Tens of thousands of South Koreans have turned out in Seoul for the funeral of former President Roh Moo-hyun, who died last week.
Top officials attended the ceremony, while huge crowds filled the streets.
Mr Roh dedicated himself to democracy and he would not be forgotten, PM Han Seung-soo said in a eulogy.
Roh Moo-hyun jumped off a cliff last Saturday amid allegations, which he denied, of bribery. His death has caused immense shock in South Korea.
Mr Roh was president between 2003 and 2008, when his term ended. Current President Lee Myung-bak's Grand National Party won the subsequent election, forcing Mr Roh's Uri party from office.
Supporters say Mr Roh was investigated for political reasons and some blame Mr Lee for a probe that they believe drove the former president to suicide, says the BBC's Chris Hogg, from Seoul.
Authorities feared protests and some 15,000 riot police were on stand-by for the funeral.
Some scuffles were reported and there was booing as Mr Lee laid a flower for his predecessor.
'Hunted by conservatives'
Millions of people have already visited altars around the country to pray for Mr Roh.
Early on Friday the funeral procession left Bongha, the village to which he retired, for the journey to Seoul.
As the hearse arrived in the capital, tens of thousands of supporters wearing yellow - his campaign colour - lined the streets.
The funeral was held at a former palace. Delivering the eulogy, Mr Han said that Mr Roh had "spent his life fighting for human rights, democracy and the end of authoritarianism".
"We will strive to follow your last wishes for reconciliation, unity and a better nation," he said.
Crowds watched the service on a huge television screen. Then a public memorial rite was held at a grassy plaza outside City Hall.
"I am so sad. He was a president of the common people," AFP news agency quoted Gum Young-Don, a 32-year-old accountant, as saying.
"Even if I did not support all his policies, such as the efforts to conclude a free trade deal with the US, he made great efforts to take care of the underprivileged and destroy authoritarianism in every corner of government."
"I think the former president was hunted by conservatives," said another mourner, housewife Lee Ae-ran, as she paid her respects.
Mr Roh's body will be cremated and his ashes taken back to Bongha.
Mr Roh - a human rights lawyer - came from a humble farming family, but rose to the highest office on a platform of clean government and reconciliation with North Korea.
Last month, he was questioned over allegations that he had taken more than $6m in bribes from a wealthy shoe manufacturer, Park Yeon-cha, who was indicted in December on separate bribery and tax evasion charges.
The former president later apologised for the scandal. But last Saturday he was killed in a fall from a mountain near his home, in an apparent suicide.
Florentino Perez is confident of being able to tempt the majority of his transfer targets to Real Madrid if he is elected president.
Florentino Perez is confident of being able to tempt the majority of his transfer targets to Real Madrid if he is elected president, and promised fans of "a great team and a great coach".
Perez is the overwhelming favourite to return to the post he held from 2000-06 and could be installed as president as early as Monday without the need for elections if no other candidates step forward before the May 31 deadline.
There had originally been three other candidates who had announced they would be mounting bids, but Eugenio Martinez Bravo, Juan Onieva and Eduardo Garcia have all pulled out of the running in the last fortnight, with the 57.4million euro bank guarantee seeming to be the big stumbling block.
The latest of those trio to withdraw was Garcia yesterday, and that has paved the way for Perez to be elected unopposed on June 1 unless another valid candidate presents themselves in the next couple of day.
Despite seemingly having a free run to the presidency, Perez has still continued his election campaign as originally planned.
And although he has yet to name any names with regards his playing and coaching targets, the architect of Madrid's famous 'galacticos' policy insists the world's leading stars will be eager to join the club.
In recent years the likes of David Villa, Santi Cazorla and other players have all rebuffed Madrid's advances, but Perez believes it could be a different story this summer if he returns to power.
"I'm sure that now the majority of the players are going to want to come to Madrid, to a new project...," Perez said.
Madrid have been linked with a host of players over the last few months since it emerged that Perez, who in his previous stint in charge presided over the signings of players such as Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Ronaldo and David Beckham, could be on his way back.
Two of the biggest names are Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, players that Madrid have long been courting, and Perez was quizzed about both.
With regards AC Milan playmaker Kaka, Perez said in Marca: "Until the competitions finish we are not going to talk with the clubs, but I've always spoken of my great relationship with (Milan vice-president Adriano) Galliani and this relationship maybe makes it easier that Kaka comes to Madrid.
"I've talked with Galliani many times about football and also about Kaka, but this is a theme that we have to postpone until after Sunday."
Perez was also asked about Manchester United winger Ronaldo, with the presidential hopeful saying: "He's also a player that would be very good if he came to Real Madrid. What I know is what I've read, that there is an agreement by means of which he would come for £80million..."
Asked if he would pay that amount, Perez added: "Next week we will look at the numbers and nobody should doubt that we are going to design with our sporting advisors a spectacular project."
Aside from those two players, media reports suggest Madrid are also looking at the likes of Franck Ribery, David Villa, David Silva, Xabi Alonso and plenty of others.
With different players being linked virtually every other day, Perez admits there are unlikely to be any surprises when they do finally start bringing players in.
"It's impossible (for a surprise signing), in the last three months all the players in the world have been talked about. There aren't any more players to talk about. I'm grateful that everybody has placed with me some great hopes and I'm going to try and not disappoint them.
"But also I have to say that not everyone can come, among other things because they won't all fit. We also need to move some players out before some come in."
Madrid are also believed to be on the look-out for a new coach, with Juande Ramos' six-month contract expiring this summer.
As with the players, Madrid are also being linked with the creme de le creme of coaches, such as Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Manuel Pellegrini.
Perez was again reluctant to go into any detail about their targets, but said: "There is a short list of coaches, but no decision has been taken.
"We are going to have a great coach."
If Perez's becomes president he will inherit a club that has lost its mantle of top dogs in Spain to arch rivals Barcelona.
Madrid may have won back-to-back league titles prior to this season but they have looked streets behind Barca this term, with Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side having become the first Spanish team to win the treble of league, cup and European Cup.
Perez admits Madrid have plenty of ground to catch up on the Catalan giants.
"The great season Barcelona have had serves to encourage me. We are going to make a big effort to recover the lost time. We need to recover in a year the lost time, but we are going to do it," he said.
"We need to do a great job. We have many players and we have to have other players as well. I'm going to work with all my hopes to have a winning team from this very season."
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He did insist, however, that he has never been interested in bringing Inter Milan coach Mourinho to the Bernabeu.
"A lot has been written these days," Perez told Cadena Ser. "I'm not going to talk until I am president. And when I am, of the three who are being mentioned, we will choose the best.
"What I can say is that the three that we are considering are very homogeneous. And Mourinho has never been in our agenda. No-one has ever spoken to him."
Perez admitted that he is a big fan of Pellegrini, who is under contract at Valencia, adding that he will work hard to bring in the right people to help Madrid recover "lost time".
The presidential hopeful also revealed that he hopes to sign at least five big-name players to propel the Spanish giants back to the top.
"I would be delighted with Pellegrini and Kaka," he added. "But no-one has talked with Pellegrini.
"When I enter Madrid I will look at Ronaldo's supposed release-clause. It's very good but all release clauses are negotiable.
"I like him because he is one of the best in the world.
"We have to recover lost time. With respect to all the players, the change in team was not done in the right way.
"When Zidane retired, what should have been done was to bring in another star like Kaka and when Beckham left they should have signed Cristiano Ronaldo.
"So we will look at the numbers and will do everything possible so that this year we have a great team.
"I calculate that there will be around five or six signings counting the best in the world and the best of Spain.
