BT seeks freeze on piracy cases

4 October 2010 Last updated at 14:17 ET By Jonathan Fildes Technology reporter, BBC News

BT is seeking a moratorium on legal applications to obtain details of its customers who are alleged to have illegally shared files online.

The firm outlined its stance following a high-profile data breach at London law firm ACS:Law last week.

The leak saw thousands of customers' details from various ISPs - including BT-owned PlusNet - published online.

BT said that it wanted a temporary halt on all new and existing applications until a "test case" could be heard.

It was originally to be heard today but was adjourned until 11 January 2011 following a hearing at London's High Court.

"This will be a test case for ISPs," a legal representative of BT told BBC News.

The case involves lawyers from law firm Gallant Macmillan, who are seeking a court order to obtain the names and addresses of a "large number" of broadband users from PlusNet, BSkyB and Be Internet suspected of illegally downloading and sharing music from the nightclub and record label Ministry of Sound.

BSKyB were not represented at today's hearing.

BT lawyers asked for the adjournment, saying that the firm needed to see details of the security system that would be used to store its customers' data before it could comply with any order.

PlusNet faced criticism last week after it emerged that it had sent the personal details of more than 500 customers in an unencrypted document to ACS:Law, following a court order. Experts have said it could put BT in breach of the Data Protection Act.

The firm admitted that it had asked for the adjournment partly as a response to the leaks.

However, it also said that it had gradually been "ramping up its requirements" of firms trying to obtain its customers' details.

"The incident involving the ACS:Law data leak has further damaged people's confidence in the current process," a spokesman said.

"We want to ensure broadband subscribers are adequately protected so that rights holders can pursue their claims for copyright infringement without causing unnecessary worry to innocent people.

"We have not simply consented to these orders in the past, we have asked for stricter terms as public concern has risen. The data leak with ACS:Law prompted us to take further action today."

The leak occurred after users of the notorious message board 4chan launched a targeted "denial of service" on ACS:Law for its anti-piracy activities.

The company's e-mail database and a series of internal documents were published online in the process of restoring the website.

Complaints

The attack was the latest in a series of assaults aimed at crippling the websites of firms and organisations involved in anti-piracy efforts, known as Operation Payback.

Over the weekend, the website of the Ministry of Sound was taken offline by the group.

ACS:Law has made a business out of sending thousands of letters to alleged net pirates, asking them to pay compensation of about �300 per infringement or face court.

The BBC has been contacted by a number of people saying they were wrongly accused by the firm. UK consumer group Which? also says it has also received a number of complaints.

ACS:Law is under investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority over its role in sending letters to alleged pirates.

No case has ever come to court.

Lawyers from Gallant Macmillan distanced themselves from ACS:Law and the data breaches. They said they intended to press ahead with their "legitimate attempts to enforce the legitimate rights" of the Ministry of Sound against alleged file-sharers.

A representative of the firm told the hearing that it "fully intends to litigate" against alleged file-sharers if it is granted the court order forcing BT and other ISPs to hand over the details of their customers.

It also asked for some details of the January case to be conducted in private to protect details of the security measures used to protect customer details, and because any revelations would "only give traction to the kind of attacks recently seen [on ACS:Law]".

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Warcraft expansion gets debut day

4 October 2010 Last updated at 12:33 ET

World of Warcraft's third expansion will be released on 7 December.

Blizzard, creator of the hugely successful online game, confirmed the date as rumours of a December release swirled around the internet.

The expansion will re-make some of the original territories of the Warcraft world and introduce two new races.

It will also overhaul some of the basic mechanics of the game and give players a chance to make their characters even more powerful.

World of Warcraft (WoW) is an online game in which players create characters, such as warriors, warlocks and shaman, who they then take on adventures to gather loot and items to make the avatars more powerful. WoW is among the most successful of the so-called massively multi-player online games.

The expansion - called Cataclysm - will be available worldwide on 7 December and players will be able to buy it in shops or download it from the Blizzard store. The retail price for the expansion will be 34.99 euros (�30). A collector's edition will also be available only in shops for 69.99 euros (�60).

As the name of the add-on implies, Cataclysm will make big changes to Azeroth - the world in which the game is set. These changes are caused by the return of a dragon called Deathwing.

The expansion will also raise the level cap to 85 from 80 and introduce the goblin and worgen playable races to WoW.

To get at the content in Cataclysm, players must already have an up to date copy of World of Warcraft. Earlier expansions for WoW were the Burning Crusade in January 2007 and The Wrath of the Lich King in November 2008.

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London tube strike disrupts British capital

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Mon, Oct 4 11:18 PM

Enlarge Photo Commuters wait for buses outside King's Cross railway station during a 24 hour underground strike...

Londoners struggled to and from work on Monday after a strike on the underground rail network, but transport bosses said the action had not brought the city to a halt.

The strike by up to 10,000 staff was the second walk out in a month in a dispute over plans to cut 800 jobs at station ticket offices, which network bosses say are becoming irrelevant as more people use pre-paid passes and self-service machines.

Britain could face an increase in industrial unrest as deep spending cuts planned by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition to curb a record peacetime budget deficit bite.

Most lines on the 140-year-old network, which carries more than one billion passengers a year, suffered problems because of the action which began late on Sunday, the second of four planned 24-hour walkouts.

Struggling commuters had little sympathy with the striking rail workers, while the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry lobby group called the strike a "shameless political game".

"There's no need for ticket offices. A lot of people are losing their jobs these days ... We used to have bus conductors years ago. How is this any different?" said university administrator Roger Law, 54, as he waited for a bus in the rain.

London Underground (LU) bosses said 40 percent of services had operated. "The unions have once again failed to bring London to a halt," Howard Collins, LU's Chief Operating Officer.

"Although most Londoners will have experienced some disruption ... together with additional bus and river services, we have kept London moving."

Speaking at the Conservatives' annual conference in Birmingham, London Mayor Boris Johnson called the underground stoppage "blatantly political", and said 3,000 people should not be able "to hold a city to ransom".

He was referring to the number of Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members who voted in the strike ballot. Some 1,200 members of the white collar TSSA union also voted on whether to walk out.

CHANGE BALLOT LAW?

Johnson urged the government to consider a law requiring a minimum 50 percent participation in a strike ballot.

The Confederation of British Industry business lobby group also called for Britain's industrial relations laws to be updated, saying unions should give more notice of strikes and workers should be able to hear both sides of the argument.

The RMT said about 40 to 45 percent of their members voted, a turnout the union said was more than that required of local council and parliamentary votes.

Union chiefs said they wanted talks with Johnson, and would suspend strike action while discussions were ongoing. However, the unions have refused to resume negotiations as long as a proposal to cut 800 jobs remains.

"We will not withdraw our proposals, but we will listen to any specific safety concerns," said Mike Brown, LU managing director.

The unions plan two more 24-hour walkouts, on Nov. 2 and Nov. 28, if the dispute is not resolved and a ban on overtime remains in place.

(Additional reporting by Kylie MacLellan, Adrian Croft, Estelle Shirbon and Michael Holden; Editing by Diana Abdallah)

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NATO calls on Pakistan to open border for supplies

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Mon, Oct 4 11:05 PM

Brussels, Oct 4 (IANS) NATO Monday expressed regrets for the death of three Pakistani soldiers killed in its cross-border helicopter raid against Taliban militants and asked Pakistan to open the border for supplies as soon as possible.

The Pakistani government Thursday shut down one of the most heavily used supply routes for NATO convoys in retaliation for the increasing number of attacks by US-led NATO forces on targets in the border region with Pakistan that serve as a base for militant groups in Afghanistan.

'Obviously, it was unintended. We have to make sure we improve coordination between our militaries and our Pakistani partners,' NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement after meeting Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

'There is a joint investigation underway. We will determine what happened, and draw the right lessons,' EuAsia News quoted Rasmussen as saying.

'It is important that we step up our cooperation in the border region. We must together prevent militants from crossing the border to attack and kill Afghans and international soldiers,' Rasmussen added.

Rasmussen expressed hope that the border will be open for supplies as soon as possible. 'The foreign minister committed work on that, for which I am grateful,' the NATO chief said.

