Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs arraigned in Texas

Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs has been arraigned in a courtroom in Texas on charges of sexual assault and bigamy after being extradited from Utah.

Mr Jeffs, who was not asked to enter a plea, told the judge he needed more time to find a lawyer.

The 53-year-old was indicted more than two years ago, after a raid on a ranch where a breakaway Mormon sect allegedly married young girls to church leaders.

He is waiting a retrial in Utah after a conviction there was overturned.

The new trial in Texas, which relates to abuse claims at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado, is scheduled to begin on 24 January.

Mr Jeffs, the head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was convicted by a Utah court in August 2007 of two counts of conspiracy to rape.

That conviction was overturned by the Utah Supreme Court in July this year.

Utah officials said he could be tried in Texas before the retrial in their state took place. BBC News

Iran hangs footballer's mistress Shahla Jahed

Iran has executed the mistress of a prominent footballer for the 2002 murder of his wife, state media says.

Shahla Jahed, 40, was hanged in Tehran for stabbing to death the wife of 1980s football star Nasser Mohammadkhani, the woman's lawyer told Irna news agency.

Mr Mohammadkhani, who had been in a so-called temporary marriage with Jahed, reportedly attended the execution.

International human rights groups had campaigned for her release since she was jailed more than eight years ago.

The Council of Europe said the execution showed that Iran's government had "little respect for human rights".

"I am dismayed by this latest execution in Iran and also by the inhumane way in which it was carried out," said the organisation's secretary-general Thorbjorn Jagland.

The execution is the 146th in Iran this year, according to AFP news agency.

The Irna news agency reported that Jahed prayed prior to the hanging, and then burst into tears and shouted for her life to be spared.

The victim's brother was at the execution and pulled the chair from under her, according to reports.

Final pleas

Jahed had been living with Mr Mohammadkhani, an international footballer who played in the late 1980s, in a temporary marriage - a practice known as sigheh which is allowed under Shia Islam.

She first confessed to the murder of Laleh Saharkhizan, but later retracted the statement in court.

Mr Mohammadkhani was initially suspected of complicity in the murder and jailed for several months, but he was released after Jahed's confession.

The fact that she was his temporary wife allowed him to avoid being charged with adultery, although he was sentenced to 74 lashes for drug-taking after the court heard he had smoked opium with Jahed.

Before the execution, Jahed's sister made a final plea to Ms Saharkhizan's family to ask for the sentence not to be carried out.

"Firstly I have to say that we would like to extend our apologies to Laleh's family for Shahla turning up in her marital life in the first place," Jahed's sister, who did not want to be named, told BBC Persian.

"Secondly we are still shocked by what Shahla has done and we're still in disbelief".

Malcolm Smart, Amnesty director for the Middle East and North Africa, said there were "strong grounds" to believe she had not receive a fair trial.

"She may have been coerced into making a 'confession' during months of detention in solitary confinement," he said in a statement.

"She retracted that confession at her trial but the court chose to accept it as evidence against her".

The initial verdict was overturned in 2008 after the judiciary cited "procedural flaws", but Jahed was again sentenced to death in February 2009.

Iran has attracted international criticism over the separate case of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, an Iranian woman who was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery.

After campaigns for her release around the world, her stoning sentence was suspended, although she could still be hanged for murder. BBC News

Cuba begins public debate on economy changes

Cuba has launched a public debate on plans to transform its socialist economy by reducing the role of the state and boosting private enterprise.

Ordinary Cubans are being encouraged to discuss the changes so their views can be taken into account at a ruling communist party congress next April.

The government says everyone should have a free say on the future of Cuba.

But it also insists that the "socialist character" of Cuba's political system will not change.

Under the headline "It is the people who decide", the official Communist Party newspaper Granma said everyone in Cuba should take part in the economic debate.

It urged people to discuss the changes through Communist Party organisations, trade union meetings and community groups.

"Nobody should remain with an unexpressed opinion, much less be prevented from expressing it," it said.

