Why James Bond is AskMen’s Most Influential Man of 2012

With a new movie on the way in November, the 50th anniversary of his namesake franchise, and a buzzed-about appearance at the London Olympics, James Bond is having a pretty big year. And today it just got even bigger, as 007 took home the No. 1 spot on AskMen’s list of the Top 49 Most Influential Men of 2012.

AskMen’s annual feature, now in its seventh year, received over 500,000 votes from men around the world. The votes determined the men who have had the biggest impact on their lives over the past 12 months, and while it may surprise some that a fictional character can rank higher than real-life role models like Bill Clinton (No. 3) and Barack Obama (No. 11), there’s certainly past precedent for Bond’s win. Back in 2010, "Mad Men’s" Don Draper was similarly named No. 1.

Reinvention stands out as a common denominator among the men who made the list, from Jay-Z (No. 22), who’s taking on a larger role as a businessman and political activist, to the newly crowned Snoop Lion (No. 36) and the ever-evolving Howard Stern (No. 37). And who better exemplifies this trait than James Bond, a character who has undergone multiple reinventions over a period of 50 years and 23 movies, with six different actors portraying him.

Top 49 Most Influential Men of 2012

Through it all, Bond has remained a bastion of cool, an influential style icon and tastemaker. So it’s maybe not quite as surprising as it might at first seem that the British super-spy was voted No. 1 by men everywhere.

James Bassil, AskMen’s editor-in-chief, says, “Despite the regular reminders that our gender has reached its end, AskMen's Top 49 list offers up plenty of examples of men who have sustained success – and others who found it anew through reinventing themselves, just as many of our readers have had to in recent years.”
[Related: 50 years of James Bond - photos, videos, and more]
Bond wasn’t the only fictional character to make the Top 49 either: Christian Grey came in at No. 13, proving that men everywhere have benefited from their spouses’ lower inhibitions and more open minds after reading 50 Shades of Grey.

It’s also an election year, and AskMen voters tagged Obama as their clear pick, with the president coming in 13 spots ahead of Mitt Romney (No. 24). Both politicians, however, were outdone by Clinton, who placed third, behind Bond and Usain Bolt (No. 2).

And while Bolt may have been the runner-up in the Top 49, he was second to none at the London Olympics, where the sprinter’s record-breaking performance showed men everywhere the hard work and sheer determination needed to stay at the top of your game.

Rounding out this year’s Top 5 were "Family Guy" and "Ted" creator Seth MacFarlane (No. 4) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (No. 5), both part of Hollywood’s new wave. Notably absent was a member of the acting world’s old guard, George Clooney. Clooney’s absence means Kanye West (No. 31) is the only man to make the Top 49 all seven years in a row, and LeBron James (No. 32) joins Obama with five appearances apiece.

CPC Calls Killing of Uniport Students “Untrammelled Barbarism”

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has joined in the nationwide horror over, and condemnation of, the gruesome killing of four University of Port-Harcourt (UNIPORT) students in the Aluu community of Rivers State.
“The footage of this act of untrammeled barbarism reveals a sad commentary within the current Nigerian state: death is cheap and ubiquitous,” the party said in a statement signed by Rotimi Fashakin, its National Publicity Secretary, adding that it reveals that studentship in Nigeria is fraught with inherent danger because of the near absence of governance in the Country.”
It said: “The question is: where was the Nigeria Police while this fire of primitive justice raged? Indeed, the Police was nowhere! The defective organizational, crime-fighting thrust of the Nigeria Police is seen in its reactivity rather than pro-activity. Globally, policing is first and foremost about maintenance of law and order. The prevention of crime comes to the fore in the discharge of this responsibility by the police.”
It noted that this is why officers of the New-York Police Department (NYPD) are seen patrolling the streets in all the five boroughs of the City of New-York, and crime is thus detected and prevented. In the case of the Nigeria Police, CPC observed that it is hamstrung to do this efficiently because a considerable number of its insufficient personnel is devoted for the protection of the chieftains of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
“Truly, arrests have been made in connection with this heinous crime, we insist that there should be a paradigm shift in the organizational strategy of the Nigeria Police to crime prevention,” it said.
The CPC also criticized the vigilante culture in Nigerian communities, characterizing it as evidence of waning public confidence in the Nigeria Police.
“First, the spontaneity of the response to distress calls is still a sore point in the performance of the Police,” CPC said. “Second, the delay or absence of prosecution and conviction makes for eroded public confidence in the Police.”
It recalled the case of a man who was arrested by the Police who had evidential trappings of an armed robber, but who made his way up and became an elected Senator, having escaped prosecution and conviction.
It said this may partly explain, but is not a justifiable reason, for why communities now mete out jungle justice to criminals or perceived criminals.
“As a Party, we believe that all these institutional foibles of the Nigeria Police are not enough for communities to resort to self-help,” the party said, suggesting that the operation of vigilante groups should henceforth be structured to work in tandem with the police, to whom they would turn over accused criminals.
Expressing its condolences to the parents, siblings, family members and friends of the deceased, CPC noted that the gory pictures of the gruesome killings evoke feelings of anguish.
“The murderous violence on these young Nigerians should therefore elicit a collective desire in us as Nigerians for a safer, tranquil and better-governed polity,” it said.

