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A Chinese inventor has created more than 40 robots from junk metal, including one that can pull a human on a rickshaw. TODAYshow.com's Dara Brown reports. By Dan Hope The U.S. Library of Congress, which archives many forms of media for their cultural and historical significance, has announced it will keep a digital archive of every public tweet that has been broadcast on Twitter since its inception in March 2006. It's only appropriate that the initial announcement of this project was given on the Library of Congress' Twitter account (@librarycongress) and was followed up by a Facebook message before the official press release is issued. Even though tweets, as messages on Twitter are called, can only be 140 characters long, the amount of information to archive is significant. There are 50 million tweets per day and the total number of tweets already number well into the billions. The Library of Congress plans to focus on the "scholarly and research implications of the acquisition." Certainly the daily thoughts of millions of people worldwide would make an excellent source of sociological information. Recognizing that the inane tweets will certainly outnumber the significant ones, the Library of Congress plans to highlight the culturally and historically important tweets, such as the first-ever tweet sent by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, President Obama's tweet announcing his win in the 2008 election and a set of tweets that helped a photojournalist get released from prison in Egypt. This Twitter archive isn't evidence of a new focus for the Library of Congress; it has been collecting and archiving websites and online media for a decade now. The Library of Congress currently houses 167 terabytes (or 167,000 gigabytes — the largest iPod storage is only 64 gigabytes) of information pulled from the Internet during that time. As the Library's Facebook announcement says, "If you want a place where important historical information in digital form should be preserved for the long haul, we're it!" © 2010 TechNewsDaily ||||| By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley Twitter's first tweet might not have been prosaic, but it was historic The Library of Congress is to archive every single public tweet ever made. Twitter says since they started in 2006, billions of tweets have been created and 55m are sent every day. The digital archive will include tweets from President Barack Obama on the day he was elected as well as the first tweet from co-founder Jack Dorsey. "I think it shows the tweets are an interesting part of the historical record," said Alex MacGillivray, Twitter's general counsel. "This project however is not about us, it is about our users and the fact they use the service to chronicle these amazing events. President Obama actually tweeted after he was elected. That is a big deal and it's something he did. "It is not something we imagined when we were forming the service," Mr MacGillivray told BBC News. In a Library of Congress blogpost entitled "How Tweet It Is", Matt Raymond underlined the reason why these tweets deserved a home alongside better known historic documents like the Declaration of Independence. "I'm no PhD, but it boggles my mind to think what we might be able to learn about ourselves and the world around us from this wealth of data." Twitter's Mr MacGillivray agreed. "We have just had one of our Supreme Court justices announce his retirement and knowing what people are saying around that will be important. "As a historian you will be able to look back at that and understand what people felt. The same with the healthcare legislation that recently passed. You can look back and say what where people talking about and have those views changed over time? We think that will be really useful." The microblogging service came into prominence during a number of high profile events including the Iranian elections last year, the Mumbai bombing, the Haiti earthquake and the downing of a passenger aircraft in the Hudson River. Replay Alongside the Library of Congress announcement, Google revealed how it is going to make the Twitter archive searchable for users. The search giant unveiled a replay feature that lets users search tweets posted at any given point in time right down to the minute. Twitter sees itself as a new form of real-time communication Anyone wanting to know what people tweeted about on say the Haiti earthquake or the Oscars can type into the search box, select "show options" on the result page and then click "updates". A timeline will appear above the results allowing you to zoom in on tweets by the hour or minute. "This will be the first time the user will have the ability to go back in time and see the conversation about a particular topic," Dylan Casey, Google's product manager told BBC News. "We think this is pretty significant because up until now the discussion has been about what is happening now and with today's replay button people will be able to go back and see what people were actually talking about around big events." For the moment the replay feature will only cover the last two months of tweets. Google said later in the summer it hopes to cover the entire archive all the way back to March 2006. