World's longest sea bridge draws safety concerns

Beijing: Questions have been raised over the safety of the world's longest sea bridge that connects China's eastern Qingdao city with Huangdao Island, a media report said on Tuesday.

There are fears that in the rush to complete the construction ahead of its formal opening on June 30, some work on the bridge was left incomplete.

Several gaps were found in the crash barriers on the 42.5 kilometer Jiaozhou Bay Bridge. Bolts inserted to fasten the barriers were found to be loose or uncovered, the Shanghai Daily reported.

The bridge has seen nearly 18,000 cars crossing it daily since its opening.

The $2.3 billion Bridge, built to withstand earthquakes and typhoons, was expected to cut travel time between the two destinations by about 40 minutes.

The Shandong High-speed Group Co, which funded the project, said some barriers and bolts were removed to adjust wiring, which is a normal practice.

Workers toiled for four-and-a-half-years to build the bridge, which took the world's longest title from the 38.35 kilometer-long Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in the United States.

Computer-Hacking Group Targets Apple in Latest Attack

San Francisco:A group of computer hackers on Sunday posted a document it claimed contains usernames and passwords for an Apple Inc. server, the latest in a string of brazen attacks that have compromised government and corporate websites around the world.

"AntiSec," a hacking campaign that includes hackers from both the online vigilante group Anonymous and hackers from the now-defunct Lulz Security, posted a document containing a link to a supposed Apple server along with a list of 26 administrative usernames and passwords. AntiSec is Internet shorthand for "anti-security."

The hackers said in a statement posted to Twitter that they had accessed Apple's systems due to a security flaw used in software used by the Cupertino, Calif.-based gadget maker and other companies. "But don't worry," the hackers said, "we are busy elsewhere."

A spokesman for Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The posted information comes as part of a two-month campaign of digital heists targeting corporations including Sony Corp. and AT&T Inc., as well as government agencies such as the U.S. Senate, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Fox News political account on Twitter is hacked

NEW YORK : A series of alarming Twitter posts about President Barack Obama appeared on Fox News' Twitter account for political news early Monday morning, and the website for the cable television network said it was a victim of hacking.
The Twitter account, @foxnewspolitics, one of many operated by Fox News, claimed that the president was fatally shot while campaigning in Iowa, but gave no source for the news. On Monday morning, FoxNews.com first posted a brief statement saying that the reports were incorrect, and that it regretted "any distress the false tweets may have created."

The six messages were removed online around noon Monday, about 10 hours after they were first posted, but not before attracting a flurry of attention overnight and in the morning. more

Djokovic stuns Nadal to clinch Wimbledon title

LONDON: Novak Djokovic won his first Wimbledon title on Sunday, dethroning champion Rafael Nadal with a 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 triumph to celebrate his coronation as new world number one in style.

It was the 24-year-old Serb's third Grand Slam title, to add to his 2008 and 2011 Australian Open victories, and 50th win his last 51 matches.

Djokovic, who will succeed Nadal as world number one on Monday, also denied the Spaniard, the champion here in 2008 and 2010, an 11th Grand Slam title.

Djokovic went into the final with a 11-16 losing record against Nadal over their five-year rivalry but having won all four of their clashes in 2011 and all in finals.more

Panetta vows to keep US military 'strongest' in world

WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta vowed Friday to keep the US military the "strongest" in the world despite budget pressures, after being sworn in as the new Pentagon chief.

"As your leader, I will ensure that our nation continues to have the best-trained, best-equipped, and strongest military in the world -- a force prepared to confront the challenges that face us," Panetta wrote in his first message to troops after taking the oath of office at the Pentagon.

"Even as the United States addresses fiscal challenges at home, there will be no hollow force on my watch," Panetta said. "That will require us all to be disciplined in how we manage taxpayer resources," he said. more