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Monday, July 19, 2010 – Daily News – 5A WORLD BRIEFING Seep, possible methane leak found near BP’s blown out well NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal official said Sunday that scientists are concerned about a seep and possible methane seen near BP’s busted oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. Both could be signs there are leaks in the well that’s been capped off for three days. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because an announcement about the next steps had not yet been made. The official is familiar with the spill oversight but would not clarify what is seeping near the well. The official said BP is not complying with the govern- ment’s demand for more moni- toring. BP spokesman Mark Salt declined to comment on the allegation, but said ‘‘we contin- ue to work very closely with all government scientists on this.’’ Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen will make the final decisions on the next step. The official said Allen would issue a letter to BP shortly allowing testing to proceed in 24-hour increments, but also requiring more analysis of the seep and the possible observation of methane over the well. Clinton pushes Afghanistan- Pakistan cooperation ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pak- istan and Afghanistan sealed a landmark trade deal Sunday as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pushed the two neighbors to step up civil- ian cooperation and work together against al-Qaida and the Taliban. Shortly after kicking off a South Asia trip aimed at refin- Afghan gov’t to ask donors to put money behind priorities KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — At an international confer- ence on Tuesday, the Afghan government will ask donors to put 80 percent of aid money behind programs that the Afghans — not foreign capitals — deem important to develop- ment. It’s a high-stakes meeting for ing the goals of the increasingly unpopular war in Afghanistan, Clinton looked on as the Afghan and Pakistani com- merce ministers signed the trade agreement. It was reached only after years of negotiation with recent and very active U.S. encouragement. The pact, which eases restrictions on cross-border transportation, must be ratified by the Afghan parliament and Pakistani Cabinet. U.S. offi- cials said they believe it will significantly enhance ties between the two countries, boost development and incomes on both sides of the border and contribute to the fight against extremists. ‘‘Bringing Islamabad and Kabul together has been a goal of this administration from the beginning,’’ said Richard Hol- brooke, the U.S. special repre- sentative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. ‘‘This is a vivid demonstration of the two countries coming closer together.’’ Despite the agreement, Clin- ton faces challenges in appeal- ing for greater cooperation between the neighboring nations on the nearly 9-year-old war, pressing Pakistan for more help in taking on militants accused of plotting attacks on the U.S., including the failed Times Square bombing, and stepping up action against extremists along the Afghan border. the Kabul government, which wants to show the world leaders attending that it’s making strides toward running its own affairs. Displaying a new streak of independence, Afghan officials are seeking to take the driver’s seat to guide their nation out of three decades of conflict. Hav- ing spent billions and lost so many troops in nearly nine years of war, the international community remains uneasy about letting go of the wheel. Still, the U.S. and other donor nations believe that strengthen- ing the Afghan government is the only way to end their mili- tary involvement in Afghanistan. ‘‘If after the Kabul Confer- ence, we do not embark on the delivery of the things that we promised to deliver, then the donors as well as everybody else has every right to com- plain about us and tell us we are not serious,’’ said Afghan Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal. Staffan de Mistura, the top U.N. official in Afghanistan who is co-chairing the meeting, said there is much work to be done to increase the capacity of the Afghan government. ‘‘The ministers know it ... we all know it,’’ he said. He called the conference a historic opportuni- ty for the Afghan government to renew its commitment to the people of Afghanistan. ‘‘Realignment will not be overnight,’’ he said. ‘‘It will be a process.’’ 100 Years of Scouting BSA – 2010 Special Commemorative Edition Of the D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY THE VOICE OF TEHAMA COUNT Y SINCE 1885 Saluting Tehama County Scouting Published Saturday, July 24, 2010 • Features on Tehama County Scout leaders attending Scouting’s 100th Anniversary Jamboree • Local Scouting participation and accomplishments • Exclusive features and articles on history of Scouting … and much more! Tehama County Businesses and Organizations! If you have sponsored Scouting, if your employees or members have been scouts or scout leaders, please join us in saluting Boy Scouting in Tehama County. Special pages containing exclusive features on Scouting will feature the advertisements in our July 24th edition that celebrate scouts, scout leaders and scouting. Two-page full color spread will highlight Tehama County scouts and scouting. Discounted rates available for Scout supported advertising in this edition. Advertising Space Reservation Deadline: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 Contact your Advertising Representative Today! 521-2151 advertise@redbluffdailynews.com PAY No more checks to write, stamps to buy, trips to the Daily News office to pay your paper bill, or big payments in advance to get a lower rate Now you can …. SAVE over 17% compared to the regular subscription price! with a painless charge every 13 weeks to your Visa or Mastercard. 13 weeks Home Delivery – only $ Other time increments available also at discounted rates. 530 527-2151 Or use our new online Subscription Concierge service: www.redbluffdailynews.com Click on Subscription Services, upper right on the home page. 24! For more information or to convert or extend your subscription, call Suicide bombers kill at least 48 BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber ripped through a line of anti-al-Qaida Sunni fighters wait- ing to collect their paychecks near an Iraqi military base as nearly 50 people were killed in violence west of Baghdad. The attack is the deadliest this year against the groups that turned against the terror network amid an apparent campaign by insurgents to undermine confidence in the government security forces and their allies. The attacks on the Awakening Council members highlighted the daunting security challenges the country faces as the U.S. works to withdraw all combat troops in Iraq. The first attack Sunday morn- ing by a single bomber with an explosive vest killed at least 45 people and wounded more than 40 at a checkpoint near a military base in the mostly Sunni district of Radwaniya southwest of Bagh- dad. Some 150 Sunni fighters had lined up to collect their paychecks when the bomber struck, accord- ing to witnesses. Obamas enjoy weekend of hiking, biking in national park BAR HARBOR, Maine (AP) — President Barack Obama and the first family said goodbye to Maine on Sunday after an ener- getic weekend vacation along the Atlantic coast. The president, first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha boarded a small military jet serving as Air Force One and took off from the Bar Harbor airport, returning to the White House by midday. The Obamas spent much of their time hiking and biking in Acadia National Park. They also played tennis, went boating and enjoyed the food in the resort town of Bar Harbor. From the moment they arrived on Friday, it was clear they were determined to make the most of their time, much of it spent in the park. The Obamas set the tone right away, motorcading straight from the airport to a park bike trail for an hour of cycling. What followed was a whirl of outings, as their motorcade crisscrossed Mount Desert Island. They went boating on Frenchman Bay, hiked on a park nature trail, played tennis, hung out at the pool, toured a lighthouse, had lunch and dinner at harborside restaurants and — of course — stopped for ice cream. Even their dog Bo had fun, playfully wrapping up a Coast Guard lighthouse keeper in the leash Sasha, 9, was holding. Growers warn of ’McDonald’s- ization’ of pot OAKLAND (AP) — After weathering the fear of federal prosecution and competition from drug cartels, California’s medical marijuana growers see a new threat to their tenuous existence: the ‘‘Wal-Marting’’ of weed. The Oakland City Council on Tuesday will look at licensing four production plants where pot would be grown, packaged and processed into items rang- ing from baked goods to body oil. Winning applicants would have to pay $211,000 in annual permit fees, carry $2 million worth of liability insurance and be prepared to devote up to 8 percent of gross sales to taxes. The move, and fledgling efforts in other California cities to sanction cannabis cultivation for the first time, has some mar- ijuana advocates worried that regulations intended to bring order to the outlaw industry and new revenues to cash-strapped local governments could drive small ‘‘mom and pop’’ growers out of business. They complain that industrial-scale gardens would harm the environment, reduce quality and leave con- sumers with fewer strains from which to choose. home-delivered subscription to Convert your Daily News