He is widely expected to lift restrictions imposed by President Bush in August 2001 who was opposed to the destruction of embryos for scientific research. This limited federal funding to stem cell lines created before that date. IT WOULD SIMPLY TAKE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER - not legislation - for President Obama to reverse the Bush restrictions. Although the Obama transition team has not made specific promises on stem cells, the change is widely anticipated. The Bush restrictions led to some bizarre complications for scientists according to Professor David Schaffer, of the University of California, Berkeley.

"To work with non-federal stem cell lines means we have to separate labs, separate lab books, separate personnel, payroll even building facilities and infrastructure to be able to be able to conduct work on the better non-registry lines that have derived since that time." Professor Schaffer, the co-director of the Berkeley Stem Cell Center, says the restrictions have slowed down their work.

A seismic shift in White House policy on stem cells seems likely, but the state of the economy could still leave scientists frustrated that President Obama won't back words with cash.

The girl died with fractures to all her limbs, Bradford Crown Court heard. The couple, both 21, are accused of repeatedly assaulting Sanam over a month-long period. They deny murder. Continuing the prosecution's opening of the case, Julian Goose QC said: "Sanam died as a result of really serious injuries, deliberately inflicted upon her, over a period of up to four weeks before her death.

The court also heard how tiny handprints and bloodstains were found inside cupboards at the home in Huddersfield and also at a property on Howley Walk in Batley, West Yorkshire, where they had lived. Mr Anwar, who is not Sanam's father, admitted to police he put the girl in the cupboard to punish her and said Miss Navsarka did the same thing, the court heard. The court has been told Sanam had 107 separate external injuries when she died. The trial continues.

China has a $2 trillion foreign currency reserve but it also suffers from a huge disparity between the rich and poor: WHILE 0.4 PER CENT OF THE PEOPLE HOLD 70 PER CENT OF THE WEALTH OF THE COUNTRY, a fifth of the population - more than 300 million Chinese - have daily incomes of less than one dollar. This extreme concentration of wealth is a serious problem for the Chinese Government and threatens its grip on power.

FIRST, IT MEANS THAT THERE ARE TOO FEW CONSUMERS TO SUSTAIN A DOMESTIC MARKET. So "the workshop of the world" is particularly reliant on the fortunes of the world economy. The Chinese Government announced yesterday that exports had fallen at their fastest rate in a decade, declining by 2.8 per cent in December, on top of a 2.2 per cent year-on-year fall in November. China's exporters are collapsing, pulling down other businesses with them. The Government claims that unemployment is running at 4 per cent in urban areas; but the official figures cannot be believed. According to some serious statisticians, the unemployment rate may have already passed 20 per cent. This makes the severity of the economic crisis in China much sharper than in the US and Europe.

SECOND, GROWING UNEMPLOYMENT AND STAGNANT WAGES WILL STOKE THE RISING RESENTMENT AGAINST THE SUPER-RICH, THREATENING THE POSITION OF THE RULING CLASS. The Government regards the tens of millions of peasant workers who will return to the cities after the Chinese holiday season to closed factories and no jobs as an urgent threat. Chinese peasants have a long tradition of rebellion.

The evidence can already be seen: from Los Angeles to the shores of Lake Geneva, China's super-rich are anxiously snapping up real estate, paying with cash. The more turmoil there is - as unemployment shakes the social order - the more capital will flee China. This will exacerbate the vicious cycle. So the Chinese Government is trapped by a terrible dilemma. It can act to help ordinary Chinese (in the manner of Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s) or the bureaucratic-capitalist class. But it cannot do both.

Elia Enrico Richetti, chief rabbi of Venice, said in an editorial in a Jesuit journal that the main reason for the rabbis' decision to boycott was the reintroduction last year of a Holy Week prayer for the conversion of the Jews. "If (to the prayer) we add the pope's recent statements on dialogue being useless because the Christian faith is superior, it is clear that we are moving toward the cancellation of 50 years of Church history," he wrote in the Jesuit journal Popoli.

Last year the Vatican revised a contested Latin prayer used by traditionalist Catholics on Good Friday, the day marking Jesus Christ's crucifixion. But Jews criticized the new version because it still says they should recognize Jesus Christ as the savior of all men. It asks that "all Israel may be saved" and Jews said it kept an underlying call to conversion that they had wanted removed.

Relations between Catholics and Jews made great advances under the 27-year-long pontificate of the late Pope John Paul, who died in 2005. He was the first pope to visit a synagogue and led the Vatican to diplomatic relations with Israel. But many Jews have said they sense that the clock is being turned back under the papacy of Benedict, who has made the revitalization of traditional Catholic identity one of his goals. Catholic-Jewish dialogue began in earnest after the 1962-1965 Second Vatican Council, with which it repudiated the concept of collective Jewish guilt for Christ's death.

One wonders why journalists are allowing this corralling of the press? Would they have allowed George W. Bush to pre-pick journalists like that? Would they meekly sit by and allow themselves to be systematically ignored, their freedom to ask questions silenced by any Republican? Would journalists so eagerly vie with one another for the favor of Bush like they are Obama's?

