UK weather: Red warning from Met Office as 100 miles per hour winds close schools in Scotland

   

 Glasgow (Pic: PA)

Schools in many parts of Scotland were shut today as the country braced itself for hurricane-force winds.

Winds of up to 100mph have been forecast, with the strongest gusts expected to hit the west of Scotland and the central belt from 12pm, and from 3pm in the east, hitting rush-hour traffic.

The Government warned that travel conditions could be "dangerous" and road users may experience severe delays of several hours or more.

Key travel routes are likely to be closed and severe gales could lead police to advise against all travel, the Scottish Government said.

High waves batter the coastline at Helensburgh (Pic: PA)

Although Scotland will bear the brunt of the bad weather, other parts of the UK could also be affected by strong winds.

Lindsay Dovey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "There will be gusts of 100mph in north west Scotland and over high ground. "Gusts of up to 70mph are expected in northern England and north west Wales. "Across central England and East Anglia, we'll have gusts of 55 to 60mph, and up to 55mph in the south of the UK."

Strong winds and high waves batter the coastline at Blackpool (Pic: PA)

A couple walk along a wet and windy promenade in Blackpool (Pic: PA)

She said temperatures would range between 7C, in Scotland, and 13C, in the south of Britain, but added: "It will feel much colder because of the wind." All classes at Glasgow and Strathclyde universities were cancelled, affecting thousands of students. Glasgow Caledonian university was open, but asked students to take travel advice if they planned to come in. The weather also brought disruption to the country's transport network.

The Forth Bridge is expected to close after 3pm as a precaution against the high winds.

The bridge is likely to be closed to high-sided vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrians, and cars with trailers, roof boxes or caravans for much of the day. Drivers were told to "exercise extreme caution" and to check conditions before travelling.

Largs promenade is battered by winds (Pic: Getty Images)

A man walks his dog along the promenade in Largs (Pic: Getty Images)

Part of the A8 in Renfrewshire was closed between the Langbank roundabout and the Woodhall roundabout in both directions because of flooding.

ScotRail and Network Rail said speed restrictions of 50mph may be put in place from 10am today. Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services to North Uist, Harris, Mull, Islay, Gigha, Coll and Tiree, and Arran were cancelled, and other sailings severely disrupted.

Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "The very latest information from the Met Office's chief forecaster shows that we can expect very severe gales, at wind speeds not seen for many years, across large parts of western, central and southern Scotland throughout Thursday.

Rough seas batter the beach in front of Central Pier in Blackpool (Pic: PA)

"On the basis of the earlier red warning from the Met Office, some councils had already taken the precaution of closing schools early to make sure that parents can safely collect children before the most dangerous weather and travel conditions arrive.

"In light of the latest forecast, and in particular the timings which suggest the severe weather affecting the west-central part of the country earlier than originally anticipated, some of these closure timings may have to change.

"The decision is a matter for individual authorities but the warnings are of the highest level of seriousness and we are clear that safety has to be the paramount issue. "Parents should check locally through websites, local radio and with their schools to find out the specific situation with their own schools.

"All commuters are advised that if they can adjust their working pattern to reflect the latest weather and travel advice, or work from home, that would be a very sensible step to help avoid possible traffic disruption.

"The authorities are all working hard to keep Scotland moving." Dumfries and Galloway police warned of hazardous conditions throughout the area, with surface water and flooding on roads.

A spokesman said the A74 in Moffat was particularly bad, with standing water causing delays in both directions. He urged people not to drive and warned conditions will get more dangerous as the day goes on.

A car drives on a flooded road in Glasgow (Pic: PA)

Water was also building up on the surface of the M8 between Livingston and Hermiston Gait in Edinburgh.

In Stirlingshire, the M9 was also restricted in both directions between junction 9 at Bannockburn and junction 11 at Dunblane because of surface water.

In Tayside, snow closed the Spittal of Glenshee area and flooding is being reported on the A9. ScotRail introduced speed restrictions of 50mph on all trains in case of falling trees and other debris, and damage to overhead power lines.

Steve Montgomery, ScotRail's managing director, said: "We will constantly review weather forecasts and respond accordingly. Our aim is to ensure as robust a service as possible.

"The forecasts are that the peak of the high winds will be in the afternoon and early evening. If that happens, it would be a sensible step to allow more time for journeys, to keep checking our website and where possible, leave work earlier to avoid rush hour."

Trains between Aberdeen and Inverurie, Glasgow and Dunblane, and Edinburgh and Glenrothes were cancelled, while other trains will run less frequently than usual. Glasgow Caledonian University later said it will close "all but vital services" from 12.30pm.

Flooding in Helensburgh, Scotland (Pic: PA)

Of Scotland's 32 local authorities, Aberdeen City Council, Angus Council, Dundee City Council, Scottish Borders Council, Shetland Islands Council and Orkney Islands Council have no plans to close schools today.

All schools in nine local authorities have closed, with the rest expecting to shut their doors at 12pm.

Weather forecasters said the low pressure over the Western Isles was causing strong winds as far south as Merseyside and north Wales.

Coastal areas will be hardest hit by the westerly wind and gusts have already reached 54mph in Crosby, near Southport, and 56mph in Hawarden, Deeside.

The wind speeds are expected at peak at about 65mph or higher later today. The Highways Agency has issued an "amber alert" in north-west England, warning that the worst wind conditions can be expected in Cumbria.

Officials have closed the A66 between Scotch Corner and Penrith to high-sided vehicles. A spokesman said: "Drivers of these vehicles should seek alternative trans-Pennine routes including the A69 and M62 as well as the A65.

"The Highways Agency has set signs across the regional motorway network, including the M6 to advise drivers of the restriction." The East Coast train company said there were extended journey times on its services north of Edinburgh due to 50mph speed restrictions.

Early morning services from Hull and Harrogate began instead from Doncaster and Leeds respectively, while services north of Newcastle were being provided using diesel trains only. Some services between London and Newcastle were expected to be slower than normal due to speed restrictions.

East Coast's direct service this evening to Hull, Brough and Selby will terminate at Doncaster, while this evening's direct service to Harrogate and Horsforth will terminate at Leeds.

Services operated by the CrossCountry, First TransPennine Express and Virgin train companies were also affected by the speed restrictions as well as flooding which hit services in the Penrith area of Cumbria.

The Erskine Bridge, linking Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire across the River Clyde, was closed as high winds hit. The Forth Road Bridge, spanning the Firth of Forth between Edinburgh and Fife, was also shut.

The A78, between Skelmorlie and Largs in Ayrshire, was also closed as the carriageway flooded.

As the winds picked up, Glasgow University decided to close until tomorrow.

A spokesman said: "The university of Glasgow has decided to close with immediate effect. The university will open as normal tomorrow, with all scheduled classes and exams going ahead as planned. Exams that were postponed today will be rescheduled for the week beginning January 9."

