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Early humans and Neanderthals probably
did not interbreed, according to evidence collected by Italian
scientists.
Scientists know that Neanderthals and early human ancestors were distinct species, even though they lived during the same period. However, there is controversy over theories that Neanderthals made a contribution to the modern human gene pool. A skeleton uncovered in Portugal appeared to show both Neanderthal and human features. DNA taken The latest research, from the University of Ferrara in Italy, compared genetic material from Neaderthals, Cro-Magnon humans and modern Europeans. The DNA from the Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons was taken from their bones. The DNA came from cell structures called mitochondriae rather than the nucleus. They found that while, unsurprisingly, modern humans show clear genetic signs of their Cro-Magnon ancestry, no such link between Neanderthal DNA and modern European DNA could be established. The results, they say, indicate that Neanderthals made little or no contribution to the genes of modern humans. Out of Africa The mitochondrial DNA of the two ancient species were very different, claims the study. "This discontinuity is difficult to reconcile with the hypothesis that both Neanderthals and early anatomically modern humans contributed to the current European gene pool." The finding supports the theory that the "anatomically modern human" arose in Africa some 150,000 years ago and dispersed, displacing the Neanderthals on the way. It is a blow to the "multi-regional"
theory, in which some interbreeding between Neanderthal and early humans is
thought to have taken place. SEE ALSO:
 
TOP SCIENCE/NATURE STORIES NOW
 . End of article 1.
President Bush and Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah have both vowed to hunt down those behind Monday's suicide bombings that targeted Westerners living in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Bush called the bombings "despicable acts." He says he would not be surprised if al-Qaida was behind the attacks on three Riyadh compounds that housed mostly Westerners. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is sending a team of agents to Riyadh to find the perpetrators. The blasts killed 29 people, including eight Americans and nine suspected bombers whose charred bodies were found at the attack sites. U.S. Defense firm Northrop Grumman says seven of the dead Americans were employees of its Vinnell Corporation subsidiary. In a televised address to the Saudi people Tuesday, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah called the bombers bloodthirsty criminals trying to destroy Saudi society. Meanwhile, The U.S. State Department has ordered all non-essential diplomats and the families of embassy and consulate personnel to leave the kingdom. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell toured one of the bomb sites Tuesday while in Riyadh for scheduled talks with Saudi leaders. He said fighting terrorism has to be the number-one priority for the United States and the rest of the civilized world. Mr. Powell was visiting several countries in the Middle East to promote the so-called "road map" for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia has a large community of expatriate workers, including about 30,000 Americans. Earlier this month, the State Department warned Americans against traveling to Saudi Arabia because of increased terrorism concerns. Tuesday, Britain also advised its nationals against non-essential travel to the country. Some
information for this report provided by AFP.
. End of article 2.
The Saudi
government is calling Monday night's suicide car bombings the work of
"criminals" who have no regard for human life. But after touring a damaged
apartment building which had its entire front side blown off, Secretary of
State Colin Powell went further, telling reporters traveling with him on what
had been a previously scheduled visit to the country, the attacks looked to be
the work of al-Qaida.
Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, the kingdom's defacto ruler, read a statement on state television Tuesday night but stopped short of saying who authorities believe was responsible. It appeared to be an attempt to reassure foreign residents that the Saudi capital, Riyadh, remains safe. He spoke through a translator. "If they were thinking that they would just shake the security in our country, they are just dreaming," he said. Still, governments including the United States and Britain are urging their citizens to avoid travel to Saudi Arabia or consider leaving. Earlier this month, the State Department issued an unusually explicit warning that terrorists in the Saudi kingdom may be in the final phases of planning attacks. And just days later, in an unusually candid admission, Saudi officials announced the discovery of a large weapons cache and what they described as an alleged plot by followers of Osama bin-Laden to carry out a terrorist attack. U.S. officials are not saying whether they believe Monday night's attack was part of that plan. But the FBI is on its way to Saudi Arabia to take part in a joint investigation into one of the deadliest attacks against Americans since September 11, 2001. President Bush, speaking to supporters in the state of Indiana, vowed those responsible for the Saudi blasts will be caught. "These despicable acts were committed by killers whose only faith is hate. And the United States will find the killers and they will learn the meaning of American justice," he said. But no one
has yet been brought to justice in the United States for the deaths in Saudi
Arabia seven years ago of 19 American servicemen, killed in a truck bomb near
Dhahran. Thirteen Saudi suspects were indicted on charges of murder in
connection with that attack.
