Morocco ‘breaks terror network’
August 31, 2008
There have been a number of high-profile terror trials in Morocco
The Moroccan authorities say they have broken up a militant cell operating in several towns in the kingdom.
The group allegedly had links with al- Qaeda and police described the 15 people arrested as “dangerous”.
They had electronic and chemical materials used to make explosives, reports the state press agency, MAP.
It is the fourth such network Morocco says it has broken up this year. An al-Qaeda-inspired group has said it was behind recent attacks in Algeria.
“The members of this structure, known as “Fath al-Andalous” [Conquest of Andalusia], planned to carry out attacks in Morocco and had formed operational links with foreign extremists who have pledged allegiance to the al-Qaeda organisation,” MAP says.
The BBC’s James Copnall in Morocco says this is almost certainly a reference to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (QIM), an organisation largely based in neighbouring Algeria which has ties with Osama bin Laden’s movement.
QIM says it has carried out attacks in several other North African countries, as well as the Algeria bombings which left 70 dead.
However, some analysts believe there is little real regional co-ordination between extremist groups.
Our correspondent says Morocco has been accused of over-dramatising the threat it faces from extremists, to benefit from support from the US and Europe.
Nevertheless, he notes that there have been attacks in Morocco: the most dramatic example occurred five years ago, when suicide bombers killed 45 people in Casablanca.
Source: bbc.co.uk
Everton 0-3 Portsmouth
August 31, 2008
Jermain Defoe celebrates putting Portsmouth in front at Everton
Jermain Defoe struck twice as Portsmouth secured their first win of the season at Everton.
Defoe scored on the turn after 12 minutes, then set up Glen Johnson for a second five minutes before half-time.
Everton dominated for long periods, but David James was in superb form, saving brilliantly from Mikel Arteta.
He saved Yakubu’s penalty just after the interval following Johnson’s foul on James Vaughan, then Defoe chipped home his second via the bar.
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606: DEBATE
Evertonians better get ready for a year of gloom!!!
Fozza81
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Everton will have been left frustrated that a performance that was good in parts was ruthlessly punished because of poor defending and clinical Pompey finishing.
Harry Redknapp will have been satisfied to finally see his side get off the mark after a tough start to the season - but the pressure is now on Everton boss David Moyes and chairman Bill Kenwright to inject quality and strength into their squad after a second successive home defeat in the Premier League.
Redknapp kept faith with the players who lost at home to Manchester United on Monday - and was rewarded with a two-goal lead at the interval, albeit against the run of play.
Defoe provided a brilliant finish after 12 minutes, swivelling away from Joleon Lescott to beat Tim Howard from 12 yards after Peter Crouch headed into his path.
Howard then saved superbly from another low drive from Defoe, with the striker looking razor-sharp after a barren start to the season.
It was the signal for Everton to lay siege to the Portsmouth goal, but they were denied by a combination of ill-luck, superb goalkeeping from James and desperate defending.
Arteta thought he had levelled after 21 minutes when he was found right in front of goal by Yakubu, but James somehow turned his shot on to the post and then recovered to beat the Spanish midfield man to the rebound.
But Everton’s momentum was stopped in its tracks five minutes before half-time when Johnson and Defoe exchanged passes for the England defender to slip a comfortable finish past the exposed Howard.
Everton then wasted an opportunity to grab a lifeline seconds after the break when they were awarded a penalty after Vaughan collided with Johnson in the area.
Yakubu stuttered and stopped in his run-up, and it was almost inevitable that he would deliver a tame penalty that was saved by James.
Everton continued to enjoy domination in terms of possession and territory, but it was Portsmouth who got their third after 69 minutes.
Sean Davis found Defoe, who chipped Howard with consummate skill - the ball bounced down off the bar, and even though Crouch made sure replays showed the ball had already crossed the line.
The game ended in near silence at Goodison Park as the home fans reflected on another disappointing home result and the lack of quality signings to boost a side that finished fifth last term.
Source: bbc.co.uk/
Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle
August 31, 2008
Van Persie slots in a penalty for Arsenal
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie scored a brace as his side found some of their irresistible form to beat Newcastle.
Van Persie powered in a spot-kick after Charles N’Zogbia handled an Emmanuel Adebayor cross as Arsenal overwhelmed a depleted Newcastle.