"At stake is the future of the Cuban nation".

However, Granma also stressed that the "socialist character" of Cuba's political and social system was "irrevocable". BBC News

Tiger hunts first win in 2010 and No.1 spot

(CNN) -- Tiger Woods has one last chance to salvage a victory from a sorry 2010 and claim back his World No.1 spot from England's Lee Westwood.

Woods is the tournament host this week at the Chevron World Challenge in California, which is not an official PGA Tour event but does count towards the world rankings.

If the American wins and Westwood finishes outside the top two in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, Woods will go back to the top.

But it will be a fleeting success as Westwood is certain to go into 2011 as No.1 as Woods will lose some of the points he accumulated over the past two years by the end of the year.

But for Woods it will be a win that will be his primary motivation. CNN

Oil spill, World Cup among Yahoo's most searched terms

(CNN) -- The oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico was the most searched term on Yahoo in 2010, the search engine said Wednesday.

"People turned to the Web to watch the live feed of the oil leak, search for answers to the spill's impact, and get details," Yahoo said in announcing its annual look back at the top trends of the year.

The search engine compiles its Year in Review by looking at user search terms.

The fascination with this year's World Cup soccer tournament, the iPhone and the TV show "American Idol" also ranked among the most searched items.

Celebrities dominated the rest of the top 10 with pop singer Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber among them.

The oil disaster began on April 20 when an explosion aboard an oil rig sent crude spewing from a BP-owned well deep below the Gulf of Mexico. More than 4.9 million barrels (206 million gallons) of crude spilled into the Gulf of Mexico before the well was finally sealed on September 19. CNN

Army aviation to remain part of Russian Air Force

Army aviation will remain part of Russia's Air Force, and its fleet will be fully upgraded in the future, a deputy Air Force commander said on Wednesday.

Army aviation was an arm of the Ground Forces prior to becoming part of the Air Force in 2003. The possible return of army aviation assets to the Ground Forces has been one of the main discussion topics during the ongoing military reform in Russia.

"Army aviation will continue to fulfill the set tasks as part of the Air Force," Lt. Gen. Igor Sadofyev said.

It will carry out a wide-range of missions, including tactical air support of the Ground Forces, tactical aerial reconnaissance, transportation of airborne troops, and electronic warfare, Sadofyev added.

Army aviation will replace about 70 percent of its fleet with new aircraft by 2020 and replace the remainder later, he said.

The new additions to the fleet will include Ka-52 and Mi-28N attack helicopters, he said. RIA Novosti

Patients urge Kremlin to address HIV drugs supply problem

HIV-positive Russians have appealed to the country's leadership to deal with the shortage of HIV drugs, a public activist said on Wednesday.

More than 5,000 people have signed a petition, Alexei Burlak, coordinator of HIV People, an all-Russia public organization, said.

Rallies were held across Russia earlier this fall to raise awareness of the shortage of anti-HIV medications in hospitals. According to Russia's Health Care Foundation, half of HIV-positive patients will not receive the life-saving drugs they need this year.

December 1 is World AIDS Day, declared by the World Health Organization in 1988 to raise awareness of the deadly disease.

People with AIDS should not be afraid to go to court if their right to medical treatment is violated, lawyer Irina Khrunova said.

"HIV-infected people should go to court to protect their rights," she said.

However, many people were afraid to go to lawyers as that would mean "disclosing their status," Alexandra Volgina of the Svecha charity foundation said.

Health Minister Tatyana Golikova last Wednesday said all of Russia's regions were fully supplied with medication for the treatment of HIV and hepatitis strains B and C.

Shortages have been recorded in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tula, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Arkhangelsk, Vladimir, Saratov, Kaliningrad and other areas.

According to official statistics, there are more than 500,000 people living with HIV in Russia.

The government has earmarked more than 13 billion rubles ($430 million) to HIV treatment this year and plans to raise the figure to 19 billion rubles ($606 million) in 2011. RIA Novosti

Interpol issues red notice for WikiLeaks founder Assange

Interpol has added WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to its international list of most wanted persons, Interpol said on its website on Wednesday.

