Violence picks up, journalists attacked

CAIRO, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Violence between pro- and anti-government demonstrators increased Wednesday and spread to journalists covering protests against the Egypt's government.

Men identified as supporters of President Hosni Mubarak attacked protesters rallying in downtown Cairo, al-Masry al-Youm said. At least 10 people were injured in clashes.

Witnesses said the men, some riding camels and horses, stormed the crowd and attacked protesters with swords and iron chains despite the presence of military personnel.

Meanwhile, journalists covering the ninth day of protests found themselves targets of violence in Cairo's Tahrir Square by Mubarak supporters, The New York Times reported.

CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper reported being "set upon" by pro-government demonstrators and was "punched in the head".

Reporters Without Borders said it received dozens of confirmed reports of violence against local and international journalists in Egypt. Spokeswoman Tala Dowlatshahi said the group was prepared "to expect more foreign journalists to be targeted".

"The army has failed in its commitment to protect peaceful protesters," Hassiba Hadj-Sahraoui, Amnesty International's deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement. "The fact that such violence is allowed to continue as they stand there begs the question whether they have orders not to interfere".

The United States also expressed its concern about the growing violence.

"After days of peaceful protests in Cairo and other cities in Egypt, today we see violent attacks on peaceful demonstrators and journalists," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. "The United States denounces these attacks and calls on all engaged in demonstrations currently taking place in Egypt to do so peacefully".

The State Department said the attacks not only were dangerous to Egypt, but also a "direct threat to the aspirations of the Egyptian people. The use of violence to intimidate the Egyptian people must stop".

U.S. President Barack Obama also issued a statement decrying the upswing in violence, saying, "(We) are deeply concerned about attacks on the media and peaceful demonstrators. We repeat our strong call for restraint.

Demonstrators have called upon the 82-year-old Mubarak to end his three-decade rule now, instead of not seeking re-election in the next presidential elections in September. President Obama has said "an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now".

Mubarak announced on state television Tuesday he would not seek re-election in the upcoming elections, but thousands of protesters remained in Cairo's Tahrir Square Wednesday. In Alexandria, local television reported clashes between protesters and Mubarak supporters.

Mubarak said he wanted to push through political and economic changes before stepping down.

British Prime Minister David Cameron also urged the Egyptian government to present a clear timetable with details of the transfer of power, al-Masry al-Youm reported.

"President Mubarak says he is going and we respect that," Cameron said. "But what matters is not just the orderly transition but also that it is urgent, it is credible, it starts now. We should be clear we stand with those in this country who want freedom and democracy and rights the world over".

The targeting of reporters came as Internet access was restored in Egypt for the first time since last week, the Times reported.

"The Egyptian government is employing a strategy of eliminating witnesses to their actions" in a "series of deliberate attacks on journalists," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei, around whom opposition groups have coalesced, said allowing opposing groups to demonstrate in the same space was "calling for violence".

In an interview with the BBC, ElBaradei said the pro-Mubarak forces were "a bunch of thugs" and former members of the secret police.

If nothing else, ElBaradei said, the pro-Mubarak forces would "strengthen the resolve (of demonstrators) that Mr. Mubarak has to go". UPI

Couple spared prison for sick son's death

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- A Philadelphia couple who belong to a faith-healing church were sentenced Wednesday to 10 years probation for their son's death from pneumonia.

Herbert and Catherine Schaible were spared prison after being convicted of involuntary manslaughter in December, KYW-TV, Philadelphia, reported. 

Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Engle Temin ordered them to get medical care for their seven surviving children.

Kent Schaible, 2, died of bacterial pneumonia in January 2009 while his parents prayed for him. The Schaibles belong to the First Century Gospel Church, which preaches that trust in God demands avoiding doctors, drugs and medical procedures.

"I think the judge clearly stated it, and pretty succinctly," Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore said after the sentencing. "She said that no matter what your religious freedom is, the welfare of your child trumps that, and it's more important than that in the Commonwealth and the United States. Your children come before your religion". UPI

Driver killed in collision with schoolbus

HOLIDAY, Fla., Feb. 2 (UPI) -- A collision between a car and a school bus in Holiday, Fla., killed the car's driver, seriously injured the bus driver and injured 17 students, officials said.

