Defeated Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh made off with government money, luxury cars

Exiled Gambian ruler Yahya Jammeh stole millions of dollars in his final weeks in power, plundering the state coffers and shipping out luxury vehicles by cargo plane, a special adviser for the new president said Sunday.

Meanwhile, a regional military force rolled in, greeted by cheers, to secure this tiny West African nation so that democratically elected President Adama Barrow could return home. He remained in neighbouring Senegal, where he took the oath of office Thursday because of concerns for his safety.

At a press conference in the Senegalese capital, Barrow's special adviser Mai Ahmad Fatty told journalists that the president "will return home as soon as possible.

Underscoring the challenges facing the new administration, Fatty confirmed that Jammeh made off with more than $11.4 million US during a two-week period alone. That is only what they have discovered so far since Jammeh and his family took an offer of exile after more than 22 years in power and departed late Saturday.

People celebrate the arrival of the regional ECOWAS force in Banjul, Gambia, on Sunday. The soldiers are clearing the way for newly elected President Adama Barrow to arrive. (Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters)

'Gambia is in financial distress'

"The Gambia is in financial distress. The coffers are virtually empty. That is a state of fact," Fatty said. "It has been confirmed by technicians in the ministry of finance and the Central Bank of the Gambia."

Fatty also confirmed that a Chadian cargo plane had transported luxury goods out of the country on Jammeh's behalf in his final hours in power, including an unknown number of vehicles.

'The coffers are virtually empty. That is a state of fact.'- Mai Ahmad Fatty, presidential adviser 

Fatty said officials at the Gambia airport have been ordered not to allow any of Jammeh's belongings to leave. Separately, it appeared that some of his goods remained in Guinea, where Jammeh and his closest allies stopped on their flight into exile.

Fatty said officials "regret the situation," but it appeared that the major damage had been done, leaving the new government with little recourse to recoup the funds.

Exiled in Equatorial Guinea

The unpredictable Jammeh, known for startling declarations like his claim that bananas and herbal rubs could cure AIDS, went into exile under mounting international pressure, with a wave to supporters as soldiers wept. He is now in Equatorial Guinea, home to Africa's longest-serving ruler and not a state party to the International Criminal Court.

Jammeh's dramatic about-face on his December election loss to Barrow, at first conceding and then challenging the vote, appeared to be the final straw for the international community, which had been alarmed by his moves in recent years to declare an Islamic republic and leave the Commonwealth and the ICC.

A security officer of former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh cries as he arrives at the airport before flying into exile from Gambia on Saturday. The new administration says he left government coffers empty when he took off. (Thierry Gouegnon/Reuters)

Barrow's adviser disavowed a joint declaration issued after Jammeh's departure by the United Nations, African Union and the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) that bestowed a number of protections upon Jammeh, his family and his associates — including the assurance that their lawful assets would not be seized.

"As far as we're concerned, it doesn't exist," Fatty said.

The declaration also said Jammeh's exile was "temporary" and that he reserved the right to return to Gambia at the time of his choosing.

Although the declaration was written to provide Jammeh with maximum protection, it doesn't give him amnesty, according to international human rights lawyer Reed Brody.

"Under international law in fact you can't amnesty certain crimes like torture and massive or systematic political killings," he said in an email. "Depending where Jammeh ends up, though, the real obstacles to holding him accountable will be political."

Clearing the way for Barrow

Barrow will now begin forming a cabinet and working with Gambia's national assembly to reverse the state of emergency Jammeh declared in his final days in power, said Halifa Sallah, spokesman for the coalition backing the new leader.

The president's official residence, State House, needs to be cleared of any possible hazards before Barrow arrives, Sallah added.

Members of the regional ECOWAS force are seen at the Denton Bridge check point in Banjul. Gambia's defence chief said he welcomes the West African soldiers 'wholeheartedly.' (Thierry Gouegnon/Reuters)

The regional military force that had been poised to force out Jammeh if diplomatic efforts failed rolled into Gambia's capital, Banjul, on Sunday night to secure it for Barrow's arrival.

Hundreds greeted the force's approach to State House, cheering and dancing, while some people grabbed soldiers to take selfies.

Truth and reconciliation 

With Jammeh gone, a country that had waited in silence during the crisis sprang back to life. Shops and restaurants opened, music played and people danced in the streets.

A woman selling tomatoes laughs in a market at Serekunda, Gambia, on Sunday. Since the exile of defeated leader Yahya Jammeh, people are returning to the country.

Defence chief Ousmane Badjie said the military welcomed the arrival of the regional force "wholeheartedly." With proper orders, he said, he would open the doors to the notorious prisons where rights groups say many who have disappeared over the years may be kept.

"We are going to show Barrow we are really armed forces with a difference, I swear to God," Badjie said. "I have the Qu'ran with me."

Some of the 45,000 people who had fled the tiny country during the crisis began to return. The nation of 1.9 million, which promotes itself to overseas tourists as "the Smiling Coast of Africa," has been a major source of migrants heading toward Europe because of the situation at home.

Barrow, who has promised to reverse many of Jammeh's actions, told The Associated Press on Saturday he will launch a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate alleged human rights abuses of Jammeh's regime. Rights groups say those include arbitrary detentions, torture and even killing of opponents.

"After 22 years of fear, Gambians now have a unique opportunity to become a model for human rights in West Africa," Amnesty International's deputy director for West and Central Africa, Steve Cockburn, said in a statement Sunday.

Coast Guard suspends search for 6 people aboard plane that went missing over Lake Erie

Officials don't expect to find any survivors after a plane carrying six people disappeared over Lake Erie Thursday, and search efforts were suspended Friday evening.

"The decision to suspend a search is never easy," Capt. Michael Mullen of the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement. "I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who lost loved ones during this tragedy."

