Russia commemorates victims of Beslan tragedy

On September 1, 2004, Chechen separatists herded more than 1,100 teachers, parents and children into the gym at Beslan's School No. 1. The gym was rigged with explosives and a total of 335 hostages, including 186 children, lost their lives when the siege came to its bloody conclusion three days later.

The Beslan school siege is the deadliest terrorist attack ever to take place in Russia and saw the largest number of child victims in any terrorist act anywhere in the world. More than 120 of the survivors were left disabled, including 70 children.

The presidential envoy to the North Caucasus region, Alexander Khloponin, attended a service in Beslan to remember those who were killed six years ago.

RIA Novosti held a video link up between Moscow and Washington on joint Russian-U.S. efforts in fighting terrorism, marking the solidarity in fighting terrorism day. The event is held on the eve of the sixth anniversary of terrorists attack on school in Beslan and a week before the ninth anniversary of the deadly terrorist attack in New York on September 11, 2001.

RIA Novosti

China: Imported U.S. baby formula unsafe

BEIJING, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- China, which had a tainted infant-formula scandal two years ago, says the safety of its baby formula has been threatened by U.S. and other foreign dairy goods.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, a government department in charge of food safety, said the United States, France, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan shipped 402 tons of unsafe dairy products to China.

The products were returned or destroyed by China in June, the agency said.

Of the 402 tons, 401 tons, or 99.8 percent of the total, were baby formula, the agency said.

The accused countries had no immediate response.

UPI

Indian Maoists claim killing of hostage

PATNA, India, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A Maoist group in India said Thursday it had killed one kidnapped Indian police officer and threatened to kill three other hostages if its demands are not met.

A man who said he was a spokesman for the group and gave his name as Avinash told the Patna bureau of Press Trust of India the other officers would die Friday morning unless eight Maoist prisoners were released.

Police in Bihar state said they had no proof one of the officers is dead, The Hindu reported. They were abducted Sunday in a skirmish in which seven police officers were killed.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he is willing to talk to the Maoists or a group known as the Naxals.

UPI

Burger King sold to buy-out firm for $3.26bn (£2.1bn)

Burger King is being sold to private equity firm 3G Capital in a deal valued at $3.26bn (£2.1bn), it has been announced.

The fast food chain, with 12,100 outlets worldwide, had been the subject of takeover rumours for days.

Burger King floated on Wall Street in 2006, four years after being bought by a group of private equity firms.

The group - TPG Capital, Bain Capital and Goldman Sachs Funds - still own 31% of Burger King shares.

The deal, worth $24 a share, comes after Burger King's stock price surged more than 15% on Wednesday and opened on Thursday up 23% at $23.25.

In a statement, the companies said that the deal represented a 46% premium to Burger King's share price before news of a possible takeover surfaced.

3G will also take on Burger King's debt, valuing the deal at $4bn in total.

No longer unique

Burger King, the second largest hamburger chain behind McDonald's, has struggled during the recession and last week forecast weak demand for the rest of the year.

Miami-based Burger King's core customers are traditionally young men between 18 and 34, a bracket badly hit by unemployment.

And the company's once-unique flame-grilled hamburgers now have competition from several smaller rivals, including Five Guys and In-N-Out Burger.

Nor has Burger King, founded in 1954, managed to catch up with the dominant and far larger McDonalds.

However, it is unclear what plans 3G has for Burger King, and there was no mention of strategy in its takeover announcement.

BBC News

Odierno earns praise for getting results in Iraq

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq (Sept. 1, 2010) -- Gen. Raymond T. Odierno put it very simply today, as he finished his address at the change of command ceremony for U.S. Forces Iraq.

"Lion 6 - Out," Odierno said, meaning that the commander had finished using his call sign and was heading for his new assignment at U.S. Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Va. The ceremony was held here at the al Faw Palace - an ornate edifice built near the Baghdad airport by Saddam Hussein to commemorate the victory over Iran in 1988.

Odierno handed the reins of the command to Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III. Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey and Iraqi security leaders attended the ceremony. U.S. Marine Corps. Gen. James Mattis, U.S. Central Command Chief, presided as Odierno passed the command flag to Austin.

The change in command coincided with a change in mission for USFI. "The United States has ended its combat mission in Iraq," Biden said before the ceremony. "Iraqi troops are taking lead responsibility for their country's security".

The United States kept its promise to draw down troops and end Operation Iraqi Freedom and put in place Operation New Dawn, the vice president said. It means that the 50,000 U.S. troops now in Iraq are involved solely in training and mentoring Iraqi units. There is a residual counterinsurgency mission, but even that is Iraqi-led.

The mission here, though, remains important to the United States and to the region, Gates said.

