現任總統尤多約諾（Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono）民意支持度居高不下，他率領的中間派「民主黨」（Democratic Party）在今年4月國會大選中得票增加三倍，躍居國會最大黨。
他希望8日首輪投票即獲得明顯多數，以免9月與另兩位候選人，反對黨領袖梅嘉娃蒂（MegawatiSukarnoputri）與副總統卡拉（Jusuf Kalla）二者之一舉行第二輪決選。
這位前軍事將領在絕大多數民調中領先，並被預期第一輪即順利出線。但今天選戰正式結束之際，也有一項民調指梅嘉娃蒂領先17%。
另一項民調則顯示，尤多約諾獲63%支持率，足以明顯多數當選連任。印尼合格選民約1億7000萬人。
這次選戰的主要議題包括地方性貪污、糧價，以及如何在全球化與經濟衰退中管理國家豐富自然資源等。
以下是北韓飛彈研發過程的重要進展：
1970年代晚期：開始仿製蘇聯「飛毛腿B型」飛彈（Scud-B），射程300公里，1984年試射。
1987-1992年：開始各種飛彈研發，包括：「飛毛腿C型」飛彈（Scud-C），射程500公里；「蘆洞1號」（Rodong-1），射程1300 公里；「大浦洞1號」（Taepodong-1 ），射程2500公里；「舞水端1號」（Musudan-1），射程3000公里；「大浦洞2號」（Taepodong-2），射程6700公里。
1998年8月：試射大浦洞1號飛越日本上空，為一次失敗的衛星發射行動。
1999年9月：與美國關係改善，宣稱暫停長程飛彈試射。
2000年7月12日：美國與北韓在吉隆坡五度舉行飛彈談判，北韓要求美國每年支付10億美元，交換停止飛彈出口，談判無疾而終。
2005年3月3日：北韓結束凍結長程飛彈試射，並歸咎於布希當局的敵對政策。
2006年7月5日：北韓試射7枚飛彈，其中包括發射後40秒爆炸的長程飛彈大浦洞2號。
2006年7月15日：聯合國安全理事會通過第1695號決議，要求北韓中止所有彈道飛彈研發，並禁止各國與北韓從事與飛彈相關器材的交易。
2006年10月9日：北韓進行首次地下核子試爆。
2006年10月14日：安理會通過第1718號決議，要求北韓中止飛彈和核子試驗。禁止供應北韓任何相關原料或其他武器。
2009年4月5日：北韓發射長程火箭，越過日本上空後墜入太平洋。北韓表示此舉意在將一枚衛星送上軌道，美國、日本及南韓則指係偽裝的大浦洞2號測試。
2009年4月13日：聯合國安理會一致譴責北韓發射行動，決議強化現有制裁。北韓中止廢核會談以示抗議，並矢言重啟核武重要元素「鈽」（plutonium）的發展計畫。
2009年5月25日：北韓進行第二次地下核武試爆，威力比前一次強大數倍。
2009年6月12日：安理會通過第1874號決議，對北韓的原子和彈道飛彈計畫施行更嚴厲的制裁。
2009年7月4日：北韓向東部外海試射7枚彈道飛彈，違反先前的安理會決議案。（譯者：中央社蔡和穎）
據新華社報導，這些蠕蟲感染操作系統後，會迫使MSN自動向好友發送任意的網頁地址連結或一些病毒文件，好友受騙點擊連結或點擊打開這些病毒文件，操作系統就會受到蠕蟲的入侵感染。
報導說，電腦用戶收到的網頁地址連結大部分不帶有病毒，只是廣告推廣的地址連結，但是網站頁面內容通常會誘騙用戶提交自己的MSN賬號、密碼等私密訊息。 由於大多數用戶的MSN賬號、密碼和hotmail郵箱賬號密碼一致，因此還會造成hotmail郵箱的訊息洩露。這種方式常常被某些網站用於提高訪問流 量而採取的非法廣告手段。
專家建議用戶採用如下方法防範，包括：已經感染蠕蟲的用戶立即升級系統中的防毒軟體，進行全面殺毒。針對未感染蠕蟲的用戶，建議打開系統中防病毒軟體的系 統監控功能，從註冊表、系統進程、網絡等多方面對各種操作進行主動防禦，這樣可以第一時間監控未知病毒的入侵活動。
另外，不要隨意點擊或以MSN發來的陌生連結地址或文件，即使是好友發來的文件、圖片或網頁連結地址也要在確認後再打開。不要隨意提交自己的MSN賬號和密碼；如發現自己的MSN被惡意利用發送廣告，請及時修改MSN密碼。
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（吉打‧亞羅士打）吉打州務大臣拿督斯里阿茲然說，他對“吉州政府即將拆除興都廟及拿督公壇”一事毫不知情。
他對於來自霹靂的吉玻行動黨州聯委會主席蘇建祥早前向電視台爆料，指吉州政府即將拆除興都廟及拿督公壇一事感到驚奇，並反問：““蘇建祥來自怡保，他竟然知道這樣的事情？難道他未卜先知？”
他認為，蘇建祥的言論是在侮蔑他，並質疑本身是否需要感謝蘇建祥這個外人來告訴他，州政府即將拆除興都廟。
“行動黨向來說維護全民利益，但現在他們竟然能說出這樣的話，難道他們企圖搞種族紛爭，讓大家討厭我？”
詢及是否會接受吉打州行動黨重返吉州民聯，阿茲然表示不瞭解他們已退出民聯一事，因此也不瞭解所謂重返民聯的說法。
阿茲然是在今日（週六，7月4日）陪同國家元首端姑米占陛下出席2009年空軍畢業典禮後，發表談話。
針對行動黨哥打達魯阿曼州議員李源益指大臣曾獻議他跳槽公正黨，以換取受委行政議員條件時，阿茲然回應說：“我只是跟他開玩笑。”
據李源益透露，大臣是在6月28日在其助理及大臣數名秘書面前，獻議他過檔公正黨。
（吉打‧亞羅士打）吉北區今日（週六，7月4日）開始從威省進口60多隻宰好的豬只到市場上出售，而週日（7月5日）吉北各類豬肉價格將一律每公斤調高50仙。
吉打屠業公會主席劉立桂說，基於從威省進口豬肉運輸成本高，因此週日起調高豬肉價格，唯豬肉貨源充足，並沒有出現所謂的“吉北人民沒有豬肉吃”情況。
7月1日吉北太子路過港唯一宰豬場被亞羅士打市政廳剷平後，吉北區已連續3天沒有出售豬肉，週六業者開始從威北、威南進口豬肉，因此市面上恢復豬肉供應。
平均每日進口60多隻
劉立桂說，過去在本地宰豬，平均每日宰60多隻豬，現在從外州進口的豬也是60多隻同等份量“宰好的豬肉”。
不過，威省業者必須把分配到吉北的豬肉都做記號分類，比如批售給劉立桂的豬肉，就必須在豬肉上面寫下“立”，這無形中增添一些麻煩。
劉立桂表示，過去本地宰豬業者把豬宰好後，會把骨頭都挑好弄妥才交給豬肉販，因此過去凌晨5時左右才來開檔。
肉販自己動手挑骨
“現在外州進口的豬肉，本地肉販必須在凌晨3時多就來守候，然後自己動手挑骨，工作時間和負擔都增加了。”
他說，原先本地宰豬業者，很多因此失去工作，宰豬酬勞原本2000多令吉，現在如只叫他們來豬肉檔幫忙則只有數百令吉薪金，因此很多宰豬業者都不知何去何從。
拒蔡添強會面要求‧要吉大臣白紙黑字
針對公正黨策略局主任蔡添強負責處理吉北宰豬場問題，並準備會見吉打屠業公會及同業的問題，劉立桂直言週五（7月3日）蔡添強曾托人聯絡要和他見面，但已被他拒絕。
“如果蔡添強可以向吉打大臣拿督斯里阿茲然拿到白紙黑字，我就會相信他，不然現在任何人來跟我講些甚麼，都是假的。”
不過，他表示如果週六有時間，或許會和蔡添強見面。
他說，雖然宰豬場被推倒，但他仍感激行動黨州議員李源益盡力的為公會奔走協助，同時認為公正黨行政議員陳暐樹也算在此事上盡了力。
（霹靂‧怡保）霹州行動黨秘書倪可敏指出，超過3000名新村和重組村居民，向州內土地局提出永久地契申請，至今仍無下文，一些甚至無法取回原有的地契。
他促請國陣霹靂州務大臣拿督斯里贊比里給予人民一個交待。
村民要索回地契也難
倪可敏今日（週六，7月4日）在新聞發佈會上指出，對於民聯執政時通過的永久地契政策，國陣州政府迄今仍未決定會否繼續推行，而已提出申請的居民一等再等，甚至有者取消申請，索回原本的地契也不果。
倪可敏也說，民聯執政時，曾撥出600萬令吉成立了一個基金會，並會發出1000令吉獎勵金給所有被本地大專錄取的各族學生。惟他早前接到不少父母的投訴，指有些人發出指示，由民聯州議員簽署的獎勵金申請表格，將不被基金會接納。民聯曾將此事帶上國會討論。
“這顯示出這是‘一個馬來西亞，兩個霹靂´的做法，希望國陣州政府儘快收回這項指示。”
建議民聯成立協商會
提到吉打州行動黨退出民聯的事，倪可敏建議各州民聯成立協商理事會，並由3黨州主席輪流出任理事會的主席。
他呼吁媒體不要大事炒作這新聞，因為民聯3黨意見不合是正常的現象。
他說，據悉吉打州政府同意撥出另一塊地設立宰豬場，所以相信民聯最高領導層會妥善解決這起風波。
（吉隆坡）廢除內安法令聯盟（GMI）將號召20萬人，參加8月1日在吉隆坡舉行的廢除內安法令大集會。
此聯盟主席賽依布拉欣今日（週六，7月4日）在國企十合（Sogo）廣場大門前召開新聞發佈會說，它們將向政府提出廢除內安法令、釋放餘下內安令被扣者及關閉甘文丁扣留營3項訴求。
地點時間尚未敲定
“這項集會也配合政府修正內安法令49週年而進行，我們希望它比之前的廢除英語教數理及凈選盟集會更大規模，目前地點時間尚未敲定。”
他指出，內安法令實施迄今已有數以萬計人受害，包括被扣者的無辜妻小。