. End of article 3.
US President George W Bush has denounced the bomb attacks against Western targets in Saudi Arabia as "despicable acts" and vowed to bring those responsible to justice. He was speaking amid continuing uncertainty about how many people had been killed in Monday night's apparently co-ordinated suicide bombings in the capital, Riyadh. The Saudi authorities have put the death
toll at 29 - including seven Americans and nine suspected attackers, who shot
their way past armed guards and rammed vehicles packed with explosives into
compounds housing mainly foreigners.
Unidentified officials at the State Department in Washington were quoted as saying more than 90 people had been killed - but a statement later said the number of victims was nearer the Saudi estimate. The blasts in the east of the city also injured about 200 people, according to Saudi figures, and left widespread devastation. Mr Bush said the attacks were the work of "killers whose only faith is hatred". His words were echoed by the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah - the kingdom's de facto ruler - who went on national television to denounce the bombers as "criminal butchers" who were "devoid of any Islamic or human values". The bombings came just hours before US Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in Riyadh. But he went ahead with the visit, describing the attacks as a "cowardly operation" which bore all the hallmarks of the al-Qaeda network. Mr Powell saw for himself the devastation at the Vinnell complex - home to US workers who train Saudi military and civilian officials - where seven Americans and a Saudi died. One building had its side completely torn
off, while the wreckage of burnt-out vehicles littered the car
park.
Mr Powell told journalists that US experts would soon arrive to help the Saudi investigation into the bombings. "Terrorism strikes everywhere and everyone," he said. "It is a threat to the civilised world." A spokesman for UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said the developments in Saudi Arabia were being watched with "deep concern", and that Mr Blair "strongly condemned" the attacks. And Russian President Vladimir Putin said the attacks in Saudi Arabia and Chechnya - where more than 50 died early Monday - bore the same imprint. The attacks come two weeks after the US announced it was withdrawing most of its troops from Saudi Arabia, where they were deployed during the 1991 Gulf War. Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, who has repeatedly demanded that US forces leave the kingdom which has two of Islam's holiest shrines. Also , 15 of the 19 men suspected of carrying out the 11 September suicide attacks on New York and Washington were Saudis. 'Shooting their way in' The attackers - believed to be al-Qaeda members - drove cars packed with explosives at three compounds, detonating them with devastating effect. The force of the explosion shook nearby
buildings and windows, witnesses said.
A fourth blast was reported to have targeted the headquarters of a joint Saudi-US company, but caused no casualties. At the Al-Hamra compound - which suffered one of the worst attacks - dozens of homes and apartments were destroyed. According to the Saudi authorities, 10 people died there, including two Jordanian children, four Saudis, two Filipinos, a Lebanese and a Swiss. Two Saudis were also killed at the Jadwal complex in the Ishbilia area. A number of South Asians are also feared to be among the victims. A Sri Lankan diplomat in Riyadh, P Ranawaka, told the BBC that an injured Sri Lankan maid was in hospital and Saudi police had spoken of several casualties of South Asian origin. Poor record American residents have been advised by the US embassy in Riyadh to stay at home and "away from windows and doors". The attacks happened despite numerous intelligence warnings. At talks in Riyadh, Mr Powell and the Saudi Crown Prince and the Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al-Faisal, vowed to step up co-operation against terrorism. However the BBC's State Department correspondent Jon Leyne says that is unlikely to silence the many critics in Washington of Saudi Arabia's record in fighting terror. Mr Powell went to Saudi Arabia as part of
a Middle East tour, hoping to gain support in Riyadh for a new US-backed peace
plan to end the Palestinian and Israeli unrest. WATCH AND LISTEN The
BBC's Bridget Kendall "Scenes of devastation in what were thought to be well fortified compounds" 
SAUDI SUICIDE ATTACKS
KEY STORIES
 In
pictures Attacks on foreign workers' compounds cause widespread death and destruction
ANALYSIS
BACKGROUND
SEE ALSO:
RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of
external internet sites
TOP MIDDLE EAST STORIES NOW
. End of article 4.
