TOKYO — A United States court-martial sentenced a marine to four years in prison on Friday for sexually abusing a 14-year-old Japanese girl, ending a case that had deepened anger over the American military presence in japan

The marine, Staff. Sgt. Tyrone Luther Hadnott, 38, pleaded guilty to “abusive sexual contact” at the court-martial at Camp Foster in Okinawa, but was cleared of rape, the United States military said. He was also given a dishonorable discharge.

In February, Mr. Hadnott, who was stationed at a base in Okinawa, was arrested after the girl accused him of raping her inside his car. The marine, who had given the girl a ride, denied the accusation but admitted pressing her down and trying to kiss her.

The incident caused widespread anger in Okinawa, home to most of the 40,000 members of the American military based in Japan, and led to protests by Japanese politicians, including Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

On a visit to Japan in February, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice  expressed deep regret over the case.

Japanese anger subsided after the girl, who was criticized in the news media for getting into the car with the marine, withdrew her complaint and Japanese prosecutors dropped the charges against the serviceman.

“Even though he was not prosecuted under the Japanese judicial system, we found that there was enough evidence to prosecute him under the U.S. system,” Lt. Gen. Edward Rice, the commander of the United States forces in Japan, said at a news conference Friday.

The case was one of several involving American servicemen in Japan in recent months. Last month, Olatunbosun Ugbogu, 22, a Navy seaman who had been wanted for deserting his base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, was charged with killing a taxi driver over a dispute about a fare.

The audiotape allegedly is from Ayman al-Zawahiri, shown here in an image taken from a videotape.

“Where the American invasion stands now, after five years, is failure and defeat,” the voice on the tape — supposedly that of Ayman al-Zawahiri — said in the roughly 16-minute recording, which was posted Thursday on several militant Islamist Web sites.

The tape referenced testimony by David Petraeus, the top U.S. general in Iraq, before Congress this month, when he said that further troop withdrawals in Iraq will have to wait at least another 45 days.

“It is all a silly episode to disguise failure in Iraq and so Bush would avoid making a decision on withdrawing troops — which is considered to be a declaration of crusaders’ defeat in Iraq — and move forward the problem to be the next president’s issue,” he said.

CNN could not immediately confirm that the speaker was al-Zawahiri.

Al-Zawahiri’s last public statement came April 3, when he said in an audio message that al Qaeda does not kill innocents and that Osama bin Laden is healthy.

In the latest tape, the speaker says that if President Bush “kept all his troops in Iraq until the end of time and until they go to hell, they will not witness anything except failure and defeat, God willing.”

He also accuses Democrats seeking the presidency of “trying to deceive their people by saying that they will withdraw their troops from Iraq by talking to Iran.”

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois has said he would be open to meeting with leaders of nations unfriendly to the United States, like Iran, to bring about positive changes overseas. His Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, has said she would be reluctant to meet with such leaders.

The speaker spent about 10 minutes of the message addressing what he called corruption in Egypt and other Muslim nations that he said has led to food shortages and other hardships for citizens. Al-Zawahiri is from Egypt.

“Corruption and stealing have gotten to the point of making people hungry and preventing them from basic food,” he said. “Making people hungry in Egypt … is a part of the U.S.-Zionist plan, which aims to make Muslims subservient.”

Egypt has been the site of civil unrest over high food and fuel prices, according to the United Nations’ World Food Program

source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/04/17/al.qaeda.message/index.html

This time, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will argue that Iraq is making greater attempts to boost security and political reconciliation and urge Arab states to follow through on their promises of diplomatic ties and financial aid.

“I think it’s fair to say that the neighbors could do more to live up to their obligations because I do believe the Iraqis are beginning to live up to theirs,” Rice told reporters traveling with her.

Iraq’s recent attempts to crush Shi’ite militias will also be a central topic and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is expected to urge Arab countries to back those efforts.

A draft of a statement to be issued on Tuesday at the meeting said participants “welcome the Iraqi government’s commitment to disarm and dismantle all militias and illegally armed groups, enforcing the rule of law, and ensuring the state’s monopoly on armed forces.”

The statement, obtained by Reuters, also urged the “maintaining or opening of diplomatic missions in Iraq”.

Promises have been made by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to open up embassies in Baghdad and the U.S. hope is that if Riyadh announces firm plans and dates then others will follow.

read more : reuters

The high court in Dijon, eastern France, decided to side with the prosecution which argued current legislation does not allow Chantal Sebire’s doctor to prescribe lethal drugs.

In her appeal to the court, Ms Sebire said she did not want to endure further pain and subject herself to an irreversible worsening of her condition. She asked the court to allow her doctor to help her end her life.

A mother of three who lives in the Bourgogne region of eastern France, Ms Sebire drew a strong outpour of sympathy when she appealed in a television interview last month for the right to “depart peacefully”. (more…)

Tornado warnings had been broadcast for hours, and when the sirens finally announced that the twisters had arrived, many people across the South took shelter and saved their lives.

But others simply had nowhere safe to go, or the storms proved too powerful, too numerous, too unpredictable.

At least 54 people were killed and hundreds injured Tuesday and Wednesday by dozens of tornadoes that plowed across Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. It was the nation’s deadliest barrage of twisters in almost 23 years. (more…)

No injuries were reported and the fire was contained, Clark County Fire Chief Steve Smith said.

“As we go out of the danger zone, we’ll methodically check each floor,” he said. “No rooms are burning.”

The fire, which was reported around 11 a.m., halted gambling at the casino as it spread from the center of the building across the roof. Fiery debris fell to the street below, and orange flames lapped at the casino’s script sign. (more…)

Lakshmi will return home after recovering well enough from last month’s marathon operation to separate her from a headless, conjoined twin, said surgeon Sharan Patil.

Lakshmi is due to be discharged later Saturday, said Patil, who led the team of doctors that performed the 27-hour operation.

“She is going home and she is good enough to be going home,” Patil told AFP in southern Bangalore city, adding that her wounds have healed. (more…)

Piotr Staniaszek thought he could use his new phone as a modem for his computer under his $10 unlimited mobile browser plan from Bell Mobility.

He downloaded high-definition movies and other large files unaware that this incurred massive extra charges.

Bell Mobility has since lowered the bill to $3,243, but Mr Staniaszek says he intends to fight the charges anyway. (more…)

Research into one week’s news coverage showed that 91% of articles in national newspapers about Muslims were negative.

London mayor Ken Livingstone, who commissioned the study, said the findings were a “damning indictment” on the media and he urged editors and programme makers to review the way they portray Muslims.

“The overall picture presented by the media is that Islam is profoundly different from and a threat to the West,” he said. (more…)

One customer is suing the company, Health Net Inc., after a company salesman pressured her to switch to a Health Net plan only for the company to cut-off her coverage in the middle of costly cancer treatment.

California small-business owner Patsy Bates was one of more than 1,600 customers who had their Health Net policies rescinded between 2000 and 2006 saving the company $35.5 million, the Los Angeles Times reports. (more…)