The pilot of the plane was John T. Fleming, according to a statement from an executive at the company where Fleming is president and CEO. Joseph McHenry, EVP of Superior Beverage Group, said the others on the plane were Fleming's wife, Sue, their teenage sons, Jack and Andrew, and two close friends identified as a neighbour and the neighbour's daughter.

Canadian air force assisted

​The coast guard was notified Thursday around 11:30 p.m. that a Cessna Citation 525 took off from Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, then disappeared from radar shortly after. 

At the request of the U.S. Air Force, a Canadian C-130 Hercules plane was dispatched from the Joint Response Co-ordination Centre in Trenton, Ont., to assist with the search.

Crews scoured the lake for a total of 20 hours and covered an area of more than 330 square kilometres, the statement said.

The Coast Guard said it suspends search and rescue cases only "with extreme care and deliberation."

"After a search area is located and saturated with a maximum number of assets, resources and crew effort, and persons in distress are still not located, a decision is made to suspend a search for survivors."

Representatives from the City of Cleveland and the Coast Guard will hold a joint press conference Saturday to talk about recovery efforts.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid second in La Liga  after Barcelona.

La Liga Competiveness

With scores of 8-2 (Real Madrid/ Deportivo) and  5-0 (Barcelona/ Levante), is the La Liga getting weaker or the stronger teams just get more stronger? With Real Madrid and Barcelona winning at least one title every decade, just how many trophies do the teams want?

The Scotland Independence Vote

With more than 50% of the votes taken in from the Scotland referendum in seems that the Scottish will support the "Yes," campaign. This will continue the British rule that has been going on for more than tree centuries.

New Apple devices include default kill switch

WASHINGTON - New Apple Inc phones include a theft deterrent system that enables users to lock their devices and wipe them clean of data if stolen, a victory for regulators who have long pushed the telecommunications industry to do more to stem theft.
The tool, known as a kill switch, will be standard on Apple's new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices and can be installed on previous models of iPhones starting Wednesday, according to an announcement from the office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
Schneiderman has long fought alongside New York District Attorney George Gascón to convince device manufacturers to include the kill switch as a default setting on their devices.
"This is a game changer,” said Gascón. "This is a major development that will change behavior on the street and eventually turn around this violent epidemic."
The announcement marks the first time a kill switch is present as a default option on the iPhone.
In April, Apple was among 10 device makers to sign a voluntary agreement to make the feature available on new smartphones.
In 2012, 1.6 million Americans were victimized for their smartphones, according to Schneiderman's office.

SpaceX, Boeing land NASA contracts for manned space flight

LOS ANGELES—Boeing and SpaceX have landed NASA contracts worth a total of $6.8 billion (U.S.) to launch an astronaut into space, the agency announced Tuesday.
The contracts are aimed at continuing the final development of spacecraft that will take astronauts to the International Space Station.
Under the contracts, the companies will have a goal of performing a test flight to the space station with a NASA astronaut in 2017.
Since NASA retired its space shuttles in 2011, it has been paying the Russian government about $70 million a seat to transport U.S. astronauts to the space station. That arrangement, which was always intended to be temporary, has become strained in recent months amid tensions between Russia and the West over the situation in Ukraine and Crimea.
SpaceX, whose name is short for Space Exploration Technologies Corp., is based in Hawthorne, Calif., and helmed by entrepreneur Elon Musk. It already has a $1.6-billion contract with NASA to deliver cargo to the space station.
Chicago-based Boeing Co. has built nearly every manned spacecraft in U.S. history.
Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks, Nev., which has been building a space plane that closely resembles a miniature space shuttle, had also been in the running for the NASA contract.

First Formula E Race Shockingly Electrifying

Beijing hosted the world's first ever Formula E (electric motor car) race Saturday, featuring 10 teams of two drivers each weaving through a circuit around the city's Olympic Park.
The 10-stop international circuit ending in June is meant to promote both the electric technology—something China hopes to use to cut down on air pollution—and attract new fans for a budding sport.
Team Audi won the weekend's inaugural race following a dramatic final lap crash between the leading cars and here are the major takeaways from the new sport's first outing:
About 75,000 spectators showed up to the never-before-seen sport, including many local residents. The trick? The international event only required a park entrance fee.
But besides the low rate, the competition brought a unique feel to the city, one that wasn't just about racing, but about innovation as well. As the South China Morning Post reported from the scene, fans "lined the track sides, carrying children on their shoulders as the futuristic whine of the cars sounded across the track, and techno music added to the atmosphere." Fans were also encouraged to use a program called FanBoost, which they could use to vote for their favorite drivers.
The race also didn't require Beijing itself to invest exorbitant time and resources into planning and programming. Formula E can pack everything—practice rounds, qualifying races, and the hour-long competition—into a single day, a marked difference from the three days usually required for other series.
With about $100 million in backing from Formula One veterans and notable names like Sir Richard Branson and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, the series had plenty of room for developing faster energy-saving cars. The result: The Spark-Renault SRT_01E, which all drivers are using for this first international circuit.
The car features top-of-the-line elements, from its tires to its steering wheel. The all-weather tires designed by Michelin can last the whole race, meaning each Formula E car received only 10 tires for the race weekend, compared to the whopping 52 Formula One cars receive. The massive battery pack, which occupies the space usually meant for the engine and gas tank in F1 cars, weights about 772 pounds, but can accelerate a car past 150 mph at top speeds. The motor also yields just 80 decibels, far quieter than the 130 decibels F1 cars emit around the track.
What does this all mean? For one thing, it proves electric cars are quieter, durable, and will have no trouble picking up speed. As Beijing native Wang Zhigang told The New York Times, "I had no idea electric cars could be so fast."
For another, China's willing to pursue the electric cars. According to The Times, the country aims to have five million of the vehicles in use by 2020. Of course, ordinary consumers will have to be convinced into buying electric cars first.  China may be the largest market for electric cars, but as NPR noted, it's still home to cheap gas and skeptical residents.
While the cars clearly work, they're meant to be a first step on the road toward creating a popular electric car.
"We expect this championship to become the framework for research and development around the electric car, a key element for the future of our cities," Alejandro Agag, the Spanish businessman who, along with the International Automobile Federation President Jean Todt, first came up with the idea in 2011, told the race's website.
And development is inevitable. The cars may be fast, but they're not quite furious: Because one battery can't last the whole race, drivers must stop and change into a new car halfway through. For this first circuit, all drivers are using the same car, therefore all having to do so, but in the future, teams will be able to design their own cars, researching and possibly finding paths around the obstacle.
"Right now, we are going to be going about 25 to 30 minutes with the battery at 130 to 140 miles an hour," former racecar driver Michael Andretti told CBC News in Beijing, where he had a Formula E team. "Five years from now, we'll probably be going 200 miles an hour with a battery that is half the weight that goes two or three times farther. That is what competition does."