"We can create a spectacular team to fight not only with Barca, but also with Manchester United, Chelsea and all the other greats."
LONDON, England (CNN) -- The first comprehensive report into the human cost of climate change warns the world is in the throes of a "silent crisis" that is killing 300,000 people each year.
Victims of flooding in India last year are ferried to safety by the Indian Army in the northeastern state of Bihar.
Victims of flooding in India last year are ferried to safety by the Indian Army in the northeastern state of Bihar.
More than 300 million people are already seriously affected by the gradual warming of the earth and that number is set to double by 2030, the report from the Global Humanitarian Forum warns.
"Climate change is the greatest emerging humanitarian challenge of our time, causing suffering to hundreds of millions of people worldwide," said the forum's president, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
In a statement accompanying the report's release in London Friday, Annan said that it gave the world a glimpse of a grim future if Member States fail to reach a "global, effective, fair and binding" outcome on climate change at the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December.
"I hope that all Member States will go to Copenhagen with the political will to sign up to an ambitious agreement to tackle climate change," he said. "As this report shows, the alternative is greater risk of starvation, migration and sickness on a massive scale."
The report's startling numbers are based on calculations that the earth's atmosphere is currently warming by 0.74 degrees celcius. The Global Humanitarium Forum says that temperatures will rise by almost two degrees celcius, regardless of what's agreed in Copenhagen.
"No matter what," the report concludes, "the suffering documented in this report is only the beginning." A rise of two degrees, it says, "would be catastrophic."
Of the 300,000 lives being lost each year due to climate change, the report finds nine out of 10 are related to "gradual environmental degradation," and that deaths caused by climate-related malnutrition, diarrhea and malaria outnumber direct fatalaties from weather-related disasters.
Phil Neville insists winning the FA Cup with Everton will be his greatest achievement.
The former Manchester United player won 10 major honours at Old Trafford, including the FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League.
But ahead of Saturday's clash with Chelsea, the Everton skipper said: "My theory throughout my career has been that the next one is always the greatest, and this does feel as though it will be the greatest.
"If I win a medal on Saturday it will be the best medal I have won.
"In terms of individual success, for me to lift the FA Cup will be my greatest ever honour, particularly for this club.
"People talk about me being a good Everton captain but for me to be mentioned among the likes of Kevin Ratcliffe and Brian Labone is an honour.
"They are players who have not just won the FA Cup, they have won league championships and European honours, so that is what I have got to do to be mentioned in the same breath.
"But it would be a great start to win the FA Cup and it is time this team had something to show for its efforts.
"I drive to training in the mornings and the music's blasting away and you do visualise yourself holding up the FA Cup. You have got to believe you're going to win."
Neville will lead out Everton to face Chelsea for their first final in 14 years.
And he added: "In those 14 years we have probably not lived up to the past and now, under David Moyes, I think this club is going in the right direction.
"We can restore Everton to where it belongs and that is at the top of English football.
"Regardless of the result on Saturday this has got to be the start of a sustained period of success. It has got to be.
"It is not going to be the end of the journey on Saturday win or lose. This is just the start."
General Motors and the US Treasury have improved the offer to GM's bondholders, as they prepare for the firm's move into bankruptcy protection.
Bondholders with $27bn (£17bn) of GM debt are now being offered the option to buy an extra 15% of GM shares as part of a proposed bankruptcy deal.
This is on top of the 10% they had previously been offered.
If bondholders back the new offer, it will allow GM to exit bankruptcy protection more quickly.
The US car giant is expected to apply for bankruptcy protection by 1 June.
GM said it had already secured the backing for the new offer from bondholders representing 20% of the bond debt.
Under its plans to reorganising its share base, the US government will take a 72.5% stake.
German row
Meanwhile efforts are continuing to secure the sale of GM's main European business Opel, and its UK brand Vauxhall.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he had received assurances from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the US government would increase its support to help secure the sale of Opel, GM's main European business, which has its headquarters in Germany.
Berlin had been due to announce its preferred bidder for Opel, and its UK Vauxhall brand, on Thursday, but it was forced to cancel its decision after GM revealed that Opel would need an extra 300m euros ($415m; £260m) in short-term funding.
German Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was critical of GM's last-minute request, calling the move "pretty scandalous".
He also criticised the level of involvement of the US Treasury Department, describing it as "marginal, to put it politely".
Berlin also announced that US investor Ripplewood Holdings had pulled out of the race for Opel, leaving Italy's Fiat and Canada's Magna - whose bid is backed by Russian lender Sberbank - in the front seat.
There had also been a last-minute expression of interest from Beijing Automotive Industry Corp (BAIC), but German officials said that their focus was on Fiat and Magna.
The sale of Opel is a key part of GM's plans to restructure its business.
The German government expects to receive the extra information it needs by Friday, when talks will reconvene in Berlin.
Car industry analyst Christoph Stuermer from Global Insight said he was confident the German government would be able to announce its preferred bidder on Friday.
Job cut fears
While GM will ultimately choose who buys Opel and Vauxhall, the preference of the German government is key because Berlin has pledged the most financial support for the eventual buyer.
The German government is offering the most money because half of Opel's 50,000 workers are based in Germany.
And with Germany facing a general election in September, Berlin wishes to protect as many German job losses as possible when whoever buys Opel is expected to cut jobs to help secure the business' long-term future.
The central involvement of the German government in the Opel talks has led to British unions expressing concern that any job cuts at the company could be focused upon its Vauxhall operations in the UK that employ 5,500 people.
But UK Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said he had received "categorical assurances" about continued Vauxhall production.
"We are making sure the future of Vauxhall is secured," he said.
However, Lord Mandelson did admit job cuts were likely across all of the Opel business, including the Vauxhall arm.
The Belgian government has also expressed concern for the Opel workers in its country.
International scientists say they have found the first evidence of resistance to the world's most effective drug for treating malaria.
They say the trend in western Cambodia has to be urgently contained because full-blown resistance would be a global health catastrophe.
Drugs are taking longer to clear blood of malaria parasites than before.
This is an early warning sign of emerging resistance to a disease which kills a million people every year.
Until now the most effective drug cleared all malaria parasites from the blood within two or three days but in recent trials this took up to four or five days.
The BBC's Jill McGivering, reporting from Cambodia, says it is unclear why the region has become a nursery for the resistance - but the local public health system is weak, and the use of anti-malaria drugs is not properly controlled.
Drug defence
The artemesinin family of drugs is the world's front-line defence against the most prevalent and deadly form of malaria.
Two teams of scientists, working on separate clinical trials, have reported seeing the disturbing evidence that the drugs are becoming much less effective.
There is particular concern because previous generations of malaria drugs have been undermined by resistance which started in this way, in this part of the world, our correspondent reports.
The World Health Organization warned in 2006 there was a possibility the malaria parasite could develop a resistance to artemesinin drugs, and that there was particular concern about a decreased sensitivity to the drug being seen in South East Asia.
It urged drug firms to stop selling artemesinin on its own in order to prevent resistance building up.
Early results from two studies by US and UK teams have both revealed the early stages of resistance.
Between a third and a half of patients in the US study saw delayed clearance of the malaria parasite.
In the UK study, patients in the Cambodia arm of the trial took almost twice as long to clear the parasite as a comparison group in Thailand.
Professor Nick Day, director of the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit which is carrying out the UK study, said: "Twice in the past, South East Asia has made a gift, unwittingly, of drug resistant parasites to the rest of the world, in particular to Africa," he said.
"That's the problem. We've had chloroquine and SP (sulfadoxine pyrimethamine) resistance, both of which have caused major loss of life in Africa," he said in reference to earlier generation anti-malarial drugs.
