Italian tourist seized in Niger says not prisoner

DAKAR (Reuters) - An Italian tourist seized by a Saharan rebel group on the border between Niger and Chad told Reuters on Wednesday he was no longer a prisoner but was seeking a safe way to leave the rebels' remote desert hideout.

"I am not a prisoner ... I consider myself free," Claudio Chiodi told Reuters by satellite phone. He said a second Italian tourist taken with him was also safe.

"At this moment the problem is to find a road to leave," he said, adding there were land mines around the rebels' mountain hideout.

Chiodi said members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the Sahara (FARS) who had been holding him hostage were sitting on carpets around him discussing the best way to ensure the safe release of the two men.

Italian diplomats have been working with Niger's armed forces to try to ensure the release of the two hostages, but their precise location remains unclear and the captors had threatened to kill the tourists if they were attacked.

"These people are guaranteeing our safety. Many people try to catch us, this is the problem," Chiodi said, speaking broken English. He added that Niger's authorities, who have washed their hands of the case, considered him a rebel sympathiser.

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Rain wrecks havoc for second straight day at US Open

AFP


AFP Photo

Rain wrecked the second day of the US Open with only an hour of play possible by the evening.

A three and a half hour delay kept players off court to start the day as heavy showers swept through the New York area and when they did begin hitting balls it was women's top seed Amelie Mauresmo that got the action underway.

The French woman shrugged off the gathering gloom to bolt out into a 4-1 lead against Germany qualifier Kristina Barrios before the skies opened again sending them scurrying for shelter.

They were back 20 minutes later with Mauresmo wrapping up the set 6-1.

But with her right thigh heavily strapped and looking rusty after a long layoff following her Wimbledon triumph in July, the world No.1 started to struggle in the second set and was 5-2 down when the rain came down again.

This time there was no letup as heavier rain poured down and organisers were left with their worst scheduling headache since the bad weather that hit the 2003 tournament.

By 2300 GMT, there was still no sign of the rain relenting and most of the day's scheduled games were called off although play had not yet been abandoned for the day.

In other games that saw the light of day, 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt, who has struggled all year with injuries, was level 5-5 with Spain's Albert Montanes and French hope Gael Monfils took the first set 6-2 against American qualifier Michael Russell.

Monday's opening day was also hit with a 90 minutes delay at the start of the programme before the players finally managed to get on court.

The bottom half of the women's draw was completed with straight wins for former winners Lindsay Davenport and Justine-Henin Hardenne.

All but eight of the ties in the bottom half of the men's programme were also concluded.

Andre Agassi's four sets win over Andrei Pavel of Romania was the pick of the action, extending his stay in what he has said would be his last tournament before retiring.

He is not due back on court again before Thursday when he will take on rising Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, the eighth seed, for a place in the third round.

Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic was the first top seed to fall, going down in straight sets to Spain's Feliciano Lopez.

Top seed and title-holder Roger Federer was not scheduled to play until Wednesday when he takes on Taiwan's Wang Yeu-Tzuoo in what will be a first meeting between the two.

His main rival on the men's tour, Rafael Nadal of Spain, was one of those who was put on hold on Tuesday.

He will have to hope for a clearing of the skies on Wednesday before opening his campaign against the dangerous former US Open finalist Mark Philippoussis of Australia.

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Rain wrecks havoc for second straight day at US Open

AFP


AFP Photo

Rain wrecked the second day of the US Open with only an hour of play possible by the evening.

A three and a half hour delay kept players off court to start the day as heavy showers swept through the New York area and when they did begin hitting balls it was women's top seed Amelie Mauresmo that got the action underway.

The French woman shrugged off the gathering gloom to bolt out into a 4-1 lead against Germany qualifier Kristina Barrios before the skies opened again sending them scurrying for shelter.

They were back 20 minutes later with Mauresmo wrapping up the set 6-1.

But with her right thigh heavily strapped and looking rusty after a long layoff following her Wimbledon triumph in July, the world No.1 started to struggle in the second set and was 5-2 down when the rain came down again.

This time there was no letup as heavier rain poured down and organisers were left with their worst scheduling headache since the bad weather that hit the 2003 tournament.

By 2300 GMT, there was still no sign of the rain relenting and most of the day's scheduled games were called off although play had not yet been abandoned for the day.

In other games that saw the light of day, 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt, who has struggled all year with injuries, was level 5-5 with Spain's Albert Montanes and French hope Gael Monfils took the first set 6-2 against American qualifier Michael Russell.

Monday's opening day was also hit with a 90 minutes delay at the start of the programme before the players finally managed to get on court.

The bottom half of the women's draw was completed with straight wins for former winners Lindsay Davenport and Justine-Henin Hardenne.

All but eight of the ties in the bottom half of the men's programme were also concluded.

Andre Agassi's four sets win over Andrei Pavel of Romania was the pick of the action, extending his stay in what he has said would be his last tournament before retiring.

He is not due back on court again before Thursday when he will take on rising Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, the eighth seed, for a place in the third round.

Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic was the first top seed to fall, going down in straight sets to Spain's Feliciano Lopez.

Top seed and title-holder Roger Federer was not scheduled to play until Wednesday when he takes on Taiwan's Wang Yeu-Tzuoo in what will be a first meeting between the two.

His main rival on the men's tour, Rafael Nadal of Spain, was one of those who was put on hold on Tuesday.

He will have to hope for a clearing of the skies on Wednesday before opening his campaign against the dangerous former US Open finalist Mark Philippoussis of Australia.

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Singapore Science Centre redesigns exhibits on Pluto after reclassification

Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : With Pluto being re-classified as a 'dwarf planet', the Singapore Science Centre is now busy at work to update their exhibits.

Staff at the centre also held a simple ceremony to mark Pluto's new status.

Redefining Pluto's status is not an event that will have much impact on everyday Singaporeans.

But taking Pluto off the celestial chart of planets does affect the way scientific information is presented to them.

With new information being put up, the old Pluto charts are expected to become collector's items.

"I was surprised that the scientists threw away their sentimentality for the planet Pluto and decided to go with something more rational," remarked Dr Chew Tuan Chiong, chief executive of Singapore Science Centre.

As textbooks are being rewritten, the Science Centre is also redesigning its section on Pluto.

Pluto now joins two other heavenly bodies, Ceres and Xena, in their own section of dwarf planets in the solar system.

The science centre says the new definition of Pluto is good for science in general, because it's generating interest.

"It also shows that it's important to allow science to take its course because nothing is certain. What is considered to be cast in stone, such as there being 9 planets or more, can suddenly be redefined. And even serious science can be subject to change," said Dr Chew.

With the solar system re-arranged, the science centre will continue its mission of education the public.

Its astronomy programmes such as the weekly observatory sessions and school visits will of course incorporate updated information on Pluto.

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