Boko Haram: JTF Tighten Security In Kaduna, Zaria, and Suleja

Security has been fortified in the cities of Kaduna, Zaria and Suleja to forestall attacks by the Boko Haram sect, following the emergence of new intelligence to that effect.
A top security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Saharareporters a short while ago that armed personnel have been dispatched to some selected churches and other places of worship that are being targeted by the militants.
Last Sunday, the security agencies, acting on a tip, were able to avert a series of attacks in both Zaria and Kaduna, and in Suleja, Niger State. Soldiers and members of the State Security Service clashed with the sect in Zaria, following which some suspected Boko Haram members were killed or arrested.
The source said, “We have deployed more men around the three towns, and we are combat ready though we will not say much, and cannot tell you in detail. But tomorrow you will see, let people just tip us immediately they sense strange and unusual activities. You remember that we met them last week on their way to targets.”
He also stated that they have made arrests in Kaduna and Zaria. “We got them this passing week with evidences and they confessed,” he said. “We recovered guns, IEDs and their flags, and so we are not celebrating it for a party but to show we can crush their insurgency.”
Vice President Namadi Sambo, who has been in Kaduna since Friday, also today assured residents of Kaduna and other parts of the north of greater security, claiming that the government is winning the war against terrorism.
He said, “Our effort at maintaining peace is yielding the desired result as government is tackling the menace in a multifaceted manner. The various security agencies’ efforts have also yielded positive results as they have drastically reduced the potency of the aggressors. We can achieve more successes only if we have the full support of all and sundry and I call all citizens of the state and the country in general to partner and participate in fighting this menace.”

Moscow court frees one Pussy Riot member

JTF Tighten Security

Security has been fortified in the cities of Kaduna, Zaria and Suleja to forestall attacks by the Boko Haram sect, following the emergence of new intelligence to that effect.
A top security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Saharareporters a short while ago that armed personnel have been dispatched to some selected churches and other places of worship that are being targeted by the militants.
Last Sunday, the security agencies, acting on a tip, were able to avert a series of attacks in both Zaria and Kaduna, and in Suleja, Niger State. Soldiers and members of the State Security Service clashed with the sect in Zaria, following which some suspected Boko Haram members were killed or arrested.
The source said, “We have deployed more men around the three towns, and we are combat ready though we will not say much, and cannot tell you in detail. But tomorrow you will see, let people just tip us immediately they sense strange and unusual activities. You remember that we met them last week on their way to targets.”
He also stated that they have made arrests in Kaduna and Zaria. “We got them this passing week with evidences and they confessed,” he said. “We recovered guns, IEDs and their flags, and so we are not celebrating it for a party but to show we can crush their insurgency.”
Vice President Namadi Sambo, who has been in Kaduna since Friday, also today assured residents of Kaduna and other parts of the north of greater security, claiming that the government is winning the war against terrorism.
He said, “Our effort at maintaining peace is yielding the desired result as government is tackling the menace in a multifaceted manner. The various security agencies’ efforts have also yielded positive results as they have drastically reduced the potency of the aggressors. We can achieve more successes only if we have the full support of all and sundry and I call all citizens of the state and the country in general to partner and participate in fighting this menace.”

Moscow court frees one Pussy Riot member

Appeals court reconsiders its decision over Yekaterina Samutsevich's part in protest against Putin in Moscow cathedral inSha

Russian Orthodox church members believe that the Pussy Riot protest was against their faith and not political [AFP]