British PM warns Scots against vote for independence

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday made a trip to Scotland to urge Scots to vote against independence and warned them of dire consequences otherwise in his most forceful speech yet ahead of this week's historic referendum.
Cameron was speaking in Aberdeen on what could be his last visit to Scotland before the vote on Thursday and promised to give Scotland sweeping new powers in the event of a "No" result against independence.
"Head, heart and soul, we want you to stay," Cameron said to applause from a mostly elderly audience of hundreds of people who were bussed in for the event in a city that is a hub for Scotland's offshore oil and gas industry.
"Independence would not be a trial separation, it would be a painful divorce," he warned.
A "Yes" victory would endanger pensions and put up a physical border between England and Scotland that "may not be so easily crossed," he continued.
He said Scotland's pro-independence government had outlined a future that was "too good to be true", and added: "I don't want the people of Scotland to be sold a dream that will disappear."
"There is no going back from this", he said.
A "Yes" win would be "the end of a country that all of us call home, and we built this home together".
The United States has stepped into Scotland's knife-edge debate by saying that it hoped to maintain its "special relationship" with a "united" Britain.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest stressed that Washington respected the right of Scots to decide their future in Thursday's referendum, but hoped for a "strong, robust and united" ally.
The upped pressure to keep the United Kingdom together, though, was dismissed by 73-year-old Ron Fowlie, a Scottish resident handing out pro-independence leaflets in Aberdeen's city centre.
He said he was "confident" of victory and stated: "We would like to run our own country."
Asked about the opinion polls, he said: "It seems to be 50-50, so half of the population will be disappointed."
Gilliam Wanterbberin, 39, who attended Cameron's speech, was more sympathetic to the pro-unity stance. "He's done a good thing in coming here and not staying in London," he said.
With polls showing an extremely tight vote on Thursday, campaigners for and against keeping Scotland in the United Kingdom were pulling out all stops.
English football icon David Beckham lent his support to the "Better Together" camp and pro-UK campaigners held a rally in Trafalgar Square in London.
Meanwhile, Scotland's pro-independence first minister, Alex Salmond, met some business leaders who have argued that leaving the United Kingdom makes economic sense.
"This is about creating a more prosperous Scotland but also about creating a fairer society," Salmond said, accusing Cameron of "orchestration" in getting other business leaders to come out against independence.
"People have got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in three days' time to put Scotland's future in Scotland's hands," he said.
Support for a "Yes" vote has grown in recent weeks. The campaign got a further boost on Sunday with top Scottish bands Franz Ferdinand and Mogwai playing a gig in the capital Edinburgh and encouraging Scots to cast ballots against the union.
"People are excited. The 'Yes' camp, I feel, are more invigorated," Calum Forbes, a 22-year-old recent graduate and "Yes" supporter, said at the concert.
Three surveys published over the weekend put the pro-union campaign ahead by varying margins: 47 percent for "No" to 40.8 percent for "Yes" in a poll by Survation; 47.7 to 42.3 percent in an Opinium survey; and 47.1 to 46.1 percent in a Panelbase poll.

Italy named world's top destination by Condé Nast readers

For the second consecutive year, the boot-shaped nation was named best overall destination in the Readers' Travel Awards conducted by Condé Nast Traveller UK.
With an overall rating of 94.49/100, Italy was ranked first among destination countries according to readers of the prestigious magazine, which is known as a key influencer in the luxury tourism sector. The country's culture and cuisine were cited as some of its most outstanding assets. With a score of 93.89, the US came in second, followed by France in third with 92.98. Readers gave both countries particularly high ratings in the accommodations category.
The survey indicates that Oceania is home to some of the world's most outstanding scenery, as Australia and New Zealand (sixth and seventh overall, respectively) scored the highest in this category. Greece, meanwhile, in fifth place, was praised for the hospitality of the local people.
In addition to polling readers on their favorite countries for travel, the magazine asked for their picks for best cities, best hotels and best islands, among other categories.
Parrot Cay by COMO in the Turks & Caicos took top spot for 'best of the best' in terms of hotels, as well as first place in The Americas & Caribbean, while first place in The Middle East, Africa, & The Indian Ocean was nabbed by Soneva Fushi in the Maldives; New Zealand's Huka Lodge in Taupo ranked highest in Australasia & The South Pacifc; Thailand's Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai got the highest score in Asia & India; and The Bristol Paris was voted best hotel in the Europe, Turkey & Russia region.
When it came to top non-UK cities, New York came in first, followed by Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Venice.
As part of the survey, Condé Nast Traveller readers were asked to rate destinations, hotels, islands, tour operators, airports and other travel industry players based on different criteria.
The full results of the Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards can be found in the October issue of the British magazine.

