6 Reasons They (recruiters) Didn't Call You Back

In the best of times responding to a job listing can feel like sending your resume out to sea in a bottle. But at least you received a call or an email acknowledgement. Now, with the volume of applicants higher than ever, you're more likely to hear nothing.

If there is a resounding silence from your queries, keep looking and networking. But you can also do some sleuthing to give you a better chance of standing out next time. Recruiters and career experts agree that, if you didn't get an interview or phone call -- or even a thank-you email -- it may be due to at least one of six reasons.

1. They're just not that into you.

You're good, but someone else more closely met the qualifications. In a tight job market employers can usually get exactly the type of candidate they want. A polite "thanks, but no thanks" letter or email would be nice. But don't expect it these days.

2. They may be into you, as soon as they get to you.

Companies receive so many submissions these days that they don't even have time to send out letters or confirmation emails. "I know a major software company that's taking more than three weeks just to send out acknowledgement notes, and some companies are spending months sifting through resumes for just one opening," workplace etiquette expert Sue Fox tells Yahoo! Hot Jobs.

3. They would have been into you if you had followed directions.

"Many job listings use the word 'must,' not 'it would be nice to,'" according to Dave Opton, CEO and founder of ExecuNet. "If it says you must have experience in X, then tailor your resume to show that," Opton says.

If you're answering a job listing, be sure you respond in exactly the way the company wants. And be aware that if you're not applying for a specific job but rather sending out dozens or hundreds of form letters, your resume is likely to end up in companies' spam folders.

4. They might be into you if you apply for a more appropriate job.

Independent recruiter Cheryl Ferguson tells Yahoo! HotJobs that many job seekers are overqualified, under-qualified, or otherwise just wrong. "If we need to fill a specific job, and you're not right for it, don't assume that we're going to find the right fit for you. A lot of times people send me resumes, and I want to ask, 'Did you even read the job description?'"

5. Your presentation could use some work.

"A lot of mistakes I see are a lack of cover letter, and an objective statement on the resume that is all wrong for the job opening," says Lindsay Olson, partner and recruiter at Paradigm Staffing. "Even worse are obviously mass emails where the candidates had no clue what they were applying for."

6. There isn't any job.

Sometimes, due to last minute budget cuts, a position is eliminated before it's even filled. Other times, according to Olson, companies reel in resumes even when they know there isn't any opening. "Some companies want a big applicant pool because they think they may be hiring in the future," Olson said.

How can you learn what happened?

If you feel like your resume is out at sea, and you'd at least like confirmation that you're out of the running, there are things you can do.

1. Contact the company.

Yes, the ad had a NO CALLS warning, and there wasn't a name anyway. But if you're pretty sure you're right for the job, and you've heard nothing after a week, you can still call someone to find out if you're at least in the running. Try to find the hiring manager (HR is too busy, and they almost never want to hear from you).

"If you do follow up by phone, don't leave a voice mail," Opton says. "Early in the morning or after five you're more likely to reach a real person."

2. But don't be a pest.

"If you've had an interview and sent your thank-you letter, wait a week to call," Fox says. One or two emails are OK, but three will probably look desperate, she adds. "And never, ever, show up at the company without an interview and demand to be seen. It will backfire."

3. Re-read the job posting.

Did the resume you sent really fit the job requirements? Or were you hoping they would find another job just for you? "I love it when a candidate has done the homework and already knows the company and the position," Ferguson says. "It makes it easier for both of us."

4. Take a look at your resume.

Get a second opinion, and a third. Does it present you in the right light? Is it professionally formatted? Does it feature accomplishments, rather than merely job titles and dates?

5. Step up the networking.

"It's always best to network your way into a position," Opton says. "You'll get a lot more individual attention than someone responding to a job listing."

Suicide bomb hits Pakistan border - BBC News

Suicide bomb hits Pakistan border

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Khyber Pass bomb kills at least 22

A suicide bomber in Pakistan has killed at least 22 guards at a checkpoint in the Khyber Pass on the border with Afghanistan, officials said.

The bomber approached on foot as guards were breaking their Ramadan fast, local police said.

The blast was the first major attack since the killing of the Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud earlier this month.

The BBC's Orla Guerin in Islamabad says the Khyber Pass is a lifeline for the Nato-led foreign forces in Afghanistan.

