European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 9, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 stars and stripes monday april 9 2007 american space tourist blasts off by Maria Danilova the associated press Bai Konur russian rocket carrying the american billionaire who helped develop Microsoft word roared into the night skies Over Kazakhstan saturday sending Charles Simonyi and two cosmonauts soaring into orbit on a today journey to the International space station climbing on a column of smoke and fire into the Clouds Over the Bleak Steppes the soyuz tma10 capsule lifted off at pm local time casting an Orange glow Over the Bai Konur cosm drome and dozens of officials and Well wishers watching from about a mile away the capsule turned Northeast and moved downrange before entering orbit about 10 min utes later it was scheduled to rendezvous with the station monday among those bidding Farewell was Simon is Friend Martha Stewart who watched the launch from a location separate from other spectators after seeing Simonyi off for final preparations Stewart spent the final hours before the launch aboard another Mode of transportation common to this part of Kazakhstan Steppes a Camel the ride was excellent she said inside the capsule Simonyi and cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchishin and Oleg Kotov grinned for the inboard camera gave the thumbs up signal batted at a toy Black cat hanging from rope a Token of Good Luck chosen by Kotov and named after Bis two children Simonyi a 58yearold native of Hungary paid million for the 13day trip the fifth such paying space tourist or space flight participant As officials prefer to Call them space tourist and american billionaire Charles Simonyi right talks to his Friend Martha Stewart before the launch of the soyuz tma10 from the Bai Konur cosm drome in Kazakhstan on saturday i think for Charles it is a dream come True said Victoria Scott a Friend who watched the liftoff As others drank Cham pagne toasts and chanted Charles Charles in a posting on the blog he intends to main Tain while in orbit Simonyi said he spent his final Day getting a haircut and a therapeutic Massage and watched a traditional showing of a classic soviet Era War film there was no mention of Stewart on the blog but Simonyi did make reference to one of the lesser known Las minute traditions for cosmonauts heading into space urinating on the tire of the bus transporting them to the Launchpad three Days after arriving at the station and greeting its current cosmonaut Mikhail Turin and american Astro nauts Miguel Lopez Alegria and Sunita will iams will treat the Crews to a Gour met meal chosen by Stewart in Honor of cosmonauts Day the russian Day commemorating Yuri Gagarin historic 1961 flight into space he is to return to Earth on april 20 along with Turin and Lopez Alegria Iran looking for missing sex Fri Man by Nasser Karimi the associated press Tehran Iran Iran for eign ministry spokesman said sunday that his country has been searching for a former Fri agent missing in Iran for almost a month Robert Levinson a us citizen who retired from the Fri in 1998 was last seen March 11 on the Ira Nian resort Island of Kish he was said to be working on a film on the Island known for its beaches sea turtles and relatively Liberal atmosphere authorities Are pursuing to find More clues said Mohmmad Ali Hosseini during his weekly news briefing god willing we will find definite information about his Fate Hosseini said Iran had been in Contact with the Swiss embassy in Tehran which houses a us interests Section but still needed More details about the missing agent who worked in new York and Florida and was known for busting italian and russian mob sters levinsons relatives said last week they Are worried and doing everything possible to find him us officials meanwhile have downplayed the disappearance As routine americans As Well As nationals of other countries need no visa to enter Kish Amazon slovenian Martin Strel celebrates saturday in a brazilian Section of the Amazon River near the City of Ponta de Pedras after finishing swimming the entire length of the River slovenian swims length of Amazon in 65 Days by Peter Muello the associated press Rio de Janeiro Brazil after 3272 Miles of exhaustion sunburn delirium and piranhas a 52yearold slovenian Success fully completed a swim Down the Amazon River saturday that could set a new world record for Dis Tance one Hes broken three times already after nine weeks Martin Strel arrived near the City of Belem the capital of the Jungle state of Para ending a swim almost As Long As the drive from Miami to Seattle Strel averaged about 50 Miles a Day since beginning his Odyssey at the source of the worlds second longest River in Peru on feb 1 by thursday evening he was struggling with dizziness vertigo High blood pressure diarrhoea nausea and delirium his web site said but despite having difficulty standing and being ordered by the doctor not to Serai Strel was obsessed with finishing the course and insisted on night swimming Hes hit Point Zero Borut Strel Martins son and the project coordinator said by Tele phone from the Amazon there will be a ceremony sunday in Belem but he finished today speaking in English by satellite phone during a break aboard his support vessel the elder Strel said that the going got tougher the closer he got to Belem he said he was Lucky to have escaped encounters with piranhas the dreaded toothpick fish which swims into body orifices to suck blood and even Bull Sharks that swim in shallow Waters and can live for a while in fresh water i think the animals have just accepted me he said report Captain blames currents for sinking Athens Greece the Cap Tain of the sunken sea Diamond cruise ship blamed currents off a greek Island for last weeks Acci Dent state run television reported sunday two French tourists have been missing since thursday when the ship struck rocks and eventually Sank off the Holiday Island of san Torini All the other people on Board passengers and 391 Crew according to operator Louis cruise lines were rescued the ships greek Captain has been charged with negligence India giving rare Lions More Security Ahmadabad India the government of a Western Indian state will increase Security in and around the Only Sanctuary for Asi Atic Lions after the killing of 13 rare big cats officials said Sun Day the Lions once roamed much of Asia but Only about 350 remain All of them in the Gir National Park in Gujarat state the killings Over the last two months have raised fears for the future of the species the states top elected official chief minister Narendra Modi announced a million plan to buy High end Security equipment including close circuit cameras and increase the number of guards aussie terrorist wont be Able to sell Story Canberra Australia Al Aida supporter David Hicks will be barred from Selling Bis Story when he returns to Australia from Guantanamo Bay prison Camp despite haying broken no australian Law the attorney Gen eral said sunday Hicks soon will be sent to a Pris on in his Hometown of Adelaide to serve a nine month sentence after pleading guilty two weeks ago to aiding Al Aida in a plea Deal agreed on at the us naval base at Cubas Guantanamo Bay the Deal includes the condition that Hicks not speak to the Media for a year and does not sell his Story provisions that attorney general Philip Ruddock has said will not be enforceable once he re turns to Australia however Ruddock said a Sepa rate australian Federal Law against criminals profiting from crime through Media deals will Stop the 31yearold former Kangaroo Skinner from Selling his Story about meeting Al Aida Leader Osama bin Laden in Afghani Stan and his allegations of being tortured during his five years at the Guantanamo prison is British troops Given of to sell their tales 15 British sail ors and marines held by Iran for nearly two weeks were granted permission to sell their stories to the Media the ministry of de sense said sunday the move is a change from the military usual policy of blocking serving personnel from entering into financial arrangements with Media organizations a defense ministry spokeswoman said the situation of the former captives is unique and deserved special consideration from the associated press