Michael Owen shot wide for the Magpies but Emmanuel Eboue’s clever backheel left Van Persie to slide in and score.
A Nicky Butt header hit the Arsenal woodwork but Denilson added the home side’s third after an intricate move.
Arsenal were clearly out to prove a point and back up boss Arsene Wenger’s claim that, despite their youth and relative lack of experience, they have the qualities to be successful.
They burst out of the blocks and could have had a penalty after just two minutes when Van Persie ran on to a Cesc Fabregas pass only to be brought down by Fabricio Coloccini.
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The decision should have been insignificant minutes later but William Gallas sidefooted embarrassingly high from point-bank range after Bacary Sagna flicked on a Gunners corner.
Arsenal’s trademark fluent football was in full flow after a stuttering start to the season and it was proving too much for Newcastle to handle.
Magpies keeper Shay Given palmed away a long range powerful Kolo Toure strike before Arsenal’s pressure inevitably reaped reward.
N’Zogbia was punished for blocking an Adebayor cross with his arm and Van Persie hammered in the spot-kick.
Newcastle would have to make the most of any chances they were afforded but failed to do so when a rare opportunity came begging.
Jonas Gutierrez crossed low into the Arsenal box and Owen - put off by team-mate Shola Ameobi - sidefooted wide in front of watching England boss Fabio Capello.
Arsenal resumed normal service as they continued to carve out chances and Eboue’s creativeness set up Van Persie for his second.
The visitors improved after the break and Butt glanced a header against the crossbar but Arsenal heeded the warning and responded in style.
A triangle of Samir Nasri, Adebayor and Denilson combined to find a way through the Magpies defence.
Denilson added the finish with an angled shot before Van Persie lashed a strike against the underside of the bar, which bounced clear to Newcastle’s relief.
Arsenal failed to add to their lead, despite a number of chances, as they eased to victory.
Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan brought on Joey Barton to a chorus of boos before the visitors’ misery was ended.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger:
“I’m very pleased with the performance, both offensively and defensively. It was a complete one, there was great balance in the team, with movement.
“Apart from at the start of the second half, we were always in control and played the game we love, and showed the way we can play.
“The improvement comes from a completely different attitude.”
Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan believes Arsenal’s Samir Nasri should have been sent-off for an off-the-ball incident with Joey Barton:
“Joey came on, got a good tackle in on Nasri. Then the guy sliced him down,” said Keegan after the 3-0 defeat.
“I like Nasri - he’s a player we looked at for a possible signing but you can’t do that.
“I know the referee didn’t see it but the linesman did and it should have been a red card.”
Source: bbc.co.uk/
Pavlyuchenko agrees Spurs switch
August 31, 2008
Pavlyuchenko scored three goals for Russia at Euro 2008
Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement to sign Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko from Spartak Moscow.
The 26-year-old arrives at White Hart Lane for a reported fee of £14m.
Pavlyuchenko, who had already confirmed the deal was “practically settled” earlier in the week, was Russia’s top scorer at Euro 2008.
He scored three goals as they reached the semi-finals, and also netted twice in a 2-1 win over England in a qualifying match in October 2007.
“Everything has happened very quickly so I could not even say goodbye to my team-mates,” Pavlyuchenko said before leaving Russia to sign his contract in London.
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I watched him at the Euros and he was excellent, he’s a great signing for this club
Jonathan Woodgate
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“I could not decide if I wanted to go to England at first - first yes, then no,” he added.
“The only thing that stopped me from leaving was my family. But now all doubts are behind me and I decided to sign a contract with Tottenham.”
Pavlyuchenko’s new team-mate, defender Jonathan Woodgate, praised the striker’s international form.
“He’s a top player. I watched him at the Euros and he was excellent, he’s a great signing for this club,” said Woodgate.
“He’ll bring a lot of goals, he’s big, he’s good in the air and he’s good with his feet.”
Spurs have been searching for a striker as a replacement for Robbie Keane, who joined Liverpool for £20.3m this summer, and will look to Pavlyuchenko to rescue their poor start to the season.
New options up front will be welcome, with Jermaine Jenas the only Spurs player to have found the back of the net in their opening two matches, both of which ended in defeat.
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606: DEBATE
Will Pavlyuchenko be a success in the Premier League?
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Pavlyuchenko’s arrival comes a day after Zenit St Petersburg claimed Tottenham were £6m below their valuation of Russia’s other Euro 2008 star, Andrei Arshavin.
