"I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first," he told the newspaper. "I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."

Hawking's stance on religion has hardened significantly in the nearly quarter century since the publication of his seminal work on the cosmos. In "A Brief History of Time" he suggested that the idea of a divine being was not necessarily incompatible with a scientific understanding of the Universe. But in his 2010 book "The Grand Design" he said a deity no longer has any place in theories on the creation of the universe in the light of a series of developments in physics.

Sheriff's deputies and National Guardsmen have been knocking on the front doors of residents along the Mississippi River in Louisiana since Saturday and ordering them to leave. Most residents heeded the warnings and headed for higher ground; by Monday, some areas were virtually empty as the water from the Mississippi River slowly rolled across the Atchafalaya River basin, the Associated Press news agency reported.

About 2,000 people were reportedly ordered to evacuate from the town of St Landry Parish alone. Opening the Morganza Spillway floodgates is set to inundate up to 3,000 sq miles (7,770 sq km) of land in an attempt to protect large cities along the Mississippi River, which forms a large section of the border between Louisiana and Mississippi states.

It will be at least a week before the peak of the Mississippi River arrives at the spillway, where officials opened two massive gates on Saturday and another two on Sunday. There are 125 gates in total. Fed by rainwater and the spring thaw, the Mississippi and its tributaries have caused massive flooding upstream, and officials have said the flooding in Louisiana is the worst since 1927. Seven states are affected by the continuing floods.

The defence secretary called on Mr Cameron to put the principles, rather than specific commitments, in law following the example set for the military covenant. Dr Fox wrote: "I have considered the issue carefully, and discussed it with [International Development Secretary] Andrew [Mitchell] and [Foreign Secretary] William Hague, but I cannot support the proposal in its current form."

"In 2009 the proportion of national income spent on ODA [official development assistance] was only 0.52%. The bill could limit HMG's [Her Majesty's Government] ability to change its mind about the pace at which it reaches the target in order to direct more resources toward other activities or programmes rather than aid."

The Treasury's moves buy time for the White House and congressional leaders to reach a deficit-reduction agreement that could clear the way for enough lawmakers to vote to raise the amount of money Congress allows the nation to borrow. Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, said reaching the debt ceiling "should be a warning bell to the political system that it's time to get serious about preserving our full faith and credit." The Obama administration says a default would tip the US back into a financial crisis.

Many Republicans and some Democrats have said they won't vote to increase the debt ceiling without an accompanying deal to cut spending or tackle such longer-term fiscal problems as health-care costs. They argue the debt ceiling is a good venue to force changes needed to help secure the nation's solvency. But the pathway to a deal remains unclear, even to those doing the negotiating. The White House and Republicans are giving conflicting signals about how close they are to a deal. Vice President Joe Biden said last week the contours of an agreement were taking shape. House Speaker John Boehner painted a different picture Sunday, saying on CBS's Face the Nation "I'm not seeing any real action."

Because the government is projected to run a $1.5 trillion deficit this year, it must borrow money to cover its obligations, ranging from military spending to interest on existing debt.

"If the United States were forced to stop, limit, or delay payment on obligations to which the nation has already committed - such as military salaries, Social Security and Medicare... there would be a massive and abrupt reduction in federal outlays and aggregate demand," the letter said. Joseph Farah, the force behind the "No More Red Ink" campaign, an online, grass-roots lobbying effort to persuade House Republicans to freeze the debt limit, says Geithner's claim is "provably wrong" and suggests he should resign as treasury secretary if he doesn't understand why.

"Whether you like Social Security or not, it's an established fact that it does not operate on borrowed money, it does not contribute a dime to the deficit and the fund has a surplus," said Farah. "This is sheer political mau-mauing by Geithner - the guy who had trouble filling out his own tax return." By law Social Security cannot use borrowed money. It is supported by three sources:

- payroll contributions from employers and employees;

- interest earned on Social Security's US Treasury bond assets;

- income taxes on the Social Security benefits paid by those with higher incomes.

