip blogs claimed the star was stumbling around the L.A.-area hotspot after a night of partying. But sources close to Cyrus tell MTV News the rumors are all wrong.
Miley was in a meeting with producer Dr. Luke at the hotel, where they discussed writing music for other artists. Luke and Cyrus worked together on her hit "Party in the U.S.A." According to sources, the teen superstar was actually blinded by the flashing lights of the paparazzi, not stumbling, as had been reported earlier on Tuesday.
Last week, Cyrus made headlines defending her mom against paparazzi gathered outside of the California Chicken Cafe in West Hollywood, California. She confronted one of the photographers, telling him, "You just hit my mom with your camera, don't you ever do that again. You just almost hurt my mom. Don't you ever even think about it, for real."
Cyrus has often expressed her displeasure with the celebrity photogs. "I just [want] people to know, I think in pictures I always look upset. It's because these cameras are following me. I just think it's really kind of unfair," she shared in a September video blog.
"I know there are some people that maybe like that attention, but I'm not one of them. I really just want to be able to go on walks and enjoy where I live. ... The paparazzi really frustrate me, and it makes me really upset that I'm being followed around by men that I don't know, and for anyone else, it would be considered stalking. I don't know who those guys are. I don't know if they're good guys or bad guys. I don't necessarily care; I don't want anyone following me."
In spite of the unwanted media attention, Cyrus is already having a good 2011. She recently showed off her funny side as a host on "Saturday Night Live" and she has two flicks, "LOL" and "So Undercover," set for release this year.

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Ginger No More! Katy Perry Goes Blonde

 

Katy Perry is no doubt breathing a sigh of relief.
The "Firework" singer shocked—shocked!— us last month when she went from brunette to redhead, a change the pop princess later admitted was not at all intentional.
"So I didn't get to the exact color I wanted from being black for so long!," she tweeted at the time. "2get to goal I have 2b GINGER for 3WKS."
Well, fast forward to yesterday, when Perry revealed during an interview with MTV (after nabbing nine VMA nods) the very color she had actually been striving for all along.
So what do you think of the lighter locks? And which look do you prefer? Dark, red or blonde?

Sofia Vergara: I Know I'm Sexy

When it comes to curves, Sofia Vergara's motto is straight to the point: If you got it, flaunt it.
The Modern Family star, who plays foxy, feisty Colombian housewife Gloria Delgado Pritchett on the Emmy-winning series, says she isn't bothered by the extra attention she gets for owning her sex appeal. When it comes to curves, Sofia Vergara's motto is straight to the point: If you got it, flaunt it.

The Modern Family star, who plays foxy, feisty Colombian housewife Gloria Delgado Pritchett on the Emmy-winning series, says she isn't bothered by the extra attention she gets for owning her sex appeal.

"I love it. Of course – it's great at my age," the actress, 39, who's promoting her film The Smurfs, tells Fox News. "I think that everything that is positive and good helps out with your career. Why not embrace it and take advantage?"

Amy Winehouse Dead: Singer Found Dead At London Home

Troubled, Grammy-winning singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead in her North London home, Sky News is reporting. The Daily Mail reports that police have confirmed the passing.
In a statement, the London Metropolitan Police said, "Police were called by London Ambulance Service to an address in Camden Square NW1 shortly before 16.05hrs today, Saturday 23 July, following reports of a woman found deceased. On arrival officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene. Enquiries continue into the circumstances of the death. At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained."
A suspected drug overdose took the life of the singer, Nick Buckley of the Sunday Mirror tweeted.
She's battled drug addiction for years, having most recently checked back into rehabilitation in May.
Winehouse entered treatment in late 2007 for drug problems, including admitted heroin use.
Earlier in the day, Tim Gatt of Sky News tweeted a statement from her manager saying that she was canceling upcoming performances, writing, "Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances. Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen."
She performed in a surprise appearance at the iTunes Festival on July 20th.