And Dimitar Berbatov looks set to leave the club before the end of the current transfer window on 1 September, having been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United.
Source: bbc.co.uk/
Commentary: Hoping new ‘90210′ as good as the old
August 31, 2008
Not quite a spin-off (though that
Not quite a spin-off (though that’s what The CW is calling it), and not really a remake or a sequel: This is the new “Beverly Hills 90210,” albeit with a fresh look and a shorter name — “90210.”
With a track record like that, it would seem that the conspicuous absence of the word “new” from the title is this show’s only real hope for longevity. But a closer look reveals that the show’s producers — the team behind the much-loved “Freaks and Geeks” — might actually know what they’re doing.
For starters, they’re sticking with what works. The premise of the two shows is nearly identical: A Midwestern family, whose last name begins with a W, relocates to Beverly Hills, California. The brother and sister are in the same class, and the family encounters a myriad of fish-out-of-water experiences.
The similarities don’t end there. Nostalgic fans of the old show will be glad to know the original theme song is back (with less synthesizer, one would imagine), as is the Peach Pit, the gang’s regular hangout, which has evolved from a diner to a trendy coffee shop. Also back: Peach Pit owner Nat, again played by Joe E. Tata.
Tata will be joined on the new series by original cast member Shannen Doherty, reprising her role as Brenda Walsh, who returns to West Beverly Hills High to direct a high school musical. And, in a possible bridge between old and new characters, rumor has it the character of Erin Silver (David and Kelly’s infant stepsister) will return as a regular “all grown up” (read: promiscuous) cast member, with a YouTube-like Web series.
According to early reports, Taylor is now working as a guidance counselor at West Beverly High and the mother of a 4-year-old, which brings up the question: What was she up to in the eight years since the old show ended its run? And why is she still living in the zip after all those trials and tribulations? Even the family from “Jaws” eventually moved away from the beach.
Of course, The CW is not relying solely on fans of the old program. With an eye to attract the all-important teen audience, they have used their marketing materials and very few promos to promise a cooler, sexier and more provocative show, in a zip where everybody’s got a secret. What they haven’t done is provide screeners to critics, saying it’s a “strategic marketing decision.” More often, that’s the sign of a flop.
But here’s hoping the new show maintains as many connections to the old “90210″ as possible. The original may be cheesy by today’s arguably more sophisticated standards, but it remains immensely popular. Like a favorite musical group from the past, you can’t wait to see if they’ve still got it, and just pray you won’t have to sit through too much of their “new material” first.
Source: cnn.com
Gulf Republicans Skip Convention, McCain on Edge as Gustav Nears
August 31, 2008
John McCain greet supporters after introducing Republican Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate Friday in Dayton, Ohio. (AP Photo)
With the Republican National Convention set to open Monday in St. Paul, the threat posed by Hurricane Gustav has already prevented prominent GOP officials from attending and has John McCain on edge about whether the event should be postponed.
Convention planners insist the week-long celebration is going forward as scheduled.
But the presumptive GOP nominee told FOX News, in an interview to air on “FOX News Sunday,” that holding the convention while Gulf Coast residents suffer would be insensitive.
“I’m afraid … that we may have to look at that situation and we’ll try to monitor it,” McCain said. “But you know it just wouldn’t be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near-tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a natural disaster. So we’re monitoring it from day to day and I’m saying a few prayers too.”
McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin will travel to Mississippi on Sunday to check on people getting prepared for Gustav. The two are expected to receive a briefing at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
The possibility of putting the convention on pause has been on the minds of party leaders over the past several days, as residents of New Orleans and other cities along the Gulf Coast begin to evacuate, girding for what some fear could be a storm that carries the impact of Hurricane Katrina three years ago. Gustav strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane Saturday. The storm crossed Cuba’s western tip before moving into the Gulf of Mexico and could reach the U.S. by late Monday or early Tuesday.
The convention has already been impacted by the approaching storm.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, set to speak Monday, has canceled his plans to attend, a spokeswoman told FOXNews.com.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has said he would skip the convention if the storm threatens the coast.
MyFox Gulf Coast reported Saturday that Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has canceled plans to attend due to the storm.
And Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who is scheduled to speak Thursday, has so far postponed his trip to St. Paul because of the storm. Spokeswoman Erin Isaac told FOXNews.com Crist intended to travel to Minnesota Saturday but will probably wait until Tuesday. She said he is “monitoring” the storm and will adjust his schedule accordingly.
Up in the air is whether President Bush, set to address the convention Monday, will cancel his plans.
One of the reasons Bush was so criticized after Katrina was that he stuck to a schedule that took him from his ranch in Texas on a two-day trip to Arizona and California.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said staff are discussing a range of possibilities, including an address by satellite, in case Bush decides to cancel in favor of traveling to the region either before or after the storm. More was expected to be known Sunday.
“There is not a scheduling change to speak of tonight, but at the White House we are making contingency plans should the president decide against traveling to Minnesota for the RNC convention,” she said.
Some also wonder if the hurricane could give Bush a ready excuse to skip, since McCain has been under fire from Democrats for being too cozy with the president, whose approval ratings are low.
Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill said Republicans must be “praying for tornadoes.” He predicted Bush would skip the event.
But House Republican Leader John Boehner told FOX News Friday that of course Republicans want Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to attend.
Louisiana Reps. Rodney Alexander and Steve Scalise also plan to skip the convention.
The cancellations could leave somewhat of a void on the convention floor if the doors open at the Xcel Energy Center as scheduled.
Former Republican Governors Association Director Phil Musser said the storm has no doubt changed the tone of the upcoming convention, with the absence of prominent Republicans from the Gulf Coast.
“The chief executives are sort of the key stars in this party, so their presence will be missed here as we get ready to start this convention,” he told FOX News.
But Michael DuHaime, McCain campaign political director, said the week-long affair will still have plenty of “stars” in attendance. He said “no decisions have been made” whether to postpone the event.
“Right now the plan is to go forward, but obviously this is a serious situation that we’ll be watching,” he said.
Others say postponing the convention is not likely, given the amount of preparation that goes into it.
Police have already cordoned off the streets surrounding the convention site, as reporters descend on the city and set up makeshift offices just outside the building.
“There are no plans for any postponement,” said Mike Miller, director of operations for the Republican convention. “We plan to start when we were going to start and end when we were going to end.”
Republican National Committee Deputy Chairman Frank Donatelli echoed Miller’s prediction.
“I don’t think (postponement) is a possibility,” he said on a conference call with reporters. “To postpone a convention is much more difficult than you might think. … I do believe there are other methods to deal with that potential situation so that we recognize and show the gravity of the situation and still do our business.”
He said they would take “appropriate programmatic action” if necessary.
McCain asked voters to keep Gulf Coast residents in their prayers Saturday, as he and Palin, introduced Friday as his running mate, rallied more than 8,000 supporters at a minor league ballpark in Washington, Pa.
Source: foxnews.com
New Orleans Mayor Orders Mandatory Evacuation as Gustav Approaches
August 31, 2008
Evacuees from New Orleans take refuge from Hurricane Gustav at the McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Alcoa, Tenn.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, while Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal warned residents that the state “could see flooding worse than Hurricane Katrina,” as Gustav approached the Gulf Coast.
Spooked by predictions that Hurricane Gustav could grow into a Category 5 monster, an estimated 1 million people fled the Gulf Coast Saturday — even before the official order came for New Orleans residents to get out of the way of a storm taking dead aim at Louisiana.
Nagin gave the mandatory order late Saturday, but all day residents took to buses, trains, planes and cars — clogging roadways leading away from New Orleans, still reeling three years after Hurricane Katrina flooded 80 percent of the city and killed about 1,600 across the region.
The evacuation of New Orleans becomes mandatory at 8 a.m. Sunday along the vulnerable west bank of the Mississippi River, and at noon on the east bank. Nagin called Gustav the “mother of all storms” and told residents to “get out of town. This is not the one to play with.”
Nagin did not immediately order a curfew, which would allow officials to arrest residents if they are not on their property.
Gustav had already killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean, and if current forecasts hold up, it would make landfall Monday afternoon somewhere between East Texas and western Mississippi.
The storm’s center moved into the Gulf of Mexico from Cuba late Saturday and at 11 p.m. EDT was about 530 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Top winds were near 140 mph and likely to strengthen.
