Shutdown '"Completely Preventable" - Obama

President Barack Obama has said a government shutdown that idles hundreds of thousands of workers and closes museums and parks nationwide was "completely preventable".

The US leader said he would try to get Congress to restart operations as soon as possible.

America woke up to the shutdown after a deeply polarised Congress failed to agree a new budget in a dispute over Mr Obama's signature health care law.

Mr Obama blames the shutdown on the Republicans

"This shutdown was completely preventable. It should not have happened," Mr Obama said in a letter to government employees.

As the shutdown entered into force, "closed" signs and barricades sprang up at the Lincoln Memorial, museums and federal workplaces across the country.

The White House was operating with minimum staff, including household workers taking care of the first family's residence and presidential aides working in the West Wing.

The shutdown means non-essential services are closing.

That includes some of America's most famous tourist attractions, such as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island in New York, and Alcatraz Island near San Francisco.

Almost all of NASA shut down, except for Mission Control in Houston, and national parks closed along with the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo. Even the zoo's popular panda cam went dark, shut off for the first time since a cub was born there in late August.

The shutdown affects national parks such as Yellowstone

Workers classified as essential government employees, such as air traffic controllers or Border Patrol agents, continue to work. Members of parliament are deemed essential and will also continue to work.

Up to 800,000 government employees are furloughed. More than a million others could be asked to work without pay.

It is the first US shutdown in 17 years, with analysts concerned about its potential impact on Wall Street and global markets.

A lot will depend on how long it takes politicians to bridge their differences – and there was no immediate sign of compromise on Capitol Hill.

The last shutdown, under the Clinton Administration, lasted 21 days between December 1995 and January 1996.

For now, Democrats and Republicans keep blaming each other.

The Republicans had insisted on delaying the healthcare reform – known as Obamacare - as a condition for passing a bill.

But this approach was rejected by allies of the president, in a series of back-and-forth moves between the Republican-controlled House and the Democrat-dominated Senate.

House Speaker John Boehner said Mr Obama refused to negotiate

In the last of such moves, the Senate reconvened in the morning and quickly rejected the House's call to form a negotiating committee to consider delaying the healthcare law in exchange for restarting the government.

Mr Obama's communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, said the White House was open to changes in the healthcare law in future negotiations, but not as part of passing a budget bill.

"What we're not going to do is entertain those kinds of solutions when there is a gun pointed to your head," Ms Palmieri told MSNBC.

The Republicans insisted the fault rested with Democrats who they said were unwilling to make any changes to Obamacare.

House Speaker John Boehner said he did not want a government shutdown, but added the health care law "is having a devastating impact. ... Something has to be done."

The Democrats accused the Republicans of succumbing to the Tea Party hard-line conservatives and seeking to gain political advantage at the expense of citizens.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said: "The government is closed because of the irrationality of what's going on on the other side of the Capitol."

Meanwhile, Obamacare itself was unaffected and enrolment opened for millions of people shopping for medical insurance.

The president was to meet with citizens signing up for his healthcare programme and then make a lunch-hour speech in the Rose Garden.

The House of Liberty can be seen only from a distance

The shutdown is likely to further alienate citizens already largely disillusioned by their ruling class and for the most part disappointed with the president's performance, according to the latest polls.

Marc Cevasco, who works in the Department of Veterans Affairs, said the uncertainty of how long the shutdown would last made his uneasy.

"Even if it's just shut down for a week that's a quarter of your pay this month. That means a lot to a lot of people," he said.

The political dysfunction at the Capitol also raised fresh concerns about whether Congress can meet a crucial mid-October deadline to raise the government's $16.7trn debt ceiling.

This would force the country to default on its obligations, dealing a potentially painful blow to the economy and sending shockwaves around global markets.

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China Puffer Fish Tower Row Blows Up Online

A viewing tower built in the shape of a giant puffer fish has caused a storm of protest on Weibo, China's version of Twitter.

Encased in 8,920 copper plates and built at a cost of around 70m yuan (£7m), the building on an island in Yangzhong county in the province of Jiangsu, hovers 15 storeys above ground.

The People's Daily, the Chinese government's main mouthpiece, reported that Yangzhong aimed to promote the puffer fish as the world's biggest metal construction in terms of volume.

The tower is just the latest example of what many in the world's second largest economy believe to be costly vanity projects.

