Examiner International News

Clinton faces fresh humiliation after liaison is caught on camera

BILL CLINTON was facing fresh humiliation yesterday as a video showing him apparently leading a mystery woman into a private space just off his Oval Office in the White House was shown around the world.
As the sensational tape was shown on TV in the US and Britain there were reports that two more women were about to claim affairs with the President.
Clinton, his wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea, remained locked away in the White House yesterday, failing to attend their regular Sunday morning church service.
The President's approval ratings in the polls seemed to be holding up well, and his lawyers continued to resist pressure for him to admit he lied under oath about his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky and be censured by Congress, to head off impeachment.
The fall-out from prosecutor Kenneth Starr's report continued to obsess America.
The video tape shows the young mystery woman dabbing the President's forehead with a towel after she and others accompanied him on a jog.
The President and the woman are shown leaving via the private hallway near the Oval Office study.
The final frames show the President asking an aide what time his next meeting is. He is told 9 am, and then enters the private hallway with the young woman.
President Clinton's lawyers tried yesterday to blunt the impact of Kenneth Starr's lurid report, but Republicans warned that splitting legal hairs would not end the worst presidential crisis since Watergate.
Two days after Starr released a report charging 11 potential grounds for impeachment, Congress, the nation and Internet browsers everywhere were trying to digest the graphic details of the President's 18-month affair with Monica Lewinsky.
Clinton's legal team fanned out across the television airwaves, arguing that the President made a personal mistake but did nothing that should require him to leave office.
But congressional Republicans, who would direct any impeachment inquiry, questioned how Clinton could admit to an affair with Lewinsky and also claim his answers were "legally correct" when said he did not have sexual relations with her.
Meanwhile, a majority of Americans gave President Clinton continued high marks for his job and want him to finish his term even after learning of the tawdry details about his affair with Monica Lewinsky, polls showed yesterday.
But five days after Starr delivered to Congress his report, more than half of those interviewed believed he should be censured.
Fifty-six of those polled by CBS News said the President should be censured by Congress compared to 32% who said no.
In a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, 59% said Congress should pass a formal resolution expressing disapproval of Clinton's action, while 35% said no to a censure.
As to Clinton's job performance, an ABC News poll taken on Saturday placed Clinton's approval rating at 59%, while 39% of Americans disapproved.
On CBS News, 61% polled approved of his job performance and 34% did not.
In other findings, a majority of the public believe Starr's report included the graphic sexual details to embarrass the president.

Glitch halts vital Bosnian elections as computers fail

ELECTION organisers apologised yesterday for computer glitches that hindered Bosnia's second post-war national elections, and said the problem appeared to be resolved.
A few dozen of the more than 2,600 polling stations failed to open on the first day of voting on Saturday, because they lacked the vital voters' lists.
Nicole Szulc, a spokeswoman for the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe, which is running the vote, said all necessary materials had been sent to polling stations for the second-day of balloting.
''The OSCE wishes to convey to the voters our sincere apologies for any inconveniences that yesterday's glitch caused,'' said Szulc, adding that polling stations would remain open later than planned if required to do so.
She said the turnout was 33-35%, about the expected level.
Angry crowds gathered at some of the closed polling stations on Saturday, with one group blocking a road in northern Bosnia to protest at the delay.
The election is considered to be crucial to the future of the 1995 Dayton peace accord, which was the force behind the halting of the three-and-a-half-year war in the former Yugoslav republic.
More than 30,000 NATO-led troops, mostly from the United States and Europe, impose security in the Bosnian region, as international officials in charge, try to use Dayton to force the country toward European integration.
Under the peace plan, Bosnia is divided into two ethnic-based entities — a Serb republic and a Muslim-Croat federation — with the goal of forcing a democratic evolution in the one-time communist territory.
Western allies, led by the US and European Union, hope that ethnic-driven political parties that waged the war will have lost support over the weekend and eventually fade away.
In the first post-war election in 1996 and a local ballot last year, the ruling hard-line parties lost significant support among most Bosnians.
But ethnic nationalist sentiments still remain strong.

