Phantom of the Opera returns and triumphs

What is the ultimate proof of the fact that a work of art has won global fame? Well, here it is - "Love Never Dies," the latest musical by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, has topped sales charts at key music stores in China. Local CD versions feature the key aria in Chinese, performed by famous soprano Zhang Lipin.

If the musical has "conquered" China, this means it has also "conquered" the world. At the same time, everyone takes for granted the fact that the musical, or should that be opera, has been running successfully at the London-based Adelphi Theatre since March.

Three aspects of the musical's triumph are quite interesting. First of all, this is an amazing achievement in an extremely difficult situation, and it is one with which all artists, be they poets, musicians or actors, are familiar: having to conquer themselves.

What can you do if you are Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber of Sydmonton, the man who has won every conceivable music prize, who shot to fame after writing his musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" in 1970, and who ranks 101st in the UK in terms of his wealth, which is estimated at 750 million pounds ($1.2 billion)?

Even if we overlook his money and fancy titles, and assume that he is just a musician and composer who has written such masterpieces as "Cats," "Evita" and "The Phantom of the Opera," these still seem like unbeatable landmark achievements. In addition, there is always the fear that people will say that the great Andrew Lloyd Weber is sliding downhill. Hasn't he reached the top and has nowhere to go but down? Wouldn't it be better to tell yourself that you have it all, and say a final farewell to your work and life?

The composer was not scared and did the most incredible and dangerous thing in this situation. He wrote "Love Never Dies," a sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera," featuring Christine, Raoul and the Phantom. This time around, the action switches to a fear-filled, macabre and gothic Coney Island, New York, amusement park, where it is hard to tell the difference between a doll, a live freak or the real Phantom, ten years after the events at the Paris Opera.

RIA Novosti

Russian Tu-95 strategic bombers set new flight duration record

Two Russian Tu-95MS Bear-H strategic bombers have carried out a record-breaking 40-hour patrol over three oceans, an Air Force spokesman said.

"The Tu-95MS bombers carried out patrols over the Arctic, the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans and set a new flight duration record of about 40 hours, exceeding the previous record by four hours," Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik said at a news briefing on Thursday.

The crews practiced instrumental flight and carried out four in-flight refuelings from Il-78 aerial tankers, the official said.

Russia resumed strategic bomber patrol flights over the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans in August 2007, following an order from then-President Vladimir Putin.

RIA Novosti

Missing Russian pilot freed in Sudan

The missing pilot, who disappeared after a Russian helicopter was hijacked in Dafur, has been freed, a senior Russian lawmaker said on Thursday.

"The pilot has already been taken to the UN mission," Mikhail Margelov said.

The helicopter, carrying four crewmembers and five passengers, was seized by insurgents on Monday, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The remaining three crewmembers and all five passengers on board were confirmed safe shortly after the siege.

"Our people, including the Russian embassy, were working 24/7 to secure the release of the pilot," Margelov said.

He said a group of militants serving the interests of Sudanese paramilitary forces, were behind his abduction.

"Our position is simple; none of the sides fighting in Darfur may use Russian pilots as bargaining chips," he said.

The pilot was released at around 20.15 - 20.30 Moscow time (16.15 - 16.30 GMT). The circumstances of the release are still being clarified.

The helicopter, working in Sudan under a UN contract, was on a joint UN and African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

RIA Novosti

Georgia's Saakashvili trying to cling onto power - opposition leader

The recent drawing up of a draft Georgian constitution is evidence that President Mikheil Saakashvili is trying to hang onto power after his presidential term expires in 2013, the Georgian opposition leader said.

Last week the draft constitution, which cuts presidential powers and divides them between parliament and the prime minister, was approved by the state constitutional commission.

"I am sure that the new draft Georgian Constitution is connected to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's attempt to extend his powers and to continue to rule the country as prime minister," leader of the opposition party Democratic Movement-United Georgia Nino Burdzhanadze said.

She said the new constitution strengthens the role of the prime minister rather than the functions of parliament and that the resignation procedure for the prime minister under the draft is so complicated that implementing the impeachment of a prime minister would be practically impossible.

She added that the constitution does not lay guarantees for the correct functioning of municipal institutions.

RIA Novosti

Belarus, Russia urge Kazakhstan to switch common rail freight tariffs

Belarus and Russia have suggested that Kazakhstan switch to common rail freight tariffs, head of Belarusian Railways Anatoly Sivak said on Thursday.

"Russia and Belarus have a common tariff for railway freights transportation," Sivak said at a press conference in Minsk, adding that Kazakhstan was looking into ways of switching.

A Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan formally came into existence on January 1, 2010, but was unable to start working fully until the Customs Code came into effect on July 6.

"The work of the Customs Union will clearly accelerate the introduction of a common rail tariff between Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan," Sivak said.