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| Why is the Library of Congress collecting and creating an archive of Web sites? The Library of Congress and libraries and archives around the world are interested in collecting and preserving the Web because an ever-increasing amount of the world’s cultural and intellectual output is created in digital formats and does not exist in any physical form. Creating an archive of Web sites supports the goals of the Library’s Digital Strategic Plan, announced in March 2003, which focuses on the collection and management of digital content. How does the Library’s Web Archiving program relate to the National Digital Information and Infrastructure Preservation Program (NDIIPP)? In 2004 the Library formed the Web Archiving team to support the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program’s (NDIIPP) strategic goal to manage and sustain at-risk digital content. The team’s focus has been on technologies, tools, and infrastructure to assist Library staff in building born-digital Web collections. In the Library’s role as administrator of NDIIPP, the Web Archiving team also collaborates on two NDIIPP projects: The Web-at-Risk: A Distributed Approach to Preserving Our Nation’s Political Cultural Heritage, led by the California Digital Library, and The ECHO DEPository, led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. How large is the Library’s archive? As of May 2009, the Library has collected almost 100 terabytes of data. What kinds of Web sites does the Library archive? Library of Congress recommending officers, or curators, select a variety of Web sites to archive, depending on the theme of the collection activity. The Library’s MINERVA project was the initial pilot project to archive web sites. Event-based or thematic collections publicly available through the Library of Congress Web Archives Web site include Election 2002, September 11, Election 2004, and the 107th Congress Web archive. Categories of sites archived include, but are not limited to: United States government (federal, state, district, local), foreign government, candidates for political office, political commentary, political party, media, religious organizations, support groups, tributes and memorials, advocacy groups, educational and research institutions, creative expressions (cartoons, poetry, etc.), and blogs. Do you have published selection guidelines? A collections policy statement and other internal documents demonstrate current policies about selection of electronic resources. In addition, selection criteria are developed for each collection. Our publicly accessible Web archives have collection-specific selection criteria available for review and are available on the Library of Congress Web Archives Web site. Are other libraries and organizations doing similar work? Since 1996 the Internet Archive has archived 40 billion web pages. The Library of Congress contracts with the Internet Archive for many of its Web archive projects. U.S. federal government agencies, including the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the Government Printing Office, collect official Web content from the U.S. government. NARA documented federal agencies' presence on the World Wide Web at the time that the presidential administration term ended in early 2005. The Library of Congress also works closely with members of the International Internet Preservation Consortium (IIPC), which was formed in 2003 to enable the collection of a rich body of Internet content from around the world and foster the development and use of common tools, techniques and standards that enable the creation of international archives. The Library of Congress is a founding member of the consortium, whose members include the national libraries of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom and the Internet Archive (U.S.), plus several others.
The library's announcement via Twitter. The US Library of Congress plans to create an archive of every "tweet," or post made on Twitter. It announced the move via Twitter. Twitter's general counsel Alex MacGillivray told the ''BBC'': "I think it shows the tweets are an interesting part of the historical record. This project however is not about us, it is about our users and the fact they use the service to chronicle these amazing events. President Obama actually tweeted after he was elected. That is a big deal and it's something he did. It is not something we imagined when we were forming the service." The library plans to highlight the historically significant tweets such as Barack Obama's tweet when he won the 2008 presidential election. Although the library plans a Twitter archive, it does not indicate a change of the Library of Congress' focus. The library reportedly has 160 terabytes (163,840 gigabytes) of data already taken from other Internet sources. There are around 50 million tweets sent per day, all less than 140 characters; the total number of tweets has gone into the billions.