An appeals court in Russia has freed one of the jailed members of punk band Pussy Riot while upholding the sentences handed down to the two remaining members in prison. The court judge said on Wednesday that he would suspend the sentence for 30-year-old Yekaterina Samutsevich, while leaving the two-year jail sentences for Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Maria Alyokhina, 24, unchanged. In August the three band members were jailed for two years on grounds of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred after performing a "punk prayer" in Moscow's main Orthodox cathedral imploring the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Vladimir Putin, the president. The judge ruled that Samutsevich's sentence should be suspended since she had been thrown out of the cathedral by guards before she could participate in the performance. The three women had maintained that their performance was a political protest and that they did not have anything against the Orthodox contingent of Russia. While the reaction to the protest within Russia was met with shock by many, the controversial case sparked a global outcry with Western governments condemning the sentencing. Madonna lent support during one of her own concerts condemning the decision as disproportionate. Describing the scenes outside the courtroom, Al Jazeera's Robin Forestier-Walker said: "There have been cheers regarding Yekaterina's freedom and obviously disappointment as well for the two girls who will serve out their two-year sentences. He added that there were also Orthodox Christians outside the court saying that the women were influenced by "the Devil". "As they would put it, this court was effectively recognised as the hand of god and effectively this is a decision that should stand," he said. Earlier this week, Putin said in an interview to mark his 60th birthday that the band members had got what they deserved. 'Political interference' After Putin’s comments, relatives and lawyers for the punk band complained that political interference would mar and ruin their chances of a fair hearing adding that Putin's comments on the case had compromised the appeal. Samutsevich's father, Stanislav, told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday: "After Putin's comments, I don't think lawyers can do anything anyway," Their protest was intended as an acerbic comment on the close ties between the Kremlin and Russia's dominant church. Church leader Patriarch Kirill had given Putin, then prime minister, unofficial but clear support in his successful campaign for a third presidential term earlier this year. Opposition to the Kremlin said the jail terms were part of a clampdown on dissent that has produced restrictive laws and criminal cases against critics of Putin since he began his latest six-year term in May.

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Bakaka, Top Boko Haram Commander, 30 Others, Killed By JTF In Damaturu Posted: October 8, 2012 - 00:35 By SaharaReporters, New York Bakaka, the one-eyed top commander of Boko Haram in Damaturu, Yobe State, and about 30 other elite fighters of the sect were killed today in a fierce gun duel with men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) that lasted several hours. A top security source in Yobe State who talked to SaharaReporters described today’s development as one of the most important achievements since the killing of Habibu Bama few months ago. He said the confrontation occurred in the Kandahar area of Damaturu, and that at least 10 sect members were also captured alive and some arms recovered. When contacted, the JTF spokesperson in Damaturu, Lt. Eli Lazarus, confirmed the story. In a statement, he said as follows: “In the early hours of Sunday, 7th October 2012, men of JTF in Damaturu, Yobe State on a cordon and search operation in suspected Boko Haram hideout at Kandahar and the cemetery areas of Damaturu engaged in a gun battle with the suspected terrorists. About thirty (30) suspected Boko Haram terrorists were killed in the battle which lasted several hours. In the battle, the notorious, one-eyed Bakaka, the field commander of Boko Haram in Damaturu and a close associate of Abubakar Shekau was killed. Ten (10) others, arrested during the battle, are presently assisting investigators to track other senior members of the terrorist group.” On the weapons recovery, he said, “Six rifles, ninety rounds of ammunition, several handsets and sim packs were recovered. Other items recovered include; knives, bows and arrows, diggers, and two keke napep tricycles. Also, three cans of IEDs recovered were detonated. “JTF wishes to appreciate the support so far received from the peace-loving and law abiding people of Yobe State urging them to volunteer more information that will lead to arrest of other suspected terrorists. JTF further requests that people should remain calm and go about their lawful activities as efforts are geared towards ensuring the safety of lives and property.”

 

 

 

 

Bakaka, the one-eyed top commander of Boko Haram in Damaturu, Yobe State, and about 30 other elite fighters of the sect were killed today in a fierce gun duel with men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) that lasted several hours.
A top security source in Yobe State who talked to SaharaReporters described today’s development as one of the most important achievements since the killing of Habibu Bama few months ago. He said the confrontation occurred in the Kandahar area of Damaturu, and that at least 10 sect members were also captured alive and some arms recovered.
When contacted, the JTF spokesperson in Damaturu, Lt. Eli Lazarus, confirmed the story.
In a statement, he said as follows:
“In the early hours of Sunday, 7th October 2012, men of JTF in Damaturu, Yobe State on a cordon and search operation in suspected Boko Haram hideout at Kandahar and the cemetery areas of Damaturu engaged in a gun battle with the suspected terrorists. About thirty (30) suspected Boko Haram terrorists were killed in the battle which lasted several hours. In the battle, the notorious, one-eyed Bakaka, the field commander of Boko Haram in Damaturu and a close associate of Abubakar Shekau was killed. Ten (10) others, arrested during the battle, are presently assisting investigators to track other senior members of the terrorist group.”
On the weapons recovery, he said, “Six rifles, ninety rounds of ammunition, several handsets and sim packs were recovered. Other items recovered include; knives, bows and arrows, diggers, and two keke napep tricycles. Also, three cans of IEDs recovered were detonated.
“JTF wishes to appreciate the support so far received from the peace-loving and law abiding people of Yobe State urging them to volunteer more information that will lead to arrest of other suspected terrorists. JTF further requests that people should remain calm and go about their lawful activities as efforts are geared towards ensuring the safety of lives and property.”