He also said Belarus, Russia and China had joint plans to build a high-speed railroad between Minsk and Moscow with speeds of up to 300 km/h.

The official said the project could be economically beneficial for all three countries.

RIA Novosti

Moldova expects positive talks with Russia on wine exports

Moldova's minister of agriculture and food, Valery Kosarchuk, hopes for successful talks with Moscow on Friday on Moldovan wine exports to Russia.

Russia's Kommersant business daily reported earlier on Thursday that the Russian Federal Service for Consumer Rights and Human Welfare Protection (Rospotrebnadzor) may ban all wine imports from Moldova as of Friday.

"I am positive that after talks tomorrow our relations with Russia in the wine sector will improve and enter a new stage of development,' Kosarchuk said following a governmental session.

He said that a list of changes introduced by Moldova in line with requirements from Rospotrebnadzor has been handed over to Russia via its embassy in Chisinau.

Russia, which previously imported 80% of all wine produced in Moldova, imposed an embargo on all Moldovan imports in March 2006. The ban dealt a severe blow to the small, impoverished ex-Soviet nation's economy, bringing many winemaking enterprises close to bankruptcy.

The ban was introduced after tests revealed the presence of pesticides and heavy metals in Moldovan wine.

RIA Novosti

Manchester United manager Ferguson defends Glazer family

(CNN) -- Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has defended the club's American owners telling CNN he has "no complaints" with the way they have done their job.

The 18-time English league champions were bought by the Glazer family in 2005 but have long been targeted by the club's supporters for running up huge debts.

Though United have recently been rated as the world's most valuable sporting club by Forbes they still have estimated debts of over $1bn, leading many fans to call for a change of ownership.

A group of wealthy businessmen called the Red Knights tried to launch a takeover bid last season but were knocked back, and now Ferguson has insisted the current owners are doing a good job.

CNN

Scores die of cholera in Cameroon

(CNN) -- More than 100 people have died of cholera in Cameroon, according to Joseph Beti Assomo, a regional governor.

The deaths occurred in the High North region of northern Cameroon, and the fatalities come since a cholera outbreak warning in June.

More than 600 people have been stricken with the water-borne disease, the governor said, but a local non-governmental organization, Cameroon Health, said more than twice that number -- 1,500 people -- are sick.

According to a Cameroon Ministry of Water and Energy official, 70 percent of those living in the High North do not have access to potable water.

There has been flooding in the region recently, and officials think it might have aggravated the spread of the disease. It's the border region of Nigeria and Chad, and is close to the the Chadian capital of N'Djamena.

The disease is caused by contaminated water, and many people with cholera suffer acute watery diarrhea, which leads to severe dehydration. If left untreated, it can kill quickly, possibly within hours, the World Health Organization says.

CNN

Study: Climate change 'undeniable'

(FT) -- International scientists have injected fresh evidence into the debate over global warming, saying that climate change is "undeniable" and shows clear signs of "human fingerprints" in the first major piece of research since the "Climategate" controversy.

The research, headed by the US National Oceans and Atmospheric Administration, is based on new data not available for the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report of 2007, the target of attacks by skeptics in recent years.

The NOAA study drew on up to 11 different indicators of climate, and found that each one pointed to a world that was warming owing to the influence of greenhouse gases, said Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring at the UK's Met Office, one of the agencies participating.

Seven indicators were rising, he said. These were: air temperature over land, sea-surface temperature, marine air temperature, sea level, ocean heat, humidity, and tropospheric temperature in the "active-weather" layer of the atmosphere closest to the earth's surface. Four indicators were declining: Arctic sea ice, glaciers, spring snow cover in the northern hemisphere, and stratospheric temperatures.

Mr Stott said: "The whole of the climate system is acting in a way consistent with the effects of greenhouse gases." "The fingerprints are clear," he said. "The glaringly obvious explanation for this is warming from greenhouse gases".

CNN

Arab leaders give OK for direct Palestinian talks with Israel

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Arab leaders gave the Palestinian Authority Thursday the green light for direct talks with Israel, a move that prompted the Israeli prime minister to say his country is ready for the face-to-face talks as well.

"In response to the decisions of the Arab League, PM Benjamin Netanyahu says that he is willing to commence direct and honest talks with the Palestinian Authority within the next few days," the Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement.

"Through direct negotiations it will become possible to quickly reach a peace agreement between the two nations".

The Arab League made it clear it is now up to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas whether to enter direct talks with Israel.

The Arab League decision comes after intense Western pressures and more than a year and a half of a stalled peace process.

Israel and the Palestinians have been meeting indirectly with George Mitchell, the Obama administration's point man for the Middle East, shuttling between the sides.