Speaking via a satellite link with reporters at the Pentagon, General Petraeus says it was discovered last Friday (May 9) in the Mosul area, and is virtually identical to one found earlier by U.S. Special Forces in northern Iraq. "The expert I talked to this morning said that he had a reasonable degree of certainty that this is in fact a mobile biological agent production trailer," said General Petraeus. "The layout is nearly identical to the first trailer that was found. It contains a 5,000 PSI compressor, 2,000-liter reactor vessel, small feed tank, 3,000-liter water tank, and water chiller." But the General says the experts do not believe the latest lab discovered was actually a finished product. He says several welds were not finished and some parts were missing. He says a plate on the trailer had a manufacture date of 2003 and a serial number of two. The other lab had a 2002 manufacture date and the serial number one. He says the newly-found lab is being moved to Baghdad for further examination by a team from the United States that includes civilian experts. The first trailer found has already been transported to the Iraqi capital. No actual chemical or biological weapons have yet been found, but discovery of the two mobile labs is considered the most conclusive evidence yet of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program. The need to eliminate such weapons was one of the key justifications offered by the Bush administration for attacking Iraq. In
recent days coalition forces have also apprehended some key scientists
allegedly involved in making such weapons, including two microbiologists
suspected of engineering Iraq's germ warfare effort.
. End of article 5.
.End of article 6 .
The Court of Justice in Luxembourg said Britain and Spain must scrap so-called golden shares that allow them to keep a controlling interest in large privatized firms. The court said golden shares are a barrier to cross-border investment, and that Spanish and British rules illegally restrict the movement of capital among member states in the 15-nation European Union. The case involved Britain's control over airport operator BAA and a Spanish law that enables the government to block takeovers of phone company Telefonica, power company Endesa and other privatized firms. The ruling confirms a landmark case last June that led to the dismantling of public control over the French oil company Elf Acquitaine, which is now part of TotalFinaElf. These rulings bolster the European Commission's push against investment hurdles in the European Union. Spokesman Jonathan Todd says the ruling clears the way for further moves by the European executive body, which has challenged golden share-type arrangements in Italy, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. One big case involves carmaker Volkswagen. In March, the commission challenged a German law that protects Volkswagen from takeovers. Golden shares were mostly established at the end of a European privatization drive in the 1980s and 1990s. They allow governments to maintain control of firms to protect services of general interest, or for security reasons. But the
commission says governments can abuse this device to unfairly protect big
companies from takeovers. Some business experts say golden shares are a thing
of the past and will fade away as a more competitive Europe emerges.
. End of article 7.
The president says all the facts must still be sorted out. But he leaves no doubt he suspects an al-Qaida link. "I can't say for certain it was al-Qaida yet. But I wouldn't be surprised if it was," he said. Mr. Bush spoke to reporters while inspecting damage from a killer tornado that struck last week in the town of Pierce City, Missouri. He said he would learn more about the bombings after his return to Washington and that he would be briefed by the head of the Central Intelligence Agency. "George Tenet of the CIA will give me a full briefing on what we know. Let me get back to Washington and sort through the facts," he said. He brushed away questions on whether Saudi Arabia did enough to prevent the bombings. But his determination to find those responsible for the attack was very much in evidence. "We will assess all the threats. We will take the necessary precautions," he said. "But one thing is for certain. The people that killed Americans and other innocent life will be tracked down and will be brought to justice. It doesn't matter how long it takes." President Bush was informed of the bombings Monday while traveling in the American midwest. Aides described his reaction to the news in one word: "anger." The bombings comprised the first major attack on U-S targets since the war in Iraq. The president said it was a reminder to all that the war on terrorism goes on. "And this incident in Saudi Arabia shows the country that we still have got a war to fight," he said. "And we will fight it. And we will win it." He said the suicide bombings appear to have been well-planned, although he noted it does not take much money to construct a car bomb. "It takes hatred. It takes hatred in your heart. It takes an absolute disregard for innocent life," he said. Earlier, the president called the bombings "despicable acts."
He told a crowd in Indianapolis, Indiana, these acts were committed by killers
whose only faith is hate.
. End of article 8.