Lengthy supply convoys pass through every day, and it has been a frequent target for Taliban militants.

The blast completely destroyed a tribal police checkpoint at the Torkham border crossing in Pakistan's Khyber Agency - the autonomous region linking Pakistan's North West Frontier Province to Afghanistan.

Government bullish

Witnesses said the suicide bomber walked into the police offices and blew himself up at a table spread for Iftar, the traditional breaking of the Ramadan fast.

Ali Raza, an official in the administration office, told the Associated Press that he heard a huge explosion in the building next door.

"We rushed out and saw destruction all around," he said, adding that he helped rush the wounded to a hospital.

Several of those injured told Mr Raza that they had seen someone they described as a young boy carrying what looked like jugs of water for the security officers, AP reported, but it could not be confirmed if he was the bomber.

The latest attack came hours after a drone attack in South Waziristan killed at least four militants.

A militant hideout was targeted in the South Waziristan tribal region, Pakistani intelligence officials said, the same region where a strike earlier this month killed Baitullah Mehsud.

Earlier, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik said recent army successes in Swat, Waziristan and elsewhere had broken the back of the country's insurgency.

In a BBC interview, Mr Malik also said Pakistani intelligence reports suggested that many foreign al-Qaeda fighters were now leaving Pakistan for Somalia, while others were returning to their home countries, including Sudan and Yemen.

Correspondents say Pakistan's military has made significant advances, but there is still a long way to go before the Taliban and al-Qaeda can be described as being defeated.

Japan unemployment hits new high - BBC News

Japan unemployment hits new high

By Roland Buerk BBC News, Tokyo

The recession is officially over, but the effect has yet to be felt

Japan's unemployment rate rose to a record 5.7% in July in figures released just days before a general election.

Companies are continuing to lay off workers even though the economy has returned to growth after the most bruising recession for decades.

The state of Japan's economy is the key issue in the election campaign.

Opinion polls show the Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed for 53 of the last 54 years, faces defeat in the election.

News that the unemployment rate has risen to the highest since the Second World War is a blow for the Prime Minister Taro Aso.

Opinion polls show his Liberal Democratic Party was already on course for defeat on Sunday for only the second time in more than 50 years.

In July, 3,590,000 Japanese were out of work in July, over a million more than a year ago.

Japan's crushing recession is officially over, but the benefits are yet to be felt by families and workers.

Other figures released in Tokyo show core consumer prices fell by 2.2% in July from a year earlier, the fastest pace on record.

Japan was stuck in a deflationary spiral for years after an asset price bubble burst at the start of the 1990s.

Shoppers put off purchases in the expectation of prices falling further, causing the economy to stagnate.

US envoy 'in angry Karzai talks' - BBC News

US envoy 'in angry Karzai talks'

By Ian Pannell BBC News, Kabul

Mr Karzai was elected president of Afghanistan in 2004

The US special envoy to Afghanistan has held an "explosive" meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai over the country's election, the BBC has learnt.

Richard Holbrooke raised concerns about ballot-stuffing and fraud, by a number of candidates' teams, sources say.

The US envoy also said a second-round run-off could make the election process more credible, the sources said.

Concerns have already been raised about Afghanistan's election, although final results are not due until September.

A number of senior sources have confirmed the details of a meeting between Mr Holbrooke and Mr Karzai held on 21 August, one day after the election.

The meeting was described as "explosive" and "a dramatic bust-up".

Mr Holbrooke is said to have twice raised the idea of holding a second round run-off because of concerns about the voting process.

Other leading candidates: Ramazan Bashardost 108,000 (10.8%) Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai 28,000 (2.8%) Winning candidate needs more than 50% of votes to avoid a run-off Afghan 'row' worries Ashdown The trials of election monitoring

He is believed to have complained about the use of fraud and ballot stuffing by some members of the president's campaign team, as well as other candidates.

Mr Karzai reacted very angrily and the meeting ended shortly afterwards, the sources said.

However, a spokeswoman for the US embassy in Kabul denied there had been any shouting or that Mr Holbrooke had stormed out.

She refused to discuss the details of the meeting.

A spokesman for the presidential palace denied the account of the conversation.