"If the same thing happens again, the spread of a resistant parasite from Asia to Africa, that will have devastating consequences for malaria control," he said.
Health systems
Cambodia has long been a laboratory for malaria investigators and a nursery of anti-malaria drug resistance.
Alongside a weak public health system and poorly-controlled drug use, there are many fake drugs, produced by international criminals.
These fakes often contain a small amount of the real drug to fool tests, which can also help to fuel resistance.
Those working to control malaria are calling for urgent action to contain this emerging resistance.
If it strengthens and spreads, they warn, many millions of lives will be at risk. About half the world's population faces exposure to the disease.
BENTON HARBOR, Michigan (CNN) -- Former President George W. Bush on Thursday repeated Dick Cheney's assertion that the administration's enhanced interrogation program, which included controversial techniques such as waterboarding, was legal and garnered valuable information that prevented terrorist attacks.
Former President George W. Bush defended his administration in speech Thursday in Michigan.
Former President George W. Bush defended his administration in speech Thursday in Michigan.
Bush told a southwestern Michigan audience of nearly 2,500 -- the largest he has addressed in the United States since leaving the White House in January -- that, after the September 11 attacks, "I vowed to take whatever steps that were necessary to protect you."
In his speech, Bush did not specifically refer to the high-profile debate over President Obama's decision to halt the use of harsh interrogation techniques. Bush also didn't mention Cheney, his former vice president, by name.
Instead, he described how he proceeded after the capture of terrorism suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in March 2003.
"The first thing you do is ask what's legal?" Bush said. "What do the lawyers say is possible? I made the decision, within the law, to get information so I can say to myself, 'I've done what it takes to do my duty to protect the American people.' I can tell you that the information we got saved lives."
Bush avoided the sharp tone favored by Cheney in recent weeks and stressed he does not want to disparage Obama.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A high-level U.S. delegation is going to Asia for "intensive consultations" on what North Korea's increasingly alarming behavior means for U.S. security alliances in the region, senior administration officials tell CNN.
An image from North Korean television on April 9 shows leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang.
An image from North Korean television on April 9 shows leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang.
The trip will spin off Defense Secretary Robert Gates' previously announced trip to a regional security conference in Singapore and consultations in Tokyo, Japan, the senior officials said.
After those stops, a delegation led by Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg is expected to travel to Beijing, Seoul and Moscow to discuss how the U.S. partners in the six-party talks should deal with North Korea, the senior officials said.
The State Department announced Thursday that Steinberg will accompany Gates to Singapore for the security conference, and then to Tokyo "for consultations with senior Japanese officials on a range of bilateral, regional and international issues." Defense ministers from Japan and South Korea are expected to be at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
The senior officials said that Steinberg then will lead a delegation to the other three stops. He is expected to be accompanied by Undersecretary of Defense Michelle Flournoy, Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth, and Jeffrey Bader, senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council, the officials said.
While North Korea is unpredictable, Pyongyang has said publicly it would conduct a nuclear test and missile tests and has proved true to its word.
US President Barack Obama says he is confident that Israel will recognise that a two-state solution is in the best interests of its security.
Speaking after White House talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Mr Obama again urged Israel to freeze settlement expansion.
Israel has insisted it will allow existing settlements to expand, despite pressure from Washington.
President Obama also said Palestinians must rein in anti-Israeli violence.
For his part, Mr Abbas said he was committed to all obligations under the Mid-East peace plan "roadmap".
However, without a halt to Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinians have said there can be no progress towards peace.
'Israel's interests'
Mr Obama said he was a "strong believer in a two-state solution" and believed Israel would recognise that it was in the best interests of its long-term security.
He said it was important for all countries, but particularly Arab states, to be supportive of the two-state solution.
"I am confident that we can move this forward if all parties are ready to meet their obligations," he said.
Mr Abbas said the need for progress in the stalled process was urgent.
He added that "time is of the essence" - a phrase also used by Mr Obama.
He said that he had shared ideas with Mr Obama based on the 2003 peace plan and the 2002 Saudi peace plan supported by the Arab league.
Under the US-backed 2003 roadmap to peace, Israel is obliged to end all settlement activity, specifically including natural growth.
The plan also requires the Palestinian Authority to crack down on militants who seek to attack Israelis.
President Obama said he had been "very clear" in his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week on the need to "stop settlements".
Mr Netanyahu later said no new settlements would be built but natural growth in existing settlements should be allowed.
The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says Mr Obama's public reiteration of his view - a day after his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had laid it out only to have it shot down by the Israeli government - has raised eyebrows in Washington.
Ahead of his visit to the Middle East next week, Mr Obama has put Mr Netanyahu on notice that this White House has a firm agenda of its own, our correspondent adds.
Stalled talks
The White House meeting between the two leaders is part of an effort by the Obama administration to restart stalled peace talks.
Mr Obama has already met King Abdullah of Jordan and Mr Netanyahu. He plans to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on 4 June.
Earlier on Thursday, Mrs Clinton said Washington was pushing for a two-state solution in the Middle East as it was in the "best interests" of both the Palestinians and Israelis.
Speaking after a dinner with Mr Abbas, she said: "We believe strongly in a two-state solution."
However, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said on Thursday that Israel would continue to allow some construction in West Bank settlements despite US calls for a freeze on its work.
He said the fate of the settlements should be decided in peace talks with the Palestinians.
Cristiano Ronaldo has once again clouded his future by refusing to confirm that he will be a Manchester United player next season.
The Old Trafford favourite's latest outburst comes after he appeared to be at loggerheads with the United hierarchy following the club's 2-0 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona on Wednesday, a defeat the 24-year-old blamed on the tactics employed by Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson during the showcase event.
With the dust settling on United's comprehensive defeat to a rampant Barca, Ronaldo, who last summer came close to joining Spanish giants Real Madrid, has now claimed he does not know what the future holds for him and that he is solely concentrating on Portugal's World Cup qualifier against Albania on June 6.
"I don't want to talk about clubs. I want to rest and to go on holidays because I am very tired," he said.
"I've played many games under a lot of pressure. The future? We'll see. My future for now is the national team. We must win to be back on track in the World Cup."
Throughout Wednesday's showdown in Rome, Ronaldo looked a frustrated individual and one who was far from happy with life, none more so than when he watched Barca lift the Champions League trophy.
Ronaldo's refusal to confirm or deny that he wants out of Old Trafford is sure to annoy the recently crowned English champions, especially given that only last week their prized asset seemed set to stay in Manchester for the foreseeable future.
"Manchester United is my home. My heart is here. This is where I want to play," Ronaldo explained.
"The boss (Sir Alex Ferguson) believes in this team and so do I. Ever since I joined United he has been like a second father to me.
"This is my home now. I think even when I say my heart is here people are going to speak up and make things up. But this is where I want to play.
"We are part of an era that can go down in history for the way we are playing and for the trophies we are winning.
"The boss believes in this team and so do I. And this is where I want to be. Manchester United is now my house."
Chelsea's Ashley Cole admits that being the first player for over a century to win five FA Cup medals would be a major achievement.
The 28-year-old defender has lifted the famous trophy four times, with three of those triumphs coming during his time at Arsenal.
But the England international is determined to join an elite band of players when he lines up against Everton on Saturday.
The last player to win a quintuple of FA Cups was Jimmy Forrest of Blackburn in 1891, while the only other players to achieve the feat are Charles Wollaston in 1878 and Arthur Kinnaird in 1882.
"It would be a great milestone if I could get it," said Cole. "I would be honoured to have the record. It's a great trophy to win and I would be delighted to win it five times."
