Police storm Japanese bank, arrest hostage-taker

TOKYO: Japanese police said Friday they had stormed a bank and arrested a man who took five people hostage, with local media reporting he had demanded Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's cabinet resign.

In a televised news conference, a police spokesman said the hostage-taker, identified as Koji Nagakubo, was arrested on suspicion of taking the five captive.

The hostages, including one released earlier, were all in protective custody safely, the spokesman said, while local media said one of them was slightly injured.

The 32-year-old man began the siege Thursday afternoon at the Zoshi branch of the Toyokawa Shinkin Bank in central Aichi prefecture.

Wielding a survival knife, he took four employees and a female customer captive and was demanding the Noda cabinet step down, as well as asking to speak to journalists, local media said.

-AFP/ac

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Railways looks to run Delhi-Mumbai trains at 200 kmph

NEW DELHI: Much before bullet trains become a reality, travel time between Delhi and Mumbai is likely to reduce substantially with railways planning to launch semi-high speed trains with a top speed of 200 kmph. A railway official said a study to identify the need to strengthen the infrastructure for this service was nearing completion and work would start soon. The services could start by 2017.

"A study was on for the past one year to identify bridges that needed strengthening, better signaling and easing sharp curves for such service. The upgrade will take about four years from the launch of work. The existing lines can be used for fast moving trains at 200 kmph as freight trains will shift to the dedicated freight corridor (DFC)," said R Ramanathan, Railway Board additional member (civil engineering). He was speaking on the sidelines of a CII summit on urban transport on Thursday.

At present, Rajdhanis, the fastest running trains on this corridor, have a maximum speed of 120 kmph. DFC managing director R K Gupta said the dedicated lines for freight will decongest the existing tracks. He added that this will increase average speed of freight trains from the present 25 kmph to 75 kmph. He said transit time would come down by half (for example Mumbai-Delhi in 24 hours).

"Though the average speed of freight trains on the existing lines hovers around 25 km as we use the same track for passenger trains and the latter get priority over freight trains," Gupta said. He added that carrying capacity on the dedicated corridors would be much more than what is available now.

The first phase of Rewari-Vododara of Western DFC will be commissioned by December 2016 and the entire line - from Dadri (UP) to JN Port (Mumbai) - will be operational by March 2017.

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2 Dead, 50 to Hospital After 100-Car Pileup

At least two people died and nearly 50 were transported to the hospital after a 100-car pileup in Texas today, according to ABC affiliate KBMT-TV.

A man and a woman died from their injuries, KBMT reported. Their names were not immediately available.

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At least five people who were taken to the hospital are in critical condition.

The accident happened in Jefferson County shortly after 8 a.m. Thanksgiving morning on Interstate 10 between Taylor Bayou and Hampshire Road. There was reportedly dense fog in the area at the time of the initial crash.

An 18-wheeler tanker truck began leaking after the chain-reaction accident, KBMT reported.

The westbound lanes of I-10 are now open and eastbound lanes will be closed for at least another eight hours.

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Probe eyes Petraeus staff’s possible role in Broadwell obtaining sensitive documents

A federal investigation into how David H. Petraeus’s biographer and girlfriend obtained numerous classified records is focusing on whether the retired general’s staff gave her sensitive documents at his instruction, according to federal officials familiar with the probe.

Petraeus aides and other high-ranking military officials were often tasked by Petraeus and other top commanders to provide military records and other documents to Paula Broadwell for her work as Petraeus’s biographer, former staff members and other officials told The Washington Post.

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Football: Real Madrid send Man City to another early exit

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho marked his 100th Champions League game with a 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Wednesday that sent his side into the last 16 at City's expense.

City had to win to stand any chance of going through, so although Sergio Aguero's 73rd-minute penalty cancelled out Karim Benzema's early opener, the hosts went out in the group phase for a second successive season.

Madrid had Alvaro Arbeloa sent off, but with eight points -- three less than Group D leaders Borussia Dortmund -- they cannot be caught by either Ajax or City, who had not lost in their 19 previous European home games.

The English champions trail Ajax by a point and therefore must win at Dortmund in their final group fixture and hope the Dutch side lose in Madrid if they are to secure the consolation prize of a Europa League berth.