There have been many doubts raised about the Afghan presidential election, about the turnout and irregularities.

But this is the first time that a leading Western official has apparently expressed it quite so openly.

It will raise more questions about the credibility of the whole process and could well make the plan to establish a meaningful government in a stable country all the harder to achieve.

Koreas close to agreement on family reunions - Yahoo News

Koreas close to agreement on family reunions

AP – Kim Young-chol, chief delegate and secretary general of the South Korean Red Cross office, right, and …

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By JAE-SOON CHANG, Associated Press Writer Jae-soon Chang, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 3 mins ago

SEOUL, South Korea – North and South Korea were close to agreement Friday on a schedule for reuniting families long separated by the Korean War, in rare talks being held amid Pyongyang's push to reach out to Seoul and Washington, reports said.

Red Cross officials from the two sides were expected to wrap up three days of talks with an accord to hold six days of temporary reunions involving a total of 200 families from Sept. 26, according to reports in local media accredited to cover the talks. They cited an unidentified South Korean delegate.

However, the sides failed to reach agreement on how to address the issue of hundreds of South Korean prisoners of war and civilian abductees believed alive in the North, because the communist nation refused to discuss the matter, the official was cited as saying.

The meetings came after the North adopted a more conciliatory stance toward South Korea and the U.S. following months of defiant provocations including its second nuclear test in May and a barrage of banned ballistic missile launches.

Earlier this month, the North freed two American journalists and a South Korean worker after more than four months of detention and pledged to restart some joint projects, including the meetings of separated families that have been stalled since the inauguration of a conservative government in Seoul about 18 months ago.

The North also sent a delegation to Seoul to mourn the death of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung.

South Korean media reported earlier this week that Pyongyang invited Washington's two top envoys on North Korea to visit in what would be their first nuclear talks since President Barack Obama took office.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters Thursday that the U.S. has not received a formal invitation from the North. He also said special envoy Stephen Bosworth plans to travel to Asia soon, but won't go to North Korea.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Friday that four North Korean officials visited the U.S. last week to meet with American relief organizations and discuss the resumption of food aid to the impoverished nation. But their trip did not include meetings with U.S. government officials, Yonhap said, citing unidentified sources in Washington.

Millions of families were separated by the Korean War, which ended in 1953 with a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.

South Korea estimates that 560 of its soldiers from the war remain alive in North Korea, in addition to 504 South Korean civilians — mostly fishermen whose boats were seized since the war's end.

North Korea says the civilians voluntarily defected to the North and denies holding any prisoners of war.

No mail, telephone or e-mail exchanges exist between ordinary citizens across the Korean border.

A landmark inter-Korean summit in 2000 paved the way for temporary face-to-face reunions of 16,210 Koreans and video reunions for more than 3,740 others.

The reunions were held annually but were suspended as North Korea cut off most ties to protest South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's hard-line policy toward Pyongyang.

Madonna booed in Bucharest for defending Gypsies - Yahoo News

Madonna booed in Bucharest for defending Gypsies

Associated Press - August 27, 2009 1:13 PM PDT

U.S. singer Madonna, center, performs during her concert in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009. The concert is part of Madonna's Sticky and Sweet Tour. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)Associated Press

BUCHAREST, Romania - At first, fans politely applauded the Roma performers sharing a stage with Madonna. Then the pop star condemned widespread discrimination against Roma, or Gypsies — and the cheers gave way to jeers.

The sharp mood change that swept the crowd of 60,000, who had packed a park for Wednesday night's concert, underscores how prejudice against Gypsies remains deeply entrenched across Eastern Europe.

Despite long-standing efforts to stamp out rampant bias, human rights advocates say Roma probably suffer more humiliation and endure more discrimination than any other people group on the continent.

Sometimes, it can be deadly: In neighboring Hungary, six Roma have been killed and several wounded in a recent series of apparently racially motivated attacks targeting small countryside villages predominantly settled by Gypsies.

"There is generally widespread resentment against Gypsies in Eastern Europe. They have historically been the underdog," Radu Motoc, an official with the Soros Foundation Romania, said Thursday.

Roma, or Gypsies, are a nomadic ethnic group believed to have their roots in the Indian subcontinent. They live mostly in southern and eastern Europe, but hundreds of thousands have migrated west over the past few decades in search of jobs and better living conditions.

