Videla and Bignone guilty of baby theft

Jorge Videla (l) and Reynaldo Bignone (r) showed no emotion when the verdicts were read

Two former leaders during Argentina's military rule have been found guilty of overseeing the systematic theft of babies from political prisoners.

A court in Buenos Aires sentenced Jorge Videla to 50 years in prison and Reynaldo Bignone to 15 years.
They are already serving lengthy jail sentences for crimes committed under military rule, between 1976 and 1983.
At least 400 babies are thought to have been taken from their parents while they were held in detention centres.
The verdict is the culmination of a trial that began in February 2011.
In total, 11 people, most of them former military and police officials, were facing charges.
Nine, including Videla and Bignone, were convicted in the case over the theft of 34 babies. Two were found not guilty.
Videla, 86, received the maximum sentence as he was held criminally responsible for 20 of the thefts.

Victoria Montenegro was one of Argentina's stolen babies - taken away from her parents just days after her birth

The court said Videla was guilty of the "systematic abduction, detention and hiding of minors under the age of 10".
Videla listened to the verdict without showing any visible emotion. Both he and Bignone were already serving time in prison.
Videla was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010 for the torture and deaths of 31 dissidents during his rule.
Bignone was also given a life sentence in April 2011 for the torture and murder of political opponents.
Victims' groups nevertheless welcomed the latest verdicts as a confirmation of the defendants' guilt for what many consider as the most heinous crimes committed under military rule.

'Historic verdict'

Relatives of the stolen babies, and those who were abducted themselves, cheered as the verdicts were read out.
One of the victims, Macarena Gelman, said the conviction was "historic".

"To see the faces of those responsible is a sign that justice is making progress," she she told Efe news agency.
Ms Gelman was raised by a police officer in Uruguay after her Argentine parents were abducted by the military in 1976.
Her mother was taken to a clandestine prison in Uruguay and disappeared. Her father's body was later found in a cement-filled drum dumped in a river.
Ms Gelman has since been re-united with her grandfather, Argentine poet Juan Gelman.
More than 100 children given for adoption to military or police couples have been reunited with their biological families.
The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, an association that works to uncover the real identities of the stolen children, believes several hundred babies were abducted.
However, some of the children have said they would rather not know their origins, especially if the information implicates their adoptive parents in illegal acts.
Human rights groups say that during military rule, known as the "Dirty War", some 30,000 people were killed or made to disappear by the armed forces in their campaign against opposition activists and left-wing guerrillas.

Baby theft convictions

• Jorge Videla, ex-leader 1976-1981: 50 years
• Reynaldo Bignone, ex-leader 1982-1983: 15 years
• Antonio Vanek, ex-navy attache in Washington: 40 years
• Jorge Eduardo Acosta, in charge of ESMA detention centre: 30 years
• Santiago Riveros, in charge of a military hospital: 20 years
• Victor Gallo, army Captain: 15 years
• Juan Antonio Azic, intelligence officer at the ESMA detention centre: 14 years
• Jorge Magnacco, obstetrician at ESMA detention centre: 10 years
• Susana Ines Colombo, Victor Gallo's ex-wife: 5 years

Syria Manaf Tlas desertion 'hard blow' for Assad

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius tells the Friends of Syria meeting after Brig Gen Manaf Tlas' defection: "The regime is unsustainable."

A Syrian general close to President Assad has defected, delivering "a hard blow for the regime", French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has said.

Brig Gen Manaf Tlas fled Syria via Turkey, his family confirmed.
Mr Fabius said his departure showed Mr Assad's entourage was beginning to realise the regime was unsustainable.
Rumours of the possible defection last March proved false. If now confirmed, it would be the highest-level defection since Syria's unrest began.
Pro-government website Syriasteps said earlier Gen Tlas had made an "escape", adding the move was "insignificant".
Brig Gen Tlas, believed to be in his mid-40s, is a commander of a unit of the elite Republican Guard. As a young man he attended military training with President Assad.

Analysis

Mohamed Yehia BBC Arabic

If confirmed, this would be the highest level defection and the first from the inner circle around the Syrian president since the popular uprising against him started in March 2011.
This would also be damaging and embarrassing for the Damascus government, as it would be explained as an indication that cracks are appearing at the top of the ruling establishment and could encourage other Sunni defections.
The close relationship between Manaf Tlas and Bashar Assad goes back to the mid 90s when Bashar ended his medical career in the UK and was recalled to Syria to be groomed for succession following his older brother and heir apparent Basil's sudden death in a road accident in 1994.
The Republican Guard, of which Manaf Tlas was a top leader, is the main force responsible for the security and protection of the Assad government and is commanded directly by the inner circle in the presidential palace.
As such it is thought that he has a clear understanding and insight into how the Syrian government works at the top level and how the decision-making process worked since the start of the uprising.