A number of royal engagements in Scotland and the North East have been cancelled due to the dangerous winds, said a Buckingham Palace spokesman.

The Countess of Wessex has been forced to postpone two visits in County Durham - to the town of Billingham and a meeting in Durham in connection with her role as patron of the Sunderland Association Football Club Foundation.

The spokesman said the bad weather meant her flight to the region had been cancelled but that other travel arrangements had been made and she would still take part in events later this afternoon and evening.

The Duke of Gloucester's day of engagements in Glasgow have all been cancelled and would, apart from a Christmas carol concert at Glasgow Cathedral, be moved to the New Year. The A66 which links County Durham and Cumbria was closed to all vehicles due to the high winds, police said. Roads in Weardale were subject to localised flooding as fellside streams struggled to cope with melting snow and heavy rains.

Strathclyde Police Chief Inspector Stewart Campbell said people should only travel if their journey is essential and advised them to stay indoors.

He said any essential journeys should be planned, and motorists should make sure they have warm clothes and food with them in case they get stuck.

The travel warning stretched across the central belt, from Strathclyde to Lothian and Borders, and also applies to pedestrians who may be at risk of being hit by objects blown by high winds.

Central Scotland Police Assistant Chief Constable Allan Moffat said: "The advice for motorists across the central belt of Scotland is to avoid travel as the severe weather moves across the country from west to east, starting around noon on the west side of the country. It is expected that the impact of the weather will affect the east side of the country from 2pm onwards.

"This advice to avoid travel is not given lightly but is based on the clearest information yet from weather forecasters that there will be high winds with gusts of up to 90mph.

"The time frame for these exceptional conditions is between noon and 7pm and I am being given clear information that a wide area of Scotland will be affected. People could be putting themselves at considerable risk by travelling in these conditions.

"The predicted impact of the wind is such that it may cause structural damage and is a specific danger to high-sided road vehicles. I would ask the public to pay close attention to weather and road updates and act accordingly to the advice given.

"I recognise that this is a significant statement, however it is based upon the premise of ensuring public safety and minimising the risk to road users in the affected areas."

News by Mirror

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Evergreen Actor Dev Anand Dead: Bollywood Star Dies In London At 88

Dev Anand

NEW DELHI — Bollywood star Dev Anand, a charismatic and flamboyant Indian film fixture for more than a half-century, has died of a heart attack in London, his family said Sunday. He was 88.

Famed for his roles in dozens of movies, including "Jewel Thief" and "Guide," the veteran actor, director and producer was working up to the last minute, with a new script in the works.

Anand lived and died on "his own terms," his nephew and renowned film director Shekhar Kapur said in a posting on Twitter. "He was working one minute. Sat down and smiled. And was gone the next. So much to learn."

Anand died of a heart attack Saturday night in a hotel in London, where he had gone recently for a medical checkup, the family said.

India's prime minister joined Indian film stars and officials in lauding Anand's achievements and expressing sorrow for his death.

"Dev Anand was a great artist who entertained generations of cinema lovers over five decades," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a statement. "He was an embodiment of long passion for acting and filmmaking. I join millions of his fans in mourning his death."

Born on Sept. 26, 1923, as the son of a Punjab lawyer, Anand studied English literature and law, eventually moving in his early 20s to India's film capital of Mumbai, then called Bombay, where he pursued a love of acting.

Known for his good looks, melodious voice and success in romantic leads, Anand was considered a superstar within just a few years of his 1946 screen debut in the Hindi-language film "Hum Ek Hain."

Others in his family followed, with his brothers Chetan and Vijay also winning praise as film producers, screenwriters and directors.

Dev Anand also began producing in 1949, and made his directorial debut in 1971 with the popular hippie cult film "Hare Rama Hare Krishna."

Never giving up the career, Anand released his latest film, "Chargesheet," just a few months ago and was reportedly working on another script when he died.

On his birthday in September, the upbeat actor told the Press Trust of India that he still had more to offer.

"My life is the same, and I am at a beautiful stage at 88," he reportedly said in the interview. "I am as excited as I was in my 20s. I have so many things to do," including a sequel to his 1971 film that he had titled "Hare Rama Hare Krishna Aaj."

Anand was given several prizes during his career, including lifetime achievement awards by Filmfare in 1993 and Screen Videocon in 1996. His 2007 memoirs, titled "Romancing With Life," underlined his belief in making films that were socially relevant.

Also known for social work, Anand dabbled in politics in the 1970s, launching a short-lived political party and leading other film stars in opposing then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's "Emergency" regime, which gave her the power to rule by decree.

"With his death, an era has come to an end. For a career spanning more than five decades, Dev Anand gave us films which will stay entrenched in our minds for years on," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said in a statement carried by Press Trust of India. "He was truly a multifaceted performer as an actor, director and producer."

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan said in a posting on Twitter that Anand's death "leaves a void never perhaps to be filled again."

Prize-winning British-Indian novelist Salman Rushdie lamented in a post: "I grew up watching your films. Sorry to say goodbye."

Anand's family plans to cremate his body in London on Tuesday or Wednesday.

New by AOL

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Expected large student demonstration in London today

Large student demonstration in London

REUTERS - Thousands of students should show Wednesday in the streets of London against the austerity measures the government, framed by a large deployment of police officers anxious to avoid all violence. The protests, aimed in particular the policy of the Conservative government in education, should be the most important since the four days of riots that hit London and other cities in England in August. End of 2010, other events had escalated into clashes with police. The limousine of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles had been particularly attacked by the crowd.

Students denounce plans to reform the education system, which they say is similar to the privatization, and have continued to challenge the increase in university fees decided last year. The slogan of the event, however, has expanded to denounce the reform of social minima in the context of austerity imposed by the government, anxious to reduce a budget deficit reaching almost 11% of gross domestic product. Students could be reached by including electricians and taxi drivers, who have provided their own groups, as well as demonstrators of the movement "Occupy" camped in the square of the Cathedral of St. Paul.

Anarchist movements have also announced their intention to make the trip. Wednesday's rallies have a test case for the London police, heavily criticized after the riots of August. Police planned to mobilize some 4,000 officers Wednesday, almost double a typical day. The planned route of the event is the lead near the London Stock Exchange, and police have warned that a device would be put in place to ensure that the site is targeted.

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Great Britain: the "outraged" install a second camp in London.

London, UK

AFP - The "outrage" of London began Saturday to install a second camp in the capital, following the decision of the religious authorities to close the Cathedral of St. Paul because of the presence of protesters on the square for a week. These activists, who protest against the crisis and the excesses of capitalism, settled on October 15 on the steps of the cathedral located in the financial district of the City, inspired by the movement "Occupy Wall Street" in New York and of "outrage" of Madrid. The camp rose to 70 in a week to more than 200 tents, and religious authorities cited security reasons and safety Friday to close the doors of the cathedral to the public.