Qureshi is in the Belgian capital to attend the 8th Asia-Europe (ASEM) summit.

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EU eyes new motorcycle rules to cut deaths, pollution

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Mon, Oct 4 09:00 PM

The European Commission wants European motorbikes to come with advanced braking systems, cleaner engines and daytime headlights from 2013 as part of a phased crackdown on road deaths and pollution.

EU Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani presented proposals on the new set of standards on Monday. They must be debated and approved by EU member countries before becoming law.

"We will considerably increase the safety of these vehicles and reduce their harmful emissions," he said.

Europe's motorcycle industry employs about 150,000 workers and includes brands such as Italy's Ducati and Germany's BMW.

The sector has been hit hard by the economic crisis, with sales about one third below pre-crisis levels, so industry body ACEM called for costly regulations to be phased in slowly.

"Competitiveness should have been more at the core of this document," said ACEM president Stefan Pierer.

Around 90 percent of manufacturing takes place in France, Italy, and Spain, including in some of Europe's worst-hit regions.

Toxic emissions from mopeds and motorbikes, such as nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons, are to be tackled from 2014 onwards. The Commmission's proposals do not currently foresee a cap on the main gas blamed for climate change, carbon dioxide.

Instead it wants manufacturers to start reporting CO2 output and fuel efficiency from 2013 -- a typical first step that comes before a green labelling system to help consumers make fuel efficient choices.

The Commission dropped earlier suggestions that the power of motorcycles be capped, saying there was insufficient evidence that high powered motorbikes were more dangerous.

Medium- and high-performance bikes will have to be fitted with anti-lock braking systems to minimise skidding during emergency braking. Lower performance bikes will also face braking standards.

Over 5,500 motorcyclists died in 2008, at a rate 18 times greater than for car passengers. Every year in the EU between 30,000 and 72,000 motorcycle riders suffer a serious injury.

(Reporting by Pete Harrison; editing by Noah Barkin)

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U.S. airlines see no impact from attack alert

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Mon, Oct 4 09:52 PM

U.S. airlines on Monday said their flights and schedules were unaffected after the U.S. State Department issued an alert a day earlier to warn American tourists of the potential for attacks by al-Qaeda and other groups in Europe.

"Our flights in and out of Europe are continuing as scheduled, and at this time we don't foresee any changes to our operation," a spokeswoman for Delta Air Lines said.

An American Airlines spokesman said there has been no impact on the carrier's 40 round-trip daily flights between the United States and Europe.

United Airlines, which has about 30 daily flights to Europe, said its schedule was normal.

The U.S. alert urged travelers to take precautions when they travel. The threat that prompted the State Department's alert was outlined last week in media reports, which said militants were plotting coordinated attacks on European cities.

U.S. airline shares were broadly weaker on Monday with the Arca airline index down 1.52 percent.

(Reporting by Kyle Peterson and Karen Jacobs. Editing by Robert MacMillan)

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S.Africa charges Nigeria militant Okah over bombing

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Mon, Oct 4 07:02 PM

Enlarge Photo Security and rescue officials gather at the scene of a bomb blast in Abuja October...

South African prosecutors brought terrorism charges against Nigerian militant leader Henry Okah on Monday for deadly bomb blasts in the Nigerian capital.

Two car bombs exploded near a parade in Abuja marking Nigeria's 50th anniversary of independence on Friday, killing at least 10 people and injuring 36, according to police.

Prosecutors at a court in Johannesburg charged Okah, who lives in South Africa, with conspiracy to commit a terrorist act and the detonation of explosive devices in Abuja. His lawyer denied his involvement.

"The accused is linked to the bombing that took place in Abuja," said Hein Louw, the magistrate overseeing the court proceeding.

The attacks were claimed by Nigeria's main militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

Security experts believe Okah -- who accepted a government amnesty last year after gun-running and treason charges against him were dropped -- was at one time the brains behind MEND, although he has denied ever being its leader.

Nigeria's secret service said it had made nine arrests.

"They all have direct links with Henry Okah, the incident and some unscrupulous prominent elements in society," Nigerian State Security Service (SSS) spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar told a news conference in Abuja.

She said the SSS had foiled a larger plot to detonate at least six car bombs in the "three-arm zone" made up of the presidential villa, parliament and the Supreme Court just days before last Friday's attacks.

"The despicable act of terrorism which eventually took place on Oct. 1 was planned for Wednesday Sept. 29 but was foiled as soon as information was received during the early hours of Sept. 28," SSS spokeswoman Marilyn Ogar told a news conference.

"The over-riding objective of the group was to scare foreign visitors from attending the 50th anniversary celebrations."

"UNPATRIOTIC ELEMENTS"

A MEND statement signed Jomo Gbomo -- the pseudonym used by the group to claim previous attacks on Nigeria's oil industry -- was emailed to media warning the area should be evacuated an hour before the Abuja bombs went off.

But Jonathan said investigations had revealed MEND members knew nothing about the attacks and they had been carried out by a small group based outside Nigeria, sponsored by "unpatriotic elements within the country".

Jonathan's special adviser on the Niger Delta, Timi Alaibe, was quoted on Sunday as saying MEND's leaders were cooperating with the government and that Okah was using the group's name.

"Everyone in the structure knows Jomo Gbomo is Henry Okah. There is no MEND sitting anywhere in any camp. It's all Henry Okah, through and through," he was quoted as saying by the This Day newspaper.

MEND carried out attacks on oilfields and pipelines in the Niger Delta, home to Africa's biggest oil and gas industry, for years until accepting an amnesty in 2009.

It has said it is fighting for a fairer share of the natural wealth for the vast wetlands region, whose villages remain mired in poverty despite five decades of crude oil extraction.

At its peak, the insecurity in the Niger Delta was costing the OPEC member nation -- which vies with Angola as Africa's biggest oil producer -- $1 billion a month in lost revenues, according to the country's central bank.

But MEND has been severely weakened since its leaders and thousands of gunmen accepted late President Umaru Yar'Adua's amnesty offer last year and disarmed. It is unclear who is running the group now.

(Additional reporting by Felix Onuah in Abuja; Writing by Jon Herskovitz and Nick Tattersall; Editing by Giles Elgood)

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Lula&#39;s allies to have majority in Brazilian Senate

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Mon, Oct 4 09:42 PM

Brasilia, Oct 4 (DPA) The coalition that backs Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is set to have a two-thirds majority in the Senate in January.

Lula's Workers' Party (PT) and its allies are to get 55 Senate seats - up from their current 39, while the opposition goes from 33 down to 22 seats and independents shrink from 10 to four, according to a vote count from Sunday's legislative election.

Lula's allies swept the board Sunday: Of 54 Senate seats at stake in the election, they got 40.

The leftist PT, also the party of Dilma Rousseff - the favourite in the race to succeed Lula - increased its own share from 11 to 15 senators. It is set to be the second-largest in the upper house of the Brazilian Congress, behind its main ally, the centrist Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (PMDB), with 20 seats.

The opposition led by the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy (PSDB), whose presidential candidate Jose Serra managed to hold Rousseff to a runoff, and by the conservative party Democratas (DEM) suffered a historic defeat in the Senate race.

The PSDB, which currently has 14 senators, will from January have only 10, while the DEM went from 18 seats to seven.

The relevance of the balance of power in the Senate will depend on the presidential runoff of Oct 31, between Rousseff and Serra.

If Rousseff wins the presidency, she will have a very friendly Senate to work with, in line with the wishes of the outgoing Lula. However, if Serra were to win, he would have to govern in an unfavourable legislative setting.

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Brazil vote goes to runoff as Rousseff falls short

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Mon, Oct 4 05:36 PM

Ruling party candidate Dilma Rousseff placed a strong first in Brazil's presidential election on Sunday, but she will face a runoff after some voters were turned off at the last minute by a corruption scandal and her views on social issues.

Rousseff, a former Marxist guerrilla who was handpicked by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to continue the center-left economic policies that have made Brazil one of the world's hottest emerging markets, had 46.7 per cent of valid votes with 99 per cent of ballots counted.

