Pentagon Chief in Taleban Warning

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has warned Pakistan that relations with the US will be threatened unless Islamabad combats the rise of the Taleban.

His comments echo a warning from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.Mrs Clinton said on Wednesday that Pakistan poses a "mortal threat" to the world by abdicating to the Taleban.

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistani troops were sent to tackle Taleban militants who had advanced into a region just 100km (67 miles) from Islamabad.One policeman was killed in the assault in Buner district, which is next to the Swat valley, where the Taleban holds sway after government forces failed to quell an insurgency.

Partnership threatened

Speaking at a US military base in North Carolina, from where American marines are about to be deployed to Afghanistan, the US defence chief said some Pakistani leaders recognise the "existential threat" facing the country's government, but needed to act swiftly.

"It is important they not only recognise it [the threat], but take the appropriate actions to deal with it," Mr Gates said."The stability and the longevity of democratic government in Pakistan is central to the efforts of the coalition in Afghanistan," he added."And it is also central to our future partnership with the government in Islamabad.

The Obama administration is clearly stepping up the pressure on Pakistan's government and security forces to do much more to combat the Taleban, the BBC's Jonathan Beale reports from Washington.

Taleban 'springboard'

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs issued a separate warning on Thursday, calling the developments in Pakistan "very disturbing"."We are extremely concerned about the situation and it is something that takes a lot of the president's time," he said.

The Taleban moved several hundred men into Buner, just weeks after a peace deal signed by President Asif Ali Zardari allowed the introduction of Islamic Sharia law in Swat.Insurgents have now begun patrolling the streets and mounting checkpoints in the area.The Sharia deal was designed to end a bloody 18-month conflict with the Taleban in Swat by yielding to some of their demands.But critics say the militants can now use Swat as a springboard to take over new areas of the country.

Female hairiness health warning

Excessive hairiness in women is not just a cosmetic problem but is likely to be a sign of an underlying medical condition, say UK doctors in a report.

Five to 15% of women have excess hair, and a hormone disorder the most likely cause in many cases, the doctors said.

Women with the problem should not be afraid to seek medical advice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists report urged.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the cause in 70% to 80% of cases.

Report author, Dr Rebecca Swingler, a specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at St Michael's Hospital in Bristol, said the condition, known as hirsutism, is distressing and can be particularly upsetting for young women.

Estimates of how many women are affected are likely to be underestimated because women can be reluctant to seek help, she added.

In addition to PCOS, rarer causes of excessive hairiness include certain tumours and thyroid dysfunction, as well as the use of certain drugs.

Mild cases can be treated cosmetically, she said, but in moderate to severe cases, hormone therapy, such as the oral contraceptive pill and other treatments are available.

Weight loss, especially in obese women, may also help reduce high levels of the male hormone testosterone which can be an underlying factor in cases of excess hair.

"Often women have spent many years trying to cope with their hirsutism before they seek professional help," said Dr Swingler.

"Women need to look at themselves in the context of their family and ethnicity and what is 'normal' for them.

"If they notice a change in the pattern of hair growth or they notice they having to wax more often then they should seek help," she said.

Reluctance

Professor Stephen Franks, an expert in reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College London, said the condition could be very embarrassing and women might be reluctant to seek medical advice.

They may also not realise hirsutism could be linked to a condition like PCOS because symptoms such as irregular periods are not present, he added.

"It's always worth getting it investigated. Even if it's a benign condition."

Professor Franks said how much hair growth was considered excessive was subjective, but that women should not be afraid to seek help.

Rachel Hawkes, chairwoman of PCOS charity Verity, said many women with excess hair growth did not actively seek treatment because they were embarrassed.

"The effect that excess hair can have on a woman's self-esteem and how she views herself as a woman - and therefore her quality of life - can be extremely distressing.

"We recommend women with PCOS who suffer with excess hair growth seek the advice of their GP, or ask to be referred to an endocrinologist or dermatologist."

