Delco woman denies having sex with teens

 A Delaware County woman testified in her own defense yesterday, denying that she ever had sex with any of her five teen accusers.

Lisa Scott, 41, of Linwood, who has been in jail since her arrest in March, looked directly at jurors when asked whether she was sexually active with any of the teen boys and said: “Absolutely not.”

Scott is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and related charges for allegedly having sex with the boys, who were between 13 and 16 years old.

In his closing argument, her attorney, Mark Much, questioned the legitimacy of the investigation and the character of the boys, four of whom have juvenile records and two of whom were arrested hours before the start of the trial for stealing an ATV.

“[The boys] put their hand on this Bible and I’m surprised it didn’t burst into flames,” he said.

The prosecution lacks any evidence in the case aside from the testimony of the boys, all of whom are friends and who sought to accuse Scott to get themselves out of trouble with the law in unrelated cases, he said.

Much also said that the Lower Chichester Police Department, which covers Linwood, didn’t properly investigate the case because they were seeking “payback” against Scott for a private complaint she filed against the department’s sergeant in 2007.

Scott said she filed the complaint because the sergeant came to her neighborhood and said “he was going to take us all down and that we were white trash.”

No action was taken on the complaint, she said.

In their testimony over the last three days, the five boys accused Scott of initiating sexual contact with them, some claiming that they had had sex with Scott more than 40 times. All said that she had provided alcohol and marijuana in her home. “That was the chill-out spot,” one teen said. “If I wanted to drink I would go there.”

Scott had temporary custody of one of the boys on and off for two years. The Daily News is withholding the reason to protect the teen’s identity.

“It wasn’t my choice at all,” she said, of taking him in. “It just kind of happened. He asked me himself and his mom also approached me.” The others claimed to meet her through friends and neighbors.

The teens said they never used protection when allegedly engaging in sex with Scott because she told them she couldn’t have children, a claim she denied on the stand.

“Do you want children?” Assistant District Attorney Jeff Boogay asked.

“Not anymore,” Scott said, drawing laughter from one juror.

During his closing, Boogay acknowledged that the victims were all troubled, but he said Scott intentionally preyed upon “lost boys.”

“These boys have been told all they’re lives that everything they’ve done is wrong,” he said. “Just this once I’d like to see them rewarded for doing something right.

“If they were girls, they’d be rewarded for coming forward,” Boogay said. “Guys aren’t.” A verdict is expected today.

Merkel heading for new coalition

Chancellor Angela Merkel has been returned to power in Germany, with forecasts showing her conservative bloc on course for a clear election victory.

Mrs Merkel told supporters they had achieved “something magnificent”, but said she wanted to be a chancellor of all Germans at a moment of crisis.

Mrs Merkel’s bloc now looks set to form a centre-right alliance with her preferred partner, the pro-reform FDP.

She says the alliance will get Germany out of its worst crisis in 60 years.

Projections by national broadcasters, based on partial vote counts and exit polls, gave Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democrat CDU/CSU bloc 33% of the vote, with the Social Democrat SPD at about 23% – its worst result since World War II.

The Free Democrats took about 15%, the Left party 12% and the Greens 10%.

Analysts say the combined 48% for the CDU and FDP should allow them to form a stable majority government in Germany, Europe’s largest economy and the biggest member of the European Union.

It was the preferred outcome for both parties, though there are expected to be talks before a coalition is formalised.

‘Bitter defeat’

It means the SPD, which has been the junior partner in the “grand coalition” for the past four years, will be ejected from government

SPD leader Frank-Walter Steinmeier called it a “bitter day for German Social Democracy… there is no way of talking it up – the result is a bitter defeat”.

He said his party would be “vigilant in opposition”.

And he said it “would not be very sensible” to resign, vowing “to go on fighting”.

Although the results are not yet final, they were decisive enough for the leaders of the US, Britain and France to send their congratulations to Mrs Merkel.

The result for her party actually looked like being a poor one historically – its worst since 1949. With turnout low, support shifted from the two main parties to the smaller ones.

But the chancellor appeared delighted, as the new coalition line-up could give her a freer hand to pursue economic reform.

“Our main objective has been achieved, namely a change of government, which for me is what really counts this evening,” a smiling Mrs Merkel told cheering supporters in Berlin.

“I want to be the chancellor of all Germans, so that things improve for our country, especially in such a moment of crisis.”