“雖然政府已釋放部份內安法令被扣者，惟政府依舊援引此法令捉人，最新一起發生在6月25日。”
出席新聞發佈會者包括回青團秘書卡瑪魯札曼及執委沙尼韓占。
週六有逾20名警員在場駐守，當賽依布拉欣使用麥克風及擴音器發言時，警方一度趨前阻止並指示他放下麥克風，前者遵照命令新聞發佈會才得以繼續進行。
（吉隆坡）馬華公共服務及投訴部主任拿督張天賜披露，若印尼政府停止輸出女傭前來大馬工作，將導致大馬約350間女傭代理公司無法取回1000萬令吉的抵押金。
由於媒體最近大肆報導印尼女傭被大馬雇主不人道對待後，印尼政府暫時停止輸出女傭到大馬，導致大馬的代理陷入窘境。
馬來西亞女傭代理商公會的副主席符策鏑和劉月玲及義務秘書符永輝就此事向馬華公共服務及投訴部求助。
符策鏑表示，大馬代理必須先付2500至3000令吉抵押金給印尼中介，才能取得每名印尼女傭的履歷表。而今，印尼政府停止輸出女傭，他們擔心已繳付的抵押金很難追回來。
他說，大馬每月引進5000名印尼女傭，這不包括來自菲律賓、柬埔寨、越南及斯里蘭卡的女傭。他希望政府允許引進其他國籍的女傭。
促印尼助追討抵押金
而符永輝則表示，很多代理公司都擔心他們損失慘重，因此希望印尼政府要是停止輸入女傭，也要協助他們追討抵押金。
“印尼政府的人力資源部長將於下週一（7月6日）與大馬部長洽談此事，希望可以為我們捎來好消息。”
另一方面，張天賜說，此課題已引起大馬和印尼媒體大肆報導及非政府組織的關注，因此應儘快獲得解決方策。
他披露，投訴部前年接獲26宗女傭投訴個案，去年則有8宗，而今年上半年僅有3宗；他們主要投訴雇主沒有付薪金、工作繁重、無理謾罵等，但很少投訴被雇主虐待。
也是內政部長顧問兼特別官員的他說，內政部長拿督希沙慕丁也很關注此課題。
（吉打‧雙溪大年）公正黨宣傳主任蔡添強說，他與吉州大臣週五（7月3日）進行40分鐘會談後，大臣承認太子路過港宰豬場被拆除事件，的確出現行政偏差！
詢及處理宰豬場問題的時限，蔡添強說，由於他第一天到吉州瞭解情況，未敢貿然給一個時限，不過已有初步盤算，預料下週在與亞羅士打市長及相關部門官員見面後，就會有明確方向。
有信心覓地重建宰豬場
“總而言之，我們會儘快在新宰豬場未建好前，尋求臨時方案，先確保豬肉不斷市，避免再成為巫統國陣的課題。”
他強調，大臣有信心另覓得一塊1依格地段來重建宰豬場，而民聯政府也將提出暫時解決方案。
他今日（週六，7月4日）下午在吉州華人事務委員會主席陳暐樹住家，與陳暐樹見面會談3小時後，這麼說。
蔡添強說，無可否認，亞羅士打市政廳大部份仍是前朝政府官員，導致民聯政府處理事務有所侷限，不過他們都會理性看待，不會責怪任何一方，盡力扮演好本身的角色。
勿意氣用事
吉行動黨應大局為重
針對吉州行動黨議決退出民聯州政府，蔡添強呼吁行動黨以大局為重，以人民的利益為先，而非為人民的一時怒氣而發泄。
他說，這不是發泄的時候，而是兩線制競爭的時代，民聯應站在一起，因為這是人民對他們的期望，不為自己的喜好而走在一起。
他並不認為民聯面對信心危機，這正是把民聯拉得更近的好機會，成為可解決問題的聯盟。
至於李源益向媒體提出，大臣在拆宰豬場後獻議跳槽公正黨一事，蔡添強不願回應，只說：“我們（公正黨）能明白他（李源益）是行動黨（吉州）唯一議員，加上地理位置問題，公正黨議員與他難免缺乏溝通，不過仍相信是有解決的餘地。”
辭職無法解決問題
黨領袖為陳暐樹撐腰
蔡添強認為，陳暐樹辭職並無法解決宰豬場被拆除後的問題，反而可能會衍生更嚴重的問題，所以黨中央領袖全力為陳暐樹撐腰。
“若今天（陳暐樹）辭職，明天能夠解決（宰豬場）問題，或宰豬場立即重建，那麼（陳暐樹）一定會辭職，不過事實卻是相反。”
他說，中央領袖已指示他與州主席拿督阿末卡欣負責跟進，並協助陳暐樹處理這事件。
針對吉南社委長（MKK）給大臣1個月時限解決宰豬場問題，蔡添強呼吁基層理性看待事情。
（登嘉樓‧瓜拉登嘉樓、吉打‧亞羅士打）吉打州政府將會尋找新的地點，設立宰豬場，作為亞羅士打市政廳剷平太子路過港宰豬場的解決方案。
回教黨主席拿督斯里哈迪阿旺接受《星洲日報》訪問時透露，他已接到吉打州大臣拿督斯里阿茲然的來電，大臣已告知他將另外尋找新的替代地點。
“這次風波只是一場誤會，相信可以獲得解決，不會對民聯造成影響。我已經清楚告訴吉打州大臣，州政府在執行合理的管制之際，也不可以否決非回教徒的權益。”
吉大臣：關心華社
另一方面，吉打大臣阿茲然強調，他很關心華社，並不是華社的敵人。
他說，他也希望儘快解決宰豬場新地段問題，但行動黨卻延遲把獻議在本同甘榜支那新地段建新宰豬場的備忘錄交給他。
公正黨顧問拿督斯里安華已指示公正黨策略局主任蔡添強與吉打州公正黨主席兼吉打港口區國會議員阿末卡欣協助處理宰豬場課題。
提昇2非正規宰豬場設備
蔡添強已會見阿茲然，並獲後者承諾“宰豬場一定會重建”，州政府將物色1依格土地重建宰豬場，民聯政府也將提出臨時的解決方案；以確保豬肉供應如常。
他透露，吉大臣也指示州獸醫局協助十字港和端影2地非正規的宰豬場提昇設備，確保豬肉供應足夠。至於是否合法宰豬，由獸醫局鑑定。
蔡添強也希望大臣向土地局施加多一點壓力，讓官員加速審核申請，他聲稱有些官員不和州政府配合，卻又不能隨便撤換，因為須獲得吉州蘇丹批准。
針對新宰豬場的興建沒有期限的問題，蔡添強坦言無法保證期限，但須各方配合，也承諾盡力協助克服官員的刁難、居民抗議事件等等。
吉若禁華人吃豬肉
馬夫茲：我退出回教黨
回教黨副主席拿督馬夫茲奧瑪聲明，如果回教黨大臣領導的吉州民聯政府不允許非回教徒或華人吃豬肉，他準備就此退出回教黨。
他強調，回教只是禁止他及回教徒吃豬肉，但沒有禁止華人吃豬肉，希望民眾不要受到主流媒體及國陣成員黨的誤導。
他說，吉州政府沒有禁止興建宰豬場及非回教徒吃豬肉，並且提醒拆除宰豬場事件是清潔衛生課題，不要讓有心人炒作成為種族課題。
“試想想，若業者到民政黨德卡區州議員謝順海住家旁宰豬，他願意接受嗎？”
Despite repeated demands from the Obama Administration, the right-wing Israeli government has repeatedly rejected the call and insisted that the US will eventually change its mind. The move has proved relatively popular, and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s approval rating has remained strong.
The Obama Administration has said the halt to settlement growth is necessary for its goal of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu has supported, with some conditions, the notion of a Palestinian state, but has absolutely ruled out halting the growth of settlements.
Average household should pay £74 less a year, consumer group claims
Gas prices should be 7.4 per cent cheaper and electricity bills 3.1 per cent cheaper, saving an average household £74 a year, research obtained by The Independent suggests.
Consumer Focus, the publicly funded watchdog which calculated the figures using the energy regulator's own model, described them as "conservative". It suggested that further predicted falls in wholesale prices should reduce gas bills by a further 8 per cent and electricity by 4 per cent by the end of 2009. This would knock a total of £157 off average bills.
The research will increase calls for an inquiry into the £25bn-a year-energy sector, which is dominated by six firms: British Gas, E.ON, EDF, npower, ScottishPower and Scottish & Southern.