Five ways Obama can bounce back

President Barack Obama addresses supporters during a campaign event at The Ohio State University on Tuesday, October 9.

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• David Rothkopf: It's the consensus that President Obama had a bad first debate
• He says the president needs to take the debates more seriously but resist some advice
• Rothkopf says people who urge Obama to attack Romney are making a mistake
• He says Obama should take the high road, talk of big ideas for America's future

Editor's note: David Rothkopf is CEO and editor-at-large of the FP Group, publishers of Foreign Policy Magazine, and a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

(CNN) -- Ok. There's no denying it. Barack Obama had a really, really bad debate. The New Yorker has ridiculed him on its cover. "Saturday Night Live" took its shots.

From Jon Stewart to David Letterman, the comedy community has worked the president's belly-flop from his podium at the University of Denver so hard that if you set up a joke with the words "Obama" and "debate" you don't even need a punchline.

David Rothkopf

 

 

The results of the debate were not just a source of late-night hilarity either. Pollsters have also been worked up into a lather.

Romney's win was by an unprecedented margin. It helped close yawning gaps nationally, in swing states and among key groups like women. Pundits, depending on what flavor they were, wringed their hands or gloated. Wise men just shook their heads in knowing silence.

So the question is what can the president do to rebound? Although the White House hasn't called me yet asking for tips, here's a few of the tidbits of advice I'd give if they did:

1. Panic

I know this is what everyone is telling you not to do. But, listen to me, they are the people who got you in trouble in the first place. By far the biggest benefit of getting clobbered in the debate is that it should be a wake-up call for you. Time to study up (like you didn't do last time). Time to stop believing your campaign's cartoonish characterizations of Romney. He's a real, formidable, guy. A serious opponent. Take him seriously this time.

2. Don't panic, nothing has changed

I got your attention with the line about panicking. But the reality is you have every reason to remain calm, starting with the fact that you are a preternaturally calm person. First, it was inevitable given your lead in the polls that you would be on the losing side of the expectations game and post-first debate spin. Next, you know as well as anyone that even after spending a billion on this campaign, you and Mitt Romney are going to end up with America roughly split as it was before this whole dog-and-pony show started.

Finally, you're still the president, and you still have everything going for you that you had going for you to begin with, from the good bits in your record to an electoral college and a shifting American demographic reality that will give you a healthy tailwind at the polls.

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3. Show up

I don't just mean this in the sense that you should be there and mentally engaged in the next debate. Given Romney's win in the first debate, the natural story for the lazy ladies and gentlemen of the press will be to write about your comeback. I don't want to put too much pressure on you, but you are going to have to try really, really hard to screw up this next debate, at least.

4. Take the high road

Again, I know this is not what your brain trust is telling you. Well, it's not what many in the universe of your scared and angry supporters are calling for. Everyone is saying you should hit back hard. (No, I mean harder than the lame attacks on Romney for threatening to "fire" Big Bird.) Don't play that game.

What wins campaigns is offering the most optimistic, credible vision for the future. Don't be a self-hating Democrat. You have a strong record on many fronts. By all means emphasize your successes. But focus on the future.

Focus on big ideas for creating jobs, making America competitive, promoting growth and making us stronger from the inside out. Romney has turned his race around largely by letting people see that he's actually a good guy on many levels. Acknowledge it. Challenge him when he is misleading but don't get sucked into name calling. The facts matter much less than how you make people feel. (Sorry, it's true.) Just make sure people know you have a better vision for more people. And by people, I mean swing voters. The others have all made up their minds.

So, despite the temptations, veer away from the partisan. Americans want solutions, not more gridlock and name calling.

5. Try to avoid an October surprise

If you follow the four steps described above both in debates and on the road (and spend a lot of time in Ohio, Florida and Virginia) you will probably still win this thing. Of course, there's still time for some October (or early November) surprise that will be a game changer. But you're the president of the United States for goodness sake. You have some influence. Try to avoid disasters (on and off the debate stage), and you will soon be able to go back to grappling with the hardest problems in the world all day long.

For Gov. Romney, the advice is simpler. Keep doing what you did the other night. Well-prepared, moderate, likeable and presidential is not exactly a losing combination. But expect the next debates to be somewhat more challenging. It's highly likely the president of the United States will actually turn up the next couple of times around.

Boko Haram Denies Mubi Killings-PREMIUM TIMES

Abubakar Shekau

The insurgent group, Jamaatu ahlis Sunnah lil daawati wal jihad, also known as Boko Haram, has denied carrying out the attack that claimed the lives of over forty persons, most of them students of tertiary institutions in Mubi, Adamawa State last week.

A man who claimed to be a senior member of the group, who spoke exclusively with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, said his group had nothing to do with the killing of students in Mubi.

“We have no business with students or student politics. If students are our target we would have killed them randomly on sight and in their school and not sneak on them in the creeping darkness in an area occupied by both students and residents,” he said.