Forecasters warned it was too soon to say whether New Orleans would take another direct hit, but residents weren’t taking any chances judging by the bumper-to-bumper traffic pouring from the city. Gas stations along interstate highways were running out of fuel, and phone circuits were jammed.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said they were surprised at how quickly Gustav gained strength as it slammed into Cuba’s tobacco-growing western tip. It went from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in about 24 hours, and was likely to become a Category 5 — with sustained winds of 156 mph or more — by Sunday.
“That puts a different light on our evacuations and hopefully that will send a very clear message to the people in the Gulf Coast to really pay attention,” said Federal Emergency Management Agency chief David Paulison.
Levee building on the city’s west bank was incomplete, Nagin said. A storm surge of 15 to 20 feet would pour through canals and flood the neighborhood and neighboring Jefferson Parish, he said.
Nagin estimated that about half the population had left and admitted officials were worried that some people would try to stay.
Even before the evacuation order, hotels closed, and the airport prepared to follow suit.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff planned to travel to Louisiana on Sunday to observe preparations. Also, likely GOP presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are traveling to Mississippi on Sunday to check on people getting prepared.
As part of the evacuation plan New Orleans developed after Katrina, residents who had no other way to get out of the city waited on a line that snaked for more than a mile through the parking lot of the city’s main transit terminal. From there, they were boarding motor coaches bound for shelters in north Louisiana. The city expects to move out about 30,000 such residents by Sunday.
“I don’t like it,” said Joseph Jones Jr., 61, who draped a towel over his head to block the blazing sun. “Going someplace you don’t know, people you don’t know. And then when you come back, is your house going to be OK?”
Others led children or pushed strollers with one hand and pulled luggage with the other. Volunteers handed out bottled water, and medics were nearby in case people became sick from the heat.
Unlike Katrina, when thousands took refuge inside the Superdome, there will be no “last resort” shelter. “You will be on your own,” Nagin said.
About 1,500 National Guard troops were in the region, and soldiers were expected to help augment about 1,400 New Orleans police officers in helping patrol and secure the city.
Standing outside his restaurant in the city’s Faubourg Marigny district, Dale DeBruyne prepared for Gustav the way he did for Katrina — stubbornly.
“I’m not leaving,” he said.
DeBruyne, 52, said his house was stocked with storm supplies, including generators.
“I stayed for Katrina,” he said, “and I’ll stay again.”
Many residents said the early stage of the evacuation was more orderly than Katrina, although a plan to electronically log and track evacuees with a bar code system failed and was aborted to keep the buses moving. Officials said information on evacuees would be taken when they reached their destinations.
Advocates criticized the decision not to establish a shelter, warning that day laborers and the poorest residents would fall through the cracks.
About two dozen Hispanic men gathered under oak trees near Claiborne Avenue. They were wary of boarding any bus, even though a city spokesman said no identity papers would be required.
“The problem is,” said Pictor Soto, 44, of Peru, “there will be immigration people there and we’re all undocumented.”
Farther west, where Gustav appeared more likely to make landfall, Guard troops were also being sent to Lake Charles.
The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and part of Texas, meaning hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours.
Two East Texas counties also issued mandatory evacuation orders, and authorities in Mississippi began evacuating the mentally ill and aged from facilities along the coast.
National Guard soldiers on Mississippi’s coast were going door-to-door to alert thousands of families in FEMA trailers and cottages that they should be prepared to evacuate Sunday.
In Alabama, shelters were opened and 3,000 National Guard personnel assembled to help evacuees from Mississippi and Louisiana.
“If we don’t get the wind and rain, we stand ready to help them,” Gov. Bob Riley said.
Source: foxnews.com
Cuba punk rocker spared jail term
August 30, 2008
Gorki Aquila said international interest had helped his case
A court in Havana, Cuba, has ordered a punk rock musician to pay a fine of $30 (£15) for public disorder for playing his band’s music too loud.
However, Gorki Aguila was cleared of a more serious charge that could have led to a jail sentence.
The lead singer of band Porno Para Ricardo is known for songs that ridicule Cuba’s communist government.
He had faced a possible four year term in prison for the crime known in Cuba as social dangerousness.
The controversial law allows the jailing of people who the authorities believe have been displaying behaviour that would indicate they could be on the verge of committing a crime.
But, prior to the trial, prosecutors decided to drop the charge. Instead Mr Aguila was found guilty of public disorder for playing his group’s music too loud while they were recording their new album.
He was then ordered to pay a $30 fine and released.