For her part, it seems that Carol Marin is starting to wonder at the "bizarro world" that is being invented BY THE PLIANT AND SMITTEN OBAMA LOVING PRESS CORPS. "The press corps, most of us, don't even bother raising our hands any more to ask questions because Obama always has before him a list of correspondents who've been advised they will be called upon that day."

"Will the rest of the press retake their manhood and again become the tough guys they have always claimed to be or are they going to stay so smitten by Obama and their love for "THE ONE" that they will allow themselves to continue being forced into a subservient role? One has a sinking suspicion that THE PRESS IS ALLOWING ITSELF TO BECOME OBAMA'S LAPDOG EXTRAORDINAIRE."

The new program, designed to improve U.S. security, has been voluntary since August, but became mandatory Monday. Travelers are being asked to fill out the forms at least 72 hours in advance of travel. There were no signs of confusion Monday as the new system was implemented at London Heathrow's sprawling Terminal 5 — departure point for many U.S.-bound flights. The rules cover the citizens of 35 countries — from nations in Europe and Asia, to Australia and New Zealand — who don't require a visa to enter the U.S.

Derwood Staeben, U.S. consul general in London, said nearly all applications would be approved in less than 10 seconds. He said travelers would not be required to give any more information than is already requested on the paper immigration forms, which are being replaced. "The important change is that we're automating the existing process and requiring it to be done in advance," he said. "The response time is generally about four seconds." There is no fee for the service, he said, and THE TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION IS VALID FOR TWO YEARS.

Professor John Banzhaf, the so-called "FATHER OF POTTY PARITY" sent a letter to the Presidential Inaugural Committee warning of potential lawsuits. He says women, who take longer in the restroom, could be forced to wait in longer lines than men, and that amounts to discrimination.

Banzhaf says waiting in long lines is not just an inconvenience. It can trigger medical problems. He's asking the Presidential Inaugural Committee to make the toilets gender-neutral so that women do not have to wait longer than men.

Four hundred years on, the United Nations has decided to declare this year, 2009, an international year of astronomy. Events are being held around the world. The BBC has been given rare access to the Pope's observatory at his home outside Rome. THE OBSERVATORY AT CASTEL GANDOLFO AND ITS STAFF WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THE EVENTS OF THIS YEAR OF ASTRONOMY. The catholic priests who run the centre have strong views on everything from life on other planets, to whether the Star of Bethlehem actually existed.

Meanwhile, in London, a 400-year-old set of "moon maps" created by a little-known Englishman are to go on display to mark the launch of the International Year of Astronomy. Experts say they prove their creator - Thomas Harriot - beat Galileo to become the first man to view the moon through a telescope. The Italian philosopher has long been credited with achieving the feat, in December 1609. But papers at West Sussex Record Office show Harriot managed it months earlier. Dr Allan Chapman, a science historian at Oxford University, said Harriot's composite drawing of the moon marked "the birth of modern cartography".

"Thomas Harriot was not only the first person ever to draw an astronomical body with a telescope on 26 July 1609, he rapidly developed to become an absolutely superb lunar cartographer," he said. "There weren't equivalent lunar drawings to be done for another 30 years. Tragically no-one knew of it until relatively recent times, so Galileo gets all the credit. Harriot was a wealthy gentleman with no desire for fame and fortune, unlike Galileo."

Astronomer Sir Patrick Moore said: "I'm sorry Harriot isn't better known over here... after all we all know Galileo. But Harriot was first... and his map of the moon is better than Galileo's."

According to Olmert, Bush's acquiescence, and his insistence that Rice back down from the resolution, made Rice sizzle. "She was left pretty embarrassed," Olmert told the Associated Press. After Olmert explained the resolution, and Israel's position on it, to Bush, the President called Rice to change the vote.

"He gave an order to the Secretary of State, and she did not vote in favour of it - a resolution she prepared, phrased, organized and manoeuvred for. She was left pretty embarrassed and abstained on a resolution she arranged," Olmert said.

At this week's cabinet meeting, Olmert slammed international calls for IDF restraint in Gaza. "For many years we've demonstrated restraint. We reined our reactions. We bit our lips and took barrage after barrage," said Olmert in remarks at the opening of the weekly meeting of government ministers. "No country in the world – not even those who preach morality to us – would have shown similar patience and self-control."

Last Friday, both IRELAND AND GREECE also received warnings from the ratings agency, a development that threatens to make government borrowing for the three states more expensive at a time when governments are increasingly turning to money markets to bolster diminishing tax returns.

The Financial Times reports that other countries could also see themselves subject to similar warnings in the coming days or weeks as countries take on record debt levels, in part caused by new spending programmes intended to counteract the ongoing economic crisis. ITALY, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 104 per cent is seen as particularly vulnerable. So too PORTUGAL, which is currently running a current account deficit of 12 per cent.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe unveiled new $20 billion and $50 billion notes in an advertisement in Monday's Herald newspaper. It said the notes were being introduced "for your convenience". In December, the bank printed new $10 billion notes.