Saturday, hundreds of activists and supporters gathered on the steps of the church, and some of them began a walk to Finsbury Square, not far from where they set up a score of tents, a told AFP a spokesman of the movement, Robert Gant. The activists were to see whether the occupants of the camp of St. Paul were all going to rally the second site or if they stayed there. If the cathedral was closed to the public Saturday, weddings are still held. Natasha Ighodaro and Nick Cunningham, who had planned the ceremony for months, however, had to give up the majestic main entrance of St. Paul and resolve to take a side door, as their guests.

The bride, smiling, said after the ceremony that there was "no disturbance". "It was wonderful, fantastic," she assured. The tourists, they have found the door closed. Juul van der Au, a Dutch woman of 21, was unable to visit the cathedral as it planned, and took pictures of the camp, without any bitterness. "I'm not too disappointed, there are plenty of other things to see in London, we'll probably go to Westminster Abbey," said the young woman came for a family weekend in London. "It's for a noble cause," Judge says. The decision to close the cathedral for the first time since World War II, causes a significant loss to the tourist mecca. A spokesman for the cathedral said the loss of tourism revenue to 16,000 pounds (18,300 euros) per day of closing.

Laura Martin, an activist of 29 years, considers the crucial public support. For her, the decision to close the cathedral is a way to "pressure" on the protesters. But an eviction by force of activists, the protest is peaceful, would return an image disaster for the authorities and not "would not in their interest," she considers.

Best 100 Science Discoveries

These are the best 100 science Discoveries from levers to the DNA and human genome, passing by the speed of light.

 

1.    Levers and Buoyancy
2.     The Sun Is the Center of the Universe
3.     Human Anatomy
4.     The Law of Falling Objects
5.     Planetary Motion
6.     Jupiter’s Moons
7.     Human Circulatory System
8.     Air Pressure
9.     Boyle’s Law
10.     The Existence of Cells
11.     Universal Gravita tion
12.     Fossils
13.     Distance to the Sun
14.     Bacteria
15.     Laws of Motion
16.     Order in Nature
17.     Galaxies
18.     The Nature of Electricity
19.     Oceans Control Global Weather
20.     Oxygen
21.     Photosynthesis
22.     Conservation of Matter
23.     The Nature of Heat
24.     Erosion of the Earth
25.     Vaccinations
26.     Infrared and Ultraviolet
27.     Anesthesia
28.     Atoms
29.     Electro chemical Bonding
30.     The Existence of Molecules
31.     Electro magnetism
32.     First Dinosaur Fossil
33.     Ice Ages
34.     Calories (Units of Energy)
35.     Conservation of Energy
36.     Doppler Effect
37.     Germ Theory
38.     The Theory of Evolution
39.     Atomic Light Signatures
40.     Electro magnetic Radiation/Radio Waves
41.     Heredity
42.     Deep-Sea Life
43.     Periodic Chart of Elements
44.     Cell Division
45.     X-Rays
46.     Blood Types
47.     Electron
48.     Virus
49.     Mitochondria
50.     Radioactivity
51.     Atmospheric Layers
52.     Hormones
53.     E = mc2 Relativity
54.     Vi ta mins
55.     Radio active Dating
56.     Function of Chromosomes
57.     Antibiotics
58.     Fault Lines
59.     Superconductivity
60.     Atomic Bonding
61.     Isotopes
62.     Earth’s Core and Mantle
63.     Continental Drift
64.     Black Holes
65.     Insulin
66.     Neurotransmitters
67.     HumanEvolution
68.     Quantum Theory
69.     Expanding Universe
70.     Uncertainty Principle
71.     Speed of Light
72.     Penicillin
73.     Antimatter
74.     Neutron
75.     Cell Structure
76.     The Function of Genes
77.     Eco system
78.     Weak and Strong Force
79.     Me tabolism
80.     Coelacanth
81.     Nuclear Fission
82.     Blood Plasma
83.     Semicon ductor Transistor
84.     The Big Bang
85.     Definition of Information
86.     Jumpin’ Genes
87.     Fusion
88.     Origins of Life
89.     DNA
90.     Seafloor Spread ing
91.     The Na ture of the Atmosphere
92.     Quarks
93.     Quasars and Pulsars
94.     Complete Evolution
95.     Dark Matter
96.     The Nature of Dinosaurs
97.     Planets E ist Around Other Stars
98.     Accelerating Universe
99.     Human Genome

News By yourbest100

6 Free Apps to Turn an Android Phone Into an Apple iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S and its new iOS 5 operating system offer a host of new features, including Siri voice control, a Cards app for sending paper greetings in the mail, Reminders that help keep you up-to-date, and Find my Friends for tracking people down.

But Android users don’t have to feel left out. There are a host of third-party apps that bring this functionality to Google’s mobile OS.

Cards Alternative: Postagram

The Cards app from Apple, which comes with iOS 5, will let you create digital cards directly on your iPhone or iPod touch—and after they’re complete, Apple will drop the physical missives in the mail for you. It’ll cost $2.99 for domestic delivery and $4.99 for international delivery.

But Postagram, a free app that’s available in the Android Market, been providing this very service for quite some time now—and at a cheaper rate, too. For 99 cents per Postagram sent, you choose a photo to mail and the service prints the image out on thick, glossy photo paper at a 300 dpi resolution, which pops out of the card as a 3 x 3 inch print. You can even add a custom 140-character message along with the photo if you wish.

Siri Alternative: Vlingo

Android users often opine that newer iterations of iOS simply play catch-up to a cache of features that already exist in their phones. Vlingo Virtual Assistant for Android is a testament to that ethos, and it's the closest thing to Apple’s new Siri voice control.

Tell Vlingo to “Text Chris; Where are you?” or “Find French restaurants,” then sit back and watch as it does exactly what you want. Get the app for free on the Android Market.

iMessage Alternative: Whatsapp Messenger

Ditch your carrier’s exorbitant SMS plans and send messages, pictures, audio notes, and video messages over 3G or Wi-Fi with the free Whatsapp Messenger. Like BlackBerry Messenger (and iMessage), the app lets you know when your note has been sent and exactly when the person on the other end has seen it.

Whatsapp also sends push notifications for each individual message, so you never miss out on what your friends are saying. It also supports group chat.

Newstand Alternative: Zinio

Newsstand on iOS 5 supposedly organizes your magazine and newspaper app subscriptions, but Zinio has been around for far longer and already aggregates many of your favorite digital publications in one place. You can purchase both single issues and full subscriptions of top titles in the app, plus watch videos, bookmark content, view interactive media, and even share articles with friends.

Best of all? Zinio gives you access to a sampling of the best pieces across top News, Science & Tech, Art, Lifestyle, and Entertainment magazines—for free—as soon as you download the app.

Reminders Alternative: Astrid Tasks

Astrid Tasks is the most popular to-do list for Android, and its best add-on feature is Astrid Locale. The app contains powerful organization tools to begin with—reminders, list organization, deadlines, sorting, and audio or vibration alerts—but Astrid Locale throws in the last essential—location-based tasks—into the mix. The only downside is having to shell out $1.49 for the upgrade.