Romania has the largest number of Roma in the region. Some say the population could be as high as 2 million, although official data put it at 500,000.

Until the 19th century, Romanian Gypsies were slaves, and they've gotten a mixed response ever since: While discrimination is widespread, many East Europeans are enthusiastic about Gypsy music and dance, which they embrace as part of the region's cultural heritage.

That explains why the Roma musicians and a dancer who had briefly joined Madonna onstage got enthusiastic applause. And it also may explain why some in the crowd turned on Madonna when she paused during the two-hour show — a stop on her worldwide "Sticky and Sweet" tour — to touch on their plight.

"It has been brought to my attention ... that there is a lot of discrimination against Romanies and Gypsies in general in Eastern Europe," she said. "It made me feel very sad."

Thousands booed and jeered her.

A few cheered when she added: "We don't believe in discrimination ... we believe in freedom and equal rights for everyone." But she got more boos when she mentioned discrimination against homosexuals and others.

"I jeered her because it seemed false what she was telling us. What business does she have telling us these things?" said Ionut Dinu, 23.

Madonna did not react and carried on with her concert, held near the hulking palace of the late communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said Madonna and other had told her there were cheers as well as jeers.

"Madonna has been touring with a phenomenal troupe of Roma musicians who made her aware of the discrimination toward them in several countries so she felt compelled to make a brief statement," Rosenberg said in an e-mail. "She will not be issuing a further statement."

One Roma musician said the attitude toward Gypsies is contradictory.

"Romanians watch Gypsy soap operas, they like Gypsy music and go to Gypsy concerts," said Damian Draghici, a Grammy Award-winner who has performed with James Brown and Joe Cocker.

"But there has been a wave of aggression against Roma people in Italy, Hungary and Romania, which shows me something is not OK," he told the AP in an interview. "The politicians have to do something about it. People have to be educated not to be prejudiced. All people are equal, and that is the message politicians must give."

Nearly one in two of Europe's estimated 12 million Roma claimed to have suffered an act of discrimination over the past 12 months, according to a recent report by the Vienna-based EU Fundamental Rights Agency. The group says Roma face "overt discrimination" in housing, health care and education.

Many do not have official identification, which means they cannot get social benefits, are undereducated and struggle to find decent jobs.

Roma children are more likely to drop out of school than their peers from other ethnic groups. Many Romanians label Gypsies as thieves, and many are outraged by those who beg or commit petty crimes in Western Europe, believing they spoil Romania's image abroad.

In May 2007, Romanian President Traian Basescu was heard to call a Romanian journalist a "stinky Gypsy" during a conversation with his wife. Romania's anti-discrimination board criticized Basescu, who later apologized.

Human rights activists say the attacks in Hungary, which began in July 2008, may be tied to that country's economic crisis and the rising popularity of far-right vigilantes angered by a rash of petty thefts and other so-called "Gypsy crime." Last week, police arrested four suspects in a nightclub in the eastern city of Debrecen.

Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia also have been criticized for widespread bias against Roma.

Madonna's outrage touched a nerve in Romania, but it seems doubtful it will change anything, said the Soros Foundation's Motoc.

"Madonna is a pop star. She is not an expert on interethnic relations," he said.

Israel-US settlement deal 'close' - BBC News

Israel-US settlement deal 'close'

Mr Netanyahu and Mr Mitchell make statements after their London meeting

Israel says it is nearing agreement with the US on settlement building in the occupied West Bank, after its PM held talks with a US envoy in London.

The US wants Israel to comply with Palestinian demands that it stop all building before peace talks can start.

The US and Israel were "getting closer" to a "bridging formula", a spokesman for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Mr Netanyahu said earlier that he hoped talks with the Palestinians would restart "shortly".

BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen says US President Barack Obama is hoping to unveil a Middle East peace plan at the United Nations in September.

