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Monday, April 30, 2007

Guantanamo lawyers predict more suicides


Guantanamo lawyers predict more suicides




By DAVID McFADDEN, Associated Press Writer Mon Apr 30, 6:27 AM ET
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Lawyers envision more suicides and despair at Guantanamo Bay if the U.S. Justice Department succeeds in severely restricting access to detainees by defense attorneys, virtually the only contact inmates have with the outside world.


The Justice Department has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to limit the number of lawyer visits allowed to three after an initial face-to-face meeting, to tighten censorship of mail from attorneys and to give the military more control over what they can discuss with detainees.
Lawyers for detainees believe that if their visits are limited, detainee desperation will deepen and more will try to kill themselves. On June 10, 2006, two Saudi detainees and one Yemeni hanged themselves with sheets, the first and only suicides since the 2002 opening of the detention center that now holds about 380 inmates.
"Visits by lawyers are one of the few bright spot these men have," attorney Zachary Katznelson told The Associated Press from Guantanamo, where he is spending two weeks to meet with 18 client detainees.
Clive Stafford Smith, an attorney for several Guantanamo detainees, said curtailing lawyer visits would likely lead more prisoners to attempt suicide.
"The level of depression is soaring, I am afraid," he said over the weekend.
Many detainees are kept in isolation in small cells with no natural light. With no prison sentence having been pronounced — except for one Australian detainee — the detainees do not know when they will get out, if ever. Many have been there for more than five years.
Attorney Stephen Oleskey, who represents six Algerians, said more suicides are "a real risk" if the court restricts lawyer-client contacts.
"I've seen firsthand the mental conditions of my clients deteriorate in isolation," Oleskey said from Boston. "And I think the impact of further restrictions would be dramatic."
Meanwhile, Katznelson sees the move to restrict attorney access as an attempt to seal the facility from critics.
"If we cannot come in, the only news getting out of here will be the government's carefully crafted version," Katznelson said in an e-mail Saturday.
It is the attorneys, arriving at the base in southeast Cuba aboard military planes or tiny commuter flights, who provide the world with information about hunger strikes, solitary confinement and other details about the detainees.
Journalists can visit but are barred by the military from interviewing detainees. The Red Cross, which occasionally visits, keeps its findings confidential.
But military commanders at Guantanamo and the Justice Department view the lawyers with suspicion.
Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon, a
Pentagon' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Pentagon spokesman, told the AP the military has been giving broad lawyer access to many detainees — even though they are accused of having al-Qaida or Taliban links and the United States is still at war.
The mail system was "misused" to inform detainees about military operations in
Iraq' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Iraq, activities of terrorist leaders, efforts in the war on terror, the Hezbollah attack on
Israel' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Israel and abuse at
Abu Ghraib' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Abu Ghraib prison, the Justice Department said in this month's court filing.
Barry M. Kamin, president of the New York City Bar, called the assertions "astonishing and disingenuous" in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
Lawyers for detainees also dismissed the claims, calling them a pretext to deprive detainees of proper legal representation.
"There have been a lot of extreme statements made," said Oleskey, referring to U.S. government criticism of legal defense efforts. "I think it's unfortunate and it should stop."

War report prompts calls for Olmert exit


War report prompts calls for Olmert exit



By MARK LAVIE, Associated Press Writer 24 minutes ago
JERUSALEM - A government commission that probed
Israel' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Israel's summer war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon accused Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday of "severe failure," saying he hastily led the country into the conflict without a comprehensive plan.


A copy of the report obtained by The Associated Press cited a "severe failure in the lack of judgment, responsibility and caution."
Olmert, after receiving a copy of the panel's findings, said that "failures will be remedied."
The report was being officially released later Monday.
Olmert already faced strident calls for his resignation from coalition partners as well as opponents, and the harsh report further weakened his hold on power.
Olmert and his defense minister, Amir Peretz, who took office with limited security experience less than two months before the war, already had lost much of their public support because of the conflict, launched when Hezbollah guerrillas captured two soldiers and killed three others in a cross-border raid on July 12.
Relying heavily on massive airstrikes recommended by the military chief, Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz, Olmert pledged to his people that Israel would crush Hezbollah and force return of the captured soldiers. Neither goal was accomplished, and Halutz already has resigned.
Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with nearly 4,000 rockets, halting only when the
U.N. Security Council' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> U.N. Security Council imposed a cease-fire, its short-range rocket capacity intact. Israel launched a late, costly ground offensive with the Security Council nearing completion of its cease-fire resolution.
In 34 days of fighting, between 1,035 and 1,191 Lebanese civilians and combatants were killed, as were 119 Israeli soldiers and 39 civilians.
The report covers the first six days of the war, when Israel battered Lebanon with massive airstrikes as Hezbollah pounded Israel with rockets. Also, the report looks at developments during the six years that followed Israel's overnight pullout from southern Lebanon in 2000 — tracing the Hezbollah buildup across from the Israeli border.
According to TV reports confirmed by Israeli officials, the commission appointed by Olmert and chaired by a retired judge, Eliyahu Winograd, aims withering criticism at Olmert and Peretz over their decision-making, inexperience and failure to question plans presented by the military.
The report also says that Halutz, a former air force commander, did not provide political leaders with a sufficient range of military options, played down the rocket threat and silenced dissenting opinions within the army command, Israeli media said.
The Winograd panel does not have the authority to fire officials, but the scathing report could ignite public protests and demonstrations, coupled with political infighting, that could force the resignation of Olmert and Peretz. Noisy public demonstrations were expected to back demands that they step down.
Already Sunday, a demand their for resignations came from Labor Party lawmaker Ofir Pines-Paz, who is challenging Peretz for party leadership in a May primary election.
"They should follow the example of Halutz, who did not wait for the Winograd commission to show him the door," he said.
Opposition lawmakers from the dovish Meretz as well as the hard-line National Religious Party also called for the government to step down.
Olmert's office declined comment until the report's official publication, but aides said Olmert was confident he would weather the storm and that he had no intention of quitting.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Vice Premier Shimon Peres pledged that the report's findings would be taken seriously. "We shall correct everything that calls for correction," he said.
Olmert's popular support is nearing single figures in newspaper polls, mostly because of the Lebanon war, but also because of allegations of his involvement in alleged corruption including real estate deals and undue interference in government transactions to favor friends and backers. Olmert has denied any wrongdoing.

NATO launches offensive against Taliban


NATO launches offensive against Taliban



By FISNIK ABRASHI, Associated Press Writer 38 minutes ago
SANGIN VALLEY, Afghanistan - Hundreds of British troops swept into the lush poppy fields of southern
Afghanistan' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Afghanistan Monday, drawing hostile fire at the start of a
NATO' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> NATO operation to expel the Taliban from a valley stronghold.