Last year, they raised bills by 42 per cent to household average of £1,293 for the year as the oil price soared to $140 a barrel. Oil then fell to $40 (before hitting $70 this week) but standard tariffs have fallen by only 3.2 per cent, or £41, to an average of £1,252 a year.
The Department for Energy and Climate Change said it wanted to discuss the findings but it was surprised they did not match research by Ofgem, the regulator, which cleared companies of failing to pass on falls in wholesale prices.
Philip Cullum, the Consumer Focus deputy chief executive, said: "Consumers have feared for months that the big six suppliers might not have passed on the full cuts in wholesale prices, but the companies claimed to have acted fairly.
"Our new research for the first time shows the reality. The companies are pocketing £1.6bn extra while millions of households struggle to make ends meet.
"Energy firms should take immediate action to put things right. A failure to act, and to ensure that people pay a fair price for energy, could have serious consequences for the sector," he said. After a slew of price rises at the start of last year, Ofgem refused to launch an investigation into the energy market. On 21 February, when British Gas's parent company, Centrica, reported a 500 per cent rise in profits, it announced a full-scale market inquiry. In October, the inquiry found that companies had been overcharging pre-payment and electricity-only customers by more than £500m.
Garry Felgate, the chief executive of the Energy Retail Association which represents the industry, accused Consumer Focus of making basic mistakes in its analysis. "The amount of gas and electricity a customer uses can form as little as half their annual bill," he said.
"The remainder includes other costs, such as transporting gas and power and meeting the Government's carbon emissions reduction targets – all these costs have risen sharply in recent years."
Consumer Focus said it had used hedging strategies outlined by Ofgem – which had "shown a clear gap between wholesale and retail costs over recent months". Mr Cullum said: "The fact that wholesale costs do not make up the whole of consumers' bills and the additional costs passed on by suppliers, such as for energy efficiency investment, have also been factored into our calculations."
Ofgem, often criticised for being too soft on the industry, said the research was inadequate and accused its fellow public body of "misleading consumers".
"We are entirely confident in our analysis of wholesale and retail energy prices. Although Consumer Focus has borrowed some of our methodology for calculating wholesale costs they appear to have made assumptions that are simply wrong. And we are concerned that they are misleading consumers," it said.
The shadow Energy and Climate Change secretary, Greg Clark, demanded an investigation by the Competition Commission. "This report confirms what Conservatives have been saying for months," he said.
50%
The fall in oil prices since last year – while energy bills have fallen by just 3.2%.
A GIRL, 16, wakes after a drunken night at a party. She is naked on a strange bed and written in Texta on her stomach are the words: "Soon to be seen on (Yo)u-tube".
She has no memory of the night before and the incident, which happened in Melbourne last year, has terrified the teenager who lives in fear of what photos or video might appear at any time.
It's a shocking case, but one that demonstrates how easily images, often taken with a mobile phone, can make their way into cyberspace.
And the damage is forever. Employers often Google potential employees to check their past. Reputations and careers are one click away from irreparable damage.