Christopher Schwarzenegger in ICU After Surfing Accident

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's 13-year-old son Christopher is hospitalized in serious condition after a recent surfing accident in Malibu.  A source close to the family tells ET that Christopher was boogie boarding last Sunday when something went wrong and he suffered a collapsed lung, broken bones and broken ribs. His mother was with him on the beach after the accident. He remains in ICU at a Los Angeles area hospital. In an update on the situation on Friday, Arnold and Maria provided ET this statement: "A few days ago our son Christopher suffered an accident at the beach. While it has been a very scary week, Christopher is surrounded by his family and friends. He is a brave boy and is expected to make a full recovery. On behalf of our entire family, we want to sincerely thank the paramedics and lifeguards who responded so swiftly as well as the doctors, nurses, emergency room and hospital staff who have cared for our son. They have been extraordinary to him and to us. We thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers and ask for respect and privacy for Christopher and our family." The source said earlier that Arnold and Maria had been "very amicable" together at the hospital while visiting their son and revealed that the two had been talking regularly even before the incident. Christopher's brother Patrick took to Twitter to comment on the situation: "Thank you everyone for your messages about my brother. This kid is strongest kid I ever seen. Keep praying." His sister Katherine also tweeted her thoughts: "Thank you guys for ur concern and prayers for my baby brother! He's a tough little guy and getting better! Please keep praying for him! Xo"

eden wood

She's ba-a-ack!
That's right, Eden Wood may have retired from the pageant circuit, but she's taking Hollywood by storm.
At least according to mama Mickie Woods, that is.
Mickie exclusively chatted with E! News on how li'l Eden's career is taking off like a rocket.
So what does the self-titled Cutie Patootie have in the works?
MORE: Toddlers & Tiaras—Are You Team Eden or Team Makenzie?
First off is some voice-acting, playing a dog in the animated film Everett Covered Bridge. Eden has also been cast to play Abigail Breslin's sister in the movie Whirlwind—but Breslin has yet to sign on to the flick.
That's not all Eden has on her plate. "Tomorrow we leave for Australia for an audition," Mickie says. "And then we're back in two weeks."
Just in time to get ready for school? Nope: "Then we start production on one of her jobs."
"All of this started from being on Toddlers & Tiaras," Mickie gushes. "It truly is a Cinderella story."
Well, if Cinderella had a stage mom instead of a wicked stepmother.

Kim Kardashian's Wedding In August: Report

What do you get the person who has everything on their wedding day? If it’s Kim Kardashian, a series of pricey vases and a clock that tells extra special time (it better anyway, it costs over $1,000), apparently.
People.com just listed what is reportedly Kardashian’s gift registry for her impending wedding to Kris Humphries, and PopWatchers, there are no Pool Party Ceramic Chip Dip sets to be found. I know, I was surprised, too!
Instead, the many baffling items on the registry include: The series of aforementioned expensive vases — including a $7,500 Baccarat Cosmos extra large vase and a $6,500 Tourbillon black vase; $840 Havana ash trays; a $470 picture frame; a $375 candy jar (what do you put your M&M’s in? Your hand?); $195 ice tongs; and a nude black meditating statue by Lalique (what registry would be complete without it?) for $325, as well as the accompanying nude black resting statue — for when the meditating statue gets tuckered out, duh!
I’m still hoping she’ll dig the $100 Target gift certificate I planned to get her. (That’s good at all locations, Kim!)
What do you think of Kim Kardashian’s wedding registry, PopWatchers? Which item mystifies you the most?
Read more:
‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ season premiere: It’s Klobbering Time!
Kim Kardashian engaged

justin beiber

Cover your ears, Beliebers! Justin Bieber has reportedly told girlfriend Selena Gomez that she’s “the one.”
Oh — and did we forget to mention that they’re totally “doing it?”
The teen lovebirds aren’t just madly in love, they’re sharing a bed and planning their futures together, OK! Magazine squeals yammer in this week’s edition of the celebrity glossy.

“Justin has told Selena she’s the one,” one unnamed source close to the couple tells OK! “Selena adores Justin and is definitely in love for the first time in her life.”
Just a few weeks ago, Tinseltown was swirling with reports that Justin, who turned 17 last March, was set to propose to his 18-year-old girlfriend at a birthday party he’s organizing for her next month. But it isn’t just The Biebs who’s thinking about his romantic future. Word is Selena, who famously took a public vow of chastity and even wore a purity ring religiously until recently, has been “intimate” with the world’s biggest teen pop star.
“[Selena's] talked about how cute their kids would be and that sort of thing,” the Goss Talker continued. “[They] are having an intimate relationship. But she’s not going to let herself get pregnant. She definitely loves kids and could see herself having Justin’s baby one day. But it’s not going to be right now.”
Sure, they might be in love, but do you think it’s too soon for Justin and Selena to be thinking about marriage and kids?