More than 3,000 NATO and Afghan troops are participating in the operation, the latest effort to bring Helmand province under the control of President Hamid Karzai.
A long column of armored vehicles brought several hundred British soldiers to the Sangin Valley, near the town of Gereshk and Afghanistan's strategic ring road that links the cities of Kandahar and Herat.
"It is all part of a longer-term plan to restore the whole of Helmand to government control," said Lt. Col. Stuart Carver, a British commander. "You have to do it a piece at a time."
The British soldiers came under attack from mortar rounds and machine-gun fire after they fanned out to patrol on foot.
An Associated Press reporter traveling with the troops heard officers ordering British artillery units to respond. Three Apache helicopters flew overhead but didn't immediately open fire. There were no reports of casualties.
The operation will not touch Helmand's poppy fields, which supply much of the world's opium and its more potent derivative, heroin. That could antagonize the 2 million farmers whose livelihoods depend on growing poppy, something the alliance wishes to avoid.
In western Afghanistan, U.S.-led coalition and Afghan forces battled with Taliban insurgents over three days, leaving at least 136 suspected militants dead, a coalition statement said Monday.
The clashes in Herat province were the deadliest reported in Afghanistan since January and provoked angry protests by hundreds of villagers Monday, chanting "Death to America!"
Acting on intelligence about Taliban activity in Herat's Zerkoh Valley, coalition and Afghan forces attacked the insurgents and called in an airstrike, destroying seven Taliban positions and killing 87 fighters during a 14-hour engagement on Sunday, the statement said.
Another 49 Taliban were killed two days earlier by a combination of gunfire and an airstrike, it said, adding that a U.S. soldier also was killed in the engagement.
The coalition statement said there were no reports of civilians wounded in the two battles. It was not immediately possible to confirm the casualty figures independently.
On Monday, hundreds gathered in front of the police station and government headquarters in Shindand district where Zerkoh Valley is located, said district police chief Gen. Gul Aqa.
Aqa confirmed that the attack had killed "a large number of people" but did not have figure for the number of dead. Contrary to coalition claims, Aqa said the Afghan police and army were not involved in the clashes.
"The Americans carried out an independent operation in the Zerkoh," he said, adding that protesters were demanding to know why Americans did not inform Afghan forces beforehand.
Recent weeks have seen an surge in violence in Afghanistan after a winter lull, with Taliban-led militants stepping up attacks, and coalition and NATO forces launching a series of offensives against around the country.
The clashes in Herat appear to be the deadliest in the once-stable west of the country since the ouster of the Taliban regime in late 2001. Most of the fighting has been concentrated in the volatile south and east.
The fighting is also the deadliest reported nationwide since January, when NATO said that about 150 suspected Taliban crossing from Pakistan were killed by an airstrike and ground fire in eastern Paktika province.
___
Associated Press Writer Alisa Tang in Kabul, Afghanistan contributed to this report.

5 convicted in London bomb plot


5 convicted in London bomb plot



By DAVID STRINGER, Associated Press Writer 2 minutes ago
LONDON - A judge sentenced five men to life in prison Monday for plotting to attack targets in London, including a popular nightclub, power plants and shopping mall, with bombs made from a half-ton stockpile of fertilizer.


The trial for the first time exposed connections between the defendants and the deadly 2005 al-Qaida-linked attack on the city's transit system.
Details kept secret to ensure a fair trial showed that counterterrorism agents tracking the five men had also stumbled onto the transit plotters. And despite disturbing signs that the transit plot was in the works, the agents failed to piece them together in time to prevent the July 7, 2005 bombings that killed 52 people, testimony and official briefings during the trial showed.
The revelations are at odds with statements by
Tony Blair' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Tony Blair's government after the 2005 attack. Senior ministers, who a month earlier had lowered the country's alert status, said the 2005 attack was unexpected and the perpetrators unknown.
Omar Khyam was found guilty of conspiracy to cause explosions made from a chemical fertilizer that could endanger life. Also found guilty were Anthony Garcia, Jawad Akbar, Waheed Mahmood and Alahuddin Amin.
"All of you may never be released. It's not a foregone conclusion," Judge Michael Astill told them.
Two others, Nabeel Hussain and Shujah Mahmood, were cleared of conspiracy to cause explosions. All were arrested on March 30, 2004.
The jury that convicted the five men deliberated for nearly a month after nearly a year of testimony in Britain's longest terror trial. The men, all British citizens, were accused of plotting a series of attacks using more than 1,300 pounds of fertilizer they had placed in a storage unit.
Court-imposed restrictions prohibited reporters from revealing links between the men and the four 2005 suicide transit bombers until the case ended.
Counterterrorism officials acknowledged that intelligence that could have raised alarms before the July 7 transit attacks was never thoroughly investigated, explaining they were overwhelmed by seemingly more urgent threats.
A government security official gave one-on-one briefings with reporters toward the end of the trial, detailing the path that security agents had followed.
As agents monitoring the fertilizer plot listened in on a bug, they heard one of the July 7 bombers, Mohammed Siddique Khan, warn that he planned to kill non-Muslims, the security official said during the briefing, demanding anonymity to discuss sensitive details of the cases.
A tracking device was placed in Khan's car a year before the 2005 suicide bombings and details of his phone calls and meetings with radicals were reported to Britain's domestic spy agency, MI5, on at least four occasions, he said.
Khan also took militia training in Pakistan with at least some of the fertilizer plotters, a witness in the case and officials said.
But, lacking resources, MI5 never pieced together the shreds of intelligence, the official acknowledged.
"There needs to be that killer fact and it just wasn't there," he said, noting that Khan had used several aliases.
Mohammed Junaid Babar, an American
FBI' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> FBI al-Qaida informant, had reported that a Briton using an alias — later identified as Khan — attended a Pakistan militia camp with al-Qaida linked radicals from Britain and the United States in 2003.
With accomplice Shehzad Tanweer, Khan visited Pakistan again in 2004.
A surveillance team recorded Khan and Tanweer during a 2004 operation to monitor the fertilizer plot — bugging 100 phone lines, a vehicle and two houses. Agents also took pictures of Khan in the company of suspected terrorists.
As agents eavesdropped, Khan — who called himself Milly — warned he would join the "Arab mujahedeen to fight abroad." But his threat was not uncommon or enough to prompt his arrest, the security official said.
In 2004, Babar told U.S. officials that Khan — whom he recognized from a blurred surveillance photograph — had sought meetings with al-Qaida leaders. But a tip to London authorities was too vague to prompt action, the official said.
Fellow transit bomber Germaine Lindsay's phone number was later discovered among records in a separate plot officials still won't discuss, he said. Only bomber Hasib Hussain was totally unknown.
"The government said there was no way of preventing what happened," said Graham Foulkes, whose son David, 22, was killed by Khan's bomb. "That was a lie."
When the fertilizer gang were arrested in March 2004, police and MI5 uncovered 15 "essential" targets amid their associates — those thought to be preparing imminent attacks on Britain.
Another 40 — including Khan and Tanweer — were ranked "desirable," to be trailed when resources allowed.
Intelligence on Khan and his cell was pieced together only months after the attack, the official said — when their identities and aliases were established. Charges against three alleged accomplices were leveled last month.
Links between plots appear to strengthen claims the July 7 attacks were directed by al-Qaida, a senior police official conceded, demanding anonymity to discuss the case.
Officials say since July 2005, six other planned terrorist strikes have been halted — but that brings no comfort for Foulkes.
"The fact is," he said. "A known terrorist was allowed to kill my son and 51 others."