Find My Friends Alternative: Google Latitude

Anyone who’s ever had to find their friends in a crowded venue will be familiar with the hassle of those extremely vague responses: “beside the speaker,” “next to the guy in the cowboy hat,” or “to the left of the stage.” Find my Friends from Apple, included in the upcoming iCloud, will let you share your location with friends and family and eliminate those messages.

But Google Latitude is an old tool that had already been implementing this. After signing into your Google account, the app lets you check into places, share your location with your friends, and even unlock offers where they’re available. You can find it in the Google Maps application on Android.

Tell us with a video or a photo what app is your favorite -- and we may feature it on-air!

News By foxnews

Diabetes: It Is Not About Excess Sugar

 

Most people misconstrue diabetes as a disease of sugar, when in fact; it is a disease of insulin and leptin signaling.

Leptin is a hormone responsible for controlling the appetite and body weight. The brain receives instructions from leptin on when to eat, how much to eat, and when to stop eating. Leptin helps to promote weight loss and prevents obesity caused by excessive eating which is greatly linked to diabetes.

Insulin, on the other hand, is released to direct excess energy into storage each time your blood sugar elevates. Insulin really stores extra energy for future usage rather than lowering blood sugar levels. The lowering of the blood sugar levels is simply a side effect of the energy storage process.

There has been controversy amongst doctors that diabetic treatments focusing merely on lowering blood sugar actually worsen the condition. Some say that taking insulin actually sabotages a patient's recovery because it may just aggravate insulin and leptin resistance over time. A better approach is to re-establish proper leptin and insulin signaling through proper diet.

Types of Diabetes and Its Symptoms

Type 1 diabetes is also known as the "insulin dependent" diabetes. The body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, leading to a complete absence of the hormone insulin. 1 in 250 Americans are affected by Type 1 diabetes.

Approximately, 90 to 95 percent of diabetics are type 2. This is the type of diabetes where the body is still producing insulin but is unable to recognize and use it correctly, making this an advanced stage of insulin-resistance.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes are:

    Excessive thirst
    Nausea and possible vomiting
    Increased fatigue
    Blurred vision
    Frequent infections (skin, urinal, vaginal)
    Extreme hunger (even after eating)
    Unusual weight gain or loss
    Irritability
    Slow healing of wounds
    Numbness or tingling in hands and/or feet

News By vholistics

Reading Better and Faster

 

For most people, it is easy to learn to read faster. Your reading rate is often just a matter of habit. But to begin, you may need to try to change some habits and try these tips:

1. Pay attention when you read and read as if it really matters. Most people read in the same way that they watch television, i.e. in an inattentive, passive way. Reading takes effort and you must make the effort. A wise teacher once told me that you can learn anything if you do three things:

PAY ATTENTION

PAY ATTENTION and

PAY ATTENTION.

There are some simple methods that you can use to pay better attention and get more out of your textbook reading time. Different authors call it different things, but many researchers say that you will improve your comprehension if you somehow "preview" the passage before you actually sit down and read every word.

To do a preview you:

    take 30 to 60 seconds.

    look over the title of the chapter.

    look at all the headings, subheadings and marked, italic or dark print.

    look at any pictures or illustrations, charts or graphs.

    quickly skim over the passage, reading the first and last paragraph and glancing at the first sentence of every other paragraph.

    close the book and ask yourself:

    ---What is the main idea?

    ---What kind of writing is it?

    ---What is the author's purpose?

You might not think that you could possibly answer these questions with so little exposure to the material, but if you do the preview correctly, you should have some very good general ideas. If you have a general idea of what the passage is about before you really read it, you will be able to understand and remember the passage better.

When you finally get to the point where you are actually slowly reading the passage, read in a "questioning" manner -as if you were seaching for something. It sometimes helps if you take the heading or title of a chapter and turn it into a question.

For example, if the heading of a section in the text is "The Causes of the Civil War", take that title and switch it into a question like: "What are the causes of the Civil War?". Now you have a goal; something to look for; something to find out. When you are goal-oriented, you are more likely to reach the goal. At least you'll remember one thing about the text which you have just read.

2. Stop talking to yourself when you read. People talk to themselves in 2 ways, by:

    vocalizing, which is the actual moving of your lips as you read, and

    subvocalizing, which is talking to yourself in your head as you silently read.

Both of these will slow you down to the point in which you find that you can't read any faster than you can speak. Speech is a relatively slow activity; for most, the average speed is about 250 WPM (words per minute).

Reading should be an activity which involves only the eyes and the brain. Vocalization ties reading to actual speaking. Try to think of reading as if you were looking at a landscape, a panorama of ideas, rather than looking at the rocks at your feet.

3. Read in thought groups. Studies have shown that when we read, our eyes must make small stops along the line. Poor readers make many, many more fixations (eyestops) than good readers. Not only does this slow you down, but it inhibits comprehension because meaning is easier to pull from groups of words rather than from individual words or even single letters. Try to read in phrases of three or four words, especially in complete clauses and prepositional phrases. Your mind may internalize them as if the whole phrase is like one big meaning-rich word.

4. Don't keep re-reading the same phrases. Poor readers habitually read and re-read the same phrase over and over again. This habit of making "regressions" doubles or triples reading time and often does not result in better comprehension. A single careful, attentive reading may not be enough for full comprehension, but is often more effective than constant regressions in the middle of a reading. It is best to work on paying closer attention the first time through. Do a preview first before the careful reading and try the tips I mentioned above. You'll remember better without the rereading.

5. Vary your reading rate to suit the difficulty and type of writing of the text. Poor readers always read at the same slow rate. An efficient reader speeds up for easier material and slows down for the hard. Some things were not meant to be read quickly at all. Legal material and very difficult text should be read slowly. Easier material and magazines and newspapers can be read quickly. Poetry and plays were meant to be performed, and if not acted out, then at least, spoken out loud orally. This obviously will conflict with good speed reading method which forbids vocalization. Religious writings and scripture were originally written to be recited and listened to by an audience which was likely to be intelligent, but illiterate. The "fun" of poetry, plays, or prayer is not really experienced if you "speed read" the text.

By Dennis Doyle

President Obama Set to Dedicate D.C. MLK Memorial

 

WASHINGTON –  President Barack Obama is to talk about the slain civil rights leader who gave his life serving others as he helps dedicate the new monument to Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall, joined by Aretha Franklin and poet Nikki Giovanni with thousands looking on Sunday.

The nation's first black president is one of several speakers expected for Sunday's delayed dedication of the 30-foot granite sculpture depicting the late Rev. King, the first monument on the mall in the nation's capital honoring a black leader. A late August dedication ceremony had to be postponed when Hurricane Irene blustered up the East Coast, dumping heavy rain around Washington.

