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Canadian Prime Minister Harper meets with U.S. President Bush Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with President George W. Bush at the White House today. The meeting was a short one and focused primarily on global security, particularly bilateral security issues addressing the two countries. Montreal man urinated on Canadian National War Memorial A man urinated on National War Memorial in Ottawa. A retired Canadian military major, Michel Pilon, saw the man and two of his friends urinate on the memorial at about 11 p.m. Saturday. The man was photographed urinating on the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

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One year on, London remembers 7/7 victims Londoners are commemorating the one year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on its transport networks that claimed 52 lives. On this day last year, a series of coordinated suicide bombings struck London's public transport system during the morning rush hour.

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USS Mustin, which has surface-to-air and Tomahawk cruise missiles has been deployed to a Japanese port. This is regularly scheduled and not in response to North Korea's missile test. Israel has rejected a call by the head of the Hamas-led Palestinian government for a ceasefire to end several days of fierce fighting in the Gaza Strip. EU warns Israel on Gaza attacks - The EU has accused Israel of using "disproportionate" force and making a humanitarian crisis worse during operations in the Gaza Strip. US diplomat Christopher R. Hill indicates US support for the informal resumption of six party talks aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis. Israel expands its offensive in the Gaza Strip - An Israeli armoured company enters the Gaza Strip via Karni crossing, advancing to within 500 meters of Gaza city, reportedly in search for tunnels used by Palestinian militants. Israel has also launched large air strikes in the Gaza Strip and will not stop its offensive until Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit is released. Shoichi Nakagawa, Japanese agriculture minister, announces Japan will no longer provide food aid to North Korea, and that Japan is considering restricting agricultural trade between the two countries. Earlier Japan banned a North Korean ferry from entering Japanese ports. Seven terror suspects escape from a Saudi Arabia prison.

Western Province defeat Blue Bulls (rugby)

The Western Province has defeated the Blue Bulls in a regular season Currie Cup fixture between the old rivals at the Bulls' home of Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Western Province won the match 15 points to 10, and became Western Province's first win over the Bulls in three years, and their first win at Loftus Versfeld since 2001.

The Bulls entered the match as favourites, however, it was the Western Province that scored the first try of the match, when Egon Seconds made it over the line after 12 minutes of play in the first half. Western Province's second try came in the 37th minute of the match, minutes from the half-time break, with Joe Pietersen getting the try. Western Province entered half time with a 15 points to three lead over the Bulls. 10 minutes into the second half, two Blue Bulls found themselves with yellow cards; Frikkie Welsh and Heini Adams. The Blue Bulls scored their first try in the second half, with Stefan Basson scoring two minutes from full-time. The final score was 15 points to 10, with Western Province scoring two tries, along with a conversion and penalty goal from Naas Olivier, whilst the Blue Bulls scored one try, with a conversion and penalty goal from Morne Steyn.

U.S. government seeks to examine Guantanamo inmates' documents

Lawyers asked a federal court Friday to allow the government to inspect written materials that it seized from inmates at Guantanamo Bay last month and requested approval to use "filter teams" to look at documents that may contain privileged lawyer-client communication.

In documents they filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, government lawyers argued that three inmates who committed suicide last month by hanging themselves coordinated their actions by using attorney-client confidentiality to communicate with each other. Government officials said that among papers marked "Attorney Client Privilege" were instructions on how to tie knots and a classified memo on camp activities and inmate locations.

Military officials seized more than 1,100 pounds of documents from inmates after the suicides on June 10. They have since stopped defense lawyers from sending any documents to inmates.

In an affidavit that lawyers for the government filed with the court, Rear Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., the naval commander of the camp, described evidence of a "larger plan or pact for more suicides" among detainees. His statement implied that the investigation might extend to defense attorneys as third parties who "encouraged, ordered or assisted" the detainees in killing themselves.

Harris earlier described the suicides as part of a pattern of hostile actions on the part of terror suspects. "They have no regard for life, either ours or their own," he said last month. "I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us."

The Center for Constitutional Rights, which has provided legal assistance to about 200 Guantanamo detainees, has been critical of the conditions at Guantanamo Bay that they say finally led the detainees to kill themselves in desperation.

Barbara Olshansky, a deputy legal director at CCR, described the government's latest legal activity as a tactic to impede detainees' access to legal representation "and to make these lawyers fight for yet another thing."

Last month after the document seizures, defense attorney Richard Wilson, who represents a Canadian detainee, said in an affidavit that the military had told him that they were conducting no investigation into the role of attorneys in the prisoners' deaths.

He added, however, that at least one detainee claimed that camp officials had confiscated his written materials and told him that they were looking into "whether lawyers had actively encouraged detainees to commit suicide."

The Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary has added Google as a verb

Google became a verb in the Merriam-Webster dictionary yesterday.

First founded in September 1998, Google quickly became a phenomenon, overtaking the then top search engines Yahoo and Lycos etc.