ANALYSIS Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East Editor According to Mr Netanyahu's spokesman, Israel is ready to restrict construction for Jews in the occupied Palestinian territories. But it looks as if it won't be the comprehensive freeze that the Americans - and Palestinians - wanted. Israel says it won't accept any restrictions on what it does in Jerusalem, part of which is occupied territory. A senior Israeli official said they were confident that the Americans would persuade the Palestinians to go along with the deal they're poised to make. It's all aimed at paving the way for a resumption of US sponsored peace talks in the next few weeks. After that President Obama is hoping to unveil a Middle East peace plan at the UN in New York next month. During this visit to London Mr Netanyahu has also quoted approvingly a call by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for crippling sanctions against Iran. She said they'd be necessary if diplomacy failed to stop Iran's programme of nuclear enrichment. Palestinian settlement builders New Israeli settlements 'on hold' Borders and settlements

Mr Netanyahu and US envoy George Mitchell released a joint statement after their four-hour meeting at the Park Lane Hotel, saying Israeli officials would meet Mr Mitchell again next week, AFP news agency reported.

Before the two met, Mr Netanyahu said the US and Israel were "making headway" and said he hoped the two sides would "shortly be able to resume normal talks".

There has been speculation that Mr Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas could meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September.

Speaking anonymously, Palestinian officials said this was a possibility, although the two could only meet for talks, not formal negotiations.

The Palestinians have refused to resume peace negotiations unless Israel stops all settlement building.

Wednesday's meeting in London followed talks with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, when Mr Netanyahu rejected any construction freeze in occupied East Jerusalem.

He reiterated his demand that the Palestinians recognise Israel as a Jewish state.

Mr Netanyahu has said Israel will not build new settlements, but wants to continue building within existing ones to allow for the "natural growth" of the communities living there.

The American pressure on Mr Netanyahu has strained normally close Israel-US ties.

After meeting Mr Mitchell in London, Mr Netanyahu is travelling to Berlin, the next stop on his four-day European tour.

Dispute

Some 450,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The settlements are illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.

Israel agreed to freeze settlement activity as part of the 2003 staged international peace plan known as the roadmap.

But Israeli officials say there was an unwritten understanding with the administration of former US President George W Bush that allowed limited growth within existing settlements to continue.

Mr Netanyahu's right-leaning government has not published tenders for new housing units in settlements since it came to power in April.

But the left-wing Israeli group Peace Now, which monitors building in settlements, says government-backed projects make up only 40% of construction and that building has been continuing on the ground in many places.

Obama leads tributes to Kennedy - BBC News

US President Barack Obama has led tributes to Senator Edward Kennedy, who has died from cancer at the age of 77.

Mr Obama described Sen Kennedy as an extraordinary leader and "one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy".

Lawmakers from both main parties praised a man who, but for a scandal in 1969, might have become president.

A Democratic senator since 1962, the liberal stalwart championed issues such as education and healthcare reform.

He died late on Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, his family said in a statement. He was diagnosed with brain cancer in May 2008.

US media reports say his body will lie at the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston until his funeral at a church in the city on Saturday.

He will then be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, near to the graves of John F Kennedy and another of his brothers, Senator Robert Kennedy.

'Passion and vigour'

In a televised tribute, Barack Obama called Edward Kennedy a colleague, a counsellor and a friend.

He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it's hard to imagine any of them without him Kennedy family statement Edward Kennedy: Your comments Kennedy family statement In quotes: Edward Kennedy tributes

"In the United States Senate I can think of no-one who engendered greater respect or affection from members of both sides of the aisle," he said.

"His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives," he said.

Former President George W Bush, who was criticised by Sen Kennedy over Iraq, described him as "a man of passion who advocated fiercely for his convictions".

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, praised his determination to make quality health-care available to all Americans, while Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, also added his voice.

"No one could have known the man without admiring the passion and vigour he poured into a truly momentous life," he said.

The BBC's Richard Lister in Washington said Senator Kennedy, known affectionately as Teddy, would be remembered as one of the most effective legislators in American history.

Daniel Sandford, BBC News, Washington President Obama was leading the tributes, saying that Senator Kennedy was the greatest US senator of our time. But the praise was coming from right across the political divide. The Republicans were also praising him, saying that he was the kind of man that you couldn't help but like even if you disagreed with him. That kind of praise has been echoing across the morning shows - they all broke into special coverage of the kind that is normally reserved for when former presidents die. But of course all of the coverage has also included the controversies in Edward Kennedy's life, not least of all the death of Mary Jo Kopechne at Chappaquiddick bridge in 1969.