Last week the Social Security trustees released their Annual Trustees Report for 2011 and it showed a $69.3 billion surplus for this year. Surpluses are projected for the next 25 years. "How can Geithner make such outlandish and irresponsible claims without being refuted?" wonders Farah. "I fear the answer is that both Republicans and Democrats want the federal government to keep borrowing and are willing to justify it with any excuse - whether true or not."

They say, "Global Earthquake: The Greatest Ever! Judgment Day May 21, 2011." In a self-published book, "The Doomsday Code," Fitzpatrick said the Bible offers "proof that cannot be dismissed. Judgment Day will surprise people. We will not be ready for it," Fitzpatrick said in an interview with the newspaper. "A giant earthquake will render the earth uninhabitable."

If you want to set an alarm clock, the quake will happen just before 6:00pm local time, he said. "God's people will be resurrected. It is also the day that God stops saving anyone," he said. Fitzpatrick hopes that he is one of the chosen ones, but he could not be really certain. "There's just a little doubt," he said. "Most churches teach that if you just believe, you will be saved. It is not our choice. It is God's choice."

Now, we learn that secret meetings have been ongoing for quite some time, though original rumors of such were disavowed by the participants. While they are now acknowledging their participation, they continue to downplay the discussions. That gave rise to speculation that a second Greek bailout was in the works. That speculation, as voiced by the editorial staff of several of Germany's major newspapers including Spiegel Online and the Financial Times Deutschland, is pointing to the possibility of a Lehman 2 scenario. Separately, they write that, in their opinion, forgiveness of Greek debt will strike taxpayers in Germany and other Eurozone member countries hard.

Worse, though, is that a debt haircut, if not properly handled, could have repercussions and impacts within the Eurozone's banking system similar to those which ultimately led to the Lehman Brothers collapse a few years ago. The "secrecy" aspect is a serious concern to the majority of the editors who argue that the deception perpetuated on the public at large is eroding any inherent trust that could have been garnered. Why the need for secrecy, they ask, unless the situation in Greece is far worse than what they have admitted to already. It is clear to German commentators, at least, that EU policymakers are engendering market uncertainty with their actions.

What is clearly not an option, according to the majority, is that Greece be allowed to abandon the Euro. As they see it, Greece would go bankrupt as a result of a drastically devalued Greek Drachma. Too, if Greece is allowed to withdraw, which country would follow? And what then would become of the Euro? The editors suggest that EU policymakers need to exercise patience in order to withstand this growing crisis, but a good dose of wisdom is also necessary, as is transparency, else their greatest fear - a Lehman Brothers 2 - could result.

Strauss-Kahn was arrested Saturday over an alleged sexual assault of a maid in a Manhattan hotel, authorities said. According to a law enforcement official, Strauss-Kahn allegedly forced a cleaning woman onto his bed and sexually assaulted her at around 1:00pm local time Saturday inside his room at the Sofitel Hotel near Times Square.

Strauss-Kahn, 62, was headed to Europe to discuss the worsening European debt crisis with top leaders there. He was scheduled to meet with German chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday and eurozone finance ministers Monday and Tuesday. Beside putting the finishing touches on the 78 billion euros ($110 billion) bailout package for Portugal, the main focus of the meetings was set to be how to resolve Greece's deteriorating sovereign debt crisis.

The arrest of the head of one of the world's most important financial institutions came at a time when the global economy was still recovering from the 2008 financial crisis - and while Europe was reeling from a still-unfolding series of government debt crises. The charges, if true, would strike a blow to France's current politics. Strauss-Kahn, a former French finance minister who ran unsuccessfully for the Socialist Party nomination for French president in 2006, was widely expected to resign from the IMF in the coming months to run for the French presidency as a Socialist candidate.

