The sunken vessel has been found 30km (18 miles) off the south-west of Italy. Murky pictures taken by a robot camera show the vessel intact and alongside it are a number of yellow barrels. Labels on them say the contents are toxic. THE INFORMANT SAID THE MAFIA HAD MUSCLED IN ON THE LUCRATIVE BUSINESS OF NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL.

But he said that instead of getting rid of the material safely, he blew up the vessel out at sea, off the Calabrian coast. He also says he was responsible for sinking two other ships containing toxic waste. Experts are now examining samples taken from the wreck. For years there have been rumours that the mafia was sinking ships with nuclear and other waste on board, as part of a money-making racket.

The environmental campaign group Greenpeace and others have compiled lists over the past few decades of ships that have disappeared off the coast of Italy and Greece. Processing waste is highly specialised and is supposed to be an industry where security is the top priority. If tests show that there is nuclear material on the seabed it will prove that the mafia has moved into its dirtiest business yet.

THE OFFERING WAS MADE TO AKASH BHAIRAB, THE HINDU GOD OF SKY PROTECTION, whose symbol is seen on the company's planes. The airline said that after Sunday's ceremony the plane successfully completed a flight to Hong Kong. "The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," senior airline official Raju KC was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Nepal Airlines has two Boeing aircraft in its fleet. The persistent faults with one of the planes had led to the postponement of a number of flights in recent weeks.

The construction is part of the port's plans to invest more in its infrastructure to handle iron ore and oil. China's 4tn yuan ($580bn, £352.7bn) economic stimulus package is driving demand for raw materials. The iron ore that passes through Dalian Port is from Australia, Brazil and Canada. Recently, it has started to receive shipments from Mauritania and other parts of Africa. The port is also building a huge oil tank with China National Petroleum Corporation, the state-owned firm that controls oil major PetroChina. Total capital investment in 2009 will be between $120m and $150m.

During a tour of facilities still under construction, senior manager Xu Shengke admitted that, overall, business had slowed due to the economic crisis. Last month, the port's Hong Kong-listed unit reported a 49% drop in profits in the first half of 2009, largely as a result of a slump in global trade. "The financial crisis has definitely impacted us. But as you can see, our investment plans have not been affected at all," Mr Xu said. "Our expansion is part of a broader national strategy."

Some believe the stimulus package will help China overtake the United States as the worlds biggest economy by 2030. "CAN CHINA SAVE THE WORLD? NO, BUT IT CAN HELP," said John Zhao, chief executive of Hony Capital, one of China's best-known private equity firms. He said countries with minerals, energy and other commodities stand to benefit the most from China's appetite for raw materials.

Such a strike may well be in Israel's best interests, though that depends entirely on whether the strike succeeds. It is certainly in America's supreme interest that Iran not acquire a genuine nuclear capability, whether of the actual or break-out variety. That goes also for the Middle East generally, which doesn't need the nuclear arms race an Iranian capability would inevitably provoke.

THEN AGAIN, IT IS NOT IN THE US INTEREST THAT ISRAEL BE THE INSTRUMENT OF IRAN'S DISARMAMENT. For starters, its ability to do so is iffy: Israeli strategists are quietly putting it about that even a successful attack may have to be repeated a few years down the road as Iran reconstitutes its capacity. For another thing, Iran could respond to such a strike not only against Israel itself, but also US targets in Iraq and the Persian Gulf.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT IS AN ABDICATION OF A SUPERPOWER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO OUTSOURCE MATTERS OF WAR AND PEACE TO ANOTHER STATE, however closely allied. President Obama has now ceded the driver's seat on Iran policy to Prime Minister Netanyahu. He would do better to take the wheel again, keeping in mind that Iran is beyond the reach of his eloquence, and keeping in mind, too, that very useful Roman adage, Si vis pacem, para bellum ("IF YOU WISH FOR PEACE, PREPARE FOR WAR").

