Coordinated blasts hit Baghdad; kill at least 118

BAGHDAD – A series of coordinated attacks struck Baghdad Tuesday, including two suicide car bombers and another vehicle that blew up near government sites. At least 118 were killed and hundreds wounded in the worst wave of violence in the capital in more than a month, authorities said.

A total of five attacks, which also included a suicide car bomb on a police patrol, showed the ability of insurgents to strike high-profile targets in the heart of Baghdad and marked the third time since August that government buildings were targeted with multiple blasts that brought massive bloodshed.

The bombings reinforced concerns about shortcomings in Iraqi security as U.S. forces plan their withdrawal, and parliament held an emergency session with many lawmakers demanding answers for apparent security lapses.

Iraq's military spokesman blamed the carnage on an alliance of al-Qaida in Iraq and members of Saddam Hussein's banned Baath Party.

The U.S. military has sent some troops and forensic equipment to assist the Iraqis in the aftermath, said Army Master Sgt. Nicholas Conner, a military spokesman.

Overall violence has dropped sharply around Iraq in the past year, though insurgents have stepped up attacks at government sites in recent months. The bombings marked the most serious spate of violence in Baghdad since twin car bombs on Oct. 25 struck outside government offices, killing at least 155. In August, suicide bombers hit the finance and foreign ministries, killing more than 100.

Iraqi officials blamed the August and October attacks on al-Qaida in Iraq and loyalists of the Baath Party — even bringing out three suspects on national television who gave what officials termed confessions.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's attacks, though al-Qaida in Iraq had said it was behind the last two massive bombings against government buildings in Baghdad in August and October.

But there are questions whether Iraq's leaders are trying to shift attention away from a possible resurgence of Sunni insurgents led by al-Qaida in Iraq. A rise in insurgent power could be a serious blow to the government's credibility before national elections, which were set Tuesday for March 6 — a more than seven-week delay from the original mid-January date because of political bickering on the voting rules.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs condemned the attacks, saying Iraqi leaders who recently passed an elections law were moving the country in the right direction and that "there are clearly those who are threatened by that."

Again, Iraq's military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, appeared Tuesday to spread the blame between Baath loyalists and al-Qaida-linked extremists.

"The same hands that implemented the August and October attacks have carried out today's terrorist attacks against innocent civilians," he told The Associated Press.

Security forces worry the lead-up to the election date could bring an escalation in attacks seeking to discredit the pro-Western government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The core of the attacks hit central Baghdad with three blasts in the span of a few minutes.

The targets were the latest assaults directed at Iraqi authorities: near a compound with the Labor Ministry building, a court complex near the Iraqi-protected Green Zone and near the new site of the Finance Ministryafter its previous building was destroyed in major attacks in August.

Police and hospital officials said at least 114 people were killed in those three car bombs and at least 192 injured. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give information to media.

About an hour before the blasts, a suicide car bomber struck a police patrol in the mostly Sunni district of Dora in southern Baghdad, killing at least three policemen and one civilian and injuring five people, said a police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.

In eastern Baghdad, a roadside bomb exploded near the Technology University in eastern Baghdad, missing a passing police patrol but killing one civilian passer-by and wounding four others, Baghdad police said.

Iraq's Health Ministry said as many as 513 people were injured.

Iraqi police said at least two of the Baghdad blasts were suicide bombers — one driving a bomb-rigged ambulance heading for the Finance Ministry and the other plowing through a barrier near the Appeals Court building and exploding the car as guards opened fire.

"The (court) building is severely damaged," said the spokesman of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, Abdul-Sattar.

The third explosion may have been bomb-rigged cars detonated by a timer or a trigger.

"What crime have we committed? Children and women were buried under debris. Why did they (Iraqi troops) let this car bomb pass!" cried Ahmed Jabbar as he staggered through the debris near the new Finance Ministry building — an area where all cars pass through checkpoints manned by Iraqi forces.

A Kurdish parliament member, Mohammed Shareef Ahmed, was among several lawmakers demanding a full-scale inquiry.