Gates took the opportunity to focus on the troops still in Iraq that will serve in an advise and assist role for Iraqi security forces. "Even as the weight of our military efforts and public attention has shifted to Afghanistan, you should know your work here going forward is critical to the future of this part of the world, and to the national security of our country," the secretary said. "You have my gratitude and respect for your service and sacrifice, and for the service and sacrifice of your families".

Gates praised Odierno for his leadership in Iraq. During Odierno's tenure, the command shifted from Multinational Forces Iraq to U.S. Forces Iraq. Odierno shifted American forces out of the cities and sculpted the advise and assist mission that all six U.S. brigades in country now have. And he did all this while redeploying 74,000 servicemembers back to the United States.

U.S. Army

Greece imposes smoking ban in public spaces

(CNN) -- Greece has imposed a nationwide ban on smoking in enclosed public and private workplaces under a new slogan "cut smoking, gain life".

Small establishments such as restaurants and cafes will have to observe the restrictions. Larger ones such as casinos and nightclubs have until June 2011 to fully impose the ban.

The nation has tried to impose the ban before, but failed.

Consequences for violating the ban were not clearly outlined and enforced in the past, leading many smokers to shun the law.

However, the health minister says things are different this time.

Circumstances have "matured" and we have the broad support of the Greek populace, Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou said.

Anyone defying the ban now will initially receive a warning and get their named entered into a database.

A second infraction will result in a fine of 50 to 500 euros ($65-$650).

Business owners will be fined 500 to 10,000 euros ($650-$12,750) for each violation with the fine doubling when there's a recurrence.

CNN

Powerful, enormous Earl bearing down on East Coast

Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina (CNN) -- Hurricane Earl prepared to take a swipe at the Eastern Seaboard on Thursday as residents scrambled to ready themselves ahead of its arrival.

Hurricane warnings and watches stretched from North Carolina to Delaware and into Massachusetts, where a hurricane warning was issued for Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the surrounding area. A hurricane watch was also issued for the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada.

At 2 p.m. ET, Earl's center was about 245 miles (395 kilometers) south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and about 720 miles south-southwest of Nantucket. It was heading north at about 18 mph.

President Obama is "closely monitoring" Earl's developments, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday. On Wednesday, Obama signed a disaster declaration for North Carolina authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate relief efforts. The order also makes federal funds available to states.

Teams are in place or on standby to assist states along the East Coast, FEMA administrator Craig Fugate said, and supplies were being moved into two incident-support bases in case they are needed.

The National Hurricane Center expects the storm, which is larger than California, to pass close to North Carolina's Outer Banks on Thursday night. It is expected to take aim at southeastern New England on Friday night. The storm's track shifted slightly to the west, closer to North Carolina's Cape Hatteras. The hurricane center has posted storm watches and warnings for areas as far north as Maine.

CNN

Pakistan cricket players maintain their innocence

London, England (CNN) -- The three Pakistani cricket players at the center of an alleged betting scandal say they're innocent -- and the Pakistani high commissioner said Thursday he believes them.

The players met their country's cricket authorities Thursday morning at the Pakistani High Commission in London to discuss the allegations, which have rocked the cricket world.

"They have not been proven guilty," Wajid Shamsul Hassan told a throng of reporters afterward. "And until you are proven guilty, you are innocent".

A police investigation into the alleged scandal is continuing, but no further meeting with police or questioning of the men is scheduled, he said.

Hassan did, however, vow to take legal action to defend the players if necessary.

CNN

Stephen Hawking: God didn't create universe

LONDON, England (CNN) -- God did not create the universe, world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking argues in a new book that aims to banish a divine creator from physics.

Hawking says in his book "The Grand Design" that, given the existence of gravity, "the universe can and will create itself from nothing," according to an excerpt published Thursday in The Times of London.

"Spontaneous creation is the reason why there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist," he writes in the excerpt.

"It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper [fuse] and set the universe going," he writes.

His book -- as the title suggests -- is an attempt to answer "the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything," he writes, quoting Douglas Adams' cult science fiction romp, "The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy".

CNN

Ferrari recalls latest supercar amid fire threat

(CNN) -- Ferrari has been forced to recall its latest supercar after reports that several had burst into flames.

The Italian carmaker revealed it had investigated five "thermal incidents" across the world involving its 458 Italia model, which was unveiled last year at the Frankfurt motor-show. No fatalities were reported.

They discovered defects in the bonding adhesive used to attach the heat-shield to the wheel arch in each of the five cars. The heat-shield is designed to protect the wheel arch from the exhaust pipe, so if this "glue" melts then the wheel arch housing would be exposed to high temperatures.

But a Ferrari spokesperson told CNN it would have taken a combination of extreme conditions to actually cause the $260,000 car to ignite.

"Heavy usage of the car, such as driving very fast down a twisty road or up a mountain, will increase the temperature inside the engine bay," she said.