Another FA Cup triumph would also help Cole get over the club's Champions League semi-final exit to Barcelona.
Chelsea went out in controversial circumstances with Andres Iniesta's last-gasp equaliser earning Barca a 1-1 draw and a place in the final on the away goal rule.
But referee Tom Henning Ovrebo came under fire for rejecting four penalty appeals and the club, striker Didier Drogba and defender Jose Bosingwa have all been charged with various offences by UEFA.
Drogba launched a foul-mouthed TV rant and confronted Ovrebo as he came off the pitch. The Ivorian was given a yellow card by the Norwegian official.
Drogba and Bosingwa has since been accused of making offensive and insulting remarks towards Ovrebo while the club have been charged with failing to control their players and the use of missiles by their fans.
Cole continued: "Winning the FA Cup would never erase the memory of that. We think we should have been there, so it's going to be hard.
"We have to forget about that and concentrate on the final, because we do have to win a trophy, and the FA Cup is a great trophy to win."
The final will also mark the end of interim coach Guus Hiddink's reign as Chelsea boss.
The Dutchman will return to his full-time job as coach of Russia's national side and Cole admits it will be difficult to let him go.
Cole added: "It will be tough to see him leave in the sense that he's a good guy and we all get on well with him, and we're going to miss him.
"He said from day one that he was leaving so we didn't get any false pretences.
"We knew it was going to happen. We have to get on with it and wait for whoever comes in.
"It will be a tough job for whoever replaces him, but whether Guus had done well or badly, it would always be hard to succeed to come to a big club like this.
"We will miss Guus and we hope he does well in the future, but hopefully whoever comes in can do just as good a job as he did."
Retiring Milan legend Paolo Maldini is upset with the protests that overshadowed his final appearance at the San Siro.
Members of the Milan Ultras held up a large banner as the 40-year-old defender did a lap of honour at the end of Milan's 3-2 defeat to AS Roma last week.
"I was a wounded man," Maldini, who helped Milan win the Champions League (formerly the European Cup) five times during his career.
"The stadium was full of families and 70,000 people who were cheering me. It's a shame those 500 ruined the party."
The former Italy captain, and the country's most capped player, was also unhappy with the lack of public support shown by the club.
"The club's silence (disappointed me)," he said.
"I didn't like it that no one took a position. From the president (Silvio Berlusconi) down, not one of the directors said a word. I think a club like Milan should disassociate itself from certain episodes."
Milan vice president Adriano Galliani replied to Maldini's comments with an open letter on the club's website, stating that they thought silence was the best way to combat this type of behaviour.
The possible root of the protests may have stemmed from Maldini's heated exchange with fans at the airport returning from the club's 2005 Champions League final loss to Liverpool or his 2007 comments criticising some Ultras for failing to support the team.
Milan need at least a point this weekend against Fiorentina to guarantee their place in next season's Champions League. A loss by one goal may suffice if second-place Juventus draw or win against Lazio.
Sunday's match may also be the last for manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is linked with a move to Premier League side Chelsea.
The International Air Transport Association says airlines will make losses of $4.7bn (£3.2bn) in 2009, 88% more than the body's initial forecast.
In December, Iata said the global air transport industry would make a loss of $2.5bn this year.
Iata said passenger demand had deteriorated more than expected and demand for air cargo was even weaker.
However, the body said that the industry's prospects might begin to improve by the end of the year.
The international airline industry lost $8.5bn last year, more than its initial estimate of $5bn, as the final three months of 2008 saw a sharp fall in first-class and business-class passengers and cargo traffic.
The new projection comes as passenger traffic is expected to slide by 5.7% over the year.
Industry revenues are forecast to fall by 12% to $62bn, worse than the 7% fall in the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US.
"The state of the airline industry today is grim," said Iata director general Giovanni Bisignani.
"Demand has deteriorated much more rapidly with the economic slowdown than could have been anticipated even a few months ago."
Airlines in Europe and Asia will be particularly hard hit, with North American airlines expected to fare better.
"We used to see Asia as the star, but unfortunately China, India and Japan have big problems," Mr Bisignani told the BBC's World Business Report.
However, it said that low fuel prices were the one piece of good news for the industry.
It expected oil to average $50 a barrel in 2009, down from $99 in 2008.
Mr Bisignani said that there was little to suggest an early end to the downturn.
"While prospects may improve towards the end of the year, expecting a significant recovery in 2010 would require more optimism than realism," he said.
British Airways has announced the biggest loss since the company was privatised in 1987.
BA reported a loss before tax of £401m for the year to 31 March, after seeing its results hit by a weak pound and higher fuel costs.
BA made a revised profit of £922m in the previous year.
Although revenues increased to almost £9bn, BA faced a near-£3bn fuel bill. Chief executive Willie Walsh said he saw "no signs of recovery anywhere".
Fuel costs rose 44.5% after the price of oil soared last year. The weaker pound also contributed to rising costs as fuel is bought in US dollars.
The results included redundancy-related costs of £78m.
BA said it had cut more than 2,500 jobs since last summer and added that it was in talks with unions about "pay and productivity changes".
"The prolonged nature of the global downturn makes this the harshest trading environment we have ever faced and, with no immediate improvement visible, market conditions remain challenging," Mr Walsh said.
Fewer passengers
The loss was worse than BA had forecast. Shares in the airline were down 7% to 151.6 pence in morning trading.
The airline made an operating loss of £220m. In January it said it expected to make an operating loss of £150m.
However, BA said that it had seen a "significantly better" operational performance, and that it had received record customer satisfaction ratings.
The total number of passengers carried fell 4.3% to 33.1m.
The results also included the impact of the airline's first full year of operations at Heathrow Terminal 5, and BA said more than 24 million passengers had flown through Terminal 5.
Global demand for premium travel - business class and first class passengers - fell significantly with BA's premium traffic down 13%.
BA added that it had had to take "significant pricing actions" to stimulate non-premium sales, which were broadly unchanged on the previous year.
Tough year ahead
BA said the outlook for the airline industry was tough and it would not be paying a dividend this year.
It plans to reduce capacity by 4% over the winter by parking up to 16 aircraft.
But the airline also said it expected lower fuel prices to reduce its fuel costs by about £400m in the year ahead.
Mr Walsh also criticised the UK government's decision to double air passenger duty from next year.
"[It] will undoubtedly disadvantage the UK's competitive position within the airline industry," he said.
BA is currently in talks with American Airlines and Iberia about possible tie-ups. It said that both the US Department of Transportation and the European Union were continuing to assess its application for anti-trust immunity.
(CNN) -- A 23-year-old woman suffocated her son and then buried his body beneath the sand of a playground, police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said Thursday.
Tiffany Toribio, 23, was arrested and charged with killing her son.
Tiffany Toribio, 23, was arrested and charged with killing her son.
Police arrested Tiffany Toribio about 4 a.m., just hours after they said they wanted to speak to her about her missing 3-year-old son, Ty.
Family members had contacted authorities, saying her son matched the description of a boy found Friday at an Albuquerque playground.
Police Chief Ray Schultz said she confessed to killing the boy soon after being apprehended.
"She placed her hand over her son's mouth and nose and suffocated him. She had second thoughts about what she did. She performed CPR on her son, brought him back to life and then decided to go forward with that original act she had started to commit," Schultz said.
Watch Schultz describe the alleged killing »
"What makes this story especially sad is, when asked the reason why she took Ty's life, Tiffany said that she did not want him to grow up with no one caring about him, the same way that she had grown up where nobody had cared about her."