The crash in Pasco Country northwest of Tampa occurred Wednesday morning as the bus was on its way to Paul R. Smith Middle School, WFTS-TV, Tampa, reported.

The front of the bus was severely damaged, pinning the bus driver's legs beneath the steering column. She was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa.

The student's injuries were mostly neck pains, scrapes and bruises, authorities said.

The driver of the Isuzu car totaled in the collision was taken to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg where she was pronounced dead.

"I heard this crash. It sounded like an explosion," Veronica Scott, who came upon the crash, said. "She was not responsive at all. She was pinned in pretty well," Scott said, referring to the driver of the Isuzu.

The Florida Highway patrol, which is handling the investigation, has not released any names, WFTS-TV reported. UPI

'Cocky' Ronaldo ridiculed by 'the Rifle'

(CNN) -- He's the most expensive player in the world, and one of the best paid, but Cristiano Ronaldo was given a very public reminder on the need to be humble on Wednesday.

The Real Madrid superstar was told he is "cocky" and "has a screw loose" by veteran Uruguayan striker Walter Pandiani, who clashed with Ronaldo during lowly Osasuna's shock win over the Spanish giants on Sunday.

The 34-year-old Pandiani, nicknamed "the Rifle," spoke out at a press conference after becoming angry when Ronaldo reportedly asked him how much he earned during Real's defeat -- which left Jose Mourinho's team seven points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.

"It is quite right, what has been said happened. When he wins the (Spanish Cup), the Super Cup and the titles I have, then maybe I will listen. In our field we are respected," Pandiani told reporters. CNN

Encuentran a 25 menores vagando solos cerca de la frontera entre México y EEUU

Al menos 25 menores fueron hallados por la Policía cuando deambulaban solos por las calles de la ciudad mexicana de Nuevo Laredo, ubicada en la frontera del estado de Tamaulipas y Texas (Estados Unidos), informaron este miércoles fuentes oficiales.

Ocho niños y 17 niñas, entre ellos un recién nacido, fueron localizados en varios puntos de la ciudad por agentes de la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública (SSP) de Nuevo Laredo, informó el Sistema para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF).

Aunque las autoridades investigan el caso, una fuente del DIF, que pidió el anonimato, dijo que, basándose en las declaraciones de los menores,es posible que sus padres hayan sido secuestrados por bandas del narcotráfico.

Según la dependencia, dos niñas fueron ya entregadas a sus familiares, ylos 23 menores restantes fueron enviados a un refugio, mientras las autoridades intentan localizar a sus progenitores.

"De las causas que motivaron el abandono de los menores, las autoridades competentes realizan las investigaciones necesarias, motivo por el cual solo ellos podrán realizar alguna declaración al respecto", detalló el DIF.

El DIF señaló que los niños han recibido atención médica, psicológica, física y "cuidado integral".

El estado de Tamaulipas, en el noreste de México, es el centro de operaciones del cártel de las drogas del Golfo, aunque en la zona opera también la organización criminal de Los Zetas. El Mundo

La Iglesia cubana anuncia la próxima liberación de cuatro presos políticos

La Iglesia Católica de Cuba anunció el miércoles la próxima excarcelación de cuatro presos fuera del Grupo de los 75, cuando aún está pendiente la liberación de once miembros de ese colectivo que rechazan el exilio.

Como en anteriores ocasiones, el arzobispado de La Habana divulgó una nota para informar de la próxima excarcelación de Víctor Jesús Hechavarría Cruz, Osmel Arévalos Núñez, Alexis Borges Silva y Rodrigo Gelacio Santos Velázquez, que han aceptado la condición de irse a España para ser liberados.

De ese grupo, la opositora Comisión Cubana de Derechos Humanos y Reconciliación Nacional (CCDHRN) sólo tiene registrado como preso por motivos políticos a Alexis Borges, condenado en 1999 a quince años de prisión por un delito de "piratería".

El comunicado del Arzobispado indica que ya suman 60 los prisioneros cubanos que han aceptado la propuesta de salir de la cárcel y de inmediato trasladarse a España.

