Astronauts plan historic spacewalk
HOUSTON, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- The space shuttle's crew was relaxed early Tuesday and, at times, even joked during a televised news conference from the International Space Station.
Nearly all questions concerned Wednesday's spacewalk that will include two firsts -- the first spacewalk to a shuttle's underside and the first emergency shuttle repair in orbit.
Astronaut Steven Robinson will attempt to remove two pieces of dangling cloth from the shuttle's underside.
"The main tools I plan to use are right here," he said, moving his thumb and forefinger together.
The pieces of cloth are protruding about an inch, the New York Times reported. The repair mission was ordered after engineers were unable to predict the effects of the strips when Discovery re-enters Earth's atmosphere upon its return flight.
The ceramic-treated fabric acts as a spacer, keeping the shuttle's fragile insulating tiles from crunching together during lift-off, the Times said.
If the strips can't be removed by hand, Robinson will have forceps to pull with, a hacksaw and scissors.
The operation will be conducted with great care," he said. "It's going to be like watching grass grow. Nothing's going to happen fast."
Strict security in Riyadh for king's funeral
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Saudi Arabia's King Fahd was buried in the royal cemetery in central Riyadh Tuesday following a funeral attended by most Arab leaders.
The simple funeral departed from King Faisal's Specialized Hospital where Fahd died Monday after a long illness. The procession continued to the main mosque near the cemetery, where the funeral was held in the presence of the Saudi royal family, and Arab and Muslim visitors only.
New King Abdullah led the procession followed by Crown Prince Sultan, who is Defense Minister. Fahd was then buried in a modest unmarked grave in keeping with strict Saudi Islamic traditions.
Saudi authorities have stepped up security measures in Riyadh ahead of the arrival of Arab and foreign dignitaries.
Police cars took up positions at the main intersections and patrols were roaming the streets taken by dignitaries taking part in the funeral.
Among foreign dignitaries scheduled to arrive later to pay condolences are French President Jacques Chirac and Britain's Prince Charles.
Further arrests in London bomb inquiry
LONDON, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- British police have arrested two men in the July 21 London bomb attempts, bringing to 20 the number of people in custody for the attacks.
The arrests were made by armed officers during raids in south London Monday night. One arrest was made at an address in Stockwell and the other in Clapham. A second property in Stockwell was also raided but no arrests were made.
The men are being held at a Central London police station on suspicion of the commission, instigation or preparation of acts of terrorism, Scotland Yard said.
Meanwhile police are concerned that procedural problems with the extradition of July 21 bomb suspect Hussain Osman from Italy may hamper their investigation.
Osman, 27, an Ethopian-born Briton, has not been charged and under the new European arrest warrant arrangements should be extradited to Britain within 90 days.
However, there is concern that by collaborating with Italian inquiries, Hussain may be able to persuade Rome magistrates to delay the proceedings. Under new Italian legislation enacted Saturday, suspects collaborating with
investigators can be given a residence permit and a new identity.
Blair to quit Parliament, says agent
SEDGEFIELD, England, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair is planning to stand down as a member of Parliament at the next general election, his Labor Party agent said Tuesday.
John Burton, one of Blair's closest friends and political allies, said: "He has spoken to me about it, and as far as I know he is not going to stand."
Blair has already said he will resign as prime minister after serving a full third term.
But Monday Downing Street played down a report in the Guardian that Blair had told friends he wanted a "clean break" with politics.
Burton, who has been Blair's agent in his Sedgefield constituency since 1983, told the Northern Echo: "Tony's said he is packing in as leader and he's not going to stay on the back benches -- so I can't see him standing at the next election.
"He has spoken to me about it, and as far as I know he is not going to stand."
Blair had been tipped for a big international role, such as in the European Union or United Nations. However, he is reported to have said he is not interested in a frontline role outside British politics.
Seoul reeling over wiretapping scandal
SEOUL, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Debate was raging in Seoul Tuesday over whether some 274 illegal wiretap tapes that shook big business and government should be made public.
The scandal has led to the resignation of South Korean Ambassador to Washington Hong Seok Hyun and tainted the image of Samsung, South Korea's leading electronics conglomerate.
The wiretapping took place in the 1990s, by Kong Un Young, a former espionage agent, who headed an illegal eavesdropping operation in the 1990s.
Among the evidence made public so far from just one tape, in a conversation between Lee Hak Soo, a top Samsung executive, and Hong, an in-law of Samsung's chairman, Lee Kun Hee. Hong was then president of a Samsung-affiliated daily newspaper. In the conversation, the two discussed giving as much as nearly $3 million in Samsung money to candidates for the December 1997 presidential election, the International Herald Tribune said.
Prosecutors said they will not make the tapes public because of privacy laws, but rights groups raised fears of a whitewashed investigation and called for the appointment of an independent counsel.