That result left her unable to get the 50 per cent of valid votes she needed to avoid a runoff vote between the top two candidates on October 31, election regulators said. Rousseff will face her nearest rival, former Sao Paulo state governor Jose Serra, who won 32.7 per cent of the votes.

An unexpected late surge by a third candidate, the Green Party's Marina Silva, came largely at Rousseff's expense. Silva had 19.4 per cent of valid ballots and her supporters will now be a highly prized voting bloc in the second round.

Rousseff is favored to beat Serra in the runoff and become the first woman to lead Brazil, although a first-round victory would have given her a stronger mandate to push through reforms such as changes to Brazil's onerous tax laws.

Rousseff sought to put a positive spin on the outcome, telling supporters that a second round would give her more time to detail her proposals.

"We are warriors, and we're accustomed to challenges," she said in a speech in Brasilia, flanked by her running mate and her party's top brass. "We do well in second rounds."

Her campaign has been helped by red-hot economic growth and Lula's constant support. Neither Rousseff nor Serra is seen deviating from the mix of social programs and investor-friendly policies that have made Lula wildly popular, helping Brazilian markets to rally in the run-up to the vote.

Yet recent allegations of a kickback scheme involving a former top aide to Rousseff, plus questions among evangelical Christians about her positions on abortion and other social issues, appear to have instilled just enough doubt in voters' minds to cost her a first-round victory.

Rousseff had spent the past month well above the 50 percent support level in pre-election polls, and the disappointing performance is likely to revive questions about her relative lack of charisma and thin executive experience.

Valdeci Baiao da Silva, a security officer in Brasilia, said the good economic times had made him a Lula supporter -- but he voted for Serra because Rousseff seemed unprepared and unpredictable.

"I think she might even disappoint (Lula)," he said.

At a church service in Brasilia, Pastor Otaviano Miguel da Silva urged his followers not to vote for candidates from Rousseff's ruling Workers' Party because "it approves of homosexuality, lesbianism, and is in favor of abortion."

Brazil is overwhelmingly Catholic, but evangelicals are growing in number and pre-election polls showed them abandoning Rousseff in significant numbers as the vote grew closer.

Rousseff met with church leaders last week and affirmed her support for existing laws, but she may not have been able to overcome Internet videos showing previous statements in which she appeared to support the decriminalization of abortion.

Green Party candidate Silva, herself an evangelical, appeared to be the main beneficiary of the last-minute shift.

A former environment minister who quit Lula's government in 2008, Silva had said she would not make an endorsement in a runoff -- though her new position as a potential kingmaker could cause her to change her mind.

In her concession speech, she said the party would meet to discuss its loyalties in a runoff.

ROUSSEFF FAVORED IN RUNOFF

Serra, a former health minister and one of Brazil's most experienced politicians, now has an extra four weeks to chip away at Rousseff's lead. Still, political analysts say a major scandal involving Rousseff directly would be virtually the only scenario under which she could lose a runoff.

Lula will spend the coming weeks touting his accomplishments -- including 20 million people lifted out of poverty since 2003 -- and telling voters that Rousseff is the best candidate for the job.

Runoffs are common in Brazil -- Lula faced them in 2002 and 2006, and emerged with a strong mandate in both cases -- and Rousseff is expected to take victory.

"This is an electoral climate that favors the incumbent party," political analyst Luiz Piva said. "Brazilians are generally very happy with their government."

Investors have been happy too. Brazil's stock market, bonds and currency have all remained strong in the run-up to the vote -- a marked contrast to the panic that preceded the 2002 election of Lula, a former radical.

With the Brazilian real trading at a two-year high, some investors have speculated that the Lula government was waiting for the first-round election to pass before announcing measures aimed at containing the currency.

Under Lula's mix of social welfare policies and generally investor-friendly economic management, Brazil has witnessed the rapid growth of a middle class that is snapping up cars, houses and other goods in record numbers.

The country has also joined Russia, India and China in the "BRIC" group of emerging powers that are gaining in influence, especially as more developed economies have stagnated.

Rousseff, a 62-year-old career civil servant who had never run for office, has vowed to focus on improving Brazil's woeful infrastructure -- especially as the country prepares to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

She has become more pragmatic over time since spending nearly three years in jail in the 1970s for her militancy against the dictatorship of that era. Some investors fear she could govern to the left of Lula, although Rousseff's advisers say she is unlikely to lead a major expansion of the state apart from in some strategic areas such as the energy sector.

The extension of the campaign marks a new lease on life for Serra, who ran a lackluster campaign until mustering just enough support in the final days to force the runoff.

Serra, 68, has vowed to run a centrist, pro-business government. Yet he also believes in a strong state presence in some sectors, and his administration would likely be broadly similar in practice to Rousseff's.

Sunday also saw voting for local and regional races throughout Brazil that will determine the makeup of Congress. Rousseff's 10-party coalition was expected to win a clear majority. The winner of the runoff for president will take office on January 1.

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Hungary factory reservoir bursts, floods villages

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Mon, Oct 4 06:07 PM

The dam of a sludge reservoir at a big alumina factory in western Hungary burst on Monday, flooding parts of two villages, the regional emergency unit said, adding that it was not known if there were any casualties.

Gyorgy Bakos, spokesman for the Veszprem county disaster control unit, told Reuters that parts of the villages of Kolontar and Devecser were affected by flooding from the reservoir. About 300-400 residents could be affected.

"This is sludge which contains high concentration of heavy metals," Bakos said by phone. He said about 600,000-700,000 cubic metres of sludge spilled from the reservoir.

National news agency MTI said children from a school in Kolontar, about 160 km (100 miles) west of Budapest, had to be evacuated.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than and Marton Dunai; Editing by Charles Dick)

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5 Germans said killed in Pakistan missile strike &#40;AP&#41;

ISLAMABAD � A U.S. missile killed five German militants taking shelter in a house in northwest Pakistan on Monday, intelligence officials said.

The attack hit a house in North Waziristan. That region has been named as the source of a European terror plot that has prompted American authorities to issue a travel advisory. One or more German citizens are reported to be linked to the plot.

The missile strike took place in the town of Mir Ali, a known hub for foreign militants with links to al-Qaida.

Two officers said the five victims were believed to be German citizens in the region for terrorist training.

A third said they were believed to be foreigners, but gave no details.

The officials spoke anonymously because their agency does not permit operatives to be named in the media.

Killing so many foreign militants in a single strike would be unusual.

U.S. officials rarely confirm the identities of those who are being targeted by the CIA-led missile campaign.

Sometimes information given by intelligence officials turns out to be false. More often than not it is never confirmed or denied. Sometimes militant organizations announce the names of those killed, but typically not for weeks or months.

Last month, American spy planes carried out 21 missile attacks in northwest Pakistan, more than twice the highest number in any previous month over the last six years.

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Recent winners of the Nobel Prize in medicine &#40;AP&#41;

Recent winners of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, and their research, according to the Nobel Foundation:

� 2010: British researcher Robert Edwards for the development of in vitro fertilization.

� 2009: Americans Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak for their discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase, research that has implications for cancer and aging research.

� 2008: Harald zur Hausen and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier for discoveries of human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer and the discovery of human immunodeficiency virus.

� 2007: Mario R. Capecchi and Oliver Smithies of the United States and Martin J. Evans of the United Kingdom, for their discoveries leading to a powerful technique for manipulating mouse genes.

� 2006: Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C. Mello, of the United States, for their work in controlling the flow of genetic information.

� 2005: Barry J. Marshall and Robin Warren, of Australia, for their work in how the bacterium Helicobacter pylori plays a role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.

� 2004: Richard Axel and Linda B. Buck, both of the United States, for their work in studying odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system in human beings.

� 2003: Paul C. Lauterbur, United States, and Sir Peter Mansfield, Britain, for discoveries in magnetic resonance imaging, a technique that reveals the brain and inner organs in breathtaking detail.

� 2002: Sydney Brenner and John E. Sulston, Britain, and H. Robert Horvitz, United States, for discoveries concerning how genes regulate organ development and a process of programmed cell death.