Experts warn the trend of "sexting" - sending lewd images of oneself or others by text message - is only beginning.
Adolescent psychologist and National Coalition Against Bullying Cyber Safety Committee chair Dr Michael Carr-Gregg says Australia has only seen "the tip of the iceberg" when it comes to the sexting phenomenon that is occurring in the United States and Britain.
"I would hear about sexting cases from schools at least once a week now. I can't begin to describe how common it has become," he says.
"The worst case I've been involved with was a 16-year-old girl filmed having her first sexual experience with her boyfriend in a shower last year. The boy's friend filmed it without her knowledge and sent it to virtually every person she knew.
"The impact on that girl is horrific. The psychological consequences of that will live with her for a very long time and I'm not entirely sure she will ever recover."
But sexting is not just images taken without consent.
There is also an unprecedented trend of young women taking explicit photos of themselves and sending them to others. It's a trend that has shocked the psychological community.
"There's the case of 13-year-old schoolgirls in Tasmania who have photographed themselves with various objects inserted in different orifices. And we have eight-year-old girls in New South Wales taking topless photos of themselves," Dr Carr-Gregg says.
"As an adolescent psychologist, I've been scratching my head about this. I think there are two things. The teenage brain is a work in progress and one of the unique characteristics of teenage girls is the inability to predict the consequences of their actions.
"Secondly, they believe there is an anonymity in what they are doing because there is not an immediate face-to-face reaction."
Mobile phones have become so indispensable to young people that psychologists have coined a new condition called "Nomophobia" - a fear of not having a mobile phone.
A 2007 Australian Communications and Media Authority report found virtually every family had at least one mobile phone, with an average of almost three mobiles per family.
It found the amount of time children and teens spent text messaging increased rapidly from an average of one minute a day for eight to 11-year-olds to half an hour for 15 to 17-year-olds.
The latest Roy Morgan research shows 23 per cent of children aged six to 13 in Australia own a mobile phone. For 12 to 13-year-olds, the figures jump to 55 per cent for boys and 65 per cent for girls.
Text messaging is the single most common form of cyber bullying and is used to deliver and spread death threats, insults and rumours.
Principals can now confiscate students' phones and hand them to police as evidence if there is a reasonable suspicion the phone has been used to record a crime. But Dr Carr-Gregg says the moves do not go far enough.
''Unlike Great Britain, which has a cyber safety curriculum in their schools, we don't have any formal cyber safety education," he says.
"Sexting, as we've seen it so far, is only the tip of the iceberg . . . we've got kids as young as eight engaging in this behaviour. We need to look at this at the primary school level."
Social researcher and What's Happening To Our Girls? author, Maggie Hamilton, says sexting is very concerning.
"It's dehumanising. Girls are objectifying themselves. They are increasingly behaving in ways that are really dangerous," she says.
"Sometimes it's live sex acts. It's almost a calling card now to send a photograph of yourself to boys to say, 'Are you interested?'.
"Sexual assault units are seeing girls who have done something inappropriate on their phone and are then being blackmailed to ramp it up under threat their parents will find out.
"We've got 12-year-olds having sex. I have spoken to teachers who can't believe how many 14-year-olds girls are having sex - some who've had up to 20 partners and some who will have multiple partners in a night."
Dr Carr-Gregg says he finds it heartbreaking that a lack of adult supervision has allowed such abuse to increase. He says many parents are "digital neanderthals" with little or no idea of how technology works.
"It basically boils down to parental supervision and education," he says.
"This is the first generation who grew up with a mouse in its hand.