An emotional Schultz added that Toribio has tried to kill herself since her arrest. She was being held in isolation at a detention facility and kept under observation, he said.
Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool can repay their fans by completing their season without losing a home league game.
The Reds have not gone a whole campaign without defeat at Anfield for 21 years but if they avoid losing to Tottenham on Sunday it will be the 10th time in their history they have achieved the feat.
Rafael Benitez's side narrowly missed out on the Barclays Premier League title to Manchester United and Gerrard wants to reward the supporters
"I think the supporters deserve it. They have given us terrific support once again over the course of the season," he said.
"We have not got much to play for really but every time you put the Liverpool jersey on in front of your home supporters, the least they deserve is effort.
"And if we go into it with that attitude, we can finish on a high with three points."
Liverpool need one point to guarantee finishing second behind United but, even if they lose, Chelsea will have to win and turn around a goal difference that is five fewer than Liverpool.
Having lost twice already to Spurs this season - in the league and Carling Cup - there will be an extra incentive for Liverpool to extend their unbeaten home league record to 30 matches, the fourth best in their history and the best for 28 years.
Gerrard believes the experience of this season's title race will mean Liverpool will mount an even stronger challenge next term.
"We are unfortunate not to have won the league but we can take a lot of positives from this season moving forward," he said.
"We've put in some terrific performances and played well as a team. We can use this experience and take big confidence into the next campaign.
"As far as trophies are concerned, we have finished empty handed, but we can be really proud of how we have performed. From maybe mid-December onwards we have shown championship-winning form.
"To win the Premier League you have to have had experience of being involved in a title race and let's hope the experience we've gained this year will help us go one better next season."
Veteran defender Sami Hyypia is in line for a place in the side for his final match in a Liverpool shirt before he ends 10 years at Anfield and moves to Bayer Leverkusen.
(CNN) -- President Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney offered competing views on how to keep America safe in back-to-back speeches Thursday.
President Obama says he is trying to clean up "a mess" left behind by the Bush administration.
President Obama says he is trying to clean up "a mess" left behind by the Bush administration.
Obama said his administration is trying to clean up "a mess" left behind by the Bush administration. He defended his plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba, his ban on torture, the release of Bush-era interrogation memos and his objection to the release of prisoner photos.
Cheney stood up for the Bush administration's security record, arguing that Obama has weakened the country's ability to combat al Qaeda and other extremists. He defended the use of enhanced interrogation techniques as a success that changed thousands of lives. He called the release of the Bush-era memos a reckless distraction and belittled Obama's decision to close Guantanamo "with little deliberation and no plan."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's spokesman wrote off Cheney's address as something more beneficial to Democrats than Republicans.
"He is such a wildly unpopular figure trying to defend such discredited policies that Democrats would like to be able to find a way to pay him to give more of these kinds of speeches," Jim Manley said.
In the past two months, the former vice president has become a frequent critic of the new administration in numerous national media interviews.
But House Minority Leader John Boehner said Cheney's voice boosts his party's cause.
"Listen, Dick Cheney has been around this town for the last 35 years -- 40 years. He knows how this town works, and frankly, he's very knowledgeable when it comes to the strategies that the administration took with regard to dealing with this terrorist threat. And having him out there, outlining those strategies and why we're engaged in this, I think, is helpful to the debate," Boehner said.
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo insists he will remain at Old Trafford next season.
Much like last year, Ronaldo's future is constantly under the spotlight and Real Madrid have again been linked with a move for the Portugal international.
United are adamant he is not for sale but if Florentino Perez wins the Madrid presidential elections he is likely to make signing the world player of the year his number one priority.
However, Ronaldo claims Perez's efforts would be futile.
"At the moment I'm only thinking about the (Champions League) final independently of what will happen to me or my team-mates next season," he told Atena 3.
"I'm sure Perez would create an incredible team at Madrid but at the moment I'm at United and I don't care about what happens there.
"I only care about what will happen next season at Manchester United."
United face Madrid's bitter rivals Barcelona in Wednesday's Champions League final.
Sir Alex Ferguson's team are looking to become the first side to retain the trophy since the European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992, something Ronaldo admits will be a tricky test.
"It will be very difficult to do it again, because Barcelona have a good team, great players and a great coach," he added.
"The two teams are very good, they play very well and they have dream squads."
Both teams have had great seasons. Barcelona are on course for the treble while United are looking to add to the World Club Championship, Carling Cup and Barclays Premier League trophies they have already lifted this season.
Ronaldo is relishing the clash but insists it should not be billed as a personal duel between him and Barca star Lionel Messi.
"It's a battle of teams," he said. "Without my team I won't win and neither will Messi without his team-mates.
"It's clear that we are the two best teams in Europe. Not only because we are in the final but also because of the football we have played this season and for the trophies we have won.
"It will be the match every fan dreamed about."
All eyes will be on the bottom of the Premier League table Sunday as four teams fight for survival on the last day of the season.
With West Brom already relegated, two from Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Hull and Sunderland will go down, and the odds are stacked against Boro and the Magpies, who occupy 19th and 18th places respectively and must rely on other results going their way.
Sunderland have arguably the toughest task with the visit of Chelsea but they are two points clear of the bottom three and a win would guarantee their safety, while Hull, a point ahead of Newcastle but with an inferior goal difference, host newly crowned champions Manchester United.
The Tigers' saving grace is that United will have one eye on Wednesday's Champions League final against Barcelona and may rest key players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, but those deputising will no doubt want to stake their claim for a place in Rome and finish the domestic season with a bang.
Reports earlier this week suggested the three struggling north-east teams could take legal action against the Red Devils if they field a weakened team at the KC Stadium, but this was quickly denied by all parties.
"Man United will play a team that can beat Hull, it's as simple as that," said Black Cats boss Ricky Sbragia.
"I can understand they have got their minds on the Champions League. If I was in that situation, I would.
"But they have got a lot of depth in their squad and some very good young players as well, so whatever team they put out, they will totally believe they can win the game, and that's all we can ask for."
Alan Shearer could enhance his hero status on Tyneside even further if his side win at Aston Villa, but even that may not be enough as they need Hull to draw or lose to United.
Middlesbrough are odds on to go down as they need victory at West Ham, plus defeats for both Hull and Newcastle.
A win at Upton Park and defeat for Hull would put the two sides level on 35 points, but the Tigers' goal difference is better by four.
Aside from the relegation scrap, Fulham host Everton knowing a win would guarantee them seventh spot and a place in the Europa League next season - a remarkable turnaround from last term when Roy Hodgson dragged them away from the brink of going down.
If the Cottagers lose, Tottenham, two points behind in eighth, could pip them to European football if they win at Liverpool.
In other fixtures, Portsmouth, already assured of top-flight football for another season, travel to Wigan, Manchester City host Bolton and West Brom, with nothing left to play for, visit Blackburn.
Arsenal welcome 11th-placed Stoke hoping there is no repeat of the 2-1 defeat at the Britannia Stadium in November.
The economy is merciless, but Joe Manfredi is still in business after more than 50 years.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Manfredis were among the fortunate ones Thursday, avoiding Chrysler's ax as it struck down nearly 800 dealerships across the nation.
"I'm one of those lucky dealers ... who will remain a dealer," said Corrado Joe Manfredi, who owns 11 dealerships with his son Nick in the Staten Island borough of New York City.
Joe believes that his prominence on the island has allowed him to survive. But it's hard to feel lucky these days. Over the last year, the Manfredis and other dealers have weathered the toughest sales environment since the Great Depression.
