function opacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) {
    //speed for each frame
    var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
    var timer = 0;
	var i;

    //determine the direction for the blending, if start and end are the same nothing happens
    if(opacStart > opacEnd) {
        for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--) {
            setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
            timer++;
        }
    } else if(opacStart < opacEnd) {
        for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++)
            {
            setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
            timer++;
        }
    }
}

//change the opacity for different browsers
function changeOpac(opacity, id) {
  /*
    var object = document.getElementById(id).style;
    object.opacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.MozOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.KhtmlOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")";
  */
} 
	
function NewsObject(id, img, text) {
	this.id = id;
	this.leadinThumbnailedImagePath = img;
	this.leadinText = text;
}

function fetchDiv(divID, id) {
  changeOpac(30,divID);
  var newsObject = news[id];
  var divE = document.getElementById(divID);
  var timer = 0;
  var out = '<a href="lastest_news_events.php?com=article&id=' + newsObject.id + '">';
  out += '<img align="top" src="' + newsObject.leadinThumbnailedImagePath +'"  width="68px" height="55px" style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 1px 1px 1px 1px;" />';
  out += newsObject.leadinText.replace(/&lt;/g, "<").replace(/&gt;/g, ">");
  out += '</a>';
  
  divE.innerHTML = out;
  for(i = 0; i <= 100; i++) {
        setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + divID + "')",(timer * 20));
        timer++;
    } 
}
  
function changeNews(id) {
  if (id + 2 >= news.length) id = 0;
  for (var i = 0; i < 3; i++ )
    fetchDiv('lastest_news_' + (i+1), (id + i) % news.length);

  setTimeout("changeNews(" + (id + 1) + ")", 9000);
}