"The parliament today is so angry toward the security services which we feel have failed to prevent these attacks ... We all feel — and all the world feels — that the Iraqi people are fed up of sufferings and something should be done to stop this."

The blast tore through a nearby market and toppled at least one building nearby. Rescue teams — some using construction cranes — tried to pull away the rubble to look for survivors.

The breakdown of casualties among the sites was not immediately clear, but the most serious bloodshed had been reported outside the new Finance Ministry building and the court complex, where at least one building was almost completely leveled.

Rescue workers climbed through twisted steel bars and crushed concrete at the flattened court building. Dozens of cars and trucks were burned and crushed.

Firefighters pulled survivors from behind huge slabs of toppled concrete. U.S. soldiers helped provide security and assisted the Iraqis with the collection of evidence from the rubble.

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Martin Margiela to Leave Fashion House He Founded

PARIS — The avant-garde Belgian designer Martin Margiela has quietly left the fashion house he built — and he will not be replaced at the company, which has been majority owned by the Italian group Diesel since 2002.

Taking an attitude that may become a 21st-century template for other brands, Giovanni Pungetti, chief executive of Maison Martin Margiela, said Tuesday that the fashion house would continue to operate with the creative staff that its reclusive founder had developed over 20 years but that there would be no new appointment of a creative director.

Ever since Karl Lagerfeld was tapped by Chanel in 1983, followed by John Galliano at Christian Dior in 1997, other storied houses have tried to fill the shoes of a deceased or departed creator. But as the design appointments become a revolving door at houses like Nina Ricci or Emanuel Ungaro, the replacement mechanism seems to have broken down.

“It would have been very simple to hire someone else, and we evaluated that option, but in the end, what is important is the taste of designer,” Mr. Pungetti said Tuesday in an interview in Paris.

Insiders had known for months that Mr. Margiela had left the company in all but name. The designer’s particular vision, which had focused on the authenticity of the vintage artisan fused with modern photo prints depicting wrinkles or handwork, were missing from recent shows.

But Mr. Pungetti insisted that fashion gossip, which held that Mr. Margiela had fallen out with Renzo Rosso, the colorful founder of Diesel, was far from the truth. Mr. Margiela decided after 20 years to walk away, Mr. Pungetti said, and the fact that the designer had made himself the Greta Garbo of the fashion world by never showing his face made it easier for his absence to be covered up.

During its seven-year period of control, Diesel, which has also taken majority stakes in other edgy labels like that of the Dutch design duo Viktor & Rolf, has increased revenue at Maison Martin Margiela to a predicted €70 million, or about $105 million, for the current financial year from €15 million in 2002.

The sporadic appearance at the studio by the founding designer over the last two years has not held back developments. Margiela-branded stores have been opened across the globe from Hong Kong to Moscow to Munich, with a pop-up store at the Art Basel Miami Beach art fair this week.

The first Margiela fragrance will be introduced early next year by L’Oréal, and a spa hotel opens in Bordeaux on Friday.

“Creating ambience is a very important development area,” Mr Pungetti said.

If the Margiela brand remains vibrant and vital without one creative force — and only time will tell if the image is fading — the Margiela initiative will be studied by the many historic brands trying to stay relevant in the 21st century. Other chief executives have suggested that “difficult” designers can impede innovation, although that view would not be shared by most fashion experts, who consider creativity paramount.

The question is whether a dedicated team — at Margiela, 28 creative personnel — could operate without a name designer whose annual compensation to produce six to eight collections would be conservatively estimated at €5 million. If the answer is yes, then the departure of Mr. Margiela, whose personal image has so rarely been seen, may leave a lasting imprint on the business.

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Martin Margiela to Leave Fashion House He Founded

PARIS — The avant-garde Belgian designer Martin Margiela has quietly left the fashion house he built — and he will not be replaced at the company, which has been majority owned by the Italian group Diesel since 2002.