"The risks that can be taken are enormous, but once it's on the net it's there forever. You can never take it back."
（中國‧北京）中國媒體造假事件頻現，官方《人民日報》又被揭發6月曾刊登一幅經過嚴重合成的照片，再度引起公憤。
中國新聞攝影學會理事張斌揭露，6月26日《人民日報》第14版刊登一幅經過嚴重合成的照片。
據報導，有關照片是一張獨立的圖片報導，圖片說明為：“廣西南寧被譽為中國綠城，人與自然和諧共處。”照片上共有53隻鴿子，其中有6處鴿子明顯是經複製合成剪輯而成。
這也是《人民日報》在短短1年半內，第二次刊登造假相片。
去年4月，此報刊登了《廣場鴿注射禽流感疫苗》照片，並獲得攝影大獎，但後來被網民揭發造假，有關攝影記者坦承是“為了讓照片看上去更完美”而造假，並向全社會公開道歉，但仍無法挽回被解僱的命運。
（巴拿馬‧巴拿馬市）台灣總統馬英九週四（7月2日）說，他現在沒有任何計划要與中共總書記胡錦濤碰面。
外界關注馬英九兼任中國國民黨主席後，是否會與胡錦濤會面。
在巴拿馬市訪問的馬英九與隨行媒體茶敘時表示，現階段較迫切的問題，是要趕快解決大家都認為要趕快解決的事，如兩岸經貿關係正常化，就對台灣非常重要。
他表示，將來是否要與中國大陸領導人碰面，等這些根本問題解決後再考慮不嫌遲。
能體會扁心情
另外，馬英九被問到早前前總統陳水扁為女兒寫信向他求救一事，馬英九表示，同樣身為父親，他能體會陳水扁的心情；但他也指出，身為元首，不能干預司法，希望曾擔任過總統的陳水扁能夠體諒。
至於會不會回信？馬英九表示，相信當事人應十分瞭解他的看法，所以是不是要再回信，倒沒有一定的迫切性。
（中國‧上海）上海再傳大樓沉降，逾百戶居民漏夜緊急疏散！
上海一個擴建工地週四（7月2日）晚地基坑坍塌，導致多幢住宅出現沉降，為安全起見，工程已暫停，施工方則不斷運載泥土回填裂縫，以防止周邊建築出現險情。
這個工地與“連根倒榻”事故“蓮花河畔景苑”坐落在同一區。
現場搶險人員說，坍塌事故的原因，很可能與之前“蓮花河畔景苑”的情況相似：大面積地下開挖圍護不慎，再加上突降大雨，導致圍護垮塌。
中通社報導，基坑坍塌發生在南方商城大酒店改擴建工地，這個基坑是為未來的地下停車庫所挖，面積4000平方公尺左右，事故發生前，已經挖到地下約3公尺深。
而南方城小區和這處大型基坑只有一牆之隔，最靠近的居民樓離基坑僅15公尺遠。
逾百戶深夜疏散
住戶席先生說，當晚10時多，小區物業突然通知他們到樓底登記，稱隔壁工地出現坍塌，要求樓內住戶全部疏散。
部份居民在睡夢中被吵醒，連忙收拾行李，狼狽萬分。
不久，物業及政府工作人員又告訴住戶，已排除建築物倒塌危險，居民可以回家休息，但有部份民眾擔心樓宇不穩，未肯回家。
部份居民稱，早在出事前2天，已向有關部門投訴圍牆開裂，一些人家中出現浴室門側滑、無法關閉的情況，質疑與地盤工程有關，但當局不予重視。
另據悉，當晚此區的中祥龍柏苑也發生地面沉降，最大下沉距離超過10厘米，但未知是否與今次酒店地盤基坑坍塌有關。
高樓林立形成“倒放鍋蓋”
上海地質如“海綿”
資料顯示，上海市區地面最大的年均沉降量竟逾10厘米。
目前上海市中心地區海拔普遍較低，人民公園附近標高只有2米多，整個大上海就如一個倒放的“鍋蓋”，中間低，四周高。
專家介紹，過去10年迅速膨脹的高層建築正是上海形成“鍋蓋”形狀的“元兇”之一。
據指出，上海整座城市建立在近千年來長江帶來的泥沙逐漸形成的軟土層上，這種飽和軟粘土的含水量大、孔隙大、連壓縮性也大，但強度很低。
這種用手捏起來粘膩不堪的土質，如今在大上海晝夜不停的市政建設、拔地而起的摩天大樓的重壓下，就像一塊海綿，在一擠一泡水的同時，會出現嚴重的變形。
從上海市城市規劃管理局的實測沉降資料得到證實：高容量的高層建築建設對地質環境的影響非常明顯；高樓林立的陸家嘴地區的沉降達每年12至15毫米，且無減緩趨勢。
據瞭解，目前，長三角地面沉降最嚴重的是上海，其次是蘇錫常，再次是杭嘉湖。上海同時亦是全國沉降的中心，地面沉降長久以來都是上海人的一塊心病。
上海塌樓調查
專家斥蠻幹肇禍
專家指出，上海塌樓事件是一個“常識性錯誤”。
震驚中外的“樓脆脆”事故發生7天後，上海市通報倒樓原因：緊貼倒覆高樓北側在短期內堆土過高；同時，緊鄰倒覆高樓南側的地下車庫基坑正在開挖，兩側壓力差使土體產生水平移位，超過了樁基側抗能力，導致高樓傾倒。
挖地庫、堆渣土，看似平常的建築手法，結合在一起卻能致命，專家組坦言，這是一個“常識性錯誤”，是中國建築歷史上恥辱的一頁，更重要的是打擊了老百姓對於樓房安全的信心。
在互聯網上，網民紛紛對調查報告予以嘲諷，“原來和局長沒關係”，“以後拆樓都不用爆破了，在一邊挖個地庫，另一邊堆土，樓就倒了”。
更有人指是開發商推卸責任，以減少賠款數目。
（韓國‧首爾）朝鮮今日（週六，7月4日）連續試射5枚彈道導彈，向即將慶祝獨立日的美國“獻禮”！
韓參謀長聯席會議發表聲明稱，在早上8時至8時30分（大馬時間上午7時至7時30分）之間，朝鮮從元山東部港口附近的基地向海上發射，估計射程約500公里“飛毛腿”導彈，足以涵蓋整個韓國。
數小時後，朝鮮又先後發射了2枚射程相似的導彈，並落入大海。
在當地時間下午2時50分（大馬時間下午1時50分），朝鮮又發射了第5枚導彈。
日本共同社報導，朝鮮可能已經發射了至少一枚“盧洞”導彈。這枚導彈的射程介於1000至1400公里，足以覆蓋整個韓國以及日本大部份地區。
3天內兩次試射導彈
這也是朝鮮是3天以來第二次試射導彈，朝鮮週四一日之內，發射了4枚短程導彈。
韓聯社引述韓國官員表示，朝鮮最新舉動似乎意在挑釁美國。
這名官員表示：“週四（7月2日）的試射顯然是軍事演習的其中一部份，但週六（週六）趁美國獨立日的試射活動，相信是衝著政治目的而來。”
2006年，朝鮮也趁美國慶祝7月4日獨立日時期，試射了長程導彈“大浦洞-2”和其他彈道導彈。
料600枚飛毛腿導彈
自今年5月25日展開核試驗後，朝鮮陸續試射幾枚非彈道導彈、短程導彈，如果新一輪的試射證實是“飛毛腿”彈道導彈，顯示朝鮮正逐步升級其核試驗，使區域緊張局勢升級。
朝鮮預料擁有逾600枚的“飛毛腿”型導彈，包括射程300公里的“飛毛腿B”和射程500公里的“飛毛腿C”。在聯合國安理會的決議下，朝鮮被禁止試射類似“飛毛腿”的彈道導彈。
（中國‧北京）中國豪華酒店面對經濟危機及A型流感的雙重打擊。
根據統計，在極糟糕的情況下，酒店住房率甚至重跌至僅有3%。
大幅削減員工及薪金
除此之外，這些豪華酒店大幅削減員工的工資、甚至大裁員改聘實習生、外籍員工的合約屆滿後就沒被更新。
一名在北京一家5星級酒店任職很久的廚師說，“在京奧期間，酒店房間的住宿費一晚約6000至7000元人民幣，現在卻下跌至550元人民幣一晚。”
根據北京市統計局的最新統計數字顯示，北京星級酒店的平均入住率在今年首季為44.5%，比起去年同一時期下跌了10.1%。
北京麗都假日酒店公關部經理高麟（譯名）說：“我們面對雙重打擊。”這家四星級酒店位於商業區，酒店住客主要是來北京的外籍人士及國際公司職員。
他指出，今年初開始，商務人員已經暫停來北京了。接著A型流感於5月份在北京首度爆發後，遊客也逐漸減少。
旺季入住率僅50%
高麟表示，5月及6月通常是酒店的旺季，但現在入住率僅有50%而已。兩年前同一時期的入住率則達90%。
據中國旅遊飯店業協會秘書長許京生透露，本次經濟危機和A型流感的雙重效應，對中國酒店業帶來的衝擊程度，超過1998年亞洲金融風暴和2003年的沙斯。（亞洲新聞網‧中國《中國日報》）
這名目前在念中四的男生，每天放學後都不回家，被父母追問時，總是結結巴巴，聲稱到朋友家溫習功課。
父母起初信以為真，直到在兒子的手機發現露骨的親密留言，才發現事有蹊蹺。父母找私家偵探暗中追蹤，駭然發現兒子每天放學後偷偷去找女傭，跟她回雇主家胡搞。
私家偵探社老闆捷肯受訪時說，這起事件是於今年2月，15歲男生與父母都住在東部，父母都是專業人士，每天早出晚歸，忙於工作。
男生在家排行最小，兩名哥哥都在外國留學，他在一間中學念中四，成績向來表現不錯，是父母眼中的乖乖子。
“他平日放學，都會在下午3時左右到家，可是自2月初起，他往往等到父母晚上8時左右回到家時，才隨後抵步。”
起初父母並不以為意，認為他到同學家溫習功課，後來他幾乎天天都遲歸，問起原因，他總是支吾以對，令父母開始感到擔憂。
“他的父母也在檢查他手機時，發現一些露骨的親密留言，決定聘請私家偵探調查兒子行蹤。”
他說，他安排一名助手偷偷跟蹤這名男生上學。由他家到學校，路程約20分鐘的路程，全程並毫無可疑。
他們跟蹤男生放學時，終於發現真相。
“男生放學後，匆匆忙走到學校附近一間快餐店，與一名外表看來象是女傭的女子，在快餐店裡會合。”
兩人會面後便一前一後，朝附近的另一座組屋方向走去，上樓到一個組屋單位。
“我們較後查到屋主的聯絡方式，並發現這名年齡近30歲的女傭在他們家工作，時常趁著雇主出外工作時便男生帶回家胡搞。”
父母請保鏢接送上下學
私家偵探社老闆捷肯說，女傭的雇主獲知她帶男生回家胡搞，氣得把她送回國。
男生的父母擔心歷史再重演，決定雇請保鏢，每天接送兒子到學校及回家。
捷肯說︰“我們的私家偵探社有提供這類的私人保鏢服務。每天早上，我們的保鏢就負責把男生從家裡，護送到學校，然後在校園外等他放學。”
“放學後，我們負責把他送學校送回家，確保他安全到家後，家裡有人看住他後，任務才完成。”
據瞭解，男生的父母已經在安排把兒子送到國外繼續升學。
女傭佯稱補習瞞騙事實
女傭被雇主責問為何將男生帶回家時，竟找來“替男生補習”的借口，企圖瞞騙事實。
捷肯說，他們是在掌握了證據後才與女傭當面質問。起初，她還狡辯，聲稱是帶男生回雇主家補習，後來見紙包不住火，唯有承認，並哀求男生父母不要報警。
“她的雇主最終讓她回國，男生父母也沒有再追究。”
據瞭解，男生在女傭雇主的家胡搞後，女傭還會煮晚餐給他吃飽後才讓他回家。
捷肯說，女傭的雇主夫妻經營餐館，經常不在家。雇主也非常信任女傭，沒有限制她的行動，只要她做好每天家務，她就可以自由活動。想不到，她竟把男生帶回家胡搞。