Why One West Virginia Town Banned Cell Phones

Only four hours west of Washington, D.C., there is a town where cell phones and wireless Internet are outlawed. Commercial radios are banned, and microwaves aren't welcome either.
Green Bank might sound like a Luddite's dreamscape, but the West Virginia hamlet's self-imposed blackout is being done all in the name of science: Green Bank is home to the world's largest radio telescope, a 100-meters-in-diameter dish that is the crown jewel of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
By measuring radio waves emitted from objects in space, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope can go where optical telescopes can't. It lets scientists "see" parts of the universe that are invisible to the human eye, giving them the power to study far-off galaxies and the lives of stars and discover new planets.
But to do its job, the telescope needs complete radio silence—a tall order in the digital age, even in a town with only about 150 residents.
And so, within a 10-mile radius of the observatory, Wi-Fi, cell phones, and radios are flat-out banned. And the zone extends further into a 13,000-square-mile area in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia where the use of airwaves is heavily restricted. The restrictions are part of Congress's 1958 decision to build the National Radio Quiet Zone to protect the NRAO.
A cell phone can throw off the world's largest telescope because of the latter's extraordinary sensitivity—a necessity to measure radio frequencies emitted by objects in space. To put this in perspective, a typical cell phone emits two to three watts when it is turned on but not being used. The radio telescope measures 0.00000000000000000000000000000001 watts, or approximately the same amount of energy given off by a single snowflake when it hits the ground. (At that scale, output is measured in a unit called the jansky, named after Karl Jansky, the founder of radio astronomy.)
A ring of mountains gives the area one layer of natural protection from the outside world, but the topography is far from enough to maintain the blackout the telescope needs to operate. And the challenge to keep a radio-free zone radio-free is getting harder, with 90 percent of Americans now owning cell phones and 87 percent of Americans relying on the Internet, according to a recent Pew study.
The task falls on Mike Holstine, whose official title is general manager of the NRAO. But "Defender of the Airwaves" is a more suitable description. Holstine has been at the observatory for 23 years, a span that coincides neatly with the rise of the Internet and cell phones.
In the early days, patrolling the radio blackout was a fairly simple task. Malfunctioning electronics in the community caused most interference, so Holstine could personally knock on the door, explain the problem, and fix it. "We'd try to replace the faulty part or we would fix their appliance or fix their fence," Holstine said.
But the wireless revolution changed things. Interference has become a daily occurrence, as objects that most Americans take for granted—such as remote controls and microwaves—are airwave mischief-makers. "Most people don't think about these kinds of things, but we have to think about them all the time," Holstien said. "Basically anything you have that is electronic is a source of radio-frequency radiation."
Policing interference requires constant vigilance, cooperation, and creativity.
The NRAO monitors airwave activity 24/7. When Holstine or a member of his crew sees a spike in activity, they hop in a diesel truck equipped with antennas to track down the culprit. If the problem is fixable, they'll fix it. If not, they'll ask the owner to stop using it.
This requires close cooperation with the residents of Green Bank and the nearby Snowshoe ski resort. The Federal Communications Commission is the ultimate enforcer of the quiet zone, but Holstine says the observatory rarely turns to the FCC to settle disputes. "We generally have the great support of the community," Holstine said. "We really wouldn't be able to do the science we do without their support."
Instead, Holstine and his team look for engineering solutions that allow the town's residents and thousands of visitors to enjoy some of the conveniences of the digital age.
As a result, Snowshoe got its first taste of cell reception last year with the help of miniature networks called microcells. But coverage is limited to the the ski village, so resort employees still rely on walkie-talkies to run day-to-day operations of a ski mountain.
George Murphy, chief technology officer for Snowshoe Mountain Resort, says many first-time visitors don't realize what they are getting themselves into and are "absolutely horrified" when they find themselves without text messaging or Netflix to entertain their kids.
But some problems are impossible to eradicate—such as automobiles. Not only do gasoline engines create interference, but a 2007 federal law requiring new cars to be equipped with a tire pressure monitor essentially puts tiny radio transmitters in every tire.
To fix this, Green Bank lined the roads with evergreen trees. Pine needles are sponges for radio signals, effectively mitigating much of the interference produced by cars.
A few countries, including Australia and Chile, are trying to build radio quiet zones, but Holstine doubts that it would be possible to recreate one in the U.S. today. Technological dependence is so pervasive in American culture, he says, that it would be difficult to "basically tell people what they have they can't have any longer."

Broken robots 'learn to keep going'

Engineers have taken a step towards having machines that can operate when damaged by developing a robot that can teach itself to walk, even with a broken leg.
Using "intelligent trial and error", their six-legged robot learned how to walk again in less than 2 minutes.
"This new technique will enable more robust, effective, autonomous robots," the engineers behind the robot said.
They said the aim was to mimic the behaviour of injured animals.
The trial-and-error methodology could have ramifications for robots used in the workplace and for military purposes. A robot that can keep attacking - no matter how damaged - brings to mind the relentless android from the Terminator films.          The Terminator - though fictional - could figure out how to keep going when injured   
According to one expert, adaptive robotics is the cutting edge of the field. Most robots currently sit in factories and perform very specific functions. Scientists want to get robots to understand new and changing situations.
"The real challenge we are pursuing in robotics is robots that can adapt to uncertain and unstructured environments," Dr Fumiya Iida, of the Machine Intelligence Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, told the BBC.
The scientists - Antoine Cully and and Jean-Baptiste Mouret of the Sorbonne in Paris and Jeff Clune of the University of Wyoming - published a research paper on their robot on Arxiv, a platform to release early versions of academic research that is overseen by Cornell University's library.
"When animals lose a limb, they learn to hobble remarkably quickly," Arxiv said in a blog post on the research. "And yet when robots damage a leg, they become completely incapacitated."
The scientists' robot has solved this by trying to mimic animals - by discovering which leg is broken and then then using trial and error to figure out the best way to continue walking.
"Locomotion is a major challenge," Dr Iida said. "It's an issue of energy efficiency. Robots are unusually very inefficient compared to animals."
Other companies are also trying to mimic animals, such as Boston Dynamics, which is now owned by Google. It makes a variety of robots, including the internet sensation Big Dog, which can attain locomotion on a variety of different and difficult terrains.
Big Dog was funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) and Boston Dynamics contracts for the US military - which is an area where the trial-and-error algorithms could be applied, especially to machines injured in warfare.
But Dr Iida said that military use was only one aspect of better adaptive robots.
"There are lots of applications beyond the military," he said. "You can think of robots in extreme environments, so not only in warfare, but in space such as robots on the Moon and Mars, and in nuclear power plants. Think of Fukushima, for example, where humans can't go."
While these engineers are focused on self-learning robots, others are developing robots and materials that can "heal themselves" when they are damaged.
BAE Systems said recently that in the future, it could build drones that contained a lightweight fluid that would allow jets to heal themselves from damage sustained in flight, as well as on-board 3D printers that can make new parts, while a new plastic that can fix itself has been developed by engineers at the University of Illinois.