� 2001: Leland H. Hartwell, United States, R. Timothy Hunt and Sir Paul M. Nurse, Britain, for the discovery of key regulators of the process that lets cells divide, which is expected to lead to new cancer treatments.

� 2000: Arvid Carlsson, Sweden, Paul Greengard and Eric R. Kandel, United States, for research on how brain cells transmit signals to each other, thus increasing understanding on how the brain functions and how neurological and psychiatric disorders may be treated better.

� 1999: Guenter Blobel, United States, for protein research that shed new light on diseases, including cystic fibrosis and early development of kidney stones.

� 1998: Robert F. Furchgott, Louis J. Ignarro and Ferid Murad, United States, for the discovery of properties of nitric oxide, a common air pollutant but also a lifesaver because of its capacity to dilate blood vessels.

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BT seeks out UK&#39;s fibre hotspots

3 October 2010 Last updated at 19:45 ET

Communities that are keen to obtain fibre-based broadband are being asked to publicly declare their desire for high-speed net access.

BT will log responses to a website to get a better idea of the potential demand for fibre-based services.

The telecoms firm said the results would influence its future plans on where it deploys the technology.

BT said it would commit to wire up the five exchanges showing the highest demand for fibre.

It said this could mean that commercially viable exchanges would be the first to get the fibre-based service or that exchanges thought to be non-viable would be added to its deployment plans.

The survey, dubbed The Race to Infinity, will start early this month and run until the end of the year.

BT has set up a website through which individuals and communities can express their desire to have their area fibred up.

The site will host a leader board showing which exchanges are gathering the most votes.

BT is committed to putting �2.5bn into next-generation broadband; the target is to extend its reach to 70% of homes in the UK. Fibre will be connected to these homes with different technologies.

Some will get fibre direct to their home (known as FTTH) but others will have the cables connected to a street cabinet (FTTC) and the last few metres will be over old-fashioned copper cables.

Andrew Ferguson, editor of broadband news site ThinkBroadband, said the scheme had superficial similarities to a campaign BT carried out when broadband was initially being rolled out.

"While that campaign saw thousands of exchanges enabled, the current aim for this survey is to enable five exchange areas for FTTC by 2012 at the latest," he said.

Campaigners involved in the first BT broadband survey were starting to re-emerge and get involved all over again, said Mr Ferguson.

He pointed out that although The Race to Infinity was a BT Retail campaign, other internet service providers were not banned from taking part and could table their own suggestions for exchanges to be connected up.

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Medal of Honor U-turn on Taliban

By Dan Whitworth
Newsbeat technology reporter Defence Secretary Liam Fox had called on retailers to ban the game in the UK

Medal of Honor developers say the latest game in the series won't let people take on the role of the Taliban.

Electronic Arts has been criticised recently after it was announced the multiplayer version of its new game would let players do that.

In a statement EA's Greg Goodrich said: "We have received feedback from friends and families of fallen soldiers.

"[They] have expressed concern over the inclusion of the Taliban in the multiplayer portion of our game."

He added: "Because the heartbeat of Medal of Honor has always resided in the reverence for American and Allied soldiers, we have decided to rename the opposing team in multiplayer from Taliban to Opposing Force."

Check out Radio 1's Gaming Week and play one of the DJ's games

Step too far

The change won't make any fundamental difference to how multiplayer works.

The game's makers said they had taken advice from current soldiers

But EA is hoping the different labelling will help dilute some of the controversy surrounding next week's worldwide launch.

Previous versions of the game have been set in World War II and let people play either Allied or Axis forces.

But with 150,000 American, British and Allied troops fighting in Afghanistan many felt taking on the role of the Taliban was a step too far.

Military bases across America had already refused to stock it while UK Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox labelled the fact that gamers could play the Taliban "shocking".

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New Supreme Court term opens with Kagan aboard &#40;AP&#41;

WASHINGTON � The Supreme Court opened its new term with Justice Elena Kagan on the bench.

The high court turned down hundreds of appeals, including one by the founders of former telecommunications giant Adelphia Communications. It also refused to hear an appeal from John and Timothy Rigas, who wanted their fraud convictions overturned.

The Rigases were sent to prison after Adelphia collapsed in 2002, with prosecutors saying they used it like a personal piggy bank.

Inside the courtroom, Kagan is getting her first taste of Supreme Court arguments from behind the bench. She replaced Justice John Paul Stevens, who retired after more than 34 years. Three women now are serving on the nine-justice court. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor are the others.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) � The Supreme Court is starting its new term with a new justice, Elena Kagan, and bad news for hundreds of parties trying to get their cases heard at the nation's highest court.

The justices are expected to start work Monday by denying many of the nearly 2,000 appeals that piled up in recent months. The court also is hearing argument in a bankruptcy dispute and an appeal by criminal defendants seeking shorter prison terms.

During the new term, the court will look at provocative anti-gay protests at military funerals and a California law banning the sale of violent video games to children. These cases worry free speech advocates, who fear the court could limit First Amendment freedoms.

The funeral protest lawsuit, over signs praising American war deaths, "is one of those cases that tests our commitment to the First Amendment," said Steven Shapiro, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Another case involves a different aspect of the First Amendment, the government's relationship to religion. The justices will decide whether Arizona's income tax credit scholarship program, in essence, directs state money to religious schools in violation of the constitutional separation of church and state.

Under Chief Justice John Roberts, marking his fifth anniversary on the court, and with the replacement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor by Justice Samuel Alito, the court has been more sympathetic to arguments that blur the line between government and religion, as long as one religion is not favored over another.

Kagan, confirmed in August, is the one new face on the court, but nearly everyone will be sitting in different seats when the term opens.

Like so much else at the Supreme Court, the justices sit according to seniority, other than the chief justice at the center of the bench. The retirement of John Paul Stevens, who had served longer than the others, means Roberts now will be flanked by Justices Antonin Scalia and Anthony Kennedy.

Kagan and Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who joined the court last year, will sit at opposite ends of the bench. The woman with the longest tenure, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, also is now the senior liberal-leaning justice with Stevens gone.

Though it's never certain how changes will affect the court's direction, President Barack Obama said he was looking for someone in the mold of the liberal-leaning Stevens when he chose Kagan. If Kagan votes as Stevens did, her presence would not affect the ideological divide that has four justices on the conservative side, four on the liberal side and Kennedy in the middle, though more often with the conservatives.

Then, too, a justice's first term is not necessarily an accurate predictor of future performance. If anything, getting a read on Kagan in her first year may be even harder because her former job as Obama's solicitor general already has forced her to take herself out of 24 of the 51 cases the court has so far agreed to hear. The solicitor general is the top lawyer who argues the government's cases before the high court.

The first case from which she is withdrawing will be argued Monday, and Kagan will slip out of the courtroom before Roberts invites the lawyers to begin their argument.

Kagan's absences create the potential for the eight remaining justices to split 4-4 in some cases. That outcome leaves in place the decision reached by the most recent court to have the case, but leaves unsettled the issue the high court was set to resolve.

A second Arizona law, imposing penalties on businesses that hire illegal immigrants, also is before the court this term. At issue is whether the state law intrudes into an area, immigration, that really is the federal government's responsibility.

The result at the Supreme Court could signal how the court might resolve another suit working its way through the federal courts over the Arizona immigration law that puts local police officers on the front lines of enforcing federal immigration law, said Brian Wolfman, a Georgetown University law professor.

Several cases that pit consumers against business also revolve around when federal law trumps state action.

___

Online:

Supreme Court: http://ping.fm/MTAva

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Toshiba show 3DTV without glasses

4 October 2010 Last updated at 07:47 ET

Toshiba has launched what it claims are the first 3D television sets that do not require special glasses.

The two sets are able to create 3D effects in real time from standard film and television pictures.

The televisions use a special lenticular sheet to create an array of nine overlapping images.

A viewer sees different images with each eye, creating the illusion of a 3D picture.

The system is similar to that used in the Nintendo 3DS handheld console.

Both Toshiba televisions use the Cell processor - originally designed for the PlayStation 3 - to process the pictures.