Speaking at the Sibos conference in Hong Kong on Monday, William White, the highly-respected former chief economist at the Bank for International Settlements, also warned that government actions to help the economy in the short run MAY BE SOWING THE SEEDS FOR FUTURE CRISES.

"Are we going into a W[-shaped recession]? Almost certainly. Are we going into an L? I would not be in the slightest bit surprised," he said, referring to THE RISKS OF A SO-CALLED DOUBLE-DIP RECESSION OR A PROTRACTED STAGNATION LIKE JAPAN SUFFERED IN THE 1990S.

"The only thing that would really surprise me is a rapid and sustainable recovery from the position we're in." The comments from Mr White, who ran the economic department at the central banks' bank from 1995 to 2008, carry weight because HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW SENIOR FIGURES TO PREDICT THE FINANCIAL CRISIS IN THE YEARS BEFORE IT STRUCK. Mr White repeatedly warned of dangerous imbalances in the global financial system as far back as 2003 and – breaking a great taboo in central banking circles at the time – he dared to challenge Alan Greenspan, then chairman of the Federal Reserve, over his policy of persistent cheap money.

Professor Tim Congdon from International Monetary Research said US bank loans have fallen at an annual pace of almost 14pc in the three months to August (from $7,147bn to $6,886bn). "THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING LIKE THIS IN THE USA SINCE THE 1930S," he said. "THE RAPID DESTRUCTION OF MONEY BALANCES IS MADNESS."

The M3 "broad" money supply, watched as an early warning signal for the economy a year or so later, has been falling at a 5pc annual rate. Similar concerns have been raised by David Rosenberg, chief strategist at Gluskin Sheff, who said that over the four weeks up to August 24, bank credit shrank at an "epic" 9pc annual pace, the M2 money supply shrank at 12.2pc and M1 shrank at 6.5pc.

"For the first time in the post-WW2 [Second World War] era, we have deflation in credit, wages and rents and, from our lens, this is a toxic brew," he said. IT IS UNCLEAR WHY THE US FEDERAL RESERVE HAS ALLOWED THIS TO OCCUR.

"Domestically Obama may have campaigned on the theme 'yes we can'; internationally he may increasingly have to argue 'no we can't'," the institute said in its annual review of world affairs. The report said the US struggles against insurgent groups in Iraq and Afghanistan had EXPOSED THE LIMITS OF THE COUNTRY'S MILITARY MUSCLE, while the near-COLLAPSE OF THE WORLD FINANCIAL MARKETS SAPPED THE ECONOMIC BASE ON WHICH THAT MUSCLE RELIED.

The report also claimed that the US had lost traction in its efforts to contain Iran's nuclear program and bring peace to the Middle East. "Clearly the US share of 'global power,' however measured, is in decline," the report said. The head of another respected London think tank, Robin Niblett of Chatham House, said the rise in the relative power of China, India, Russia and the European Union has made it harder for the US to exercise its influence.

"America should apply changes in leadership style, but I wouldn't overplay the decline because decline is relative," said Niblett — who was not involved in drawing up Tuesday's report. "One should not doubt that the US remains the most powerful nation in the world, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO USE THE POWER AND TO USE IT TO INFLUENCE OTHERS."

In addition to a rise in regional powers, Niblett said THE US HAS LONG BEEN VIEWED AS BEING PART OF THE PROBLEM RATHER THAN THE SOLUTION on many issues — including climate change, the financial crisis, and the failure of the Middle East peace process. It's also carrying the baggage of failed policies and of a failed financial approach," Niblett said, referring to the Bush administration. "There's a lot of catching up to be done."

But the Precision Urban Hopper can use a piston-actuated "leg" to launch it over obstacles such as walls or fences. The robot could BOOST THE CAPABILITIES OF TROOPS AND SPECIAL FORCES ENGAGED IN URBAN WARFARE, say researchers. Researchers at Sandia have tried out the robot on a variety of different surfaces. The semi-autonomous, GPS-guided gadget could be used for surveillance in urban environments. Its developers say this could potentially reduce troop casualties.

