OBAMA VISITS IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN...

Far from Amman, Jordan, where the world's news media was fixated on Sen. Barack Obama, his presidential rival, presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain told a town meeting here that U.S. troops "have succeeded and we will win the war in Iraq."

In midday remarks to a lively crowd in the old Rochester Opera House, McCain criticized Obama for sticking to his proposal for a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from the war zone. "Now he wants to reverse the success we have had and set a date for withdrawal," McCain said. He ignored recent statements supporting withdrawal by 2010 from the prime minister of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki and the Bush White House's implicit recent support of the idea. McCain accused Obama of stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the success of the surge that McCain proposed and President Bush adopted last year. He credited himself with having the "courage and judgment" to say last year that he would rather win the war than lose a campaign, and today said "it seems to me that Senator Obama would rather lose a war" than change his mind about the surge publicly. "I hope that he will have the courage to reverse his position," McCain said.

A DARK NIGHT IN LONDON

Holy unexpected, Batman! Christian Bale has been arrested in London after allegedly assaulting his sister and mother, reports U.K.'s Daily Telegraph.

The actor, who should be riding high after his new film smashed box office records this weekend, is currently in custody after his 61-year-old mother, Jenny, and 40-year-old sister, Sharon, filed police complaints Monday, alleging Bale attacked them at London's Dorchester hotel Sunday night.

A Scotland Yard spokesman says: "A 34-year-old man attended a London Police Station on Tuesday by appointment and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault. He currently remains in custody."

Pope's pathetic apology

"It's really just sounding like a general expression of regret, whereas we want to see the Pope apologise directly to some of the victims, who should be given a chance to speak to him," Ms MacIsaac said.

"A lot of victims feel abused twice, first as a result of the sex abuse itself, then because of the cover-up, and we think the Pope should address that as well.

"He must also tell his Australian bishops to stop blocking victims' access to justice in the civil courts."

Melbourne high school teacher Stephen Woods, who was sexually abused between the ages of 11 and 14 while at Catholic school in Ballarat, said a papal apology was important but must be made directly to victims.

"I would love to be in the room when he did it," said Mr Woods, 47.

"I would love to meet him face to face. I'd ask him to tell the bishops to apologise for covering up and hiding all those crimes they knew about.

"I believe the Pope's apology should take the same form as Kevin Rudd's for the Stolen Generations. Mr Rudd used clear, concise and strong words, including the word 'sorry' many times.

"He did it in a room full of victims and there was a very palpable sense of emotion and even anguish in words. That's what I want to hear."

Some HULK fun

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Independence Day!

TROY IS A FAVORITE MOVIE OF MINE AND I JUST FELT LIKE HAVING SOME FUN WITH THE MOVIE.

UFO's sighted over UK!

ONE of Britain’s greatest UFO mysteries deepened last night after a new witness emerged after 34 years.

The Government allegedly covered up the “Welsh Roswell” incident, in the Berwyn mountain range in 1974, after scores of residents reported a massive tremor, strange lights in the sky and “Men in Black” scouring the area.

Claims that aliens crash-landed and their bodies were then transported by the Ministry of Defence to the top-secret research base Porton Down in Wiltshire were dismissed by Whitehall officials.

But suspicions about what really happened were re-ignited in May this year when hundreds of MoD documents about UFO sightings were released, with none containing any details about the Berwyn incident, reviving rumours of a cover-up.

Now, fresh evidence by retired gamekeeper Geraint Edwards, of Llandderfel, Denbighshire, has reopened the debate.

He told the makers of a new Channel Five documentary, which is being broadcast tonight, how he stood in amazement as a flying saucer hovered for 10 minutes above the mountains before it disappeared into space at impossible speed.