The arrest also throws into question whether Strauss-Kahn would be forced to resign his slot. In 2008, early in his IMF term, he was investigated by the IMF over whether he abused his power by having an affair with a female staffer. Although he was cleared of abuse of power charges, several directors said they warned Strauss-Kahn that such conduct would not be allowed in the future and that he brought the IMF into disrepute.

Analysts had predicted the possibility, suggesting that Damascus would allow the crossings to draw the populace's attention and participation away from the ongoing rebellion in the country and the regime's harsh crackdown on civilian protestors. The casualty was identified as an Israeli citizen, and one other person was killed on the Syrian side of the border. Three others reportedly were killed on the Israeli side, but there has been no official confirmation.

The Syrians reached the Druze town of Majdal Shams, located near the border and on the road to the Hermon Mountain range. Dozens of ambulances have been dispatched as the IDF uses tear gas and live fire as it tries to force the Syrians back across the border. The government has not explained how and where the Syrians were able to cross the border, but they may have marched on an area that is off limits because of the presence of land mines from the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

At the same time as the massive infiltration into the Golan Heights, Syrian soldiers a shot and killed a woman and wounded five others, including a Lebanese soldier, during a protest at a Lebanese border village against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Hundreds of Syrian Arabs have crossed into Lebanon to flee the violence from Assad's security forces who already have killed nearly 800 demonstrators.

Some of the increase in price above this "supply and demand" level price is due to companies using futures contracts to lock in oil prices to ensure certainty (which is a valid business purpose). Some of it is due to speculation. Indeed, using high frequency trading, it is relatively easy to manipulate the price of oil.

In a heavily-anticipated response to Senator Michael Bennet, Democrat for Colorado, who asked Geithner to document the economic and fiscal impacts of failing to lift the statutory debt limit, the Treasury secretary detailed a chain reaction that would cripple the economy, costing jobs and income. "A default would inflict catastrophic far-reaching damage on our nation's economy, significantly reducing growth and increasing unemployment," said Geithner in the letter to Bennet which was dated May 13. "Even a short-term default could cause irrevocable damage to the economy."

Geithner has imposed an August deadline for Congress to lift the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, but lawmakers are still negotiating over Republican demands to tie the move to spending cuts. And a portion of the GOP still remains skeptical about the need to act by the deadline at all, arguing that the consequences have been overstated.

In the letter Geithner walked through the doomsday scenario he has been describing on the Hill. Default would cast doubt on the full faith and credit of the US, which would scare away investors and enable those remaining to demand higher interest rates on Treasury securities, which would have far-reaching negative ramifications. Increased borrowing costs would extend to families, businesses, and local governments, he said.

Because Treasury securities set the benchmark interest rate for a variety of consumer credit products, an increase in interest rates could drive up the cost on everything from mortgages to car loans and business loans. A default on our obligations would also sap household wealth, threatening retirement savings; what's more, it could cut off Medicare and Social Security payments and cause another financial crisis, the letter said. "A default would call into question the status of Treasury securities as a cornerstone of the financial system, potentially squandering this unique role and the economic benefits that come with it," Geithner said.

It was at least a partial concession to his critics at a time when consumers are paying near-record prices at the gas pump. The Republican-led House passed three bills in the last 10 days that would significantly expand and accelerate oil development in the United States, saying the administration was driving up gas prices and preventing job creation with antidrilling policies.

Administration officials said the president's announcement, which included plans for expanded drilling in Alaska and the prospect of new exploration off the Atlantic coast, was intended in part to answer those arguments, signal flexibility and demonstrate his commitment to reducing oil imports by increasing domestic production. But in fact the policies announced Saturday would not have an immediate effect on supply or prices, nor would they quickly open any new areas to drilling.

Responding to the shift by the administration, Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Speaker John A Boehner, said, "The president just conceded what his party on Capitol Hill still denies: more American energy production will lower costs and create jobs. This reversal is striking, since his administration has consistently blocked American-made energy."

Although Mr Buck characterized the policy changes as "not terribly substantial," he added that they should "pave the way for legislation, like the bills the House passed in the past two weeks, to reduce the damage from the restrictions he imposed in the past."