Obama was just 6 years old when King was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., in April 1968. But the president has often talked about the influence that King's life, particularly his commitment to public service, has had on him.

In a 2009 newspaper editorial written just days before his inauguration, Obama wrote that King "lived his life as a servant to others," and urged Americans to follow his example and find ways to enrich other people's lives in their communities.

Valerie Jarrett, a White House senior adviser and friend of the president, said recently that she expects the president's remarks "to come straight from the heart." A four-hour program was expected to include activities starting from about 8 a.m. EDT and including Obama's address before midday.

King's "willingness to sacrifice himself for our country, to fight for a dream he believed in, like justice and equality, really gave a foundation for President Obama becoming the president," Jarrett said.

Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Malia and Sasha paid an advance visit to the memorial Friday evening as journalists were kept back in vans on a service road leading to the site, situated near the Tidal Basin between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.

The sculpture of King, arms crossed, appears to emerge from a stone extracted from a mountain and was fashioned by Chinese artist Lei Yixin. The sculpture depicts King with a stern, enigmatic gaze, wearing a jacket and tie, his arms folded and clutching papers in his left hand.

The memorial's design was inspired by a line from the famous 1963 "Dream" speech delivered during the March on Washington in 1963: "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." King's "Dream" speech during the March on Washington galvanized the civil rights movement.

The sculpture is the centerpiece of the $120 million memorial, which also includes a 450-foot-long granite wall inscribed with 14 quotations from King's speeches and writings. King is the first person who was not a U.S. president to be memorialized on the National Mall.

King's sister Christine King Farris was scheduled to speak during the Sunday morning dedication program, along with his son Martin Luther King III and daughter Bernice King. The choir from King's historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta also was planning to sing.

Giovanni planned to read her poem "In the Spirit of Martin" and Franklin was to sing. A stage for speakers and thousands of folding chairs were set up on a field nearby along with large TV screens.

The dedication had originally been set for Aug. 28, the 48th anniversary of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, when organizers initially had expected as many as 250,000 people in attendance. But organizers hastily postponed that plan, hours ahead of Hurricane Irene.

The hurricane that blew past Washington downed tree branches and knocked out traffic lights around the capital while playing havoc with travel plans along the East Coast. The memorial took on a small amount of water from the Tidal Basin during the storm, but sustained no damage, the National Park Service said.

News By foxnews

Top 10 Beaches In The World.

 

1.       Seychelles

One of the most photographed beaches in the world, the pale pink sands of Anse Source d’Argent unfurls across the island of La Digue, one of the 115 components of this archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The sands sparkle against a backdrop of towering granite boulders, worn by time and weather. The turquoise water is relatively shallow and protected from the ocean’s waves by a reef.

2.       Maldives

Whether your dream beach trip consists of spending a few pampered nights in a four-star resort or swimming among tropical fish some 80 feet (24 meters) underwater, the Maldives are the sort of islands where either—or both—can come true. Straddling the equator southwest of Sri Lanka, the 1,102 islands that make up the Maldives form 26 atolls. The soft air enveloping the archipelago blends into a beautiful palm-fringed haze.

3.       Bora Bora, Tahiti

This is one of the magical islands that make up French Polynesia in the South Pacific. Just 18 miles (29 kilometers) long, this lush little slip of land lies in a protected lagoon edged by white sandy shores, the best being at Matira Point. Bora Bora boasts the nickname the “Romantic Island,” a moniker easy to appreciate with its isolated beaches, intimate hotels, and quiet atmosphere.

4.       The Hamptons, New York

 One of the hip spots for the air-kissing, well-heeled set, the Hamptons boast some of the prettiest beaches on Long Island. The unspoiled shoreline begins around Southampton and runs east to the end of the island at Montauk. Windswept dunes and waving grasses border the Atlantic Ocean.

5.       Lanikai Beach, Hawaii

Half a mile of sparkling sand, palm trees swaying over a white beach, lush tropical plants, and endless sunshine make Lanikai one of Hawaii’s most scenic beaches. The shore is protected by a nearby coral reef, which keeps the surf relatively calm. The water is always deep green and postcard-perfect.

6.       Nantucket Island, Massachusetts

 The most popular beaches on this island in the North Atlantic are Surfside and Children’s. The waters here are relatively calm, and there’s plenty of sand to use for sunbathing or castle-building. Madaket Beach is known for its rougher surf and not-to-be-missed sunsets. Quidnet Beach provides great views of Sankaty Head lighthouse.

7.       Fraser Island, Australia

Perched on the sunny Queensland coast 161 miles (259 kilometers) northeast of Brisbane, Fraser Island is the world’s largest sand island and home to a wonderful beach. This World Heritage Site is an ecologist’s dream, with 640 square miles (1,664 square kilometers) of unspoiled natural paradise. Rain forests with 1,000-year-old trees sprout from the sand. Lodgings here accommodate a wide range of tourists, from the backpacking ecology lover to pampered resort fans.

8.       St. Bart's

One of many islands in the Caribbean Sea, St. Bart’s stands out with its blend of French chic and island relaxation. With beautiful secluded beaches, fine French cuisine, and gracious hotels, this tropical playground is popular with the Jet Set. The 8-mile-long (13-kilometer-long) island is edged by 20 beaches and small coves for swimmers and sunbathers, with sparkling water and white sand.

9.       Langkawi, Malaysia

The name “Langkawi” translates into “the land of one’s wishes,” a welcoming concept that somewhat belies the island’s historic origins as a reputed refuge for pirates. Langkawi has since become a modern hideaway for the traveler seeking an escape. If your vacation wishes extend from uncrowded white sands and clear waters to lush green forests, you will find yourself content here. Datai Bay, located on Pulau Langkawi, is a heavenly retreat on the Andaman Sea.

10.   Kauna'oa Bay, Hawaii

Located on the Kohala Coast of the Aloha State’s Big Island, Kauna’oa Bay is the quintessential Hawaiian spot. The 0.25-mile-long (0.4-kilometer-long), crescent-shaped beach has plenty of white sand, palm trees, and calm, clear, blue water. In addition to swimming and sunbathing, beachgoers here can snorkel or ride boogie boards. (Be careful swimming, however, because there are no lifeguards on this public beach.) At night, nestle into the sands and peer out into the water to see if you can catch a glimpse of manta rays swimming.

News By nationalgeographic.

Top US universities in world rankings-2011/2012

 

 No.1: Harvard University

Second in the world rankings behind Cambridge, Harvard is the oldest and most prestigious university in the US. The private Ivy League university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has educated eight US presidents, including Barack Obama, and more than sixty living billionaires. Unsurprisingly, Harvard receives the largest financial endowment of any academic institution in the world, standing at more than £17 billion in 2010. Students pay yearly tuition fees of approximately £25,000.