CNN

Churchill's false teeth sell for $23,000

London, England (CNN) -- A pair of false teeth worn by Winston Churchill have sold at auction for more than $23,000 -- on the same day that plans were announced to put the British wartime leader's archive papers online for the first time.

Churchill, famous for his rousing speeches during World War II, had several sets of the partial upper dentures specially constructed to hide his natural lisp and accentuate his signature slurred diction.

According to documents held by the Royal College of Surgeons, the former prime minister "lived in fear of losing his false teeth" and would always have a spare set to hand, entrusted to his private secretary, Andrew Bullock of Keys auction house in Aylsham, eastern England, told CNN.

The set which sold for £15,200 ($23,700) on Thursday -- more than three times its expected price -- was put up for sale by Nigel Cudlipp, the son of the dental technician who made them, Derek Cudlipp.

"According to Nigel Cudlipp, his father said he could always tell how the war was going from the distance Winston hurled the teeth," said Bullock. "They were prone to breaking, especially when Churchill got a bit angry".

Bullock said Churchill suffered from poor teeth and gums from childhood and had complicated dentistry requirements. He later nominated his dentist for a knighthood.

CNN

Muscovites rush to buy fans and water guns as heat breaks new records

Moscow's heat record was broken for the second time in a week on Thursday causing sales of fans and waters guns to shoot up and birds to flee the city.

On Thursday temperatures in the Russian capital soared to 37.7 degrees Celsius (99.86 degrees Fahrenheit), beating Monday's record of 37.5 degrees Celsius (99.5) and securing July 2010's place as Moscow's hottest ever month.

But not everyone is suffering: street vendors are cashing in on selling hand-held fans to drivers forced to sweat it out in Moscow's notorious traffic jams, many of whom drive Russian-made cars without air conditioning.

Meanwhile, toy shops and online stores are doing a roaring trade in water guns and inflatable pools.

"In July, we sold all our water guns in two weeks and people are still asking for them," an online store employee said.

Air conditioners and fans are also selling out fast.

RIA Novosti

Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 29, 2009) -- The Army today released the Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention (HP/RR/SP) Report, the result of a focused 15-month effort to better understand the increasing rate of suicides in the force. This candid report is intended to inform and educate Army leaders on the importance of recognizing and reducing high risk behavior related to suicide and accidental death, and reducing the stigma associated with behavioral health and treatment. This report represents the next phase in the Army’s ongoing campaign to promote resiliency in a force that has been at war for nearly a decade. 

“The dedicated effort behind this report sends a clear message to our force that we take the resiliency of our soldiers and families very seriously,” said Secretary of the Army John McHugh. “This effort is part of our culture to look closely at ourselves, and to make continuous improvements in our capability – but most importantly, to reduce the number of soldiers we lose to suicide”.

“This comprehensive review exposes gaps in how we identify, engage, and mitigate high-risk behavior among our soldiers. After nearly a decade of war we must keep pace with the expanding needs of our strained Army, and continuously identify and address the gaps that exist in our policies, programs and services,” said Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr.

Casey told the Army’s two- and three-star commanders and command sergeants major recently that “our challenge over the next several years will be to maintain our combat edge at an appropriate tempo while reestablishing garrison systems to better care for our soldiers and families. The combination of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness with these health promotion efforts provides the foundation to improve the resilience of the force”.

Unprecedented operational tempo has dictated that leaders remain primarily focused on preparing for their next deployment. As a result, enforcement of policies designated to ensure good order and discipline has atrophied. This, in turn, has led to an increasing population of Soldiers who display high risk behavior which erodes the health of the force.

The report grew out of a series of visits to six Army installations directed by Casey and led by Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli in Spring 2009 to look at suicide prevention efforts in the force. “What we witnessed were real indicators of stress on the force, and an increasing propensity for Soldiers to engage in high risk behavior,” Chiarelli said. “We recognized almost immediately we had to widen the aperture – risk in the force cannot be mitigated by suicide prevention alone”.

The Army’s inward and transparent review is documented in this report. It addresses the full range of issues related to HP/RR/SP, outlines and defines the problem, documents actions taken, and makes recommendations for the way ahead. 

Key findings include:

• gaps in the current HP/RR/SP policies, processes and programs necessary to mitigate high risk behaviors; 

• an erosion of adherence to existing Army policies and standards; 

• an increase in indicators of high risk behavior including illicit drug use, other crimes and suicide attempts; 

• lapses in surveillance and detection of high risk behavior; 

• an increased use of prescription antidepressants, amphetamines and narcotics; 

• degraded accountability of disciplinary, administrative and reporting processes; and 

• the continued high rate of suicides, high risk related deaths and other adverse outcomes.

“These findings demonstrate that many of our programs are unbalanced and lack integration, while reinforcing recommendations that will help us improve the quality of our programs and services,” Chiarelli said.