"Interpol has made public the Red Notice, or international wanted persons alert, for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the request of Swedish authorities who want to question him in connection with a number of sexual offences," Interpol said.

The alert to all 188 member states was issued on November 20, but was made publicly available only after being officially authorized by Swedish authorities. Interpol National Central Bureaus were tasked with ensuring that local border security structures are aware of Assange's status.

An Interpol "red notice" is equivalent in meaning to an international arrest warrant and any member state that knows the whereabouts of an individual on the list is required to arrest him.

The 39-year-old Australian activist is wanted by Swedish authorities who suspect him of being tied to several sex-related crimes, including rape and molestation.

Whistleblower website WikiLeaks recently made public more than 250,000 confidential U.S. cables, which contain harsh comments about many world leaders.

According to one document leaked from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev "plays Robin" to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's "Batman." Another document called Medvedev "pale and hesitant" in comparison to "Alpha-dog" Putin. RIA Novosti

Astronaut Catherine Coleman asks permission to take son to space

NASA astronaut Catherine Coleman, who will take off for the International Space Station (ISS) on December 15, jokingly asked the head of Russia's state corporation Roscosmos for permission to take her son with her.

The Soyuz TMA-20 will deliver Russian cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev, Italian Paolo Nespoli and Coleman to the ISS for 152 days.

"Our difference in weight with Paolo Nespoli is 40 kilograms, and my son weighs just 37 kilograms. Maybe in order to make better use of space, you would allow me take my 10-year-old son - it's his wish," Coleman told Anatoly Perminov.

"Your son is already an adult. He would have to have his own spacesuit. This is good that he has a desire [to travel to space]. Perhaps he will fly after you, but not now. Your son may easily fly by 2020 [expected date of the end of the ISS] - this is actual," Perminov said. RIA Novosti

Beckham says England have momentum ahead of World Cup vote

(CNN) -- Football icon David Beckham has told CNN that he believes the momentum is behind England as they battle to win the right to stage the 2018 World Cup when the decision is made in Zurich on Thursday.

Beckham, who has played in three World Cups, joined by forces with British prime minister David Cameron and Prince Willliam in a last-minute lobbying offensive of FIFA executive members.

England's bid was believed to have been adversely affected by allegations of corruption made against FIFA officials by British media organizations, but the former Manchester United star believes that has been neutralized.

"I think when we arrived yesterday (Tuesday) obviously people were talking about the negative side about what had been said and how the members would be; but I think that's totally turned now," he told CNN. CNN

Russian PM Putin misses Zurich World Cup vote

(CNN) -- Russia's prime minister Vladimir Putin will not going to Zurich to help his country win the 2018 World Cup and has complained of "unfair competition" in the bidding process.

Putin was expected to go to the Swiss city to put the case for Russia, but is sending his deputy Igor Shuvalov in his place.

The Russian bid has gathered pace in the buildup to Thursday's vote to decide the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Putin was expected to join other political heavyweights like former U.S. president Bill Clinton and British prime minister David Cameron in last-minute lobbying of FIFA executive members.

But in a speech broadcast on Russian television, Putin confirmed he would stay at home and also appeared to criticize corruption allegations made against executive members by British media organizations. CNN

Warren Jeffs extradited to Texas to stand trial

(CNN) -- After a legal battle that wound up before the Utah Supreme Court, polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was extradited from Utah to Texas to stand trial on sexual assault and bigamy charges, according to authorities in both states.

Jeffs left the custody of the Utah Department of Corrections before 4 p.m. Tuesday, department spokesman Stephen Gehrke said Wednesday.

The Texas attorney general's office issued a statement saying that Jeffs arrived in San Angelo, Texas, at about 9 p.m. Tuesday.

"Law enforcement officers with the Texas Rangers and the Texas attorney general's office escorted Jeffs to the state after taking custody of him in Utah earlier in the day," the statement said. "Jeffs is currently being held without bail and awaits trial in Texas on two charges of sexual assault of a child and bigamy".