A partir del diálogo abierto en mayo de 2010 con la Iglesia católica de la isla y apoyado por España, el Gobierno cubano anunció la excarcelación de los 52 opositores del llamado Grupo de los 75 que aún quedaban en prisión, de los cuales 40 han sido liberados con la condición de viajar a Madrid.

Aún permanecen en la cárcel once presos del Grupo de los 75 condenados en la oleada represiva de la "Primavera Negra" de 2003, que se niegan a viajar a España como condición para su excarcelación ydemandan ser liberados sin una licencia extra penal.

De ese colectivo, el único que fue excarcelado y ha permanecido en Cuba es Arnaldo Ramos Lauzurique, quien salió de prisión en noviembre pasado con una "licencia extra penal por razones humanitarias".

Sobre ese grupo de once opositores que aún siguen en prisión, el cardenal Jaime Ortega -máxima autoridad católica en la isla- dijo a primeros de enero que tiene la "certeza moral" de que serán liberados en los próximos meses, e indicó que también continuarán las excarcelaciones de otros reclusos por motivos políticos.

"Existe la promesa clara y formal del Gobierno cubano de que todos esos prisioneros serán puestos en libertad", reiteró Ortega el 1 de enero. El Mundo

Six exoplanets in close orbit around far-flung star

A solar system including six planets around a star 2,000 light-years away has been spotted by astronomers.

The planets range between two and four-and-a-half times the radius of Earth, and between two and 13 times its mass.

Five of the planets orbit the star closer than Mercury orbits our Sun.

The find, published in Nature, is the first from the latest data release from the Kepler space telescope - which includes details of more than 1,000 additional exoplanet candidates.

The planets are likely to have atmospheres made of light gases, but also likely to be too hot to support life.

The Kepler team released the raw data that led to the discovery as part of its commitment to making its findings publicly available.

Kepler has already yielded evidence of a three-planet system, Kepler-9, and in January the team announced it had spotted the first definitively rocky exoplanet, Kepler-10.

The newly-discovered solar system, around the star Kepler 11, is a rich "laboratory" for studying planetary formation. Its surprising number of planets orbiting so closely together gives astrophysicists a unique system to refine their theories of how planets form.

The find is different from the planetary system HD10180, first announced in August 2010, in which a rich exoplanet system comprising at least five planets orbits a star 127 light-years away. In that study, the "wobble" that the planets' gravity caused on their host star was used to infer their presence; a sixth and seventh planet are yet to be confirmed.

The Kepler telescope, by contrast, performs a more direct observation, measuring the minuscule dimming that occurs when planets pass in front of their host star.

Typically, in these "transit" measurements, the dimmings merely suggest planets; their presence is confirmed by ground-based telescopes that look for the "wobble" - a method known as radial velocity measurements.

In the case of Kepler-11, the planets orbit their host star so close to one another that they have noticeable gravitational effects on each other. These effects rhythmically change the time that each needs to orbit the star, and the authors were able to work out the masses of the planets. BBC News

Arsenal boss Wenger slams Chelsea's transfer spending

(CNN) -- Chelsea's big spending on Europe's transfer deadline day has been criticized by one of the club's English rivals, who questioned how the Premier League champions can meet UEFA's new financial fair-play rules.

The London team announced a loss of $113 million on Monday for the year ended June 30, 2010 -- but then smashed the British transfer record with a reported $80 million acquisition of Spain striker Fernando Torres, and also laid out $34 million for Brazil defender David Luiz.

The Torres deal allowed his former club Liverpool to spend $55 million on Newcastle's relatively unproven England striker Andy Carroll, who is injured, and $36 million on Uruguay forward Luis Suarez.

However, European football's governing body UEFA will take sanctions against clubs who cannot balance their books by the end of the 2012 reporting period. CNN

Un terapeuta suizo atacó sexualmente a 114 discapacitados

(CNN) — Un trabajador social en Suiza confesó haber agredido sexualmente a más de 100 niños y adultos con discapacidad, dijeron las autoridades.

El hombre de 54 años, quien no fue identificado, dijo que los ataques ocurrieron en un lapso de 28 años en nueve instituciones en las que trabajó como terapeuta. Él vive en el distrito de Argovie, en el norte de Suiza, de acuerdo con un comunicado de la fiscalía pública regional de Berna-Central y de la policía de Berna.