Back in August, CNNMoney.com interviewed the Manfredis as they tried to sell sports utility vehicles amid sky-high gas prices. Since then, gas prices have fallen from their peak, while the recession has only deepened with escalating job losses and dried-up consumers.
"It's crazy," said Nick. "I never thought I'd see this in my life."
On Friday afternoon, the Manfredis said they hadn't heard from General Motors (GM, Fortune 500), which announced earlier in the day that contracts with 1,100 dealers will be discontinued. Eventually, GM plans to eliminate contracts with 40% of its 6,000 dealerships.
The Manfredis are in a unique position in New York City. Unlike other parts of the city, where people rely heavily on public transportation, Staten Island is car-crazy. The Manfredis are the leading auto dealers on the island, with 3,000 vehicles including all brands, new and used in stock.
The Manfredis employ 340 employees. Many of their show rooms are located at prime spots along heavily trafficked Hylan Boulevard. But even still, they had a tough time moving big SUVs off the lots when gas hit its peak.
Then, the banks got into trouble and discontinued some of the finance programs with the dealerships, temporarily putting an end to all leases, said Joe.
"The lease is the name of the game," he said. "They took that away and it's been very hard for us."
Joe said that leases are back now, but along came more trouble. Chrysler filed for bankruptcy on April 30 and brought more bad news to dealers across the land. On Thursday, the automaker named the 789 dealers who would sell Chryslers no more, spelling financial doom for many. In all, Chrysler discontinued contracts for one-quarter of its total dealer membership.
A long time in the car sales game
Joe, age 71, has been in the business for more than half a century. He emigrated to the U.S. from Italy in 1952. He started working part-time at a Brooklyn dealership while attending Automotive High School and taking night classes on automotive transmission repair. He was still in his 20s when he bought the dealership where he used to work. He converted it to a Toyota dealership, becoming the first business to sell that brand in New York State.
Since that time, he has gotten involved in various philanthropic pursuits, like donating an ambulance to his home town in Italy, helping other Italian immigrants acclimate to American society, and promoting his favorite sport -- soccer -- through the support of young athletes.
Now, he is worried about the plight of other dealers, who have worked hard to achieve their dreams, only to see them dashed. Many of them, he said, are stuck with stock they cannot sell.
"I understand the factories are in trouble," said Joe. "I understand the factories went into Chapter 11. But they did not give the dealers enough time to prepare themselves. I feel bad for these rejected dealers. I put myself in their shoes. God forbid, it happen to me."
Adding to the trouble, Joseph said that buying a vehicle in troubled times is a financial commitment that few people are willing to make.
"People are scared to make a move," he said. "People are scared, including me."
(CNN) -- Army Maj. Steven Hutchison fought battles in the jungles of Vietnam. Then he fought an epic battle on the home front. And at age 60, he still wasn't done fighting for his country.
Maj. Steven Hutchison served 22 years in his first Army stint, then returned at age 57. He died Sunday.
Maj. Steven Hutchison served 22 years in his first Army stint, then returned at age 57. He died Sunday.
The battle ended for Hutchison on Sunday. He died in Basra, Iraq, of wounds from a roadside bomb in Al Farr. He is the oldest U.S. service member to die in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Hutchison joined the Army in 1966 and served two one-year tours in Vietnam, according to a news release from Fort Riley, Kansas, home of Hutchison's 1st Infantry Division, the famous "Big Red One."
Over the next 22 years, he was a platoon leader in Germany and commander of a basic training company at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.
Along the way, he earned a doctorate in psychology from the University of Delaware and became an assistant professor of military science at Claremont College in California. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal, among others.
Hutchison retired from the military in 1988 and took up the quiet life of a college professor. He taught at several small colleges in California and became a researcher for a health care company in Scottsdale, Arizona, said his brother, Richard Hutchison.
But Hutchison felt compelled to re-enlist after the terrorist attacks of September 11. His wife, Kandy, vetoed that idea, however.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. officials at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have released a well-known Algerian detainee and flown him to France, where he will be allowed to join family members.
A guard talks with a detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, earlier this year.
A guard talks with a detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, earlier this year.
French officials said they agreed to accept Lakhdar Boumediene, who is not a French citizen, because he has relatives in the country.
Boumediene arrived in France from Guantanamo on Friday, according to a statement from the French foreign ministry.
Boumediene had been in custody since he and five others were arrested in Bosnia in 2001. Last year, a federal judge ordered five of the six men freed for lack of evidence supporting accusations that they planned to bomb the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia.
The 5-4 Supreme Court ruling bearing his name declared that detainees in the U.S. Navy facility at Guantanamo Bay have a right to appear in court and be charged. If that doesn't happen, it said, they must be released.
Three of Boumediene's co-defendants were released earlier to Bosnia, where they are naturalized citizens.
The fifth defendant ordered freed, Sabir Lahmar, is believed to still be in custody at Guantanamo Bay.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Ten people were killed early Saturday when suspected U.S. missile strikes hit a religious school in Pakistan's tribal region along the Afghan border, a Pakistani intelligence official said.
The official told CNN that the missile strikes hit the school, shortly after midnight near the village of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, one of seven districts in Pakistan's ungoverned tribal region.
The official asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
According to a count by CNN, this is the 16th suspected missile strike in Pakistan this year.
Pakistan has complained repeatedly about what it says are American airstrikes on its territory. The U.S. military in Afghanistan has not commented on the strikes, which typically target Taliban fighters in the border region. However, the United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the capability to launch missiles from remote-controlled drones.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has played down concerns that Rio Ferdinand might miss the Champions League final.
Ferdinand missed both the Manchester derby and Wednesday's win at Wigan after injuring a calf muscle in the semi-final triumph over Arsenal.
The 30-year-old has now been ruled out of tomorrow's Old Trafford Premier League clash with the Gunners, when United just require a point to be crowned champions for a record-equalling 18th time.
With Ferguson confirming Ferdinand is doing no outdoor training at present due to the possibility of causing further damage, it is bound to raise fears the former West Ham skipper will miss the eagerly-anticipated showdown with Barcelona in Rome on May 27.
However, the United boss is not too concerned and claimed Ferdinand could even figure in next weekend's trip to Hull.
"We would like to have better news on Rio Ferdinand," admitted Ferguson.
"It is one of those calf niggles that usually take 10 days to two weeks (to recover from).
"Other than his work in the gymnasium he is not training at the moment.
"He won't play tomorrow but he should be fit for next Sunday's game at Hull and I am sure he will be available for the final."
Other than Ferdinand, plus long-term casualties Owen Hargreaves and Wes Brown, Ferguson has a fully-fit squad at his disposal.
It means changes are certain from Wednesday night, with Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs and Carlos Tevez among those set to get a place in the starting line-up, with Ben Foster standing by if it is decided Edwin van der Sar needs a break.
"I will freshen up the team from Wednesday because it was a really gruelling game on a very heavy pitch," said Ferguson.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels that Sir Alex Ferguson's "real hunger" for success will never die.
Wenger takes his side to Old Trafford Saturday for what could well be a title party should United secure a point.
It would be a record-equalling 18th championship for United, and a an impressive 11th under the guidance of Ferguson.
Wenger's once fiery relationship with his old adversary is now much more civil than when their two sides went directly head-to-head for the game's top honours.
The Arsenal manager believes whenever the 67-year-old Scot finally does decide to call it a day - with the end of next season mooted as a possibility having originally announced his plan to retire in 2002 - he will remain a winner.
"I believe until the last day of your life, the real hunger never goes," said Wenger, whose side have not won silverware since the 2005 FA Cup.
"That is nothing to do with the number of trophies you have won or the amount of money you have made.