The eight-hour-plus set of nine discs provides unprecedented interviews with conservatives, moderates, liberals and radicals who all believe that the Western world is poised for collapse.

"THE FALL OF AMERICA AND THE WESTERN WORLD" is based on historical evidence, economic data, verifiable facts and expert bi-partisan research. These experts believe that we are headed for financial Armageddon: government tyranny, national bankruptcy, the death of the US dollar and Euro, the destruction of the middle class and the end of freedom," the project's producers say.

Among the subjects addressed are the economy, culture, politics, the global elite, the police state, the banking system, democracy, the end of democracy, the US Constitution, the media, media reform, the Bible, the surveillance society, precious metals, the globalist agenda, the end of national sovereignty, marital law, getting off the grid, the middle class, offshoring, the Federal Reserve, the housing crisis, the credit crisis, unemployment, the book of Revelation, prophecy and the New World Order.

Left-wing firebrand Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of the super-union Unite, was paid £122,108 in salary and benefits. His pay package represents A 30 PER CENT INCREASE on the previous year, when he was paid £93,407 in salary and benefits, which include a grace-and-favour flat in London. Mr Woodley, former head of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), is a persistent critic of high executive pay.

His fellow joint general secretary at Unite, Derek Simpson, has also seen a generous increase in his income following the merger of the Amicus and TGWU unions to create Unite two years ago. Mr Simpson, a former communist, was paid £97,027 last year, along with benefits worth a further £89,599, giving him a total package worth £186,626. His pay package is UP 20 PER CENT ON THE PREVIOUS YEAR when he was paid a total of £155,464 as head of Amicus. Mr Simpson is another long-time critic of boardroom remuneration, recently saying: 'City executives' pay and bonuses would make Midas blush.'

The leaders' pay packages are in contrast to those of Unite's 1.8million members, who are mostly in low-paid jobs. Union chiefs also qualify for GOLDPLATED FINAL SALARY PENSION SCHEMES, which have all but disappeared in the private sector.

A radio advert will appeal to the lapsed faithful to 'stop, turn around, walk back' to church on Sunday. The spoken message, voiced by a series of actors, is described by the Church as 'a rap-style poem'. The ad is the latest in a 15-year campaign by the C of E to use advertising to boost church attendances and attract the attention of those, in particular the young, who have no interest in Christianity. Past efforts have met with mixed success. One mid-1990s slogan that declared Christmas to be a 'bad hair day' won universal mockery.

The new advert, produced by a Christian agency based in Bradford, aims to assure its young target audience that they do not need to dress up to go to church. In defiance of the idea of Sunday best, the 40-second routine, which is not set to a drum beat, suggests that congregations where people make an effort to look smart could lack sincerity. The grammar also does little credit to the C of E's efforts in the thousands of secondary and primary schools it helps run. It says:

'Don't look to make no airs and graces.
Faked up smiles and masked up faces.
No need to make no innovation.
Please accept this as your invitation.'

THE POEM WON ENDORSEMENT FROM LAMBETH PALACE, where the Archbishop of Canterbury's adviser on church growth, Canon Paul Bayes, said it was 'a great opportunity for churches to speak to their communities with the message of invitation.'

Unlike the multiple conspiracy theories about Jews circulating among radical fringe organizations online, THIS ONE SEEMS TO BE GAINING MOMENTUM ON MAINSTREAM ARAB AND MUSLIM WEB SITES. According to the story, first reported by Algeria's Al-Khabar daily, bands of Moroccans and Algerians have allegedly been roaming the streets of Algeria's cities kidnapping young children, who are then transported across the border into Morocco. From the Moroccan city of Oujda, the children are then purportedly sold to Israelis and American Jews, who then harvest their organs for sale in Israel and the United States. The organs are said to fetch anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000.