Prestigious Eurofighter 'goes sick' again at air show

A PRESTIGIOUS new version of the multi-million pound Eurofighter combat aircraft was grounded for the second successive day at the Farnborough Air Show yesterday to the embarrassment of British Aerospace.
The company apologised to 300,000 disappointed enthusiasts who had hoped to see the advanced plane perform spectacular manoeuvres for the first time.
The plane had behaved impeccably during trials leading up to its unveiling at the Hampshire show last week, he said.
It had also flown last week when it was put through its paces for the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary George Robinson and potential buyers.
But the gremlins got in for the two public days at the weekend. A spokesman said the plane had ''gone sick'' on Saturday, but by Sunday it was clear it would remain on the ground.
The spokesman said: ''It is a serviceability problem. It is not very serious but we do not have the infrastructure to repair it for today.''
He said plane at the airshow, one of seven prototypes built by four European partner countries including Britain, was built in Germany.
The plane, which now had an upgraded engine and software, needed equipment from Germany which would be flown in during the next few days.
The spokesman added: ''We would like to apologise. Obviously one of the main reasons people came to the show is to see the Eurofighter. We know it is a great disappointment for them.''
One spectator said: ''It was a let down on Saturday when the plane missed its slot — and today has been a double disappointment.
''The first glimpse of what the Eurofighter can do was to have been one of the highlights of the show.
''Now we will not see it again until the Fairford Air Tattoo next year.''
The grounding was the second disappointment of the week for the Eurofighter. The Defence Secretary had been expected to announce the next stage of the project at the show.
But instead, Mr Robertson said the first tranche of 148 aircraft in the £40 billion Eurofighter project would be signed ''in the very near future'', possibly weeks or days.
The RAF plans to take 232 of the job-boosting new aircraft. The three partner nations in the project are also committed to taking a combined total of 388 aircraft.

Hague comes under attack as Tories renew battle over Europe

WILLIAM HAGUE was last night locked in a bitter war of words with former prime minister Sir Edward Heath as Tory pro-Europeans poured scorn on the party leader's snap ballot on the single currency issue.
Mr Hague branded the ex-premier a "sad" figure locked in the past after Sir Edward said that if he was starting out in politics now he would not join the Conservative Party.
But the Tory leader came under fire from European Commission vice-president and Conservative ex-Cabinet minister Sir Leon Brittan, who described his opposition to a single currency as "ludicrous."
The bitter exchanges would appear to have put paid to any hopes Mr Hague may have had that the ballot would settle the divisions over Europe before its annual conference next month.
Mr Hague said he hoped to secure a "big majority" among the party's 330,000 members for his policy of ruling out signing to monetary union for the lifetime of the next Parliament.
However Sir Leon bluntly warned that whatever the outcome of the vote, it was "inconceivable" that critics of the leadership line - such as former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke - were "just going to shut up."
The latest row erupted after Sir Edward, in accused Mr Hague of having no policy apart from trying to close off debate on Europe.
Asked would he join the present Tory party if he was starting out again, he replied: "No, I wouldn't - I know a lot of people it doesn't attract."
Sir Edward, who claimed that Tony Blair was "obviously far more to the right than I am," complained Mr Hague had never even sought his advice as a former leader because he was regarded as "one of the old fogies."
However his criticisms were brushed aside by Mr Hague, who said it was Sir Edward who had never come to terms with his loss of the party leadership.
"I have received terrific support over the ballot on Europe in public over the last week from John Major, from Margaret Thatcher - and actually terrific support and advice from them over the last year in private," he told BBC1's Breakfast with Frost programme.
"I am afraid that neither they nor I have benefited from Ted. I don't think he'll ever forgive any of us for leading the party after him. It's sad but its true and that's part of what happens in Conservative Party."
And in a speech later to the party's new youth organisation, Conservative Future, he went on to extend his attack to a whole generation of Tory pro-Europeans whose ideas were, he said, now "obsolete."
"My fear is that there are politicians at home and abroad who would allow (the EU) to become isolationist, centralised and trapped in time," he said.
"We need an EU which helps us, not one which holds us back, an EU which adapts to the needs of a new generation."

Straws prevent tooth erosion

by Susan Doyle
CHILDREN should consume soft drinks through a straw to avoid dental problems, according to research published today.
Doctors in Glasgow analysed 20 children aged from 4-17 and it was found that tooth erosion was prevented by drinking through a straw and thus directing the liquid at the back of the mouth rather than straight from a cup.
When drinking from a cup, front teeth were more likely to be affected, causing ''erosion'', a gradual thinning of tooth enamel which causes pain and looks unsightly.
Maura Edwards, registrar at Glasgow Dental Hospital, said: ''It is important to emphasise the need to reduce the frequency of consumption of soft drinks - using a straw should not be seen as giving a licence to consume vast quantities of potentially erosive drinks.
A report called Children's Dental Health in the UK 1993, found that 50% of children aged five to six had erosion on their milk teeth.
Many children in the latest study said they could not cut back on soft drinks and would rather drink through a straw if this prevented tooth erosion.
Children should also use a narrow straw - because it minimises the amount of fluid entering the mouth - according to the research published in the British Dental Journal.