Confesó que desde 1982 abusó de gente mientras estaba trabajando en casas e instituciones para personas con discapacidad mental o física en Suiza y Alemania, dijeron las autoridades. La mayor parte de las instalaciones donde ocurrieron los incidentes están en el cantón de Berna.

El hombre ha sido interrogado más de cincuenta veces desde su arresto en abril, y se ha mostrado "muy cooperador" al revelar "más información sobre casos similares", dijo el comunicado.

Él fue investigado en 2003 con relación a una presunta agresión sexual contra una niña de trece años, pero el caso fue desestimado por falta de evidencias, dijeron las autoridades.

En total, el hombre confesó haber abusado sexualmente de 114 personas –todas ellas con discapacidad mental y algunos con discapacidades físicas también– que han sido identificadas por la policía. El hombre también confesó ocho intentos de asaltos sexuales, dijeron las autoridades.

La mayor parte de las víctimas eran hombres. 42 de ellas tenían más de 18 años, dijeron las autoridades, pero una de las víctimas tenía un año de edad al momento de la supuesta agresión.

La policía dijo que el hombre dijo a los investigadores que algunos de los abusos ocurrieron varias veces durante el mismo día. En 18 casos, los abusos fueron fotografiados o filmados. Los investigadores determinaron que no se publicaron en internet imágenes o videos.

Aunque el estatuto de limitaciones de la justicia suiza ha aprobado la mayor parte de los delitos, el hombre puede ser procesado por 33 casos, dijeron las autoridades. CNN México

Una cerveza sabor a miel para público gay, fabricada en Guadalajara

GUADALAJARA (EFE) — Una empresa mexicana lanzó al mercado una cerveza con sabor a miel, la primera elaborada y dirigida a la comunidad homosexual: se comercializará en principio en algunas zonas de México, Colombia y Japón.

"Salimos al mercado con gran respeto, con la idea de ofrecer un producto dirigido hacia la comunidad lésbico-gay, que ha estado desatendida pero que es importante y muy exigente", dijo el director comercial de la compañía Bodega 12, Darío Rodríguez Wyler.

La cerveza es del tipo Ale, es decir, de alta fermentación, y está elaborada con malta y miel orgánica. Se distribuye en algunos bares y restaurantes de Guadalajara, capital del estado occidental de Jalisco, así como en la Ciudad de México y otras localidades turísticas como Puerto Vallarta y Los Cabos.

La bebida tiene dos presentaciones: Salamandra, que representa a uno de los iconos de la comunidad gay, y Purple hand, que recuerda la manifestación de activistas por los derechos homosexuales que tuvo lugar en San Francisco, California, en 1969.

Rodríguez Wyler explicó que la etiqueta está diseñada para que los consumidores puedan despegarla de la botella y colocarla como muestra de orgullo gay.

La compañía busca abrir el bar Purple hand y una cervecería artesanal, así como ampliar su oferta de bebidas alcohólicas dirigidas al público gay, con la venta de una cerveza sabor a fresa y un vino de mesa.

Para los próximos meses prevé exportar más de 1,000 cajas de cerveza a Colombia y Japón.

En Guadalajara existen varias cervecerías artesanales que elaboran sus productos con marcas llamativas. En los últimos años han creado cervezas dedicadas al ex futbolista argentino Diego Armando Maradona y al revolucionario mexicano Emiliano Zapata, entre otras.

La cerveza artesanal representa sólo 5% del mercado, ya que el resto se lo reparten dos grandes grupos, Cervecería Cuauhtémoc y Grupo Modelo. CNN México

USA Ratifies START 2 Treaty

US President Barack Obama signed Wednesday the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START 2) with Russia which is hoped to give a new start to mutual disarmament.

The treaty is also seen as an important landmark in the "restarting" of bilateral relations between the White House and the Cremlin.

The new START Treaty was initially agreed to and signed on April 08, 2010 by Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Prague.

Russia ratified the treaty on January 28. START 2 is scheduled to enter in force on Saturday, February 5 after a special ceremony in Munich, Germany.