“I would not tell anyone to remain sober, but we don’t want to forget that there are many problems in our country to be solved,” she added.

She said she would hold “swift and decisive” talks with FDP leader Guido Westerwelle, whom some are tipping as the next foreign minister.

Mr Westerwelle said the new government would act “responsibly”.

“Now the work starts for real… for Germany and our people,” he said.

Senior sex: Tips for older men

 

Senior sex: Tips for older men

hanges sexual function and desire. Senior sex isn’t the same as it was in your 20s — but it can still be satisfying. Contrary to common myths about sexuality and older adults, sex is not just for the young. Many seniors continue to enjoy their sexuality into their 80s and beyond.

A healthy sex life is not only fulfilling, but it’s also good for other aspects of your life, including your physical health and self-esteem. Adapting to your changing body can help you maintain a healthy and satisfying sex life. But you may have to make a few changes, such as allowing yourself more time to become aroused and talking more openly with your partner.

Senior sex: What changes as men get older?

As men age, testosterone levels decline and changes in desire and sexual function are common. These changes can include:

 

• Decreased sexual interest
• A need for more stimulation to achieve and maintain an erection and orgasm
• Shorter orgasms
• Less forceful ejaculation and less semen ejaculated
• Longer time needed to achieve another erection after ejaculation

 

Your health also can have a big impact on your sex life and sexual performance. If you or your partner is in poor health or has a chronic health condition, such as heart disease or arthritis, sex and intimacy become more challenging.

Certain surgeries and many medications, such as blood pressure medications, antihistamines, antidepressants and acid-blocking drugs, can affect sexual function. Adapt to your changing body and know your limitations. Focus on ways of being sexual and intimate that work for you and your partner. Talk with your doctor about your concerns.

Tips to maintain a healthy sex life later in life:

 

• Communicate with your partner. Open discussion of sex has become more common in recent years, but many older adults come from a generation where sex remains a taboo subject. But openly talking about your needs, desires and concerns with your partner can make you closer and help you both enjoy sex and intimacy more.
• Talk to your doctor. Talking about sexual issues with your doctor can help you maintain a healthy sex life as you age. Your doctor can help you manage chronic conditions and medications that affect your sex life. Some older men have trouble maintaining an erection or reaching orgasm. Your doctor may be able to prescribe medications or other treatments for these problems.
• Expand your definition of sex. Intercourse is only one way to have fulfilling sex. Touching, kissing and other intimate sexual contact can be just as rewarding for both you and your partner. Realize that as you age, it’s normal for you and your partner to have different sexual abilities and needs. Be open to finding new ways to enjoy sexual contact and intimacy.
• Change your routine. Simple changes can improve your sex life. Change the time of day when you have sex to a time when you have the most energy. Try the morning — when you’re refreshed from a good night’s sleep — rather than at the end of a long day. Because it might take longer for you or your partner to become aroused, take more time to set the stage for romance, such as a romantic dinner or an evening of dancing. Try a new sexual position or explore other new ways of connecting romantically and sexually.
• Seek a partner if you’re single. It’s never too late for romance. It can be difficult starting a relationship after the loss of a partner or being single for a long time — but socializing is well worth the effort for many single seniors. No one ever outgrows the need for emotional closeness and intimate love. If you start an intimate relationship with a new partner, be sure to practice safe sex. Many older adults are unaware that they are still at risk of sexually transmitted diseases, such as AIDS.
• Stay healthy. Eating regular nutritious meals, staying active, not drinking too much alcohol, and not smoking or using illicit drugs are important for your overall health, and staying healthy can help your sexual performance. Follow your doctor’s instructions for taking medications and managing any chronic health conditions.
• Stay positive. The changes that come with aging — from health problems to changes in appearance and sexual performance — leave many men feeling less attractive or feeling they’re less capable of enjoying or giving sexual pleasure. Discussing your feelings with your partner can help. Feeling angry, unhappy or depressed has a strong negative impact on your sex life. Professional counseling or other treatment can improve your sex life — and your well-being.

 

Sex may not be the same for you or your partner as it was when you both were young. But by adapting to your changing body, sex and intimacy can continue to be a fulfilling and rewarding part of your life.

Truth Be Told

Peanut butter. Plastic bags. Mountain Dew. You might not think they have a lot in common but, according to Michelle Blomgren’s former classmates, all three are methods of birth control.