Speaking after a Friends of Syria meeting in Paris, Mr Fabius described him as a "personality who belongs to the Republican Guard of Bashar al-Assad and was for a long time was one of his friends and close to him".

"Even those close to Assad have begun to understand that one cannot support a slaughterer like Bashar al-Assad."
Initially, he said the general was on his way to Paris but later added he had no indication of his final destination.
The general's father, former Defence Minister Mustafa Tlas, is reportedly living in France.
'Good sign' Brig Gen Tlas's intentions may only become clear if and when he appears in public to outline his plans, the BBC's James Reynolds on the Turkish-Syrian border reports.
Amer al-Sadeq, a member of a Damascus-based opposition group, described the latest development as "a good sign".
"Defecting soldiers, we see many of them, defecting officers, the more they come the better it is to make the regime weaker," Mr Sadeq told the BBC.
Brig Gen Tlas has been under a form of house arrest since May 2011 because he opposed the security solution that the regime has been implementing, sources say.

Manaf Tlas's father, Mustafa, was Syria's defence minister

He also was the first government official to meet the opposition back last year to try to start a dialogue and find a political solution to the 16-month crisis.
Unlike most of Syria's Alawite leaders, the son of former Defence Minister Mustafa Tlas is a Sunni Muslim.
Syria's majority Sunni community has been at the forefront of the revolt against the president and has borne the brunt of the state's crackdown (which the UN estimates has left at least 10,000 people dead).
For decades, the Tlas family has given support to the Assad family, helping to ensure Bashar al-Assad's succession to the presidency 12 years ago.
If Manaf Tlas' permanent departure from Syria is confirmed, it would mark the first break of a member of President Assad's close circle, correspondents say.
Observers believe that the move may encourage other Sunni officers to consider their allegiances.
'Legitimate aspirations' Gen Tlas's departure came as French President Francois Hollande hosted a Paris Friends of Syria conference with representatives of more than 100 countries to try to find a way to end the violence in Syria.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged the representatives to persuade Russia and China to end their support for the Syrian regime.

Profile: Manaf Tlas

• Brigadier in elite Republican Guard
• Member of Syria's most powerful Sunni family
• Son of former defence minister
• Member of the ruling Baath Party's Central Committee
• Close friend of Bashar al-Assad

"I ask you to reach out to Russia and China and to not only urge but demand that they get off the sidelines and begin to support the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people," she said.

"I don't think Russia and China believe they are paying any price at all, nothing at all, for standing up on behalf of the Assad regime."
She also called on the UN Security Council to pass a resolution imposing immediate sanctions on Syria, including under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, allowing for the possibility of military force.
The Paris meeting follows similar events in Tunis and Istanbul which demanded tougher action against the Assad regime.
Russia and China, which both hold vetoes in the Security Council, did not attend the Paris meeting.
UN diplomats are working on a document calling for restrictions on commercial activity if Mr Assad fails to abide by UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan's ceasefire plan and roadmap for a political transition.
The roadmap - announced last weekend by Annan after a meeting of world powers in Geneva - includes an interim government to enable the Syrian people to live ''independently and democratically''.
Western powers believe that Mr Assad should play no part in Syria's future, but the roadmap allows Mr Assad an effective veto over any interim candidate he opposes.
Some 15,800 people have died in more than a year of violence in Syria, activists say.
Source.BBC News

Alabama pastor holds ‘whites only’ conference

A controversial pastor's conference welcoming only "white Christians" is underway in Lamar County, Ala., upsetting residents of the nearby town of Winfield in the western part of the state.

Christian Identity Ministries is holding a three-day conference for so-called "white Christians" who contend they have been treated unfairly, the Rev. Mel Lewis told local TV station WSFA. Lewis, the organizer and keynote speaker, says they have the right, like any other Americans, to worship how they wish.

Ku Klux Klan flags and white supremacy slogans surround the conference, which will conclude with a cross being set on fire Friday night. Organizers say it's not a cross-burning, but rather sacred Christian cross lighting.

"We are not breaking any laws. We're not violating any ordinances. We're bringing the Word of God to people who want it, obviously, or they wouldn't be here," Lewis told the TV station.

Lewis said of the conference-goers: "They are part of the chosen race."

The mayor of nearby Winfield said residents are upset, and the event does not represent their town in any way.