"You either want to win in life, or you do not want to win in life. It is as simple as that.
"It is only difficult to accept for people who do not have that drive.
"People who do have that drive, understand that the only thing which matters at the end of the day is how much you want to be successful."
Much like Arsenal, United went through a barren spell from 2003 to 2006 when they failed to land the domestic championship.
Now, United are on course for a third successive title, and last season claimed the Champions League for a second time under Ferguson, while also being crowned FIFA Club World Cup winners in December 2008.
Wenger noted: "United bounced back very well, and credit to them.
"They have bought very well and invested very well. Today, they look the best team in England - and they are.
"That is credit to Ferguson as well, but it also shows that nothing is definite, it can all turn very quickly."
Things have certainly taken a different path over the past few season for the once all-conquering Gunners, who claimed the league title with victory at Old Trafford back in May 2002, as the trophy cabinet at the impressive Emirates Stadium remains void of fresh silverware.
Wenger said: "I believe we play now more for our future because of the way we finish the season and for our pride as well because we want to give them a top class game."
Arsenal may have come up again short this season, but Wenger - who remained defiant when grilled by shareholders at a forum last night - insists there are plenty of reasons to be positive.
"I believe the group has come forward since November," said Wenger, his team now secure in fourth place.
"We have had a long unbeaten run in the Premier League, but not mature enough to win the FA Cup or the Champions League.
"There are no regrets with my commitment, certainly not. I worked harder than ever this year.
"We do with our resources as well as we can.
"If we add people, they will be with experience."
Wenger added: "I am here to produce what I can. If it is not good enough, it is not good enough.
"At the end of the day you can give as much as you can and it is down to other people to assess the situation."
Arsenal are now led by 22-year-old Cesc Fabregas.
The Spaniard spent some three months on the sidelines earlier this season, but Wenger remains confident his best is yet to come.
"He is a player who cares about results and nobody comes back 100%. You will see the real Cesc Fabregas next season," the Arsenal manager said.
"Cesc has been very strong mentally and resolute and determined, has given as much as he can.
"At the start it [captaincy] is a burden, but can he absorb it and do that job."
Sir Alex Ferguson has distanced Manchester United from suggestions they could ask Carlos Tevez to break his contract with Kia Joorabchian.
United are trying to broker a deal that would keep Tevez at Old Trafford beyond the end of his present 'leasing' agreement, which is due to expire at the end of the month.
With Ferguson admitting after Wednesday's win at Wigan that negotiations were more complicated because United were having to deal with Joorabchian rather than a club to gain Tevez's registration, it was claimed the Old Trafford outfit may use European law to break the deal between the player and his trusted advisor.
The move would be unlikely to work anyway, such is the bond that exists between Tevez and Joorabchian, and Ferguson confirmed it is not a route he intends to go down.
"We could all break our contracts," he said.
"I am not discussing anything like that. It is a bit far-fetched really."
While United feel Tevez wants to stay at Old Trafford, Joorabchian has suggested the 25-year-old is keen to leave in the summer.
Certainly the £22million remaining to be paid on a previously agreed fee may begin to look small alongside the cash Tevez and Joorabchian could pocket elsewhere, especially if Manchester City pursue an interest.
However, Ferguson is reverting to previous policy and letting discussions run their course without any further intervention.
"There was a meeting with (chief executive) David Gill on Wednesday, that is a clear fact," he said.
"They discussed the avenue under which Carlos could stay with Manchester United. End of story.
"I realise you (the media) speak to his agent but I do not wish to discuss the matter any further."
(CNN) -- Hundreds of civilians died during weekend fighting between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil rebel fighters, the United Nations reported Monday.
A photo supplied by a humanitarian group on Sunday shows civilians allegedly injured in government shelling.
A photo supplied by a humanitarian group on Sunday shows civilians allegedly injured in government shelling.
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"Verification is, of course, the part of the problem, because humanitarian agencies are denied access to the region," U.N. spokesman Gordon Weiss said from the capital, Colombo.
"Our understanding is that very heavy fighting took place over the weekend and there were many hundreds of civilian deaths and many, many more beyond that injured."
The numbers provided by the United Nations pale in comparison with rebel claims. More than 3,200 civilians died from Sunday evening till Monday morning, said Lawrence Christy, the head of Tamils Rehabilitation Organization, according to the rebel Web site Tamilnet.com.
The "Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has stepped up relentless barrage of shelling using all sorts of heavy weapons on the so-called safety-zone (no-fire zone)... areas where more than 130,000 civilians have sought refuge," Tamilnet said.
The Sri Lankan government denied the allegations and accused the Tamils of "taking the whole world for a ride with its well-engineered propaganda ploys," while turning their weapons on civilians trying to flee the combat zone.
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will be at odds with Alan Shearer when the pair meet in a do-or-die battle tonight.
Shearer, who took on the task of dragging Newcastle out of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone last month, admitted on Thursday the latest Tyne-Tees derby is the biggest game of even his illustrious career.
But while victory for the Magpies would take them out of the bottom three after Hull's home defeat by Stoke, Southgate insists the crucial contest is only the most important because it is the next one.
Full-back Andrew Taylor returns to Boro`s squad after recovering from a hip flexor problem.
However, skipper Emanuel Pogatetz will miss the rest of the season with the knee injury which has sidelined him for the last four games, and Chris Riggott (ankle) is also still out.
Southgate said: "It's pointless going back to games you have played in the past.
"You would have to question whether this is bigger than the game where we had waited 128 years to win a trophy - you have to question whether it is bigger than a European final.
"But, because it's the next game and the task ahead of us is to stay in the league, yes it is - but last week's was and next week's will be.
"There's a sense of perspective in that. We love to hype matches - this obviously has tremendous importance for both teams, and other teams at the bottom of the table, but there are still two more games to play after it.
"If we win, we still need other results to get ourselves over the line."
Southgate and Shearer won 120 England caps between them, many of them together, and were part of the team which came agonisingly close to reaching the final of Euro '96, with the defender missing the crucial penalty in the semi-final shoot-out with Germany.
Southgate then captained Boro to Carling Cup glory in 2004, and led them out out for the UEFA Cup final in Eindhoven two seasons later.
However, while the prize at stake in the remaining three games of the campaign might be more modest - at least in non-financial terms - he has ordered his players to relish the challenge.
He said: "It's very difficult to put into that context, really, because they are chances to win something and be part of history that will be forever remembered by your supporters.
"This is a different sort of challenge. But the one thing I would say is you should relish that challenge."
Newcastle defender Habib Beye has urged his Newcastle team-mates to adopt Shearer's winning mentality to hand the manager a first victory just when he needs it most.
Joey Barton begins his three-match suspension after being sent off at Liverpool on Sunday, while Alan Smith is a major doubt with a thigh problem.
Left-back Jose Enrique is struggling to shake off his hamstring injury, but central defender Steven Taylor (ankle) has returned to training after two games on the sidelines and could figure.
The Magpies face their derby rivals knowing a first three-point haul since February 7 would lift them above Hull on goal difference and out of the relegation zone with just two games to play.
They are equally well aware that the alternative is simply not an option, and Beye knows the time has come to deliver a maiden victory in six attempts for Shearer.
Beye said: "He is still strong, when he is playing with us in training, he is still really strong, and he is a winner.
"You can see when he plays all the small games sometimes with us, he wants to win every game, and that's the mentality we must have.
"He has done a great job for us with [assistant] Iain Dowie. I believe we will stay in the Premier League and I hope for the club he will stay next year and bring something good for the next year."