In late December 2010, both the US Senate and the the lower house of the Russian parliament, the Duma, had approved the document.

The new Russian-US pact obligates both nations to cap their fielded strategic nuclear weapons to 1 550 warheads, while the number of deployed and non-deployed delivery vehicles must not exceed 800 on either side.

Among other actors, NATO has viewed START 2 extremely favorably. Novinite

Haitian cholera case found in Canada

MONTREAL, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- A Canadian woman who visited Haiti late last year came home with cholera, but has been treated successfully, Quebec health officials reported.

The unidentified woman showed up at Sainte Justine Hospital Jan. 1 with severe diarrhea and told doctors she had recently been to Haiti, The (Montreal) Gazette reported Wednesday.

Since October, at least 4,000 people in Haiti have died from the disease, which is transmitted by tainted food or water. More than 200,000 others became sick with the infection.

The woman was put in isolation and treated for dehydration and given antibiotics, doctors said. Four days later, tests came back positive for cholera, the report said.

Stephanie Menard, a spokeswoman for the provincial public health agency said the woman was eventually released and posed no risk to anyone else.

"Unlike gastroenteritis or the flu, which can be spread through particles in the air, cholera is transmitted though tainted water or food," Menard said. "In a hygienic place like Quebec or Canada, transmission is unlikely".

The federal Public Health Agency of Canada says there have been 27 confirmed cases of cholera in the country since 1986. UPI

Woman who taunted dying child must move

DETROIT, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The Michigan woman who posted pictures of a dying child on the Internet must move from her home as part of a plea agreement, court officials said.

Jennifer Petkov, 33, reached a plea agreement Tuesday after pleading guilty to assault and battery against a neighbor, The Detroit News reported.

The charges stemmed from allegations Petkov tried to run over a neighbor with her car. Judge Carole Youngblood sentenced the defendant to 18 months' probation with a number of conditions, including a requirement she move out of her Trenton neighborhood, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

Petkov and her husband, Scott, have had long-running squabbles with neighbors, including relatives of Kathleen Edward, 7, who has Huntington's disease, a terminal condition, the News said. Last fall, Petkov posted on the Internet an image of the girl's face and crossed bones, as well as a picture of the girl's mother, who died in 2009 of the same condition, embraced by the grim reaper. (The family wasn't part of the current court matter).

Among other things, Petkov was ordered to undergo psychological and substance abuse evaluations, and participate in any recommended treatment; attend anger management counseling and have no contact with the neighbor who filed the complaint. A violation would result in Petkov serving 93 days in the Wayne County Jail, the prosecutor's office said. UPI

Five Russian police shot dead in cafe

NALCHIK, Russia, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Unknown gunmen invaded a cafe and killed five policemen in Russia's North Caucasus Wednesday, authorities said.

The attack occurred in the town of Nalchik in the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, RIA-Novosti reported.

The traffic police officers were having lunch and were shot execution-style, the federal investigative committee said. Four victims died at the scene and the fifth in a hospital. Another was wounded.

Earlier, another policeman was killed in a drive-by shooting nearby. UPI

Moscow condemns sanctions on Minsk

MOSCOW, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Sanctions targeting leaders in Belarus in response to political oppression in the aftermath of a presidential election are counterproductive, Moscow said.

The U.S. government joined the European Union in hitting Belarusian leaders with sanctions in response to "fraudulent" presidential elections in December.

Washington said the "disproportionate" use of force by Minsk against opposition candidates was a "major" step in the wrong direction for the former Soviet republic.

The post-election period that brought another term for Alexander Lukashenko, the first and only president of an independent Belarus, was marred by widespread unrest that saw six presidential candidates and at least 600 anti-government protesters behind bars.

Alexander Lukashevich, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said Moscow stands by its partners in Minsk.

"In this strategic context, the application of politically motivated unilateral sanctions against Belarus, designed to disrupt socio-economic stability in the country, will be counterproductive," he said in a statement published by Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

Minsk said the pressure by Western allies would only embolden the Belarusian government. UPI

Violence concentrates in central Cairo

CAIRO, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Violence between anti- and pro-government activists seemed to be limited to central Cairo, officials said Wednesday.