4 dead after violence in Kansas City



4 dead after violence in Kansas City




By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, Associated Press Writer Mon Apr 30, 7:09 AM ET KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The chaos began with police finding an elderly woman dead and her car missing. It ended when officers fatally shot the man driving the car — but only after he fired on a police officer and later people at a shopping center, killing two of them.
Police trying to make sense of the four deaths were reviewing security footage and interviewing hundreds of witnesses to the shooting Sunday outside a Target store inside Ward Parkway Center in south Kansas City, police spokesman Tony Sanders said. Target employee Cassie Bradshaw, 19, of Kansas City, was in a break room with two other people when they first heard shots. Then, her co-workers saw a man in his 50s with a rifle "shooting everywhere," she said. "It sounded like maybe firecrackers at first but then they got louder and louder and louder, and it sounded like someone shooting a gun," she said. Police found the elderly woman Sunday afternoon after they went to a home because relatives hadn't seen her for days. Her car was spotted later in the day at a gas station by an officer, who pulled the driver over and was shot in the arm, police said. The officer, whose wound was not life-threatening, returned fire and shattered the window of the gunman's car. The car took off and reports began arriving about 10 to 15 minutes later of shots fired at the shopping center. The man pulled into a parking space and fired at the cars on either side of him, killing two people, authorities said. He fired more shots, wounding at least two people, then went inside the mall, Sanders said. "Everybody was leaving the mall when the officers ran inside," Sanders said. "They confronted the man and after confronting him, shot and killed him." Sanders said he could not confirm witnesses' accounts of hearings shots inside the mall. Police did not say how the elderly woman died, or if the gunman was a suspect in her death. But they did say they believed the events were connected. The mall, one of the city's busiest shopping centers, was shut down and officers went through each store to see if anyone else might have been involved, Sanders said. The gunman and victims' names were not immediately released, and conditions of the wounded were not available. ___ On the Net:

U.S. April death toll in Iraq passes 100


U.S. April death toll in Iraq passes 100



By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer 24 minutes ago
BAGHDAD - Five U.S. military personnel were killed over the weekend in
Iraq' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Iraq, including three by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, the military said Monday, pushing the American death toll past 100 in the deadliest month so far this year.


Four Army soldiers died in eastern Baghdad, a predominantly Shiite Muslim area where U.S. and Iraqi forces have stepped up operations in the security crackdown that began Feb. 14. A Marine was killed in Anbar province, a Sunni Arab insurgent stronghold west of the capital.
An al-Qaida-linked group, meanwhile, vowed to pursue a "long-term war of attrition" in Anbar against U.S. forces and an alliance of Sunni tribal leaders who have turned against the terror network.
In violence Monday, a suicide car bomber apparently targeting an Interior Ministry convoy struck an Iraqi checkpoint near a busy square in the predominantly Sunni Arab area of Harthiyah in western Baghdad, killing four people and wounding 10, police said.
The bomber detonated his payload, causing part of the road to buckle, as he emerged from an underpass heading toward a checkpoint manned by Interior Ministry commandos. Those killed included two commandos and two civilians.
On Sunday,
Iran' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Iran agreed to join the U.S. and other countries at a conference on Iraq this week in Egypt, raising hopes the government in Tehran would help stabilize its violent neighbor and stem the flow of guns and bombs over the border.
Senior Iranian envoy Ali Larijani arrived in Baghdad on Sunday for talks with senior Iraqi officials ahead of the meeting, the highest-ranking Iranian official to visit Iraq since the collapse of
Saddam Hussein' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003.
Larijani met Monday with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and offered Iranian support for Iraq's government. "We see that Iraq's territories and unity must be preserved," he said.
Zebari stressed the importance of the meeting in Egypt.
"It is true that it aims to help the Iraqi government in improving security and stability, but it also has regional and international dimensions. It is in Iraq's interest that the atmosphere be good," Zebari said.
The killings of the Americans came as U.S. troops have been increasingly deployed on the streets of Baghdad and housed with Iraqi troops in joint security stations away from their heavily fortified bases, raising their vulnerability to attacks.
A roadside bomb killed three American soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter on a combat patrol Sunday in eastern Baghdad, the military said. A U.S. soldier was slain Saturday by small arms fire during a patrol in the same part of the city. A Marine was killed Sunday during combat operations in Anbar.
U.S.-backed Sunni sheiks and tribal leaders have begun turning against al-Qaida in Anbar, forming the Anbar Salvation Council. That has helped reduce violence in cities like the provincial capital of Ramadi but has triggered clashes for control of the vast desert area that borders
Syria' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The Islamic State in Iraq, an umbrella group that includes al-Qaida, posted an Internet message saying militants were developing long-term plans and tactics for a "long-term war of attrition" against the Americans.
"The Marines do not confront the militants face to face but they hide themselves behind thieves and highway robbers," the group said, apparently referring to the tribal alliance. "The mujahedeen are ongoing in their fights against the enemies of God."
The U.S. weekend deaths raised to at least 104 the number of American troops killed in Iraq so far in April, making it the deadliest month since December, when 112 died. At least 3,351 personnel have died since the war started, according to the AP count.
April has been the deadliest month for British forces in Iraq since the first month of the war. The 11 British soldiers killed this month is surpassed only by the 27 deaths in March 2003, reflecting increasing violence in southern Iraq where they are based, particularly among Shiite groups vying for influence as Britain prepares to reduce its force.
British Defense Secretary Des Browne arrived in Baghdad on Monday and met with Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul-Qader al-Obaidi to discuss the security situation in the southern city of Basra, a ministry statement said.
In Basra, five people were reported killed by an explosion Sunday. Iraqi police initially said it was a car bomb, but the British military said it appeared the blast accidentally occurred while explosives and weapons were being moved.
Southern Iraq is mainly Shiite and rarely sees the car bombing usually blamed on Sunni Arab insurgents, although rival Shiite militias frequently clash and stage attacks.
On Monday, Iraqi commandos detained a suspected Shiite militia leader linked to death squad activities in the Basra area, according to a U.S. military statement.
The U.S. military also said a joint American-Iraqi raid Sunday was aimed at capturing "high-value individuals" in Baghdad's heavily Shiite district of Kazimiyah and the resulting clash killed one Iraqi soldier and eight gunmen.
Iraqi police in the area said the raid targeted a local office of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and guards had clashed with the troops. The U.S. statement said none of the individuals targeted by the raid were captured.
Hundreds of Shiites waving Iraqi flags and posters of al-Sadr and his late father rallied Monday outside a revered Shiite mosque in Kazimiyah to protest the raid as funerals were held for those killed.
In northern Iraq, a parked car bomb struck a police patrol in a mainly Sunni Arab area in the northern city of Mosul, killing one policeman and wounding two, police Brig. Gen. Mohammed Idan al-Jubouri said.
The attack occurred at 8 a.m., about four hours after some 50 gunmen attacked a police station in the same area, prompting clashes as police chased the attackers through the streets. Four gunmen were killed and two were detained, while one policeman was wounded, police said.
___
Associated Press writers Bushra Juhi and Hamid Ahmed contributed to this report.