A giant vase of flowers has been installed in Tiananmen Square

"To spend so much money on something so meaningless, I really admire these 'wealthy' people," Mother988 said, with apparent heavy irony.

Even The People's Daily acknowledged that the construction had divided opinion.

"Once this giant puffer made its appearance, it caused a heated debate online," it said.

Public records show Jiangsu's local government bodies are the most indebted in the country.

The puffer fish is covered in 8,920 copper plates

Jiangsu has said its debt is manageable, but this week announced plans to control land sales, becoming the first Chinese government to do so.

A giant vase of flowers installed in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to celebrate China's National Day has also prompted furious debate after a newspaper revealed it cost 570,000 yuan (£57,000).

The pot, topped with huge fake flowers and imitation peaches, is 13m high and 11m in diameter.

The state-run Beijing Youth Daily said that the display cost 8,000 yuan more than the previous year's installation.

"Who permitted spending taxpayer's money in this way?" one user of Sina Weibo wrote.

A huge flower is lifted into place by workers in Beijing

Another wrote: "570,000! That money could be put to much better use."

Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged to reduce government waste, introducing a ban on new government buildings and guidelines for banquets since coming to power.

Central Henan province drew controversy in 2011 when a state-backed charity tried to build an eight-storey sculpture of Song Qingling, the second wife of modern China's founding father Sun Yat Sen - but the building was scrapped half-way through.

The eastern province of Zhejiang also came under the spotlight after it modelled one of its city court houses on Capitol Hill.

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Baby Breakthrough: Infertile Woman Gives Birth

A 30-year-old infertile woman has given birth to a baby in Japan after doctors used a new technique to "reawaken" her ovaries into producing eggs again.

The experimental technique, developed by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine in California, is in its early stage and was only tried on a small group of Japanese women with a specific kind of infertility problem.

The condition, known as primary ovarian insufficiency, affects about 1% of women and causes the ovaries to stop working before the age of 40.

Egg donation is the only option for women who enter menopause at a young age if they want to attempt to carry a pregnancy.

However, scientists now hope the breakthrough can also help women in their early 40s who have trouble becoming pregnant because of their age.

Medics at the St Marianna University School of Medicine in Kawasaki, Japan, used the technique in an experiment on 27 women who had an average age of 37.

Pic: Kazuhiro Kawamura, who performed the C-section

The women stopped menstruating nearly seven years earlier on average and agreed to have both ovaries removed, according to a report published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Of this group, 13 women were found to still have residual follicles, which typically contain one immature egg.

Human females are born with about 800,000 of these follicles. Most will remain dormant, but normally one follicle develops to maturity each month and releases an egg.

"Our treatment was able to awaken some of the remaining primordial follicles and cause them to release eggs," said Aaron Hsueh, senior author of the report and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University.

The ovaries were dissected and treated with stimulant drugs to block a certain growth pathway that causes the follicles to stay dormant.

Small pieces of the ovaries were then transplanted back into the women, near their fallopian tubes.

Eight of the 13 women showed signs of follicle growth, and were treated with hormones to stimulate ovulation.

From that group, five developed mature eggs, which the researchers harvested for in vitro fertilisation using the sperm of the women's partners.

One woman received two embryos and carried a single pregnancy to term and gave birth to a son in Tokyo last December.

The child was delivered by C-section - because the foetus was in a breech position at 37 weeks - by the report's lead author Kazuhiro Kawamura, associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the St Marianna University.

Aaron Hsueh, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Stanford University

"Although I believed, based on our previous research, that this in vitro activation (IVA) approach would work, I monitored the pregnancy closely and, when the baby was in a breech presentation, I performed the Caesarean section myself," said Mr Kawamura.

"I could not sleep the night before the operation, but when I saw the healthy baby, my anxiety turned to delight.

"The couple and I hugged each other in tears. I hope that IVA will be able to help patients with primary ovarian insufficiency throughout the world."

He said the mother hoped to have another child with one of the frozen embryos in storage from her treatment.

Of the other four women who also developed mature eggs, one is pregnant, two are preparing for embryo transfer or are undergoing additional egg collection and one woman was implanted with an embryo, but failed to become pregnant.

The researchers are now planning to investigate whether the technique could help counteract other causes of infertility, such as cancer treatment.