Taking an attitude that may become a 21st-century template for other brands, Giovanni Pungetti, chief executive of Maison Martin Margiela, said Tuesday that the fashion house would continue to operate with the creative staff that its reclusive founder had developed over 20 years but that there would be no new appointment of a creative director.

Ever since Karl Lagerfeld was tapped by Chanel in 1983, followed by John Galliano at Christian Dior in 1997, other storied houses have tried to fill the shoes of a deceased or departed creator. But as the design appointments become a revolving door at houses like Nina Ricci or Emanuel Ungaro, the replacement mechanism seems to have broken down.

“It would have been very simple to hire someone else, and we evaluated that option, but in the end, what is important is the taste of designer,” Mr. Pungetti said Tuesday in an interview in Paris.

Insiders had known for months that Mr. Margiela had left the company in all but name. The designer’s particular vision, which had focused on the authenticity of the vintage artisan fused with modern photo prints depicting wrinkles or handwork, were missing from recent shows.

But Mr. Pungetti insisted that fashion gossip, which held that Mr. Margiela had fallen out with Renzo Rosso, the colorful founder of Diesel, was far from the truth. Mr. Margiela decided after 20 years to walk away, Mr. Pungetti said, and the fact that the designer had made himself the Greta Garbo of the fashion world by never showing his face made it easier for his absence to be covered up.

During its seven-year period of control, Diesel, which has also taken majority stakes in other edgy labels like that of the Dutch design duo Viktor & Rolf, has increased revenue at Maison Martin Margiela to a predicted €70 million, or about $105 million, for the current financial year from €15 million in 2002.

The sporadic appearance at the studio by the founding designer over the last two years has not held back developments. Margiela-branded stores have been opened across the globe from Hong Kong to Moscow to Munich, with a pop-up store at the Art Basel Miami Beach art fair this week.

The first Margiela fragrance will be introduced early next year by L’Oréal, and a spa hotel opens in Bordeaux on Friday.

“Creating ambience is a very important development area,” Mr Pungetti said.

If the Margiela brand remains vibrant and vital without one creative force — and only time will tell if the image is fading — the Margiela initiative will be studied by the many historic brands trying to stay relevant in the 21st century. Other chief executives have suggested that “difficult” designers can impede innovation, although that view would not be shared by most fashion experts, who consider creativity paramount.

The question is whether a dedicated team — at Margiela, 28 creative personnel — could operate without a name designer whose annual compensation to produce six to eight collections would be conservatively estimated at €5 million. If the answer is yes, then the departure of Mr. Margiela, whose personal image has so rarely been seen, may leave a lasting imprint on the business.

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Woods’ mother-in-law in hospital with stomach pain

OCOEE, Fla. (AP)—Tiger Woods’ mother-in-law was admitted to a hospital with stomach pains early Tuesday, a hospital spokesman said.

Someone called 911 from the golfer’s Orlando-area mansion about 2:35 a.m.

Barbro Holmberg was taken by ambulance to Health Central Hospital, where she was in stable condition later Tuesday, hospital spokesman Dan Yates said. He said her condition was not serious but he could not be more specific because of privacy laws.

Health Central is the same hospital where Woods was treated after he crashed his sport utility vehicle outside his home last month.Holmberg, who arrived in the U.S. a few days ago, lives in Sweden and is the mother of Woods’ wife, Elin.

Yates said Holmberg was in a private room and the family has hired additional security to keep the media away. He said family members have visited her, but he would say who.

“She’s in a wing that helps protect her privacy,” Yates said.

Media attention has been focused on the world’s No. 1 golfer since he hit a hydrant and a tree around 2:25 a.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

The Florida Highway Patrol last week cited Woods for careless driving and fined him $164.

The accident—and Woods’ refusal to answer questions about it—fueled speculation about a possible dispute between him and Elin.

Just days before the crash, a National Enquirer story alleged Woods had been seeing a New York nightclub hostess, Rachel Uchitel, who has denied it. After the crash, Us Weekly reported that a Los Angeles cocktail waitress named Jaimee Grubbs claims she had a 31-month affair with Woods.