The proposal - a compromise that will please oil companies and domestic drilling advocates but anger some residents of affected states and many environmental organizations - would end a longstanding moratorium on oil exploration along the East Coast from the northern tip of Delaware to the central coast of Florida, covering 167 million acres of ocean. Under the plan, the coastline from New Jersey northward would remain closed to all oil and gas activity. So would the Pacific Coast, from Mexico to the Canadian border.

The environmentally sensitive Bristol Bay in southwestern Alaska would be protected and no drilling would be allowed under the plan, officials said. But large tracts in the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea in the Arctic Ocean north of Alaska - nearly 130 million acres - would be eligible for exploration and drilling after extensive studies.

The proposal is to be announced by President Obama and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Wednesday, but administration officials agreed to preview the details on the condition that they not be identified. The proposal is intended to reduce dependence on oil imports, generate revenue from the sale of offshore leases and help win political support for comprehensive energy and climate legislation.

Fed by rainwater and the spring thaw, the Mississippi and its tributaries have caused massive flooding upstream, and officials have said the flooding in Louisiana is the worst since 1927. The US Army Corps of Engineers warned that if the spillway was not opened, New Orleans could be flooded by about 20ft (6m) of water. Two other gates - the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway and the Bonnet Carre Spillway - were opened earlier this month.

Corps spokesman Colonel Ed Fleming said: "It's a historic day, not only for the entire Mississippi River but for the state of Louisiana. Today's the first day in the history of our nation that we have had three floodways open." Colonel Fleming said the opening would be slow to "make sure folks have the understanding that water is coming their way and they evacuate according to their local procedures". Wildlife also needed time to get to higher ground, he said. Opening all 125 gates on the spillway would release 600,000 cubic ft of water every second.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said although he believed his city would be safe, this was a "tragic situation" for those in the Atchafalaya basin and Morgan City. "Our hearts go out to them. It doesn't make us feel any good that [by] protecting New Orleans, other folks are going to get hurt." Residents of the town of Butte La Rose, directly in the path of the spillway's water, said they had been told to pack for a long absence.

Farmers in the region are expecting to lose their entire crops in a year of high prices for farm produce. "The land's going to wash away, but that's life," said Hurlin Dupre, from Krotz Springs in the Atchafalaya river basin. "The worst of it is we are in a drought and we can't use none of that water."

The opening will release a torrent that could submerge about 3,000 square miles under as much as 25 feet of water in some areas but take the pressure off the downstream levees protecting New Orleans, Baton Rouge and the numerous oil refineries and chemical plants along the lower reaches of the Mississippi.

Meanwhile, with crop prices soaring, farmers along the lower Mississippi had been expecting a big year. But now many are facing ruin, with floodwaters swallowing up corn, cotton, rice and soybean fields. In far northeastern Louisiana, where Tap Parker and about 50 other farmers filled and stacked massive sandbags along an old levee to no avail, the Mississippi flowed over the top Thursday, and nearly 19 square miles of soybeans and corn, known in the industry as "green gold," was lost.

"This was supposed to be our good year. We had a chance to really catch up. Now we're scrambling to break even," said Parker, who has been farming since 1985. Some of the estimates have been dire, though. More than 1,500 square miles of farmland in Arkansas, which produces about half of the nation's rice, have been swamped over the past few weeks. In Missouri, where a levee was intentionally blown open to ease the flood threat in the town of Cairo, Illinois, more than 200 square miles of croplands were submerged, damage that will probably exceed $100 million. More than 2,100 square miles could flood in Mississippi.

When the water level goes down - and that could take many weeks in some places - farmers can expect to find the soil washed away or their fields covered with sand. Some will probably replant on the soggy soil, but they will be behind their normal growing schedule, which could hurt yields. Many farmers have crop insurance, but it won't be enough to cover their losses. And it won't even come close to what they could have expected with a bumper crop.