A crowd of supporters of embattled President Hosni Mubarak pushed across an area separating them from anti-government crowds and overturned a military vehicle, drawing a roar from onlookers, CNN reported.

Witnesses said tear gas also was fired near the entrance of Tahrir Square.

Egyptian military officials have called on anti-government demonstrators to go home.

"You have the power to bring stability back to the country. We are urging you as respectful citizens to go back home," the Wall Street Journal quoted an Egyptian military spokesman saying.

U.S. officials, citing information they received from various sources, said the Egyptian government wants to use police to subdue the demonstrations in Cairo, a senior U.S. official said.

"That may be why you do not see the Army reacting," the official said.

Internet connections were also restored throughout the county with some Egyptian Web sites once again accessible, the U.S. newspaper said.

Despite Mubarak's announcement on state television Tuesday night that he would not seek re-election in the upcoming elections, thousands of protesters remained in Cairo's Tahrir Square Wednesday, the ninth day of protests against the 82-year-old leader's 30-year rule.

In Alexandria, local television reported clashes between protesters and Mubarak supporters.

Mubarak said he wanted to push through political and economic changes before stepping down.

Opposition leaders rejected Mubarak's offer to step down after elections this fall, demanding he leave now. The opposition, which includes the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and has coalesced behind Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, said it would stop the protests only when Mubarak leaves office.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Mubarak's concession was not enough, declaring an "orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful and it must begin now". UPI

U.S. boosts anti-trafficking campaign

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. agencies are launching a coordinated campaign against human trafficking, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says.

Joining other Cabinet members in an interagency task force Tuesday, Clinton called for "ending the practice of punishing the victims of human trafficking. 

For all the millions who are held in servitude, fewer than 50,000 have been officially identified as victims. Too many others are either ignored, or even worse, treated as criminals".

Clinton said some nations will be downgraded in the State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report and the United States is being included for the first time. She said foreign diplomats will be briefed on their obligations to their domestic workers and a code of conduct is being drafted for private security contractors.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said new regulations will strengthen protection for farm workers.

"We reject the proposition that it is acceptable to pursue economic gain through force, fraud, and coercion of human beings," she said.

Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department "has prosecuted more human trafficking cases than ever before".

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said border authorities also have stepped up enforcement. UPI

14 die in 48 hours in Juarez

(CNN) -- At least 14 people were killed in 48 hours in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, including the Tuesday deaths of a municipal police officer and a newspaper vendor who police believe was targeted because of her job.

In a statement Tuesday, federal police said they believed the female newspaper vendor was targeted by an area gang because she was seen as a threat to the gang's control of street vendors.

"La Linea thought she was discriminating against newspaper vendors they were extorting," municipal police spokesman Adrian Sanchez said.

The woman, identified as Maribel Hernandez, distributed the El Diario de Juarez newspaper, the most widely circulated paper in the city. CNN

News Corp launches daily newspaper for iPad

News Corporation's Rupert Murdoch is extending his media empire once again - this time with a digital newspaper for the iPad called the Daily.

Rupert Murdoch told an audience at the Guggenheim Museum in New York that he hoped it would be an "indispensable source of news" in the tablet era.

The Daily will cost 99 cents (60p) a week and will be sold exclusively via Apple's iTunes store.

News Corp has hired about 100 journalists to work on it.

The paper will initially only be available in the US.

The Daily will feature news articles, interactive graphics, HD videos and 360 degree photos designed to work with the iPad's touchscreen.

It will add Twitter feeds into some articles and offer personalised content.

"Our target audience is the 15 million Americans expected to own iPads in the next year," said Mr Murdoch.

"In the tablet-era there is room for a fresh and robust new voice. New times demand new journalism," he said.

He promised that the Daily would combine the best of contemporary technology with "shoe leather reporting, good editing and a sceptical eye".

According to Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of internet services, 200m news apps have been downloaded and there are 9,000 different news apps to choose from. BBC News

Fehmarn link: Denmark opts for sea tunnel to Germany

Denmark is to build an underwater tunnel to Germany, cutting road and rail journey times between western Europe and Scandinavia.

The Danish parliament rejected plans for a bridge across the Fehmarn Strait in favour of the tunnel, deciding it would be safer and greener.

