I’m afraid if he stays, Breaston will be no more than a spot starter. Guys like Early Doucet and Jerheme Urban saw their fantasy value sink even lower.The RBs should be the big winners in this situation. These individuals have all the qualities and took decent feuds and made them memorable I know what you are thinking. In a news conference yesterday, he talked about a conversation he had with a basketball coach who was advocating splitting the league “I told him, fine. The Rockets wouldn’t need Iggy to be a franchise guy, but rather an integral piece to their puzzle. He may be the most versital player in the recruiting class, as he could play nearly every position on the field.Antonio Graves is one guy that I’m stumped on.

The 3rd ODI between Australia and the West Indies in Sydney ended in a no result after heavy rain stopped the game form being completed. Brett Favre announces he is coming back for the 2010 season at halftime of the game. WWE would love to have me come back on a full-time basis, but as you know by pointing out that Hogan called into my radio show and stayed on for about an hour, they have been very pro-active and trying to acquire RVD. Should the Flyers return to the Stanley Cup playoffs, it will be the waiver acquisition of Michael Leighton that could have been the key reason.  14. Today, he is a human, grieving, questioning, struggling.Today, we are reminded that these men and women whose athletic prowess creates for us an escape from the bitter trials of everyday life, whose accomplishments on the field of athletic endeavor provide for us a sense of identity and community pride, actually live and die in the same hard world we do.Today, we don’t cheer or boo the athlete Today, we pray for the man and his family. It?s hard to tell when these guys are tired because they never give up in a game.McCoy displays his motor by being in outstanding shape and rarely losing his legs under him.

 Rutgers (14-13)The Scarlet Knights are just counting the days down till spring football starts. The combined age of both men is an astounding 91-years-old.We all know that age is just a number as far as Couture is concerned, but are there enough fighters over the age of 40 to institute a masters division?Dan Severn recently had something to say on this matter. One of the needs is the linebacker position, especially with questions looming regarding Antonio Pierce’s future. The illini are now looking towards the Big Ten championship, and the NCAA Tournament.The Fighting Illini is at action next on the road at Michigan on February 23 at 4 PM ET.. What needs to be done is for the England team torepresent the cause.When England got behind the ?kick racism out? campaign, it made adifference to the sport and the complexion of the nation?s attitude toracism.Just as you don?t have to be black to campaign against racism,there is no need for straight footballers to be afraid of saying thathomophobia in the game is wrong and needs to be stamped out.If RugbyUnion and Hurling can do it, why can?t football?See this and other great articles on Half Volley , thehalf science, half comment sports blog ..

PlayersThe Indians were pretty quiet in terms of their activity on the free agent market and in trades this winter. There isn’t much starting pitching help awaiting in the upper minors, so a great deal of the success/failure of the 2010 season will ride on the shoulders of Suppan, Parra, and Bush  5. Dan Henderson comes out to Lunatic Fringe, fitting his Vision Quest style. This is a quarterback league so the Lions need someone who will pressure the other teams quarterback so this is a good choice.1 St. Guessing what Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry will do next is like guessing under which cup the carnival employee has hidden the ball: you need to have watched every dizzying and confusing previous movement, and even then, there’s a chance he’s cheating you.Hendry’s Cubs announced Wednesday that they have signed corner infielder and free agent Chad Tracy to a Minor-League contract that includes an invitation to big-league Spring Training. MIKE and WILL seem to be set with the return of Stewart Bradley and Will Witherspoon under contract for a couple more seasons, but there’s a huge void at SAM linebacker that must also be addressed. Georgia Tech and their impressive front line come to Cameron on Thursday.

This meant that some of their top players, including Captain, Park Ji-Sung, were not able to train with their team in South Africa. Edds, LB With the 117th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select A.J. Not only is Stoudemire a monster in the paint, but he has two things the Cavs strongly need in another forward other than #23, a greatly developed mid-range jump shot, and an excellent pick & roll game.Let’s not get TOO ahead of ourselves…Cleveland may be the front-runner, but they have Philly, and Miami trailing not too far behind. Their small class is lacking real star power, and of the four big names they were hoping to add on signing day, the Buckeyes whiffed on all of them. He just needs to establish his right hand, get quicker on his feet, stop being so predictable, and use his big frame to his advantage. Avery Bradley: (No 14 Overall, Previously No. Being an A’s fan I just want to say, YEAH! A’s all the way for 2010!!!!!!!!! But in all consciousness, I can not say that with certainty or honesty. Vickie calls herself a Diva and the crowd telling her she sucks and isn’t allowed to speak.