Shearer's continued presence on Tyneside - he has insisted all along that his return to St James' would last just eight games, although there is a growing feeling he is ready to commit himself for a longer period - will depend on a series of factors, although relegation or otherwise may not be one of them.
But in the short term, the only focus is on avoiding a drop which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago as the home-grown talisman led the fight for honours on the pitch.
And a derby win would at least give the club the springboard they so desperately need.
Shearer said: "It would be massive, without a doubt. It would give everyone a huge lift confidence-wise, belief-wise."
(CNN) -- A 30-year-old male student enrolled in the United States has been confirmed as China's second H1N1, or swine flu, case, and its first on the mainland, according to the information office of the Chinese Health Ministry.
A nurse wears a mask at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital in Chengdu, China, on Monday.
A nurse wears a mask at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital in Chengdu, China, on Monday.
"Bao" began his journey at St. Louis, Missouri, took a connecting flight at St. Paul, Minnesota, for Tokyo, Japan on May 7th, according to Xinhua state-run news agency.
On May 8, according to the Health Ministry, he flew from Tokyo on flight NW029 and arrived at Beijing Capital International airport on May 9 at 1:30 a.m. At the time of his arrival in Beijing, he had no symptoms and had a body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
Soon after, he took a flight onwards to Chengdu and felt feverish, with throat pain, coughing, and a stuffy and slightly running nose and was confirmed with human swine flu on Monday, the Health Ministry said.
The patient is in isolation and is being treated at the Chengdu Infectious Diseases Hospital where he's listed as having recovered with a normal body temperature, the Health Ministry said.
Most of the passengers aboard the same Beijing-Chengdu flight have been tracked down in 21 different provinces and sent to medical observation, according to the Health Ministry.
The case comes more than a week after a 25-year-old Mexican man with the H1N1 virus arrived in Hong Kong from Mexico via Shanghai, leading to the weeklong quarantine of more than 340 people in the Chinese special administrative region.
Barcelona's Eric Abidal is set to miss another final after he was sent off in the league game against Villarreal on Sunday.
Abidal is set to miss the Champions League final and also the King's Cup final against Atheltic Bilbao after seeing red for the second time in a week.
The French full-back was harshly sent off in the semi-final second-leg tie at Chelsea earlier in the week.
His team went on to draw the game on away goals even though they went down to ten men.
But during the Primera Liga game against Villarreal, Abidal was again red-carded after he fouled Nihat Kahveci in the penalty box.
Barca were leading 3-1 with 12 minutes to go and looked to win the game and the league title before Abidal's untimely intervention.
Villarreal went out to draw 3-3 with Barca thus preventing them from wrapping up the title last weekend with three games to go.
Sunday's red card rules him out of the King's Cup final against Athletic Bilbao in Valencia on Wednesday.
Barca coach Pep Guardiola was asked about what he thought about Abidal's second successive red card.
"I never get angry with the players, at least not very often," he said. "It's all about interpretations of actions in particular moments, nothing more."
A major garment manufacturer will move its product development center from the United Kingdom to Cambodia, a sign, according to some experts, that despite the effects of the economic crisis, the Cambodian garment sector continues to remain internationally competitive, local media reported on Monday.
Britain company New Island Clothing is setting up "a high level standards product development center," making the company one of the first to conduct the whole garment-production process -- from development to the placement of orders -- in Cambodia, New Island General Manager Kevin Plenty was quoted by the Cambodia Daily as saying.
The company, which has been in Cambodia for nine years and produces up to 75,000 men's shirts per week, had decided to set up the center here because it makes "the whole production process quicker for our customers," as the majority of materials come from the ASEAN region, said Plenty.
Kaing Monika, external affairs manager of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC) said New Island's strategy showed the factory's "long-term vision and commitment in Cambodia," adding that most Cambodian factories only do "cut, make and trim" -- a production formula in which raw materials and designs are supplied and factories only really stitch the clothes together.
Tuomo Poutiainen, chief technical adviser for the International Labor Organization's garment sector program Better Factories Cambodia, said New Island's decision was "very positive for industry" and showed there was "enough confidence in the Cambodian garment sector to invest even in bad times."
Hundreds of factories have constituted the backbone of the garment sector of Cambodia, which used to generate above 70 percent of its total annual export volumes.
However, due to the global financial crisis and rising labor disputes, at least 60 garment factories have been closed and more than 50,000 garment workers lost their jobs since late 2008 and the sector's export volumes have also seen an obvious slide in the first quarter of this year.
But Plenty said he believed that the industry will see an economic turnaround within six months, and that he is not the only one within the garment industry to feel that way.
Source: Xinhua
China's consumer prices fell by 1.5% in the year to April, figures show, the third consecutive month of declines.
The drop came after food and energy prices eased from last year's high levels, and followed annual falls of 1.2% in March and 1.6% in February.
Food prices were down 1.3% in April from a year ago.
A key factor was the drop in the price of pork, which was down 28.6% from a year earlier. In 2008, shortages had sent pork prices sharply higher.
Costs for fuel and raw materials were 9.6% lower than the same period a year ago.
The fall in prices had been expected.
"The sharp rise in food prices in early 2008 and subsequent declines explain much of the year-on-year fall in CPI inflation," said Jing Ulrich, chairman of China equities at JP Morgan.
"Deflationary concerns appear to be subsiding as the economy shows signs of recovery."
British Gas owner Centrica has said it is buying a 20% stake in nuclear firm British Energy for £2.3bn.
Centrica had first agreed a £3.1bn deal with British Energy's French owner EDF last summer, and this would have seen it take a 25% stake.
However, talks on the deal had dragged on after electricity prices fell.
EDF's £12.5bn takeover of British Energy, which runs eight UK nuclear power plants, was concluded in January of this year.
Centrica and EDF plan to build four new nuclear plants on existing sites as part of the the UK government's plans for the country to get more of its electricity from nuclear generation.
Analysts say it is this likely expansion that makes British Energy such an attractive investment.
In a statement, Centrica said: "The deal should be positive for both customers and investors - it lowers our exposure to energy price volatility."
EDF said the deal would enable Centrica to take part in the re-launch of nuclear energy in the UK.
The deal is subject to regulatory approval but Centrica said it did not anticipate any problems.
Centrica said that EDF would purchase its 51% stake in Belgian electricity generation firm SPE for £1.2bn. The balance of the deal would be paid in cash, it said.
Sensitive industry
EDF is the world's biggest operator of nuclear power stations.
When EDF's move to take over British Energy was first announced, critics questioned whether it made sense to transfer control of a sensitive industry to a firm that was 85%-owned by the French government.
EDF already has in place plans to build four nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk. The first is due to begin operating by the end of 2017.
British Energy's eight existing power stations are Dungeness B, Hartlepool, Heysham 1, Heysham 2, Hinkley Point B, Hunterston B, Sizewell B and Torness.
They currently generate around 14% of the UK's domestic energy supply.
Centrica also said that its residential business had a strong start to the year following increased demand for gas and electricity during winter cold snaps in the US and UK.
'Major step'
Investors welcomed the deal, sending Centrica shares higher in morning trade. Its shares were up 3.6%, or 8.25 pence, at 235.75p - making it the third biggest gainer on the FTSE 100 index.
Neil Woodford, head of investment at Invesco Perpetual, said the move was a major step forward for Centrica.
"The partnership with EDF also promises to be a driving force in revitalising the UK nuclear industry - a vital project if the UK is to meet its long-term climate change obligations and energy security needs," Mr Woodford said.
"Centrica has negotiated a good price for the deal package which will create a more vertically integrated and more balanced business in an environment of volatile international energy prices."