But each time a larger denomination note comes, prices shoot up in the shops even though local currency is so scarce that most demand that customers pay in US dollars or South African rand. Zimbabweans are reeling from the inflation.

The largest note ever in the country was $100 billion in August, (2008) when the before the bank struck 10 zeros from the currency.
Then The Herald newspaper cost 10 new Zimbabwe dollars.
Today the paper costs $15 billion.

Elsewhere, a separate report suggested it had been the worst December for UK retail sales in at least 14 years. On 23 January, official figures are set to confirm the UK is in recession with six months of negative growth. The British Retail Consortium figures on sales from the High Street and online said that like-for-like sales in December were down 3.3% on a year ago while total sales shrank 1.4%. This made for the worst December since the survey began in 1995.

Some High Street retailers, including Sainsbury's and Greggs, have been reporting strong Christmas trading - suggesting that the economic picture is not yet entirely bleak. But food retailers were almost the only sector to show growth, the BRC said, amid what it described as "truly awful numbers". "Non-food retailers had a torrid December despite a blizzard of promotions and deals, which would have hit margins," the BRC's director general Stephen Robertson said. "Many hard-pressed customers couldn't be seduced into spending."

"It is clear that the UK economy is facing a very serious recession, and THE DOWNTURN IS DEEPENING AT AN ALARMING PACE," said the BCC report based on a survey of almost 6,000 firms which employ 680,000 people. "The results highlight a frightening deterioration in the UK economic situation."

In October, the Vatican joined Interpol, the world's largest police co-operation organisation. The city-state's gendarmes have been attending meetings of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe since 2006, he added. Joining Eurojust would be another "important step" in the fight against terrorism, both at home and abroad, Mr Picardi argued.

The Hague-based Eurojust was established in 2002 and includes senior investigators and prosecutors from each EU member state. In 2007, the European Commission proposed legislation for increasing the powers of Eurojust and granting member states automatic access TO NATIONAL DATABASES, TERRORIST CASES, CRIMINAL, DNA AND PRISON RECORDS. Eurojust is seen as A PRELIMINARY FORM OF ANY FUTURE EUROPEAN PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, the creation of which is provided for under the Lisbon Treaty.

ONLY 492 PEOPLE LIVE IN VATICAN CITY, but each year, 18 million pilgrims and tourists visit the famous St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, with the most common crime being petty theft. The assassination attempt in 1981 against Pope John Paul II and the attacks of 11 September 2001 prompted an increase in security measures, with visitors now required to pass through metal detectors to enter the basilica and attend audiences with the pope.

Writing in the Christian Science Monitor, Olsen and his son Matthew also revealed that the U.S. State Department is so deeply involved in the Palestinian Authority that it financed Fatah in its election campaign against Hamas. "HAMAS NEVER CALLED FOR THE ELECTIONS THAT PUT THEM IN POWER. That was the brainstorm of Secretary Rice and her staff," he and his son, who runs peace programs, wrote in the Monitor Monday morning.

"Rice was reportedly blindsided when she heard the news of Hamas's victory," the Olsens recalled. From that point, everything went downhill, according to their analysis. "She immediately insisted that the Quartet [the U.S., European Union, United Nations, and Russia] ban all contact with Hamas and support Israel's economic blockade of Gaza… The isolation was supposed to turn angry Palestinians against an ineffective Hamas."

"Finally, in mid-2007, faced with increasing chaos and the widely-known implementation of a U.S.-backed militia, Hamas – THE LAWFULLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT – struck first. They routed the Fatah gangs, securing control of the entire Gaza Strip, and established civil order."

He said he and his friend responded by placing two large Israeli flags in the windows of their third floor apartment. "During the demonstration, which went through our street, the police broke into our flat and removed the flag of Israel," he wrote. "The statement of the police was that it was done to de-escalate the situation because many youth demonstrators were on the brink of breaking into our apartment house."

"Before this they threw snowballs, knives and stones against our windows and the complete building. We both were standing on the other side of the street and were shocked by seeing a police officer standing in our bedroom and opening the window to get the flag… THE POLICE ACQUIESCED IN THE DEMANDS OF THE MOB." The mob cheered and applauded when the Israeli flag was whisked away.

The Arabic-language satellite network Al Jazeera reported that MANY OF THE DEMONSTRATORS WERE FROM THE TURKISH COMMUNITY. Hundreds of thousands of others protested throughout the world against Israel's counterterrorist campaign and burned dozens of Israeli and American flags. A crowd in London was estimated at 100,000, and tens of thousands in Paris chanted, "We are all Palestinians."

A Toronto pro-Hamas demonstrator screamed at pro-Israel supporters, "I want the war to continue because I want Hizbullah to wipe the state of terrorism off the planet....You're being wiped off the planet! That's a promise." Muslims in Denmark chanted, "Down, down Israel, down, down USA, down, down democracy, down, down Denmark." One Muslim executed the Nazi salute and shouted, "We want to kill all the Jews, all the Jews should be slain, they have no right to exist!"