More women claim Clinton affairs

AS PRESIDENT Clinton battles with the Monica Lewinisky allegations, other women are coming forward saying they too had affairs with him.
Two women who were yesterday alleged to have said they were involved with him were said to have worked in the White House like Ms Lewinsky. A third woman was a nurse from California.
Video footage is said to show Clinton jogging with a group of about 12 people in what appears to be a fund-raising event.
The group are next seen in the Oval Office where the President signs autographs. A woman allegedly stays behind when everyone else leaves.
The video is then thought to show Clinton and the female walking out of the office into the corridor.
As his lawyers unleashed a ferocious fightback yesterday, Clinton kept a low profile behind the White House gates.
His legal team branded the Kenneth Starr report a ''hit-and-run smear campaign'', and accused the special prosecutor of deliberately packing his report with lurid sexual detail in a bid to damage the President.
In a 42-page rebuttal of Mr Starr's report, they flatly rejected all 11 grounds for impeachment it contained.
''It is plain that sex is what this investigation has boiled down to,'' the White House report said.
''The referral is so loaded with unnecessary graphic and salacious allegations that only one conclusion is possible: its principle purpose is to damage the President.''
But Democratic Senator Bob Kerrey said the President could not confess to his failings while his lawyers mounted a vigorous defence against Starr's allegations.
He said: ''The President's lawyer and the President are now saying two different things.
''The lawyers are battling this out and in many ways are making it more difficult for the people and people's Congress to make their decision.''

Five Palestinian youths injured in West Bank

A THIRD straight day of West Bank clashes, yesterday, left five Palestinian youths injured from rubber bullets fired by Israeli soldiers.
Meanwhile, Israel braced itself for threatened revenge attacks by Islamic militants, deploying troops to guard bus stops, shopping centres and other possible targets. The Islamic militant group Hamas has vowed to retaliate against Israel for its killing on Thursday of two top fugitives, members of the group's military wing who were wanted for alleged involvement in attacks against Israel.
Hundreds of Palestinians called for revenge attacks against Israel in pro-Hamas demonstrations on Friday and Saturday in several West Bank cities. Those clashes left 21 Palestinians injured.
At Tekoa village, yesterday, on the outskirts of Bethlehem, students threw stones at passing army jeeps, and soldiers responded with tear-gas and rubber bullets, injuring five of the students. Later, about 100 protesters marched in Bethlehem's Deheishe refugee camp, burning Israeli and American flags, but there were no injuries reported.
Yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Oslo peace accords, which set a framework for eventual Palestinian autonomy.
Premier Benjamin Netanyahu used the occasion to point to the continuing terror threat Israel faces.
''The Oslo agreement was supposed to bring peace. This means that there wouldn't be terror attacks here from the territory handed over to the Palestinians,'' Netanyahu said on Israel Radio.
In efforts to avert a possible Hamas attack, Israeli security forces cancelled leave for police and soldiers, and troops fanned out to cities throughout the country to protect shopping areas and bus stops.
Despite the tensions, US envoy Dennis Ross continued in his efforts to get Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to agree on a US proposal to end the 18-month stalemate in the peace talks.
Under the initiative, Israel would withdraw troops from 13% of the West Bank in tandem with Palestinian agreement to work hard to contain anti-Israeli militants. Ross had more talks set for later, yesterday, with Israeli Cabinet Secretary Danny Naveh and Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. He was speaking to them together — a break from his usual practice.

Tea hailed as medical wonder at international symposium

THE humble cup of tea, is being hailed as a medical wonder with the potential to save thousands of lives, according to scientists in the United States today.
Experts from the biggest coffee drinking nation in the world are now urging citizens to turn to tea in an attempt to help prevent cancer and heart disease.
New research shows that tea, which is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, has amazing disease fighting capabilities.
Delegates attended the Second International Scientific Symposium in Washington DC to hear how just one cup of tea has components with protective effects against cancer and heart disease.
Doctor John Weisburger, symposium chairman and senior member of the American health foundation, said: ''Tea has great potential to help reduce the incidence of major disease world-wide especially when combined with a healthy lifestyle.
''In the past eight years we have made tremendous strides in understanding the potential of both black and green tea to prevent chronic illness which has important implications for public health.
''By focusing on how things like tea can prevent disease we might not only save hundreds and thousands of lives but also millions of dollars spent to treat illness.''
More than 135 million cups of tea are drunk in Britain every day but so far Americans have failed to convert from coffee.
At today's conference at the Department of Agriculture, a study by Dr Junshi Chen from the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine in Beijing, reveals for the first time direct evidence of the protective effects of tea on human cancer.
The study used a mixture of green and black tea to treat pre-cancerous lesions. Given as a liquid and applied locally (rubbed on) the tea significantly reduced the growth of pre-cancerous cells.
Dr Chin said: ''This is the first time we have seen tea play a major role in protecting against the formation of cancer in humans.''
Tests on mice and rats showed that tea restricted the development of lung tumours and colon cancer. The leaf is also thought to have the potential to decrease risk of digestive tract cancer.
The beverage, which caught on in Britain when the Empire expanded to India, is also associated with a significant reduction in heart disease and strokes.
The two-day symposium saw delegates from all over the world arriving to discuss the properties of tea.
World experts revealed it may have greater anti-oxidant power than most fruit and vegetables and drinking just one cup is equivalent to eating one portion of vegetables.