No.2: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Situated in the same city as Harvard, MIT is ranked as the third best university in the world and has recently been responsible for leading a NASA planetary spacecraft mission to map the moon's gravitational field. Fees at the private research university are in line with Harvard, and like Harvard it boasts a thriving entrepreneurial culture. According to reports, if aggregated revenues of companies founded by MIT alumni were combined, it would become the eleventh largest economy in the world.

No.3: Yale University
Yale is the third oldest university in the US and once penalised students for cardplaying and tavern-going. Much has changed, and Yale is now regarded as a liberal, forward-thinking university with a student body deriving from a variety of ethnic, national and socio-economic backgrounds, and promotes an open campus for the gay community. The university's motto is 'Light and Truth', while its mascot is called Handsome Dan, a bulldog bought by English student Andrew Graves from a New Haven blacksmith in 1989.

No.4: University of Chicago
The University of Chicago was ranked eighth in this year's world rankings, directly below UK universities UCL, Imperial and Oxford. It was established in 1890 with a donation from oil magnate John D. Rockfeller and is considered one of the most intellectual US universities. A fairly small institution with approximately 5,000 undergraduates, it charges some of the highest fees at approximately £27,500 a year

No.5: University of Pennsylvania
Commonly referred to as Penn or UPenn, the University of Pennsylvania is America's fourth oldest and ranked 9th in the world. Founded by Benjamin Franklin, its notable alumni include one US president, nine heads of state and approximately 20 billionaires. For nearly 150 years Penn's motto read Sine Moribus Vanae, which when pointed out that it could be interpreted as "loose women without morals" was changed to Leges Sine Moribus Vanae or "laws without morals are useless". The picture shows early Penn veterinary students watching their teacher perform a difficult operation. The hunting horse was suffering from a chronic cough caused by a dysfunction of the larynx

No.6: Columbia University
The fifth oldest university in the US, Columbia University closes out the world's top ten universities and is famed for educating three US presidents and 27 heads of state. It is linked to more Nobel Prize winners than any other academic institution, has a renowned journalism course and is responsible each year for handing out the Pulitzer Prize. It shares the same high costs as Chicago, charging students approximately £27,500 each year. In 2007, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was controversially invited to speak on campus, an opportunity he seized to defend Iran's nuclear programme, deny the presence of homosexuality in Iran, attack US foreign policy, question the historical accuracy of the Holocaust and fuel 9/11 conspiracy theories by raising questions as to the identity of the real perpetrators. The speech was televised worldwide, protestors descended on the campus en masse and an estimated 2,500 graduates turned out for the lecture.

No.7: Stanford University
Stanford is a major research university that focuses on computer science, maths and natural and social sciences. Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page (pictured) studied there, as did Hewlett-Packard bods William Hewlett and David Packard. It came 11th in world rankings. Unexpectedly for such a tech-minded institute, Stanford athletes won eight golds and 17 other medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing - more than any other US university

No.8: California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Located in Pasadena, California, CalTech is a small university by US standards with approximately 1,000 students who each pay in the region of £24,000 a year. The university specialises in science and engineering and trusts its students to the point where departments allow students to sit their exams at home. CalTech came 12th in global university rankings.

No.9: Princeton University
Students at Princeton University traditionally gather at midnight at the end of each term, one day before the deadline for all written work is due and let out a collective scream to relieve the stress of their hard work. Students at the New Jersey-based university pay £22,000 each year in fees

No.10: University of Michigan
Michigan is a large, four-year research university with more than 25,000 undergraduates, 15,000 postgraduates and 20,965 acres in total campus space in the university town of Ann Arbor. Ranked 14th in the world, Michigan is cheap by American standards, with fees capped at £7,500 for US students and £11,000 for overseas.

The QS World University Rankings 2011/2012 is drawn from surveys of over 33,000 global academics and 16,000 graduate employers and based on research teaching, employability and internationalisation
News By educatenepal.

Google Blows Away 3Q Earnings Expectations

Google blasted Wall Street’s expectations for the third quarter, as earnings and revenue came in well ahead of estimates.

The tech behemoth weighed in with net income of $2.73 billion, or $8.33 a share, up from year-ago profit of $2.17 billion, or $6.72 per share. On an adjusted basis, net income improved to $3.63 billion, or $9.72 cents a share, compared with profit of $2.93 billion, or $7.64 a share, in the third quarter of 2010.

Revenue rose 33% to $9.72 billion. Net revenue, or revenue without traffic acquisition costs, increased to $7.51 billion from $5.48 billion in the year-ago quarter.

The results easily topped estimates. The Street had predicted adjusted earnings of $8.74 a share on net revenue of $7.2 billion. Google also topped the whisper number, or unofficial expectation for earnings of $8.74 per share, in-line with consensus estimates, according to WhisperNumber.com

"We had a great quarter," said Larry Page, CEO of Google, in a statement. "Revenue was up 33% year on year and our quarterly revenue was just short of $10 billion.”

Page also went on to boast that the company’s social networking site, Google+, recently saw its number of users surpass the 40 million mark.

Aggregate paid clicks rose 28% in the third quarter, compared with 13% in the second quarter of 2011, while the average cost-per-click increased 5%, compared to a 5% decrease in the previous quarter.

The company is also adding to its headcount; as of Sept. 30, the company employed 31,353 full-time workers, up from 28,768 full-time employees on June 30.

Shares of Google rose $10.49 or nearly 2% in Thursday’s trading session, finishing the day at $558.99 a share. In after-hours trading, the stock was up more than 5%, or $29 a share.

News by Foxnews

Weather Summary For Asia & USA

Weather Underground Forecast for Friday, October 14, 2011.

Asia

Tropical Depression Banyan will continue trekking away from the Philippines on Friday. A deep trough of low pressure will dig into southeastern China and allow Banyan to veer northwestward throughout the day. As this system progresses, slow intensification is anticipated as it moves into more favorable conditions of the the South China Sea. Banyan should reach tropical storm strength by early Saturday morning with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph and higher gusts. This system is expected to veer westward toward Vietnam on Sunday. For more information on Banyan.

Outside the tropics, a cold front will bring more active weather to southern Japan as it advances toward the Ryukyu Islands, Kyushu, Shikoku and southern Honshu. A wave of low pressure along the northern end of this front will enhance precipitation in southern Honshu and spark scattered thunderstorms as well. Only a slight dip in temperatures are expected with the passing of this system during the weekend. 

In China, low pressure may kick up a few spotty showers in the northeastern provinces of the nation, while showers along the southeastern coast ease away throughout the day. 

For Australia, a trough of low pressure will move into Queensland and New South Wales with showers and chances of thunderstorms. Active weather will continue along these coastal areas through the weekend. Meanwhile, hot weather will continue in the northern tier of the nation as a warmer airmass settles over the region. Temperatures are expected to reach into the lower 100s(F)/near 40(C) through much of the weekend.