Swiss prepare for Messi test, U.S. face Belgium

Lionel Messi has been the key to Argentina's perfect start at the World Cup, scoring four of their six goals in three straight group wins, and the South Americans hope his blistering form continues when they face Switzerland in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Also battling for a place in the quarter-finals are the United States and Belgium, who arrived as one of the favorites to lift the trophy but have not yet fired on all cylinders.
Although Argentina have yet to reach the heights many expected of them in Brazil, Messi has been on a different planet, electrifying crowds and banishing memories of the goal drought he endured in South Africa four years ago.
Fellow forward Sergio Aguero is a major doubt after picking up an injury against Nigeria in their final group game, however, and should he miss out manager Alejandro Sabella may opt for the versatile Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Sabella, though, was playing his cards close to his chest on the eve of the match in Sao Paulo.
"In case Lavezzi plays he can play in two different positions," he told reporters. "But I am telling you, the line-up is not decided yet."
Switzerland hope Xherdan Shaqiri, dubbed the 'Alpine Messi' for his impish skills, will provide the key to beating Argentina for the first time.
The bustling little forward has been in top form for the Swiss, stealing the show with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Honduras that sealed their spot in the last 16.
"The midfield will feed him, and he plays really well up front," captain Gokhan Inler said of Shaqiri. "The good thing is he cannot be figured out that easily. We need to have him free."
In Salvador, the United States will look to sprint out of the blocks to unsettle slow-starting Belgium.
The Belgians ground out group wins over Algeria, Russia and South Korea but were far from impressive, failing to score in any of those games until the last 20 minutes.
Defender Thomas Vermaelen has not recovered from a hamstring injury and will miss the game while captain Vincent Kompany will undergo a late fitness test.
But coach Marc Wilmots expects playmaker Eden Hazard, another one who has yet to hit full stride, to have a big influence on the game.
"I’m sure that we’ll see a massive Hazard performance tomorrow which could prove decisive," he added.
After muscling out Portugal and Ghana for second spot behind Germany in Group G, the United States have grown in confidence and plan to go on the offensive.
"We have no fear at all," U.S. coach Juergen Klinsmann said on Monday. "We feel fresh, we have recovered well after every game so far. We feel we have just started this adventure."
Klinsmann will be able to call on forward Jozy Altidore, who has recovered from a hamstring injury picked up in their group opener.

Ronaldo bows out of clash of the titans

Cristiano Ronaldo came to the World Cup as part of a holy trinity of world superstars alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar but he is leaving the party early after Portugal crashed out.
In bowing out he continues the curse of the Ballon D'Or winner never picking up the World Cup the same year.
Ronaldo, who has had a quiet tournament by his own dizzying standards, finally scored his first goal on Thursday -- the winner against Ghana in Brasilia -- but it was too little too late.
Portugal -- hammered 4-0 in their opener against Germany -- needed to win handsomely and hope the result in the other Group G fixture between Germany and the United States went their way.
But in the end a 2-1 win was not enough and the two sides playing in Recife went through.
Despite at last breaking his duck in Brazil the Real Madrid star missed a succession of chances that could have given his team the sizeable win they needed to make the last 16.
Towards the end of the match he kicked the air in frustration as yet another attack foundered with his team still clinging to an unlikely dream of qualifying for the knockouts.
Ronaldo, who only last month helped his Spanish club side win a 10th Champions League trophy, cut a disconsolate figure after the game, saying his side had deserved more.
"The match today was a match we tried to win and we did win," said Ronaldo, who was named man of the match.
"We created many opportunities but we could not finish them all," said the 29-year-old, wearing strapping around his right knee and moving gingerly.
"We knew it was complicated but what's left at the end shows that it was possible considering the number of opportunities we created," he added.
"We deserved more but that's how football is. We can hold our heads up high. We tried our best but couldn't do it."
The former Manchester United player has been the focus of much attention about how fit he was with endless speculation over his left knee.
Feted by huge crowds in Brazil -- even when training -- he arrived in Brazil as the alpha male of world football after finally wresting the Ballon d'Or from the hands of his Argentine rival Messi.
But his side, ranked fourth in the world, suffered a disastrous start, demolished 4-0 by Germany in their Group G opener.
Next came a 2-2 draw against the United States, with Ronaldo providing the cross that led to the equaliser in the final seconds -- a goal that kept Portugal in the competition.
And whereas Messi and fellow Barca star Neymar have benefited from strong players around them, Ronaldo has suffered from some sub-par performances from his team-mates.
Portugal coach Paulo Bento refused to pin the blame on his star player, who helped the team reach the semi-finals of Euro 2012, for his misses.
"No, I don't think it's fair," said Bento, who prior to the finals signed an extension to his contract taking him up to 2016.
"I don't think we should now make those things individual. We made a set of mistakes in the tournament during three different matches."
Taking responsibility for the failure, Bento said the defeat to Germany had hit his side hard psychologically and left them with a mountain to climb.
He said it was not right to criticise a player who is usually so effective in front of goal for his missed chances in the Estadio Nacional.
Bento acknowledged that Ronaldo had received physical therapy in the run-up to the World Cup but said he was only called in when 100 percent fit.