Minutes later, the outspoken bushy-haired singer told reporters gathered outside his house that it was clear the international interest in his case had played a key role in the last-minute decision by prosecutors to drop the more serious charge he was facing.
He also vowed to continue criticising the Cuban government and its emblematic communist leaders like Fidel Castro and the current president, Raul Castro.
Nothing, he said, could ever be gained by remaining silent.
There has been no comment regarding the case from the Cuban authorities.
Source: bbc.co.uk/
Zimbabwe reverses food aid ban
August 30, 2008
Food is increasingly scarce across Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s government has lifted a ban on aid organisations, whose work was restricted ahead of the controversial presidential run-off in June.
President Robert Mugabe accused the agencies of backing the opposition.
It is estimated that two million people need aid, with that number set to rise to five million by early next year.
The lifting of the ban comes as negotiators met in South Africa to try to revive crisis power-sharing talks, which broke up two weeks ago.
The negotiations were suspended over how to share power between Mr Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who both claim victory in the polls.
The BBC’s Karen Allen says both sides appear to have hardened their positions during the hiatus.
President Mugabe says he will form a government alone, while opposition MPs this week jeered him in public.
Deputy South African Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said he hoped the negotiation would lead to the “finalisation of… outstanding matters”.
‘Worst on record’
The aid agencies always denied government accusations that they were helping the opposition.
Critics said the ban was imposed to tighten the government’s control of food aid - the ruling party was accused of not distributing aid to opposition areas.
Since the ban was imposed, aid agencies were banned from going to rural areas, leaving hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people without food.
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 We also know that thousands of children have had to drop out of school in order to try and find food for their families  Save the Children’s Rachel Pound
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Correspondents says another failed harvest has added to the problem for ordinary Zimbabweans who struggle to make ends meet in the midst of economic collapse and hyperinflation.
UK charity Save the Children says a 120-strong team will be heading back to its operational areas next week.
“It’s impossible to know how bad the situation has got until we’re on the ground, although our local partners have confirmed our fears of increased rates of malnutrition among children,” the aid agency’s country director, Rachel Pounds, said in a statement.
“We also know that thousands of children have had to drop out of school in order to try and find food for their families.
“We fear some girls will have been forced into prostitution, and that others will have been pushed into early marriage with their families unable to look after them.”
On Thursday, the Red Cross federation made an urgent appeal for almost $27m.
It said this year the food security situation was likely to be the worst on record, because of soaring prices and the lack of foreign currency to pay for imports.
Before the power-sharing talks broke up earlier this month, both sides agreed that Mr Tsvangirai would be named prime minister but they could not agree on how to divide powers between him and Mr Mugabe.
 Mr Mugabe was humiliated during his speech before MPs
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The opposition wants Mr Mugabe to become a ceremonial figure, while the ruling Zanu-PF party wants the president to retain most powers, such as appointing ministers and the security forces.
Mr Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says that if Mr Mugabe names a cabinet unilaterally, that would scupper the talks.
The negotiations between senior officials from both parties are taking place at a secret location near the South African capital, Pretoria.
South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki has been charged with mediating a solution to Zimbabwe’s political crisis.
On Tuesday, MDC MPs heckled and jeered Mr Mugabe when he formally opened parliament against their wishes.
The MDC has a majority in parliament and its chairman Lovemore Moyo was elected speaker of parliament on Monday.
Following the March elections, Mr Mugabe’s Zanu-PF lost its majority in the House of Assembly for the first time since independence in 1980.
Mr Tsvangirai won the first presidential round in March, before pulling out of a June run-off, citing a campaign of violence against his supporters.
The MDC says some 200 people were killed and 200,000 forced from their homes.
Source: bbc.co.uk/
Man Utd 1-2 Zenit St Petersburg
August 30, 2008
Zenit celebrate with the trophy after an impressive win over Man Utd in Monaco
Manchester United’s bid for European Super Cup glory ended in failure as Pavel Pogrebnyak and Danny goals earned Zenit St Petersburg a deserved win.
Fresher and more incisive throughout, Zenit took the lead when Pogrebnyak forced home a header from close range.
Playmaker Danny made it 2-0 with a fine solo goal on the hour, before Nemanja Vidic pulled one back from six yards.
It was too little too late, though, with Paul Scholes sent off late on in a lacklustre showing from United.
