Morales say COCA is good..

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) -- President Evo Morales says he is "proud" of coca growers in Bolivia's Chapare region for expelling a U.S. government aid agency amid charges it backs his government's opponents.

Bolivian leader Evo Morales calls the expulsion "part of a growing rebellion against the empire."

Morales calls the region's decision to suspend operations of the U.S. Agency for International Development "part of a growing rebellion against the empire," a reference to the United States.

Sinahota Mayor Rimer Agreda said Friday that USAID personnel had left the region.

Chapare's growers on Wednesday accused the agency of using aid to undermine Morales, an opponent of U.S. efforts to eradicate coca, the base ingredient in cocaine.

The U.S. Embassy has not commented.

On Wednesday, the embassy expressed concern about the security of the agency's staff in Chapare

Mugabe sworn in...

Mugabe sworn in after disputed Zimbabwean election

• Story Highlights
• NEW: Mugabe swears to "truly serve Zimbabwe ... so help me God"
  
• Opposition denounces election as "a one-man race, a one-man circus"
  
• Observers say Zimbabweans "dragged" to polling stations, forced to vote
  
• Election has been condemned as a sham after opposition candidate withdrew

Spanish PM: No more talks with ETA

Spanish PM: No more talks with ETA

* Story Highlights
* Spanish PM says his government is no longer prepared to talk to ETA
* Zapatero: "Dialogue has proved useless, seeing what ETA has done"
* ETA's 2006 cease-fire collapsed nine months ago

Ruslana Korshunova fall in New York...

NEW YORK (AP) -- A European Vogue cover model fell to her death from her Manhattan apartment building Saturday in an apparent suicide, published reports said.

Fashion model Ruslana Korshunova died Saturday in a fall from her apartment building in New York.

Ruslana Korshunova, 20, died around 2:30 p.m. in a fall from a building on Water Street, in Manhattan's Financial District, The New York Post, the Daily News and Newsday reported. The newspapers cited unnamed officials and police.

Police said the fall was under investigation. Korushnova's New York agency and a spokeswoman for medical examiners did not immediately return telephone messages.

Originally from the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, the almond-eyed, flowing-haired Korshunova appeared in advertisements and on runways for such designers as Marc Jacobs, Nina Ricci and DKNY. British Vogue hailed her as "a face to be excited about" in 2005.

Her break came when modeling booker Debbie Jones noticed her while perusing an in-flight magazine article about Korushnova's hometown of Almaty, according to the Vogue report

PM: Ka Ting has given hints

PUTRAJAYA: MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting had hinted many times to the Prime Minister that he would not be defending his post in the next party election.

As such, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he was not too surprised to hear of Ong’s decision and that of MCA deputy president Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy not to seek re-election.

“I believe the MCA wants the party to continue to survive and contribute to the Chinese community and nation.

“The party can continue to discuss and reach consensus within the Barisan Nasional with Umno and other component parties,” he said, adding that there was no need to speculate on the decisions taken by the MCA.

Its a brilliant choice.... and a wise one too...

Anwar files suit against former aide

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has filed a suit against his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan for allegedly lodging a false, malicious and libellous police report against him.

The suit was filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court civil registry by Anwar’s lawyers R. Sivarasa, Ranjit Singh and William Leong at about 10.30am on Monday.

Saiful had on Saturday lodged a police report alleging that he had been sodomised by Anwar, a former deputy prime minister.

Anwar is residing at the Turkish Embassy here, saying that he fears for his life after receiving death threats.

Is time to get some fair trial ....!!!

Anwar takes up refuge offer from Turkish embassy

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sought refuge at the Turkish Embassy at the invitation of its Ambassador to Malaysia Barlas Ozener. The PKR de factor leader wrote on his blog at anwaribrahimblog.com that he had gone to the embassy because he feared for his personal safety.

“I was transported to the embassy earlier this morning (Sunday). I thank all those who offered to assist me in this time of need and am grateful to the Turkish ambassador for extending an invitation to me to seek refuge within the embassy,” he said.

“I would like to assure my family, friends and supporters in Malaysia that I am safe and remain committed as ever before in continuing the struggle for a free and just Malaysia.”

He also alleged that since the general election, he had received information from credible sources within the Government and military intelligence that there were agents from within the Barisan Nasional leadership who were plotting to harm him, his family or supporters.

Anwar said he would make public new evidence which implicated Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail.

He also termed the new allegations against him as a charade orchestrated by the Barisan leadership and meant to undermine the reform that started after the general election.

“The allegations that have been made against me on Saturday are nothing more than a replay of the events which transpired in 1998 when I was sacked from the office of the deputy prime minister, jailed and beaten, and then charged and convicted by a kangaroo court for crimes which I never committed.”