He struggled against a younger and more athletic Brandon Vera in his last outing at UFC 105, winning via a controversial unanimous decision.“He’s only lost twice at this weight category…yeah keep laughing. Statistics: Fun FactsThree Point Percentage:Ray Allen’s three point percentage, 34.1%, is lower than its ever been in his career.Before this season, his percentage from behind the arc was 35.6, in the 98-99 season.His career average is 39.6%.Free Throws:Last season, he missed 22 foul shots.This season, he already missed 16 foul shots.His free throw percentage dropped from 95.2 to 89.3. A loss would have sent the Big Red plummeting in the rankings. He?s now the back-to-back champion but the NBA needs to cut loose this silly contest. Like the H.O.R.S.E. The first step to a title fight will take place at UFC 110 when he takes down a MMA legend and asserts himself near the top of the middleweight rankings. To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here .. He brings another powerful bat into an already strong lineup. 2010 Projected Starting RotationRHP: Scott Feldman 2009: 17-8 4.08 ERARHP: Tommy Hunter 2009: 9-6 4.10 ERARHP: Rich Harden 2009: 9-9 4.09 ERALHP: Derek Holland 2009: 8-13 6.12 ERARHP: Brandon McCarthy 2009: 7-4 4.62 ERA Final AnalysisThe Texas Rangers can be contenders in the AL West in 2010 but it will fall solely in the hands of their starting rotation. Should any player be struggling through a game, or if the team in general is just not getting the job done on PK, Babcock can send in Williams to add some energy and a give the PK a different look. Additionally, Williams can fill in on the power play as a right-handed point man As it is, the only righty on defense is Rafalski.

After senior Zak Presley’s bunt popped up to the first baseman, sophomore David Murphy reached first on a single and advanced to second on an error by the left fielder. Barack Obama’s got his hands full with his State of the Union address tomorrow. It was an opportunity lost.An opportunity that perhaps the Sacramento will never have again.What opportunity the Kings do have is a chance to build a good team around one of the best young players in the league in Tyreke Evans. Brodeur was not the tower of strength that we have all gotten used to. ATP backs Murray over withdrawalTennis officials have backed Andy Murray’s decision to pull out of this week’s Marseille Open.Murray was due to be top seed in Marseille but has withdrawn from the event as he continues to recover from his efforts at the Australian Open, where he lost in the final to world No.1 Roger Federer.Tournament director Jean-Francois Caujolle has denied calling for Murray to be suspended for missing the tournament for the second year in succession.And the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has confirmed it would not have been inclined to do so anyway.An ATP statement read: “There are clear rules and regulations in place with regard to player withdrawals and Andy Murray followed them.”"We understand a situation like this can be frustrating for a tournament, but we are looking forward to a great week of tennis in Marseille with a strong field led by six of the world’s top 20 players.”Caujolle had been quoted in a national newspaper calling for Murray’s suspension but on Monday morning told Sky Sports News: “I never said that he should be suspended, but it’s true I was really disappointed because he was my top player.”"There is a responsibility for the credibility of all the game when it’s a top player.

Even my Wife, who goes on these trips solely so she can shop in different parts of the country, felt the riveting emotional blast from the 18,500 +/- fans in attendance.I have yet to have the privilege of taking in an NHL contest in Canada, which I’m sure is a spectacle unlike any other.There are several US cities that I have yet to visit that are homes to fantastic NHL franchises.I know there will never be another place that I would rather watch NHL action then in the city of Pittsburgh, where my beloved Penguins play.However, I truly believe that it will be difficult to find another place that can truly submerge you under the perfect tidal wave of hockey enjoyment like Minnesota.  . Well, after the triumphs of 2005 and the achievement two years later of another final appearance, Liverpool seemingly fell flat on their faces in the 2007/08 campaign. To make things even worse, he threw an interception in the third quarter to his former teammate and Philadelphia fan favorite, Brian Dawkins.On a positive note, McNabb managed to scramble around in the pocket like he did in his younger years, slipping through defenders left and right. Why did he do that? Didn’t he get RKO’ed the past Monday??? Anyways, Ted gets the pipe, and hit Randy in the back of the head. Can Keyaron Fox be the man that replaces Farrior as a starter? What I expect to happen, Timmons will take over as the Captain and Farrior will play obvious running downs, while Fox will come in during passing situations.CornerMany people believe that this is the biggest weakness on the Steelers defense.