Spurs beat Heat 104-87 in Game 5 to win NBA title

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, the winningest trio in NBA postseason history, shared hugs.
Players wrapped themselves in flags from around world, a reminder that the San Antonio Spurs look far beyond the border to build champions, as confetti fell from above.
Painfully denied 12 months ago by the Miami Heat, this victory party was worth the wait.
''It makes last year OK,'' Duncan said.
The Spurs finished off a dominant run to their fifth NBA championship Sunday night, ending the Heat's two-year title reign with a 104-87 victory that wrapped up the series in five games.
''We had a great first quarter, but from that point on they were the better team, and that's why they're the champions in 2014,'' said LeBron James, who led the Heat with 31 points and 10 rebounds.
San Antonio erased an early 16-point deficit and routed Miami for the fourth time in the series, denying the Heat's quest for a third straight championship. A year after the Spurs suffered their only loss in six finals appearances - a heartbreaking seven-game defeat - they turned the rematch into no match at all.
''We wanted to redeem ourselves. I'm just glad we were able to do that,'' Parker said.
Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who added this title to the ones they won in 1999, 2003, '05 and '07. They nearly had another last year, but couldn't hold off the Heat.
''I've said many times, a day didn't go by where I didn't think about Game 6,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of the turning point in last year's finals. ''So I think, just in general, for the group to have the fortitude that they showed to get back to this spot, I think speaks volumes about how they're constituted and what kind of fiber they have.''
Not to mention tons of talent, and perhaps the best coaching in the game.
''They played exquisite basketball this series and in particular these last three games and they are the better team. There's no other way to say it,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
The Spurs won four titles in nine years, but hadn't been back on top since 2007, making Foreigner's ''Feels Like the First Time'' an appropriate song choice after the final buzzer.
Duncan and Popovich have been here for all of them, and it was the fourth for Parker and Ginobili, who with Duncan are once again the reigning the Big Three in the NBA.
Chris Bosh finished with 13 points and Dwyane Wade just 11 on 4-of-12 shooting for the Heat.
The painful conclusion to last year's NBA Finals served as the fuel for this one, powering the Spurs to a league-best 62-win season and a rematch with Miami - the first in the finals since Chicago beat Utah in 1997-98.
Round 2 went to the Spurs, but both teams have challenges to navigate if there is to be a rubber match.
San Antonio will face questions - as it has for years - about the age of its core, and whether Duncan, Ginobili and Popovich want to stick around. The Heat will brace for the potential free agency of James, Wade and Bosh, and will need younger, fresher pieces around the three All-Stars if they all stay.
But this moment belongs to the Spurs.
Playing a methodical, albeit winning, style for many years made San Antonio respected, but never beloved. The Spurs were TV ratings killers, casual viewers finding them not much fun to watch.
But Popovich opened up the offense a few years ago, making the Spurs an easy-to-like, tough-to-beat group that thrives on ball movement and 3-point shooting.
''You showed the world how beautiful this game is,'' Commissioner Adam Silver told the Spurs during the postgame award ceremony.
A decade and a half after winning their first title in 1999, when Duncan was in his second season, the Spurs remain the NBA's model organization, a small-market team that simply wins big and hardly ever does it with a high draft pick. Instead, they found players overseas or in other organizations who would fit the Spurs' way of doing things and mesh with the Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, who have teamed for 117 postseason victories.
That included Leonard, acquired in a draft-night trade with Indiana after playing at San Diego State, and Patty Mills, an Australian national who scored 17 points off the bench.
In the end, the Spurs made winning their fifth title look stunningly easy - much to the delight of the home crowd. After the slow start, they had their fans standing, chanting and dancing much of the second half.

Italy's Super Mario sinks England

Mario Balotelli scored the winner as Italy beat England 2-1 in their World Cup duel in the Amazon on Saturday as Costa Rica provided a major shock with an upset win over Uruguay.
AC Milan striker Balotelli nodded past former Manchester City team-mate Joe Hart on 50 minutes to decide the tense Group D encounter at Manaus's sweltering Amazonia Arena.
Italy's Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio had fired the Azzurri into a deserved lead on 35 minutes, rifling home a low shot from outside the area after a well-worked corner routine wrong-footed the English defence.
England struck back with a fine goal on the counter-attack. Raheem Sterling released Wayne Rooney down the left and the Manchester United star's cross was buried by Daniel Sturridge.
The Italian victory leaves Cesare Prandelli's side in pole qualifying position from Group D.
The only blot on a satisfying day for Italy was the absence of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who was ruled out of the England match hours before kick-off with a twisted ankle.
England now face Uruguay in Sao Paulo next Thursday with the loser of that contest facing almost certain elimination.
"It's disappointing, we put so much effort into it," said England captain Steven Gerrard after.
"Italy were a very good team tonight and we fell a bit short. But we're still very much alive in this group," he added.