The midfielder saw red when he punched the ball into the net with only seconds left on the clock, earning himself a second booking and one-match European suspension that could see him sit out the Champions League group match against Villarreal.
It was a sorry end to the match for United, who had looked off the pace throughout.
With Zenit midway through the Russian season, the difference in sharpness between the sides was clearly evident, and Dick Advocaat’s side showed they could well be a threat in this season’s Champions League - even without Andrei Arshavin, who has been heavily linked with Spurs and who only played 45 minutes in Monaco.
The defeat, though, will not be too hard to take for United, who not only had Cristiano Ronaldo watching from the stands, but who will also be hoping to add a striker - most notably Dimitar Berbatov - to their ranks before the close of the transfer window on Monday.
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606: DEBATE
So much for Man Utd walking it hey?
wellbeaten-the-owl1977
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United’s strikers, however, are yet to find the net after three matches of the new season, with Darren Fletcher scoring their only goals in both of the opening two Premier League fixtures.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said before the match that the traditional showpiece between the Champions League winners and the Uefa Cup champions was a game to be enjoyed, but there was little for the Scot to savour from the first 45 minutes.
Zenit impressed with an attractive counter-attacking style en route to Uefa Cup glory last season and the same style had United on the back foot throughout, particularly down the Russian side’s right, where Patrice Evra had a torrid time in the opening half.
Konstantin Zyryanov and Aleksandr Anyukov were a constant threat and they forged the first clear openings of the match when twice they combined to get behind the United defence, only for Pogrebnyak to spoon over when well positioned on both occasions.
Rio Ferdinand then had to be alert to deflect a Danny cross narrowly past the post, while at the other end a weak Carlos Tevez shot on 19 minutes was the best United could muster.
Ferguson’s side finally showed something like their best attacking play when Tevez forced an opening down the right wing, but Wayne Rooney dallied too long on his shot and the chance came and went.
And minutes after Ivica Krizanac had forced Edwin van der Sar into an instinctive save from close range, Zenit’s pressure finally told when Pogrebnyak forced the ball over the line after Igor Denisov had flicked on Dominguez’s corner seconds before half-time.
Zenit goalscorers Pogrebnyak, right, and Danny celebrate in Monaco
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As if United were not struggling already, Arshavin was introduced at the break and his trickery immediately had the English champions on the back foot.
However, it was the diminutive Russian’s potential replacement - Danny - who lit up the second half, the £25m signing from Dinamo Moscow dancing through the United defence and finishing with aplomb to make it 2-0 on the hour.
Tevez, a rare bright spark for United, continued to play the workhorse role up front, though, and moments after the Argentine’s industry had almost set Rooney free in the box, he drilled a fine effort over.
It sparked a spell of pressure from United that had long been overdue, and with United’s game finally clicking into gear, Zenit struggled to cope.
It was no surprise, therefore, when Vidic reduced the deficit from Tevez’s pull-back after good work in the box by Rooney - and it preceded a last 20 minutes that saw United pile forward and Zenit attempt to pick holes in the Reds’ defence on the break.
John O’Shea and Park Ji-Sung both had good opportunities blocked in the box, while Zenit keeper Vyacheslav Malafeev did well to deny Rooney with the minutes ticking down.
However, the best chance of the latter stages fell to Zenit’s Danny, the Portuguese star latching onto Arshavin’s pass only to fire over with just Van der Sar to beat.
And United’s misery was complete a minute before time when Scholes was dismissed for an unnecessary handball.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson:
“I think we played our best football at 2-0, unfortunately. It was a warm night and so I think my players did OK under the circumstances.
“I thought Tevez was outstanding - probably the best player on the park - and I thought we had the chances to do something in the game.
“But Zenit are a very good team and they have exceptional movement. They’ll be a force in the Champions League playing like that.”
Manchester United: Van der Sar, Neville (Brown 76), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Anderson (O’Shea 60), Nani, Scholes, Fletcher (Park 60), Rooney, Tevez.
Zenit St Petersburg: Malafeev, Anyukov, Krizanac (Radimov 71), Puygrenier (Shirokov 62), Sirl, Denisov, Tymoschuk, Zyrianov, Dominguez (Arshavin 46), Pogrebnyak, Danny.
Ref: Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark)
BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Zenit’s Pavel Pogrebnyak 7.60 (on 90 minutes).
Source: bbc.co.uk/