Russian Opposition Leader Held Over 'Riot Plot'

By Amanda Walker, Moscow Correspondent

Investigators in Russia have opened a criminal case against one of the country's most prominent opposition leaders in what is widely viewed as the latest sign of a widening crackdown.

Leftist leader Sergei Udaltsov was accused of plotting mass riots in a recent documentary made by a Kremlin-friendly TV channel.

In a statement, the Investigative Committee said it will look into claims made in the NTV programme that opposition leaders worked with Georgian officials to overthrow the government. Udaltsov himself is not officially suspected of that more serious charge.

Udalstov's profile has grown since mass protests began in earnest last winter.

Investigators and armed men wearing ski masks have raided his apartment in Moscow and his lawyer told journalists that his parent's home was also searched.

NTV, which is seen by many as a propaganda arm of the Kremlin, showed what it claimed is footage of Udaltsov meeting officials from neighbouring Georgia to discuss raising $200m (£120m) to fund anti-Putin riots in Moscow.

Last month's "March of Millions" protest called for Vladimir Putin to quit

The opposition movement on Twitter has reacted strongly, with some saying his treatment is overtly political.

Some tweets drew comparisons with the practice, during Stalin's time, of bringing criminal cases based solely on newspaper articles.

Political analyst Andrei Piontkovsky said this latest episode could become worryingly significant.

"If Udaltsov is formally arrested today, it's a very important event in modern history," he said.

"The charges are completely made up - the evidence wouldn't be sufficient in any normal country with a healthy rule of law. Modern Russia is completely different.

"This move doesn't surprise me, taking in mind all the repressive laws that were implemented during last six months, like fines for participating in unauthorised demos and new laws on libel.

"Currently all opposition leaders like Alexei Navalny, Boris Nemtsov, Ilya Yashin and now Udaltsov have either been charged or are witnesses in criminal cases."

In relation to Udaltsov, the Investigative Committee said it will pursue criminal cases against citizens of Georgia and other unspecified countries.

A spokesman said: "Once their involvement in the preparation of criminal acts is established, they will be subject to criminal liability under Russian law and the norms of international law, and will be issued with international arrest warrants."

Udaltsov, who is currently being detained by police, said he has met "a great number of people" recently to discuss fundraising, but that all of his efforts and intentions are legal.

He insisted the footage presented in the documentary had been doctored, although the Investigative Committee said it had been carefully studied and was genuine.

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Billions Demanded In Spanish Oil Spill Trial

The trial against those involved in the Prestige oil spill off northern Spain 10 years ago has begun, with claims for billions of euros in compensation.

The oil tanker sank and leaked 50,000 tonnes of fuel into the Atlantic.

Prosecutors have demanded just over 4 billion euros (£3.2bn) in damages for the Spanish state, based on environmental damage it caused.

The ship's Greek captain, Apostolos Mangouras, and three others are charged with harming the environment.

Mr Mangouras, 78, could face 12 years in prison. However, the whereabouts of his Filipino first mate, Irineo Maloto, remain unknown.

Environmental groups say that key people responsible for the disaster are not on trial, including Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy who was government spokesman at the time of the accident.

Spainish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was a spokesman at the time.

"There are many people who should be in the dock as well who are not there," said Maria Jose Caballero, the co-ordinator of Greenpeace Spain campaigns, adding: "We feel the government's management of the accident bordered on negligence."

Around 300 people demonstrated against the government's handling of the oil spill, chanting "No impunity" and "Oil spills, never again".  Some held up a picture of Rajoy alongside the caption "100 percent liar".

The conservative government at the time had ordered the Prestige out to sea and away from the coast - instead of following emergency plans and bringing it to port where the oil could be confined.

Rajoy, who was also deputy prime minister at the time, initially played down the accident after the ship took on water in a storm and drifted for six days before breaking up and sinking.

In the following weeks, around 300,00 volunteers from across Europe joined local people in scraping the oil from the rocks and beaches - sometimes with their bare hands.

The court will deal with procedural matters before calling on the defendants to give testimony in November.  The trial is expected to last until May.

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Nike Cancels Lance Armstrong Contract

Nike has terminated its contract with former champion cyclist Lance Armstrong as he prepares to step down as chairman of his Livestrong cancer-fighting charity.

Last week the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) released a massive report detailing allegations of widespread performance-enhancing drug use by Armstrong.

The document included testimony from 11 former teammates. Usada has ordered for 14 years of Armstrong's career results to be erased, including his seven Tour de France titles.