He was off the charts in every way but those pesky draft guys had to find something wrong and something to pick apart and make a fuss over. Arsene Wenger was not the first avant garde manager to guide Arsenal to greatness.That honour goes to Herbert Chapman. Although he’ll be the Opening Day starter for the Padres, he is still a low-end backstop in NL-only leagues.The 2010 Padres’ lineup does not appear to be as productive as the 2009 Rockies’ lineup, and spacious PETCO certainly does not play like Coors Field Torrealba should be avoided in most leagues. Gregg blew saves in Florida in 2007 and 2008 He blew them in Chicago with the Cubs in 2009 Apparently, he will blow them in Toronto in 2010. QB Mark Malone is mobile and has a great target in Louis Lipps.The Bears have “Sweetness”, Walter Payton (1,700 yards), a revolving door at QB where Jim McMahon appears to have won the job, and an emerging defense led by Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Mike Singletary and Gary Fencik.STORYLINE: Pittsburgh lacks star power but seems to get it done; can they do it against a really strong Bears defense? Can the Steelers stop Payton and, even if they do, can they win an aerial Malone v McMahon battle?. I think he’ll do just fine.Possible backups could be John Fulton, who was discussed in chapter eight of this series, as well as Deion Belue, a 6′0″, 175 pound true freshman.  If you can?t catch the above games, make sure you get the highlights They should be worth talking about. Jericho saw an opportunity to maybe turn heel and get the fans to hate him by pointing out HBK?s lies and how he faked his way to a victory.

I think (hope) he?ll get it done this time around?..Perhaps bigger than the Daytona 500 this year will be Saturday?s Nationwide Series race. 7, is another big new draw this year, but he has opted not to play despite an early exit from Marseille last week.Ferrer, ranked 17th, has retreated to the clay of Acapulco, even though he benefited from Dubai?s depleted start list in 2009 and reached the final. Bynum only played 10 minutes and provided near-to-nothing with 3 points. Brisco managed to engulf himself in feuds with some of wrestling’s newest stars, teaching them the tricks of the trade. Guillermo OchoaThe 24-year-old keeper has been a constant figure for Club America Ochoa is a natural leader with a ton of experience. To say the pressure?s on Rodriguez and the Wolverines in 2010 is an understatement.But the Wolverines? may be able to turn things around this year Obviously it?s a bit early to tell how things will go. Then, on Phoenix’s seventh shot of the game, Sami Lepisto rifled a shot from the point right past a startled Chad Johnson, who was filling in for Henrik Lundqvist.

Stalberg was one of the best players in the preseason, Hanson is doing very well with the Marlies and it has been suggested that he need only to learn the pro game in order to succeed, and then there’s Tyler Bozak.  After a bout with H1N1, and some injury problems, Bozak’s late call-up has been a bright spot for Toronto as he has 6 points in 9 games.  The kid can make plays, and he’s putting chemistry together with Kessel.The three of these players will be NHL regulars sooner than later.  In a good draft class, one can typically expect that the first five picks will be sure-fire, NHL stars.  The rest are a crapshoot.  This is not my estimation, it’s the conventional wisdom that I’ve heard for a few years from people who get paid to say things like that.  The next two draft classes are predicted to be some of the driest in recent memory.There’s little to no hope left for the Leafs this season, but one thing is certain, there is a plan.  That’s something that is noticeably different from the John Ferguson Jr. Written By: Mark ?The Hard Hitter? Ritter In an effort to bring more offense to the Calgary Flames, GM Darryl Sutter pulled the trigger on Sunday that would see forwards Niklas Hagman, Matt Stajan, Jamal Mayers, and defenseman Ian White join the Flames in return for defensemen Dion Phaneuf, Keith Aulie, and defensive forward Fredrick Sjostrom. Last night all four players made their debut with the Flames versus the Philadelphia Flyers. To be fair, the former Maple Leafs barely got off the plane before they dropped the puck at the Saddledome so it was tough to ask the foursome to contribute much last night. That said, Sutter had to be disappointed with Calgary?s overall effort versus the Flyers, an effort which saw the Flames net a pathetic 18 shots on goal. Stajan, Hagman, White, and Mayers combined for a total of one shot on net and, outside of a few chances, looked pretty invisible on this, their first game as members of the Flames. From the Flyers’ perspective, they had to be happy with their effort, particularly that of goaltender Ray Emery, who registered a shutout, and centre Mike Richards, who scored twice for the Orange and Black. Claude Giroux scored the other goal while Simon Gagne had two assists. Having finished qualifying for the World Cup with an undefeated record and only losing one game in 2009, it looked like nothing could stop the Koreans.However, days after the end of their trip, it appears that some of the wind has been taken out of their sails.Despite having a record of 3-1-1, this road trip seemed to create more questions than answers ahead of both the 2010 World Cup and the East Asian Championship next month.In this slide show, we’ll take a look at five of those questions.. Then is it a coincidence that this has only gotten worse as trade rumors about Howard for someone like Kevin Martin or Andre Igoudala have come out? Methinks not. I gave him eight for beating Vitor, Gary, and James. He is also the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion. In classic Raider style, he targets a pair of long-distant threats in Mervyn Fernandez and ex-Bear Willie Gault.Greg Townsend (12.5 sacks) is the star of a veteran defense featuring Howie Long and ex-Brown Bob Golic.The 49ers are one of the NFL’s very best teams but are without much of a running game, as a stable of backs led by aging Roger Craig and young Dexter Carter have never got untracked in 1990.