Masaaki Oosumi, president of Toshiba Visual Products said it was "obviously more natural to watch TV without glasses".

However, the technology requires a person to be sat in an optimal position to see clear 3D images.

The electronics giant suggests a person sits 90cm (35in) from its 20in set and 65cm (25in) from the 12in screen. The picture is also best viewed with a 40-degree "sweet spot" in front of the set.

These limitations are why most manufacturers - including Sony, Samsung and Panasonic - use glasses to generate 3D effects.

These rely on images for each eye being broadcast one after the other in rapid succession.

Filters in the glasses flash on and off in sync with the picture, filtering the correct image to each eye. The brain recombines the image into a 3D picture.

3D TV is still in its infancy, but broadcasters are already ramping up efforts to provide content in the UK.

Last week, Sky launched Europe's first dedicated 3D television channel, whilst Virgin has launched a 3D movie channel.

Toshiba said the smaller version of its new sets will cost about 120,000 yen ($1,400), and the larger one will be double the price. It is also working on a larger 56 inch model.

It said it hoped to sell 1,000 units a month but currently has no plans to sell the sets abroad.

They were unveiled at the Ceatec electronics show in Tokyo, Japan.

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Japan warns about terror in Europe; tourists chill &#40;AP&#41;

PARIS � Japan issued a travel alert for Europe on Monday, joining the United States and Britain in warning of a possible terrorist attack by al-Qaida or other groups, but tourists appeared to be taking the mounting warnings in stride.

The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo urged Japanese citizens to be cautious when using public transport or visiting popular tourist sites � issuing another blow to Europe's tourism industry, which is just starting to recover from the global financial crisis.

European authorities � especially in Britain, France and Germany � tightened efforts to keep the public safe in the wake of warnings by officials that the terrorism threat is high and extra vigilance is warranted.

Last week, a Pakistani intelligence official said eight Germans and two British brothers were at the heart of an al-Qaida-linked terror plot against European cities, but the plan was still in its early stages, with the suspects calling acquaintances in Europe to plan logistics. The official said the suspects were hiding in North Waziristan, a Pakistani tribal region where militancy is rife and where the U.S. has increased its drone-fired missile strikes in recent weeks.

Security officials say terrorists may be plotting attacks in Europe with assault weapons on public places, similar to the deadly 2008 shooting spree in Mumbai, India. European officials have provided no details about specific targets.

On Monday, French police arrested a 53-year-old man suspected of links to a bomb threats including one Friday at a Paris railway hub, an official with knowledge of the investigation said on condition of anonymity. The suspect, who was not identified, was detained southwest of the capital for possible links to a phone-in threat at the Saint-Lazare train station.

French authorities recorded nine bomb alerts in the capital in September, including two at the Eiffel Tower � a threefold increase from a year earlier. No explosives were found.

The U.S. State Department alert Sunday advised the hundreds of thousands of American citizens living or traveling in Europe to take more precaution about their personal security. The British Foreign Office warned travelers to France and Germany that the terror threat in the countries was high.

Business travelers and tourists arriving Monday at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport from the United States said they were aware of the new warnings but weren't changing their plans.

"I'm very happy to be here in France. I think we're very safe, and I trust the French government to keep us safe," said James O'Connell, a 59-year-old from Pittsburgh, arriving in Paris for a 7-day vacation.

Karen Bilh, a 39-year-old traveler, arrived in Paris from Cincinnati.

"We'll pay extra caution and if there's terror threats, we'll listen to police in the area. We're excited about the trip," she said.

Travelers taking the Eurostar trains between London and Paris were similarly determined not to let the warnings disrupt their plans.

Jennifer D'Antoni, who owns a retail clothing store in Britain, was in Paris to celebrate her birthday.

"I had a wonderful time and I'll come back again. In fact, I wish I was here for another day because I didn't get to see everything. We are just going to be a bit more cautious getting on the train," she said.

Yet Germans � authorities and citizens alike � were not convinced of the need for concern.

"I think it is quite exaggerated," said Marian Sutholt, 25, of Berlin. "If you worry all the time, you actually live up exactly to what the terrorists want. So you should take things as they come and not worry too much. Hopefully nothing will happen."

But John Gooley, a tourist from Portland, Oregon, was more cautious.

"Berlin is an amazing city, its a beautiful city, but I'd probably recommend staying in smaller cities," he said Monday. "I am still happy to travel all throughout Europe, but for right now I might avoid Paris, Berlin, London."

___

Associated Press writer Shino Yuasa in Tokyo and AP Television News reporter Nicolas Garriga in Paris and Dorothee Thiesing in Berlin contributed to this report.

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Japan warns about terror in Europe; tourists chill &#40;AP&#41;

PARIS � Japan issued a travel alert for Europe on Monday, joining the United States and Britain in warning of a possible terrorist attack by al-Qaida or other groups, but tourists appeared to be taking the mounting warnings in stride.

The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo urged Japanese citizens to be cautious when using public transport or visiting popular tourist sites � issuing another blow to Europe's tourism industry, which is just starting to recover from the global financial crisis.

European authorities � especially in Britain, France and Germany � tightened efforts to keep the public safe in the wake of warnings by officials that the terrorism threat is high and extra vigilance is warranted.

Last week, a Pakistani intelligence official said eight Germans and two British brothers were at the heart of an al-Qaida-linked terror plot against European cities, but the plan was still in its early stages, with the suspects calling acquaintances in Europe to plan logistics. The official said the suspects were hiding in North Waziristan, a Pakistani tribal region where militancy is rife and where the U.S. has increased its drone-fired missile strikes in recent weeks.

Security officials say terrorists may be plotting attacks in Europe with assault weapons on public places, similar to the deadly 2008 shooting spree in Mumbai, India. European officials have provided no details about specific targets.

On Monday, French police arrested a 53-year-old man suspected of links to a bomb threats including one Friday at a Paris railway hub, an official with knowledge of the investigation said on condition of anonymity. The suspect, who was not identified, was detained southwest of the capital for possible links to a phone-in threat at the Saint-Lazare train station.

French authorities recorded nine bomb alerts in the capital in September, including two at the Eiffel Tower � a threefold increase from a year earlier. No explosives were found.

The U.S. State Department alert Sunday advised the hundreds of thousands of American citizens living or traveling in Europe to take more precaution about their personal security. The British Foreign Office warned travelers to France and Germany that the terror threat in the countries was high.

Business travelers and tourists arriving Monday at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport from the United States said they were aware of the new warnings but weren't changing their plans.

"I'm very happy to be here in France. I think we're very safe, and I trust the French government to keep us safe," said James O'Connell, a 59-year-old from Pittsburgh, arriving in Paris for a 7-day vacation.

Karen Bilh, a 39-year-old traveler, arrived in Paris from Cincinnati.

"We'll pay extra caution and if there's terror threats, we'll listen to police in the area. We're excited about the trip," she said.

Travelers taking the Eurostar trains between London and Paris were similarly determined not to let the warnings disrupt their plans.

Jennifer D'Antoni, who owns a retail clothing store in Britain, was in Paris to celebrate her birthday.

"I had a wonderful time and I'll come back again. In fact, I wish I was here for another day because I didn't get to see everything. We are just going to be a bit more cautious getting on the train," she said.

Yet Germans � authorities and citizens alike � were not convinced of the need for concern.

"I think it is quite exaggerated," said Marian Sutholt, 25, of Berlin. "If you worry all the time, you actually live up exactly to what the terrorists want. So you should take things as they come and not worry too much. Hopefully nothing will happen."

But John Gooley, a tourist from Portland, Oregon, was more cautious.

"Berlin is an amazing city, its a beautiful city, but I'd probably recommend staying in smaller cities," he said Monday. "I am still happy to travel all throughout Europe, but for right now I might avoid Paris, Berlin, London."

___

Associated Press writer Shino Yuasa in Tokyo and AP Television News reporter Nicolas Garriga in Paris and Dorothee Thiesing in Berlin contributed to this report.

