Boston and Colorado Opens With Wins

Josh Beckett waited four years between postseason starts. When he got back on the mound, nothing much changed. He's still Mr. Zero when October rolls around. The 2003 World Series MVP pitched his second consecutive post-season shutout Wednesday night, backed by a two-run homer from David Ortiz that helped the Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-0 in their AL playoff opener. Beckett retired 19 consecutive batters after a leadoff single, allowing just four hits to run his postseason scoreless streak to 18 innings. His three postseason shutouts tie Whitey Ford and Mordecai Brown for second on the career list, one behind Christy Mathewson.

Eczema Baths a Waste of Money

Bath products to help ease the skin inflammation caused by allergic eczema may not be worth the amount of money the NHS spends on them according to a study that was done. There is no clinical evidence these emollients work, nor any consensus of medical opinion, researchers writing in Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin contend. Allergic eczema is a condition which most commonly affects children. Applying specialist ointments and lotions straight onto the skin may be effective, according to the Bulletin.

Blackwater Boss Grilled Over Iraq

The chairman of US private security contractor Blackwater has defended his firm and his staff during a grilling by a congressional committee. Blackwater has come under scrutiny since a shootout last month in Baghdad in which 11 Iraqis were killed. The FBI has begun investigating that incident. The firm's founder, Erik Prince, said his staff were brave and effective, and had acted appropriately.But one of the committee asked if the firm was a shadow mercenary force.

Japan Prime Minister Sets Out Policy Agenda

Japan's new prime minister has called for dialogue with the opposition to resolve a row over a controversial naval deployment. In his first speech to parliament, Yasuo Fukuda said extending the mission, which supports US led troops in Afghanistan, remained an urgent task. The 71 year old also pledged to build closer ties with Asian neighbors and restore public trust in government. He became prime minister after Shinzo Abe stepped down last month.

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Shock at South Africa Lion Murder Aquittal

A South African man convicted of murdering a man whose remains were found in a lion enclosure, has had his life sentence overturned on appeal. White contractor, Mark Scott-Crossley and an employee were alleged to have beaten up black former worker Nelson Chisale and thrown him to lions. He was convicted of murder and given a life sentence in 2005. Now an appeal court in Bloemfontein has overturned the murder verdict and reduced his sentence to five years. The appeal court ruled that the prosecution in the 2005 trial had failed to prove that Mr. Chisale was still alive when he was thrown into the lion enclosure.

Aquittals in Canada Blood Trial

A Canadian judge has acquitted four doctors and a US drug company of criminal negligence in a long running tainted blood scandal. At least 20,000 people were infected with hepatitis C or HIV in the l980's and l990's before Canada used up-to-date blood screening practices. At least 3,000 people are known to have died as a result of receiving tainted blood products. The case is the first to stem from Canada's worst public health disaster. A second trial will deal with the bulk of the deaths and the thousands infected with Hepatitis C