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary has added Google, along with Googling, to their dictionary. According to the dictionary, correction pronunciation is goo-gle, with other forms including googled and googling.

The word 'google' is defined as a transitive verb meaning to use the Google search engine to look for information on the Internet.

This announcement comes on the heels of Merriam-Webster adding 'IM' as both a noun and a verb, and including 'santorum' as a noun, after usage of the word took off following internet support of advice columnist Dan Savage's coining of term with a sexual connotation.

U.S. Army Surgeon General:Many Soldiers with Personality Disorders Perform Well

The U.S. Army's surgeon general, Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley, told reporters Friday that soldiers exhibiting personality disorders would not be automatically discharged because many can continue to perform their duties well. However, the army did discharge more than 1,000 soldiers last year for personality disorders. Among them was Steven Dale Green, who now stands accused of raping a young Iraqi female and murdering her and her family.

Kiley also said; "There is something very demanding and tough about being in combat. And anything that would be perceived as being weak and not ready and tough carries with it some stigma."

U.S. Defense Department officials announced last month that they have set up a task force to study the mental health of American troops. The 14-member Mental Health Task Forceâs primary job is to produce a required report for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Congress before June 2007 that lays out a long-term plan to improve the effectiveness of the militaryâs mental health treatments, according to a Pentagon press release.

On May 4, prior to the creation of the task force, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer said the military faces a "mental health crisis" and criticized the Pentagon for inaction. In a letter to Rumsfeld, Boxer noted that 25 soldiers committed suicide in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005, up from 20 soldiers the year before.

Russian firefighting aircraft starts fires in Portugal

The Russian Beriev 200 airplane leased to the Portuguese Government suffered an accident last Thursday (July 6) afternoon, after one of its engines was damaged.

The accident occurred after an refueling operation at the dam of Aguieira, near Santa Comba DÃ£o. As the aerial firefighting aircraft took off at the end of the refueling maneuver in the water - designated as 'scooping' - its "left wing hit the top of the trees and the aircraft suffered some damage" to its fuselage, said Colonel Anacleto dos Santos, director of the Cabinet of Prevention and Investigation of Accidents with Aircraft (GPIAA), to the Portuguese newspaper Correio da ManhÃ£.

While hitting the top of the trees, leafs and some wood entered the left engine, that didn't blow up, but that had to be turned off and the pilot was forced to release fuel for safety reasons. The release of the fuel started small wildfires across the area, reaching some houses, that were quickly extinguished by firefighters and helitack units of the GNR's Intervention, Protection and Rescue Group.

The airplane was able to do an emergency landing at the Monte Real Air Base, where it's currently operating from, thanks to the flight experience of one of the Russian pilots. When contacted to the Lusa news agency, National Service of Firefighters and Civil Protection, vice-president Lieutenant-Colonel Joaquim LeitÃ£o explained that the repairs will be made by the aircraft company and that all the parts necessary to repair the damages will have to come from Russia, by which the solution for the problem will take "some days".

Lieutenant-Colonel LeitÃ£o added that an investigation is in progress to analyse the circumstances under which the accident occurred. And when he was asked if the accident was caused by the limitations of the dam, given the dimensions of the aircraft, he said that the reconnaissance of the area had been performed before the scooping exercises began, and an operation officially kicks off when all the conditions are met.

The final report of the GPIAA will only be concluded in a few weeks but GPIAA director, Colonel Anacleto dos Santos, excluded two of the eventual causes of any aerial accident. "The atmospheric conditions were not adverse and there are no indications of mechanical failure. Everything points to human error."

On board of the aircraft followed two Russian pilots - one of them still receiving formation - and an Portuguese pilot that was observing the operations.

Two years ago, the Italian authorities tested the Beriev in the same mission type. Having the Portuguese Government sent observers to evaluate the performance of the aircraft. However, some limitations were found in the performing of the Russian aircraft in Italy's wildfire scenarios. Having the Italian Civil Protection reached the conclusion that the Beriev 200 is not prepared to operate in mountainous terrain.

Pope Benedict XVI visits Valencia, Spain

Pope Benedict XVI has been visiting Valencia Spain in a bid to encourage the country to defend traditional family values.

The government in Spain has introduced a number of reforms including gay marriage.

"It is a man and a woman who are made for each other and made to give humanity a future" said, the Pope. "The family is a unique institution in God's plan, and the church cannot fail to proclaim and promote its fundamental importance," he said.

He arrived for a 24-hour visit. The Pope was met at an airport by King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia, and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

The Pope also met relatives of some of the underground crash victims. He prayed at the scene of a subway crash that killed 42 people on Monday. "We ask God's comfort for those who remain and those who left us," he said.

The pope will have a mass tomorrow which will close the visit. Zapatero said that he will not attend the mass on Sunday.