Row as Italian film wins Venice festival prize

THE Italian film The Way We Laughed, the story of two brothers from Sicily who move to the industrial north, won the coveted Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival last night.
It was the first Italian film in a decade to win the top prize.
But the festival was in a frenzy even before the prizes were handed out because of the resignation of its director, Felice Laudadio, who called the competition "stupid and arrogant."
His resignation instantly sparked rumours of political interference, with reporters questioning whether he had been under pressure to see that the Golden Lion went to The Way We Laughed. Laudadio sharply denied any pressure.
Laudadio, in his second year as the head of the festival, said he thought there were too many movies - and too many prizes.
In his resignation letter, Laudadio proposed a radical change: no competition and no awards, except for the film the audience liked best.
The jury gave a lifetime achievement award to Warren Beatty, whose Bulworth, a political satire about race, class, power, money and media was considered a top contender for the Golden Lion.
Sean Penn won the best actor award for his performance in Hurlyburly, a dark tale about two room-mates and their friends.

Massive media campaign in view as Pfizer Riser gains approval

by Colette Keane
WITH the Pfizer Riser due to gain EU approval tomorrow, the media moguls and medical teams behind Viagra are ready for the expected huge demand.
Pfizer, prohibited from speaking publicly about the drug in Europe prior to approval, has confirmed that within 24 hours of a positive decision on Tuesday, a massive information campaign including an expert medical panel will be available in Ireland and Britain.
Tomorrow's final clearance with the signature of the EU's Industrial Affairs Commissioner, Martin Bangemann, is little more than a formality as EU pharmaceutical experts already cleared the way last month when they voted to approve a European marketing licence for the revolutionary drug, the fastest selling new medicine since its launch in America earlier this year.
However, Europe is attempting to control the sale of the blue diamond shaped pill and awareness of the dangers a little more vigorously than in the US. While warning of the possible effects from taking the prescription-only drug, and the EU has decreed Viagra cannot be sold to women or men under 18 years of age.
The packaging must caution against its use by the elderly and those with heart problems or low blood pressure, and will warn against taking other medicines containing nitrates at the same time.
Viagra users will also be told that if one pill does not have the expected effect, taking more will not help - only the potentially painful side effects will be enhanced.
The EU committee has added another proviso - Viagra users finding the pill's sex-enhancing properties last more than four hours should consult a doctor.
These precautions and warnings are important due to the drug's side effects. Within weeks of its launch in the US in March there were reports of deaths and physical problems.
Side-effects include blurred, blue-tinted vision, severe headaches, nausea and flushing.
So far it is thought to have caused the deaths of 69 men in America, 46 of which were linked to heart trobles.
One in 10 men in Ireland and the UK is impotent and it is estimated that Viagra will pep up the sex lives of 70% of men with erectile dysfunction, at an estimated cost of £1 billion in the UK, and around £2 million in Ireland.
The President of the European Union of General Practitioners, Dr Cormac Macnamara conceded that on 'recreational', physical or psychological grounds rather than strictly medical need, there could be an immense demand here due to media hype on both sides of the Atlantic.
British nite-clubbers are already being offered a deadly cocktail of ecstasy and amphetamines (to increase the body's natural desires, while limiting a man's ability to perform) followed by a Viagra, to counter the effects of the other drugs.

Man charged with murder of three people with an axe

A 31-YEAR-OLD man was last night charged with the murders of a woman and two men at a flat, British police said.
The three died from multiple blows to the head, believed to have been caused by an axe.
Alan Hobbs, 31, of no fixed address, was charged with the murders of Gillian Harvey, 30, her 36-year-old decorator boyfriend Ian Brown, and her former boyfriend Peter Smith, 31, a railway worker.
Their bodies were found by police after they forced their way into Ms Harvey's ground-floor flat in Wellesley Road, Slough, Berks, on September 3.
Hobbs is due to appear before Windsor magistrates this morning.