Nov. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Near simultaneous blasts in three cities in India's most populous state killed at least 13 people and injured 61 others in a coordinated attack on the nation's justice system. The attacks occurred near civil courts in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh state, Varanasi and Faizabad, Amjad Hussain, deputy director in the state's information department said. The devices all exploded at about 1:30 p.m. local time, said A.K. Jain, inspector-general of police in Lucknow. Mosques, trains and cinemas have been bombed in India in the past year in attacks that target civilians in major cities across the country. Blasts in Varanasi, a religious and cultural city on the banks of the river Ganges, in March last year killed eight and injured 50 people. ``These are all soft targets. Weapons and explosives are no more a challenge for these groupings,'' said Ajai Sahni, an executive director of the New Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management. ``Uttar Pradesh has long been a target because it's a poorly administered state and a poor state.'' The blasts prompted the police in the capital New Delhi, which shares a border with Uttar Pradesh, to increase checks at bus stands, airports, shopping areas and railway stations, Rajan Bhagat, spokesman of Delhi Police, said. The government will pay 200,000 rupees ($5,035) to families of those killed in the attack and 50,000 rupees to the injured, CNN-IBN channel reported. Unexploded Bomb Three blasts in Varanasi killed nine people and injured 47, Chief Minister Mayawati said in a televised news conference. Four people died in two blasts in Faizabad and 14 were injured, while no one was hurt in the blast in Lucknow, she said. An unexploded bomb has been found with a timer device in the state capital, Mayawati said. ``It's too early to say who are behind the blasts, but it is very clear that the blasts were pre-planned,'' Shriprakash Jaiswal, junior federal home minister, told reporters in New Delhi in a televised broadcast. ``The investigating agencies have got down to the job.'' Images on CNN-IBN and NDTV 24X7 television networks showed policemen collecting evidence from the site of the blasts, with a mangled motorcycle at one location and a twisted black bicycle at another. A victim at the site in Faizabad lay in a pool of blood, while lawyers retrieved another from debris. Alleged Terrorists The blasts come a week after three alleged terrorists were arrested in Lucknow for plotting to kidnap a politician in the state, Press Trust of India reported. Lawyers in the city assaulted the alleged kidnappers when they were being escorted by police to the court, the newswire said on Nov. 17. Varanasi, located 670 kilometers (415 miles) southeast of New Delhi, is Hinduism's holiest city. Many Indians believe that anyone dying on the banks of the river Ganges attains instant enlightenment and a dip in the water atones for all sins. Tourists from across the world come to the city, attracted by the more than 100 ghats, or a paved flight of stairs leading to the river bank, where pilgrims offer prayers. Narrow lanes wind through the city, dotted with shops and temples that date back centuries. Sarnath, located about 10 kilometers from the city, is where Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon. Faizabad is the town located adjacent to Ayodhya, where the 16th century mosque Babri Masjid was demolished on Dec. 6, 1992. More than 1,500 people across India were killed in Hindu-Muslim riots after the demolition. Previous Attacks An explosion in a movie theater in October killed six people and injured more than 30, two days after a blast at a Sufi shrine in Ajmer, in the western state of Rajasthan, killed two. Police said the attack on the multiplex in Ludhiana, an industrial town in the northern state of Punjab, 305 kilometers (190 miles) north of New Delhi, was a terrorist attack. In August, two bombs exploded in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, killing 40 people and injuring another 50. Hyderabad has a Muslim population among its 6.5 million residents. A bomb at a mosque on May 18 killed 11 people when it exploded during Friday afternoon prayers. Explosions on commuter trains and at railway stations in Mumbai, India's financial capital, on July 11 last year left 184 people dead. The Mumbai explosions, the worst attack in 13 years, caused the 44-month-old peace process between India and Pakistan to break down, an initiative that resumed in November. To contact the reporter on this story: Kartik Goyal in New Delhi at ashokb@bloomberg.net; Subramaniam Sharma in New Delhi at ssharma@bloombrg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Stephen Foxwell at sfoxwell@bloomberg.net. ||||| Thirteen people have been reported killed so far with several others injured. Nine people have been killed in Varanasi. Four deaths have been reported from Faizabad. All the blasts went off in and around civil courts. It seems the explosives were packed on parked bicycles in the court complexes. Steel pellets have been recovered from the blast sites, which were also used in the Hyderabad blasts in August. ''There was smoke everywhere. People were hurt and bleeding. We did not see the bomb but the explosion was very powerful,'' said an eyewitness in Varanasi. The Home Ministry says it's a terrorist strike meant to disturb communal harmony. ''There were simultaneous blasts in three cities. This makes it clear these blasts are a result of a deep conspiracy. I can't say which organisation is behind the incident. But the motive could be to disturb communal harmony and to create fear and terror among the people. My appeal to the people of Uttar Pradesh is to remain united and defeat the motives of such terrorists,'' said Sriprakash Jaiswal, Minister of State for Home. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati expressed sympathy with the victims of the blasts. She announced Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the kin of dead and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Addressing a press meet, Mayawati said the state STF is on high alert and that the Central Intelligence Agencies did not warn of any possible blasts. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime minister Manmohan Singh have also condemned the blasts. The PM announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh for the dead and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the blasts. Sonia Gandhi said the ''dastardly act'' was intended to create panic and asked the state government to find out the culprits and deal with them sternly. ''The serial blasts in Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi are quite shocking,'' Gandhi said reacting to the incident. Email threat A little known group called the Indian Mujahideen has claimed responsibility. The group apparently sent an email to a private TV channel just five minutes before the blasts. They claimed responsibility for the blasts in Delhi and Hyderabad but refused any association with the attacks on the Mecca Masjid, the Samjhauta Express or the terror strike in Malegaon. They also said they are purely Indian and not connected to the ISI, the Lashkar-e-Toiba or Huji. The email says the Jihad in India is in retaliation against the injustice to Muslims in India, the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the Gujarat riots. The mail further said that the blasts today were carried out because the police arrested two innocent people and framed them and lawyers at the three cities beat them when they were produced in court, refused to defend them and stopped others from taking up their case. According to the police, the blasts may be in retaliation to the arrested terrorists being beaten up by lawyers and not being assigned even a counsel to defend them in the court. Only a week ago, the UP police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed module which planned to abduct Rahul Gandhi. Bomb disposal squads have been pressed into service in the three districts and were conducting extensive searches of court premises. Terror struck Uttar Pradesh on Friday afternoon with five bomb blasts going off almost simultaneously in three cities of Varanasi, Lucknow and Faizabad.Thirteen people have been reported killed so far with several others injured. Nine people have been killed in Varanasi. Four deaths have been reported from Faizabad.All the blasts went off in and around civil courts. It seems the explosives were packed on parked bicycles in the court complexes.Steel pellets have been recovered from the blast sites, which were also used in the Hyderabad blasts in August.''There was smoke everywhere. People were hurt and bleeding. We did not see the bomb but the explosion was very powerful,'' said an eyewitness in Varanasi.The Home Ministry says it's a terrorist strike meant to disturb communal harmony.''There were simultaneous blasts in three cities. This makes it clear these blasts are a result of a deep conspiracy. I can't say which organisation is behind the incident. But the motive could be to disturb communal harmony and to create fear and terror among the people. My appeal to the people of Uttar Pradesh is to remain united and defeat the motives of such terrorists,'' said Sriprakash Jaiswal, Minister of State for Home.Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati expressed sympathy with the victims of the blasts. She announced Rs 2 lakh as compensation to the kin of dead and Rs 50,000 to the injured.Addressing a press meet, Mayawati said the state STF is on high alert and that the Central Intelligence Agencies did not warn of any possible blasts.UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime minister Manmohan Singh have also condemned the blasts.The PM announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh for the dead and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the blasts.Sonia Gandhi said the ''dastardly act'' was intended to create panic and asked the state government to find out the culprits and deal with them sternly.''The serial blasts in Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi are quite shocking,'' Gandhi said reacting to the incident.A little known group called the Indian Mujahideen has claimed responsibility. The group apparently sent an email to a private TV channel just five minutes before the blasts.They claimed responsibility for the blasts in Delhi and Hyderabad but refused any association with the attacks on the Mecca Masjid, the Samjhauta Express or the terror strike in Malegaon.They also said they are purely Indian and not connected to the ISI, the Lashkar-e-Toiba or Huji.The email says the Jihad in India is in retaliation against the injustice to Muslims in India, the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the Gujarat riots.The mail further said that the blasts today were carried out because the police arrested two innocent people and framed them and lawyers at the three cities beat them when they were produced in court, refused to defend them and stopped others from taking up their case.According to the police, the blasts may be in retaliation to the arrested terrorists being beaten up by lawyers and not being assigned even a counsel to defend them in the court.Only a week ago, the UP police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed module which planned to abduct Rahul Gandhi.Bomb disposal squads have been pressed into service in the three districts and were conducting extensive searches of court premises. Story Finder 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
Location of Uttar Pradesh within India. Five bombs went off nearly simutaneously in three Indian cities in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Court houses in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad were rocked. The attack on the justice system killed 13 people and injured another 61. "These are all soft targets. Weapons and explosives are no more a challenge for these groupings," said Ajai Sahni, an executive director of the New Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management. "Uttar Pradesh has long been a target because it's a poorly administered state and a poor state." Police in New Delhi have increased security at bus stands, airports, shopping areas and railway stations. According to CNN IBN, the government will pay Rs.200,000 to the families of those killed. Those who were injured will receive Rp.50,000. In Lucknow, an unexploded device with a timer was found. All the other bombs went off at around 1:30 p.m. IST (UTC+5:30). "It's too early to say who are behind the blasts, but it is very clear that the blasts were pre-planned," according to Shriprakash Jaiswal, a junior home minister. "The investigating agencies have got down to the job."