In a statement the sportswear firm said: "Due to the seemingly insurmountable evidence that Lance Armstrong participated in doping and misled Nike for more than a decade, it is with great sadness that we have terminated our contract with him.

"Nike does not condone the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs in any manner.

"Nike plans to continue support of the Livestrong initiatives created to unite, inspire and empower people affected by cancer. "

The announcement came minutes after Armstrong quit as chairman of his Livestrong cancer-fighting charity.

He said: "I have had the great honour of serving as this foundation's chairman for the last five years and its mission and success are my top priorities.

"Today therefore, to spare the foundation any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding my cycling career, I will conclude my chairmanship."

The Lance Armstrong Foundation, commonly known as Livestrong, was founded in 1997 and has raised roughly $500m (£309m) to support cancer patients.

The group has scheduled its 15th anniversary celebration for this weekend. Armstrong will stay on the charity's board.

The cancer survivor strongly denies doping and says he stopped fighting Usada because its hearing process was unfair.

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Passenger Jets Help To Rescue Missing Sailor

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

Passengers and crew on two commercial jets have helped locate a missing yachtsman off Australia by looking through the windows with binoculars.

An Air Canada plane and an Air New Zealand aircraft swooped down to 4,000ft to assist rescuers in the search for the solo yachtsman who had activated his emergency beacon.

His remote location was out of helicopter range, so rescuers asked the planes' pilots to get involved as they were flying over the yacht's GPS position.

The crew on each plane asked passengers to tell them if they had binoculars in their hand luggage so they could be used to help in the search.

The Air Canada pilot Captain Andrew Robertson said once he determined he had enough fuel to land the plane safely in Sydney after diverting to search for the yacht, he swooped down to 5,000ft and reduced speed while the crew peered out.

"As we got to about two to three miles of this yacht, the first officer said 'there it is, I see it'. I was amazed.

"We didn't know if we were looking for a sunken boat or one that was still floating."

Captain Robertson circled around once more at 3,700ft for a closer look to see if anyone was on board.

It was then they saw the yachtsman.

Captain Robertson said the search was the first of his aviation career.

"A lot of passengers said it was very exciting to be involved in a search like this," he said.

According to Sydney's Daily Telegraph, one passenger wrote on Facebook: "15 hour flight ends up being 17 hours as we descended to 4,000ft to locate a capsized yacht for search and rescue.

"Amazing, and slightly off putting, to see what a Boeing 777 aircraft can do when not on autopilot and flying/circling low over the ocean."

The sailor was picked up 270 nautical miles out to sea.

Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said the crew and a number of passengers on board flight AC033 to Sydney from Vancouver spotted the boat and advised authorities of its location.

He said the yachtsman was subsequently rescued. He said the airline commends the crew and passengers.

"The pilots immediately determined they had sufficient fuel to undertake this, and headed out to the remote area which was over fairly rough seas," he explained.

"After apprising the customers on board that we would assist as we were the only aircraft in the immediate vicinity, all on board became involved in the search efforts," Mr Fitzpatrick said.

"The crew borrowed binoculars from customers and also engaged those sitting on the right hand side of the aircraft to help look.

"As our aircraft flew over the area at 4,000ft, a reflection from a mirror shining upwards was spotted and the crew saw the yacht in question, de-masted with a person standing - which was confirmed by a number of passengers."

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said the 44-year-old sailor had now been picked up 270 nautical miles out to sea.

He is said to be in good spirits and uninjured after drifting for 16 hours.

Speaking about the involvement of the passenger jets, a spokesperson from the Amsa said: "It's not a regular occurrence, but that's because incidents are (usually) much closer to shore.

"Amsa thanks the captains and crews of the Air Canada and Air New Zealand aircraft for their assistance in the search and rescue operation, and their passengers for their patience."

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Ambassador's 'Gays' Tweet Angers Argentinians

Britain's ambassador to Chile has apologised for comments he made on Twitter, mocking Argentina and its defeat in the Falklands War.

In a post made after he secured tickets for a World Cup qualifier between Chile and Argentina, Jon Benjamin referred to a football chant which is sometimes shouted by Chilean fans.

The chant describes Argentinians as "gays" who lost the 1982 conflict because they are "cowards".

Mr Benjamin has since removed the post, which he said was meant as a private message to one of his Twitter followers, but that did not stop a barrage of offensive replies from users of the social networking site.

In a later tweet, he said: "Sorry I offended (in) a private DM (direct message) published by mistake. I have much affection for my Argentine friends."

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "Our ambassador to Chile appears to have inadvertently caused some controversy in a tweet. He has deleted it."