A group of Anwar supporters gathered outside the embassy from 4pm and later some PKR leaders also emerged.Anwar takes up refuge offer from Turkish embassy

Anwar takes up refuge offer from Turkish embassy

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sought refuge at the Turkish Embassy at the invitation of its Ambassador to Malaysia Barlas Ozener.

The PKR de factor leader wrote on his blog at anwaribrahimblog.com that he had gone to the embassy because he feared for his personal safety.

“I was transported to the embassy earlier this morning (Sunday). I thank all those who offered to assist me in this time of need and am grateful to the Turkish ambassador for extending an invitation to me to seek refuge within the embassy,” he said.

“I would like to assure my family, friends and supporters in Malaysia that I am safe and remain committed as ever before in continuing the struggle for a free and just Malaysia.”

He also alleged that since the general election, he had received information from credible sources within the Government and military intelligence that there were agents from within the Barisan Nasional leadership who were plotting to harm him, his family or supporters.

Anwar said he would make public new evidence which implicated Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail.

He also termed the new allegations against him as a charade orchestrated by the Barisan leadership and meant to undermine the reform that started after the general election.

“The allegations that have been made against me on Saturday are nothing more than a replay of the events which transpired in 1998 when I was sacked from the office of the deputy prime minister, jailed and beaten, and then charged and convicted by a kangaroo court for crimes which I never committed.”

A group of Anwar supporters gathered outside the embassy from 4pm and later some PKR leaders also emerged.

Why Turkey ?

Prince Harry honors fallen troops

Story Highlights

Harry serves in British Army and spent 10 weeks in Afghanistan this year
Decision was made to pull prince from Afghanistan amid fears for his safety
Harry marched with 200 sailors, soldiers, marines, airmen at parade in Edinburgh
Service took place on the same day four UK soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Sixth severed foot surfaces off Canadian coast

(CNN) -- A severed foot -- the sixth in 11 months -- washed up on the shore of a Canadian island on Wednesday, police said

The right foot was found by a woman walking on the beach, said Sgt. Mike Tresoor of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the town of Campbell River on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

"A local citizen walking on a beach in Tyee Spit located what appears to be human remains of a right foot in an approximate size 10 black Adidas running shoe," police said in a written statement.

The foot will be examined by a forensic pathologist, and DNA testing will be requested, said the statement posted on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Web site. Sandra Malone, manager of the Thunderbird RV Park and Campground on the spit, said a woman came in about 10:30 a.m. and asked her to call police, saying she had found the shoe with the foot inside it.

While waiting for police, Malone said, she walked to the beach with the woman and saw it for herself.

"You could see the foot that's inside the running shoe," she said. "The leg bones were coming out of the running shoe about 3 to 4 inches. There were no tissues or anything attached."

Truce takes effect between Israel and militants in Gaza

GAZA (CNN) -- A truce between Israel and Palestinian militants in Hamas-ruled Gaza took effect at 6 a.m. local time Thursday, after both sides spent the previous day trading blows

More than two dozen rockets were launched into Israel from Gaza on Wednesday, with Israel striking back with airstrikes. The Egyptian-brokered deal comes a year after the Palestinian Islamic party Hamas took control of Gaza from forces loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. By agreeing to deal with Hamas through Egyptian mediators, Israel appears to be bending its policy of completely excluding Hamas.

"The real question is whether the cease-fire will hold, how long it will hold, and whether it can be used to build upon and improve the situation and crisis," said Haim Malka of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

But Meir Harash, a Jerusalem resident, told CNN he had "not a lot of faith" in the cease-fire -- "cautious optimism at best."

Israel excluded Hamas from peace talks, since the group refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist. Instead, it has dealt with the more moderate Palestinian Authority leadership in the West Bank.

But Palestinians voted overwhelmingly for a Hamas-led government during a U.S.-backed vote in 2006. Abbas dissolved that government after Hamas seized control of Gaza, which had long been under the control of Palestinian forces loyal to Abbas' Fatah Party.

Clinton claims victory in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (CNN) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton claimed victory in Puerto Rico on Sunday and insisted that she is leading Sen. Barack Obama in the popular vote.

Clinton won 68 percent of the vote compared with Obama's 32 percent. Her vote tally was 263,120; his was 121,458. The win gives Clinton the larger share of Puerto Rico's 55 delegates.

The Democratic primary season ends Tuesday when Montana and South Dakota cast their votes. "When the voting concludes on Tuesday, neither Sen. Obama nor I will have the number of delegates to be the nominee," she said in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

"I will lead the popular vote; he will maintain a slight lead in the delegate count," she said.

Obama leads in the overall delegate count -- 2,070 to Clinton's 1,915.

I am right behind you Clinton ... !!!

U.N. donates tents for those displaced by xenophobic attacks

Story Highlights

• Thousands remain without proper shelter, prompting complaints
  
• The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has donated 2,000 tents
  
• Up to 100,000 people fled their homes amid xenophobic attacks

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