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Sanofi-Aventis launches Genzyme takeover battle &#40;AP&#41;

PARIS � France's Sanofi-Aventis on Monday launched an $18.5 billion hostile takeover offer for Genzyme Corp., stepping up its effort to capture the U.S. biotech company's promising drugs for high cholesterol and lucrative treatments for rare genetic disorders.

At $69 per share, the offer for Genzyme, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is unchanged from a friendly bid that Sanofi-Aventis made privately to management in July and publicly disclosed in August, only to be rejected.

It's the biggest hostile takeover in the pharmaceutical industry since Roche Holding's 2008 acquisition of Genentech for $47 billion, according to Dealogic, which analyzes mergers and acquisitions.

Sanofi-Aventis CEO Chris Viehbacher, on a conference call with reporters, said he decided to go straight to shareholders because Genzyme management "refused to engage in constructive discussions" despite several attempts by Sanofi-Aventis.

The offer to Genzyme shareholders opens Monday and runs to Dec. 10. Viehbacher said he has met with shareholders holding more than 50 percent of Genzyme's capital and that he is "confident the offer will be successful."

Viehbacher said Genzyme shareholders "are frustrated by Genzyme's unwillingness to engage in constructive discussions with us."

In a letter sent Monday to Genzyme CEO Henri Termeer and released by Sanofi-Aventis, Viehbacher said Termeer's "refusal to engage with us in a constructive manner is denying your shareholders an opportunity to receive a substantial premium, to realize immediate liquidity, and to protect against the risks associated with Genzyme's business and operations."

He said Sanofi-Aventis' offer represented a "significant premium" of 38 percent over Genzyme's share price before speculation over a possible deal surfaced in July.

Viehbacher met with Termeer on Sept. 20 but was unable to persuade him of the deal's merits.

Nathalie Ducoudret, a spokeswoman for Genzyme in France, declined to comment. Genzyme spokespeople in Cambridge couldn't be reached for comment.

In August, Genzyme said the $69 per share offer undervalued the company and that Genzyme's board was "not prepared to engage" in negotiations with an "unrealistic" starting price.

Last week Termeer said that a fairer value for Genzyme shares would be closer to $80, its price before the 2008 financial crisis and the company's subsequent manufacturing problems.

"They have to recognize our value rather than be opportunistic," Termeer was quoted as saying in the Financial Times.

Genzyme is considered attractive because it has promising drugs for high cholesterol and other disorders in late development, and it already sells some lucrative drugs for rare genetic disorders. That's a hot niche as big pharmaceutical companies diversify beyond blockbuster pills that get slammed by cheaper generic rivals after several years. The company just received U.S. approval in late May for a new drug for Pompe disease, and its experimental biologic drug for multiple sclerosis is getting expedited review by the Food and Drug Administration.

Genzyme reported a sharp drop in second-quarter profit because of falling sales and charges partly linked to manufacturing problems. Sales of two key drugs � Cerezyme and Fabrazyme � plunged because of viral contamination at a Genzyme facility in Allston, Massachusetts, causing the company to halt production and leading to inventory shortfalls.

Genzyme announced in May that it had agreed to pay a $175 million penalty to federal regulators, and is mapping out a plan for overhauling the plant. In the meantime, it has switched production to other plants.

Sanofi-Aventis shares dropped 0.6 percent at the open in Paris to euro48 ($65.88).

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Japan warns travelers about terror in Europe &#40;AP&#41;

PARIS � Japan issued a travel alert for Europe on Monday, joining the United States and Britain in warning of a possible terrorist attack by al-Qaida or other groups, but tourists appeared to be taking the mounting warnings in stride.

The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo urged Japanese citizens to be cautious when using public transport or visiting popular tourist sites, heightening the possibility of damage to Europe's tourism industry.

European authorities tightened efforts to keep the public safe in the wake of warnings by officials in several countries that the terrorism threat is high and extra vigilance is warranted.

On Monday, French authorities arrested a man in his 50s who is suspected of several bomb threats in Paris, including one at a railway hub, a police official said. The man, who was not identified, was detained southwest of the capital on suspicions of links to a phone-in threat at the Saint-Lazare train station.

French authorities have recorded nine bomb alerts in the capital last month, including at the Eiffel Tower � a threefold increase from a year earlier. No explosives were found.

The U.S. State Department alert Sunday advised the hundreds of thousands of American citizens living or traveling in Europe to take more precaution about their personal security. The British Foreign Office warned travelers to France and Germany that the terror threat in the countries was high.

Security officials say terrorists may be plotting attacks in Europe with assault weapons on public places, similar to the deadly 2008 shooting spree in Mumbai, India.

Business travelers and tourists arriving at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport from the United States on Monday said they were aware of the new warnings from authorities but weren't changing their plans.

"I'm very happy to be here in France. I think we're very safe, and I trust the French government to keep us safe," said James O'Connell, a 59-year-old from Pittsburgh, arriving in Paris for a 7-day vacation.

Karen Bilh, a 39-year-old traveler from Cincinnati, arrived Monday in Paris for a vacation. "We'll pay extra caution and if there's terror threats, we'll listen to police in the area. We're excited about the trip," she said.

Travelers taking the Eurostar trains between London and Paris were similarly determined not to let the warnings disrupt their plans.

Jennifer D'Antoni, who owns a retail clothing store in Britain, was in Paris to celebrate her birthday.

"I had a wonderful time and I'll come back again. In fact, I wish I was here for another day because I didn't get to see everything. We are just going to be a bit more cautious getting on the train," she said.

___

Associated Press writer Shino Yuasa in Tokyo and AP Television News reporter Nicolas Garriga in Paris contributed to this report.

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Japan warns travelers about terror in Europe &#40;AP&#41;

PARIS � Japan issued a travel alert for Europe on Monday, joining the United States and Britain in warning of a possible terrorist attack by al-Qaida or other groups, but tourists appeared to be taking the mounting warnings in stride.

The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo urged Japanese citizens to be cautious when using public transport or visiting popular tourist sites, heightening the possibility of damage to Europe's tourism industry.

European authorities tightened efforts to keep the public safe in the wake of warnings by officials in several countries that the terrorism threat is high and extra vigilance is warranted.

On Monday, French authorities arrested a man in his 50s who is suspected of several bomb threats in Paris, including one at a railway hub, a police official said. The man, who was not identified, was detained southwest of the capital on suspicions of links to a phone-in threat at the Saint-Lazare train station.

French authorities have recorded nine bomb alerts in the capital last month, including at the Eiffel Tower � a threefold increase from a year earlier. No explosives were found.

The U.S. State Department alert Sunday advised the hundreds of thousands of American citizens living or traveling in Europe to take more precaution about their personal security. The British Foreign Office warned travelers to France and Germany that the terror threat in the countries was high.

Security officials say terrorists may be plotting attacks in Europe with assault weapons on public places, similar to the deadly 2008 shooting spree in Mumbai, India.

Business travelers and tourists arriving at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport from the United States on Monday said they were aware of the new warnings from authorities but weren't changing their plans.

"I'm very happy to be here in France. I think we're very safe, and I trust the French government to keep us safe," said James O'Connell, a 59-year-old from Pittsburgh, arriving in Paris for a 7-day vacation.

Karen Bilh, a 39-year-old traveler from Cincinnati, arrived Monday in Paris for a vacation. "We'll pay extra caution and if there's terror threats, we'll listen to police in the area. We're excited about the trip," she said.

Travelers taking the Eurostar trains between London and Paris were similarly determined not to let the warnings disrupt their plans.

Jennifer D'Antoni, who owns a retail clothing store in Britain, was in Paris to celebrate her birthday.

"I had a wonderful time and I'll come back again. In fact, I wish I was here for another day because I didn't get to see everything. We are just going to be a bit more cautious getting on the train," she said.

___

Associated Press writer Shino Yuasa in Tokyo and AP Television News reporter Nicolas Garriga in Paris contributed to this report.

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Report: Test tube scientist could win Nobel Prize &#40;AP&#41;

STOCKHOLM � A Swedish newspaper says a British researcher who developed test-tube fertilization and gave thousands of infertile couples the chance to have children could receive the Nobel Prize in medicine.