Mr Benjamin took up the job as ambassador to Chile in December 2009 and has held posts around the world in a diplomatic career spanning almost three decades.

He has previously worked in Zimbabwe, Indonesia and Pakistan, and was once a counter-terrorism counsellor in the United States.

On his Twitter page, he describes himself as a "Hammers (West Ham) fan, Londoner at heart and Jewish atheist".

Argentina won Tuesday's match 2-1, with Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuaín scoring for the visitors.

They top their qualifying group with six wins from nine matches, while Chile are sixth.

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Apple Supplier Foxconn Employs 14-Year-Olds

A company which makes products for tech giants Apple and Sony has admitted hiring children as young as 14 to work on its assembly lines in China.

Foxconn, which builds gadgets including the iPhone and iPad, said it employed the underage workers as part of an internship programme at a factory in eastern Shandong province.

It issued a statement saying: "This is not only a violation of China's labour law, it is also a violation of Foxconn policy.

"Immediate steps have been taken to return the interns in question to their educational institutions.

"We have found no evidence of similar violations in any of our other campuses in China, but we will not hesitate to take immediate action in any campus if any violations are discovered."

Foxconn is the world's biggest contract manufacturer

Foxconn employs 1.2 million people in China, around 3% of whom are interns.

Geoffrey Crothall, a spokesman for China Labour Bulletin, described them as a "cheap and convenient source of labour" that some vocational schools are happy to provide, as it helps boost their revenues.

"The enterprises tend to be factories that need more hands on the production line," he said. "There is no real training or apprenticeship involved here."

The discovery of underage workers is a fresh blow for Foxconn, just weeks after a brawl involving nearly 2,000 employees at one of its plants brought production to a halt.

The violence took four hours to bring under control

Earlier this year, the Fair Labour Association found some staff were forced to work more than 60 hours a week, and sometimes for more than 11 days in a row.

In 2010, 13 workers committed suicide amid claims that Foxconn ran a military-style prodution line on which employees were told to work overtime for low wages.

The company denied the claims, but promised to hire more counsellors and set up employee groups to watch for signs of emotional stress among staff.

Earlier this year, Apple chief executive Tim Cook visited Foxconn's Zhengzhou Technology Park, which employs an estimated 120,000 people in the northern province of Hebei.

The company's late founder Steve Jobs once claimed the company was "not a sweatshop".

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Beyonce Hints At Super Bowl Half-Time Role

Beyonce appears to have confirmed rumours that she will be performing the much-watched half-time show at the Super Bowl in New Orleans next year.

She posted a photograph on her website wearing bright red lipstick and "Feb 3 2013" - the date of the American football classic - stencilled in white over black make-up on her cheekbones.

"Countdown to touchdown," read an accompanying headline on her Tumblr page.

Beyonce, whose pop and R&B hits include Crazy In Love, Irreplaceable and Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), has won 16 Grammy Awards.

At 31, she would be the youngest half-time act in nearly a decade.

Beyonce is no stranger to sport, here watching a basketball game with Jay-Z

Beyonce opened the game by singing the national anthem in her hometown of Hosuton in 2004, where the New England Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers.

But it was Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction" while performing with Justin Timberlake that was the talk of the half-time show at Super Bowl XXXVIII.

This year's half-time artist was Madonna, 53, with guests CeeLo Green, Nicki Minaj, LMFAO and M.I.A.

The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots, but it was M.I.A. who got tongues wagging when she made an obscene gesture with her middle finger.

M.I.A. gives the finger during the 2012 Super Bowl half-time show

That half-time performance was seen by 114 million people, a higher average than the game itself, which was seen by an estimated 111.3 million people.

If Beyonce's performance at next year's NFL half-time show features collaborations, it could include her husband Jay-Z, and her Destiny's Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

New Orleans last hosted a Super Bowl in 2002, making next year's game the first NFL championship in the city since Hurricane Katrina devastated parts of the Louisiana Superdome in 2005.

Pepsi is returning as the sponsor for the half-time show, having last done so in 2007, when Prince performed.

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Australia Rewrites Dictionary Amid Gillard Row

An Australian dictionary is to update the meaning of misogyny, after the word was used by the country's prime minister in a blistering attack on her male rival.

It comes as Julia Gillard embarks on a three-day tour of India - the second day of which got off on the wrong foot when she took a tumble near Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat.

She later told reporters she was "fine" and joked: "For men who get to wear flat shoes all day, every day - if you wear heels, they can get embedded in soft grass. When you pull your foot up, the shoe doesn't come."