All Blacks defeat Australia in Tri Nations rugby opener

The All Blacks have defeated Australia 32 points to 12 in the opening match of the rugby union 2006 Tri Nations at Jade Stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. This victory cements them as favorites to take out the Tri Nations this year- a competition which has adopted an expanded three round format this year. The All Blacks entered the match as firm favorites despite the Wallabies strong start to the season- winning three from three under new coach John Connolly.

The All Blacks preformed a spirited rendition of their much talked of Kapa O Pango haka before the match, but it was Australia who opened up the scoring in the match, when Chris Lathem regathered the ball off a chip kick and handed it to Mat Rogers who sprinted down the left sidelined and passed to Lote Tuqiri who scored the try. Stirling Mortlock converted the try to take Australia out by seven points. Australia's Rocky Elsom was sent to the sin bin in the 27th minute. Down one man Australia were not able to hold out the All Blacks after a messy line out. Keven Mealamu pounced on loose ball to score the All Blacks' first try. Daniel Carter, after missing two previous penalty goals, successfully converted the try. Five minutes from half-time, Mealamu barged over to score his second try of the match with Carter again converting. The All Blacks entered the half-time break leading the Wallabies 14 points to seven.

The All Blacks extended their lead over Australia seven minutes into the second half, with Carter kicking a successful penalty goal, to take the score to 17 points to seven. The television-match-official then awarded New Zealand another try after Richie McCaw grounded the ball through the legs of Stephen Larkem. Carter converted to take New Zealand's lead to 24 to seven with 30 minutes left on the clock. Scott Fava came on for Australia in the 50th minute, and soon scored a try for Australia. Mortlock missed the conversion, and the score was at 24 to 12 in favour of the All Blacks. Carter added another penalty goal for the All Blacks in the 55th minute to take the score to 27 points to 12. A re-gathered charge down of an Australian kick saw Carter pass to Isaia Toeavo who ran down the field to score a late try. Carter's conversion hit the upright and bounced out leaving the final score at 32 to 12 to the All Blacks. Australia face South Africa at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane next week.

Funeral hearse caught speeding in Ireland

A hearse driver in County Donegal, Ireland was pulled over while leading a funeral procession, in a police crackdown on speeding. John Carr was clocked driving at 69 km/h (43 miles/hour) in a 50km/h zone and fined of 80 euros and 2 penalty points were added to his driving record.

Carr, as well as other drivers in the cortege, were among hundreds of drivers caught speeding in the area. Irish police have said if the fines are not paid the drivers will face prosecution. Carr intends to pay the fine. He said, "I've never heard of a hearse being done for speeding before. I supposed I'll probably have to pay the fine. I'm not too worried about the points because I intend not to incur any more."

Senator Biden attempts to explain Indian-American remarks

Facing criticism, potential 2008 presidential candidate and current Federal Senator Joe Biden has been forced to explain his recent remark that "you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent."

On a recent edition of the C-SPAN series "Road to the White House," the Delaware senator is shown shaking hands with a man and boasting about his support among Indian-Americans.

"I've had a great relationship. In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking," Biden said.

The clip made its way through cyberspace this week and caught fire in Washington, where Biden is known as one of the more long-winded senators.

Biden's office said the Senator admires, supports and respects the Indian-American community - and also sought to explain his gaffe.

"The point Senator Biden was making is that there has been a vibrant Indian-American community in Delaware for decades. It has primarily been made up of engineers, scientists and physicians, but more recently, middle-class families are moving into Delaware and purchasing family-run small businesses," said Margaret Aitken, a Biden spokeswoman.

"These families have greatly contributed to the vibrancy of the Indian-American community in Delaware and are making a significant contribution to the national economy as well," she said.

On July 7th, the Senator's remarks were debated on Hannity & Colmes. Democratic political strategist Bob Beckel was quoted "Why didn't [Senator Biden] just apologize?"

Today in History
1357 - The foundation stone of Charles Bridge in Prague was laid by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV at 5:31 a.m.

1816 - The Congress of Tucuman declared the independence of Argentina, then known as the United Provinces of the River Plate, from Spain.

1922 - Johnny Weissmuller swam the 100-meter freestyle in 58.6 seconds, breaking a world swimming record and the "minute barrier."

1955 - The Russell-Einstein Manifesto was issued in the midst of the Cold War, calling for a conference where scientists would "appraise the perils that have arisen as a result of the development of weapons of mass destruction".

2002 - The African Union was launched in Durban, South Africa.

July 09 is Independence Day in Argentina (1816), National Day of Commemoration in Ireland (2006)

Quote of the Day

"I can get excitement watching rain on a puddle. And then I paint it. Now, I admit, there are not too many people who would find that exciting. But I would. And I want life thrilling and rich. And it is. I make sure it is." ~ David Hockney

Word of the Day

eccentric; adj

Not perfectly circular, such as an orbit.

Deviating from the norm; behaving unexpectedly.

(physiology): Acting against or in the opposite direction of a muscle's contraction.

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