Jeffs was set to appear in Tom Green County Court at 11 a.m. (noon ET) for arraignment, according to the court administrator's office.

The Utah Court of Appeals halted Jeffs' extradition while it considered his appeal of the extradition order, then transferred the matter to the Utah Supreme Court. That court on November 23 dismissed the appeal, clearing the way for the extradition to proceed. CNN

Hamas leader denies al Qaeda is operating in Gaza

Jerusalem (CNN) -- The prime minister of the Hamas government in Gaza denied Wednesday Israeli claims of an al Qaeda presence in the coastal strip, claiming there is no such thing.

Speaking to reporters, Ismail Haniya said there was an active Palestinian resistance in Gaza but that it "does not work outside of the borders of Palestine".

He said recent Israeli accusations that al Qaeda had secured a foothold in the Palestinian territory were "an illusion" and were being used a pretext for future Israeli military action in Gaza and to incite American and international public opinion against Palestinians.

The remarks were made in reference to Israel's targeted killings last month of two Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli military claimed the victims were senior operatives of an al Qaeda inspired radical group known as the Army of Islam and were planning attacks against Israeli and American targets in the Sinai Peninsula.

Haniya said he had written a letter to Egypt's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, assuring him that no Palestinian resistance groups were operating in the Sinai Peninsula. CNN

'Small, meek' Belgium boosted in Guantanamo charm offensive

London, England (CNN) -- The Obama administration's attempts to find countries prepared to re-settle Guantanamo Bay detainees crop up in many of the diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks.

And the approach taken by U.S. officials working overseas is custom-tailored for each country.

Take efforts to persuade Belgium, for instance. Politically crippled by an apparently intractable north-south divide, it is a country struggling profoundly with its sense of identity. And that offered diplomats an apparent opening:

"For the past few months, Embassy Brussels has been working to set the stage for a change in Belgium's self-concept as a small, meek country living in the shadow of France and Germany, to a country that can show leadership in Europe in spite of stretched financial and material resources". CNN

WikiLeaks: U.S. saw Moscow mayor atop corrupt 'pyramid'

Moscow, Russia (CNN) -- Ousted Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov presided over a "pyramid" of corruption in the Russian capital that the Kremlin tolerated for political advantage, according to a document released by the website WikiLeaks on Wednesday.

Despite an anti-corruption campaign launched by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, "the extent of corruption in Moscow remains pervasive with Mayor Luzhkov at the top of the pyramid," according to a February cable from the U.S. Embassy there. "Luzhkov oversees a system in which it appears that almost everyone at every level is involved in some form of corruption or criminal behavior".

But for Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Luzhkov remained "a trusted deliverer of votes and influence" for their ruling party, United Russia. "Putin and Medvedev's dilemma is deciding when Luzhkov becomes a bigger liability than asset," the cable states.

Luzhkov apparently reached that point in September, when Medvedev abruptly fired the 74-year-old Moscow mayor. His dismissal came after criticism in Russia's state media that he had gone on vacation during a wave of forest fires that blanketed the capital in thick smog -- and after reports that he channeled funds and lucrative deals to his property-developer wife, now Russia's richest woman.

Luzhkov denied the allegations after his dismissal and told CNN that he was fired to enable the Kremlin to tighten its grip on power. He won a libel suit against an opposition leader who leveled allegations of corruption against the mayor, though the U.S. Embassy cable notes the judgment was issued on technical grounds.

The U.S. document, dated more than seven months before Luzhkov's dismissal, described a three-tiered "kleptocracy". CNN

Police shut down terror cell in Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Police in Barcelona, Spain, arrested seven people and shut down a cell officials said supplied documents to al-Qaida, Spain's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

A similar operation in Thailand resulted in three arrests, Spanish officials said in a release.

The ministry said cell members stole documents and sent them to Thailand, where they were forged and passed along to terrorist groups with ties to al-Qaida.