USA

The Eastern US will remain wet on Friday as a trough of low pressure strengthens over the Great Lakes. Flow around this system will continue pushing a cold front eastward, starting the day over the Appalachians and moving offshore by evening. The northern edge of this front will linger over the Northeast and continue triggering widespread scattered showers throughout the day. At the same time, the back side of this system will continue to push a few disturbances through the Great Lakes. Thus, the storms in the Southeast will taper off by evening, but persist for the Great Lakes, Midwest, and Northeast. Rainfall totals will range from 0.5 to 1 inch across the Northeast. 

Behind this system, a ridge of high pressure will remain the dominant weather feature for the West Coast, Rocky Mountains, and Plains. The leading edge of this system will create some strong winds for the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, due to the change from low to high pressure. Expect winds to vary around 20 mph, with gusts between 30 and 35 mph. A gradual warming trend will accompany this system. 

In the Northwest, a weak trough of low pressure moves eastward over the Northern Rockies from the Pacific Northwest. Expect scattered rain showers with snow showers at the highest peaks.

NEWS BY wund

Free Trade

For more than two centuries economists have steadfastly promoted free trade among nations as the best trade policy. Despite this intellectual barrage, many “practical” men and women continue to view the case for free trade skeptically, as an abstract argument made by ivory tower economists with, at most, one foot on terra firma. These practical people “know” that our vital industries must be protected from foreign competition.

The divergence between economists’ beliefs and those of (even well-educated) men and women on the street seems to arise in making the leap from individuals to nations. In running our personal affairs, virtually all of us exploit the advantages of free trade and comparative advantage without thinking twice. For example, many of us have our shirts laundered at professional cleaners rather than wash and iron them ourselves. Anyone who advised us to “protect” ourselves from the “unfair competition” of low-paid laundry workers by doing our own wash would be thought looney. Common sense tells us to make use of companies that specialize in such work, paying them with money we earn doing something we do better. We understand intuitively that cutting ourselves off from specialists can only lower our standard of living.

Adam Smith ’s insight was that precisely the same logic applies to nations. Here is how he put it in 1776:

It is the maxim of every prudent master of a family, never to attempt to make at home what it will cost him more to make than to buy.. . . If a foreign country can supply us with a commodity cheaper than we ourselves can make it, better buy it of them with some part of the produce of our own industry, employed in a way in which we have some advantage.

Spain, South Korea, and a variety of other countries manufacture shoes more cheaply than America can. They offer them for sale to us. Shall we buy them, as we buy the services of laundry workers, with money we earn doing things we do well—like writing computer software and growing wheat? Or shall we keep “cheap foreign shoes” out and purchase more expensive American shoes instead? It is pretty clear that the nation as a whole must be worse off if foreign shoes are kept out—even though the American shoe industry will be better off.

Most people accept this argument. But they worry about what happens if another country—say, China—can make everything, or almost everything, cheaper than we can. Will free trade with China then lead to unemployment for American workers, who will find themselves unable to compete with cheaper Chinese labor? The answer (see comparative advantage), which was provided by david ricardo in 1810, is no. To see why, let us once again appeal to our personal affairs.

Some lawyers are better typists than their secretaries. Should such a lawyer fire his secretary and do his own typing? Not likely. Though the lawyer may be better than the secretary at both arguing cases and typing, he will fare better by concentrating his energies on the practice of law and leaving the typing to a secretary. Such specialization not only makes the economy more efficient but also gives both lawyer and secretary productive work to do.

The same idea applies to nations. Suppose the Chinese could manufacture everything more cheaply than we can—which is certainly not true. Even in this worst-case scenario, there will of necessity be some industries in which China has an overwhelming cost advantage (say, toys) and others in which its cost advantage is slight (say, computers). Under free trade the United States will produce most of the computers, China will produce most of the toys, and the two nations will trade. The two countries, taken together, will get both products cheaper than if each produced them at home to meet all of its domestic needs. And, what is also important, workers in both countries will have jobs.

Many people are skeptical about this argument for the following reason. Suppose the average American worker earns twenty dollars per hour while the average Chinese worker earns just two dollars per hour. Won’t free trade make it impossible to defend the higher American wage? Won’t there instead be a leveling down until, say, both American and Chinese workers earn eleven dollars per hour? The answer, once again, is no. And specialization is part of the reason.

If there were only one industry and occupation in which people could work, then free trade would indeed force American wages close to Chinese levels if Chinese workers were as good as Americans. But modern economies are composed of many industries and occupations. If America concentrates its employment where it does best, there is no reason why American wages cannot remain far above Chinese wages for a long time—even though the two nations trade freely. A country’s wage level depends fundamentally on the productivity of its labor force, not on its trade policy. As long as American workers remain more skilled and better educated, work with more capital, and use superior technology, they will continue to earn higher wages than their Chinese counterparts. If and when these advantages end, the wage gap will disappear. Trade is a mere detail that helps ensure that American labor is employed where, in Adam Smith’s phrase, it has some advantage.

Those who are still not convinced should recall that China’s trade surplus with the United States has been widening precisely as the wage gap between the two countries, while still huge, has been narrowing. If cheap Chinese labor was stealing American jobs, why did the theft intensify as the wage gap fell? The answer, of course, is that Chinese productivity was growing at enormous rates. The remarkable upward march of Chinese productivity both raised Chinese wages relative to American wages and turned China into a world competitor. To think that we can forestall the inevitable by closing our borders is to participate in a cruel self-deception. Nor should there be any worry about failing to forestall the inevitable. The fact that another country becomes wealthier does not mean that Americans must become poorer.

Americans should appreciate the benefits of free trade more than most people, for we inhabit the greatest free-trade zone in the world. Michigan manufactures cars; New York provides banking; Texas pumps oil and gas. The fifty states trade freely with one another, and that helps them all enjoy great prosperity. Indeed, one reason why the United States did so much better economically than Europe for more than two centuries is that America had free movement of goods and services while the European countries “protected” themselves from their neighbors. To appreciate the magnitudes involved, try to imagine how much your personal standard of living would suffer if you were not allowed to buy any goods or services that originated outside your home state.

A slogan occasionally seen on bumper stickers argues, “Buy American, save your job.” This is grossly misleading for two main reasons. First, the costs of saving jobs in this particular way are enormous. Second, it is doubtful that any jobs are actually saved in the long run.

Many estimates have been made of the cost of “saving jobs” by protectionism. While the estimates differ widely across industries, they are almost always much larger than the wages of the protected workers. For example, one study in the early 1990s estimated that U.S. consumers paid $1,285,000 annually for each job in the luggage industry that was preserved by barriers to imports, a sum that greatly exceeded the average earnings of a luggage worker. That same study estimated that restricting foreign imports cost $199,000 annually for each textile worker’s job that was saved, $1,044,000 for each softwood lumber job saved, and $1,376,000 for every job saved in the benzenoid chemical industry. Yes, $1,376,000 a year!

