Airlie Beach and Conway Beach in the heart of the Witsundays, never to be replaced 80 acres of ocean front with hills views over looking the pacific ocean, suilable for health retreat and private home on each 40 acres....... The idealistic life style land has 10,000 acres of rain forrest bordering the side and back with the ocean on the front with your own glorious beach and privacy that simply can not be found anywhere else, yet a hop skip and jump from the world wide famous tourist destination of Airlie Beach.... the Gateway to the glorious Witsunday Islands where you can spend your days sailing and swimming amoungst the tropical fish at the Great Barrier Reef...
$Aust100 million

for this once in a life time 80 acres with absolute ocean front in the Witsundays Queensland Australia
or
$Aust 50 million
for 40 acres





which has 10,000 acres of national forrest bordering the property on the side and back, with the road on the other other side of the property that give easy access from the road to the two house blocks already ready for a new mansion on one, and a health retreat on the other, both with different, but absolutely unreplaceable views of both the Pacific Ocean and the Conway National Park......The vendor will consider a part or full trade for a business and/or house and motel, hotel, office block anywhere in the world. Inquires can be made by email to
Equal Investments Limited
Email: inlnews3@gmail.com
      








Beautiful Airlie and Palm Beach in
sunny Queensland Australia

Once in a life time opportunity
to purchase an absolute Beach Frontage Luxury Two Bed Room Unit on the ocean at Palm Beach Gold Coast Australia Queensland for a bargain price of

  295,000
UK Pounds..
or rent this unit for a once in a life time holiday at Palm Beach near the Gold Coast
Queensland Australia fora bargain price of
£130 a day.
After you have lived it this absolute beach front unit for two weeks you will not want to leave and will end up wanting to buy the unit to use as a holiday each year and collect the £130  a day for the rest of the year in rent.


 


Sell your 500,000 pound home in the in the UK convert you pounds to nearly three times in Australian dollars buy this two beroom luxury unit in the Gold Coast of sunny Queensland where the sun shines all year round, which has absolute beach frontage, no roads between the unit and the ocean....
you just walk straight onto the ocean from your unit and into the waves of the ocean 12 months a year and
have $Aust500,000 in the bank to retire with....
Email us at
Equal Investments Limited
Email: inlnews3@gmail.com




  • Sarah Shourd, left, Josh Fattal, center and Shane Bauer, right, are seen before leaving …
  • Freed Americans Shane Bauer, left, Josh Fattal, center, and Sarah Shourd, right, …

2 hikers released from Iranian prison return to US


NEW YORK (AP) — Two Americans held for more than two years in an Iranian prison on accusations of spying returned to the U.S. on Sunday, ending a diplomatic ordeal that began with what they called a wrong turn into the wrong country.
Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer arrived at Kennedy Airport in New York City at about 11 a.m.
The two were released from prison last week. They arrived Wednesday in Oman under a $1 million bail deal and were embraced by relatives.
They were detained along with fellow hiker Sarah Shourd in July 2009 along the Iran-Iraq border. They say they were only hiking in Iraq's relatively peaceful Kurdish region and may have wrongly ended up in Iran.
Before boarding the plane in the Omani capital of Muscat on Saturday night, the men made brief statements and thanked Oman's ruler for helping secure their release.
"We hope to someday return to this wonderful country, but for now we are eager to go home at last," Fattal told reporters.
Bauer said he won't forget the feeling of seeing their loved ones waiting for them in Oman.
"The joy of embracing them all after so long will stay with us forever," he said.
A furious diplomatic effort led to the release of Shourd about a year ago, and negotiations continued for the two men. Last month, Fattal and Bauer were sentenced to eight years in prison each for illegal entry into Iran and espionage.
The first hint of change in the case came last week when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Fattal and Bauer could be released within days. But wrangling from within the country's leadership delayed efforts. Iranian defense attorney Masoud Shafiei secured the necessary judicial approval Wednesday for the bail — $500,000 for each man.
Hours later, the gates of Tehran's Evin prison opened and the Americans headed in a convoy with diplomats to Tehran's Mehrabad airport.
Iran's Foreign Ministry called their release a gesture of Islamic mercy.
Until their release, the last previous direct contact family members had with Bauer and Fattal was in May 2010, when their mothers were permitted a short visit in Tehran, which Iranian officials used for high-profile propaganda.
Since her release last year, Shourd has lived in Oakland, Calif. Bauer, a freelance journalist, grew up in Onamia, Minn., and Fattal, an environmental activist, is from Elkins Park, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb.
Bauer proposed marriage to Shourd while they were in jail.


Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying .

Photo 1:




hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal



Photo 1:



Shane Bauer (R), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, kisses fiancee Sarah Shourd as his father Al Bauer looks on upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying .


Photo 2:



Photo 2:

Photo 3:


Shane Bauer (C) , one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, hugs fiance Sarah Shourd (R) upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) 


Photo 4:





Josh Fattal (L), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, stands with his parents Jacob and Laura Fattal and brother Alex during their arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS)


Photo 5:





Josh Fattal (C - back to camera), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, hugs his father Jacob (L) and brother Alex during his arrival in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Photo 6:



Josh Fattal (L), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, is surrounded by his family, upon his arrival in Muscat after he was released with Shane Bauer from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh



Photo 7:



Shane Bauer (C) , one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, is greeted by a relative and fiance Sarah Shourd (R) upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh

Photo 8:



Sarah Shourd (L), Laura Fattal (2nd L) and relatives wave to Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, during their arrival in Muscat, after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh

Photo 9:


 Shane Bauer (C) , one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, hugs fiance Sarah Shourd (R) upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)


Photo 10:



Shane Bauer (R) and Josh Fattal (L), U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, arrive in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS) less 


Photo 11:




Shane Bauer (R) and Josh Fattal (L), U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, arrive in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS)



Photo 12:


Shane Bauer (C) , one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, is greeted by a relative and fiance Sarah Shourd (R) upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS)

Photo 13:



Josh Fattal (L), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, hugs his brother Alex upon his arrival in Muscat after the release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS) less 


Photo 14:


Shane Bauer (R), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, hugs a relative as he smiles at fiancee Sarah Shourd upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani


Photo 15:




Josh Fattal (2nd L - back to camera) and Shane Bauer (R), U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, are greeted by their families upon arrival in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani


Photo 16:



Shane Bauer (R), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, kisses fiancee Sarah Shourd as his father Al Bauer looks on upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani

Photo 17:



Freed American Shane Bauer, center is welcomed upon his arrival from Iran, in Muscat, Oman Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. After more than two years in Iranian custody, two Americans convicted as spies took their first steps toward home Wednesday as they bounded down from a private jet and into the arms of family for a joyful reunion in the Gulf state of Oman. (AP Photo/Sultan Al-Hasani)


Photo 18:



 Freed American Shane Bauer, center, and Josh Fattal, right, talk to the media upon their arrival from Iran, in Muscat, Oman Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. After more than two years in Iranian custody, two Americans convicted as spies took their first steps toward home Wednesday as they bounded down from a private jet and into the arms of family for a joyful reunion in the Gulf state of Oman. (AP Photo/Sultan Al-Hasani)

Photo 19:



Freed American Shane Bauer, center, meets his father Al Bauer as his fiance Sarah Shourd looks on upon his arrival from Iran, in Muscat, Oman Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. After more than two years in Iranian custody, two Americans convicted as spies took their first steps toward home Wednesday as they bounded down from a private jet and into the arms of family for a joyful reunion in the Gulf state of Oman. (AP Photo/Sultan Al-Hasani)


Photo 20:


Freed American Shane Bauer, center, meets his relatives and friends upon his arrival from Iran, in Muscat, Oman Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. After more than two years in Iranian custody, two Americans convicted as spies took their first steps toward home Wednesday as they bounded down from a private jet and into the arms of family for a joyful reunion in the Gulf state of Oman. (AP Photo/Sultan Al-Hasani)


Photo 21:



Freed American Shane Bauer is welcomed upon his arrival from Iran, in Muscat, Oman Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. After more than two years in Iranian custody, two Americans convicted as spies took their first steps toward home Wednesday as they bounded down from a private jet and into the arms of family for a joyful reunion in the Gulf state of Oman. (AP Photo/Sultan Al-Hasani)


Photo 22:



Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, are greeted by their during their arrival in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiancee Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS) less 


Photo 23:


Jacob and Laura Fattal, Sarah Shourd and relatives wave to Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, during their arrival in Muscat, after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiancee Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW SOCIETY POLITICS)


Photo 24:


Shane Bauer (5th L) and Josh Fattal (2nd L), U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, are greeted by their during their arrival in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiancee Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS SOCIETY)


Photo 25:










  • Sarah Shourd, left, Josh Fattal, center and Shane Bauer, right, are seen before leaving …
  • Freed Americans Shane Bauer, left, Josh Fattal, center, and Sarah Shourd, right, …

2 hikers released from Iranian prison return to US


NEW YORK (AP) — Two Americans held for more than two years in an Iranian prison on accusations of spying returned to the U.S. on Sunday, ending a diplomatic ordeal that began with what they called a wrong turn into the wrong country.
Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer arrived at Kennedy Airport in New York City at about 11 a.m.
The two were released from prison last week. They arrived Wednesday in Oman under a $1 million bail deal and were embraced by relatives.
They were detained along with fellow hiker Sarah Shourd in July 2009 along the Iran-Iraq border. They say they were only hiking in Iraq's relatively peaceful Kurdish region and may have wrongly ended up in Iran.
Before boarding the plane in the Omani capital of Muscat on Saturday night, the men made brief statements and thanked Oman's ruler for helping secure their release.
"We hope to someday return to this wonderful country, but for now we are eager to go home at last," Fattal told reporters.
Bauer said he won't forget the feeling of seeing their loved ones waiting for them in Oman.
"The joy of embracing them all after so long will stay with us forever," he said.
A furious diplomatic effort led to the release of Shourd about a year ago, and negotiations continued for the two men. Last month, Fattal and Bauer were sentenced to eight years in prison each for illegal entry into Iran and espionage.
The first hint of change in the case came last week when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Fattal and Bauer could be released within days. But wrangling from within the country's leadership delayed efforts. Iranian defense attorney Masoud Shafiei secured the necessary judicial approval Wednesday for the bail — $500,000 for each man.
Hours later, the gates of Tehran's Evin prison opened and the Americans headed in a convoy with diplomats to Tehran's Mehrabad airport.
Iran's Foreign Ministry called their release a gesture of Islamic mercy.
Until their release, the last previous direct contact family members had with Bauer and Fattal was in May 2010, when their mothers were permitted a short visit in Tehran, which Iranian officials used for high-profile propaganda.
Since her release last year, Shourd has lived in Oakland, Calif. Bauer, a freelance journalist, grew up in Onamia, Minn., and Fattal, an environmental activist, is from Elkins Park, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb.
Bauer proposed marriage to Shourd while they were in jail.


Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying .

Photo 1:




hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal



Photo 1:



Shane Bauer (R), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, kisses fiancee Sarah Shourd as his father Al Bauer looks on upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying .


Photo 2:



Photo 2:

Photo 3:


Shane Bauer (C) , one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, hugs fiance Sarah Shourd (R) upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) 


Photo 4:





Josh Fattal (L), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, stands with his parents Jacob and Laura Fattal and brother Alex during their arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS)


Photo 5:





Josh Fattal (C - back to camera), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, hugs his father Jacob (L) and brother Alex during his arrival in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Photo 6:



Josh Fattal (L), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, is surrounded by his family, upon his arrival in Muscat after he was released with Shane Bauer from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh



Photo 7:



Shane Bauer (C) , one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, is greeted by a relative and fiance Sarah Shourd (R) upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh

Photo 8:



Sarah Shourd (L), Laura Fattal (2nd L) and relatives wave to Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, during their arrival in Muscat, after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh

Photo 9:


 Shane Bauer (C) , one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, hugs fiance Sarah Shourd (R) upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)


Photo 10:



Shane Bauer (R) and Josh Fattal (L), U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, arrive in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS) less 


Photo 11:




Shane Bauer (R) and Josh Fattal (L), U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, arrive in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS)



Photo 12:


Shane Bauer (C) , one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, is greeted by a relative and fiance Sarah Shourd (R) upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS)

Photo 13:



Josh Fattal (L), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, hugs his brother Alex upon his arrival in Muscat after the release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiance Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS) less 


Photo 14:


Shane Bauer (R), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, hugs a relative as he smiles at fiancee Sarah Shourd upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani


Photo 15:




Josh Fattal (2nd L - back to camera) and Shane Bauer (R), U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, are greeted by their families upon arrival in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani


Photo 16:



Shane Bauer (R), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, kisses fiancee Sarah Shourd as his father Al Bauer looks on upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani

Photo 17:



Freed American Shane Bauer, center is welcomed upon his arrival from Iran, in Muscat, Oman Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. After more than two years in Iranian custody, two Americans convicted as spies took their first steps toward home Wednesday as they bounded down from a private jet and into the arms of family for a joyful reunion in the Gulf state of Oman. (AP Photo/Sultan Al-Hasani)


Photo 18:



 Freed American Shane Bauer, center, and Josh Fattal, right, talk to the media upon their arrival from Iran, in Muscat, Oman Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. After more than two years in Iranian custody, two Americans convicted as spies took their first steps toward home Wednesday as they bounded down from a private jet and into the arms of family for a joyful reunion in the Gulf state of Oman. (AP Photo/Sultan Al-Hasani)

Photo 19:



Freed American Shane Bauer, center, meets his father Al Bauer as his fiance Sarah Shourd looks on upon his arrival from Iran, in Muscat, Oman Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. After more than two years in Iranian custody, two Americans convicted as spies took their first steps toward home Wednesday as they bounded down from a private jet and into the arms of family for a joyful reunion in the Gulf state of Oman. (AP Photo/Sultan Al-Hasani)


Photo 20:


Freed American Shane Bauer, center, meets his relatives and friends upon his arrival from Iran, in Muscat, Oman Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. After more than two years in Iranian custody, two Americans convicted as spies took their first steps toward home Wednesday as they bounded down from a private jet and into the arms of family for a joyful reunion in the Gulf state of Oman. (AP Photo/Sultan Al-Hasani)


Photo 21:



Freed American Shane Bauer is welcomed upon his arrival from Iran, in Muscat, Oman Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. After more than two years in Iranian custody, two Americans convicted as spies took their first steps toward home Wednesday as they bounded down from a private jet and into the arms of family for a joyful reunion in the Gulf state of Oman. (AP Photo/Sultan Al-Hasani)


Photo 22:



Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, are greeted by their during their arrival in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiancee Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS) less 


Photo 23:


Jacob and Laura Fattal, Sarah Shourd and relatives wave to Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, during their arrival in Muscat, after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiancee Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW SOCIETY POLITICS)


Photo 24:


Shane Bauer (5th L) and Josh Fattal (2nd L), U.S. hikers who were held in Iran on charges of espionage, are greeted by their during their arrival in Muscat after their release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiancee Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Sultan Al Hasani (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS SOCIETY)




Photo 25:



Shane Bauer (C), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, cries as he hugs fiancee Sarah Shourd(R) upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiancee Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS SOCIETY) less

Photo 26:


Shane Bauer (C), one of the U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, cries as he hugs fiancee Sarah Shourd(R) upon his arrival in Muscat after his release from Tehran's Evin prison, September 21, 2011. Three hikers, Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd were arrested by Iranian forces in July 2009 near the unmarked border with Kurdistan, a semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq, on suspicion of spying after crossing into Iran from Iraq. Bauer's fiancee Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after 410 days in solitary confinement. REUTERS/Jumana El Heloueh (OMAN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS SOCIETY) less 


Photo 27:



American hikers Shane Bauer (3rd R) and Josh Fattal (2nd R) walk with an Omani delegation at Tehran's Mehrabad airport before flying to Oman September 21, 2011. U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that he was "thrilled" that Iran had released two U.S. men jailed for spying. REUTERS/Ehsan Naderipour/IRNA (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS less 




Photo 28:

American hikers Shane Bauer (R) and Josh Fattal (C) sit in Tehran's Mehrabad airport before leaving Iran for Oman September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Ehsan Naderipour/IRNA


Photo 29:



American hikers Shane Bauer (R) and Josh Fattal (C) sit with Swiss Ambassador Livia Leu Agosti in Tehran's Mehrabad airport before leaving Iran for Oman September 21, 2011. REUTERS/Ehsan Naderipour/IRNA