In the Barcelona operation, police seized documents and equipment, including passports, a computer, computer hard drives and memory cards, cell phones and a variety of currency.

Police in Spain and Thailand have been working together for 18 months investigating the operation, the ministry said.

The ministry said shutting down the cell weakened al-Qaida's counterfeiting operations. UPI

Source: Missing girl may have been raped

HICKORY, N.C., Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Court documents released in the disappearance of a disabled North Carolina girl indicate 10-year-old Zahra Baker may have been raped by two men before dying.

The documents reveal a source told police at least one of the two men named was acquainted with Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported Wednesday.

The source, who said he got his information from talking to someone else, said Zahra had been at a house in Burke County, N.C., with the two men.

Search warrants released Tuesday indicate Hickory, N.C., police found a mattress with a "large dark stain in the middle" when they went to the house to see if they could confirm the rape information, CNN reported.

The source said he had been told the two men didn't admit to killing Zahra but said they "might have hit her in the head," the search warrant indicated.

Zahra's remains were found Nov. 9, more than a month after she was reported missing.

Her dismembered body had been placed in trash bags, the documents reveal.

So far no one has been charged in Zahra's disappearance. UPI

Force used against Bangladesh protesters

LONDON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Authorities in Bangladesh should investigate how security forces dealt with protesters during Tuesday's national strike, Amnesty International said Wednesday.

The organization said it was told by witnesses and local observers that more than 100 people were injured by security forces during the peaceful protests.

Reports from Dhaka and other Bangladesh cities suggest that members of the Rapid Action Battalion and other police personnel attacked demonstrators with batons in more than a dozen instances, Amnesty International said.

"The Bangladeshi government should immediately investigate these attacks by security forces on peaceful demonstrators and ensure that any people hurt receive justice an appropriate compensation," said Abbas Faiz, the organization's Bangladesh researcher.

Tuesday's national strike was organized by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party to protest what it called "misrule" by the government in evicting the party's chairperson from her home. UPI

Blackwater planned anti-pirate operation

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- The private security firm Blackwater Worldwide was prepared to battle Somali pirates on the high seas, a secret cable sent by a U.S. Embassy in Africa reveals.

The cable, sent to the State Department in February 2009 and among the trove released during the weekend by WikiLeaks, told that Blackwater had turned a research vessel into a pirate-hunting ship and was seeking clients to protect, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Blackwater's chief executive officer planned a promotional trip to Djibouti in March 2009 and the company was hoping the U.S. embassy there would help out.

That prompted U.S. Ambassador James C. Swan to cable Washington for "guidance on the appropriate level of engagement with Blackwater".

The cable said that Blackwater had outfitted its pirate-hunting ship with .50-caliber machine guns and a small, unarmed drone aircraft, the Times reported.

The North Carolina-based firm had already determined its rules of engagement.

"Blackwater does not intend to take any pirates into custody, but will use lethal force against pirates if necessary," the cable said.

In the end, Blackwater Maritime Security Services never attracted any clients for its pirate-hunting business, the newspaper reported. UPI

S. Korea, U.S. plan more joint drills

SEOUL, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- South Korea and the United States, ending naval drills in the Yellow Sea Wednesday, said they plan more joint drills to deter provocations by North Korea.

The four days of high-profile military exercises -- which include a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier, 7,300 personnel and 10 ships from the allies -- began just days after North Korea shelled South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island, killing two civilians and two marines.

Col. Kim Young-cheol, in charge of maritime warfare operations for the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said South Korea has consulted the United States about carrying out "several rounds" of joint military exercises to deal with "limited provocations by the enemy," South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

"The timing and participating military assets have not been decided yet," Kim said, noting that the first drill could be conducted in the beginning of December.

Kim said this week's joint drills succeeded in warning North Korea, Yonhap reported.

"These exercises are meaningful as they demonstrate a firm commitment of South Korea-U.S. alliance that the allies will sternly respond to any North Korean provocation," Kim said. UPI