The source for the Al-Khabar report seems to be a Dr Mustafa Khayatti, head of the Algerian National Committee for the Development of Health Research. Khayatti reportedly claimed that several Jews were arrested in New York in connection with the trade. He claimed Interpol knew of the situation and was leading the investigation into the abductions. "The arrest of Jewish organ trafficking gangs does not mean that the danger has gone; top officials and specialists in this issue assert that there are other Jewish gangs who remain active in several Arab countries," Khayatti was quoted as saying.

Picking up on the Algerian report, the official Iranian news agency PressTV claimed that the Jewish group "is said to be connected to Israeli Rabbi Levi Rosenbaum, who was recently arrested in New Jersey for the direct involvement in importing human organs." The report also ran without scrutiny on certain American news outlets, including the Web site of the California-based American Arab weekly Watan. With its rapid online dissemination, the report has begun to draw fire from THOSE WORRIED ABOUT THE EASE WITH WHICH SUCH A STORY, LACKING ANY EVIDENCE, CAN SPREAD IN THE MUSLIM WORLD.

This is the news media in the era of Van Jones and President Obama. The major outlets cover what they want and create the themes they want. WHEN THEY FIND SOMETHING INCONVENIENT, THEY LET IT PASS. They didn't like the Van Jones story, so they ignored it. The network news media liked the financial entity known as Fannie Mae, so they ignored that scandalous organization for years. ACORN is getting the same treatment.

But it isn't working any more. The ACORN fiasco has now impacted three offices – Baltimore, Washington and New York – with laugh-out-loud videos reminiscent of the hookers and pimps from the 1970s "Starsky and Hutch" show. Huggy Bear returns! Four employees have been fired, with more likely to come. And the controversy was so laughably bad that the Census Bureau cut off all ties to the group known formally as the "Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now." - They called it the "tipping point" to shed themselves of ACORN. More nuts for someone else, I guess.

AND YET IT'S STILL BEEN IGNORED BY THE NETWORK NEWS. Nothing on ABC, CBS or NBC. The only thing any one of the three broadcast networks has done appeared in a blog post by ABC's Jake Tapper. It's hardly worth noting except to show that the networks know about what's going on. THEY JUST DON'T CARE TO REPORT IT. Only FOX News has bothered to report on the controversy.

Opponents had tried to delay the law, saying more debate was needed because it imposes capital punishment. Sharia law was partially introduced in Aceh in 2001, as part of a government offer to pacify separatist rebels. A peace deal in 2005 ended the 30-year insurgency, and many of the former rebels have now entered Aceh's government, which enjoys a degree of autonomy from the central government in Jakarta.

The legislation was passed unanimously by Aceh's regional legislature, said assembly member Bahrom Rasjid. "This law will be effective in 30 days with or without the approval of Aceh's governor," he said. The governor of Aceh, a former rebel with the Free Aceh Movement, is opposed to strict Sharia law. He had urged more debate over the bill.

About 90% of Indonesia's 235 million people are Muslim, practising a moderate form of the religion.

He said in such "tough times" plans to spend billions of pounds on ID cards and Trident were "wrong, wrong, wrong". He also poured scorn on Tory plans to cut spending, saying they would cause the economy to "nose dive". In his opening speech to the TUC Congress in Liverpool, Mr Barber urged caution with some economists saying there are signs of an economic recovery. He said: "The economy has fallen off a cliff. GREEN SHOOTS MEAN LITTLE WHEN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE A DAY ARE JOINING THE DOLE QUEUE."

"Rising share prices count for little when a million and more young people can't find work. And bumper bonuses, well they're an obscene joke... It is only when unemployment comes down, only when we create decent jobs that pay decent wages and only when vital public services are safe from cuts that we will be able to talk about a real recovery." He said that, although the young are least to blame for the economic crisis, they were likely to suffer most from it.

Tony Woodley, general secretary of the Unite union, told the BBC: "We've got a situation where the spivs and speculators have made themselves fortunes and have made misery for millions of us in Britain today. It's right that victims shouldn't have to pay for the excesses of others."