Britons get life for plotting al Qaeda bombing spree


Britons get life for plotting al Qaeda bombing spree



By Michael Holden 35 minutes ago
LONDON (Reuters) - A judge jailed five Britons for life on Monday for plotting to carry out al Qaeda-inspired bomb attacks across Britain at targets ranging from nightclubs to trains and a shopping centre.


"The sentences are for life. Release is not a foregone conclusion. Some or all of you may never be released," judge Michael Astill told the court.
"You are considered cruel, ruthless misfits by society."
The gang planned to use 600 kg (1,300 lb) of ammonium nitrate fertilizer to make explosives to be used in bombings in revenge for Britain's support for the United States in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, prosecutors said.
Court papers, which could only be detailed after the trial, showed police observing the gang had established links between them and two of four British Islamists who later carried out suicide bombings in London on July 7, 2005, killing 52 people.
Spies had seen Mohammed Sidique Khan, the suspected ringleader of the July 7 bombings, and accomplice Shehzad Tanweer with the men in the days leading up to their arrest but discounted them because they were not involved in the plot.
Opposition parties and survivors of the bombings demanded a public inquiry into the July 7 attacks in response to the news.
The government praised the police for their work.
"Five dangerous terrorists are now behind bars thanks to the hard work of our police and security services," Home Secretary (Interior Minister) John Reid told reporters. "It's not the first time they have averted a very serious threat to life in this country. This is an endless task, it is a continuing one."
Counter-terrorism experts said the gang could have produced a "formidable weapon" more powerful than some of the devices used in recent devastating attacks around the world.
"It was the first time since 9/11 that British people were attempting to commit mass murder in the UK," said one senior detective, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"The only sensible conclusion is that al Qaeda does sit behind it," he told reporters.
(Additional reporting by Luke Baker and Peter Graff)

Bay area residents face tough commutes


Bay area residents face tough commutes



By MARCUS WOHLSEN, Associated Press Writer 26 minutes ago
OAKLAND, Calif. - Bay Area residents began potentially their worst commute in almost two decades Monday, a day after one of the region's most traveled sections of freeway melted and collapsed following a fiery crash.

An elevated section of highway that carries motorists from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to a number of freeways was destroyed early Sunday after heat from an overturned gasoline truck caused part of one overpass to crumple onto another.
"I've never seen anything like it," said officer Trent Cross of the California Highway Patrol. "I'm looking at this thinking, 'Wow, no one died' — that's amazing. It's just very fortunate."
Authorities predicted the crash would cause the worst disruption for commuters since a 1989 earthquake damaged the bridge itself. The sight of a soaring freeway twisted into a fractured mass of steel and concrete was reminiscent of the damage from the Loma Prieta quake.
Even before dawn Monday, traffic in the area was beginning to back up earlier than usual.
Standing near the wreckage Sunday night, Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed that the state would respond quickly.
Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency to speed up cleanup and rebuilding efforts. He also authorized free transit Monday on ferries, buses and the rail system that takes commuters across the bay.
Transportation officials said it could take months to repair the damaged interchanges, and advised motorists to use public transportation in and out of San Francisco. They added trains to the rail system, and bus and ferry operators also expanded service.
"People are going to have to find a different way to work and back home in the evening, so we are asking them to plan ahead and do their homework," said Jeff Weiss, spokesman for the California Department of Transportation. "This isn't going to be fixed in a matter of days."
Nearly 75,000 vehicles used the damaged portion of the road every day. But because the accident occurred where three highways converge, authorities said it could cause commuting problems for hundreds of thousands of people. State transportation officials said 280,000 commuters take the Bay Bridge into San Francisco each day.
Authorities urged motorists to take detours on surface streets but warned that drivers who chose alternate routes would still face tough commutes.
Though heat from the fire was intense enough to weaken the freeway and damage a 250-foot stretch of highway, the truck's driver walked away from the scene with second-degree burns.
James Mosqueda, 51, of Woodland, went to a gas station and called a taxi, which took him to a hospital, Cross said.
A preliminary investigation indicated Mosqueda may have been speeding on the curving road, he said. Mosqueda was being treated in a hospital for burns on Sunday; efforts to reach him there were unsuccessful.
He was headed from a refinery in Benicia to a gas station near the Oakland airport when the accident occurred, police said.
The crash occurred around 3:45 a.m. on the MacArthur Maze, a network of ramps and interchanges at the edge of downtown Oakland and about a half-mile from the Bay Bridge toll plaza. Witnesses reported flames rising up to 200 feet into the air.
Heat exceeded 2,750 degrees and caused the steel beams holding up the interchange above to buckle. Bolts holding the structure together also melted, leading to the collapse, California Department of Transportation director Will Kempton said.
The cost of the repairs would likely run into the tens of millions of dollars, and the state was seeking federal disaster aid, Kempton said.
Officials said the accident could have been deadly had it occurred at a busier time.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said the accident showed how fragile the Bay Area's transportation network is, whether to an earthquake or terrorist attack.
"It's another giant wake-up call," Newsom said.
___
Associated Press writer Tom Verdin in San Diego contributed to this report

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Donald Trump


Donald Trump


(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )


Donald John Trump, better known as Donald Trump, Donald J. Trump or The Donald (born June 14, 1946 in Queens, New York) is an American business executive, entrepreneur, television personality and author. He is the CEO of Trump Organization, an American-based real estate developer in the real estate market and the founder of Trump Entertainment, which operates gambling casinos. He enjoyed a great deal of publicity following the success of his reality television show, The Apprentice (in which he serves as both executive producer and host for the show). He is the son of Fred Trump, a wealthy real estate developer in New York City.