"Business people are upset. The city is upset. The city of Winfield does not condone this," Winfield Mayor Wayne Silas told another local TV station, WECT.

"It's surprising to see something like that in our town," said Tyler Cantrell. "I know it's been here in the past."

Organizers say their ministry is not a hate group and that although there is a strong KKK presence, the Klan did not sponsor the event.

By Ron Recinto | The Lookout

'Dead' man arrested at own wedding

Colombian police arrest 'drug dealer' at his wedding

Police said Fritanga had spent more than $1m on the wedding at which he was arrested

Colombian police have released further details of the arrest of Camilo Torres on suspicion of drug trafficking.

Mr Torres, better known as Fritanga (Fry-up), was detained minutes after getting married in a lavish ceremony on a Caribbean island on Sunday.
Police say he is an influential member of the Urabenos gang, which controls much of the drug trafficking in northern Colombia.
A US court has asked for Mr Torres to be extradited on drugs charges.
Police said they surprised Fritanga on the Caribbean island of Mucura moments after he had married his girlfriend and as he was preparing to host a party for 150 guests.
Police said Fritanga had spared no expense, inviting soap-opera stars and entertainers to the festivities, scheduled to last for a week.
They estimated the cost of the party at $1.41m (£900,000).
Alive and kicking
A video released by the police shows Fritanga's wife, a model, hugging him and sobbing as officers lead him away.
Police are heard telling guests to lie on the floor and keep their heads down as the arrest is made.
The video also shows Fritanga being shown a photocopy of his ID card by police and jokingly saying that he has trouble recognising it as he has not used it for a few years.
Official documents later showed Mr Torres was listed as deceased.
His death certificate said he had died of natural causes in the capital, Bogota, on 2 December 2010.
Police are investigating the notary who asked for the death certificate to be issued.
Prosecutors accuse Fritanga of being a leading member of the Urabenos, a criminal gang made up of former paramilitaries which controls much of the drug- and arms-trafficking in northern Colombia.
Earlier this year, the gang offered a reward for the killing of police officers in revenge for the arrest of their leader, Juan de Dios Usuga.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has made the fight against gangs such as the Urabenos one of his government's priorities.
ASUS Transformer TF300T Tablet - Tablets

Nine children die during US Independence Day revelling

Nine children died in four unrelated incidents during Independence Day celebrations in the US.

In the first tragedy, two girls and a boy, all related, drowned in the Iowa river after becoming separated from family and friends.
Later, three children died after a boat full of firework-watchers capsized off Long Island in New York.
Meanwhile, three children were electrocuted while lake-swimming in Missouri and Tennessee.
In the Iowa incident, authorities in Marshalltown, in the central part of that state, searched for more than three hours before finding the bodies of a boy and a girl, both seven years old, and a nine-year-old girl.
Police Chief Mike Tupper said a drought had left the Iowa river ankle-deep in some places, but areas of more than 12ft (3.6m) deep remain.
Bodies in water Meanwhile, in New York a 12-year-old boy and two girls, aged 11 and 8, were found inside the cabin of the boat which capsized.

Two boys were swimming between these houseboats in Tennessee when they were electrocuted

Coast guards saved 24 people from the boat around 23:00 local time (03:00 GMT Thursday), about an hour after the emergency call came in.
The boat sank in 20ft of water and then drifted into an area 60ft deep. A boater told the Newsday newspaper he saw the boat tip over after it was hit by a wake.
"It was like in slow motion," Sammy Balasso said. "All of a sudden, a lot of bodies were in the water."
The 34ft Silverton boat, sailing near Long Island's Oyster Bay, originally had 27 people on board.
Private boats nearby helped those in the water after the boat capsized.
Nassau County Deputy Inspector Kenneth Lack said the rescue operation took a long time because "at night in an area like this, it is very dangerous".
In the two other fatal incidents:

• Authorities suspect faulty wiring on a private dock was to blame for the electrocution of a sister and brother whle swimming in Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks, the Kansas City Star reported
• Defective houseboat wiring may be linked to an electric shock that killed a 10-year-old boy swimming at Cherokee Lake, Tennessee - his 11-year-old friend is in a critical condition, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported

George Zimmerman new bail set at $1m

A judge has set a new bail of $1m (£642,000) for the neighbourhood watch volunteer who shot an unarmed black teenager in Florida.

George Zimmerman faces second-degree murder charges over the death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford in February.
 