If that sounds ridiculous, don’t worry. It is. None of those things will help prevent pregnancy. Even Blomgren, an 18-year-old who lives in Rockville, Ill., knew better. But rumors like these spread like wildfire at her old high school, she says, and many teenagers she knew bought into even the most outlandish ideas.

To be fair, people have been accepting (and spreading) incorrect information about birth control since there was any information to spread. But, as sex has become less taboo in American culture, it should be relatively simple to get the facts. Unfortunately, this isn’t necessarily true.

“Our sex-saturated society bombards teens with sexual images every day,” says Dr. Vanessa Cullins, vice president of medical affairs for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, “but it doesn’t always give teens the tools they need to protect their health and their futures, such as comprehensive sex education.”

In fact, in some cases, young people aren’t even getting accurate information in sex education classes. Blomgren says that the climate of misinformation among her classmates was only made worse by fallacies spread by her teachers. “I attended a Lutheran school my freshman year and in health class we were taught that condoms were only 60 percent effective when used properly,” she says. “We were taught that there was no birth control out there that was over 80 percent effective.”

“That is just absolutely false,” Dr. Cullins says.

Even with typical use—that  is, even when couples use them incorrectly—condoms are effective about 85 percent of the time.  When used correctly, they are 98 percent effective. And hormonal birth control, like the pill, can be 92 percent to 98.7 percent effective, depending on how well it’s used. Plus, condoms protect you from STDs as well. They offer nearly 100 percent protection against HIV/AIDS and significantly reduce the risk of transmitting other STDs.

This disparity in what teenagers know about sex and what they know about safe sex is further complicated by fears of being caught and sometimes-confusing ideas about what counts as “good” behavior. Dr. Donnica Moore, a multimedia women’s health educator, says that homemade birth control methods, like peanut butter, might appeal to teens simply because there’s no stigma associated with buying it. “Girls have all kinds of negative ideas about carrying a condom,” she says. “They think it’s OK to have sex, but only if you haven’t planned for it ahead of time. They seem to think that if you carry a condom, it means you’re a slut.”

According to Cullins and Moore, the only way to counteract all the bad information and crippling embarrassment is to improve sex education. If we’re really serious about preventing teen pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, they contend, it’s vitally important for today’s teenagers to have access to literature and lessons that cover more than just the reasons not to have sex and provide information about more than just one or two forms of protection. If that’s not available, they say that teens—ideally with help from their parents—should  work to educate themselves. Moore recommends the book Our Bodies, Ourselves and Cullins suggests checking out Planned Parenthood’s Web site

Just the Facts, Ma’am

The truth behind some of today’s most prevalent myths about birth control and sex

Myth: Oral and Manual Sex Are Completely Safe Alternatives

Teens have mixed opinions about these acts. Some view them as a way to get the benefits of sex without any of the risks. But plenty of others end up worried that thing like oral sex could leave them pregnant. Both are wrong.

The Truth: Oral, manual, and anal sex aren’t risk-free. All these alternatives to sex, particularly anal, can still spread STDs. To reduce the risk of infection with anal sex, use condoms. For oral sex you can use condoms or dental dams. On the other hand, there isn’t much of a chance these acts could get you pregnant. Pregnancy is only possible if semen gets on your vaginal area (even the outside).

Myth: You Can’t Get Pregnant On Your Period

The Truth: It’s not common, but it is possible. Women are fertile when they’re ovulating—that  is, when their body has released a mature egg cell into their reproductive tract. Periods flush the egg away, so it’s true that, technically, there’s nothing for sperm to fertilize until another egg is released. However, sperm can live in the vagina for several days—anywhere from five to seven, depending on who you ask. If you have unprotected sex on your period and there are still sperm around when you start ovulating again, pregnancy can happen.

Myth: Douching or Jumping Up and Down After Sex Will Prevent Pregnancy

The Truth: If that were the case, women who wanted to get pregnant would never be able to stand up. Women’s bodies have evolved to keep at least some of the semen from falling out when they stand; there’s actually a sort of indentation inside the vagina that holds semen in place after sex. Jumping up and down will not knock it all out. Douching—no matter what you douche with—may just push the sperm into your uterus. If you’ve had unprotected sex in the last five days and are worried about getting pregnant, the best option is emergency contraception. You can get it through your doctor or through a Planned Parenthood health center.