Mourinho, the youngest coach to reach the 100-match milestone, is now a step closer to delivering an elusive 10th European Cup to the Spanish champions, who have already fallen eight points off the pace in La Liga.

City coach Roberto Mancini elected to deploy a three-man defence at the Etihad Stadium, but the home side's defenders did not seem comfortable with the system and Madrid were quick to profit.

In the 10th minute, Angel di Maria was given space to cross from the right and his centre found the unmarked Benzema, who cantered in behind Maicon to beat Joe Hart on the volley from close range.

With Maicon and Pablo Zabaleta on the pitch, the right side of City's defence should have been secure, but Cristiano Ronaldo found plenty of room there.

Roundly booed on his first appearance in the city since leaving Manchester United in 2009, Ronaldo twice reached the byline on Madrid's left, only for Sami Khedira to put both of his crosses wide.

Ronaldo was bearing down on goal again moments later, but Matija Nastasic got back to clear his goal-bound lob off the line and Hart parried his follow-up.

Khedira darted through on goal after 24 minutes, only to miscue an attempted chip, which allowed Hart to save.

City changed their shape, with Zabaleta switching to left-back in a conventional back four, but they were unable to make inroads into the Madrid area.

Their best effort saw Iker Casillas forced to tip over a 25-yard effort from Aguero, who also teed up Maicon for a shot that dribbled wide.

The hosts improved early in the second period, with Aguero heading over from Maicon's cross and David Silva shooting at Casillas after Arbeloa's clearance came straight to him.

Carlos Tevez was introduced on the hour but still fortune eluded City, with Aguero's close-range volley miraculously kept out by Casillas in the 64th minute.

The game turned eight minutes later, after Arbeloa was shown a second yellow card for a push on Aguero inside the Madrid area.

Just as he had done in Saturday's 5-0 win over Aston Villa, Aguero converted the spot-kick, and City's last-16 ambitions appeared revived.

Tevez fired in a low shot that Casillas comfortably held, but despite five minutes of added time that prompted an incredulous reaction from Mourinho, there was to be no late drama.

- AFP/fa

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SC's 'one in a million tag' helped swift rejection of Kasab's clemency plea

NEW DELHI: The government did not waste much time in recommending to the President that Ajmal Kasab's clemency plea be rejected as the Supreme Court had said three months ago that if death sentence was to be imposed only in "one in a million case", then this was the one which deserved capital punishment.

The court, upholding the decision of the trial court which was affirmed by the Bombay High Court, had said that there was no escaping the conclusion that Kasab deserved death penalty alone for the cold blooded killing of scores of innocent persons just because they were Indians.

It said even if one took a narrow view of the "rarest of rare category" classification for award of capital punishment, this was the case where it should be imposed on the convict as it was the "very rarest of rare case to come before the Supreme Court since the birth of the Republic (on January 26, 1950)".

"Now, as long as the death penalty remains on the statute book as punishment for certain offences, including waging war and murder, it logically follows that there must be some cases, howsoever rare or one in a million, that would call for inflicting that penalty. That being the position, we fail to see what case would attract the death penalty, if not the case of the appellant (Kasab)," said a bench of Justices Aftab Alam and Chandramauli K Prasad, which rejected Kasab's appeal on August 29.

The bench's conclusion -- "to hold back the death penalty in this case would amount to obdurately declaring that this court rejects death as lawful penalty even though it is on the statute book and held valid by constitutional benches of this court" - sealed Kasab's fate, requiring no substantial discussion on the merits of his clemency plea, official sources told TOI.

They said the Supreme Court's finding that the option of life sentence for Kasab was "foreclosed" made the task of the government easier for a swift decision rejecting the clemency and carry out the execution.

Kasab's trial proceedings before the "stern and non-nonsense" trial judge M L Tahiliani will be studied as an example of model trial proceedings as the Supreme Court has ordered these to be part of the National Judicial Academy and state academies training judicial officers.

The bench of Justices Alam and Prasad had said, "In the course of hearing of the appeal, we also came to know the trial judge Shri Tahiliani. From the records of the case, he appears to be a stern, no-nonsense person. But he is a true flag-bearer of rule of law in this country. The manner in which he conducted the trial proceedings and maintained the record is exemplary.