（新加坡）拋下一句“愛情是盲目的”，46歲煮炒攤女老闆與20歲小情郎私奔，並求4名孩子“請成全媽媽”！
46歲已婚煮炒攤女老闆，聲稱無法忍受苦日子，為20來歲小情郎拋夫棄子，離家出走，為愛私奔。
女老闆的丈夫陳先生（41歲）訴說了讓他難以接受的家變故事。
陳先生說，妻子在7月1日正式搬走，他為妻子的離開而感到傷心欲絕，目前得看心理醫生及接受輔導。
“每當我閉上眼睛，便會浮現出妻子的容貌。”
陳先生和妻子結婚18年，婚後生下4個孩子。他原是個菜販，後來生意失敗宣告破產，妻子一年半前在東部一咖啡店頂下一個煮炒攤讓他當頭手，自己則在攤位裡幫忙。
為讓家人的生活好過一些，陳先生在煮炒攤收攤後，又到酒廊當侍應生。
但是，大約一個月前，陳先生發現妻子常半夜失蹤，還以去買菜和回娘家過夜為借口不回家。
“6月28日，晚上11時收攤後，逢酒廊休息日，我建議和妻子一同回家，她卻聲稱必須漏液到娘家簽一份緊急文件，會在那裡睡一晚。”
陳先生心下起疑，隔天早上撥電至岳母家探聽。
厭倦婚姻不想再捱苦
“家人告訴我，她從沒回家過夜，也沒緊急文件需處理。我這恍然大悟，發現妻子可能有婚外情。”
陳先生立刻撥電質問妻子，妻子坦然承認，2年前認識一個20多歲的男子，已同居半年。
“她告訴我，已厭倦婚姻生活和捱苦的日子，想恢復單身，和小情人過二人世界，不想再為孩子和生活憂心。”
陳先生在電話裡哀求妻子回頭3小時，妻子卻堅持離開，並在2天後搬走。
“她也說願意讓4名孩子跟著我，好讓我老了以後，有孩子的陪伴。”
放棄煮炒攤讓夫續經營
妻子搬家後，立即更換手機號碼，以致陳先生無法聯繫她。
陳先生表示，他現在的心情很復雜，雖然不能接受妻子紅杏出牆的事實，不過他依然盼望妻子回家。
“現在我沒辦法聯絡她，所以沒有辦法討論離婚的事宜。她想和小男友過二人世界，但又不離婚，讓我覺得十分矛盾。”
陳先生說，妻子表示，甚麼都不要了，煮炒攤雖還在她名下，可是可以讓他繼續經營。
4孩子哭聲留不住母親
陳先生說，妻子僅丟下“愛情是盲目的”一句話，甚至請求孩子成全她，與小情人私奔而去。
雖然4名孩子輪流哀求母親回家，但已婚婦只說︰“雖然我很愛你們，但我想要自由，請成全媽媽吧。”
陳先生表示，他現在甚麼也不想，依然會打兩份工、努力賺錢，撫養孩子成人。
“她說，和我一起熬了18年，依然還得為生意和家務事兩頭忙，但還是無法過好日子。她無法再過這種生活，所以決定恢復單身的日子；賺錢自己花，也不必為孩子操心。”
投奔小男友在外租房子
據知，已婚婦和小情人在外租房子住，棲身之處也成了謎。
其實，已婚婦在過去的一年，已經開始慢慢地收拾衣物，偷偷地搬到小男友的家中。
“她曾經告訴我，她是在深夜到外丟垃圾後，再到鄰里走走。其實，所謂的垃圾就是她的衣物，她帶出去後，便到小男友的家裡過夜。”
陳先生說，雖然夫妻倆經常為小事起爭執，但感情卻沒決裂。
It's easy to see how things could spiral out of control: the two sides are braced for combat. At Ergneti on Georgia's border with South Ossetia, Georgian military police stand guard behind high barricades made of sandbags and two metre-high slabs of concrete. Out of sight barely 20 metres away, the forces of South Ossetia and Russia are mustered behind barricades of their own, their national flags fluttering.
AFP/Getty
Russian troops patrol Tskhinvali in South Ossetia last August, after the war between Russia and Georgia
The tranquility of the rolling green fields and lush vineyards belie it, but many fear that another summer war between Russia and Georgia like the one 11 months ago which killed hundreds of civilians is no more than a stutter of automatic gunfire away from breaking out. And if it happens, this standoff at Ergneti could be the flashpoint.
In the valley below is Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital. Today it shimmers in the heat but last August it was the epicentre of the war as the forces of the Russian Federation punished the Georgian army for asserting its right to rule the ethnically distinct entity of South Ossetia on its northern edge.
The tension is palpable. And the fear today is that this time, the Russian forces may carry out what last year they only threatened and topple the regime of the Western-leaning Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili.
Russian troops this week embarked on large-scale war games in the North Caucasus, just a few dozen miles away, preparation for "potential conflict situations in the region," the generals say. Similar exercises preceded the war last summer.
The mood at the Ergneti checkpoint is tense and the Georgian soldiers say there is absolutely no human contact between the two sides, despite the proximity. With the exception of a mangy stray dog, which wanders freely between the two posts, nobody is allowed to cross the border.
Locals need no reminding of how deadly a new war would be. In Ergneti itself, which before the war was home to about 200 people, only a few villagers have returned. Many houses here, and in other villages on the way to the Georgian city of Gori 20 miles away, suffered heavy damage from Russian aerial bombardment last August. The houses that remained standing were ruthlessly looted and torched by marauding Ossetian militias.
"I lost absolutely everything," says Gia Cheladze, 42, who has lived his whole life in Ergneti. With his family he escaped to Gori during the war. When he returned, he found his two-story house was a charred wreck. The windows and roof had been destroyed and everything of value looted. "I've worked hard all my life and in a couple of weeks it was all destroyed," he says.
He now lives with his elderly parents in a shack, beside the shell of his old house, a constant reminder of the threat of war. The money he received from the Georgian government was not enough to rebuild the house, and he claims that European aid distributed in the region was appropriated by a few families and then put up for sale.