Slumdog Makers Pledge Mumbai Cash

The makers of Slumdog Millionaire have announced they are to donate £500,000 to a charity which will help children living in the slums of Mumbai.

Director Danny Boyle said: "It is only right that some of the success of the movie be ploughed back into the city". Two of the film's stars were rehoused after criticism they were still living in poverty after the film's release. Danny Boyle’s salaciously seamy “Slumdog Millionaire” has walked away with 10 Oscar nominations. Nothing unusual. David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” has clinched 13. Earlier in 1950, “All About Eve” won 14. So did the 1997 “Titanic”. “Gone with the Wind”, “From Here to Eternity”, “Mary Poppins”, “Forrest Gump”, “Shakespeare in Love” and others got 13 each.

'Intimidating odds'

Child actors Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail, who played young versions of two main characters, were moved to new homes by the Indian authorities.

"Having benefited so much from the hospitality of the people of Mumbai it is only right that some of the success of the movie be ploughed back into the city in areas where it is needed most and where it can make a real difference to some lives," Boyle said of the charitable donation.

"Despite intimidating odds, extraordinary work is going on to help people break the cycle of poverty through education. We're delighted that this initiative will add to that ongoing work," he added.

The cash will fund a five-year project to help poor children in the city, which will be run by the organisation Plan. It is thought the charity, which works in nearly 50 countries, will train people in good hygiene and set up education schemes.

Plan's Marie Staunton said: "Around one billion of the world's population live in slums and there are 100,000 new slum dwellers every day. "Slumdog Millionaire has shown audiences around the world a snapshot of what life is like for one in six people on the planet."

GM Chief Wagoner Ousted by Obama

The chief executive of struggling US car company General Motors has been ordered to step down by US President Barack Obama.

Rick Wagoner will leave immediately, a government official confirmed.

Mr Obama is preparing to outline terms for offering more help to GM and fellow car giant Chrysler.

The two firms have already received $17.4bn (£14.4bn) in bail-outs. Chrysler has requested a further $5bn while GM says it needs $16.7bn more.

Plans rejected

Reports have suggested that a frustrated Mr Obama will reject GM and Chrysler's turnaround plans as unrealistic, raising the risk of the carmakers' bankruptcy.

The auto task force appointed by Mr Obama released two reports on Monday on the financial health of both carmakers, saying that Chrysler was "not viable" in its current form.

It demanded a merger with Italy's Fiat or another carmaker if Chrysler was to survive and said the Obama administration would only provide the company working capital for the next 30 days.

It also said that it would pledge to fund GM's operations for the next 60 days only, requiring the carmaker to come up with another plan detailing further restructuring.

"While Chrysler and GM are different companies with different paths forward, both have unsustainable liabilities and both need a fresh start," the task force said.

"Their best chance at success may well require utilising the bankruptcy code in a quick and surgical way."

Leaner, meaner

In an interview with US broadcaster CBS, President Obama said the firms must do more to justify further aid, saying "they're not there yet".

"We think we can have a successful US auto industry," the president said.

"But it's got to be one that's realistically designed to weather this storm and to emerge - at the other end - much more lean, mean, and competitive than it currently is."

GM plans to axe 47,000 jobs and Chrysler 3,000, as well as shedding a number of car models.

The job cuts would take place by the end of 2009 and are the largest work-force reduction announced by a US firm in the current downturn.

Mr Wagoner, 56, has headed GM since 2000, after first joining the company in 1977.

Fritz Henderson, the GM president and chief operating officer, will replace Mr Wagoner as chief executive, while Kent Kresa, a director at GM, will take over as interim chairman.

The news comes as France's biggest carmaker, Peugeot Citroen, sacked its chairman Christian Streiff, citing "extraordinary difficulties" in the automotive industry.