"We seriously recommend that the trial court records of this case be included in the curriculum of the National Judicial Authority and judicial authorities of the different states as a model for criminal trial proceedings."

On why Kasab should get death penalty, the bench said, "This is a case of terrorist attack from across the border. It has a magnitude of unprecedented enormity on all scales. The conspiracy behind the attack was as deep and large as it was vicious. The preparation and training for the execution was as thorough as the execution was ruthless.

"In terms of loss of life and property, and more importantly in its traumatizing effect, this case stands alone, or it is at least the very rarest of rare to come before this court since the birth of the Republic. Therefore, it should also attract the rarest of rare punishment.

"Against all this, the only mitigating factor is the appellant's young age, but that is completely offset by the absence of any remorse on his part, and the resultant finding that in his case there is no possibility of any reformation or rehabilitation."

dhananjay.mahapatra@timesgroup.com

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Rockets Fall Silent in Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire

The rockets and missiles fell silent over Gaza for the first time in eight days today, but gunfire erupted in the crowded streets of the Palestinian enclave to celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire in the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The two sides fired final salvos at one another up until the final moments before the 2 p.m. ET cease-fire deadline. At least one Israeli missile landed at 1:57 p.m. ET in Gaza, and four rockets were launched toward the Israeli province of Beer Sheva at 1:59 p.m. ET.

After 2 p.m. ET, however, the sky was finally empty of munitions.

The eight days of fighting left 130 Palestinans and five Israelis dead, and badly damaged many of Gaza's buildings. A bomb that exploded on a bus in Tel Aviv earlier today left an additional 10 Israelis wounded.

The fighting came to an end after a meeting between Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"This is a critical moment for the region," Clinton said after the meeting, standing next to Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr to announce the deal.

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"The people of this region deserve a chance to live free of fear and violence and today's agreement is a step" in that direction, Clinton said. "Now we have to focus on reaching a durable outcome."

Clinton said that Egypt and the U.S. would help support the peace process going forward.

"Ultimately every step must move us toward a comprehensive peace for people of the region," she said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the cease-fire from Tel Aviv after Clinton's announcement.

"I agree that that it was a good idea to give an opportunity to the cease-fire... in order to enable Israeli citizens to return to their day to day lives," Netanyahu said.

He reiterated that it was vital to Israel's security to "prevent smuggling of arms to terrorist organizations" in the future.

An Israeli official told ABC News that the ceasefire would mean a "quiet for quiet" deal, in which both sides stop shooting and "wait and see what happens."

"Who knows if the ceasefire will even last two minutes," the official said. The official said that any possible agreement on borders and blockades on the Gaza/Israel border would come only after a period of quiet.

Clinton and Morsi met for three hours in Cairo today to discuss an end to the violence. The secretary of state met with Netanyahu Tuesday night for more than two hours, saying she sought to "de-escalate the situation in Gaza."

The fighting dragged on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning despite Hamas officials declaring publicly Tuesday afternoon that they expected a cease-fire would be announced Tuesday night, after Clinton and Netanyahu's talks.

The airstrikes by the Israeli Defense Forces overnight hit government ministries, underground tunnels, a banker's empty villa and a Hamas-linked media office. At least four strikes within seconds of each other pulverized a complex of government ministries the size of a city block, rattling nearby buildings and shattering windows.

Hours later, clouds of acrid dust still hung over the area and smoke still rose from the rubble. Gaza health officials said there were no deaths or injuries.

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Giant Planet Being Blown Away Behind a Cloudy Veil

A star is slowly snuffing the life out of an alien planet. But in a macabre twist, material stripped out of the dying world's atmosphere has become a death shroud enveloping the gas giant and its star.

First discovered in 2008, WASP-12b is a so-called hot Jupiter—a gas giant planet orbiting extremely close to its parent star.

Located 1,100 light-years away, WASP-12b hugs its star so tightly that a year on the planet lasts just over one Earth day. The two objects are so close that scientists think that the gas that makes up most of the doomed planet is being boiled off and blown into space by the intense heat from its star.