Citing unnamed sources, daily Svenska Dagbladet said that Robert Edwards is the "hottest" candidate to receive the 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.5 million) award, which will be announced Monday.

Starting in the 1950s, Edwards and Patrick Steptoe developed so-called IVF technology in which egg cells are fertilized outside the body and implanted in the womb. Steptoe died in 1988.

Other leading Nobel watchers have guessed that Kyoto University Prof. Shinya Yamanaka could be awarded for his discovery how to make stem cells from ordinary skin cells.

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Viktor Bout wears flak jacket to Bangkok court &#40;AP&#41;

BANGKOK � A Thai court has rejected a request to drop a second set of charges against alleged Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout, a decision that stalls his long-awaited extradition to the U.S.

Bout is reputed to be one of the world's most prolific arms dealers. He has been jailed in Bangkok since March 2008 and Washington wants to put him on trial for terrorism charges.

A Thai court cleared the way for his extradition Aug. 20 but a legal hitch over extra charges leveled by the U.S. had delayed the process.

The Bangkok Criminal Court rejected a U.S. and Thai request to drop the charges, meaning new legal proceedings will be launched that will stall the extradition.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BANGKOK (AP) � Alleged Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout arrived at a Bangkok court Monday in a bulletproof vest for a crucial hearing that could finally determine if he will be extradited to the United States.

Bout, a 43-year-old former Soviet air force officer, is reputed to be one of the world's most prolific arms dealers. He has been jailed in Bangkok since March 2008 when a U.S.-led sting operation ended years of searching for the elusive Russian who has been referred to as "The Merchant of Death."

The case has plunged Thailand into a diplomatic dilemma, with Washington demanding Bout's extradition to face terrorism charges and Moscow demanding his release, saying Bout is an innocent businessman. Experts say Bout has knowledge of Russia's military and intelligence operations and Moscow does not want him to go on trial in the United States.

Bout arrived at court Monday with a dozen armed commandoes, apparently reflecting new concerns for his safety. He wore a flak jacket to court for the first time, in addition to his standard ankle shackles. The Russian was also driven to court in his own security van, rather than riding with other prisoners.

Asked if he expected a fair trial in the U.S., Bout shouted to reporters from a holding cell: "No! For sure no! Which fair trial are you talking about?"

An Appeals Court ordered Bout's extradition on Aug. 20, reversing a lower court's decision from a year earlier. But a second set of charges filed by the U.S. between the two rulings have caused a legal bottleneck that blocked his immediate extradition.

Thai prosecutors Monday are formally requesting the extra charges be dropped, at Washington's request. The Bangkok Criminal Court must then rule whether or not to dismiss the new charges of money laundering and wire fraud.

There's one possible twist: Under Thai law a defendant has the right to object to charges against him being dropped. That means Bout could object to dropping the charges as a way to stall his extradition, a stance that his lawyer has said he will take.

If that happens, Bout could delay the extradition or � if a legal process drags on � scuttle it entirely.

When the Appeals Court cleared the way for Bout's extradition in August it said the extradition must take place within three months, or roughly by Nov. 20.

Bout's high-profile arrest at a Bangkok luxury hotel in March 2008 was part of an elaborate sting in which U.S. agents posed as arms buyers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which Washington classifies as a terrorist organization.

Bout was subsequently indicted in the U.S. on four terrorism-related charges and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.

The head of a lucrative air transport empire, Bout long evaded U.N. and U.S. sanctions aimed at blocking his financial activities and restricting his travel. He has denied any involvement in illicit activities and said he ran a legitimate business.

The 2005 movie "Lord of War" starring Nicolas Cage is loosely based on Bout's life. He allegedly supplied weapons that fueled civil wars in South America, the Middle East and Africa, with clients including Liberia's Charles Taylor, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and both sides of the civil war in Angola.

Bout asserted his claims of innocence in a letter to the Thai Parliament, distributed to reporters Monday by his wife.

"I have never sold weapons to anybody," Bout said in the letter, which called for a parliamentary investigation to review his case. "It has become apparent to me that the Appeals Court decision to extradite me was taken under political pressure."

Alla Bout, his wife, wrote a separate letter to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva asking him to block the extradition. She said her husband has been wrongly labeled as "the biggest illicit weapons dealer in the world" and urged Abhisit "not to allow the propaganda tricks and open pressure on the part of the U.S. to effect your decisions."

Abhisit said last week he would have the final say in the politically sensitive case, once it works its way through the courts.

___

Associated Press Writer Jocelyn Gecker contributed to this report.

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Report: Test tube scientist could win Nobel Prize &#40;AP&#41;

STOCKHOLM � A Swedish newspaper says a British researcher who developed test-tube fertilization and gave thousands of infertile couples the chance to have children could receive the Nobel Prize in medicine.

Citing unnamed sources, daily Svenska Dagbladet said that Robert Edwards is the "hottest" candidate to receive the 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.5 million) award, which will be announced Monday.

Starting in the 1950s, Edwards and Patrick Steptoe developed so-called IVF technology in which egg cells are fertilized outside the body and implanted in the womb. Steptoe died in 1988.

Other leading Nobel watchers have guessed that Kyoto University Prof. Shinya Yamanaka could be awarded for his discovery how to make stem cells from ordinary skin cells.

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New Supreme Court term starts Monday &#40;AP&#41;

WASHINGTON � The Supreme Court is starting its new term with a new justice, Elena Kagan, and bad news for hundreds of parties trying to get their cases heard at the high court.

The justices are expected to start work Monday by denying many of the nearly 2,000 appeals that piled up in recent months. The court also is hearing argument in a bankruptcy dispute and an appeal by criminal defendants seeking shorter prison terms.

Kagan replaced Justice John Paul Stevens, who retired in June after more than 34 years on the court.

For the first time, three women are serving together on the nine-justice court. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Sotomayor are the others.

By law, the court starts its new term on the first Monday in October.

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In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice &#40;AP&#41;

CAIRO � It's rare in Egypt's pop culture to get a direct and frank look inside the minds of Egyptian women and what they really think of marriage and love. So a TV comedy became a startling voice in this conservative society's debate over the changing role of women.

The show, "I Want to Get Married," makes a simple point, but one that resounded strongly: Women want to be an active part of the process of finding a life partner, not passive objects whose fate is to be decided by their mothers, fathers or suitors.

The message made it a hit among Egyptians � that and the humor it mined from the quirks of Egyptian middle-class matchmaking, where suitors file through the family salons of potential brides to check them out, confident with the expectation that every woman � particularly those above 30 � will be eager to snap them up.

"How is it that someone comes to meet you in the salon, and then by the third visit you have to be ready to talk about the dowry, wedding jewelry and date for a wedding," said Ghada Abdel-Aal, the author who inspired the sit-com with a blog and book by the same name, based largely on her own experiences. "And you as the girl are just expected to accept that this is your fate without even knowing who the person really is."

In one episode from the show, the heroine Ola is introduced to what seems to be the perfect suitor. Handsome, cultured, well-mannered, he has a good job and lives in Italy. Giddy that her long search may be ending, she then discovers the catch: He's already married to an Italian woman. His mother, he explains, wants him to take a second, Egyptian wife � he's allowed four wives under Egypt's Islamic-based laws � to force him to spend more time back home in Egypt.

As a furious Ola and her parents throw him out of their home, his mother snorts, "We don't need you. There's a lot of families and even more available girls."

The show, which ran during the Islamic holy of month of Ramadan, is a sort of counter-voice in what Egyptian media have blared as the country's "marriage crisis."

Traditionally, grooms in Egypt must pay heavy expenses, including buying an apartment and providing money up front to the bride. But with the economy ailing and poverty widespread, men are having a harder time affording the costs and are taking longer to get married. At the same time, there are fears that the number of unmarried women in their 30s is growing, apparently since men, when they do finally wed, choose younger brides.

In the country's debate over the marriage crisis, women often bear the brunt of the blame, with men complaining they make too many financial demands or are too choosy about their groom's personality. The expectation has become that if they don't want to become a spinster � a word often thrown about in Egypt for any unmarried woman over 30 � women should just settle.