Last week, Woods issued a statement saying he had let his family down with unspecified “transgressions” that he regrets with “all of my heart.” He did not elaborate.

A police report on the crash released Monday showed that a Florida trooper who suspected Woods was driving under the influence sought a subpoena for the golfer’s blood results from the hospital he was taken to after the crash, but prosecutors rejected the petition for insufficient information.

A witness, who wasn’t identified in the report, told trooper Joshua Evans that Woods had been drinking alcohol earlier. The same witness also said Woods had been prescribed two drugs, Ambien and Vicodin.

The report did not say who the witness was but added it was the same person who pulled Woods from the vehicle after the accident. Woods’ wife, Elin, has told police that she used a golf club to smash the back windows of the Cadillac Escalade to help her husband out. His injuries were minor.

The sister of a neighbor who called 911 after the crash told troopers that Holmberg and Woods’ mother, were also at the scene, but the AP has not been able to confirm that.

Eva Malmborg, a spokeswoman for Holmberg, said she could not comment on Tuesday’s reports.

Malmborg confirmed Holmberg had taken a week’s leave from her job as Gavleborg county governor in central-east Sweden, but said she did not know where Holmberg had gone.

There was no sign of emergency workers later Tuesday morning at the Woods’ gated community, where luxury SUVs and cars drove in and out as a few reporters and television news trucks milled around outside.

Associated Press Writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Antonio Gonzalez in Windermere and Louise Nordstrom in Stockholm contributed to this report.

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Lincon President Cars

History

The company was founded in August 1917 by Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac (originally the Henry Ford Company). He left the Cadillac division of General Motors during World War I and formed the Lincoln Motor Company to build Liberty aircraft engines with his son Wilfred. After the war, the company's factories were retooled to manufacture luxury automobiles.

Lincoln Zephyr

The sportier Zephyr gave Gregorie his chance. Introduced for the 1936 model year, it featured a 267in³ (4.4 liter) V12, and was so successful it almost became a brand name, rather than just a model. Its first year increased Lincoln sales almost ninefold.Gregorie simply sectioned a 1938 Zephyr Coupé 10 cm (4"), allowing most of the existing dies and tooling to be retained, adding the hallmark vertically-mounted spare tire.

Continental

The result became the Continental, eventually the most important car made by Lincoln; by the time it ended production in 1948, 5322 were built, almost entirely by hand. The Zephyr, on which it was based, stopped production in early 1942 when Ford converted to war work, and was not revived.The Continental's spare tire mount was so distinctive, those who work on custom cars still call adding a similar mount a "Continental kit".

Continental Mark II

The Continental Mark II revived the concept. It was produced by the short-lived Continental division from April 1955 to July 1957 before it was turned over to the Lincoln marque. The Mark II had a basic list price of $10,000, the same as a Rolls-Royce that year. The Continental division merged with Lincoln in 1958.

Town Car

The Continental became Lincoln's flagship model until 1981 when the Town Car, previously the Continental's top trim level, became its own model and took over that role.

Navigator

In 1998 Lincoln was the best-selling luxury brand in the United States, helped by the massive success of the Navigator SUV, and a redesign of the Town Car as well as the Continental.
Renaissance as global brand
Lincoln was one of the Premier Automotive Group brands from 1998 to 2002, but was pulled out due to Ford's new marketing strategy of separating its import brands from its domestic marques. In recent years the company had fallen behind Japanese, European, and American competitors for a lack of new models. The company has reacted to remedy this, however, by sharing parts and platforms with other Ford divisions worldwide in an attempt to bring more new models to market faster. The result is the introduction of several new models, starting with the 2006 Mark LT pickup (later replaced by the Platinum trim version of the Ford F-150), Zephyr (upgraded and renamed Lincoln MKZ for the 2007 model year) and the MKX Crossover SUV. Subsequent model launches were the MKS sedan in 2009 and the MKT "Touring" crossover for the 2010 model year.
These recent and rapid changes in model line up have only served to confused brand identity further. For example, the product positioning of the MKZ, LS, MKX, Zephyr, Aviator, and Navigator is not obvious.
Lincoln vehicles are currently officially available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, South Korea, and the Middle East.