Now, says Mr Cheladze, the villagers fear that their lives will be disrupted by war once again. "Everyone here is tense," he says. "This morning there was a huge explosion, I don't know where it came from. People say that 6 July is the day that something might happen. Maybe we'll leave for a few days around then; I can't bear yet another war."
Some Russian analysts dismiss the theory that Russia is looking for a new war and suggest that the Caucasus war games were a response to Nato military exercises which took place in Georgia recently and infuriated Moscow. There are some, however, such as Andrei Illarionov, a former adviser to Vladimir Putin, who say that Russia is looking to oust Mr Saakashvili permanently and may launch an invasion of the country on 6 July, the date that President Barack Obama makes his much-hyped first official visit to Moscow.
Mr Putin, now the Russian Prime Minister and still widely seen as the most powerful person in Russia, has a deep personal hatred of Mr Saakashvili and has expressed a desire to see him "hung by the balls".
"For Moscow it's quite galling to see that Saakashvili is still in power nearly a year after losing the war," says Lawrence Sheets, from the International Crisis Group in Tbilisi. "The statements coming out of Moscow with increasing regularity look very ominous."
Mr Sheets says the Georgian tactics in the event of an invasion by the Russian army are likely to revolve around guerrilla warfare and a defence of the capital, Tbilisi.
In a worrying sign, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which has had a mission in South Ossetia for more than a decade and had been monitoring the border region since last summer's war, was forced to close its mission in Georgia this week. Russia had insisted that for the mission to continue, it must recognise South Ossetia's independence. Apart from Russia, only Nicaragua has recognised South Ossetia and Abkhazia – Georgia's other breakaway zone – as independent countries, with the rest of the world still insistent that they are separatist territories that are officially part of Georgia.
Unwilling to change the mission's status, the OSCE has had to shut down shop and its Finnish head of mission left the country for good on Tuesday morning. For the same reason, a UN mission in Abkhazia is closing down.
The departure of the OSCE is "hugely important symbolically and psychologically," says Mr Sheets. Georgian officials fear that without international observers in place, it will be easy for the Russians to launch an attack in response to supposed Georgian provocations. Russia has stationed thousands of troops in South Ossetia since last summer.
With the situation volatile, even if Russia is not actively seeking a new war, a minor spat or a stray bullet could lead to disastrous consequences in the region.
"I don't think people in Europe and the US really understand just how dangerous this situation is," says Mr Sheets. "It's very scary and very explosive."
In an interview with The Independent yesterday, Mr Saakashvili expressed his concern about the situation. "Of course I'm worried," he said. "The idea of invasion looks crazy if you apply normal political logic... but [the Russians] operate with the logic of a street bully."
WASHINGTON (AP) — Six Illinois banks and one bank in Texas were shuttered Thursday as government regulators proposed new rules for private equity firms seeking to take over failed banks.
Regulators shut down John Warner Bank of Clinton, Ill.; First State Bank of Winchester in Winchester, Ill.; Rock River Bank of Oregon, Ill.; Elizabeth State Bank of Elizabeth, Ill.; Danville, Ill.-based The First National Bank of Danville; Founders Bank of Worth, Ill.; and Dallas-based Millennium State Bank of Texas, bringing the number of U.S. bank failures this year to 52.
That's more than double the 25 which failed in all of 2008 and the three closed in 2007. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was appointed receiver of all seven. The total cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund from the seven closings will be $314.3 million, the FDIC said.
The failure of the six Illinois banks, which are all controlled by one family, resulted primarily from losses on investments in risky instruments known as collateralized debt obligations and other loan losses, the FDIC said. The closings bring to 12 the number of Illinois banks closed this year.
Deposits of John Warner Bank were acquired by Lincoln, Ill.-based State Bank of Lincoln. Three John Warner Bank branches will reopen on Friday as branches of State Bank of Lincoln, the FDIC said in a statement.
As of April 30, The John Warner Bank had total assets of $70 million and total deposits of approximately $64 million. In addition to assuming all the deposits of the failed bank, State Bank of Lincoln agreed to buy about $63 million of assets. The FDIC will retain the remaining assets for later disposition.
The deposits of First State Bank of Winchester were acquired by Beardstown, Ill.-based The First National Bank of Beardstown. Two offices will reopen on Monday under the new bank name.
The First State Bank of Winchester had total assets of $36 million and total deposits of approximately $34 million as of April 30. The First National Bank of Beardstown also agreed to buy about $33 million of assets.
Rock River Bank's deposits and most of its assets were acquired by The Harvard State Bank of Harvard, Ill. Four bank branches will reopen on Monday as Harvard banks.
At the end of April, Rock River Bank had $77 million in assets and $75.8 million in deposits.
The Elizabeth State Bank's two offices will reopen Monday as branches of Galena State Bank and Trust of Galena, Ill. In addition to assuming all of the failed bank's deposits, Galena agreed to buy $52.3 million of the bank's assets.
The Elizabeth State Bank had total assets of $55.5 million and total deposits of $50.4 million at the end of April.
The seven offices of The First National Bank of Danville will reopen on Monday as branches of First Financial Bank of Terre Haute, Ind., which assumed all of the bank's deposits. As of April 30, The First National Bank had total assets of $166 million and total deposits of $147 million.
The PrivateBank and Trust Co. of Chicago agreed to assume all of the deposits of Founders Bank. Its 11 offices will reopen on Monday as branches of The PrivateBank, which also agreed to buy $888.4 million of assets.
As of April 30, Founders Bank had total assets of $962.5 million and total deposits of $848.9 million.
Millennium State Bank of Texas became the first bank in Texas to fail this year. Its sole office will reopen on Monday as a branch of Irving, Texas-based State Bank of Texas, which is assuming all of Millennium's deposits. State Bank of Texas also agreed to buy essentially all of the bank's assets.
As of June 30, Millennium had total assets of about $118 million and total deposits of $115 million.
Under new rules proposed Thursday by the FDIC, private equity firms seeking to buy failed banks would face strict capitalization and disclosure requirements, but some regulators already warn the proposal may go too far.
The FDIC is seeking to expand the number of potential buyers for the growing number of banks it has closed during the financial crisis. With mounting interest from private equity firms, whose methods and motives aren't always clear, the FDIC is trying to set requirements to ensure the banks won't fail again.
One of the new proposals under discussion would require investors to maintain a healthy amount of cash in the banks they acquire, keeping them at about a 15-percent leverage ratio for three years. Most banks have lower leverage ratios, which measure capital divided by assets.
Investors also would have to own the banks for at least three years and face limits on their ability to lend to any of the owners' affiliates.
Regulators said their intent was to tap into the potentially deep source of private equity, while ensuring that banks remain well capitalized once they are sold.
"We want nontraditional investors," FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair said at the board meeting. "There is a significant need for capital and there is capital out there."
Still, some regulators worried that the rules could stifle a potentially valuable new source of investment. Bair said the proposal was "solid," but acknowledged that some details, including the high capital requirements, could be controversial.
Comptroller of the Currency John Dugan said that the rules, which will now be subject to public comment, may be too restrictive.
The Private Equity Council, a Washington-based advocacy group for firms, criticized the proposed FDIC guidelines. In a statement, the group's president, Douglas Lowenstein, said the proposals would "deter future private investments in banks that need fresh capital."