"I Want to Get Married" � both the TV show and Abdel-Aal's 2008 book � is a defiant defense of a woman's right to be picky. It argues that women, particularly since they are becoming more educated and gaining positions in the working world, have the right to hold out for a husband who sees them as a real partner.

"If Ola's goal was just to get married she would have accepted the first man to enter her life," the 30-year-old (and unmarried) Abdel-Aal said of her main character. "But when she realizes that he is not suitable, either due to his mentality or education level or character, she refuses him and moves on. She is looking for someone who will help to complete her life."

"Many women come up to me after I wrote the book to say they saw themselves in the main character," Abdel-Aal said.

Reham Mohsen is an example of a woman who is under pressure to settle.

The 32-year-old Mohsen, who was the first and only person in her extended, middle-class family to earn a Masters degree � says her parents came from a generation that placed great importance on the education of their daughters and on encouraging them to work. But, she says, those same parents � and the sons they were raising � didn't seem to realize what this progressive decision meant in terms of developing their daughters' character.

"My parents don't see the problem with me accepting to marry someone with a vocational diploma and who earns $9 a month," Mohsen said.

Mohsen said a male friend once told her that he wasn't interested in a woman who talked back.

"He told me, 'If I wanted someone with an opinion, I'd go to the cafe where my male friends hang out,'" Mohsen said.

All the pressure lies on the female in the marriage process, she told The Associated Press.

"We have to be educated, virginal, able to cook, clean, speak several languages, be prepared to serve his family, raise his kids well, and on top of that have a good job to financially contribute in the household," she said.

Dana Sabah, an Egyptian academic whose thesis studied unmarried women in Jordan, said Abdel-Aal's book "gave a voice to the girls who were suffering a real, yet intangible pressure � something that was there and felt, but couldn't really be spoken of."

While women's ages at marriage in many places around the world may be rising because of economic and social changes, "in the Arab world, society speaks about it in terms of something being wrong with the girl herself and a negative phenomenon that's taking over the society," she said.

Unmarried and 40 herself, she said that society continues to view unmarried women either as the caretaker at home or available at work at any time "because the only valid norm is to be a wife and mother, and so there is a perception you have no life otherwise."

Hanan Kholoussy, a historian at the American University in Cairo who studies marriage in Egypt, casts doubt on whether a marriage crisis even exists � studies on the subject are sketchy. Instead, she says such debates about marriage routinely pop up in Egypt, particularly in times of crisis.

"This is a way to critique Egyptian society and the growing materialism � especially Egyptian women and their families for their financial demands in marriage," she said.

Abdel-Aal, who says she's still hoping to marry, said the show brought her criticism for being "crass" for showing women � expected to be modest and let their families handle the process of their engagement � making demands for their spouse.

"In the Arab world, only men are allowed to talk or write about marriage, and when he speaks of it he is always complaining and unhappy," she said. "If a woman complains she is being shameful and if she desires marriage then she is shameful."

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In a TV comedy, Egyptian women gain a voice &#40;AP&#41;

CAIRO � It's rare in Egypt's pop culture to get a direct and frank look inside the minds of Egyptian women and what they really think of marriage and love. So a TV comedy sit-com became a startling voice in this conservative society's debate over the changing role of women.

The show, "I Want to Get Married," makes a simple point, but one that resounded strongly: Women want to be an active part of the process of finding a life partner, not passive objects whose fate is to be decided by their mothers, fathers or suitors.

The message made it a hit among Egyptians � that and the humor it mined from the quirks of Egyptian middle-class matchmaking, where suitors file through the family salons of potential brides to check out them, confident with the expectation that every woman � particularly those above 30 � will be eager to snap them up.

"How is it that someone comes to meet you in the salon, and then by the third visit you have to be ready to talk about the dowry, wedding jewelry and date for a wedding," said Ghada Abdel-Aal, the author who inspired the sit-com with a blog and book by the same name, based largely on her own experiences. "And you as the girl are just expected to accept that this is your fate without even knowing who the person really is."

In one episode from the show, the heroine Ola is introduced to what seems to be the perfect suitor. Handsome, cultured, well-mannered, he has a good job and lives in Italy. Giddy that her long search may be ending, she then discovers the catch: He's already married to an Italian woman. His mother, he explains, wants him to take a second, Egyptian wife � he's allowed four wives under Egypt's Islamic-based laws � to force him to spend more time back home in Egypt.

As a furious Ola and her parents throw him out of their home, his mother snorts, "We don't need you. There's a lot of families and even more available girls."

The show, which ran during the Islamic holy of month of Ramadan, is a sort of counter-voice in what Egyptian media have blared as the country's "marriage crisis."

Traditionally, grooms in Egypt must pay heavy expenses, including buying an apartment and providing money up front to the bride. But with the economy ailing and poverty widespread, men are having a harder time affording the costs and are taking longer to get married. At the same time, there are fears that the number of unmarried women in their 30s is growing, apparently since men, when they do finally wed, choose younger brides.

In the country's debate over the marriage crisis, women often bear the blunt of blame, with men complaining they make too many financial demands or are too choosy about their groom's personality. The expectation has become that if they don't want to become a spinster � a word often thrown about in Egypt for any unmarried woman over 30 � women should just settle.

"I Want to Get Married" � both the TV show and Abdel-Aal's 2008 book � is a defiant defense of a woman's right to be picky. It argues that women, particularly since they are becoming more educated and gaining positions in the working world, have the right to hold out for a husband who sees them as a real partner.

"If Ola's goal was just to get married she would have accepted the first man to enter her life," the 30-year-old (and unmarried) Abdel-Aal said of her main character. "But when she realizes that he is not suitable, either due to his mentality or education level or character, she refuses him and moves on. She is looking for someone who will help to complete her life."

"Many women come up to me after I wrote the book to say they saw themselves in the main character," Abdel-Aal said.

Reham Mohsen is an example of a woman who is under pressure to settle.

The 32-year-old Mohsen, who was the first and only person in her extended, middle-class family to earn a Masters degree � says her parents came from a generation that placed great importance on the education of their daughters and on encouraging them to work. But, she says, those same parents � and the sons they were raising � didn't seem to realize what this progressive decision meant in terms of developing their daughters' character.

"My parents don't see the problem with me accepting to marry someone with a vocational diploma and who earns $9 a month," Mohsen said.

Mohsen said a male friend once told her that he wasn't interested in a woman who talked back.

"He told me, 'If I wanted someone with an opinion, I'd go to the cafe where my male friends hang out,'" Mohsen said.

All the pressure lies on the female in the marriage process, she told The Associated Press.

"We have to be educated, virginal, able to cook, clean, speak several languages, be prepared to serve his family, raise his kids well, and on top of that have a good job to financially contribute in the household," she said.

Dana Sabah, an Egyptian academic whose thesis studied unmarried women in Jordan, said Abdel-Aal's book "gave a voice to the girls who were suffering a real, yet intangible pressure � something that was there and felt, but couldn't really spoken of."

While women's ages at marriage in many places around the world may be rising because of economic and social changes, "in the Arab world, society speaks about it in terms of something being wrong with the girl herself and a negative phenomenon that's taking over the society," she said.

Unmarried and 40 herself, she said that society continues to view unmarried women either as the caretaker at home or available at work at any time "because the only valid norm is to be a wife and mother, and so there is a perception you have no life otherwise."

Hanan Kholoussy, a historian at the American University in Cairo who studies marriage in Egypt, casts doubt on whether a marriage crisis even exists � studies on the subject are sketchy. Instead, she says such debates about marriage routinely pop up in Egypt, particularly in times of crisis.

"This is a way to critique Egyptian society and the growing materialism � especially Egyptian women and their families for their financial demands in marriage," she said.

Abdel-Aal, who says she's still hoping to marry, said the show brought her criticism for being "crass" for showing women � expected to be modest and let their families handle the process of their engagement � making demands for their spouse.

"In the Arab world, only men are allowed to talk or write about marriage, and when he speaks of it he is always complaining and unhappy," she said. "If a woman complains she is being shameful and if she desires marriage then she is shameful."

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