WORLD/ MUBARAK REFUSES TO STEP DOWN: Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak said tonight that he will stay in office and transfer all power only after September's presidential election. His comments in a national TV address confounded earlier reports today that he was preparing to stand down immediately. Mubarak said he would delegate some powers to Vice-President Omar Suleiman, but would ignore "diktats from abroad". Ten of thousands of anti-government protesters in central Cair, pictured above tonight, reacted angrily to his announcement. Egypt's military had earlier said it was standing ready to "protect the nation".
WORLD/ PERTH FIRE WAS AN ACCIDENT: An off duty Police Officer was charged with starting one of Perth, Australia's most devastating wildfires. Fire investigators claim sparks from an angle grinder being used by the police officer to fix a trailer caused Sunday's massive blaze. The fire ripped through the bush-fringed suburbs of Kelmscott and Roleystone on Sunday and Monday, destroying 72 homes and damaging 39 other properties before being brought under control. The fire ravaged community of Roleystone has rallied around the Officer because it appears to have been an accident. The Officer is said to be devastated at the destruction his actions have caused.
A proposal to grant civil unions in Hawaii appears to have the support of both houses of the Legislature and could be on its way to Gov. Neil Abercrombie by the end of next week. The measure, which was approved by the Senate last month, received initial approval of the full House today by a 32-18 vote, with 1 member absent. Senate Bill 232 faces a final vote by the House on tomorrow. Because changes were made, the Senate must agree to those changes before it can go to the governor, who is supportive of civil unions legislation. The bill would allow same-sex and heterosexual couples to enter into civil unions and receive the same rights, benefits and responsibilities as marriage under state law.
US/ ANOTHER REPUBLICAN'S "FAMILY VALUES" BRING HIM DOWN: Republican Congressman Christopher Lee of New York, a 2 term lawmaker, abruptly resigned last night after a shirtless photo of himself, which he had emailed to a woman, was published on the Internet. Lee’s office released a statement in which he asked for forgiveness. “I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents,” he wrote. “I deeply and sincerely apologize to them all. I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek their forgiveness". The resignation came hours after Gawker, a gossip Web site, published an email exchange that Lee, who is married and has a son, had with a 34 year old Maryland woman he had met through Craigslist. According to Gawker, Lee, who is 46, replied to a personal ad that the woman had placed in the “Women for Men” section of Craigslist, seeking a financially and emotionally secure man. Lee described himself as a 39-year-old divorced lobbyist. He said he was 6 feet tall, weighed 190 pounds, and had blond hair and blue eyes. After the woman responded flirtatiously, Lee sent a shirtless photo of himself that he had taken using the camera on his cellphone. When the woman asked him if he made it a habit to send shirtless photos of himself to women, Lee responded in another e-mail: “Sorry. Its all I had". Gawker said the woman, a government employee who asked not to be identified, eventually stopped contacting Lee after she searched for his name online and discovered that he was lying about his profession and his age. The woman then sent the emails to Gawker. In Congress, Lee had a reputation as a family values, social conservative, opposing, for example, DADT. Under New York law, it falls to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to call a special election to find a successor for Lee.
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