The man, whom independent checks revealed to be a member of the group, said if the sect wanted to attack educational facilities; it would have gone for structures not students.

“What would have been our target as far as I am concerned would have been the building and properties of the institution, since it is owned by the Government. At least, by now other students elsewhere would have been attacked if students are our concern,” he added.

He said the mode of attack is not characteristic of the sect’s numerous attacks.

“Several press releases by our spokesman and Imam in the past have made it clear who our enemies are, I don’t have to repeat it here. I don’t think anybody amongst us has the time to draw up a list or read it out before executing the students.”

The group’s denial throws another controversy into the likely perpetrators of the dastardly act, which saw over 40 people, mostly students of the Federal polytechnic Mubi, killed on October 1 by armed men. Some were shot while others were slaughtered. Security agencies are already investigating the criminal act.

We lost members, but so did JTF
The insurgent leader also admitted that the Joint Task Force, JTF, in various Northern States had killed many of its members; but claimed that some of those killed were innocent people with no links to the group.

He accused the JTF of hiding the casualty figure suffered by the force in various confrontations with the sect.

“We have killed a lot of security personnel in the north especially in Yobe and Borno state, far more than the lies the JTF sell to you, media,” he said; adding that “a significant number of our brothers were killed but most of the people the JTF have killed have nothing to do with us. They are just youths in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

He said his sect was “not like the JTF that hide their casualties.”

“Yes, we suffered some casualties but I want to assure you that our structure, specialists and arm power are intact, and these crises will continue till we die,” he said.

Qaqa alive, may have been captured 
The Boko Haram member said the sect’s official spokesperson, Abu Qaqa is still alive.  He however refused to confirm if Mr. Qaqa is alive with the group or is being detained by security agents.

A successful search operation in Kano, in September, by members of the JTF had led to the killing of some of the sect’s members and arrest of others. One of the arrested persons is believed to be Mr. Qaqa, according to top security sources. The Boko Haram leader in his talk, like the evasive statement of its overall leader, Abubakar Shekau, would however not confirm whether Mr. Qaqa had been captured or not.
“Our Imam has made it clear in his last video that Qaqa is alive, but I cannot answer your queries whether Qaqa is alive with us or with the security agencies,” he said.

He said his group was looking at “how best to communicate with the public.”

“Very soon our position will be clear on all these issues, Qaqa and other sundry issues. We are studying the situation, we are strategizing our operations.

“I can assure you that we will not suffer any more defeat like we did in the past Insha Allah,” he added.

South Africa mine fires 1,400 striking workers

Striking mine workers gather outside the Anglo American Mine on Friday, October 5 in Rustenburg, South AfricaJohannesburg, South Africa (CNN) -- South African mining company Gold One has fired more than 1,400 miners who have been on strike for more than a week, the company announced Tuesday.

The workers at the Ezulwini mine outside Johannesburg were dismissed after what the company called "appropriate disciplinary procedures" and a court's declaration that the strike was illegal. Those fired make up about three-quarters of the 1,900 miners at the facility and will have a chance to appeal their dismissals, Gold One reported.

Gold sector talks tough in South Africa

Why are South African truckers striking?

It's the latest twist in a wave of sometimes-violent labor unrest that has wracked South Africa's mining sector -- the country's biggest industry -- for nearly two months. Another company, Anglo-American Platinum, fired about 12,000 striking workers who declined to attend disciplinary hearings last week after a three-week walkout.

Four people were wounded during clashes between security officers and striking workers at another Gold One mine in September. And police opened fire on strikers Lonmin's Marikana platinum mine in August, killing killing 34 workers and wounding dozens more.

The strike at the Ezulwini facility started October 1. Police have a "strong presence" there to prevent violence, Gold One said in a written statement Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Netanyahu calls early election for Israel

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for an early election after failing to agree on a budget with his coalition partners, saying the vote should be held "as soon as possible" for the good of the country.

In a televised announcement Tuesday, Netanyahu said the election was necessary to ensure "a responsible security and economic policy" in the face of the economic downturn and threats to Israel's security from Iran and elsewhere.

The election will ideally happen in three months' time, he said, rather than in October 2013, as originally scheduled.

"It is my obligation as the prime minister to put the national interest above everything else," Netanyahu said.

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"So I have decided that it is in the best interest for the state of Israel to go to elections now and as soon as possible."

Read more: Israel's red line not in line with U.S. view

Netanyahu said he had concluded after talks with the heads of the other parties in his coalition that it was not currently possible to pass a "responsible budget with a long-term outlook" for Israel.

"We are at the start of an election year and I am sorry that during an election year it is difficult for parties to put the national interest above the party interest," he said.