Ms Gillard's attack on opposition leader Tony Abbott last week followed his attempt to move a motion to oust the House of Representatives speaker Peter Slipper, who is accused of sending crude and sexist text messages.

In a speech to parliament, Ms Gillard said: "If he wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he doesn't need a motion in the House of Representatives; he needs a mirror."

"Misogyny, sexism - every day from this leader of this opposition," she added.

The prime minister's critics accused her of exaggeration, pointing to dictionary definitions of misogyny as a hatred of women.

It has led the Macquarie dictionary - regarded by many as the authoritative guide to the Australian meanings of words - to admit its definition is decades out of date.

Sue Butler, who edits the dictionary, said it would broaden the word's meaning to include prejudice against women.

"Since the 1980s, misogyny has come to be used as a synonym for sexism - a synonym with bite, but nevertheless with the meaning of entrenched prejudice against women rather than pathological hatred," she said.

"Perhaps as dictionary editors we should have noticed this before it was so rudely thrust in front of us as something that we'd overlooked."

Ms Butler said the decision to update the meaning of the word had prompted complaints.

Critics include Senator Fiona Nash, a member of Mr Abbott's coalition, who said: "It would seem more logical for the prime minister to refine her vocabulary than for the Macquarie dictionary to keep changing its definitions every time a politician mangles the English language."

Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott declined to comment on the move but it is not the first time they have clashed over issues of gender.

The prime minister said her rival had previously described abortion as "the easy way out" and questioned whether it was a bad thing for men to have more power than women in Australian society.

Speaking in parliament, Mr Abbott once told her: "If the prime minister wants to, politically speaking, make an honest woman of herself ..."

In Australia, the term "making an honest woman" traditionally refers to a man marrying a woman with whom he has had a sexual relationship.

Ms Gillard is the first prime minister to share the official residence with a common law partner, former hairdresser Tim Mathieson.

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Blatter 'Saddened' At Serbia Racism Row

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has spoken out about racism in football after allegations of racist chanting during an England U21 game.

The 76-year-old avoided commenting directly on claims of racist chanting directed at English players during the game in Serbia on Tuesday night.

But he tweeted twice and called for discrimination to be "eradicated".

He wrote: "Saddened every time I hear about racist incidents in football.

"We must keep fighting to eradicate discrimination from our sport. Kick racism out of football."

It comes after the Serbian FA denied allegations of racist chanting during the playoff game, which England won 1-0 to go through to the European Championship finals.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter said he was "saddened" by racism in football

The Serbian FA also claimed England player Danny Rose behaved in a "vulgar" manner towards its fans. Rose was sent off after the final whistle.

In a statement on its website, the Serbian FA said: "(The) FA of Serbia absolutely refuses (sic) and denies that there were any occurrences of racism before and during the match at the stadium in Krusevac.

"Making connection between the seen incident - a fight between members of the two teams - and racism has absolutely no ground and we consider it to be a total malevolence.

"Unfortunately, after the fourth minute of the additional time and the victory goal scored by the guest team, unpleasant scenes were seen on the pitch.

"And while most of the English team players celebrated the score, their player number three, Danny Rose, behaved in inappropriate, unsportsmanlike and vulgar manner towards the supporters on the stands at the stadium in Krusevac, and for that he was shown a red card."

The Serbian FA said preliminary reports from the match officials made no mention of racism and added: "We expect that the human and sports culture of our football friends from England will win over the spread of misinformation."

Rose was controversially sent off by the referee after responding angrily to the abuse and kicking a ball into the crowd.

The English FA and Prime Minister David Cameron have called for UEFA to investigate allegations that England players were subjected to racist chants and pelted with seats, coins and stones during their European Championship play-off.

England's players were incensed by the racist abuse

In amateur footage of the scuffles that broke out following England's winning goal, monkey chants are clearly audible.

Rose told Sky Sports News: "I just expressed my emotions as soon as we scored.

"Next thing I turned round and all the Serbian players have surrounded me, pushing me, and then a brawl broke out.

"I remember getting slapped twice and then I got ushered away. That's when I kicked the ball and the referee's sent me off.

"As I was walking off there was monkey chanting - but the monkey chanting started long before I got sent off."

He added: "They have to be banned."

Downing Street said Prime Minister David Cameron was "appalled" by the scenes at the end of the match and wants Uefa to impose tough sanctions if racism is proved.

Sports minister Hugh Robertson has also written to Uefa president Michel Platini urging tough action following the "disgraceful scenes".

Captain Jordan Henderson praised his players for their reaction to the alleged racist abuse and called on Uefa to take the appropriate action.