Public relations specialist Simplice Agnero, is constantly on his cell phone. To cut down on his phone bill, he usually practices beeping, which means he calls his clients with his cell phone, but immediately hangs up, leaving them with just a beep. Clients can then call him back at their own expense if they need his help. Mr. Agnero said the question of who pays for a call is often a business decision, but he said it can also be a personal or cultural one. For instance, Mr. Agnero said girlfriends often beep their boyfriends, so it is the man who pays for the call. Mr. Agnero said mobile phones quickly found a place in African culture, where people are constantly on the move and always want news of their relatives. He also said it is much easier to get a cell phone subscription than to get a new land line. In many
countries in West Africa, very few people have regular telephones in their
homes. In fact, cell phone subscriptions now outnumber land lines in the
region.
The stands are much more convenient than regular public pay phones, which often do not work. The cell phones also provide the option of sending text messages, which are less expensive than regular calls. In West Africa, it's called 'texto.' The booming mobile phone business has led to fierce competition between French and American firms that provide the service. They are offering new high-tech services such as WAP, Wireless Application Protocol. This gives cellular phone users access to the Internet. A
French-Senegalese joint venture called Manobi is offering real-time market data
on cell phones for peanut producers and fishermen in remote areas, so they know
at what price they should sell their products.
. End of article 9.
Police say five members of security forces and a suspected Islamic militant have been killed in a string of clashes in Indian Kashmir. Police say unidentified gunmen killed two officers earlier Monday, outside the State Bank of India branch office in Kupwara, some 90 kilometers north of Srinagar. One gunman was killed in the incident, which also left at least six security officers and one civilian injured. Two policemen were killed in a second attack, which also took place near a bank in Shopiyan, in southern Kashmir. Police say three civilians were injured in that attack. Authorities also report one Indian soldier was killed and another injured when their patrol was ambushed by suspected militants early Monday near the northern Kashmiri city of Bandipore. Some information for this report provided by AP, Reuters and AFP.
. End of article 10.
The retired admiral who chairs the independent Columbia probe, Harold Gehman, told a Senate committee the U.S. space agency NASA's safety procedures failed when shuttle managers first learned Columbia's left wing might have been damaged during launch. The investigators are looking into the possibility that pieces of hard insulating foam that broke away from the shuttle's external fuel tank during launch cracked the wing and caused Columbia's disintegration in the stress of re-entry. Admiral Gehman said shuttle managers missed obvious signals when they rejected requests by NASA engineers for U.S. satellite images to try to learn whether the foam had damaged the wing. NASA had a prior agreement with the government's satellite imaging agency to obtain such photographs whenever it needed them, but chose not to take advantage of it in this case. "The
system didn't work, and I wouldn't blame that on any one person," he said. "We
were a little disappointed in what some of the senior people knew and
understood about how you get these images and what the images can do for
you." Admiral Gehman blames the failure to pay heed to engineers' worries to the fact that they are not independent from shuttle managers. NASA
administrator Sean O'Keefe told the Senate hearing that the rejection of
satellite photographs is infuriating in hindsight. But he recalled that shuttle
managers at the time did not consider the foam strike a risk to
Columbia's safety. "It was a judgment call," he said. "It was clearly the wrong judgment. We know now there are a variety of signals that could have told us what we should have been observing and what we could have corrected." Shuttle managers said after the disaster that nothing could have been done to repair Columbia in orbit even if satellite imagery had revealed wing damage. But Admiral Gehman told the senators he rejects that notion. He said his investigation panel heard from engineers and former astronauts who suggested maneuvers, including spacewalks and a visit by another shuttle. The admiral points out that his board and NASA have begun a joint inquiry into possible steps that might have been taken to repair Columbia in flight. "Even if we had a fix that had only a 10 percent chance of succeeding, of course we would have done something, absolutely," he stressed. "Thus far, this review hasn't found any magic formula, but has found several steps that could have been done to mitigate this. We may find more." Admiral Gehman pointed out that a large portion of his panel's final report on the Columbia disaster will include recommendations for solving NASA's management problems. Senator Olympia Snow of Washington state said NASA must change its shuttle chain of command. "There's no question that the whole decision making process and
the bureaucratic structure has to be significantly altered," she
concluded.
. End of article 11.
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They are devoid of all Islamic and humane
principles 
