Six In The Morning

Assad's revenge: rescue mission gets British photographer out alive – but 13 Syrians are killed in process 

Confusion reigns as President Sarkozy claims wounded French reporter has been liberated from Homs as well, only to go back on his word later

     Portia Walker , John Lichfield , Kim Sengupta  Wednesday 29 February 2012

There was deep concern last night over the whereabouts of three Western journalists who are believed to be trapped in the restive Syrian city of Homs after an overnight rescue attempt succeeded in extracting British photographer Paul Conroy, but which had also led to the death of at least 13 opposition activists who had volunteered for the operation.

It is understood that the mission to rescue Mr Conroy, whose leg was badly injured in a raid on the Baba Amr district of Homs last week that killed his Sunday Times colleague Marie Colvin and the photographer Remi Ochlik, also included a bid to rescue three other reporters. 

Giant prehistoric penguin is reconstructed in New Zealand

Kairuku was 30cm taller and 50% heavier than emperor penguin, the largest of the modern era

 

• Associated Press
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 29 February 2012 07.51 GMT

It has taken 26m years but scientists say getting the first glimpse at what a long-extinct giant penguin looked like was worth the wait.
Experts from New Zealand and the United States have reconstructed the fossil skeleton of one of the giant seabirds for the first time, revealing long wings, a slender build and a spear-like bill.
In research published this week in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the scientists say the bird they have dubbed Kairuku – Maori for "diver who returns with food" – stood about 1.3 metres tall or four feet and two inches, and had a body shape unique from any previously known penguin, living or extinct. Kairuku lived in the Oligocene period, about 26m years ago.

Beijing Wants Say in Choice of World Bank Head

By Gregor Peter Schmitz in Washington

Traditionally, the US gets to appoint the president of the World Bank. But China is keen to make its influence felt in the search for a successor to Robert Zoellick, who will step down in June. The next head may still be American, but he or she will need to get Beijing's blessing.

The first person to complain was a Brazilian. He saw "no reason" why the future president of the World Bank had to be of a certain nationality, Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said recently, speaking in the Brazilian capital Brasilia. Then came an angry outburst from Manila, where the Philippines' Finance Minister Cesar Purisima said that it was time to rethink the selection of the head of the World Bank. They were speaking in the aftermath of World Bank President Robert Zoellick's announcement on Feb. 15 that he would step down when his five-year term comes to an end on June 30.

Senegal's Wade glum at prospect of presidential runoff

 DAKAR, SENEGAL
The normally loquacious leader didn't take questions and appeared subdued as he met reporters for the first time since Sunday's contentious election, which was preceded by weeks of protests calling for the leader's departure. Reading from a prepared statement, Wade said that with more than half of the vote counted, he was leading 13 other candidates with 32.17%. He needs more than 50% to avoid a runoff.

Experts say that for the 85-year-old to remain in power he needed to win on the first round when the opposition was split between multiple candidates. In a runoff, his chances of winning are much slimmer because the opposition will be united behind a single contender.

 Diplomacy to seal Iran's fate
 By Victor Kotsev

 While the rhetoric between Iran and its enemies has reached new heights - with Iran's defense minister reportedly threatening the use of "hidden capabilities which are kept for rainy days" in response to a foreign attack - the diplomatic front is also busier than ever. A great deal of expectation is placed on the meeting between United States President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next Monday, just as a great deal of attention is focused on Israel's preparations to strike the Iranian nuclear program.

Yet while Israel is one of the noisiest participants in the stand-off, it is by far not the only important player to watch. From a long rostrum of powers with heavy stakes (Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and China immediately come to mind), Russia seems to be driving a particularly hard bargain with the US and its allies.

  29 February 2012 Last updated at 01:57 GMT

Razzies vs Oscars: Can bad movies ever be good?

By Kate Dailey BBC News Magazine

Truly bad movies can sometimes be more entertaining, and enlightening, than high art. But are their days numbered?

 

There are two types of bad movies: boring films with lacklustre scripts and ho-hum acting, or outlandish, offensive bombs with over-the-top performances, awful jokes and unbelievable plot lines.
The former are instantly forgettable. The Music Never Stopped, Terri and Priest, all flops from 2011, won't ring many bells.
But the latter incite anger in some fans and enthusiasm in others, drawn to the size and scale of the cinematic disaster