Willingham was fired in 2004, and never beat the archrival Trojans, something that will get any headman in South Bend fired.. The Lakers mix in a year or two of poor seasons around decades of dominance.  The Clippers tossed in one magical season in 2006 around decades of dullsville. Indianapolis Colts star defensive end Dwight Freeney might skip Sunday’s NFL-mandated media obligation at the Pro Bowl in Miami. They belong to Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez for years to come. When Posada plays, he is the natural to hit fifth.

The Colt’s scored 1st with a FG, Followed by a TD right after 3& out for the Saints. One criticism levied against the Chicago Bears hiring Mike Martz to be their new offensive coordinator is that his style doesn’t seem suited to the personnel.For one, he relies on the seven-step drop a lot, and it’s difficult to imagine the Bears shaky O-line holding off blockers that long.For another, he is pass happy.And while this has become more of a passing league, the turf is awful at Soldier Field, so this is certainly never going to be the “Greatest Show on Turf” redux, nor is the weather conducive to a passing offense at times.Nevertheless, perhaps the most interesting thing to watch now that Martz is here is what will happen to the tight ends and running backs on this team.Tight end Greg Olsen was a favorite target of quarterback Jay Cutler last season and while Olsen is pretty good at times, a Martz offense doesn’t usually feature much use of the tight end position.So, does that mean a possible trade is in the future?After all, the Bears could use a second round draft pick, given that their first pick in this upcoming draft is not until the third round.Perhaps they could use that pick to draft or trade for a wide receiver?All this is speculation, of course, and there have been no indications from Jerry Angelo that Olsen is on the block.But it makes some sense.Meanwhile, what about Matt Forte?He is coming off knee surgery, so that may explain why he didn’t run with the same explosiveness that he displayed his rookie season.Sure, the O-line was a mess, but still, Forte just didn’t look the same. No two experts ever place the same value on the same qualities. Going from averaging 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, to 19 points, 10 rebounds and one block has been hard on Al.”I’m not quite a 100%, I am getting better; I feel more comfortable onthe offensive end as far as me scoring the ball, but back to back stillgets to me.

Wenger is the reason for the absolutely stunning Ashburton Grove. There is also traditional mat wrestling in Triple H and  Micheals Hardcore ness from Edge and Matt. This area could be the game changer for one team or the other. The team hasn’t had a legitimate chance at the playoffs since 1999, when it won 96 games only to lose a one game playoff to the big-market New York Mets.  Enter Scott RolenThe Reds made a move last year, swapping third basemen with the Toronto Blue Jays, the former getting Scott Rolen and the Jays getting failed prospect Edwin Encarnacion. Rolen has thrived in his new situation, hitting .270 with better defense than Encarnacion, who hit .225 last year.

she loves daytime telly, too! And Watercolour Challenge, although not as much as Bargain Hunt. “I sometimes delay leaving the house for Bargain Hunt,” she says I try to put a word in for Watercolour Challenge. I say one of the things I most love about it is the host, Hannah Gordon, who you just know is wearing sensible shoes, even though they’re never in shot “And sensible slacks,” adds Sophie “Probably elasticised,” I add, trying to look disgusted. Sadly, though, Sophie isn’t with me when it comes to Pet Rescue because “I’m not really into animal things”.Now, back to Sophie’s story.