Presidential cars

Lincoln MKT (2010-)
Lincoln MKS (2009-)
Lincoln MKX (2007— )
Lincoln MKZ (2007— )
Lincoln Navigator (1998— )
Lincoln Town Car (1981— )
Concept cars
Lincoln Continental 1950-X (1952)
Lincoln Anniversary (1953)
Lincoln Maharaja (1953)
Lincoln XL-500 (1953)
Lincoln Mardi Gras (1954)
Lincoln Premiere (1955)
Lincoln Futura (1955)
Lincoln Indianapolis(1955)
Lincoln Continental Town Sedan (1965, 1969)
Lincoln Coronation Coupe (1966)
Lincoln Coronation II (1967)
Lincoln Mark III Dual Cowl Phaeton (1970)
Lincoln Continental Concept 90 (1982)
Lincoln Continental Concept (1983)
Lincoln Quicksilver (1985-1986)
Lincoln Continental Next Generation

Mark (1986-1987)
Lincoln Vignale (1987)
Lincoln Machete (1988)
Lincoln Marque X (1992)
Lincoln L2K (1995)
Lincoln Sentinel (1996)
Lincoln Special LS (1999)
Lincoln Mark 9 (2001)
Lincoln Continental Concept (2002)
Lincoln Navicross (2003)
Lincoln Aviator concept (2004)
Lincoln Mark LT concept (2004)
Lincoln MK9 concept (2004)
Lincoln Mark X concept (2004)
Lincoln MKS concept (2006)
Lincoln MKR concept (2007)
Lincoln MKT concept (2008)
Lincoln C concept (2009)

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Ferari

Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929 as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles in 1947 as Ferrari S.p.A.. Throughout its history, the company has been noted for its continued participation in racing, especially in Formula One, where it has enjoyed great success.

History

Enzo Ferrari never intended to produce road cars when he had formed Scuderia Ferrari (literally "Ferrari Stable", and usually used to mean "Team Ferrari", it is correctly pronounced "skoo deh REE ah") in 1929 as a sponsor for amateur drivers headquartered in Modena. Ferrari prepared and successfully raced various drivers in Alfa Romeo cars until 1938, when he was hired by Alfa Romeo to head their motor racing department.
In 1941, Alfa Romeo was confiscated by the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini as part of the Axis Powers' war effort. Enzo Ferrari's division was small enough to be unaffected by this. Because he was prohibited by contract from racing for four years, the Scuderia briefly became Auto Avio Costruzioni Ferrari, which ostensibly produced machine tools and aircraft accessories. Also known as SEFAC (Scuderia Enzo Ferrari Auto Corse), Ferrari did in fact produce one race car, the Tipo 815, in the non-competition period. It was the first actual Ferrari car (it debuted at the 1940 Mille Miglia), but due to World War II it saw little competition. In 1943 the Ferrari factory moved to Maranello, where it has remained ever since. The factory was bombed by the Allies in 1944 and rebuilt in 1946, after the war ended, and included a works for road car production. Until Il Commendatore's death, this would remain little more than a source of funding for his first love, racing.

Motorsport

Since the company's beginnings, Ferrari has been involved in motorsport, competing in a range of categories including Formula One and Sports car racing through its Scuderia Ferrari sporting division as well as supplying cars and engines to other teams.
The 1940 AAC 815 was the first racing car to be designed by Enzo Ferrari, although it was not badged as a Ferrari model. Currently, the Ferrari works team only compete in Formula One, and is the only team to have competed in the World Championship since its inception in 1950.