Families of 2 men freed from Iran prison overjoyed


AP –  Wed, Sep 21, 2011

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The families of two Americans freed from an Iranian prison are calling today the best day of their lives.
Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal (fuh-TAHL') were driven out of a prison in Tehran on Wednesday, nearly 26 months after being arrested near the Iraq-Iran border.
They were convicted of espionage and sentenced to eight years in prison but were freed on bail.
Their families and Sarah Shourd (shord), who was arrested with the men but freed earlier, were in Oman to meet the men. They said in a statement that their joy and relief "knows no bounds" and they are looking forward to a new beginning.
The families also thanked people around the world for supporting the men's release.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Two Americans jailed in Iran as spies left Tehran on Wednesday bound for the Gulf state of Oman, closing a high-profile drama with archfoe Washington that brought more than two years of hope then heartbreak for the families.
In the end, however, Iran's clerics opted for a near mirror image of last year's release of a third American captured with the other two — opening the doors of Tehran's Evin prison in exchange of $500,00 bail each while Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was preparing for the spotlight in New York for the U.N.'s annual gathering of world leaders.
Although the fate of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal gripped America, it was on the periphery of the larger showdowns between Washington and Tehran that include Iran's nuclear program and its ambitions to widen military and political influence in the Middle East and beyond. But — for a moment at the United Nations at least — U.S. officials and rights group may be adding words of thanks in addition to their calls for alarm over Iran.
Iran's state news agency IRNA said Bauer and Fattal left Iran just as darkness fell in the capital Tehran. The fast-moving final steps — from the gray prison gates to Tehran's urban Mehrabad airport in a diplomatic convoy — came after a week of mixed signals and political brinksmanship within Iran's leadership.
It began last week with Ahmadinejad promising their release within days. But then came the voice of the hard-line ruling clerics, who have waged a stinging campaign against the president and his allies in recent months as part of power struggle.
The clerics' appeared to be sending a message that only they have the power to set the timing and ground rules to release the men, who were detained along with friend Sarah Shourd along the Iran-Iraq border in July 2009. The three strongly denied the charges of espionage and said they were merely hikers in Iraq's relatively peaceful Kurdistan region who wandered close to Iran's border.
An Omani official told The Associated Press the men were flying to the capital, Muscat. He added that family members are in Muscat to be reunited with Bauer and Fattal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. He did not say how long the two men will stay in the Gulf state before heading home to America.
This was the same route followed by last September by Shourd, who received a marriage proposal from Bauer while in prison. Oman has close relations with Tehran and Washington and has acted as mediator in the releases and the apparent transfer of the bail money because of U.S. economic sanctions on Iran. Oman plays a strategic role in the region by sharing control with Iran of the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, which is the route for 40 percent of the world's oil tanker traffic.
In one possible parting shot by Iran, the release came just minutes before President Barack Obama addressed the U.N. General Assembly. There was no direct evidence that Iran timed the American's freedom to overshadow Obama's speech, but Iran has conducted international political stagecraft in the past.
Most famously, Iran waited until just moments after Ronald Reagan's presidential inauguration in January 1981 to free 52 American hostages held for 444 days at the former U.S. Embassy after it was stormed by militants backing Iran's Islamic Revolution. The timing was seen as a way to embarrass ex-President Jimmy Carter for his backing of Iran's former monarch.
Associated Press reporters saw a convoy of vehicles with Swiss and Omani diplomats leaving Evin prison bound for Mehrabad airport, which is near Tehran's massive Azadi Square. The site is used for military parades but also was a temporary hub for protesters after Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in 2009.
Switzerland represents American interests in Iran because the U.S. has no diplomatic relations with Tehran since after the storming of the embassy.
"I have finished the job that I had to do as their lawyer," said their defense attorney Masoud Shafiei. He obtained signatures of two judges on a bail-for-freedom deal. A $1 million bail — $500,000 for each one — was posted.
Though the release eases one point of tension between Iran and the U.S., major conflicts still persist.
Washington and European allies worry Iran is using its civilian nuclear program as cover to develop atomic weapons and have urged for even stronger sanctions to pressure Tehran. Iran denies any efforts to make nuclear weapons. Iran, in turn, is deeply concerned about the U.S. military on its borders in Iraq and Afghanistan, and sharply denounces U.S. influence in the Middle East.
Bauer and Fattal, both 29, were sentenced last month to eight years each in prison.
The London-based rights group Amnesty International called the release of the Americans a "long overdue step."
"Iranian authorities have finally seen sense" and have agreed to release Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International Deputy Director for Middle East and North Africa. "They must now be allowed to leave Iran promptly to be reunited with their families."
The three Americans — friends from their days at the University of California at Berkeley — have maintained their innocence and denied the espionage charges against them.
Their families and the U.S. government said they were just hiking in northern Iraq's scenic and relatively peaceful Kurdish region when they may have accidentally strayed over the unmarked border with Iran.
The last direct contact family members had with Bauer and Fattal was in May 2010 when their mothers were permitted a short visit in Tehran.
It was not clear where the two men will be reunited with their families after their release.
Phone messages left for Fattal's mother and brother in Philadelphia were not immediately returned Wednesday.
Since her release last year, Shourd has lived in Oakland, Calif. Bauer, a freelance journalist, grew up in Onamia, Minn., and Fattal, an environmental activist, is from suburban Philadelphia.
Last week, Oman again dispatched a plane belonging to the Gulf country's ruler to the Iranian capital to fetch the two men if the freedom-for-bail was reached.
Their case of the three Americans closely parallels that of freelance journalist Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American who convicted of spying before being released in May 2009. Saberi was sentenced to eight years in prison, but an appeals court reduced that to a two-year suspended sentence and let her return to the U.S.





Iran: U.S. hikers will not be freedPlay Video

The two Americans held in an Iranian prison for over two years are released. Full Story »Watch: American Hikers Jailed in Iran Set Free
ABC News (RSS)

Josh Fattal, one of the
U.S. hikers who was held in Iran on charges of espionage, speaks during a news conference in Muscat

Bauer, Fattal Enjoy First Full Day Of Freedom In OmanPlay Video

The two Americans held in an Iranian prison for over two years were released … Full Story »American Hikers Jailed in Iran Are Set Free
ABC News (RSS)
Raw Video: U.S diplomats walkout on Iran Pres.Play Video

Released American hikers leave for U.S.Play Video



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Travellers at Dale Farm / PA

'More leeway for travellers makes sense'

Our blogger on the UK's housing crisis and why travellers should get priority over developers. 'Dale Farm is good'

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Dale Farm, developers and the green belt