Alan Copperman, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology at Mt Sinai Medical Center in New York, said he applauded the US-Japanese team's "novel approach to an age-old problem", but added that it was "extremely premature to comment on the widespread potential for this procedure to help women with ovarian failure to achieve reproductive success".

Other experts expressed caution at the results.

"It shows a lot of promise (but) I don't think it's even close to being ready (for routine use)," said Dr Mark Sauer, of the Columbia University Medical Center in New York.

Dr Amber Cooper, of Washington University, St Louis, said the technique was "very much an experimental method".

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Athlone Child Rape Charges: Man In Court

By Vicki Hawthorne, Ireland Correspondent

A 30-year-old man has been charged with the rape of two young girls in Ireland.

It is alleged that the children, aged nine and six, were attacked on Saturday in the town of Athlone in County Weastmeath.

The man, who cannot be identified, has been charged with four counts of rape. 

A police officer told the court that the man had made no reply when the charges were put to him.

Members of the Irish police armed support unit were in attendance during Tuesday's short hearing at Longford District Court.

As the accused was driven away from court a crowd of up to 30 people who had gathered at the back gates jeered and shouted.

The case has sparked anger among the community in Athlone. 

A protest involving up to 300 residents was held outside the police station throughout Monday. People taking part said they wanted to show support for the families of the two alleged victims.

The accused has been remanded in custody and will appear before a court again on October 4.

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'Plastic' Found On Saturn Moon Titan

Scientists have discovered an ingredient of plastic on one of Saturn's moons - the first time the material has been detected on another world.

Nasa's Cassini spacecraft made the remarkable discovery using its infrared spectrometer that can 'feel' heat radiation the same way our hands feel warmth from a fire.

Every chemical has a unique thermal fingerprint and Cassini's spectrometer has isolated traces of propylene - the same chemical used to make food containers - in the lower levels of Titan's atmosphere.

Cassini made the discovery after landing on Titan in 2004

Although it was previously suspected propylene might be present on Titan this is the first time scientists have confirmed its existence with a measure of certainty.

Researchers say the discovery is the missing link in Titan observations that date back to Nasa's Voyager 1 space probe which passed Saturn's moon in 1980.

Back then, Voyager discovered many of Titan's gases were hydrocarbons such as propane and propyne. But the middle chemical propylene has remained the elusive element until now.

An artist's impression of the hazy atmosphere and surface of Titan

Nasa scientist Scott Edgington said: "I am always excited when scientists discover a molecule that has never been observed before in an atmosphere.

"This new piece of the puzzle will provide an additional test of how well we understand the chemical zoo that makes up Titan's atmosphere."

Nasa's infrared spectrometer investigator Michael Flasar said: "This measurement was very difficult to make because propylene's weak signature is crowded by related chemicals with much stronger signals.

Nasa has been studying Titan since the first Voyager probe launched in 1977

"This success boosts our confidence that we will find still more chemicals long hidden in Titan's atmosphere."

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a co-operative project of Nasa, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency managed by Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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GTA V: Rockstar Warns Of 'Online Problems'

Grand Theft Auto V fans looking forward to the multiplayer version of the game could end up experiencing glitches and connection problems.

The UK developer of the hit game, Rockstar North, said "plenty of issues are bound to occur" and it was "working around the clock to buy and add more servers" to support Grand Theft Auto Online.

Some users - posting shortly after Tuesday's launch - said they were already having problems connecting.

Cal tweeted: "GTA V online is a waste of time at the minute. Absolute server overload!! Going to have to make do with reality."

The online game will let up 16 players team up

Tyler Deshaun ‏added: "Am I the only one that can't get online on GTA V right now?? Server is terrible."

Rockstar tweeted: "For those trying to get into GTA Online today, please bear w/ us on some day one tech connection issues that we're working to stabilize asap".

Sales of GTA V are estimated to have easily topped 10 million since its launch on September 17 - more than expected. It also broke sales records by pulling in £496m ($800m) in just 24 hours.

But the online feature could suffer as a result of its own success as gamers rush to team up with one another.

In a blog post ahead of launch, Rockstar said: "One thing we are already aware of, and are trying to alleviate as fast as we can, is the ... additional pressure on the servers due to a significantly higher number of players than we were anticipating at this point."