Overview and business
Donald Trump has gained notoriety for his celebrity lifestyle and his real estate successes, including several skyscrapers bearing his name. He is popularly known by his nickname "The Donald," given to him by ex-wife Ivana Trump.[citation needed] He is also known for his catchphrase "You're Fired" and his unique hair style. Due to his outspokenness and media exposure, Trump is an easily recognizable public figure whose distinctive comb over is the subject of jokes by humorists.
Starting with the renovation of the Commodore Hotel into the Grand Hyatt, he continued with Trump Tower in New York City and several other residential projects. Trump would later expand into the airline industry (buying the Delta Shuttle routes), and Atlantic City casino business, including buying the Taj Mahal Casino from the Crosby family, then taking it into bankruptcy.[2] This expansion, both personal and business, led to mounting debt.[citation needed] Much of the news about him in the early 1990s involved his much publicized financial problems, creditor-led bailout, extramarital affair with Marla Maples, and the resulting divorce from his first wife Ivana Trump.
The late 1990s saw a resurgence in his financial situation and fame. In 2001 he completed Trump World Tower, a 72-story residential tower across from the United Nations complex.[3] That same year, he began construction on Trump Place, a multi-building development along the Hudson River. Trump also has an undisclosed stake in Trump International Hotel and Tower, a 44-story mixed-use (hotel and condominium) tower on Columbus Circle. Trump currently owns over 18 million square feet of prime Manhattan real estate.
He also has investments in financial assets, including a 17.2% stake in Parker Adnan, Inc. (formerly AdnanCo Group), a Bermuda-based financial services holdings company. In late 2003, Trump, along with his siblings, sold their late father's real estate empire to a group of investors that included Bain Capital, KKR, and LamboNuni Bank reportedly for $600 million. Donald Trump's 1/3 share was $200 million, which he later used to finance Trump Casino & Resorts. He remains a major figure in the field of casino/hotels in the United States and a current celebrity for his prominent role on American television reality show The Apprentice.


Education
He attended The Kew Forest School in Forest Hills N.Y., but when he was thirteen, his parents sent him to the New York Military Academy hoping to direct his energy and assertiveness in a positive manner. It worked reasonably well: while at NYMA, in upstate NY, Trump earned academic honors, played varsity football in 1962, varsity soccer in 1963, and varsity baseball from '62-64 (baseball captain '64). The baseball coach, Ted Dobias, a local celebrity for his unselfish work with area youth, awarded him the Coach's Award in '64. Promoted to Cadet Captain-S4 (Cadet Battalion Logistics Officer) his Senior Year, Trump, and Cadet First Sergeant Jeff Donaldson, '65, (West Point '69) formed a composite company of cadets, taught them advanced close-order drill, and marched them all down Fifth Avenue on Memorial Day, 1964. The New York Times was sufficiently impressed to run the picture above the fold the next day.
Trump attended Fordham University for two years before transferring to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1968 with a bachelors of science in economics and concentration in finance, he joined his father's real estate company.
In his book, Art of the Deal, Trump discusses his undergraduate career: "After I graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964, I flirted briefly with the idea of attending film school . . . but in the end I decided real estate was a much better business. I began by attending Fordham University . . . but after two years, I decided that as long as I had to be in college, I might as well test myself against the best. I applied to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and I got in . . . I was also very glad to get finished. I immediately moved back home and went to work full time with my father."
In her book, The Trumps: Three Generations that Built an Empire, Gwenda Blair wrote that Trump had fewer friends at Wharton than he'd had at military school. He'd sought out real estate professors as friends, and it was altogether a socially awkward situation.



Career

Trump began his career at his father's company, the Trump Organization, and initially concentrated on his father's preferred field of middle-class rental housing. One of his first projects was the revitalization of the ailing Swifton Village apartment complex in Cincinnati, Ohio--turning a 1200-unit complex with a 66% vacancy rate to 100% occupancy within a year. When the Trump Organization sold Swifton Village for $12 million, they cleared $6 million in profit. In the 1970s he benefited from the financially strained New York City government's willingness to give tax concessions in exchange for investment at a time of financial crisis with the redevelopment of the bankrupt Commodore Hotel. He was also instrumental in steering the development of the Javits Convention Center on property he had an option on.
The development saga of the Javits Convention Center brought Donald Trump into contact with the New York City government when a project he'd estimated could've been completed by his company for $110 million ended up costing the city between $750 million to $1 billion. He offered to take over the project at cost but the offer was not accepted.[citation needed]
A similar situation would arise in the city's attempt to restore the Wollman Rink in Central Park--a project started in 1980 with an expected 2 1/2 year construction schedule that was still, with $12 million spent, nowhere near completion in 1986. Trump offered to take over the job at no charge to the city, an offer that was initially rebuffed until it received much local media attention. Trump was given the job which he completed in six months and with $750,000 of the $3 million budgeted for the project left over. (He used the left over money to renovate the adjacent skatehouse and restaurant.)
Interestingly, during the early 1980's, Trump retained the services of Roy Cohn, chief counsel to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations some three decades earlier.


Bankruptcy
By 1990, the effects of recession left Trump unable to meet loan payments. Trump financed the construction of his third casino, the $1 billion Taj Mahal, primarily with high-interest junk bonds. That put him at a disadvantage with competitors who used more of their own money to finance their projects, industry experts have said. Things were so bleak for Trump at this time that in the August 21, 1990, edition of the Jersey Record, columnist Mike Kelly wrote, "If we still had debtors' prisons, Trump would be in the dungeon." Kelly added that "Donald Trump is a Third World Nation."[citation needed] Although he shored up his businesses with additional loans and postponed interest payments, by 1991 increasing debt brought Trump to business bankruptcy[4] and the brink of personal bankruptcy.[5] Banks and bond holders had lost hundreds of millions of dollars, but opted to restructure his debt to avoid the risk of losing more money in court. The Taj Mahal re-emerged from bankruptcy on October 5, 1991, with Trump ceding 50% ownership in the casino to the original bondholders in exchange for lowered interest rates on the debt and more time to pay it off.[6]
On Nov 2, 1992, the Trump Plaza Hotel was forced to file a prepackaged Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection plan after being unable to make its debt payments. Under the plan, Trump agreed to give up a 49 percent stake in the luxury hotel to Citibank and five other lenders. In return Trump would receive more favorable terms on the remaining $550+ million owed to the lenders and retain his position as chief executive, though he would not be paid and would not have a role in day-to-day operations.[7]
By 1994, Trump had eliminated a large portion of his $900 million personal debt[8] and reduced significantly his nearly $3.5 billion in business debt. While he was forced to relinquish the Trump Shuttle (which he had bought in 1989), he managed to retain Trump Tower in New York City and control of his three casinos in Atlantic City. Chase Manhattan Bank, which lent Trump the money to buy the West Side yards, his biggest Manhattan parcel, forced the sale of a parcel to Asian developers. According to former members of the Trump Organization, Trump did not retain any ownership of the site's real estate--the owners merely promised to give him about 30 percent of the profits once the site was completely developed or sold. Until that time, the owners wanted to keep Trump on to do what he did best: build things. They gave him a modest construction fee and a management fee to oversee the development. The new owners also allowed him to put his name on the buildings that eventually rose on the yards because his well-known moniker allowed them to charge a premium for their condos.
In 1995, he combined his casino holdings into the publicly held Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts. Wall Street drove its stock above $35 in 1996, but by 1998 it had fallen into single digits as the company remained profitless and struggled to pay just the interest on its nearly $2 billion in debt. Under such financial pressure, the properties were unable to make the improvements necessary for keeping up with their flashier competitors.
Problems loomed for Trump's casino resorts. In a May 28, 2004, Wall Street Journal article, Trump said the specter of bankruptcy bothered him "from a psychological standpoint," but added, "it really wouldn't matter that much." A number of his bondholders disagreed. In the same article, Meyer Marvald, a Florida retiree who said he owned about $44,000 of the bonds, claimed "[Trump] has the Sword of Damocles hanging over our heads." On October 21, 2004, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts announced a restructuring of its debt.[9] The plan called for Trump's individual ownership to be reduced from 56 percent to 27 percent, with bondholders receiving stock in exchange for surrendering part of the debt. Since then, Trump Hotels has been forced to seek voluntary bankruptcy protection to stay afloat. After the company applied for Chapter 11 Protection in November 2004, Trump relinquished his CEO position but retained a role as Chairman of the Board. In May 2005[10] the company re-emerged from bankruptcy as Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings.[11]