By Joe Wade | Don't Panic –  Fri, Sep 23, 2011

There is a massive housing shortage in Britain. This is the main reason the government says planning laws must be relaxed, to allow builders to deposit Barratt-style, mock-Tudor monstrosities in the middle of areas of outstanding natural beauty. So if they want to pave paradise to put up a parking lot why the sudden urge to evict 200 gypsy families from Dale Farm in Essex? The eviction from the site is going to cost as much as £8 million and increase homelessness.
It has been reported that some gypsy families have already fled to another site in Luton, where the struggle could start anew. Some gypsies should be fairly accustomed to travelling and it's probably an easy process to move if you live in a caravan but is the plan really to hound them from place to place, like Custer's cavalry chasing the Indians? Are the remaining static homes going to be bulldozed, casting Basildon Council as the Israel of Essex. Much like the Israelis' love to follow up a good bulldozing (or ancient olive grove tear-up) with a bit of a housing estate construction for some radical settlers, Basildon Council will likely take advantage of next year's changes to planning laws and replace the gypsy settlement with some hastily constructed starter homes.
Whilst taking a moment to wipe the froth from my lips it is worth noting that planning laws under Labour actually favoured gypsy sites over the sedentary population. When John Prescott was in charge of the planning system the rules he brought in meant councils' ability to use enforcement action were intentionally restricted. The guidance local authorities received stated that if there were no official sites for gypsies then the council had limited powers to ask them to move on. This can be interpreted as one law for travellers, that is they can settle on green belt land, and another for the Barratt builder, who can't.
This law has already been changed under the Localism Bill, with the new guidance protecting the green belt saying, "Traveller sites in the green Belt are inappropriate developments." They also may more heed to the opinions of the local population stating sites must have due regard to the protection of local amenity and environment. So it seems like a leveling of the green belt playing field at least until next year when The Coalition is set to rebalance the legal landscape by relaxing planning rules for property developers.
The planning minister Greg Clarke claims the new regulations are intended to simplify 1000 pages of policy to 52. However campaigners believe the new law completely undermines protection for the countryside, National Trust  Chair Dame Fiona Reynolds has said: "Weakening protection now risks a return to the threat of sprawl and uncontrolled development...The National Trust believes in growth as we all do - but not at any cost. Development that works must pass a triple bottom line test - by showing that it meets the needs of people and the environment as well as the economy."
You don't know what you got until it's gone and once countryside has been built over it's forever and so despite the need for regulations to be consistent and fair it seems like gypsy sites don't have the same irreversible impact on the land as a housing estate, so perhaps allowing them a bit more leeway than developers makes sense. So isn't it a good thing that 200 families can be housed on a semi-permanent, high density green/brown field site like Dale Farm? Especially if they've been there for 20 years already.
Comments





Angry Pensioner 
the indiginous population of these islands are beeing creamed by the judiciary succesive governments thieving immigrants and greedy rich businessmen.

Christophe 
Here we are again "Those thieving immigrants". Well most of them work and pay taxes for our own british born and breed people who rather live from benefits hand-outs. One of the best line I heard from a women in her mid twentys when I asked her what she was doing for a living "because I am lazy I haven't work since college", wonder how much she did cost the tax payer to do that "something media course" at college, and how much immigrant taxes we will need to feed her partner and their 2 children (who no doubt like their 2 parents will never worked). When you tell those people you are working and paying taxes they think you are morrons for doing so.

Nick B 
Indiginious is a nothing term and was devised so that some people could feel better about themselves.

Ajl 
its just another p##s take that we tax payers will end up paying for again

Eric 
On my tax return, my council tax, my Vat return, my vehicle tax, insurance and MOT Electorial roll and planning application, I will just put, I am a traveller, so I am exempt !

Avril 
I wouldn't mind so much if they paid taxes,national insurance, council tax,etc. We all know they claim all benefits while they make big money on shady and shabby deals.

Mr. Angry 
It is my understanding that these people have been offered alternative, permanent housing, which they have refused because it would affect their "way of life". These people rely on a culture of secrecy and intimidation, of both their own members and "outsiders", in order to derive income from dubious sources and avoid payment of income tax. Rehoming them would indeed fragment their way of life and force them to comply with the laws of our country

Frances 
I dont understand why a couple in Hampshire LEGALLY living in a small shed in their parents garden, with permission of both the parents and the neighbours (while they save up for a house deposit so they can LEGALLY own their own house) have been told by the council that because their shed,which doesn thave running water but allows a newly wed couple a bit of privacy, does have planning permission. Why then is it that a large group ILEGALLY living in an area that not only are they destroying but have no rights nor permisssion to live on are being granted an appeal to stay? Why cant the government see that if they allow these people to stay that they are merely giving rights for people to commit crime and disobey the law. I think it is cases like this that you really see why the london riots have happened, and will keep happening- how can the law demand respect when it is not reasonable to respect.

Liz 
This case should try our government's commitment to ensure that people who do not pay their way im our society do not get any more freebies. It is now time to show social justice to the hard working British folk. If this outrageous land invasion happens in my Borough I will campaing for ordinary tax payers to stop paying Council Tax until the matter is promptly sorted.

Steffanne 
Yes Joe Wade, you should be bloody well ashamed to put your name on this sham of story.I hope it ends your career and the damn scabs come and camp next door to you.

PETER 
My wife used to work in a garage around the corner from this site and was threatened on a daily basis. The council gave them a site and they took the p**s, as usual. They have broken the law and should be evicted asap. It's fine for everyone to say they should stay but would you really want them on your doorstep? If your answer is yes, they themselves would soon help you to change your mind!