"The result of this could be the breaking of the budget and a massive increase in the deficit which will force us very quickly into the position of the economies that are disintegrating in Europe. I won't let that happen here."

Researchers at the Bank of Israel predicted in September that Israel's economic growth this year would come in at 3.3%, versus 3.0% next year. Inflation through the end of the third quarter of 2013 was forecast to be 2.6%.

According to Israel's Haaretz newspaper, the planned budget included between 13 and 15 billion shekels in cuts, with wage reductions for public sector workers and infrastructure projects to be slashed. The Jerusalem Post said the proposed cuts totaled between 15 billion and 17 billion shekels.

Two coalition partners, the ultra-Orthodox party Shas and Yisrael Beytenu, Avigdor Lieberman's nationalist party, were against cuts being imposed on lower earners, including young families and families with many children.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak, leader of the Independence Party, was against any cuts in the defense budget.

Without those three coalition partners on board, Netanyahu had little chance of getting the budget through the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

Netanyahu hopes his right-wing Likud party will come out of the snap election with more seats in the Knesset and a stronger hold on the coalition.

The centrist political faction Kadima, led by Shaul Mofaz, may lose out in a new vote.

Outlining the security challenges currently facing Israel, Netanyahu said: "We have to ensure Iran does not get nuclear weapons, guard our borders from terror and migration, to guard the peace agreements with our neighbors, to stand on the vital interests in all future negotiations for peace and to ensure a dynamic and growing economy that will guard the work place for the citizens of Israel."

Iran has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian energy purposes only. But it has rebuffed demands to halt its production of enriched uranium, and a 2011 report by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog found "credible" information that Tehran has carried out work toward nuclear weapons -- including tests of possible bomb components.

Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly this year, Netanyahu said time was quickly running out to find a diplomatic solution to the impasse.

Austrian adventurer Felix Baumgartner has been frustrated in his attempt to make the highest ever skydive.

Unfavourable winds at Roswell, New Mexico, have prevented the launch of the helium balloon that was to take him to more than 120,000ft (36.5km).
Meteorologists say Thursday now looks to be next best day for a record bid.
Baumgartner - famous for jumping off skyscrapers - is hoping to become the first human to break the sound barrier unaided by a vehicle.
Because of the rarity of the atmosphere at 120,000ft, he would accelerate rapidly once he stepped out of his balloon's capsule.
Calculations suggest he could achieve Mach 1 - thought to be around 690mph (1,110km/h) at the target altitude - within 40 seconds.
But this will all have to wait for another day.

Continue reading the main story

Latest Jonathan Amos Science correspondent

Jonathan Amos @BBCAmos It's all off. Shame. Winds too gusty. #livejump updated copy to follow.

52 minutes ago
Jonathan Amos @BBCAmos Balloon definitely filling now. !!! #livejump

1 hour ago
Jonathan Amos @BBCAmos Capsule door closed momentarily on Felix Baumgartner. Now it's open again. Still no inflation. #livejump We're pushing deep now into window.

1 hour ago
Jonathan Amos @BBCAmos Does this mean they think the prospect of favourable winds will not now materialise? #livejump We sit and wait.

1 hour ago
Jonathan Amos @BBCAmos Baumgartner now sitting calm in his capsule. Getting news that although permission to inflate was given, the ground team held off #livejump

1 hour ago
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Baumgartner's 30 million cu ft (850,000 cu m) polyethylene balloon has very strict launch requirements.

Wind speeds from the ground up to about 800ft (250m) must not exceed 3mph (5km/h), or there is a chance the envelope could shred as the support team try to release it and the capsule.
And although Tuesday morning's conditions at the surface were dead calm, the winds at times were just too gusty.
Felix Baumgartner got as far as climbing into his capsule before the mission was postponed.
The current weather window for this year probably extends for another month. Beyond that and the team will likely have to return next year.
Baumgartner is trying to topple records that have stood for more than 50 years.
The previous highest skydive was made by retired US Air Force Col Joe Kittinger, who leapt from a helium envelope in 1960. His altitude was 102,800ft (31.3km).
The adventurer first discussed seriously the idea of taking on the challenge in 2005.
Since then, he has had to battle technical and budgetary setbacks to make it happen.
What he is trying to is extremely dangerous.
At an altitude of 120,000ft (36.5km), the air pressure is less than 2% of what it is at sea level, and it is impossible to breathe without an oxygen supply.
Others who have tried to break the records for the highest, fastest and longest freefalls have lost their lives in the process.
Baumgartner's team has built him a special pressurised capsule to protect him on the way up, and for his descent he will wear a next generation, full pressure suit made by the same company that prepares the flight suits of astronauts.
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Although the jump has the appearance of another Baumgartner stunt, his team has stressed its high scientific relevance.