j lo and mark anthony break up

INFphoto.com

So much for Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's big Valentine's Day demise. (Or so we're being led to believe...)
In the face of reports that the duo have been fighting and are headed for a split, E! News has learned exclusively that J.Lo and her hubby are spending a few days together in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
"They are on a holiday vacation," says Anthony's rep.
Two days ago, Lopez and Anthony met up with friends and family for dinner at Marmalade, a trendy, upscale restaurant in the old-town section of San Juan.
"Jennifer and Marc looked very happy, so it is hard for me to believe the rumors that their marriage is in trouble," the eatery's general manager, Trace Donaldson, tells E! News. "They were laughing and seemed to be having a great time."
The couple were joined by a group that included Lopez's sister Lynda.
On Monday, the Out of Sight star's rep denied to E! a New York Daily News report that had the seemingly cozy couple planning to announce their breakup right after Anthony's Feb. 14 show at Madison Square Garden.
"There is no merit to the article," the rep said.
Lopez was spotted Dec. 26 boarding a private flight straight to Puerto Rico out of Van Nuys Airport.

Read more: http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/b77025_jennifer_lopez_marc_anthony_jet_puerto.html#ixzz1Ss5cgrwF

uprising in syria

Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, belongs to the minority Alawite group. About three-quarters of the population are Sunni. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Syria's protest movement struggled to keep the uprising peaceful and non-sectarian on Monday after at least 10 people, and possibly up to 30, were reported dead during the first allegedly factional clashes in Homs, a flashpoint city where Sunni and Alawi neighbourhoods sit side by side.
According to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, a London-based organisation, 30 people were killed in 24 hours of clashes in the city, Syria's third largest, some 100 miles north of the capital. Other activists and residents disputed both the numbers and the account, with one saying between 10 and 15 people had been killed. The news emerged as diplomatic pressure increased on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad with Qatar, previously a supporter of the regime, closing its embassy in Damascus and the EU announcing it was considering further sanctions.
If the clashes were sectarian in origin, it would fuel fears of the potential for further strife between the Sunni majority, who form around three-quarters of the population, and the 10% Alawite minority to which Assad belongs. Not all Alawis support Assad, but the regime has rallied support among the minorities with some success by fear-mongering, arming and drawing in Alawi thugs to help suppress protesters, causing tensions to rise, residents and activists say.
The deaths in Homs came after three regime supporters seized last week were killed and mutilated, according to Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory. "Security forces murdered three people – but they were one Shia, one Sunni and one Alawi – so Alawi pro-regime thugs went and smashed and torched Sunni shops in the areas," said one Homs resident, adding that protesters had set up roadblocks to protect certain neighbourhoods. Radwan Ziadeh, a US-based human rights activist, said some relatives who had lost protesting family members opened fired in an Alawite area, leading to clashes.
Definitive accounts are difficult to confirm in Syria, where reporting relies heavily on amateur footage and eyewitness accounts. The Syrian opposition has been criticised for downplaying reports of tensions between majority Sunnis and the Alawite minority. Activists and protesters have managed to adhere to a peaceful, non-sectarian movement for over four months in which 1,500 protesters have been shot dead and thousands detained. But some admit they are struggling to keep it that way as a regime losing control sparks further violence. The government says some 400 security forces and soldiers have also been killed.
Mixed cities such as Homs and coastal cities in the heart of the Alawi homeland are the most potentially explosive places. Homs, home to 1.5 million people, is the most religiously mixed city in the country and has had tanks on its streets for weeks. A small minority of residents admit they have been fighting back and some also express anti-Alawite sentiment.
Activists and residents in Homs have reported the arming of Alawite villages, the use of Alawite gangs to crackdown on protests and checkpoints in Alawite areas. There are reports of Alawi gangs vandalising and intimidating people in Sunni areas. The security forces stood by and watched as the weekend's violence unfolded, residents and activists said. The Local Co-ordination Committees of Syria, a group publicising the demonstrations, denied the attacks were sectarian, accusing the government of deliberately stirring tensions between Syria's multifarious groups as a way of holding on to power.
The regime has tried to rally support by warning Alawites, and other minorities, of attacks against them if it falls. One Alawi student in Damascus said he feared being forced to "return to my village", referring to the Alawi villages around the coastal area. The International Crisis Group reported that some Alawi officials in the capital had already sent their families out of Damascus. "Syria has never had a history of sectarian strife," said one analyst in Damascus. "But the government's line can become a self-fulfilling prophecy and this fighting suggests a more violent turn to come. Revenge killings are on the up."
Attitudes to government do not divide neatly along sectarian lines. There are some Alawis who are anti-regime, just as there are Sunnis who support the government. In response to this weekend's violence, some of the city's Alawis wrote letters, now circulating online, apologising for the damage to the shops in Homs.