"If that is combined with extremely high ambient temperatures, which has been the case throughout Europe especially this summer, then this will cause the deformation of the wheel arch, bringing it closer to the exhaust and causing the car to smoke or ignite".

Ferrari said these defects would have occurred in a relatively small portion of the production, though it plans to examine all 1,148 cars produced up to July 30 this year. The five thermal incidents reported so far occurred in the U.S., Britain, France, Switzerland and China.

"We're contacting clients across the world to get them to bring their cars back to the dealers so we can check the wheel arch," the spokesperson said.

CNN

Kenya pushes back over war crimes suspect's visit

Nairobi, Kenya -- The Kenyan government Thursday defended its decision not to arrest Sudan's visiting head of state -- wanted on charges of war crimes and genocide -- saying Kenya's first obligation was to the African Union, not the International Criminal Court.

"We need African solutions to Africa's problems," said government spokesman Alfred Mutua.

The court wants Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to face a raft of charges related to the conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan.

He was in Kenya on Friday to attend the signing ceremonies for Kenya's new constitution. The ICC argues that Kenya had a legal obligation to arrest him and hand him over for trial.

But Kenyan government spokesman Mutua disagreed.

"In the context of Omar al-Bashir's case, Kenya's obligation was first to the AU and then to ICC. If Sudan (is) destabilized it is us who would suffer, not the West," he said.

The African Union opposes the arrest warrants for al-Bashir, saying his arrest could destabilize Sudan.

And he accused to "the West" of "neo-colonialism".

CNN

Oil platform explosion reported in Gulf of Mexico

(CNN) -- An oil and gas production platform exploded Thursday 102 miles off the central coast of Louisiana, with 13 people overboard, the Coast Guard said Thursday morning.

All 13 people have been accounted for, said Petty Officer Bill Colclough of the Coast Guard. Mariner Energy, which owns the Vermilion Oil Rig 380, said none of the crew members was hurt in the incident, despite earlier reports of a single injured worker.

Colclough told CNN that authorities are trying to determine the cause of the blast, and that the platform apparently is still on fire from the explosion.

Colclough said Coast Guard helicopters and cutters are en route to the scene.

The company confirmed that a fire started on board the platform, but said that an initial flyover of the site indicated "no hydrocarbon spill". Mariner spokesman Patrick Cassidy said he was aware of the fire, but did not confirm an explosion.

During the last week of August, production from the platform averaged approximately 9.2 million cubic feet of natural gas a day and 1,400 barrels (58,800 gallons) of oil, the company said.

CNN

South African unions reject government offer

Johannesburg, South Africa (CNN) -- South African union members Thursday rejected an improved wage offer from the government as a public sector strike continues to cripple the country.

The government had upped its offer to a 7.5-percent wage increase and an 800-rand ($110) housing allowance.

The unions were demanding an 8.6-percent wage increase and a 1,000-rand ($138) housing allowance.

After union members rejected the offer in a vote, leaders met Thursday to determine how to move forward, said Patrick Craven, a spokesman for the Congress of South African Trade Unions.

The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union, one of COSATU'S largest members, said there was some confusion over the offer.

In addition to more housing allowance, the government is offering to set up a program that will make it easier for public workers to buy houses, according to a spokesman for NEHAWU.

CNN

Russian man arrested in Spain after nightclub fire that killed 156

(CNN) -- Investigators have arrested a suspect from Russia in connection with a fire that killed 156 people in a nightclub in Russia in 2009, the Spanish National Police said Thursday.

Authorities in Spain arrested Konstantin Mrykhin, who was the commercial director of a nightclub in Perm, Russia where fireworks triggered a fire and panic on Dec. 5, 2009, the police said in a statement.

Mrykhin has been wanted in Russia, where police say he ignored safety measures in organizing the fireworks display that caused the fire, the statement said.

Mrykhin fled Russia to Barcelona, Spain to evade a charge of involuntary manslaughter, police said.

CNN

10 killed in NATO airstrike in Afghanistan

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Ten parliamentary campaign workers were killed in a NATO airstrike in northeastern Afghanistan on Thursday, a provincial official said.

The incident -- which took place ahead of the September 18 parliamentary election -- occurred in the Rostaq district of Takhar province, where NATO says it was targeting a militant.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has consistently deplored civilian casualties in the war, condemned the strike, which occurred on the same day he's scheduled to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Faiz Mohammad, spokesman for the provincial governor, said the event happened because NATO-led and Afghan security forces are not coordinating their activities properly.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force told CNN it is "still looking into this situation" and "gathering the facts".

"We're aware of the allegations that this strike caused civilian causalities and we'll do our best to get to the bottom of the accusations," U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David Garza, an ISAF official, said in a press release.

CNN