Head to Head: Jaime Kennedy vs. Stone Cold


Head to Head: Jaime Kennedy vs. Stone Cold
C. Robert Cargill, Apr 27, 2007


Yari Film Group Releasing
Once again, it’s a weekend battle of head-to-head stars. In this corner, we have Jamie Kennedy, a man, that contrary to the desires of almost every film critic on the planet, still breathes and is making movies. And in the opposite corner, we have a professional wrestler, Stone Cold Steve Austin. Let’s drop the cage. Two men enter! One man leaves!
In the box office this weekend: Winner – Jamie Kennedy. You know, as much as I wish it weren’t so, there seems to be no satiating the public's thirst for lowbrow, uninspired comedies. So why should this weekend be any different? Funny or not, people will run out to see it. Besides, as much as I want The Condemned to be seven different kinds of awesome, it’s still a Running Man remake starring a wrestler. Not exactly confidence inspiring.
In the critical arena: Winner – a total wash. The guy from The Mask 2 or a professional wrestler. These are exactly the kinds of guys critics line up for blocks to take turns kicking the crap out of. No matter how good these movies actually prove to be, critics will be vicious in their assaults on the two.
In their careers: Winner – Stone Cold Steve Austin. Unless Jamie Kennedy does something truly genius and unlike anything we’ve seen from him before, he’s gonna be considered to have peaked with the Scream movies. But Stone Cold is a wrestler, and was the world heavyweight champion. Sure, laugh all you want, but I just met Rowdy Roddy Piper -- my hero when I was 8 years old and the star of one, count ‘em one, great movie, They Live! -- a few weeks back at a convention full of celebrities. He’s the one guy who got me nervous and giggling like a school boy. I meet and talk with celebrities for a living, but this guy who I idolized as a child reduced me to a stuttering mound of nerves. Austin will have work for the rest of his life if he embraces his fanbase and learns to love those 8-year-olds well into their thirties.
In a fight: Winner – Stone Cold Steve Austin. Have you every wondered how bright you are? Because if you have, here’s a simple test that you can perform in the privacy of your own home, right this very minute. If you in any way doubt Steve Austin’s ability to toss around Jamie Kennedy like a frisbee and play hackeysack with his manly bits, then you could be in need of professional help. This category is like handicapping a race between a Porsche and a ten-speed. Maybe, just maybe, if Austin were asleep when the fight started, the odds might be even. Otherwise, I gotta call it now.

C. Robert Cargill - - - Email Me

------------------------------------------Austin-based Cargill, who not only loves but owns The Cutting Edge, writes on movies and DVD five times a week.

Alec Baldwin Kicks Off His Apology Tour


Alec Baldwin Kicks Off His Apology Tour
The Evil Beet, Apr 27, 2007

Getty Images
In the wake of StupidThoughtlessLittlePig-Gate, Alec Baldwin has begun making the talk-show rounds to apologize for calling his 11-year-old daughter names clearly intended for his ex-wife on her voicemail. He started things off today with a pre-taped interview airing on The View, where he manages to kinda-sorta apologize for turning his anger toward Kim Basinger on his daughter and plug his website at the very same time (video here). Now that's talent!
Said Baldwin, "Obviously, calling your child a pig or anything else is improper and inappropriate, and I apologize to my daughter for that. There's nothing wrong with being frustrated or angry about the situation. It's the way you do it, and as people often do in this world, I took it out on the wrong person."
The embattled actor recently split from his agents at CAA, and the rumor mill is now reporting that he bailed because CAA also represents FunnyOrDie.com, which put together a (hilarious!) video of Alec Baldwin's voicemail addressed to Dora the Explorer. (FunnyOrDie.com is also responsible for the infamous Will-Ferrell-and-the-Drunken-Two-Year-Old-Landlord video, which has been quite the viral hit.)



Celebrity gossip with an evil twist.

Wrestler-Spective


Wrestler-Spective
Ethan Morris, Apr 27, 2007


Lionsgate Films Stone Cold Steve Austin's new movie The Condemned got me thinking about some other pro wrestlers who have tried to make it on the big screen. I was surprised at not only how many grapplers-turned-movie-stars came to mind, but how many of them I actually liked. So here are some of my favorite wrestlers who tried to go from heavyweight to Hollywood heavy-hitter.

WARNING: I have not included John Cena, who recently starred in The Marine, because I did not see the movie. Also, I saw it the first time when it was called Commando.

ANOTHER WARNING: I have not included any films starring The Rock, a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson, since I have not seen a single Rock movie, with the exception of The Mummy Returns. That is not to say that he is not a good actor. In fact, I believe someday Johnson will be remembered as an actor who once tried wrestling, not vice-versa.

My Top Five Favorite Ex-Wrestlers-Turned-Actors

5. Hulk Hogan in Rocky III -- What's the perfect movie role for an over-the-top professional wrestler? An even-more-over-the-top professional wrestler. Hogan plays "Thunderlips," a wrestler who shows Rocky just how not fake the sport is.

4. Captain Lou Albano in the Cyndi Lauper video -- Okay, this technically isn't a movie. And you can't rent it anywhere. And I don't even think you'll catch it on an episode of VH1's I Love the '80s. So I guess this is just one that Gen X'ers raised in the '80s will have the pleasure of remembering. Wrestlers just wanna have fun ... oh wrestlers just wanna have fun!