George 
it is all very well painting pretty pictures of an ideal community, but I know of a number of sites complete with toilets and running water that were established to accomodate these people, they were trashed , then the places were abandoned
there is a castle in the area of some historical attraction for tourists, the travellers annually move into and take over the carpark. To further deter visitors, washing is slung over the perimeter railings which makes photography out of the question
when they invade a local river site the whole walkway is shut off as they claim this as their territory and local residents are not allowed their freedom of movement without intimidation, cars , vans and motorcycles are driven without regard for anyone else on footpaths , actions which I and no doubt many other law abiding citizens would never contemplate doing trees are either cut down or mutilated fires are lit on the pavement tarmac to burn off electric insulation subsequently damaging the road surface, in the meantime they are cold calling locals to cut hedges or other repair work , a profitable tax free income, yet when they are compelled to move on we have to clean the mess, burnt out m/cycles, broken furniture, debris from fires, rubble from building projects, human excrement, dog carcase, they have an obvious a lack of respect for people and property
According to the local council there, Dale residents have turned down permanent accomodation
so why are they still on site ? they want to travel then go ! you only have to hear the accent to determine the country of origin, so why are they not still in it ?

Peter 
if its true they have houses in ireland.go home and do your botched pvc fascia and tarmacing over there.

GARY 
If you live in a society you should abide by its rules.

Simon 
they built without planning permission. If they had applied for planning permission and got it then fair enough they should stay but they built illegally therefore they have no right to stay and what you are proposing is lawlessness and allowing people to do what they like and ignore the law. I also find your comments about Israel distasteful and believe this whole article should be removed and replaced with one that gives balanced legal views.

9sqdn 
Utter bollocks. So you're saying one law for them, one law for us. Another half-wit taken in by these seasoned and practised liars. The reason they've been there so long is because of the idiots who bleat on about their human rights. They're bloody TRAVELLERS ! Make 'em travel !! Preferably back to Ireland where they came from.
N 
It's the word " Resident " if they are travellers they are not residents, and have no rights as such..
Gypsies years ago would stay only a few days in an area and sell their wares and then more on, they were the original Romanies from Ireland really nice and well behaved people not like the rogues we have today..
Last year we had 4 women came into our area selling bits of cheap lace etc, they all had Essex/London accents, soon as I asked it they were proper Irish Romanies all of a sudden they had Irish accents........Funny that !
Good luck Basildon Council for Monday morning....

Apocalypse 
One Law for all, if it is a bad law change it by due process otherwise do not complain when you fall foul of it.

David 
If they are a traveller why do they want to settle there ?

Michael F 
Although these claim to be Gypsies, most are travelling scrap metal merchants.
In Staffordshire they regularly turn beauty spots into tips which then have to be cleaned at the expense of rate payers. 
Much of their trade is cash only which is not traceable by the Inland Revenue and therefore not taxable. Many of their vehicles are not taxed or insured.
However we are required to provide facilities at our expense, 
green belt rules are there for all of us.

Steve 
The 'travellers' don't travel, brazenly reject the law of the land (but celebrate when it goes their way) that we muppets must abide by, reputedly harbour criminals and don't pay taxes (fair guess there aren't many TV licences in these places), take any and all benefits they don't contribute to, make neighbours feel unsafe, destroy any official sites they are given, and yet they need help?

Any massive housing shortage isn't caused by the people who take responsibility for their lives and who don't game the system. Our wasteful, greedy politicians desperate for votes import shed loads of economic migrants and award them big houses because they heard there's free cash here and you don't have to integrate. Oh yes, and the 'travellers' are supported by the Righteous who live in luxury homes or have property abroad or the means to flee the nasty areas, and are egged on by feckless layabouts who simply like stirring up trouble and make no contribution to society.

Remind me again what the problem is?

Geoff 
ONE BIG QUESTION,IF THEY HAD MADE CAMP IN MAYFAIR LONDON OR GOLDERS GREEN WOULD THE COURTS AND COUNCILS HAVE DRAGGED THEIR HEELS FOR AS LONG AS THIS? OR NO,BECAUSE ITS CENTREL LONDON THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN LONG CHUCKED OFF.





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INL_Yahoo_News Sunday 25th September 2011

......Crocodile turns bright orange in Oz

Death row scraps last meal requests
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Dowlers in plea over 'no win, no fee' system
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Woman's body washed up on beach
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Dale Farm travellers' case returns to court
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Gaddafi Hunt Intensifies Amid Fight For Sirte

A search for Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is intensifying across Libya as revolutionary forces appear to be gaining the upper hand in the battle for his hometown of Sirte.
National Transitional Council soldiers are now close to entering the pro-Gaddafi city after a day of heavy fighting.
But it is far from clear whether the city will fall in the next few days as loyalists are well dug in and well-motivated for the fight.
Sirte is not only symbolically important - it is ousted dictator Col Gaddafi 's hometown - it is also geographically and strategically vital, as it divides the country between east and west.
Meanwhile, anti-Gaddafi soldiers are moving out into the far reaches of the country in the hunt for the fugitive colonel.
Details of his whereabouts change daily. He is hiding in the desert, he is in Bani Walid or he has already fled to Niger - these are just some of the latest reports.
The search is frustrating. Isolated compounds with pro-Gaddafi forces' green flags flying dot the landscape. Nearly all of them are deserted, like their master their occupants have fled.
Revolutionaries are also discovering more underground bunkers. Sky News was shown a Gaddafi bolthole about 40km south of Sirte.
It has climate control and bomb-proof walls and even an escape hatch.
But inside there are no clues, just a few snapshots of the man who seized power in a coup and lost it in a revolution.
On the ground, commanders believe Col Gaddafi will turn up soon - then justice will take its course.
NTC Commander Wagdy Tabet told Sky the revolution has lost many good men but more will die to see Gaddafi pay for his crimes.
He said: "We will give three times the men to keep him out of Libya and take him back only to hand him to the judge."
A £1m reward for Col Gaddafi's capture, alive or dead, has been offered. But, with more people joining the revolution, such an incentive may not be needed.
If Col Gaddafi has not fled the country, many revolutionaries believe it is only a matter of time before he is caught.




