U.S. President Barack Obama Tuesday called for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi, who was sentenced to 18 months under house arrest by a Myanmar court.
“The conviction and sentencing of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi today (Tuesday) on charges related to an uninvited intrusion into her home violate universal principles of human rights, run counter to Burma’s commitments under the ASEAN charter, and demonstrate continued disregard for UN Security Council statements,” Obama said in a statement. “I join the international community in calling for Aung San SuuKyi’s immediate unconditional release,” he added.
The statement was released after the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council commuted Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence to 18-month confinement to her residence after a district court sentenced her three years’ jail term for violating terms of house arrest by inviting an American to visit her house. Obama called on the Myanmar government “to heed the views of its own people and the international community and to work towards genuine national reconciliation.”
He also expressed concerns on the sentencing of an American citizen, John Yettaw, who has been sentenced seven years in prison for swimming in May to the back door of Aung San Suu Kyi’s home and staying there for two nights due to his ill health. The punishment on Yettaw was “out of proportion with his actions,” Obama said.

AC Milan has closed its transfer window, said club owner Silvio Berlusconi on Monday.

Berlusconi told reporters that the club would not bring in any more new players and that they need to find victories with the players they have.

Milan later beat Juventus 5-4 on penalties to end a run of pre-season defeats. Milan starts their Serie A campaign at Siena on Saturday while Juventus host Chievo Verona on Sunday.

51.blog:Britney Spears looks fabulous in fuchsia

When the sun vanished behind a cloud, Britney and her pal jumped into the jacuzzi to warm up

Enjoying a well-earned month off from her gruelling world tour, you’d expect Britney Spears to want some time out of the spotlight and fade into the background.

But there was no danger of the singer going unnoticed as she spent a relaxing day in a Los Angeles hotel yesterday, wearing a bright fuchsia bikini.

After touring for an impressive six months, it unsurprising the
27-year-old is looked toned and svelte.

Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt claimed yet another world record as he recorded a stunning victory in the 200m final at the World Championships. 20 August 2009 19:44 UK

Bolt set a time of 19.19 seconds to demolish the previous record of 19.30 he set in winning Olympic gold last summer in Beijing.

The 22-year-old finished well clear of the field, with silver medallist Alonso Edward finishing in 19.81. Wallace Spearmon of the United States took bronze.

Bolt, who also smashed the 100m record in Berlin on Sunday, is now the first man to hold the 100 and 200m world and Olympic titles at the same time.

After a nervy opening which saw Frenchman David Alerte false start, Bolt streaked off the blocks and took the lead within 20m.

Bolt has redefined the boundaries of what was believed to be humanly possible

He put on the afterburners around the bend to leave the chasing pack trailing in his wake and after storming over the line, Bolt glanced down to the electronic display and pointed at his historic time.

England took control of the deciding Ashes Test after closing day two at The Oval 230 ahead of Australia at 58-3.

After England added only 25 to their overnight 307-8, Australia were 73-0 before Stuart Broad produced a stunning spell of 4-8 in 21 balls.

Broad finished with 5-37 and spinner Graeme Swann joined in with 4-38 as Australia were skittled for 160.

England, who need to win to regain the Ashes, lost some wickets but Andrew Strauss was undefeated on 32.

If England were deemed to have wasted a good position on day one, Australia’s collapse was far more dramatic as the tourists failed to press home their advantage.

The first wicket of the Australia innings went down at 1441 BST and by 1719 it was all over, and that included 20 minutes for the tea interval.

Four years ago I attended a royal celebration in Riyadh to mark the late King Fahd’s 20 Muslim years on the throne.
I was not actually a guest, more of a gatecrasher, really.
I had arrived on Tony Blair’s plane with the rest of the Westminster press pack, then stayed on to report on a country that few Western correspondents could access at the time.
It was the month after 11 September and Saudi Arabia was in denial. People were finding it hard to accept that 15 out of the 19 suicide hijackers were Saudis.
It was all a plot, I was told, to discredit the Arabs. Prince Naif, the interior minister in charge of internal security, spoke of a mysterious “third force”, ie Israel

Taiwan has begun three days of mourning in memory of those who were killed in mudslides and floods after Typhoon Morakot.
More than 150 people were killed and at least 500 are still missing after Taiwan’s worst typhoon in 50 years.
Flags have been flown at half-mast while President Ma Ying-jeou attended a memorial service in Hsiaolin, one of the worst affected villages.

The other school of thought holds that Saudi Arabia is incapable of quelling the massive groundswell of anger and hatred towards the West engendered by the US-led invasion of Iraq and the Israel-Palestinian conflict that triggers such attacks.
Author and former CIA operative Robert Baer said the killings in May – in the Saudi oil producing heartland – were meant to send a direct message to the Opec meeting of oil exporting countries.
He said the militants were giving expression to many ordinary Saudis’ discontent about government plans to increase production to bring world oil prices down, in particular to help the US economy.
“Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities are vulnerable and a determined effort could take one of these facilities out,” Mr Baer said.
However the fact is that terrorist successes have been few and far between in the last six months. Where they do occur they have mainly been against softer targets.
When something high-profile like a US consulate is targeted, the death toll seems much lower and the security forces seem much more able to cope than in earlier attacks

Industrial orders in the eurozone rose in June, official figures have shown, suggesting the manufacturing sector could be emerging from recession.
New orders rose by 3.1% compared with the previous month, although across the European Union they fell by 0.4%.
Orders in both France and Germany, which both emerged from year-long recessions in the second quarter, rose.
Despite the monthly rise, orders in the 16 nations that use the euro were down 25.1% compared with June 2008.
Orders in the UK fell by 0.8% from a month earlier.
Ireland saw the biggest rise compared with the previous month, with orders jumping 14.8%. Denmark saw the biggest fall, with orders plunging 29.9%.
Earlier this month, official figures showed that industrial output fell in June.
But the fact that orders during the month increased suggests that output could be set to rise

The positive statistics may not end the perennial debate over whether A-levels have been “dumbed down”.
The Conservatives fired an early shot last week, saying they would award more league table points for “harder” A-levels.
But the exam board chiefs shy away from this idea.
Greg Watson said: “Anything which threatens to distort young people’s choices should be avoided.
“We haven’t needed quotas to get more young people to study sciences.”
Next year, A-levels are set to get harder. Or in exam-speak, “provide stretch and challenge”.
Dr John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, says they will “cease to take students through the answer”.
“We have been told the questions will be more difficult next year,” he told journalists.

Republicans said the latest deficit figures were a serious concern.
“The alarm bells on our nation’s fiscal condition have now become a siren,” said Senate Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell.
“If anyone has any doubts that this burden on future generations is unsustainable, they’re gone – spending, borrowing and debt are out of control.”
Analysts said the latest deficit figures increased the likelihood of US tax rises once it is confirmed that the country has exited recession.
The CBO said such a move would be required.
“Putting the nation on a sustainable fiscal course will require some combination of lower spending and higher revenues than the amounts now projected,” it said.