He maintains he shot Martin in self-defence during a fight on the ground.
Mr Zimmerman was previously freed on $150,000 bail, but was returned to jail after prosecutors argued he misled the court about his finances.
A website Mr Zimmerman created for his legal defence had raised $135,000 by the time of his first bond hearing, prosecutors said, but he and his wife did not mention the money, maintaining they had limited resources.
The two were recorded in jail house phone calls in which they discussed moving money around accounts.
His wife, Shellie Zimmerman, was charged with perjury, and has left jail on a $1,000 bond.
'Flaunt' the system Issuing the bail bond, Judge Kenneth Lester said a higher security amount was needed to ensure Mr Zimmerman would show up for his eventual trial.

Trayvon Martin's family attended George Zimmerman's second bond hearing in June

"Under any definition, the defendant has flaunted the system," he wrote. "The defendant has tried to manipulate the system when he has been presented the opportunity to do so."
The judge also imposed several restrictions on Mr Zimmerman if he were to be released. They include electronic monitoring and the requirement for him to remain in Seminole County, Florida but stay away from Orlando international airport.
Mr Zimmerman, who had previously been allowed to leave Florida because of fears for his safety, returned to prison in June.
It is not yet clear what portion of the new bail bond he will be required to pay to secure his release from jail.
The Trayvon Martin case has proved emotive and touched on racial issues in the United States, correspondents say, with Martin's parents claiming their son was targeted by Mr Zimmerman because he was black.
Florida police did not arrest Mr Zimmerman for six weeks after the shooting. Under the state's controversial "stand your ground" law the use of lethal force is allowed if a person feels seriously under threat.

ESPN confirms Prem Lge fixtures

By ESPN staff
ESPN has confirmed its exclusively live Barclays Premier League fixtures for the first four months of the 2012-13 season. On the opening weekend ESPN visits St James' Park as Newcastle United take on Tottenham Hotspur. The match presents new Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas with a testing first league match at the helm while Magpies chief Alan Pardew will want to send a signal that last season's fifth-place was not a one-off.

EmpicsWho will claim the prize?

• ESPN's Premier League schedule
The action continues the following week as Newcastle United travel to West London. ESPN viewers will have an early opportunity to see last season's UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea as newly-installed permanent manager Roberto Di Matteo looks to build on their 6th place finish last season.
Champions Manchester City will feature three times on ESPN as they welcome Queens Park Rangers on 1st September and Swansea City on 27th October to the Etihad Stadium, before they make an away trip to play newly-promoted West Ham United on 3rd November. ESPN viewers will also get a look at Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side as they face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on 15th September. Manchester United make their first appearance on ESPN on 29th September as they host Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs' north London rivals, Arsenal, will feature in the first of their three away fixtures on ESPN, first at West Ham United on 6th October, before travelling to East Anglia to face Chris Hughton's Norwich City on 20th October. The 24th November will see Arsenal visit Villa Park, a happy hunting ground in recent years, to play an Aston Villa side under the stewardship of new boss, Paul Lambert. Manchester United complete ESPN's November line up as they play Norwich City at Carrow Road on 17th November.
ESPN's coverage will be presented by Ray Stubbs with Kevin Keegan alongside him as lead analyst. Robbie Savage, Martin Keown as well as former Liverpool legends Steve McManaman and John Barnes will also be part of ESPN's line-up of football analysts. In the commentary box, Chris Waddle will join Jon Champion, with ESPN's Rebecca Lowe continuing to get the exclusive stories from managers and players from pitchside.
Jeroen Oerlemans, Vice President TV Channels, ESPN, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: "Football fans watching ESPN's Barclays Premier League coverage in the coming months will be able to follow the very top sides as well as the newly-promoted outfits. Alongside ESPN's offering of top football coverage from around the UK and Europe, we look forward to the start of what promises to be another fantastic season of football on ESPN."
PREMIER LEAGUE COVERAGE ON ESPN DIGITAL MEDIA
ESPN's multiplatform coverage of the Barclays Premier League next season also includes ESPN Goals, the mobile app that hosts ESPN's exclusive mobile highlights rights to all 380 Barclays Premier League matches. The rights allow ESPN to deliver every single goal to mobile devices within minutes of the action. ESPN also provides complete news, analysis and coverage of UK and international football on ESPN.co.uk. In the coming weeks around the new season, ESPNFC.com will provide football fans with a new global connection to worldwide football.
Live HD television coverage of the Barclays Premier League on ESPN is complemented by exclusive live televised coverage of the FA Cup, Aviva Premiership Rugby, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, UEFA Europa League, continental European league football, international football, plus the best in North American sports, motorsports, UFC and much more.North American sports, motorsports, UFC and much more.