Men ‘plotted to blow up jets with liquid bombs’

Eight men plotted to use bombs disguised in drinks containers to blow up planes heading towards the United States in mid-flight in the name of Islam, a British court heard Tuesday. Prosecutors told London’s Woolwich Crown Court the men planned to make the explosives from household objects to resemble drinks bottles, batteries and other items to be carried onto aircraft in hand luggage, the UK’s Press Association reported. The foiling of the alleged plot in August 2006 triggered the imposition of strict new security measures at international airports around the world, restricting the quantity of liquids passengers can carry on to aircraft

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Will Clinton’s Obama Attacks Backfire?

Correction Appended: December 11, 2007 It started in earnest a couple of weeks ago when Hillary Clinton questioned how much Barack Obama’s time spent living in Indonesia as a child could actually help him make foreign policy decisions as a commander-in-chief. “Voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next President will face,” Clinton said November 20 in Shenandoah, Iowa. “I think we need a President with more experience than that.” Then Clinton announced in an interview with CBS that she was sick of being a punching bag for Obama and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards and that she intended to fight back

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Man charged over Australian bush fires named

A court has lifted a ban on identifying a man charged with one of a number of deadly wildfires that scorched southwestern Australia this month. The man, 39-year-old Brendan Sokaluk, did not appear in Monday’s hearing in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, the Australian Associated Press reported

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Air Force One is one ‘spiffy ride,’ Obama says

During the first couple of weeks of his presidency, Barack Obama has made good use of his "spiffy" new ride. The president, who has made several trips around the country in Air Force One, was particularly excited during his first trip on the plane as commander in chief, when he flew to the House Democrats’ annual retreat in Williamsburg, Virginia, last week. “Thanks for giving me a reason to fly Air Force One,” he told the House Democrats after his flight, which took him away from a week of fighting for the economic stimulus bill

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Chelsea begin search for new manager

Chelsea began their hunt for a successor to Luiz Felipe Scolari on Tuesday with Guus Hiddink and former boss Avram Grant the early favorites to replace the sacked Brazilian. Russia coach Hiddink was odds-on with most English bookmakers with Grant also reported to be in the running, just eight months after departing Stamford Bridge following Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester United in the Champions League final. Dutchman Hiddink has an impeccable record in club and international football and his agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen told BBC Radio Tuesday that he would be open to an offer from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich

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