Van Persie, Robben star as Dutch hand Spain record mauling

Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben both scored twice as the Netherlands avenged their 2010 World Cup final defeat by routing holders Spain 5-1 on Friday in a record-breaking humiliation.
As well as it being the worst ever-mauling inflicted at a World Cup on the reigning champions, it was the worst defeat suffered by Spain in more than half a century, coming 51 years after a 6-2 defeat to Scotland in 1963.
Manchester United striker Van Persie produced a stunning first-half header and slotted home the Netherlands' fourth.
"We never stopped going and in my opinion it could have been six, seven or eight goals," said man-of-the-match Van Persie.
"But I've been here before, this is my fifth tournament and it's just one win and three points, now we have to focus on our next game, against Australia."
Not to be outdone, Bayern Munich star Robben scored two second-half goals with Stefan De Vrij compounding the misery for Vicente del Bosque's world and European champions.
Veteran midfielder Xabi Alonso gave the Spanish a first-half lead when he drilled home a highly contentious penalty after Brazilian-born striker Diego Costa, who was jeered constantly by local fans, went down in the box despite not appearing to have been touched.
But Van Persie's diving header 90 seconds from the break put the Dutch level before the Oranje ran wild in the second half.
The Dutch triumvirate of Robben, Van Persie and Wesley Sneijder caused the Spanish defence all manner of problems, but it was Daley Blind's superb long passes which created their two opening goals.
"I feel really bad, very upset and very disappointed, but I have enough courage to understand this defeat," said Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque.
Spain conceded two goals at the last World Cup and three in their qualifying campaign for Brazil 2014, leaving Del Bosque at a loss to explain the five-goal mauling.
"I can't find the words to explain that, we are normally solid in defence, but today we were very weak," said Del Bosque.
"You have to acknowledge the performances of Van Persie and Robben."
- 'Dutch can improve still' -
Spain went ahead when Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli judged Costa had been fouled by De Vrij and Alonso drilled the 27th-minute penalty past Netherlands goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.
Soon after, David Silva squandered a great chance to put the world champions 2-0 up when Cillessen managed to get a glove to the Manchester City star's chipped shot.
Van Persie levelled on 44 minutes when Daley Blind's pin-point pass from the left wing found the Manchester United star in space to loop his header over the stranded Iker Casillas.
Holland took control soon after the break when Van Persie turned provider with a superb pass to Robben in the area.
The winger got the better of both Spain centre-backs Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos to fire the Oranje into a 2-1 lead on 53 minutes.
Van Persie then rattled the crossbar with an hour gone before De Vrij grabbed Holland's third on 64 minutes when he bundled home at the back post.
Spain looked to have pulled a goal back when Silva stabbed home a Cillessen spill with 67 minutes gone, but he was shown to be offside.
Van Persie claimed his second and the Netherlands' fourth when he beat Casillas to a loose ball and, aided by a helpful bounce, he tapped home on 72 minutes.
The Dutch delight was clear as Van Persie handed the captain's armband to Robben in the dying stages when the striker was replaced.
Robben, who could have finished with a hat-trick, netted his second on 80 minutes by again dancing around Spanish defenders to claim his team's fifth goal of a stunning night.
Dutch coach Louis van Gaal said his side can improve further still under his new 4-3-3 system clicked.
"Without a shadow of a doubt we can (improve)," said the future Manchester United manager.
"You could see in the last 20 minutes when we started to play the ball around with confidence.
"A result like that gives players confidence and I expect us to play better."

How practical is Google's driverless car?

Google has been teasing consumers with tidbits about its driverless cars for several years now, but it wasn't until this week that it revealed what this futuristic technology would actually look like.
The prototype is a subcompact car that looks like a computer mouse, has no steering wheel or gas and brake pedals and reaches a maximum speed of roughly 40 kilometres an hour.
Google says that 100 of these prototypes will be built in the Detroit area, and the company expects them to be on the road by next year.
At the Code Conference in Los Angeles this week, Google co-founder Sergey Brin said the self-driving car concept "is about changing the world for people who are not well-served by transportation today."
The futuristic car clearly has its backers, but some analysts, while intrigued, are skeptical about whether this concept is as game-changing as Google thinks.
While they acknowledge a driverless car would have immediate benefits for seniors and the disabled, a self-driving car raises a number of legal and regulatory issues.
Here's a look at some of the applications — and complications — of putting Google's driverless car on the road.
Increased mobility for seniors and people with disabilities
The prototype, which was revealed on Tuesday, has buttons that a passenger presses to begin and end the ride. The passenger sets the route by identifying the destination on a map or by using spoken commands.
In lieu of human operation, the vehicle is outfitted with sensors and cameras mounted on the roof that allows it to analyze what surrounding cars are doing and react accordingly.
The most obvious beneficiaries of a self-driving car would be seniors or the disabled, who may not be able to operate a conventional automobile.
A car such as this would go a long way in restoring some independence for someone with a physical disability, says Tony Dolan, chair of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities and a partial quadriplegic.
As a person with disabilities, he says, "you're always striving for that ability to live as normally as you can." And often as cheaply as you can.
Dolan owns a retrofitted Dodge Caravan minivan, which has a powered ramp, a modified driver's seat, hand controls for acceleration and braking, and a spinner knob on the steering wheel.
It cost him $43,000 US, and he says he had to buy it in the U.S. because the cheapest comparable vehicle he could find in Canada would have cost $68,000 CDN.
Dolan acknowledges that Google's self-driving car would alleviate some of the issues that prohibit many disabled people from driving, but he is concerned about the potential cost. (Google hasn't announced a price tag.)
"The first thing a person with a disability would say about the Google car is, Oh, that's great – but can I afford it? How am I going to pay for that?"
Not necessarily a fun ride
Thilo Koslowski, an automotive analyst with the Gartner consultancy group, says that with a current top speed of 40 km/hr (25 mph), the Google car would not make a particularly effective or fun consumer vehicle.
While there is undoubted curiousity about a car that drives itself, most people still prefer to drive themselves. Koslowski cites a recent poll that showed 35 per cent of respondents would be interested in purchasing such a vehicle, while the rest still preferred a traditional car.
Koslowski says he sees a greater potential for the Google car as an automated taxi or a means to transport goods. He also believes that it could be a valuable mode of transport in low-traffic areas, such as universities, factories or airports.
"There is an opportunity for these kinds of self-driving vehicles to be used at lower speeds on campuses or very specific city areas," says Kozlowski.
And while there may well be greater consumer interest in the future, he suggeststhose vehicles "would have to look very different from the prototype that was shown" this week.
Street legal?
Champions of driverless cars say they would nullify speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving, the prime causes of automobile accidents.
However, there are currently very strict regulations governing the use of these sorts of vehicles on the streets in both Canada and the U.S.
Koslowski points out that the state of California recently announced that in order for a self-driving car to be on the street, there must be two certified engineers sitting in the front seat in order to assume control in case things go awry.
Peter Henein, a product liability lawyer and partner at the Toronto firm Cassels Brock & Blackwell, also sees a number of liability issues with a concept such as this.
Because the vehicle is wholly automated, Henein says the most obvious concern is computer error or failure. As well, because the car relies on an internet connection to identify and navigate to its destination, a drop in the signal could bring the car to a halt — possibly in a very precarious situation.
"If the map is being updated remotely, and there's a lack of connectivity, the car may not know where to go and then the car may not move," says Henein.
Henein also points out that the current prototype is a small car with little apparent safety protection, and would be unlikely to survive a collision with a large truck.
"That doesn't make the [driverless] vehicle dangerous, but it means you have to carefully regulate where it can be driven."
Another question with the car is the liability when a vehicle such as this gets into an accident — would it be the fault of the passenger, the owner or the manufacturer?
A spokesperson for the Insurance Bureau of Canada says it's "too early for us to comment on the insurance implications of the Google driverless car."
Henein says determining liability in the case of an accident between a driverless car and a conventional car would be no different than a collision between two conventional automobiles.
It would require an investigation of the specific circumstances and a determination of whether the accident was created through the actions of the people in the vehicle or a malfunction of the vehicle itself.
'A whole other set of data'
Because the car is fully automated and reliant on geo-location information to determine its routes, the vehicle's computer — and, by extension, Google — will inevitably gather data on passengers habits, Matt Braga, a Canadian tech journalist, told CBC News.
Google currently collects data on consumers through its search engine and email services, which it sells to third parties. Braga says that the self-driving car could provide Google with even more personal information.
"You have this company that already knows things like your purchasing behaviour and who you talk to.
"They'll now have this extra data. They'll know things like, 'Stacy goes to the gym every Thursday,'" Braga said.
"It's a whole other set of data that could be exciting or terrifying."