Myth: Guys Who Drink Mountain Dew Can’t Get You Pregnant

The Truth: This myth is associated with long-standing urban legends about yellow dye No. 5. But, fact is, that yellow dye has been in use for nearly 100 years and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Suffice to say, it doesn’t lower sperm count. Even if it did, Moore says that a man with a low sperm count still might have as many as 20 million of the little swimmers in every cubic centimeter of semen. And there’s at least two to four cc of semen every time a man ejaculates. That’s still plenty of chances to get pregnant.

Myth: Only Teenagers Have Unplanned Pregnancies

The Truth: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy says that the birthrate among women age 15 to 19 has dropped by 35 percent since 1991. Today, Moore says, unintended pregnancies are common among women in their late 40s. The problem: Many older women assume they’re too old to get pregnant before they actually are. Some also mistake pre-menopausal symptoms for menopause itself and stop using protection, only to discover that they had at least one viable egg left.

Who’s a Safe Partner?

The prospect of catching a disease may be most likely to cross your mind during a one-night stand, or perhaps when you see a scantily clad woman cruising cars in the red-light district. In reality, though, STDs occur predominantly in the context of ongoing relationships.

Cindy Masaro, research coordinator at the University of British Columbia in Canada, recently conducted a survey with fascinating results. She wanted to understand how people are sizing up their partners. When it comes to assessing STD risk, what information do people rely on?

“What I found was that familiarity, trust, and assumed knowledge of the partner’s sexual history were the three major things people used in assessing partners,” says Masaro.

While that sounds all warm and fuzzy—intimacy, after all, is built on familiarity and trust—Masaro’s study made it clear that the qualities that help make up a good relationship don’t necessarily translate to partner safety. The 317 people she surveyed had all relied on partner attributes and the nature of their relationships—and all had sought treatment at an STI clinic.

Nearly all the subjects’ STD trouble could be traced back to assumptions. Masaro found that people were deciding about STD risk based on whether the partner had a similar background, shared in the same circle of friends, or seemed intelligent. More than one in five said they’d assume a sex partner was safe if he/she was physically attractive, and more than two in five if the partner seemed like a “good” person.

Seventy percent said they would be confident a partner was safe “if I felt I could trust them.” Clearly they did trust the partner if they let him/her in their pants. Trust is virtuous, but it turns out to be a lousy method of prevention.

“We all make inaccurate assessments, and feelings of attraction and affection interfere with risk assessment,” Masaro says. “When you have that person sitting in front of you, everything else goes out the window. You’re attracted to them so you don’t want to see anything wrong with them.”

And who wants to ask, anyway? A conversation about STDs is bound to be uncomfortable, and nothing kills a moment like an impromptu interrogation under the sheets.

Talk is cheap—and invaluable

When it comes to sex, there are few more effective ways to ensure partner safety than sitting down to have The Talk. That conversation may be accompanied by a good deal of anxiety but, as we explore here, it doesn’t have to be awkward. Believe it or not, it can even be sexy.

Rule No. 1 in assuring you and your partners are safe from STDs is to start talking long before you pull back the covers. (Yes, you have to have the talk.) Choose a scenario in which you feel relaxed and calm, like a private dinner or a long walk, when you are sure to have one another’s full attention. Be sober and mentally present.

Lori Rolleri, program manager with ETR Associates (Education, Training, Research) and a nationally recognized trainer in STD prevention, suggests not jumping into the conversation blindly.

“Talking with partners about staying safe is really a two-step process, in my mind,” she offers. “I think it’s really important to first have a clear understanding of what your own expectations are for a romantic relationship, so think about your boundaries and limits. And then, if you didn’t get good sex education in school or speak with a doctor, you need to do some proactive research to learn about STDs and contraception.”

Rolleri is keen on a holistic approach: Consider the whole sphere of physical and emotional consequences that can result from a sexual relationship, and then put the conversation in those contexts. STDs and unwanted pregnancies are two possible outcomes, both of them difficult to discuss and profoundly difficult to manage. But another two possibilities are emotional reward and genuine physical pleasure.

The Pleasure Principle

“We don’t hear people talking about pleasure when it comes to managing STDs, but it’s a really important and practical piece of it,” says Rolleri. “What kinds of things turn you on? What feels pleasurable? What do you not want to do that feels uncomfortable or awkward?”

One great value in considering pleasure principles is that they can provide a conversation starter. If you’re concerned about appearing overly guarded or prudish, your concerns about safety can be couched in a discussion about physical pleasure. “What do you like?” can segue to “The more comfortable I am, the more free I can be” and then to “I’m really comfortable when all the risks are off the table.”