NEWS FOR YOU


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  • MARTIN ALLEN 
    as long as there is oil in the ground it will be an ongoing affair
    Reply
  • MARTIN ALLEN

    MARTIN ALLEN
    how much oil is left in the world anyway?
    Reply
  • michael

    Michael 
    My comment, is gadafi or figada is a devil,and greed devil.Libyians are Good people, without gadafi or figada beacus thay were living by fear.
    Reply
  • michael

    Michael 
    Gadafi is an idiot, Immagine, people you ruled for 42yr and rose one day sterted killing then
    Reply
  • bby  me

    Bby Me 
    I just hate Gaddafi.He is an idiot.People who write nice things about him dont even know or met him.If you dont know, Why not keep quiet or don't write anyting.Gaddafi is OVER .The devil Gaddafi is gone.FREE LIBYA 2011.
    Reply
  • Junior

    Junior 
    People should try and also think twist this same Gadaffi has tried for is country and is people tooo more them some counties...........is just that the Libyans want a change of leadership that is all………….I rest my case…….
    Reply
  • Jeremy

    Jeremy 
    Camoron has got a cheek to call Gaddafi a monster, he wants to look in the mirror, talk about the pot calling the kettle black!!
    Reply
  • Si

    Si 
    Tony's friend is coming to an end.
    Reply
  • niyaz

    Niyaz 
    How much oil does he put on his hair
    Reply
  • uche

    Uche 
    ..power is like alcohol. Once you get started, you dont want to stop. The thing with Gagaf is that he forgot how he became a leader. Same problem he and his men drove his predecessor turned around to hunt him. It's game over for him. We thank God for the new world order!
    Reply
  • metin

    Metin 
    The one of monster and killers, fachist , racist, evil nwo member is david cameron, not GADDAFI . GADDAFI IS HERO !!!
    2 Replies
  • bas

    Bas 
    for those who does not know Gaddafi and this message for most of the people wrote comments! I brought up in libya and i am a british too ahving lived in the UK for many years. Gaddafi regime has now gone and forever , it was not one of the worst but it was the worst ruling regime ever in the whole... More
    1 Reply
  • PeterC3815

    PeterC3815 
    My understanding of the situation is that Gadaffi has ruined people's lives as well as having people ‘executed’. How long could that be allowed to go on? His son was being groomed to take his place. To say NATO was right or wrong or that they have made fundamental errors may be true. To allow the... More
    1 Reply
  • tony



    Has anyone else noticed that Gadaffi has the rubbery face of a scooby doo villain?
    When the spooks finally get him (as no doubt they will) they should grab his neck and pull off that mask to reveal...........bernie eccleston!
    Reply
  • fergie
    Fergie 
    Gadaffi is a tyrant rules by fear. do as I say or disappear never to be seen again. like the 150 dead bodies they showed being take out of that warehouse that Gadaffi and his men murdered. But you Gadaffi fans will say the BBC and the rebels set it up.
    2 Replies
  • ishmael

    Ishmael 
    ...there's always two sides of a story,any story...no matter how good or bad it sounds or seems.It is very easy to say that a fish is wet simply because it lives in water,but a fish can not survive outside water.Some animals come into it's territory to swim,get soaked and then dry thier bodies and... More
    1 Reply
  • Sandpot

    Sandpot 
    Gosh doesn't he look dreadful. I thought that - Michael Jackson too.
    Reply
  • Hmmm

    Hmmm 
    I vote David Cameron for President........ of Libya
    Reply
  • Ihsan Isildak
    Ihsan Isildak 
    Libya borçludur Kaddafi'ye çok yatırımlar yapmıştır, milli gelirleri peşkeş çekmemiştir yabancılara... AMMA 40 yıl biraz fazla değilmi dedi VATANDAŞ...
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Debt Crisis 'Has Entered Dangerous Phase'





George Osborne has told Sky News the global debt crisis has "entered a dangerous phase" but nations have "taken a step towards resolving it".
The British Chancellor spoke in Washington amid meetings of the Group of 20 developed and developing countries (G20) and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
He continued: "I'm optimistic... that, actually, the countries of the eurozone, who are at the epicentre of this crisis, understand they need to take decisive action and that the rest of the world is there ready to help."
Sky sources have learnt that members of the G20 are expecting Greece to default on its loans in early November (Berlin: NBXB.BEnews) , but Mr Osborne denied such a move was inevitable.
International Monetary Fund (IMF (Berlin: MXG1.BE - news) ) officials earlier said they had been encouraged by the willingness of eurozone governments to do what was necessary to resolve the economic crisis.
They said the situation remained "precarious" but noted a "very clear recognition by ministers of the gravity of the situation we are in".
Mr Osborne has warned European leaders they have six weeks to tackle the economic problems engulfing the eurozone.
He said a meeting of the G20 nations in France in November remains the deadline for action to tackle the financial problems.
He said: "The eurozone needs to go further in reassuring people they've got sufficient firepower to face down the financial markets, that they've got strong enough banks to withstand losses and they've got good medium to long-term plans to make their currency work better by co-ordinating their budget policies better together."
Speaking after meeting with fellow finance ministers from the G20, he said there was a recognition of the need for urgency.
But Labour leader Ed Miliband renewed his calls for an earlier emergency meeting to agree "a plan for growth" to steer the global economy back towards recovery.
A late rally on Friday was not enough to prevent the FTSE 100 (Euronext: VFTSE.NX - news) suffering its second worst weekly fall this year, losing £78bn from its value.
Suggestions that Greece might default on its debt will do little to calm the turmoil on global markets over the past week.
British Prime Minister David Cameron used a speech in Canada on Friday to urge the eurozone to deal with its debt and the US to put its public finances back on a sustainable path.
He put himself at the head of a six-nation bloc of G20 leaders signing a letter calling for "decisive action to support growth, confidence, and credibility".
But Mr Miliband accused Mr Cameron of "lecturing" foreign leaders, when he had no more to offer them than the same austerity package being imposed in the UK.
Instead, he called for co-ordinated action by the G20 - whose members represent 85% of the global economy - to restore growth.
Sky's City editor Mark Kleinman said the company is set to make an announcement on the losses next week, which it will blame on a severe slowdown in core markets.
Between 2,500 and 3,000 positions are expected to be affected.
Among the facilities expected to be worst hit is a site in Warton, Lancashire, where Eurofighter Typhoons are made, and one in Brough, Yorkshire, where the Hawk (AMEX: HWK - news) aircraft is made.
BAE has declined to provide details of the timing, location or scale of job cuts.
It said in a statement: "BAE Systems (LSE: BA.L - news) has informed staff that we are reviewing our operations across various businesses to make sure the company is performing as effectively and efficiently as possible, both in delivering our commitments to existing customers and ensuring the company is best placed to secure future business.
"As the outcome of this review becomes clear, we will, as always, communicate to our employees as a priority."
The firm said in July that defence spending cuts in the UK and falling sales of land vehicles had hit profits.
Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said the news was "a devastating blow for Lancashire and Yorkshire and a real knock for UK manufacturing".
"We need a fast response from ministers with a clear plan of action," Mr Murphy said.
"At a time when it is so hard to find a new job this is a dreadful moment to lose the one you have," he said.
He went on: "The defence industry is vital to the UK, supporting both our Forces on the frontline and the wider UK economy."