Was, I ask, Blue Peter a major thing when she was growing up? Not especially, she says. Although once she came home for lunch and found her mum and Nerys Hughes filming a cookery item in their kitchen She wasn’t intimidated, though Or star-struck “I just pushed her out the way saying: ‘Excuse me, Nerys. I’m trying to get to the tuna’.” Her father, Robin Bextor, is a TV producer who now works for Prince Edward’s television company. Robin and Janet split up when Sophie was just three, but quickly remarried other people, so now Sophie has lots of half-brothers and -sisters whom she adores She attended a fee-paying girls school in west London. Originally, she wanted to be an actress, but discovered she was crap at it “I kept corpsing.” She thought about singing instead She’d always been mad for pop, in quite a snobbish way.

“I was never into Stock Aitken Waterman stuff or Take That.” She was more Soft Cell and the Verve.At 17, while doing her A-levels, she became lead vocalist with an indie band, theaudience, who were critically successful but never commercially so. Still, Sophie had a good time trying to blag freebies from top designers. “I pretended to be my own manager, called myself Anna, and would phone them up saying: ‘Would you like to send some things for Sophie?’” Est?Lauder was the best Est?Lauder sent her a load of creams. “So I phoned them back, as Sophie, to thank them, and do you know what they said?” You sound like Anna? “No, they said that it’s the first time a singer has ever phoned personally to say thank you.”Sophie still uses Est?Lauder, “particularly the cleanser” Sophie has beautiful skin It’s like porcelain I wish I had skin like Sophie’s. I wish I, Deborah Ross, who has flatteringly mentioned Est?Lauder quite a lot in this article, could be sent a load of free Est?Lauder stuff Perhaps I’ll get my manager to ring them tomorrow. Spookily, she sounds quite a lot like me.Anyway, when theaudience folded, as it did, Sophie was left at something of a loose end. But then the cult Italian DJ Spiller put together a disco-ish, instrumental track that he sent to Sophie, asking if she’d do the vocals She played it and disliked it Then she played it again and again and it grew on her.

It is not thought to include flagship city centre stores, which the company is committed to keeping in its core portfolio.The issue is being sold to institutional investors by Morgan Stanley.The deal comes at the end of a year of upheaval at M&S, which is selling or closing most of its overseas stores. It disposed of its US subsidiary Brooks Brothers for $225m last month and is close to selling King’s, its US supermarket chain. The company is raising £2bn to return to shareholders next March.Separately, John Lewis believes that consumers have delayed their Christmas shopping until the last minute this year with “Christmas running about a week late”.Luke Mayhew, managing director of John Lewis department stores, attributed the lag in sales to the warm weather, the 11 September terrorist attacks and Christmas falling on a Tuesday which was giving the illusion of an extra week. “I don’t think it is the prelude to economic doom but I think we will have a solid Christmas rather than a bumper one.”Clothing sales have been hit, with fashion retailers left with surplus stock.

Mr Mayhew predicted that some clothing retailers would hold one-day sales before Christmas.. The once-booming service sector has become gripped by falling prices, prompting calls for the Bank of England to be prepared to cut interest rates further when it meets this week. The findings come in research published today by the Confederation of British Industry and the accountancy firm Deloitte and Touche.Firms servicing consumer industries suffered the most severe fall in output prices for three years, confounding expectations of a rise.The CBI warned that deflation would persist in the service sector over the coming three months. It also said that the trend of rising employment in services was set to go into reverse. Sudhi Junankar, the CBI’s chief economist, said: “The events of 11 September compounded an already deteriorating situation, especially for those firms reliant on the consumer. Confidence has taken a hard knock with hotels, bars and restaurants feeling the worst of this.”The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee meets this week to consider whether to change interest rates from their present 38-year-low of 4 per cent. Roger Bootle, economic adviser to Deloitte & Touche, said: “While some members of the MPC think their battle is with inflation, this survey makes it clear that for most business people their battle is with deflation.”Other research published today shows British manufacturing companies suffer from significantly poorer levels of productivity than US-owned companies operating in the UK.The Engineering Employers Association, which conducted the research, says US-owned companies make greater use of “lean manufacturing” – waste reduction pioneered in Japan – and workplace initiatives such as staff performance appraisals..

But President De la Rua denied he would tamper with the currency’s value or step down.Union leaders called the banking measures “the hijacking of a nation’s savings,” and said strikes may be called for next week.. Anthony Zinni, the US envoy to the Middle East, was booed yesterday as he laid a wreath of yellow flowers at the site of a suicide bomb attack that killed 10 people and injured scores of others a few metres from his hotel in Jerusalem. Many believe the bombings in Jerusalem and Haifa were timed to coincide with his visit. But Mr Zinni vowed that his job heading President George Bush’s most determined effort yet to broker peace would continue.He is used to tough situations.