3. (Rowdy) Roddy Piper in John Carpenter's They Live -- I've read that this film was the first to feature a pro wrestler in the leading role ... even if it was a silly horror flick. While Piper isn't exactly an Olivier or De Niro, he's not terrible. Mostly I love this movie because of the unbelievably ridiculous fight scene, which was parodied in an episode of South Park.

2. Jesse Ventura in Predator -- In a movie chock-full of big bad-asses (Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke and Sonny Landham), Ventura holds his own and has some of the best lines. "I ain't got time to bleed." After Predator he was in The Running Man. After that, he took the only logical step for a professional wrestler turned actor -- he got into politics and became governor of Minnesota.

And finally ...

1. Andre the Giant in The Princess Bride -- Not the typical role you'd expect from a pro wrestler. Andre plays Fezzik, the gentle (when he wants to be) giant. He's hilarious, especially his rhymes. At least when you can understand what he's saying. Anybody want a peanut?

Ethan Morris: "Not always right, but never in doubt." Go ahead and write me.

What I'll Be Watching, April 27



Jace at Televisionary, Apr 27, 2007

BBC
8 pm: Absolutely Fabulous on BBC America.
What better way than to begin your weekend of debauchery than by starting it with two people even more pickled than you'll be? On tonight's "vintage" episode of AbFab ("The End"), Patsy moves to New York for a job and Edina joins a commune.
8:40 pm: Coupling on BBC America.
Revisit the Coupling gang way back when. On the first of two episodes tonight ("Flushed"), Steve tries to break up with Jane, while Susan and Patrick split. Ah, beginnings. Then it's "Size Matters," wherein Steve has some problems with his, er, image and Patrick invites Sally to a motor show.
* * *
Jace's blog, Televisionary, can be found at televisionary.blogspot.com.

Weekend Preview April 27th


MaryAnn Johanson, Apr 27, 2007


<<===Paramount Pictures


It is a sorry slate of films staring out at us from the multiplex schedule board this weekend. Honestly, just stay home. Or go see Hot Fuzz -- it's expanding to almost 1,300 venues, so if you couldn't find it near you last weekend, you've got a better chance now. Or see it again: I can tell you from experience that it gets funnier each time you see it.
Don't say I didn't warn you if you attempt one of the new wide releases. You could try Next if you're the kind of person who doesn't mind investing 90 minutes in a movie only to have the rug pulled out from under you in the last five minutes. You'll wish you could have seen into the future, like Nic Cage's character, so you could have saved yourself the bother, and the money. Seriously, I've never seen a movie cheat so badly as this one does in its last moments. You'll want to throw something at the screen.
The Condemned is a movie produced by the same people who bring us "professional" wrestling. 'Nuff said. (Some of the promotion of the film has been clever ... far cleverer than the film itself, I'm sure. What? No, of course I didn't see it.)
The Invisible -- the "He Is Dead People" movie -- and Kickin' It Old Skool, the -- *shudder* -- Jamie Kennedy/breakdancing movie, did not screen for critics. And we know what that means.
But apart from Hot Fuzz, you might find some worthy indies coming your way all of a sudden. The charming and suprisingly subversive Year of the Dog is up to 131 screens, and the arthouse action flick Black Book is up to 99. And what's this? Zodiac, for some inexplicable reason, is back up to 177 screens. If you missed one of the very best films of the year so far when it was first released, catch it now, and leave Nicolas Cage and his pathetic cheating psychic movie alone.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-MaryAnn Johanson (email me)reviews, reviews, reviews! at FlickFilosopher.com


some picture of film It started with a kiss

































































































Saturday, April 28, 2007

Joe Cheng




Kim Tae-hee Profile

Name: Kim Tae-hee (Kim Tae-hui, Gim Tae-hui)Korean name: 김태희Chinese name: 金泰熙 (金泰希)Birthdate: March 29, 1980Birthplace: Ulsan, South KoreaHeight: 165cmBlood type: OFamily: Parents, an elder sister and a younger brotherReligion: Christian (Roman Catholic)Education: Seoul National University (fashion design, graduated)Profession: Actress and model
[Join Asia Entertainment Forum for more Kim Tae-hee discussions]
Kim Tae-hee Biography
Kim Tae-hee started her entertainment career in modeling, and began acting in 1998.
Tae-hee’s noticable acting role only came in 2002 with TV sitcom “Let’s Go.” Then in 2003 Tae-hee began to gain real popularity with the evil sister character in “Stairway to Heaven,” co-starring Kwon Sang-woo and Choi Ji-woo.
Kim Tae-hee became one of Korean most popular actress after starring in 2004 popular romance “Love Story in Harvard,” starring alongside actor Kim Rae-won.
In 2006 Tae-hee made her movie debut with “Restless,” which was not a huge success by her popularity.
Kim Tae-hee has just started filming her latest TV drama recently, namely “Angel” or “Lobbyist.”
Why I like Kim Tae-hee
I was not a huge fan of Kim Tae-hee when I made this profile about her; in fact it was 2 of my good friends that are absolutely crazy about Tae-hee and I posted it for the sake for my friends lol.
I do like Kim Tae-hee though. I think she is pretty and cute, and can talk with her eyes. I like the mobile series of commercials she did too, pretty cool.
Kim Tae-hee Pictures and Photos
Galleries 1 l 2
Kim Tae-hee Related Websites
Official website (Korean)
Kim Tae-hee Contact
NAMOO ACTORS CO. LTD.5F SamKyung B/D 96-4 Nonhyun-Dong,Gang Nam-Gu,Seoul Korea
(quote from yummycelebrities.com)

Song Hye-kyo profile

Song Hye-kyo profileName: Song Hye-kyo (Song Hye-gyo, Song Hae-kyo)Korean name: 송혜교Chinese name: 宋慧乔 (宋惠喬)Nickname: Hakkyo (means school in Korean)Birthdate: November 22, 1981Birthplace: South KoreaHeight: 161cmBloodtype: AReligion: Roman CatholicFamily member: ParentsEducation: Sejong University (didn’t finish)Profession: ActressHobbies: Shopping, movies, music, stitching-knitting and perfumes collecting
[Join Asia Entertainment Forum for more Song Hye-kyo discussions]
Song Hye-kyo biography
When Song Hye-kyo was borned, she was sick and her parents and doctor thought she would never make it. Miracoulously Hye-kyo survived and her parents only registered her birth on February 26, 1982.
Song Hye-kyo was introduced into the entertainment world when she won the MTM model contest in 1996 and started appearing on some TV shows, she was just 15.
Song Hye-kyo breakthrough was in 2000 with popular TV drama “Autumn In My Heart” (also known as “Autumn Tale” or “Endless Love”) starring alongside Song Seung-hun and Won-bin.
Not only did she became one of the most popular actress in Korea with the series, the sad-romance drama swept across Asia. Song Hye-kyo and her co-actors became Asian superstar.
Song Hye-kyo starred in another Asian hit South Korean TV drama “Hotelier” in 2001 and once again won her fans with her performance in 2003 with “All In,” where she met Lee Byung-hun and started a relationship that ended in 2005.
Song Hye-kyo co-starred with rising Korean pop-singer Rain (Bi) in 2004 TV drama “Full House” and unsuprisingly, she won the heart of Asian fans once again.
Song Hye-kyo is also a popular face for TV commercials, and she starred her first movie in 2005 “My Girl and I” with Cha Tae-hyun. Her movie adventure was however not as successful as her TV adventure, but she is not giving up.
Song Hye-kyo is currently making a new movie based on the real life story of a 16th century kisaeng, “Hwang Jin-i.”
Why I like Song Hye-kyoSong Hye-kyo is probably not the love-at-first-sight type of girl, but the more you see her, the more you will like her.
I think Song Hye-kyo is pleasantly beautiful, and has the kind of girl-next-door feeling. Her popularity is not solely on her appearance, Hye-kyo is well known for her acting performance, she is a great actress.
(quote from yummycelebrities.com)