Brands halved

In December, GM had said it would cut the number of plants from 47 in 2008 to 38 by 2012, but now plans to close a further five factories, which would leave it with 33 facilities.

The carmaker's brands would also be reduced to just four in the US - Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC.

GM and Chrysler received their first bail-outs at the end of last year, warning that without the support they risked financial ruin.

Ford, the third of the "Big Three" US carmakers, has yet to require any bail-outs, but says it may need funds in the future.

GM, Ford and Chrysler have all seen sales fall sharply in their home market.

Democrats: Texas Gov Should Disavow Secession Talk

Texas – In a state that once was its own nation, a Republican governor who talked about secession without completely dismissing the idea has Democratic lawmakers in an uproar. Gov. Rick Perry, in comments following an anti-tax "tea party" Wednesday, never did advocate Texas breaking away from the United States but suggested that Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to leave the union.

That was enough to feed opinions for and against secession on Web sites, cable TV and talk radio across the nation.

At the Texas Capitol on Thursday, Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, joined by several fellow Texas House Democrats, said some people associate talk of secession with racial division and the Civil War and that Perry should disavow any notion of seceding.

"Talk of secession is an attack on our country. It can be nothing else. It is the ultimate anti-American statement," Dunnam said at a news conference.

State Sen. Rodney Ellis, a Houston Democrat, said that by not rejecting the possibility of secession out of hand, Perry "is taking a step down a very dangerous and divisive path encouraged by the fringe of Texas politics."

The Democrats are proposing a House resolution expressing "complete and total disagreement with any fringe element advocating the 'secession' of Texas or any other state from our one and indivisible Union."

Perry emphasized Thursday that he is not advocating secession but understands why Americans may have those feelings because of frustration with Washington, D.C. He said it's fine to express the thought. He offered no apology and did not back away from his earlier comments.

Perry's remarks Wednesday were in response to a question from The Associated Press as he walked away from the Austin rally, where some in the audience had shouted "Secede!" during his speech. The governor said he didn't think Texas should secede despite some chatter about it on the Internet and his name being associated with the idea.

"We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot," Perry said Wednesday.

A day later, Perry said he found the fascination with the remark interesting.

"I refer people back to my statement and I got a charge out of it," he said. "I was kind of thinking that maybe the same people that hadn't been reading the Constitution right were reading that article and they got the wrong impression about what I said. Clearly I stated that we have a great union. Texas is part of a great union. And I see no reason for that to change."

Texas was a republic from 1836, when it declared independence from Mexico, to 1845, when it became a U.S. state.

Perry has been speaking out against the federal government lately over federal economic stimulus spending. He's also in a tough race for re-election against a fellow Republican, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, whom he is trying to portray as a Washington insider.

Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle criticized Dunnam, saying he was "trying to distract from the fact that yesterday thousands of Texans, including many in his own district, expressed their extreme displeasure at Washington's rampant taxation, big spending and bloated government."

Dunnam suggested Perry is positioning himself for his political future."We all knew he wanted to be president. I just didn't know it was president of the Republic of Texas," he said to chuckles from onlookers.

Celtics GM Ainge Suffers Heart Attack

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Boston Celtics president and general manager Danny Ainge suffered a minor heart attack earlier Thursday and was rushed to the hospital.

The Celtics released a statement saying Ainge, 50, is recovering nicely at Massachusetts General Hospital and that he is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days, most likely through Boston's playoff opener with Chicago on Saturday.

The ABC news affiliate in Boston, WCVB, reported that Ainge woke up Thursday morning with chest pains and was rushed to hospital, where doctors had to insert a stent to unclog an artery that was 100 percent clogged.

Ainge orchestrated Boston's run to an NBA-record 17th Championship in franchise history last season, having acquired All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in trades and pairing them with Paul Pierce to form the "Big Three." For his work, Ainge won the 2007-08 NBA Executive of the Year.

