var opac = 0;
var currentNews = 1;
var firstload = true;
var startnews = 1;
var t;
var faderate;

function getName(mid) {
	if( ((parseInt(navigator.appVersion)) > 4) || (navigator.appName == 'Microsoft Internet Explorer')) {
	if (document.all && !document.getElementById) { // check for IE4
		myElement = eval("document.all") // for IE4
		} else {
				myElement = eval("document.getElementById('" + mid + "')"); //For IE 5 and Netscape 6+
		}
	}
	return myElement;
}	

function cycleNews() {
	
	if (navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") {
		if (firstload) {
			firstload = false;
		} else {
			shown = getName("news" + currentNews);
			shown.style.display = 'none';
			nextNews = currentNews + 1;
			if (nextNews > newsTotal) nextNews = 1;
			
			newdisplay = getName("news" + nextNews);
			newdisplay.style.display = 'block';
			opac = 0;
			fadein("news" + nextNews);
			currentNews = nextNews;
		}	
		t = setTimeout(cycleNews, faderate);
	}
}

function fadein(id) { 
	
	if (opac < 100) {
		opac += 5;
		var e = getName(id);
		e.filters.alpha.opacity = opac;
		var f = "fadein('" + id + "')";
		setTimeout(f, 50);
	}
	
}


function newsNext(dir) {

	window.clearTimeout(t);
	
	shown = getName("news" + currentNews);
	shown.style.display = 'none';
	
	if (dir == "forward") {
		nextNews = currentNews + 1;
		if (nextNews > newsTotal) nextNews = 1;
	} else {
		nextNews = currentNews - 1;
		if (nextNews == 0) nextNews = newsTotal;
	}
	
	newdisplay = getName("news" + nextNews);
	newdisplay.style.display = 'block';
	
	if (navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") {
		opac = 0;
		fadein("news" + nextNews);
	}
	currentNews = nextNews;

	
}



/*
	if(opac!= 100){ 
		opac+=1; 
		if(ie5) document.getElementById(mylayer).filters.alpha.opacity = opac; 
		if(ns6) document.getElementById(mylayer).style.MozOpacity = opac/100; 
		setTimeout('fadein(' + mylayer + ')', 0); 
	} 

} 
*/