Red Flags

In the course of your own sexual education, you may have learned a lot about physical warning signs, like the STD symptoms a potential partner may exhibit. But your visual take is not an adequate way to assess a potential partner’s health. First, you’re not a doctor; second, many diseases exist with no visible symptoms; and third, there’s a good chance the lights will be off!

So, again, talking with a partner is necessary. In the course of that talk you may be signaled by conversational flags, which often take the form of avoidance. For instance, your prospective partner may say “This is a buzzkill,” or “Let’s get busy now and chat later,” or “Why are you so serious?”

Lines like that are your cues to hold up a stop sign. But remember: The conversation is easily as awkward for your partner—especially if he or she is relatively young or hasn’t given the talk any forethought—as it may be for you. It’s unreasonable to expect your partner to be in exactly the same head space as you. If you want things to work out with this person, it’s as important to be sensitive as it is to be cautious.

Ground Rules and Sample Lines

Here are a handful of suggestions for approaching a partner, including a few ideas about what to say.

Defuse the tension with a positive attitude.

Let’s be happy and have a good time—neither of wants an unexpected surprise.

Disclose your own background.

I had a bad scare one time. We should both get tested to be safe.

Use “I” statements.

It’s really important for me to know about this, and for me it’s a standard part of modern dating.

Establish whether you’re both being exclusive.

Are you comfortable seeing other people at the same time? We can still date and have fun without jumping into bed right now.

Give them room to be proactive.

A lot of people don’t even know they have an STD. Have you ever wanted to be tested even though you’re sure you’re clean?

Don’t play the blame game or be accusatory.

I’m not assuming the worst about you—it’s just a conversation I have with anyone I’m intimate with.

“It can be easier said than done, but you have the right to this conversation,” Rolleri says. “It’s a way to show you’re a good communicator and that it’s the kind of communication you expect—not only about your sexuality but about everything. I think most people would agree they want open communication. It’s a way to build some trust and some emotional intimacy, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

Taking charge

You may find yourself very comfortable addressing safe sex head on. Or, you may have considered every idea here and a dozen more of your own, and still you feel uneasy: You just know that you won’t be comfortable initiating a talk. Our advice to you? Suck it up. Stare at the floor, hide under a sweatshirt, or shout questions from the other room if you must. Get the information necessary to be sure you and your partner will be safe.

Five minutes of sweaty palms and red faces is still nothing compared to a lifetime with herpes, a bout with trichomoniasis, or even a single weekend with the crabs. Taking charge of your health is a grown-up notion—and we’re talking about grown-up encounters here.

A conversation ensuring that you and your partner remain safe is fair territory. Your right to enjoy a good sex life comes hand in hand with your right to sexual health.

8 Things in Your Home That May Be Harming You

Women drink before sex to gain confidence

Millions of British women indulge in boozing before having sex – because they lack confidence in their bodies, a study of 3,000 females has revealedResearchers examining the link between sexual habits and alcohol consumption found that half preferred sex after a tipple.

Women said alcohol helped them lose their inhibitions and become more adventurous between the sheets, reports The Daily Express.

Kathryn Lakeland of Femfresh, which carried out the study, said: “These results are a clear indication that British women today are severely lacking in confidence.

“Whilst many women claim they only drink before sex because it is part of the dating process, a large percentage will actually refuse to get between the sheets without a bit of Dutch courage.

“But in doing so many women will be losing self control and this is when drunken one-night stands are more likely to occur.”

Iran test-fires short-range missiles

TEHRAN – Iran said it successfully test-fired short-range missiles during military drills Sunday by the elite Revolutionary Guard, a show of force days after the U.S. warned Tehran over a newly revealed underground nuclear facility it was secretly constructing.

Gen. Hossein Salami, head of the Revolutionary Guard Air Force, said Iran also tested a multiple missile launcher for the first time. The official English-language Press TV showed pictures of at least two missiles being fired simultaneously and said they were from Sunday’s drill in a central Iran desert. In the clip, men could be heard shouting “Allahu Akbar” as the missiles were launched.

“We are going to respond to any military action in a crushing manner and it doesn’t make any difference which country or regime has launched the aggression,” state media quoted Salami as saying. He said the missiles successfully hit their targets.