He was skilled at forging alliances across party lines: pushing an education initiative with Mr Bush and immigration reform with Republican John McCain.

But he was a fierce critic of the Bush administration too - particularly on Iraq and when allegations of US military abuses there emerged.

He will also be remembered as a staunch supporter of Irish nationalism - at one time calling for British troops to leave Northern Ireland - although he was later involved in the peace process leading to the Good Friday Agreement, our correspondent adds.

In the UK, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Sen Kennedy would be mourned in every continent. "I am proud to have counted him as a friend," he said.

And UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praised him as a man who "was a voice for those who would otherwise go unheard".

Obama endorsement

Edward Kennedy was, at his death, the third-longest senator in US history.

EDWARD MOORE KENNEDY 1932 Born, youngest of nine children 1962 Becomes country's youngest senator 1963, 1968 Brothers President John F Kennedy and Senator Robert F Kennedy both assassinated 1969 "Chappaquiddick incident" - Kennedy flees scene after road crash in which his young passenger dies 1980 Runs unsuccessfully for Democratic nomination against sitting President Jimmy Carter Obituary: Virtues and vices In pictures: Edward Kennedy Edward Kennedy - a political life

He became a Massachusetts senator in 1962, replacing his brother John when he resigned to become president.

He was the only one of four brothers not to die a violent death. His brother Joseph was killed in an air crash in World War II, and both John F Kennedy and presidential hopeful Robert F Kennedy were assassinated in the 1960s.

He was widely expected to be the next Kennedy in the White House, but he was never able to fully overcome a scandal in 1969 when he drove a car off a bridge at Chappaquiddick near his home, killing his female passenger.

The incident helped derail his only presidential bid, more than a decade later.

But he remained active in politics right up until his death, famously endorsing Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination during a tight race with Hillary Clinton last year.

US MEDIA REACTION TO TED KENNEDY'S DEATH

Kennedy was at the center of the most important issues facing the nation for decades, and he did much to help shape them. A defender of the poor and politically disadvantaged, he set the standard for his party on health care, education, civil rights, campaign-finance reform and labor law

Joe Holley writes in The Washington Post on Ted Kennedy's political importance

He was a Rabelaisian figure in the Senate and in life, instantly recognizable by his shock of white hair, his florid, oversize face, his booming Boston brogue, his powerful but pained stride. He was a celebrity, sometimes a self-parody, a hearty friend, an implacable foe, a man of large faith and large flaws, a melancholy character who persevered, drank deeply and sang loudly. He was a Kennedy.

New York Times journalist John M Broder describes the Kennedy effect.

Seared in my memory: When I interned at the Heritage Foundation, I would pop into Mass at Saint Joseph's on the Hill. And I would almost always find myself sitting near Ted Kennedy. He's responsible for things that are deeply offensive to my conscience and diametrically opposed to the teachings of the Catholic faith, and he probably led some people astray by his example. But our faith also teaches that we are all sinners and that there is redemption. He had some incredibly good forces in his life, not least among them his sister, Eunice, who just died. I pray for the repose of his soul. R.I.P. Senator Kennedy.

Kathryn Lean Lopez blogs her tribute at the National Review.

Elected first in 1962, the 77-year-old Massachusetts liberal was rooted in the civil rights and Great Society battles of that decade, but his enduring strength was an ability to renew himself through his mastery of issues and the changing personalities of the Senate. Nowhere was this clearer than in Kennedy's early support of Barack Obama in 2008, when the young Illinois Democrat needed to establish himself against more veteran rivals for the White House. Kennedy not only campaigned for Obama but, at risk to his own health, opened the Democratic National Convention a year ago in Denver and returned to Washington repeatedly last winter to cast needed votes to move the new president's economic recovery agenda.

David Rogers in Politico highlights the veteran senator's lasting political importance.

In many ways, he was the last man standing, straddling a mythic family mantle of fame and a vaunted career of political service, all the while wearing the crown of Camelot decades after its heyday...the senator's death brought to a close a storied political era - of assassinations, Jackie O, Palm Beach, Chappaquiddick - and a lifetime of both tragedy and public service.