Sports car racing

In 1949, Luigi Chinetti drove a 166 M to Ferrari's first win in motorsports, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ferrari went on to dominate the early years of the World Sportscar Championship which was created in 1953, winning the title seven out of its first nine years.
When the championship format changed in 1962, Ferrari earned titles in at least one class each year through to 1965 and then again in 1967.) Ferrari would win one final title, the 1972 World Championship of Makes before Enzo decided to leave sports car racing after 1973 and allow Scuderia Ferrari to concentrate solely on Formula One.
During Ferrari's seasons of the World Sportscars Championship, they also gained more wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the factory team earning their first in 1954. Another win would come in 1958, followed by five consecutive wins from 1960 to 1964. Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team (NART) would take Ferrari's final victory at Le Mans in 1965.
Although Scuderia Ferrari no longer participated in sports cars after 1973, they have occasionally built various successful sports cars for privateers. These include the BB 512 LM in the 1970s, the 333 SP which won the IMSA GT Championship in the 1990s, and currently the F430 GT2 and GT3 which are currently winning championships in their respective classes.

Formula One

Scuderia Ferrari joined the Formula One World Championship in the first year of its existence,in 1950. José Froilán González gave the team its first victory at the 1951 British Grand Prix.
Alberto Ascari gave Ferrari its first Drivers Championship a year later. Ferrari is the oldest team in the championship, and the most successful: the team holds nearly every Formula One record. As of 2008[update], the team's records include 15 World Drivers Championship titles (1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1975, 1977, 1979, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007) 16 World Constructors Championship titles (1961, 1964, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008), 209 Grand Prix victories, 4925.27 points, 622 podium finishes, 203 pole positions, and 218 fastest laps in 776 Grands Prix contested.
Notable Ferrari drivers include Tazio Nuvolari, José Froilán González, Juan Manuel Fangio, Luigi Chinetti, Alberto Ascari, Wolfgang von Trips, Phil Hill, Olivier Gendebien, Mike Hawthorn, Peter Collins, Giancarlo Baghetti, John Surtees, Lorenzo Bandini, Ludovico Scarfiotti, Jacky Ickx, Mario Andretti, Clay Regazzoni, Niki Lauda, Carlos Reutemann, Jody Scheckter, Gilles Villeneuve, Didier Pironi, Patrick Tambay, René Arnoux, Michele Alboreto, Gerhard Berger, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Jean Alesi, Eddie Irvine, Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher, Kimi Räikkönen and Felipe Massa.
At the end of the 2006 season, the team courted controversy by continuing to allow Marlboro to sponsor them after they, along with the other F1 teams, made a promise to end sponsorship deals with tobacco manufacturers. A five year deal was agreed and although this is not due to end until 2011, in April 2008 Marlboro dropped their on-car branding on Ferrari.
The drivers competing for 2009 were Felipe Massa and defending champion Kimi Räikkönen. Massa was injured by a 1 kg suspension spring from the car of Rubens Barrichello after second qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix, ending his season. Upon being released from his contract at Force India, Giancarlo Fisichella was announced as the driver deputising for Massa for the rest of the 2009 season after Luca Badoer deputised for the injured driver at the European and the Belgian Grand Prix. In 2010 Fernando Alonso will start racing for Ferrari after racing for Renault and Mclaren, filling Kimi Räikkönen's former seat.

Supercars

The company's loftiest efforts have been in the supercar market. The 1962 250 GTO may be considered the first in the line of Ferrari supercars, which extends to the recent Enzo Ferrari and FXX models.
Concept cars and specials
Ferrari has produced a number of concept cars, such as the Ferrari Mythos. While some of these were quite radical (such as the Ferrari Modulo) and never intended for production, others such as the Ferrari Mythos have shown styling elements which were later incorporated into production models.
The most recent concept car to be produced by Ferrari themselves was the 2005 Ferrari Ascari.
A number of one-off special versions of Ferrari road cars have also been produced, some of which have been commissioned by wealthy owners.
Bio-fuel cars
Ferrari has considered making hybrids. A F430 Spider that runs on ethanol was displayed at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Ferrari has announced that a hybrid will be in production by 2015.

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