var seconds = 10;
var news = new Array(), links = new Array(), current = 0, timer;
function initiate_scroll()
{
	current = 0;

	news = $("div.news_entry");
	links = $("div#news_pager a");
	
	for (i=0; i<news.length; i++) news[i].xOpacity = 0;
	for (i=0; i<links.length; i++) links[i].className = "";
	
	news[current].style.display = "block";
	news[current].xOpacity = 1;
	links[current].className = "selected";
	
	timer = setTimeout(fade, 1000*seconds);
}

function fade()
{
	next = news[current+1]?current+1:0;

	current_level = news[current].xOpacity;	
	next_level = news[next].xOpacity;
	
	current_level -= 0.05;
	next_level += 0.05;

	news[next].style.display = "block";
	
	news[current].xOpacity = current_level;
	news[next].xOpacity = next_level;

	set_opacity(news[current]); 
	set_opacity(news[next]);
	
	if (current_level <= 0)
	{
		news[current].style.display = "none";
		news[next].xOpacity = 1;

		links[current].className = "";
		links[next].className = "selected";
		
		current = next;
		timer = setTimeout(fade,1000*seconds);		
	}
	else
	{
		timer = setTimeout(fade, 50);		
	}	
}

function set_chosen_panel(index)
{
	current = index;
	
	for(i=0;i<news.length;i++) news[i].xOpacity = 0;
	for(i=0;i<links.length;i++) links[i].className = "";
	
	news[current].style.display = "block";
	news[current].xOpacity = 1;
	links[current].className = "selected";
	
	for (i=0;i<news.length;i++) set_opacity(news[i]);
	
	clearTimeout(timer);
	timer = setTimeout(fade, 1000*seconds);
}

function set_opacity(obj) {
	if(obj.xOpacity > .99) {
		obj.xOpacity = .99;
	}
	obj.style.opacity = obj.xOpacity;
	obj.style.MozOpacity = obj.xOpacity;
	obj.style.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + (obj.xOpacity*100) + ")";
}