Andrea Billup writes in the The Washington Times that 'Camelot' fades with Kennedy passing

In losing Kennedy, Obama loses a key Senate dealmaker at a crucial moment in legislative negotiations over the health care bill. Though an icon of Democratic liberalism, Kennedy was known to colleagues as a jovial pragmatist, whose many friendships with colleagues across the political and ideological spectrum made him one of the Senate's most influential players.

Kathy Kiely in USA Today examines the impact of Ted Kennedy's death on healthcare reform.

Lord Turner backs new banking tax - BBC News

Lord Turner backs new banking tax

Lord Turner has spoken out against large banking bonuses before

The boss of the UK's financial watchdog has said he backs a new tax on banks as a means to prevent excess bonus payments in the industry.

Lord Turner, chairman of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), told Prospect magazine much of the activities of the City of London were "socially useless".

The FSA said Lord Turner's comments came in a roundtable discussion, and were "not setting out any new policy".

A government spokesman said that tax policy was a matter for the chancellor.

'Nice revenue source'

This is not the first time Lord Turner has spoken out against large bonuses in the banking sector. He said back in June that the FSA did have "concerns" about executive pay.

If we introduce the wrong kind of regulation or the wrong kind of taxes we could [drive] business abroad British Bankers Association spokesman Brian Capon

And earlier this month, the FSA said it was introducing new rules to ensure bank bonuses are not guaranteed for more than a year, and that senior employees should have their bonuses spread over three years.

These rules are to come into effect from January.

Lord Turner told Prospect magazine that a tax on financial transactions in the City would cut banks' profits, and thereby reduce the funds available for bonuses.

He said such a tax would be "a nice sensible revenue source for funding global public goods".

British Bankers Association spokesman Brian Capon said the UK was the top centre in the world for global banking, "an achievement that we shouldn't take lightly".

"If we introduce the wrong kind of regulation or the wrong kind of taxes we could so easily lose that position by driving business abroad," he said.

The FSA was formed in 1997, and is tasked with regulating the UK's financial services sector.

Lord Turner's opinions on the issue carry particular weight because he is both chairman of the financial regulator and a city insider who used to hold senior positions at both Standard Chartered and Merill Lynch.

Six die in Peru rebel drug clash - BBC News

Six die in Peru rebel drug clash

The Peruvian army battles against coca production

Two Peruvian soldiers and four rebels have been killed in the latest clash in the country's main drug growing region, the government says.

The Defence Ministry described the rebels as "narco-terrorists," belonging to remnants of the Maoist Shining Path movement who joined drug traffickers.

It was the first time this year that the military says it killed rebels.

Thirty-eight soldiers have been killed in ambushes in the year since the military was sent into the area.

The clash happened on a drug-smuggling route out of Peru's top coca-growing valley, the Associated Press reported.

Soldiers were pursuing rebels near the mountain community of San Antonio de Carrizal, Defence Minister Rafael Rey said.

Last year, the Shining Path sprang back from relative obscurity to launch a series of deadly attacks, killing some 25 soldiers and police officers in ambushes and gun battles.

But the group is believed to be a fraction of its former size and is split between two cocaine-producing zones of Peru, some 500km (310 miles) apart.

It is made up of a few hundred guerrillas who did not lay down their arms when the group's leader, Abimael Guzman, declared the armed revolution at an end after his capture in 1992.

Its fighters are considered expert in guerrilla warfare from years of resistance in some of Peru's remotest and wildest country and are well-armed from the profits of the cocaine trade.

US pop songwriter Greenwich dies - BBC News

US pop songwriter Greenwich dies

Ellie Greenwich was praised throughout her songwriting career

American songwriter Ellie Greenwich, who penned River Deep, Mountain High and other hits, has died, aged 68.

She died of a heart attack after being admitted to a New York hospital for pneumonia treatment, her niece said.

In a 50-year career, she was awarded some 25 gold and platinum discs. She collaborated with Phil Spector on Chapel of Love and Da Doo Ron Ron.

She wrote Leader of the Pack with her ex-husband, which became the basis for a Broadway musical based on her life.

Greenwich was a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and contributed to the success of many stars, including working with Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.

She is also co-produced songs for Neil Diamond, including his hit Kentucky Woman.

Other compositions included Do Wah Diddy Diddy and Look of Love.

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