The powerful Revolutionary Guard defends Iran’s clerical rulers. It has its own ground, naval and air units and its air force controls the country’s missile program.

The tests came two days after the U.S. and its allies disclosed that Iran had been secretly developing a previously unknown underground uranium enrichment facility and warned the country it must open the nuclear site to international inspection or face harsher international sanctions. The drill was planned in advance of that disclosure.

The newly revealed nuclear site in the arid mountains near the holy city of Qom is believed to be inside a heavily guarded, underground facility belonging to the Revolutionary Guard, according to a document sent by President Barack Obama’s administration to lawmakers.

After the strong condemnations from the U.S. and its allies, Iran said Saturday it will allow U.N. nuclear inspectors to examine the site.

Nuclear experts said the details that have emerged about the site and the fact it was being developed secretly are strong indications that Iran’s nuclear program is not only for peaceful purposes, as the country has long maintained.

By U.S. estimates, Iran is one to five years away from having a nuclear weapons capability, although U.S. intelligence also believes that Iranian leaders have not yet made the decision to build a weapon.

Iran also is developing a long-range ballistic missile that could carry a nuclear warhead, but the administration said last week that it believes that effort has been slowed. That assessment paved the way for Obama’s decision to shelve the Bush administration’s plan for a missile shield in Europe, which was aimed at defending against Iranian ballistic missiles.

Salami said Iran would test medium-range Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 missiles on Sunday night and long-range Shahab-3 missiles on Monday, during drills set to last several days.

Salami said Fateh, Tondar and Zelzal missiles were test fired on Sunday, but did not give specifics on range or other details. All are short-range, surface-to-surface missiles.

He told reporters Iran had reduced the missiles and their ranges and enhanced their speed and precision so they could be used in quick, short-range engagements. He also said they are now able to be launched from positions that are not as easy to hit.

He said the Revolutionary Guards‘ current missile tests and military drills are indications of Iran’s resolve to defend its national values and part of a strategy of deterrence and containment of missile threats.

Salami claimed Iran has started “running into difficulties storing so many missiles” with its recent progress on its missile program.

Iran has had the solid-fuel Fateh missile, with a range of 120 miles (193 kilometers), for several years. Fateh means conqueror in Farsi and Arabic. It also has the solid-fueled, Chinese-made CSS 8, also called the Tondar 69, according to the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, a private group that seeks to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. The Tondar, which means thunder, has a range of about 93 miles (150 kilometers.)

State media said the Revolutionary Guard tested a multiple launcher for the first time, designed for the Zelzal missile. Tehran has previously tested the Zelzal — versions of which have ranges of 130-185 miles (210-300 kilometers) — but only single launch.

In July 2006, Israeli military officials said their jets had destroyed a missile in Lebanon named Zelzal, which they said Hezbollah had received from Iran and could reach Tel Aviv. Zelzal means earthquake.

Iran’s last known missile tests were in May when it fired its longest-range solid-fuel missile, Sajjil-2. Tehran said the two-stage surface-to-surface missile has a range of about 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) — capable of striking Israel, U.S. Mideast bases and Europe.

The revelation of Iran’s secret site has given greater urgency to a key meeting on Thursday in Geneva between Iran and six major powers trying to stop its suspected nuclear weapons program.

The U.S. and its partners plan to tell Tehran at the meeting that it must provide “unfettered access” for the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, within weeks.

The facility is Iran’s second uranium-enrichment site working to produce the fuel that could eventually be used in a nuclear weapon.

A close aide to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday the site will be operational soon and would pose a threat to those who oppose Iran.

“This new facility, God willing, will become operational soon and will blind the eyes of the enemies,” Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani told the semi-official Fars news agency.

Evidence of the clandestine facility was presented Friday by Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh. On Saturday, Obama offered Iran “a serious, meaningful dialogue” over its disputed nuclear program, while warning Tehran of grave consequences from a united global front.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Saturday the revelation was firm proof Iran was seeking nuclear weapons.

Israel considers Iran a strategic threat with its nuclear program, missile development and repeated calls by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for Israel’s destruction. It has not ruled out a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear sites.

In 1981, Israeli warplanes bombed Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reaction and in 2007, Israel bombed a site in Syria that the U.S. said was a nearly finished nuclear reactor built with North Korean help that was configured to produce plutonium — one of the substances used in nuclear warheads.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment on the missile tests.