Danny Ainge as a general manager have workhard for the Celtics' roster. The Celtics recently solidified their roster by adding veterans Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown. So Ainge is on the road scouting for the draft, planning to check out the Pacific-10 and West Coast Conference tournaments.

If the Celtics maintain the best regular-season record in the NBA, they will have the 30th and last first-round pick. The draft could be quite deep if numerous talented underclassmen come out. That would be bad news for Boston about heart attack of Ainge.

North Korea Says Will Boycott Six-Party Talks

Foreign ministry says it ‘resolutely condemns’ actions by the U.N.

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea vowed Tuesday to bolster its nuclear deterrent and boycott six-party talks aimed at its denuclearization in protest of a U.N. Security Council statement condemning the country's recent rocket launch.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it "resolutely condemns" the action by the United Nations, which it said "rampantly" infringes upon the country's sovereignty and "severely debases" the people's dignity.

"We have no choice but to further strengthen our nuclear deterrent to cope with additional military threats by hostile forces," the statement said.

The statement also said that "six-party talks that we are taking part in are not necessary any more."

Those negotiations, which also involve China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States, began in 2003 and have been aimed at achieving North Korea's denuclearization.

The North also said it will restore nuclear facilities it has been disabling in line with an international disarmament-for-aid deal negotiated under the six-party process and resume operating them.

The statement was the country's first reaction to the Security Council's unanimous condemnation Monday over the April 5 rocket launch, which Pyongyang says sent a satellite into space but critics say tested long-range missile technology.

The Security Council demanded an end to missile tests and said it will expand sanctions against the reclusive communist nation.

Mets Open Citi Field With A Dud, Fall to Padres

New ballpark gorgeous, unlike the play of the home team.

NEW YORK - The place looked gorgeous. The Mets looked lost.

Jody Gerut christened Citi Field with a leadoff homer — the only time that’s happened in major league history — and the San Diego Padres spoiled New York’s first game in its glittering new ballpark with a 6-5 victory Monday night.

Pedro Feliciano balked in the go-ahead run and the Mets made several costly mistakes, opening Citi Field the same way they closed Shea Stadium: with a dud.

“It’s bittersweet,” David Wright said. “Winning will do a lot more than the park.”

Gerut’s shot off Mike Pelfrey marked the first time that the first batter homered in the opening game at a big league ballpark, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“Very cool,” Gerut said. “Maybe at the end of the season when I look back on this, I’ll have a greater sense of what happened here. But at the time, all I’m thinking is that it put us ahead.”

Wright rallied New York from an early four-run hole with a three-run homer that tied it, but it wasn’t enough. Duaner Sanchez and Heath Bell, both former Mets relievers, closed out the fifth straight win for surprising San Diego, expected to be one of baseball’s worst teams this year.

Adrian Gonzalez also homered for the Padres, who improved to 6-2.

The Mets are looking for more success at $800 million Citi Field than they had at big Shea, where they spent 45 seasons that produced two World Series championships — and consecutive September collapses the past two years.

The Mets lost to Florida in the Shea finale last season, eliminating them from playoff contention. They haven’t been any better in their stadium openers — New York dropped its first game at the old Polo Grounds (1962) and at Shea Stadium (1964), both by 4-3 scores to Pittsburgh.

Wide-eyed fans filed in Monday through the stately Jackie Robinson Rotunda, many snapping photos and searching for souvenirs only steps from where Shea Stadium was razed to make room for Citi Field’s parking lot.

Pregame ceremonies included Hall of Famer Tom Seaver and former New York catcher Mike Piazza walking in together from the bullpen, both wearing Mets jerseys. Seaver threw out the first pitch to Piazza, a strike, and pumped his fist.

Both players autographed the ball, which is headed to the Hall of Fame.

With its intricate brickwork and charming archways, Citi Field was designed to invoke the warmth of Ebbets Field, beloved home of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913-57.

Even the team mascot, Mr. Met, has his own room under the stands.