Denmark and Germany agreed on the need for the 18km (11.6 miles) link in 2008.

Construction of the Danish-funded tunnel is to begin in 2014 and should be completed within six years.

A budget of 32bn kroner (4.2bn euros, £3.7bn, $5.9 billion) has been drawn up.

The tunnel will be built between the Danish island of Lolland and the German island of Fehmarn. Both islands are already connected by bridges to the rest of their respective countries.

When the tunnel is completed, the duration of a rail journey between Hamburg and Copenhagen will be cut from about 4.5 to three hours, the project's website says.

Journey times to Sweden, which is connected to Denmark by the Oresund sea bridge, will also be reduced significantly.

In return for funding the tunnel, Denmark will have ownership and will collect tolls. BBC News

Google elevará em 25% número de contratados no Brasil

O Google vai aumentar em 25% seu quadro de funcionários no Brasil neste ano. As contratações vão ocorrer, principalmente, entre recém-formados e devem abranger áreas de engenharia, negócios, publicidade e vendas.

"O crescimento no Brasil e a aposta em novos produtos no país geraram novas oportunidades", disse Alexandre Hohagen, vice-presidente do Google para América Latina.

O Google tem cerca de 250 pessoas no país e acrescentará cerca de 60 até dezembro.

A expansão no Brasil faz parte de uma estratégia global da companhia, que recentemente anunciou contratação de 6.000 profissionais no mundo, a maior parte em mercados emergentes.

A empresa é vista como uma das mais cobiçadas pelos jovens por causa das chances de ascensão -a operação brasileira é a que mais cresce na multinacional- e do ambiente informal de trabalho.

Ao entrar na companhia, por exemplo, cada funcionário recebe US$ 100 (R$ 167) para decorar a mesa de trabalho. "Assim que a pessoa entra a gente começa o que chama de desorientação. Queremos que ele se sinta à vontade e se integre à cultura do Google", disse Hohagen. Folha Online

Disco que uniu Beatles e Cirque du Soleil estreia no iTunes

"Love", o álbum com temas remixados dos Beatles que serviu de trilha sonora para o espetáculo do Cirque du Soleil com o mesmo título, estará disponível para download no iTunes a partir de 8 de fevereiro, segundo informou nesta quarta-feira a gravadora EMI.

No mesmo dia também será lançado o documentário "All Together Now", que narra o processo de criação do espetáculo, que estreou em junho de 2006 em Las Vegas --e que foi coroado com um prêmio Grammy.

A origem de "Love" remete ao acordo conquistado pelo fundador do Cirque du Soleil, Guy Laliberté, com George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr e a viúva de John Lennon, Yoko Ono, para montar um musical com as canções mais famosas do quarteto de Liverpool e com os personagens criados por eles ao longo de sua carreira.

Segundo informou a EMI, "Love" estará disponível na loja virtual como álbum completo ou como faixas individuais. Folha Online

"The Gates" cruza vampiros e donas de casa desesperadas

Quem passasse desapercebido diante da casa de Claire Radcliff (Rhona Mitra), veria uma dona de casa comum cuidando do jardim. Quem olhasse mais atentamente, minutos depois, veria a vampira sugando o sangue de um motorista que batera o carro em sua caixa de correio.

Assim começa "The Gates", série que estreia hoje na Fox e se passa em um condomínio de luxo autossuficiente e supostamente seguro.

É para lá que se muda a família Monohan, quando o patriarca, Nick (Frank Grillo), vira chefe de polícia. Logo no primeiro dia, ele investiga o caso do motorista desaparecido e quase descobre o segredo terrível da vizinha.

Enquanto a família de Nick tenta se adaptar à nova vida, Claire tenta se disfarçar com uma vida de jantares, festas e receitas. Nesse primeiro capítulo, logo lembra "Desperate Housewives" --mas apimentado por vampiros, lobisomens e bruxas.

Talvez seja porque a moda dos dentuços funcione melhor para protagonistas adolescentes, mas, com derrapadas na história no meio da temporada, "The Gates" acabou cancelada nos EUA.

NA TV

The Gates

Estreia da série

QUANDO quartas, às 21h, na Fox

CLASSIFICAÇÃO não informada | Folha Online