Iranian Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi, who heads the country’s nuclear program, said Saturday that U.N. nuclear inspectors could visit the nuclear site. On Sunday, he told Press TV Iran and the IAEA would work out the timing of the inspection.

The small-scale site is meant to house no more than 3,000 centrifuges — much less than the 8,000 machines at Natanz, Iran’s known industrial-scale enrichment facility, but they could still potentially help create bomb-making material.

Experts have estimated that Iran’s current number of centrifuges could enrich enough uranium for a bomb in as little as a year. Washington has been pushing for heavier sanctions if Iran does not agree to end enrichment.

Swiss detain Polanski on US arrest request

ZURICH — The Swiss Justice Ministry says director Roman Polanski is being held by Swiss authorities ahead of his possible extradition to the United States for having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.

The ministry says in a statement that Polanski was arrested Saturday upon arriving in Zurich. It says U.S. authorities have sought Polanski’s arrest around the world since 2005.

The 76-year-old was flying in to receive an award at the Zurich Film Festival.

Polanski fled the U.S. in 1978, a year after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with the girl.

The statement Sunday said Polanski will not be sent to the U.S. until extradition proceedings are completed. Polanski can contest his detention and any extradition decision in the Swiss courts.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

ZURICH (AP) — Director Roman Polanski was taken into custody, Swiss police confirmed Sunday, on a 1978 U.S. arrest warrant for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Polanski was flying in to receive an honorary award at the Zurich Film Festival when he was detained late Saturday at the airport, festival organizers said in a statement.

Zurich police spokesman Stefan Oberlin confirmed Polanski’s arrest, but refused to provide more details because he said it was a matter for the Swiss Justice Ministry.

Ministry spokesman Guido Balmer declined to comment. Rudolf Wyss, the Justice Ministry deputy director, also declined to comment on the case. But he told The Associated Press that Switzerland and the United States have an extradition treaty dating back to the 1950s that is still in force.

Polanski fled the U.S. in 1978, a year after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.

The 76-year-old director of such classic films as “Chinatown” and “Rosemary’s Baby” has asked a U.S. appeals court in California to overturn a judges’ refusal to throw out his case. He claims misconduct by the now-deceased judge who had arranged a plea bargain and then reneged on it.

Polanski has lived for the past three decades in France, where his career has continued to flourish. He received a directing Oscar in absentia for the 2002 movie “The Pianist.”

Festival organizers said Polanski’s detention had caused “shock and dismay,” but that they would go ahead with Sunday’s planned retrospective of the director’s work.

The Swiss Directors Association sharply criticized authorities for what it deemed “not only a grotesque farce of justice, but also an immense cultural scandal.”

A native of France who was taken to Poland by his parents, Polanski escaped Krakow’s Jewish ghetto as a child and lived off the charity of strangers. His mother died at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp.

He worked his way into filmmaking in Poland, gaining an Oscar nomination for best foreign-language film in 1964 for his “Knife in the Water.” Offered entry to Hollywood, he directed the classic “Rosemary’s Baby” in 1968.

But his life was shattered again in 1969 when his wife, actress Sharon Tate, and four other people were gruesomely murdered by followers of Charles Manson. She was eight months pregnant.

He went on to make another American classic, “Chinatown,” released in 1974.

In 1977, he was accused of raping a teenager while photographing her during a modeling session. The girl said Polanski plied her with champagne and part of a Quaalude pill at Jack Nicholson’s house while the actor was away. She said that, despite her protests, he performed oral sex, intercourse and sodomy on her.

Polanski was allowed to plead guilty to one of six charges, unlawful sexual intercourse, and was sent to prison for 42 days of evaluation.

Lawyers agreed that would be his full sentence, but the judge tried to renege on the plea bargain. Aware the judge would sentence him to more prison time and require his voluntary deportation, Polanski fled to France.

The victim, Samantha Geimer, who long ago identified herself publicly, has joined in Polanski’s bid for dismissal, saying she wants the case to be over. She sued Polanski and reached an undisclosed settlement.

Pak’s attitude on terror hinders peace talks: Manmohan

Sat, Sep 26 04:00 PM

Pittsburgh, September 26 (ANI): Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while speaking to media persons after the G20 summit at Pittsburgh on Friday said that New Delhi wishes to normalise its relations with Islamabad but Pakistan’s attitude on the use of terror as an instrument of state policy has been acting as an obstruction. He expressed hopes that Pakistan takes action on the materials handed over to it on the Mumbai attack

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