The game made nearly $1bn in its first day - a record for a game or film

The Edinburgh-based company will be hoping to avoid the backlash Electronic Arts received over its botched SimCity launch in March, when many gamers reported long delays logging on to the internet to play, as well as crashes.

SimCity developer Maxis later admitted it had been "dumb" not to anticipate the level of demand.

Rockstar also warned that potentially-amusing in-game "crashes, glitches, crazy bugs" would likely be discovered in the first few weeks of online GTA V.

As it noted, such teething troubles are not uncommon and it wants gamers to provide feedback so they can be ironed out.

GTA V Online will let up to 16 players team up over the internet to carry out heists or indulge in a spot of racing around the Southern California landscape. The multiplayer game narrative is set a few months before the storyline in the single-player mode.

Many players on the Rockstar blog are already posting invitations for other gamers to join their "crews".

The 18-rated guns and gangsters game - which had a £170m ($274m) budget - has been widely praised by critics and the public.

Games website IGN called it a "masterpiece", and one of the greatest video games ever made.

Edge magazine called it a "remarkable achievement" that sent a message to the rest of the industry.

However, the game has also reignited concerns among some people about video game violence and the portrayal of women.

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Sydney Petrol Tanker 'Inferno' Kills Two

Two people have been killed and at least five others injured after a petrol tanker exploded in Sydney.

It is understood the tanker was in collision with multiple vehicles and burst into flames on impact in a residential area in the city's northern suburbs.

A number of buildings nearby, including a factory, were evacuated as a precaution, New South Wales police said.

Emergency services were alerted to the blast in Mona Vale Road at about 3.40pm (5.40am UK time) on Tuesday.

Firefighters arrived at the scene to find the tanker and several vehicles alight, and burning petrol flowing down the road, fuelled by more than 18,000 litres of fuel which had leaked from the tanker.

Footage filmed by a passer-by showed flames leaping as high as the trees in the leafy suburb, and giant plumes of black smoke from the explosion, described by one witness as an "absolute inferno".

All those injured in the explosion were reportedly take to Royal North Shore Hospital, three in a serious condition.

Tthe driver of the tanker, who was airlifted to hospital with head injuries, was among them.

"We heard a massive scraping noise. We actually thought it was thunder and this big, black ball of smoke shot into the air followed by 50 feet of flames," witness Adrian Hybner told The Sydney Morning Herald.

"A couple of us went across the road and went through a property that backed onto Mona Vale Road but it was an absolute inferno and then further explosions started to happen. We couldn't do anything".

He added: "There was this guy that has walked away from the truck stumbling down the road, walking away from the truck. The fire was literally 100m long."

Firefighters brought the blaze under control and remained at the scene to deal with the fuel spillage.

Commissioner Greg Mullins, of Fire and Rescue NSW, said: "When they turned up they found a petrol tanker, around about 18,000 litres, on its side.

"Petrol had come out and was well alight so the flames were up 20-30 metres at one stage.

"Thick black smoke was engulfing the Blackmores factory next door ... around 200 people were quickly evacuated. A number of cars caught fire"

He added: "Onlookers reported numerous explosions ... so it's actually quite miraculous that there haven't been more casualties."

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Greece's Golden Dawn MPs Appear In Court

Four MPs from Greece's extremist right-wing Golden Dawn party have appeared in court amid tight security.

Anti-terrorist squad officers escorted the men into the building, as a few dozen supporters gathered outside applauded.

They face charges of belonging to a criminal organisation after being arrested in a crackdown, sparked by the killing of a Greek rap artist.

The attack was allegedly carried out by a party supporter, although Golden Dawn has denied any connection.

Police recovered wine bottles with pictures of dictator Mussolini on

The four are among 22 people detained, including the party's leader and his deputy, following the fatal stabbing of anti-fascist musician Pavlos Fyssas, which led to public protests across Greece. Arrest warrants have also been issued for another 10 people.

Three members of the far-right party were escorted into court earlier to answer charges.

The four MPs brought to court were party spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris, Yannis Lagos, Nikos Michos, and Ilias Panagiotaros.

Party leader Nikolaos Mihaloliakos is due to appear in court on Wednesday, and his deputy Christos Pappas on Thursday.

Nazi helmets were found at the home of deputy leader Christos Pappas

Searches of the homes and offices of members, recovered Nazi memorabilia.