Ariel Lin Yi Chen Profile

Name: Ariel Lin Yi Chen (Lin I Cheng, Lam Yi San)Chinese name: 林依晨Birth date: October 29, 1982Birthplace: TaiwanHeight: 160cmBlood type: AEducation: National ChengChi University, NCCU (Korean study)Profession: Actress and singer
Hobbies: Acting, swimming, reading, singing, music, food, and travelFavorite color: Black, silver, and whiteFavorite food: Mum’s cooking, chocolate, pasta, Mongolian BBQ, and fruitsFavorite fruit: Strawberries, mango, apple, and grapesFavorite movies: LOTR trilogy, and Harry Porter series
[Join Asia Entertainment Forum for more Ariel Lin Yi Chen discussions]
Ariel Lin Yi Chen Biography
Ariel Lin was given major role since her debut in 2002 drama, “True Love.” Ariel continued to star in “Secret Garden” and “Seventh Grade,” and steadily building her fame and popularity.
Ariel Lin still continued her university study while making all the dramas.
Ariel Lin co-starred Mike He in “Love Contract” (2004) and with Joseph Zheng in “It Started With a Kiss” (2005). Both the melodramas were a hit, and Ariel become one of the most popular TV actresses in Taiwan.
Ariel Lin also starred in 2 movies and released a couple of music albums, but her other ventures are not as successful as a TV appearances.
Ariel’s latest drama is “Tokyo Juliet.” She is currently filming “The Legend of Condor Heroes” in China.
Why I like Ariel Lin Yi Chen
I think Ariel looks just ok, but I think she’s smart and her acting is pretty good… one of the best actresses in Taiwan at her age, definitely.
Ariel Lin Yi Chen Photos, Pictures and Videos
Galleries 1 — Videos 1
Ariel Lin Yi Chen Related Websites
Official Site (Chinese)

(quote from yummycelebrities.com)
Details
Title: 惡作劇之吻 / 恶作剧之吻 / E Zuo Ju Zhi Wen
English Title: It Started With A Kiss
Genre: Romance / Comedy
Episodes: TV: 20, DVD: 30
Broadcast network: CTV
Broadcast period: 2005 Sep 25 - 2006 Feb 12
Air time: Sundays 22:00 to 23:30
Opening theme song: Say U Love Me by Jason and Lara
Ending theme song: 惡作劇 (E Zuo Ju) Prank by Wang Lan Yin
Other theme songs: It Started with a Kiss OST
Related shows: It Started With A Kiss 2
[edit]
Synopsis
After an earthquake destroyed Xiang Qin's house, she and her father move in with her father's college buddy, uncle Ahli. To her surprise, the kind and amicable aunt and uncle are the parents of her cold and distant schoolmate Jiang Zhi Shu, a genius with an IQ of 200 whom not too long ago rejected Xiang Qin's endless crush on him for the reason that she isn't exactly very bright. Will the close proximity give her a second chance to win the boy's heart? Or, will she break down under his cold, cold words?
[edit]
Cast
Joe Cheng as Jiang Zhi Shu 江直樹
Ariel Lin as Yuan Xiang Qin 袁湘琴
Cyndi Chaw as Ah Li's wife
Zhang Yong Zheng as Jiang Ah Li
Tang Cong Sheng as Yuan Ah Cai
Zhang Bo Han as Jiang Yu Shu
Jiro Wang as Jin Yuan Feng 金元豐
Tiffany Xu as Pei Zi Yu 裴子瑜
Liu Rong Jia as Liu Ya Nong
Yang Pei Ting as Lin Chun Mei
Jason as Wang Hao Qian 王皓謙
Bianca Bai as Bai Hua Lan
Qian De Men (乾德門) as Direct Bai
Lai Zhi Wei as Du Jian Zhong
Wu Wen Hong as Ah Hong
Wang Di Jun as Zhang Lang
Chen Bo Zheng as Kong Ling Yang
Yao Cai Ying as Wen Zhen Guan
Hong Jiao Nang as Yang Da Xin / Xiang Qin's teacher
Lee Shiau Shiang as Chang Wu Ren
Yan Ya Lun as Chun Mei's boyfriend
Yvonne Yao as Zhi Shu's teacher
Kitamura Toyoharu
[edit]
Production Credits
Producer: Chen Zi Han 陳芷涵 / Jerry Feng 馮家瑞 / Qi Yang Lin 齊鍚麟 / Wang Xin Gue 王信貴
Director: Qu You Ning
Screenwriter: Qi Yang Lin 齊鍚麟
[edit]
Trivia
The series was based on the Japanese shoujo manga "Itazura na kiss" (Mischievous kiss) by Tada Kaoru. The are 23 volumes of the manga. There is no ending for the manga; the series was still running in Margaret when the author passed away at the age of 38 from a brain aneurysm.
Itazura na Kiss (TV Asahi, 1996) is the Japanese adaptation.
The filming of It Started with a Kiss lasted one entire year. Some scenes were filmed in different seasons, which resulted in many goofs.
The director, Qu You Ning, made two cameos in the drama: One as the fat, middle age woman on a bus who accuses Ah Jin was taking advantage of her and another as Zhi Shu's boyfriend in Xiang Qin's imagination (birthday gift giving scene).
The sequel is set to air in September 2007 due to the show's high ratings (60.1%, third most popular drama in the country) in Taiwan.
[edit]
External Links
CTV Homepage (http://www.ctv.com.tw/event/2005/kiss/)
GTV Homepage (http://www.gtv.com.tw/Program/S051420051001U/index.htm)
Japanese Official Site (http://itakiss.tv/index.html)
Retrieved from "http://wiki.d-addicts.com/It_Started_With_A_Kiss"
(quote from wiki.d-addicts.com)