The researchers on the Red Bull Stratos project say it has already provided invaluable data for the development of high-performance, high-altitude parachute systems, and that the lessons learned will inform the development of new ideas for emergency evacuation from vehicles, such as spacecraft, passing through the stratosphere.
Nasa and its spacecraft manufacturers have asked to be kept informed.

Mexico: Body of Zetas drug cartel leader Lazcano stolen

The body of the leader of a Mexican drug cartel, who was killed in a shootout with marines, has been stolen by an armed gang, state officials say.

The corpse of Heriberto Lazcano, founder of the brutal Los Zetas gang, was being stored by the authorities at a funeral parlour in northern Mexico.
The Mexican navy said tests confirmed that the man killed was Lazcano.
Infamous for mass killings, the Zetas control key drug-trafficking routes in north-eastern Mexico.
Lazcano, also known as "the executioner", was killed in a gun battle with marines on Sunday in Progreso, some 125km (80 miles) west of the Texan border in Coahuila state, the navy said.
It added that fingerprints and photographs of the body were taken before it was handed over to the local authorities in Coahuila.

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Analysis

Will Grant BBC News, Mexico City

There can be little doubt that the death of Heriberto Lazcano, one of the last founding members of Los Zetas, is a major blow to the criminal organisation he ran.
Already riddled with in-fighting and distrust, Los Zetas is a deeply divided cartel and many analysts believe that it is now in complete disarray. Lazcano's death only adds to the confusion within the organisation.
But almost any satisfaction that the federal government might take from his death will be overshadowed by the fact that the authorities are no longer in possession of his body.
And many Mexicans think the Calderon administration would be wise not to trumpet this episode too loudly. While the removal of one of the key figures in Mexico's drug war is unquestionably important, the brazen nature with which Los Zetas could simply step in and take back his body illustrates the extent of their power in states like Coahuila.

• Q&A: Mexico's drug-related violence

Early on Monday, a group of armed men raided the funeral parlour where the corpse was being kept, and stole it, attorney general Homero Ramos told a news conference on Tuesday.

His statement came shortly after the navy confirmed the identity of the body as Lazcano's, saying the fingerprints matched those on its database. The photographs of the body were also made public.
Gang split Lazcano is suspected of involvement in hundreds of killings, including that of crusading newspaper editor Francisco Ortiz Franco in 2004.
The US had put up a $5m (£3.1m) reward and Mexico another $2.3m for information leading to Lazcano's capture.
Mexican police believe a recent surge in mass killings is due to a split within the Zetas cartel.
Lazcano was thought to be the leader of one faction, while the other is led by Miguel Angel Trevino Morales.
In the nearly six years of Felipe Calderon's presidency, more than 50,000 people are believed to have died in violence blamed on organised crime.
The navy has been at the forefront of operations against Mexico's drug cartels.
On Monday, it said it had arrested suspected regional Zetas leader Salvador Alfonso Martinez Escobedo, who the navy says was behind the 2010 murder of 72 migrants in northern Tamaulipas state.
Officials say Escobedo works for Trevino Morales.
Morales, known as Z40, has a reputation for equal if not greater brutality than Lazcano and remains at large.

Karachi: Brain-eating amoeba kills 10

A rare brain-eating amoeba is responsible for at least 10 deaths in the Pakistani city of Karachi in recent months, health officials believe.

The source of the parasite is not yet known, but it is thought victims may have been exposed to it when using water to rinse their nasal passages.
The amoeba, Naegleria Fowleri, lives in warm water and kills its victims by destroying brain tissue.
Officials are now increasing the amount of chlorine in the public water supply.
The deaths are in various locations across Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city.
Dr Shakeel Mallick, who works for the provincial health department, said nine of those killed were men, while one victim was a child of four.
Officials suspect other cases may have gone undetected. Dr Mallick said hospitals were now being "vigilant".
The ministry was "very concerned" about the amoeba, he said.
Cities on alert Although the amoeba is usually picked up in contaminated pools or lakes, only one of those killed had been swimming.
Officials are therefore concentrating their attention on the possibility that people picked it up when cleaning out their nostrils - a practice which is common in South Asia, BBC regional analyst Jill McGivering says.
The amoeba travels to the brain through the nasal passages.
Those infected have symptoms including fever, nausea and vomiting, as well as a stiff neck and headaches. Most die within a week.
The World Health Authority's Musa Khan says other cities across Pakistan have been put on alert.
An awareness campaign has also been launched among health workers and the public.
"People should avoid getting water too deep into their nostrils," Mr Khan said. "Those with symptoms should seek help immediately."
People are being advised to use boiled or chlorinated water to rinse their noses, and to clean out domestic water tanks where amoeba may flourish.

The amoeba cannot be passed from person to person.

Malala Yousafzai: Pakistan activist, 14, shot in Swat

Gunmen have wounded a 14-year-old rights activist who has campaigned for girls' education in the Swat Valley in north-west Pakistan.