In the home of deputy leader Christos Pappas, Nazi flags and helmets were found, along with wine bottles labelled with pictures of Italian Fascist leader Benito Mussolini, and a handgun.

Police also seized a rifle, knife, club and cannabis from a car of Golden Dawn members.

The clampdown has prompted a shake-up of the Greek police, in light of evidence indicating that Golden Dawn cells were operating within the force.

Two officers have been arrested in connection with the inquiry, and several senior officers have been suspended or replaced.

A handgun was among the items seized by police in property searches

It is the first time since the end of Greece's military dictatorship in 1974 that sitting members of the Greek Parliament have been arrested.

The Government also said it would introduce legislation to target racist hate speech.

Golden Dawn rose from a fringe group to become Greece's third most popular party in recent years, riding on a wave of anger over the country's deep financial crisis.

It won nearly 7% of the vote, and gained 18 seats, in the country's 300-member parliament in elections last year.

Party members, and even politicians, have frequently been accused in the past of being behind numerous violent attacks.

While activists and victims have welcomed the crackdown, they argue the authorities should have acted sooner.

About 300 serious assaults by far-right gangs have been recorded in Greece in the past two years - equivalent to three per week, according to a group created to monitor hate crimes.

The Racist Violence Recording Network said nearly all involve multiple attackers, with about half of the cases resulting in serious injuries such as stab wounds or broken bones.

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Anastacia: Singer Has Double Mastectomy

Singer Anastacia has undergone a double mastectomy after she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time earlier this year.

In February the US star cancelled her planned European tour, which was due to start in London on April 6.

The 45-year-old, who was a guest judge on The X Factor last year, has now updated her fans as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

She said in a statement: "In light of Breast Cancer Awareness Month I wanted to take the opportunity to support a cause particularly close to my heart.

"I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time earlier this year and am currently in the final stages of recovery after undergoing a double mastectomy."

Anastacia was first diagnosed in 2003

She added: "It has been an intense journey but I am feeling great and ready to start the next chapter.

"Breast Cancer Awareness Month gives all who are facing this disease a chance to gain strength and support from each other.

"Early detection has saved my life twice. I will continue to battle and lend my voice in any way I can."

The I'm Outta Love singer said she underwent a double mastectomy with Latissimus Dorsi flap surgical procedure, which involves using muscle and skin from the upper back to reconstruct the breasts.

She was first diagnosed with the disease in 2003 but made a full recovery following radiotherapy and surgery, before her second diagnosis this year.

Angelina Jolie revealed earlier this year that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy to reduce her risk of developing breast cancer.

And X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne confirmed in November that she had undergone a double mastectomy.

She beat colon cancer a decade ago but opted for surgery after finding she carried a gene which increased the risk of developing breast cancer.

Former Liberty X singer Michelle Heaton also had a double mastectomy late last year after she was diagnosed with a mutated BRCA2 gene, which meant she had an 80% chance of developing breast cancer and a 30% chance of ovarian cancer.

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New York Bike Path Stabbings: Five Injured

A man wielding a pair of scissors has stabbed five people, including a toddler, on a bike path in New York City.

Reports said a "madman" went on the rampage, attacking people at random near Riverside Drive in Manhattan on Tuesday morning.

Officers said all of the victims are expected to survive, although a woman in her 30s is in a critical condition.

"The guy is a nut. He just took a pair of scissors and started stabbing everyone randomly, including a two to three-year-old child," a police source told the New York Post.

A cyclist who had been slashed went to a Department of Sanitation building on West 59th Street and told workers people had been attacked near a bike path and were bleeding and needed help, the paper said.

A sanitation worker called 911 and ran to the scene to give victims first aid.

Vincent Mallard, 49, a security guard at a nearby building site, said he saw one of the victims, a female jogger about 18 to 20 years old, covered in blood.

"Three ladies were walking up 59th Street. As they got closer, I saw the blood on her neck, arm and back," he told the New York Post.

"She was crying in agony. She told me that a man cut her on the neck. She was panicked.

"I stopped her because I saw police cars down the other end of the street. I ran out into the middle of the street and flagged one down.

"The other two were trying to keep her calm, but they were frantic as well. The cops convinced them to get in the car, and they took off."

Police have arrested a man and are questioning him over the attack.

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