"At the current best guess ... the planet will lose most of its mass in about one billion years," said astrophysicist Carole Haswell of The Open University in the United Kingdom. A relative blink of an eye when compared to Earth's projected 9-billion-year life span. (Learn about the solar system.)

A Celestial Death Shroud

Scientists predicted that this evaporative process would create a superheated gas cloud surrounding Wasp 12b. Such planet-enveloping clouds have been detected around two other hot Jupiters before. (Learn about hot Jupiters.)

Haswell and her colleagues used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to find evidence of an extremely diffuse gas cloud surrounding WASP-12b—as they suspected. But the cloud was much bigger than predicted.

"What's new in our work is that we find the whole star-planet system is enshrouded," Haswell said.

Behind the Veil

WASP-12b's gauzy cloak is also unusual in that it appears to be infused with the element magnesium, which absorbs some of its star's light. This renders the entire system invisible when viewed in the near-ultraviolet part of the light spectrum, although the dying planet is otherwise detectable.

"It's like the planet is suffering the sad end of being evaporated away ... and the star has drawn a privacy veil over the whole sordid affair," Haswell said.

Researchers suspect gas clouds surrounding other hot Jupiters may harbor similar cloaking properties, but no one knows for sure.

The Blowoff

Astronomer Helmut Lammer said the new findings are important because they could help reveal the structures and strengths of the magnetic fields of alien planets. This could help scientists compare distant worlds to planets in our own solar system. (Related: "Earth's Core Magnetic Field Changing Fast.")

"Depending on the magnetic field ... magnesium [atoms] can accumulate in front [of] or around obstacles"—such as in front of the outer edge of a planetary magnetic field, known as the bow shock, said Lammer, of the Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, who was not involved in the study. And we can detect these features when the planet crosses in front of its star, he added. (Learn how NASA finds exoplanets.)

Alfred Vidal Madjar, an astronomer at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics, said he thinks the new WASP-12b observations confirm a hypothesized process called "blowoff," in which hydrogen escapes from a hot Jupiter so quickly that other chemical elements—such as magnesium—also get carried off into space.

The presence of magnesium in the gas cloud "strengthen the reality of the 'blowoff' mechanism," said Vidal Madjar, who also was not involved in the study.

Hot Jupiters that orbit as close to their stars as WASP-12b does will almost certainly be cocooned in similar gas clouds, astronomers say. But ones that orbit further away-or orbit cooler stars-likely do not.

The new WASP-12b research is detailed in this week's issue of the Astrophysical Journal.

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Blazing a legal trail to help improve health care

Ariane Tschumi has spent more than a year in government as a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF), taking on challenging assignments at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) designed to develop her leadership skills and give her a window into how government operates.

She has worked alongside health-care experts designing model programs intended to better health care and lower costs, and with attorneys in the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), who are trying to prevent waste, fraud and abuse in the health-care system.

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Oil prices fall amid hopes for Mideast truce

NEW YORK: Oil prices slumped Tuesday on fresh economic strains in Europe and amid expectations -- still unfulfilled late in the day -- of a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza.

New York's main contract, WTI light sweet crude for delivery in January, slid $2.53 from Monday to $86.75 a barrel.

Brent North Sea crude for January shed $1.87 to $109.83 a barrel in London trade.

"Rumors abound today as headlines out of the Middle East signalled an 'imminent ceasefire' agreement, but as of this writing nothing has been set in stone," said BMO Capital Markets in its market summary.

"The rumor alone pushed the market lower erasing much of the gains from the previous day sessions, and given all the headline watching, expect continued swings as the Middle East risk premium has re-emerged as the Alpha dog on the street."

Oil prices had surged about $2 a barrel to strike one-month highs on Monday as Israel stepped up its assault on Gaza.

The pressure lower also came with Moody's downgrade of France's sovereign rating late Monday, warning that it was vulnerable to more deterioration in the eurozone.

Despite hopes for a cease-fire and the unexpected arrival in Israel of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, there was no letup late Tuesday to Israel's attacks on Gaza, killing another 26 and taking the toll of the week-long assault to more than 130.

Clinton was to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Palestinian officials and to visit Cairo to meet with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, seen as one of the most influential negotiators in the current conflict.

- AFP/fa

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