Google, Costco and Facebook best employers: US poll

Google, Facebook and wholesale retailer Costco offer the best pay and benefit packages in the United States, according to employee ratings compiled by the US job site Glassdoor.
Apart from Costco, whose generous social benefits stand out, four of the five top employers are high-tech firms, according to the survey.
Top was Google, where a software engineer earns an average base salary of $119,000 a year and where employees have free access to a gym, laundromat, billiards and pet boarding.
But "I've never met anybody at Google who actually took time off on weekends or on vacations," a former employee who worked there for eight years wrote.
Facebook, sitting in third -- behind Costco -- is hailed for the autonomy it grants to its workers. It is followed in the rankings by Adobe, the computer software company.
At the bottom of the list, in 25th, is eBay, which employs more than 5,000 people.
At least 75 current or former employees of each firm responded to the survey.

Atletico Madrid win La Liga title after draw at Barca

BARCELONA  - A towering Diego Godin header secured Atletico Madrid a 1-1 draw against Barcelona and a first La Liga title for 18 years in a thrilling climax to the campaign on Saturday.
Barca needed to beat Atletico in a final-day showdown to snatch the title away and Alexis Sanchez gave the hosts hope when he rifled home from an acute angle after 33 minutes at a packed Nou Camp.
But four minutes after the break Godin powered home from a corner and Atletico defended robustly to earn the draw they needed and claim their first championship since 1995-96.
The result prompted Barcelona's Argentine coach Gerardo Martino to announce his resignation after just one season in the job.
"The work and effort of this team is the key and nobody makes any compromises. The team understands this," Atletico coach Diego Simeone told a news conference.
"Today will be one of the most important days in the history of the club. To become champions against Barcelona is a great feeling."
Following the final whistle, the Nou Camp crowd applauded the new champions as they celebrated on the pitch.
"This was something unimaginable at the start of the season but totally deserved," Atletico captain Gabi told Spanish television as his delirious team mates celebrated on the pitch behind him.
"It is a honour to be part of this and to be able to compete with the big clubs.
"We always believed in ourselves, even when we fell behind today," he added.
"Let the fans enjoy this now because they deserve it. We will celebrate this great title now and from Monday we will focus on the Champions League which is the priority now."
Atletico, who contest next Saturday's European showpiece against Real Madrid in Lisbon, finished with 90 points, with Barca second on 87 and Real, also with 87, in third.
It is the first time in 10 years that either Barca or Real Madrid did not win the league and Barca finished without major silverware for the first time in six years.
"We had it within our grasp for 45 minutes but all we can do now is congratulate Atleti," Barca playmaker Andres Iniesta told Spanish TV.
"After we went ahead their goal really hurt us and they are worthy champions," added the Spain international.
"We tried to the very end but today we are left empty-handed. This season is over for us and now we just have to move forward."
Gerard Pique and Neymar were back in the Barca side after injury while the surprise in coach Martino’s lineup was the choice of Cesc Fabregas in midfield ahead of Xavi.
Pique’s return was a boost due to Atletico’s strength in the air and he was soon in the thick of the action as the visitors looked to test the Barca defence. He was booked after just five minutes for a foul on Koke.
The visitors suffered a blow as Diego Costa went off injured after 15 minutes as his hamstring problems continued. Shortly afterwards Arda Turan also limped off.
Needing only to draw, Atletico tried to slow the game down, while the tension meant a scrappy contest only came to life in spurts.
Sanchez was looking the most lively for Barca in the first half and having gone close with a header, he rifled home a shot from a tight angle, beating Thibaut Courtois at his near post.
It would be harsh to blame the Atletico keeper, however, such was the ferocity of the strike.
Atletico came out in determined mood after the restart and once Godin got the equaliser from a Gabi corner they always looked in control.
Messi made some dangerous runs and found the net with an effort that was ruled offside, while Neymar, the marquee signing ahead of the season, also failed to make an impact with the Atletico defence staying rock solid.
After months of speculation about his future, Barcelona coach Martino said he was standing down in the wake of the result.
"I would like to thank the club for putting their confidence in me and I am sorry that I was unable to deliver," the Argentine told a news conference.