“It’s impressive. It’s a nice place. It’s such a stark, dramatic change from Shea Stadium,” said Padres Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, now an executive vice president and senior adviser for San Diego.

The Mets tested out the cozy ballpark with two exhibition games April 3-4 against Boston. But this was the real thing, and it certainly didn’t go as planned.

Gerut pulled Pelfrey’s third pitch down the right-field line, stunning a sold-out crowd of 41,007. The first hit at Shea Stadium also was a home run, by Pirates Hall of Famer Willie Stargell off “Fat Jack” Fisher on April 17, 1964.

“That’s probably the only place in the yard where I can get it out. This park plays pretty big,” Gerut said.

Indeed, Wright and Carlos Beltran hammered long drives to center that Gerut caught near the fence, balls that probably would have left most big league parks — including Shea.

Pelfrey looked out of sorts all night in his team’s new digs. He caught a cleat on the mound in mid-delivery, sending the 6-foot-7 right-hander tumbling awkwardly to the turf in the second inning with Padres starter Walter Silva at the plate.

Pelfrey wasn’t hurt, so he tried to waive off manager Jerry Manuel and a team trainer. They came out to check on him anyway.

“I asked them if the game was on TV. It was pretty embarrassing,” Pelfrey said.

Silva then slapped a two-out single, sparking a three-run rally that included David Eckstein’s two-run double and Brian Giles’ soft RBI single.

Gonzalez gave San Diego a 5-1 cushion with a fifth-inning homer against Pelfrey that caromed off the screen attached to the right-field foul pole.

“We just haven’t seen the life in those pitches,” Manuel said. “We’ll have to really sit down and see if there’s anything wrong with him.”

Use Mapping Programs to Locate Places and Get to Your Destination

Need directions to a meeting or the hot new restaurant across town? Want help planning a bicycle trek or a cross-country road trip? Curious about the location of your neighborhood or the small town your grandparents were born in?

Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to find, mapping software and Web sites can make finding what you need easy and fun.

With digital mapping tools, you can check directions to an address in an unfamiliar area before you leave home. You can print a map of the city you're going to visit, including the city's major attractions, transit centers, and restaurants. With GPS technology on your mobile device you can hear street names and directions en route. With Virtual Earth and similar imaging technology, you can enjoy a bird's-eye view or 3-D view of any location on earth.

Find addresses instantly online

MapQuest, Yahoo! Maps, and Windows Live Search are among the most popular map sites on the Web. Enter an address and within seconds a color map of the location appears. You can zoom in for closer street information and get turn-by-turn directions to print out and take with you. Some sites calculate the number of miles from your starting point to your destination and estimate your travel time.

Steven Bernstein recently put these mapping functions to good use to find child care for his one-year-old daughter while he was out of town on business for a few months. "We used a map program to find out how close the day care that we got into was to the apartment we're renting," he says.

Plan detailed trip or jogging routes with map software

Installing a practical tool like Microsoft Streets & Trips on your computer can be very useful. It enables you to map routes that don't follow roads, map multiple destinations, send location information to your mobile phone, and find restaurants, landmarks, hotels, and public transportation stops in North American cities. It also gives you travel tips, such as how much gas you'll use getting to specific locations.

Paul Mero uses Streets & Trips to create jogging routes and track his time and distance. He likes being able to map routes that don't correspond with roads, such as footpaths through parks and along the edges of rivers.

"As a runner, one of the challenges is figuring out how far you've run and what your time is. Traditionally, people will jump in the car to figure out how far they're running," he says.

"And you don't want to do the same route over and over again. It gets boring. With this software, you can map out a bunch of five km or 10 km runs and pick which one you feel like running that day. You can also print them out and share them with your friends," he says.

Use map tools to simplify and enhance your everyday life

Maps are useful for far more than family road trips or driving directions. Try using these handy mapping tools in your everyday life. For example:

* Print maps to your child's party to enclose with the invitations.