Before he retired in July 2000, the Marine general was commander-in-chief of the US Central Command, which covers Afghanistan and central Asia.This time his job is to wage peace. Mr Zinni was dispatched by Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, for “as long as it takes”. Mr Powell said he had total confidence in Mr Zinni’s ability to succeed where legions of others have failed ­ his credentials as a soldier set to impress the security-fixated Mr Sharon. “You’ll see what pushing and prodding is when Tony Zinni gets on the ground,” Mr Powell said.But plenty of others have voiced scepticism. Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, ran a cartoon showing Mr Zinni ­ his chest decorated with ribbons and his epaulets full of stars ­ about to step into a pile of dog mess.The Bush administration’s approach to the Middle East has been at best lukewarm.

At worst, it was founded on the determination not to be dragged into long, unsolvable negotiations that could tarnish the President’s prestige with failure ­ a consequence that hurt the previous president, Bill Clinton.But Mr Bush was forced to shift that position after 11 September, when it became clear that the so-called war on terrorism had to go hand-in-hand with finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. America now faces the problem of responding to any military retaliation from Israel without upsetting the Arab and Muslim countries it relies on for support for its campaign in Afghanistan.. The message of the right flank of Ariel Sharon’s coalition to George Bush was simple: You’ve sent the bombers and the marines to fight terrorism in Afghanistan. Stop telling us to show restraint in fighting terrorism in our own back yard. Activists of the Kach movement, barred from parliament as racists, demonstrated at the scene of the Jerusalem suicide bombing, chanting: “Death to the Arabs.” They always do, but there were more of them this time.Ruby Rivlin, the Communications Minister, said: “Israel can’t go on any longer with this situation We are in a war They are killing us every day We have to protect ourselves. It’s not our right, it’s our duty.” What did Mr Rivlin propose? “Arafat has to fight the terrorists.

They no longer admired a father who could not protect them, so they sought an alternative. Dr Sarraj discovered that many Palestinians turned to violence against their own community, but once the second, more violent, intifada broke out, they found a more appealing model in the fighter who kills for his nation.The question now is whether the cult of the martyr is so entrenched that it will be impossible for Yasser Arafat to rein in the bombers, even if he wants to.. Mr Bush said: “This is a moment where the advocates for peace in the Middle East must rise up and fight terror. Chairman Arafat must do everything in his power to find those who murdered innocent Israelis and bring them to justice.”Mr Arafat’s Palestinian Authority ­ facing the prospect of being placed in the enemy bracket in the West’s “war on terror” ­ responded by declaring a state of emergency, and issuing an unusually strong condemnation of the attacks. But this is unlikely to impress Israel’s hardline Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, who cut short a visit to the US to fly home last night.

In Washington, an Israeli official said there would be “intensive action” against groups responsible for the violence. “The Americans know that Israel will fight terror in the way it sees fit,” the official said.Mr Sharon has called an emergency cabinet meeting for today amid demands from his right-wing colleagues to expel Mr Arafat, topple his regime and take the fight deeper into the occupied territories.In what may be interpreted as American approval for Israeli military retaliation, Mr Powell said it was up to Israel to decide how to respond, although Mr Sharon should consider the consequences. Israeli paratroopers shot dead four armed Palestinians south of Jenin last night as the army tightened the cordon around West Bank cities.Nor were Israelis moved by Mr Arafat’s announcement that Palestinian security forces had arrested 50 suspected Islamist militants, or by the Palestinian appeal to Israel not to retaliate so that their security services could track down those responsible. The Israeli Communications Minister, Ruby Rivlin, dismissed Mr Arafat’s condemnation as “words in the wind”.The most deadly 12 hours of suicide bombings since the Palestinian intifada broke out 14 months ago began shortly after 11.30pm on Saturday, when Jerusalem was rocked by a massive double explosion when two Hamas militants blew themselves up simultaneously in the busy Ben Yehuda Street. Ten young Israelis, who were milling around outside popular coffee bars, were killed They ranged in age from 14 to 20 About 180 more were treated in hospital. Half an hour later, a booby-trapped car was detonated 50 yards away on the other side of Jaffa Road. It burst into flames, but its presumed targets ­ rescue workers and onlookers ­ escaped unhurt.Mr Bush’s Middle East mediator, Anthony Zinni, laid a wreath on the site yesterday.