Malala Yousafzai was attacked on her way home from school in Mingora, the region's main town.
She came to public attention in 2009 by writing a diary for BBC Urdu about life under Taliban militants who had taken control of the valley.
A Pakistani Taliban spokesman told the BBC they carried out the attack.
Ehsanullah Ehsan told BBC Urdu that they attacked her because she was anti-Taliban and secular, adding that she would not be spared.
Malala Yousafzai was travelling with at least one other girl when she was shot, but there are differing accounts of how events unfolded.

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Analysis

Orla Guerin BBC News, Islamabad

The chilling attack on the young peace campaigner has been leading TV news bulletins here. Malala Yousafzai is one of the best-known schoolgirls in the country. Young as she is, she has dared to do what many others do not - publicly criticise the Taliban.
Malala's confident, articulate campaign for girls' education has won her admirers - and recognition - at home and abroad. She has appeared on national and international television, and spoken of her dream of a future Pakistan where education would prevail.
Even by the standards of blood-soaked Pakistan, there has been shock at the shooting. It has been condemned by Pakistan's Prime Minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf, who sent a helicopter to transfer Malala to hospital in Peshawar.
The head of Pakistan's Independent Human Rights Commission, Zohra Yusuf, said "this tragic attack on this courageous child" sends a very disturbing message to all those working for women and girls.

One report, citing local sources, says a bearded gunman stopped a car full of schoolgirls, and asked for Malala Yousafzai by name, before opening fire.

But a police official also told BBC Urdu that unidentified gunmen opened fire on the schoolgirls as they were about to board a van or bus.
She was hit in the head and, some reports say, in the neck area by a second bullet, but is now in hospital and is reportedly out of danger. Another girl who was with her at the time was also injured.
'Courage' Malala Yousafzai was just 11 when she was writing her diary, two years after the Taliban took over the Swat Valley, and ordered girls' schools to close.
In the diary, which she kept for the BBC's Urdu service under a pen name, she exposed the suffering caused by the militants as they ruled.
She used the pen-name Gul Makai when writing the diary. Her identity only emerged after the Taliban were driven out of Swat and she later won a national award for bravery and was also nominated for an international children's peace award.
Correspondents say she earned the admiration of many across Pakistan for her courage in speaking out about life under the brutal rule of Taliban militants.
One poignant entry reflects on the Taliban decree banning girls' education: "Since today was the last day of our school, we decided to play in the playground a bit longer. I am of the view that the school will one day reopen but while leaving I looked at the building as if I would not come here again."

Video Clip Of Pres. Jonathan's Visit To Wife, Belated Attempt At Damage Control - ACN

Posted: October 9, 2012 - 11:09

Mrs. Patience Jonathan

By Alhaji Lai Mohammed- National Publicity Secretary Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has described as a belated attempt at damage control the presidency's decision to show on the NTA the video clip of President Goodluck Jonathan's visit to his wife in Germany, saying the video has not addressed the demand for full disclosure on the First Lady's seven-week disappearance.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the comments attributed to presidential spokesman Reuben Abati concerning the video also shows that the presidency either does not understand the issues at stake, or is deliberately playing the ostrich.
''Let's be clear, there is nothing to be ashamed of in someone been sick since we are all human and anyone can fall ill at any time. In particular, people occupying the public space, including the First Lady, who take ill deserve nothing but our prayers and sympathy.
''However, where information about such persons are with-held or deliberately distorted, people tend to shift their focus to unraveling the truth about the situation, which is the case with our First Lady,'' it said.
ACN described as a shocking irony the fact that President Jonathan, who is aware that the poor management of information over the illness of his predecessor, Pres. Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, contributed to the erosion of public sympathy for the late President and instead swung it in favour of his then Vice President (Jonathan), would make the same mistake by hoarding information on the sickness of his wife.
''It is a shame that people just do not learn from the past. Irrespective of the cheeky and unprofessional comments by the presidential spokesman, that the video has put paid to all the lies that people who play politics with almost everything have been spreading, the indisputable fact, going by available information, is that the First Lady indeed took ill and was flown to Germany for treatment.
''Had the information managers at the presidency lived up to their billing, there would have been a full disclosure immediately the First Lady fell ill, and instead of the unnecessary controversy over her whereabouts, the good people of Nigeria would have offered prayers in torrents for the First Lady and her family.
''Now making it look like the First Lady went to Germany on holiday 'to rest' or she is on a pilgrimage of sorts when indeed she is recuperating from an illness is another testimony to the increasingly legendary incompetence and cluelessness that permeate this presidency, and we expect all those involved in this amateurish attempt at cover-up to be ashamed of themselves, instead of engaging in empty bravado and pointing fingers at imaginary enemies,'' the party said.