U.S. Army

Karzai denounces leaking of Afghan informant names

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghanistan's president said he is incensed that leaked secret U.S. military documents include the names of Afghan informants.

"This indeed is very irresponsible and shocking," President Hamid Karzai told reporters on Thursday.

"Because whether those individuals acted legitimately or illegitimately in providing information to the NATO forces, they are lives, and their lives will be in danger now".

U.S. military officials were assessing what damage could be done to intelligence contacts in Afghanistan after a number of names of local Afghans working with the U.S. military appeared on documents leaked by the WikiLeaks website. Officials are concerned that potential new contacts may be reluctant to help out of the fear that the United States can't protect sources.

Karzai said that authorities must determine the context in which those names are mentioned "and then act accordingly".

"This is a very serious issue," he said.

The Pentagon is focusing on jailed Army Pfc. Bradley Manning as the main suspect in the leak of tens of thousands of secret U.S. military documents related to the war in Afghanistan, a senior Pentagon official told CNN Wednesday.

CNN

Second U.S. sailor found dead in Afghanistan

(CNN) -- A second U.S. sailor who went missing in Afghanistan last week is dead, a Pentagon official said Thursday.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, 25, of Renton, Washington, was one of two sailors involved in a firefight on Friday in eastern Afghanistan. They were traveling in Logar province when they were attacked, the military said.

Deen Mohammad Darwish, a Logar province official, said Newlove's body was found in the Baraki Barak district of the province early on Wednesday. Newlove's family was notified the same day, the Pentagon official said.

The sailor died of wounds he sustained from the firefight when the two sailors were captured, Darwish said.

Newlove had five gunshot wounds, including one to the head, Darwish said.

The government asked the local elders of the province to form a committee and talk to the Taliban in order to retrieve the missing sailor. Because of the negotiations with the elders, the Taliban gave the body back without submitting any demands, Darwish said.

CNN

Parts of controversial Arizona immigration law take effect

Phoenix, Arizona (CNN) -- Parts of an Arizona immigration law take effect Thursday after a federal judge blocked several of its most controversial aspects.

The preliminary injunction, issued Wednesday, means that, at least for now, police are prevented from questioning people's immigration status if there is reason to believe they are in the country illegally.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton also blocked provisions of the law making it a crime for people to fail to apply for or carry alien registration papers or "for an unauthorized alien to solicit, apply for, or perform work," as well as a provision "authorizing the warrantless arrest of a person" if there is reason to believe that person might be subject to deportation.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said the state would file an expedited appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, signaling a legal escalation that some expect will end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The parts of the law that take effect Thursday include a ban on so-called "sanctuary cities," -- cities with laws or policies that render them relatively safe for undocumented immigrants -- and the criminalization of hiring day laborers who are in the country illegally. The parts of the law dealing with sanctions for employers who hire illegal immigrants also withstood the first legal test.

CNN

80 die in ferry accident

(CNN) -- Eighty people were killed late Tuesday in a ferry accident in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a government spokesman confirmed Thursday.

Mende Omalanga, the spokesman, told CNN the accident occurred on the Congo River, a major transport and trade artery for the African country.

"We had a huge loss of human lives -- 80 persons died," he said.

He said the ferry was laden with people and cargo traveling from Kwilu on its way to Nangutuka in Bandundu province.

The government is awaiting official confirmation from the transport ministry about the cause of the accident.

The region is now in the dry season and the Congo River is low. "They probably ran aground," Omalanga said.

Ferry accidents are frequent in Congo, where transport regulations are rarely enforced.

CNN

Malaria-proof mosquito engineered

Scientists in the US have succeeded in genetically engineering a malaria-resistant mosquito.

The researchers, from the University of Arizona, introduced a gene that affected the insect's gut, meaning the malaria parasite could not develop.

They report the advance, which also reduced the insects' lifespan, in the journal PLoS Pathogens.

They say that the ultimate goal is to introduce malaria-resistant mosquitoes into the environment.

"Before we do this, we have to somehow give the mosquitoes a competitive advantage over the disease-carrying insects," explained Professor Michael Riehle from the University of Arizona a principle investigator on the project.

In the study the researchers altered a gene that codes for a "signalling molecule".

This molecule, a protein, enables the mosquito's cells to communicate with each other, and is crucial for parasite development inside the mosquito.

The genetic tweak artificially increased its production, disrupting the whole process, and also shortened the insect's lifespan.

The team was able to add a fluorescent tag to the gene, to ensure that it had been successfully "expressed" by the mosquito larvae.

Professor Riehle said: "This is the first time that we've been able to completely block the parasite from developing in the mosquito".

Gareth Lycett, a malaria researcher from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK, said it was an important advance.

BBC News