The proposals will be subject to a 30-day public comment period, after which the bank regulators likely will meet again to finalize the rules, said FDIC spokesman David Barr.
The FDIC monitors the health of banks to ensure that they have enough capital to stay afloat and cover their deposits. When banks get in trouble, the FDIC can seize and sell them. Prior to Thursday, the FDIC already had closed 45 banks this year, many of them community or regional institutions. That compares with 25 failures last year and three in 2007.
The FDIC already has brokered two sales this year to entities controlled by private equity firms. In March, the government sold IndyMac Federal Bank for $13.9 billion to a bank formed by investors that included billionaire George Soros and Dell Inc. founder Michael Dell.
But the business practices and ownership of the lightly regulated pools of investor funds often can be difficult to penetrate. The FDIC proposals include requirements meant to pry some information out of the investors, including disclosing the owners of private equity groups. The FDIC rules also would prevent the groups from using overseas secrecy laws to shield details of their operations.
Under the regulations, banks also would not be sold to investors with so-called "silo" structures that make it hard to determine who is behind a private equity group.
The FDIC had 305 banks with $220 billion of assets on its list of problem institutions at the end of the first quarter, the highest number since the 1994 savings and loan crisis.
AP Business Writer David Pitt reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
By STEPHEN MANNING and DAVID PITT2004年1到6月，FBI共偵訊海珊27次。這些最新解密的文件，提供外界一個了解海珊怎麼看自己的難得機會，也能一窺海珊末年景況。
在其政權的最後幾天，當美軍向巴格達蜂擁挺進時，海珊說，他一直在那裡待到2003年4月10日或11日，直到確定該城市將被美軍佔領為止。
他並與伊拉克高層召開最後一次會議，並告訴他們「我們將轉入地下奮戰」。
FBI表示，之後他離開巴格達，為避免引起注意，並開始逐步「遣離」他的貼身保鏢，告訴他們任務已經完成。
當問起外界傳言他大權在握時，習慣使用替身，海珊「笑著說，那是電影上才有，不是真的」。
海珊另在偵訊中將伊朗形容為伊拉克最大威脅，所以他希望德黑蘭（Tehran）當局會相信伊拉克擁有大規模毀滅性武器。（譯者：中央社江今葉）
韓國軍方消息人士表示，北韓分別於2日下午5時20分、6時、7時51分、9時20分許，在咸鏡南道咸興市附近新上里發射了四枚導彈，這是最高射程達120-160公里的KN-01地對艦短程導彈。此次發射的四枚導彈的飛行距離約為100公里。”
早先，北韓方面 宣佈，從6/25日至7/10日，將新上里東北沿岸直線距離450浬海域指定為禁航區。韓軍方由此認為，北韓再次發射導彈的可能性很高，進一步加強對北監視力度。
北韓在進行第二次核試驗的第二天，即5/26日也在新上里基地發射了3枚地對艦導彈。這是北韓自5月29日以後，時隔34天再次發射短程導彈。
KN-01是對射程為83至95公里的蠶式導彈進行改造的一種新型導彈，改造後增加了射程，縮短了發射準備時間，並提高了精確度。
由於7/4日是美國國慶，韓國軍隊消息人士表示，北韓發射導彈除了軍事訓練的目的外，還有可能是為了進行武力示威。
（中央社倫敦3日法新電）倫敦石油市場官員已對一名疑似涉嫌不當交易的惡棍交易員展開調查。這名交易員在本週將油價推升至8個月來高點，讓公司損失將近1000萬美元 (715萬歐元)。
倫敦的ICE歐洲期貨交易所正在調查週二未經許可的交易，原油期貨因這項交易而每桶漲破73美元。
ICE歐洲期貨交易所主席兼首席營運長DavidPeniket今天表示，該交易所調查異常交易活動是「理所當然」的事。
這件未經許可交易的受害者－石油經紀商PVM OilAssociates今天表示，資深交易員柏金斯 (StevePerkins)幕後指使這項交易活動。
分析師說，PVM被迫沖銷這一連串的交易，導致油價隨後大幅下跌。
ETX資本公司的分析師Manoj Ladwa指出，「週二油價的不當交易只是要顯示值此清淡環境下巧取市場有多麼容易而已。」
他說，「布倫特油價在一名交易員買進相當900萬桶的原油後，每桶飆破73美元。隨後回檔則是PVM OilAssociates的反向沖銷。」
交易員利用倫敦ICE歐洲期貨交易所買賣原油期貨，藉此押注油價上漲或下跌。
倫敦的金融監管當局－金融監理署 (FinancialServices Authority，FSA)拒絕證實或否認是否正在調查這個事件。(譯者︰中央社顧恆湛)
前10大富豪，依次是國泰集團蔡氏兄弟（51億美元）、富邦集團總裁蔡萬才（42億美元）、旺旺集團董事長蔡衍明（36億美元）、鴻海集團董事長郭台銘 （33億美元）、頂新集團董事長魏應州（32億美元）、自由時報創辦人林榮三（23億美元）、廣達電腦董事長林百里（21.5億美元）、宏達電董事長王雪 紅及陳文琦（21億美元）、宏泰集團總裁林堉璘（19億美元）、正新輪胎董事長羅結及其家族（15億美元），剛下葬的台塑集團創辦人王永慶不在名單裡。
富比世雜誌去年首度發表台灣富豪排行榜，其中，國泰金控蔡宏圖家族以財富淨值85億美元高居榜首，今年雖然蔡氏兄弟再度居首，但財產大幅縮水。
富比世指出，受到海峽兩岸可望簽署經濟合作協議架構（ECFA），台股雖然自今年2月以來上漲46%，但仍較去年5月計算的2008年資產淨值下跌了53%。
儘管過去半年以來財富增值不少，還不足以彌補富豪們220億美元的巨額損失。今年上榜富豪的資產淨值最低為5.5億美元，較去年的5.7億美元略為下降，財產超過10億美元者只有17人，也遠較去年29位少，顯見金融風暴衝擊不小。
5人財富增加者中，3人的事業與中國大陸有關，最大贏家是食品業大亨蔡衍明和魏應州。蔡衍明因中國旺旺控股有限公司的強勁表現，身價多了10億美元；而康師傅控股業績再創新高，讓魏應州的財富增加5.5億美元。
另外，受惠於全球平價手提電腦市場反彈，廣達林百里的財富有所增值；至於宏?眯庰媞茧奶j廠未有人上榜。
其他上榜者還有新光集團董事長吳東進（12名）、遠東集團董事長徐旭東（13名）、長榮集團總裁張榮發（14 名）、潤泰集團總裁尹衍樑（17名）、中國信託銀行董事長辜濂松（18名）、元大集團總裁馬志玲（27名）、華南金控董事長林明成（28名）、裕隆集團執 行長嚴凱泰（30名）等。
今年有7位新上榜者，排名第38名的台灣高鐵董事長殷琪，旗下大陸工程公司在印度、美國等基礎建設成績不錯；另外還有金車飲料的李添財（35名），以及國賓大飯店的許育瑞（名列第40），受惠陸客來台觀光，生意一飛沖天。
富比世以截至2009年6月19日的股價和匯率計算資產淨值，統計台灣前40大富豪財富。