*Map the carpool route that is used to transport your children and their friends to extracurricular activities like swimming lessons or hockey practice. Print a copy for each parent.

*Include maps in e-mail directions to your house when sending an electronic invitation

*Find out how far it is to walk different routes. Plan a "walking route" for each day of the week or to share with your walking group

*If you are an avid biker in a big city, use a map to find alternative side-street routes to your destination and to avoid the larger, busier streets at rush hour

*New to a city or area? Use maps to find the major routes to stores, your new job, and recreational facilities.

Consult additional resources

Mapping programs are handy and helpful, but they do have limitations. For example, they don't provide essential driving information that you may need, such as weather and road conditions and border crossing wait times. This information is available online. Check out the National Weather Service online and the information on Canada and Mexico border crossings on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection site.

Clean Your Computer

Preserve the condition of your system with regular maintenance

I have a dirty secret. I've never cleaned my computer. Sure, I've dusted my monitor, but I haven't taken off the cover or tried to reach the crumbs lurking inside my keyboard.

Your computer could fry if you don't keep it clean. Dust clogs the vents behind your computer, which causes your CPU to heat up—and heat is the biggest cause of component failure in computers. Regular cleaning could save you costly maintenance fees down the road.

Keep your computer in tip-top shape by following Millman's guide to a spotless computer system.

Preparation

You'll need: screwdriver, an of compressed air (available from computer dealers or office-supply stores), cotton swabs (do not use a cotton ball), rubbing alcohol, paper towels or anti-static cloths, and water.

Always turn your computer off before you begin and unplug all the cords.

Step 1: Inside the case

Using a screwdriver, remove the side of the case that's opposite your motherboard. Touch as little as possible inside the computer, keeping fingers away from cards and cords.

Blow air around all of the components and along the bottom of the case, keeping the nozzle four inches away from the machine. Blow air into the power supply box and into the fan (from the back of the case). Lastly, blow air into the floppy disk and CD drives. Wipe the inside of the cover with a lightly moistened cloth before replacing it.

Millman recommends doing this every three months if your case sits on the floor, if you have pets that shed, or if you smoke. Otherwise, every six to eight months is fine.

Step 2: Outside the case

Run a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol around all of the openings on the back of your case. Give them one swipe with the damp end of the swab and one swipe with the dry end. Do this as often as you clean the inside of your computer.

Step 3: Keyboard

Turn the keyboard upside down and gently shake it. Most of the crumbs and dust will fall out. Take a can of compressed air and blow into and around the keys. Next, take a cotton swab and dip it in rubbing alcohol. It should be damp, but not wet. Run the cotton swab around the outside of the keys. Rub the tops of the keys. If you have a laptop, follow the same procedure but take extra care with your machine. Do this monthly.

Spills — If you have kids, you're worried about spills. If it happens, disconnect the keyboard immediately and flip it over. Blot the top with a paper towel, blow compressed air between the keys and leave it to air dry overnight. For laptops, liquid can easily penetrate the hard drive so turn the computer over immediately and leave it in that position until it dries

Step 4: Mouse

Rub the top and bottom of your mouse with a paper towel dipped in rubbing alcohol. Open the back and remove the ball. Wash the ball with water and let it air dry. To clean inside the mouse, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and rub all of the components. Scrape hard-to-remove grime with your fingernail. Finally, blow air into the opening. Replace the ball and the cover. Do this monthly.

Step 5: Monitor

Moisten a paper towel or a soft, lint-free cloth with water. (You can also buy monitor cleaning products at computer-supply stores.) Don't spray liquid directly onto the screen—spray the cloth instead. Wipe the screen gently to remove dust and fingerprints. Never touch the back of the monitor.

For laptop screens suggests to buying a special cleaning solution available at computer stores. Do this weekly.

Finally, make sure that everything is dry before you plug your computer back in.