The Football Association reported "a number of incidents of racism" to Uefa after ugly scenes marred a 1-0 win for Stuart Pearce's team in the second leg of their play-off.

FA general secretary Alex Horne said: "We call on UEFA to take the strongest possible action against the Serbian FA, their supporters and anyone found guilty of being involved in the numerous instances of violence and abuse."

Liverpool midfielder Henderson said on www.thefa.com: "There was a lot of racist abuse out there from the stands and a lot going on after the game, which is hard to take for the players."

The brawl broke out when supporters invaded the field moments after Connor Wickham's stoppage-time goal secured a 2-0 aggregate success and a place at next year's finals in Israel.

Henderson added: "The players coped with the abuse really well. It's not nice. They kept their heads and were professional.

"I thought our players were brilliant and conducted themselves very well. The players completely condemn what happened.

"There were also stones, coins and seats getting thrown at us. I didn't understand why Danny Rose was sent off at the end - I didn't see he did anything wrong, other than get abused."

A statement from the FA read: "The FA condemns both the scenes of racism and the confrontation at the final whistle during which time our players and staff were under extreme provocation.

"The FA has reported a number of incidents of racism to Uefa following the fixture.

"These were seemingly aimed at a number of black England players by the crowd. The matter is now with Uefa."

England manager Stuart Pearce said Serbia's technical director Savo Milosevic had visited the England dressing room to apologise.

"I never like to see any football matches end like that," Pearce told ESPN.

"I think there were one or two racist incidents that came on from the crowd. It's in (Uefa's) hands now.

"It's very sad, to be fair, but we're united as a team. I'm very proud of the reaction of our players."

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US Presidential Race: Obama And Romney Clash

President Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney have clashed over both foreign and domestic policy in a feisty live TV presidential debate.

One of the standout moments in the second of three head-to-heads between the candidates came when the pair sparred over last month's attack on a US diplomatic mission in Libya.

The President accused his White House contender of playing politics with national security while Mr Romney hit back by accusing Mr Obama of going on a fundraising tour on the day after the deadly September 11 assault on the Benghazi consulate, and declaring his Middle East policy was "unravelling".

In a television debate that was deemed much more lively and aggressive than the first one, Mr Romney said the President's team either did not know all the details - or did not tell the truth - about the death of four Americans there immediately after the attacks.

Mr Obama admitted for the first time that responsibility for what happened at the consulate in Libya stopped with him and no one else.

But at one point, former Massachusetts governor Mr Romney appeared to get his facts wrong about Mr Obama's handling of the attack and how soon afterwards he described it as an act of terrorism.

In a fierce exchange, Mr Obama called upon transcripts to prove Mr Romney was incorrect and expressed outrage at the Republican's implication that he used the attack to his political advantage.

"The suggestion that anybody on my team, whether it's a secretary of state, our UN ambassador, anybody on my team, would play politics or mislead when we've lost four of our own, Governor, is offensive," Mr Obama said wagging his finger at his opponent across the stage.

Mr Obama was fighting to reverse a slide in the polls

With three weeks to go until the US election, Mr Obama fought to reverse a dramatic slide in the polls that has given Mr Romney a lead for the first time in over a year.

They took questions from 80 undecided voters at a town hall-style forum on New York's Long Island.

The tension between the pair was obvious almost from the start when they clashed over domestic oil production.

During a discussion about immigration, Mr Obama and Mr Romney were side-tracked and ended up making digs at each other over their respective financial arrangements.

In another animated moment, Mr Romney was asked by one voter how he differed from fellow Republican George Bush. The White House hopeful responded by saying he took an alternative stance on energy policy, China and deficits.

But the President said his biggest difference was that his Republican rival is more extreme on social issues than Mr Bush, who left office deeply unpopular.

Mr Romney said that he would govern under different conditions that would allow him to make North America energy independent from Arab and Venezuelan oil.

He also claimed he would crack down on China's currency manipulation and cut the deficit by increasing trade.

The President concluded the debate by bringing up Mr Romney's now notorious 47% remark. The Republican had to apologise earlier in the month after he was secretly filmed making disparaging comments about nearly half of Americans who do not pay income taxes.

The debate, watched by millions, was won by Mr Obama, according to an instant CBS poll at the end.

Sky's US political analyst Jon-Christopher Bua said the president looked to have regained some important ground with his performance. 

"Mr Obama came out fighting for his job, throwing red meat to his base and may have given the all-important independent voters in those crucial swing states a reason to give him a second term," he said.

The final face-off between the candidates before the November 6 election will be held next Monday in Florida.

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