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Global jitters could hit surplus hopes: Australia




Sunday 25 September 2011
Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan sounded caution over Canberra's plans to return to surplus next year, warning that Europe (Chicago Options: ^REURTRUSD - news) 's debt fears had delivered a "huge hit" to global confidence.
Swan on Sunday said there was a mood of "sober realism" among finance ministers at this weekend's meetings of the G20 and International Monetary Fund, with a "fair degree of concern" about the state of the global economy.
He said "political gridlock" had made it difficult for European nations to come together quickly to agree on a response, adding that global bodies must stand ready to support the region "if and when that is required".
"The events in Europe can impact globally and therefore we do need not just a European response in the first instance, but what we also need is bodies like the G20 and the IMF (Berlin: MXG1.BEnews) backing up the Europeans," Swan told ABC television from Washington.
The IMF repeated pledges of collective action this weekend as warnings intensified of a possible European meltdown, and Swan said the region's leaders had to meet their bailout promises to restore global confidence.
"They are determined to implement those commitments, but of course they must pass through member parliaments in Europe," he said.
"That's why the Europeans really need to get cracking and get those passed through all of their procedures and operating in full."
Australia's links to fast-growing Asian economies helped it weather the global financial crisis as the only advanced economy to dodge recession, and booming mining exports have shielded it from the worst of the recent turmoil.
But Swan said the country was not immune from Europe's problems, tempering his previously strident promises of returning the budget to surplus by 2012-13.
"We're determined to come back to surplus, but I just make the observation that these events globally have an impact upon global growth," he said.
"That has an impact upon domestic growth. That has an impact on revenue collections. And of course it makes it tougher to come back to surplus."

New UBS boss seeks fresh start after trading scandal



Emma Thomasson and Catherine Bosley12:18, Sunday 25 September 2011
ZURICH (Reuters) - The new interim boss of UBS (NYSEArca:DJCI - news) faced a daunting task on Sunday as he tries to get the Swiss bank back on its feet after Oswald Gruebel quit as chief executive over the $2.3 billion (1.4 billion pounds) loss it ran up in alleged rogue trading.
Sergio Ermotti said on Saturday the scandal had revealed a risk exposure that was "totally unacceptable" and his first priorities would be to review the bank's controls and conclude an internal investigation into the losses.
A 51 year-old from Switzerland's Italian-speaking region of Ticino, Ermotti was being groomed as a possible successor at the helm since he joined UBS as head of Europe (Chicago Options:^REURTRUSD - news) , Middle East and Africa in April from UniCredit (MDD: UCG.MDD - news) .
"We are aware that we are facing turbulent times externally and this latest incident is only adding much more necessity for us to react. But let's not forget that UBS is one of the best capitalised banks worldwide," he told journalists.
Gruebel, a 67-year-old banking veteran who helped turn around rival Credit Suisse (NYSEArca: CSMA - news) last decade, was brought out of retirement to try to revamp UBS after it almost collapsed in 2008 under the weight of more than $50 billion lost on toxic assets.
UBS shares fell more than 10 percent since the news broke on September 15, trading at their lowest level since shortly after Gruebel took over in early 2009, but they rose 4.8 percent on Friday on hopes the board would agree a major restructuring.
Ermotti, who Chairman Kaspar Villiger said was a strong candidate to replace Gruebel permanently, said an internal investigation of what went wrong bank should conclude in 10 to 14 days although UBS might not be able to disclose its findings, pending external probes.
OPPORTUNITY OUT OF DISASTER
The board asked Ermotti to speed up a scaling back of the investment bank, which he said would be detailed at an investor day already planned for November (Berlin: NBXB.BE - news) 17 in New York (Xetra: A0DKRK -news) .
Villiger said he had no doubts about the future of investment bank head Carsten Kengeter, whose fate had also hung in the balance, saying he and his team had done an "excellent job" to limit losses from the unauthorised trades.
Villiger declined to comment on whether Kengeter could still be a candidate to take over as CEO, saying only the board was looking at both internal and external candidates and should decide on a permanent replacement within six months.
UBS had already said in August it would axe 3,500 more jobs to shave 2 billion Swiss francs off annual costs, with almost half from the investment bank, which had grown to almost 18,000 staff as Kengeter tried to rebuild the battered franchise.
(Additional reporting by Steve Slater in London; Editing by John Stonestreet)


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