While Americans may be willing to pay a price to save jobs, spending such enormous sums is plainly irrational. If you doubt that, imagine making the following offer to any benzenoid chemical worker who lost his job to foreign competition: we will give you severance pay of $1,376,000—not annually, but just once—in return for a promise never to seek work in the industry again. Can you imagine any worker turning down the offer? Is that not sufficient evidence that our present method of saving jobs is mad?

But the situation is actually worse, for a little deeper thought leads us to question whether any jobs are really saved overall. It is more likely that protectionist policies save some jobs by jeopardizing others. Why? First, protecting one American industry from foreign competition imposes higher costs on others. For example, quotas on imports of semiconductors sent the prices of memory chips skyrocketing in the 1980s, thereby damaging the computer industry. Steel quotas force U.S. automakers to pay more for materials, making them less competitive.

Second, efforts to protect favored industries from foreign competition may induce reciprocal actions in other countries, thereby limiting American access to foreign markets. In that case, export industries pay the price for protecting import-competing industries.

Third, there are the little-understood, but terribly important, effects of trade barriers on the value of the dollar. If we successfully restrict imports, Americans will spend less on foreign goods. With fewer dollars offered for sale on the world’s currency markets, the value of the dollar will rise relative to that of other currencies. At that point unprotected industries will start to suffer because a higher dollar makes U.S. goods less competitive in world markets. Once again, America’s ability to export is harmed.

On balance the conclusion seems clear and compelling: while protectionism is sold as job saving, it probably really amounts to job swapping. It protects jobs in some industries only by destroying jobs in others.

By Alan S. Blinder.

Iranian plot to kill Saudi ambassador thwarted, U.S. officials say

Washington (CNN) -- U.S. agents disrupted an Iranian assassination-for-hire scheme targeting Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

Elements of the Iranian government directed the alleged plan, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said.

A naturalized U.S. citizen holding Iranian and U.S. passports and a member of Iran's Revolutionary Guard face conspiracy charges connected with the plot.

"In addition to holding these individual conspirators accountable for their alleged role in this plot, the United States is committed to holding Iran accountable for its actions," Holder said.

A spokesman for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad described the accusations as a "fabrication" by U.S. authorities attempting to distract American citizens.

"They want to take the public's mind off the serious domestic problems they're facing these days and scare them with fabricated problems outside the country," spokesman Ali Akbar Javanfekr said.

The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington thanked U.S. authorities for stepping in.
"The attempted plot is a despicable violation of international norms, standards and conventions and is not in accord with the principles of humanity," the embassy said in a written statement.

The Saudi ambassador was not the only intended target, U.S. officials said. The suspects also discussed attacking Israeli and Saudi embassies in Washington and possibly Buenos Aires, Argentina, a senior U.S. official said.

It is unclear why the Saudi ambassador was targeted, the official said, or how widespread knowledge or approval of the plot was within Ahmadinejad's government.

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, later said he was confident the plan was sanctioned by top Iranian officials.

"The quickness of the decisions that were made in order for certain elements of this to fall into place tells us that it is clearly tied to the highest levels of the Iranian government," he said.

Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, and Gholam Shakuri, an Iran-based member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are accused of conspiracy to murder a foreign official, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism, the FBI said.

Arbabsiar was arrested in September. Shakuri remains at large, the bureau said.

The two were in a group that began planning this spring to kill Saudi Ambassador Adel Al-Jubeir, it said.

Authorities developed the case against them with the help of an undercover informant posing as an associate of a Mexican drug cartel, according to officials and an FBI agent's affidavit released Tuesday.
Arbabsiar and the undercover informant allegedly discussed using explosives to kill the ambassador and possibly attacking a crowded restaurant, according to the affidavit.

The informant named $1.5 million as his price, it said. Arbabsiar allegedly sent $100,000 intended as a down payment, telling the informant his "cousin" had deep pockets, court documents said.

"This is politics, OK? ... It's not like, eh, personal," Arbabsiar told the informant in a secretly recorded meeting in Mexico on July 17, the affidavit alleges.

According to the affidavit, Arbabsiar said his cousin had "the government behind him. ... He's not paying from his pocket."

The alleged scheme involved the Quds Force, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard that is suspected of being involved in a number of foreign operations, court documents and U.S. officials said.
U.S. officials accuse the Quds Force of sponsoring attacks against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq, the affidavit released Tuesday said. In October 2007, the Treasury Department designated it as "providing material to the Taliban and other terrorist organizations."

Mohammad Khazaee, Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations, said Tuesday night that he was "shocked to hear such a big lie," claiming the chain of events outlined by U.S. authorities was an "insult to the common sense" of people everywhere.

In a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday night, Khazaee decried the United States' "warmongering and propaganda machine against Iran," which he said threatened stability and peace in the Persian Gulf.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly and categorically rejects these fabricated and baseless allegations, based on the suspicious claims by an individual," he wrote.

The alleged plot read "like the pages of a Hollywood script," but the implications were real, FBI Director Robert Mueller said.

"This case illustrates that we live in a world where borders and boundaries are increasingly irrelevant -- a world where individuals from one country sought to conspire with a drug-trafficking cartel in another country to assassinate a foreign official on United States soil," he said.

Cooperation with the Mexican government played a key role in the investigation, U.S. officials said.

U.S. authorities arranged with Mexican officials for Arbabsiar to be denied entry into Mexico, a senior counterterrorism official said.

From there, he was placed on an airplane to New York, where U.S. agents interrogated him for 12 days, obtained a confession and compiled dozens of intelligence reports, the official said.

Investigators have directly linked the plot to Iran's elite Quds Force but have not directly linked it with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the senior counterterrorism official said.

But even as authorities worked to determine how widespread the Iranian government's involvement was, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that additional actions to further isolate the Iranian regime would be considered.

Senior Obama administration officials emphasized that the United States would pursue non-military responses.

A U.S. official said Tuesday that the United States will be taking up the issue with the U.N. Security Council and other members of the international community, the official said.

How should the U.S. respond?

Shortly after U.S. authorities released details of the accusations Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions targeting Arbabsiar, Shakuri and three others tied to the alleged plot.

Often considered regional rivals, the oil-rich Saudi kingdom has long been at odds with Iran.

Iran and Saudi Arabia's rocky relations

The country's Sunni leaders have at times discussed directly intervening in Iraq following the U.S. military withdrawal, according to a Council on Foreign Relations report. Iran has largely supported Shiite militias in Iraq.

A spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry said Tuesday's U.S. allegations were baseless, noting that Iran's relations with Saudi Arabia are "based on mutual respect," the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

"Making such false allegations will not get anywhere and will not influence public opinion," said spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, according to Mehr.

But Saudi security forces are now concerned that Iran may try to stir unrest during the upcoming hajj pilgrimage season in Saudi Arabia, said a senior Saudi adviser not authorized to speak to the media.

"We are on our toes. We expect the worst and we think Iranians are capable of using any person from any country to stir trouble during hajj season," the Saudi adviser said.

News by CNN