Dugan Suspected in Up to Four Other Murders Now that Brian Dugan all set to rot on death row for the rape and murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico, DuPage County States Attorney Joseph Birkett wants to find out if he killed others. Dugan has been convicted of three murders -- he confessed to killing Melissa Ackerman, 7, of Somonauk in 1985, and Donna Schnorr, 27, of Geneva in 1984. He is serving life sentences for those but Birkett suspects that he could have killed up to four others, according to the Sun-Times. Birkett said he wants to vigorously investigate four unsolved murders for links to the child killer. He declined to release information about three of the cases which come from McHenry and Kane counties. But one case he did agree to talk about was that of Kathryn Alice Pollock, 64, who was found dead in Kane County on April 4, 1983. Mugshots in the News LOOK Mugshots in the News Pollock, a widow, was found bludgeoned to death near in her Aurora home. Her car was stolen, and police recovered it several blocks away. The crime seems to fit a pattern with Dugan who stalked the Chicago suburbs, knocking on doors to ask for handyman work. If no one was home Dugan would burglarize the homes, and sometimes, if people were home, he would kill them. Dugan's attorney, however, contends that if Dugan committed other crimes, he would have admitted to it by now. "I have talked to Brian in the past about other cases. He didn't do anything else. If they think they got something else, let them bring it on," said attorney Steven Greenberg. Birkett says he wants to get to the bottom of this case, and the other unsolved murders, so that Dugan doesn’t attempt to stay his execution by offering to help police solve them --- similar to what serial killer Ted Bundy did in the 1970s. Greenberg says that notion makes no sense. "He uses it, as Joe (Birkett) says, as a bargaining chip. So why wouldn't he have used that as a bargaining chip before placing himself in jeopardy before this jury?" Dugan will face a judge and formally receive his death sentence on Dec. 16th. First Published: Nov 13, 2009 9:58 AM CST ||||| If you’re the proud owner of a cast-iron pan , then you already know what a good investment it is. Once well-seasoned, it can cook just about anything from pancakes to fried chicken, it can go from stovetop to oven with ease, it’s nearly indestructible, it’s inexpensive and it holds its heat like a dream. But if you’re just using your pan to cook the occasional burger, then you’re missing out; you really can cook pretty much anything in it. ||||| I've already registered, and I'm ready to place an ad. I'd like to set up my account first, then create an ad. I want to start creating my ad right away. Start your search: All Chicago, Downtown Chicago, Far South Chicago, North Chicago, Northwest Chicago, South Chicago, Southwest Chicago, West Cook County, North Suburban Cook County, South Suburban Cook County, West Suburban DuPage County Grundy County Kane County Kankakee County Kendall County Lake County Lake County, Ind. McHenry County Other Areas Porter County, Ind. Will County Buy Rent Timeline of Dugan case Feb. 25, 1983: Jeanine Nicarico 10, is kidnapped from her Naperville home. She was raped and beaten and found dead two days later near the Illinois Prairie Path. Feb. 22, 1985: Two Aurora men, Alejandro Hernandez and Rolando Cruz, are convicted of the crime. The jury deadlocks on a third Aurora man, Stephen Buckley. Later, Hernandez and Cruz are sentenced to death. Nov. 8, 1985: Brian Dugan's lawyer indicates his client, charged with the rape and murder of Melissa Ackerman, 7, of Somonauk, also is Jeanine's lone killer. Dugan is sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Melissa and Donna Schnorr, 27, of Geneva and other crimes. March 5, 1987: Charges against Buckley are dropped. July 14, 1994: The Illinois Supreme Court overturns Cruz's second conviction and orders a new trial. Later, Hernandez's second conviction also is overturned. Nov. 3, 1995: A DuPage County judge acquits Cruz. Subsequently, all charges against Hernandez are dismissed. Nov. 29, 2005: Dugan is charged with murdering Jeanine. July 18: Dugan pleads guilty. Nov. 11: Jury sentences Dugan to death ||||| I've already registered, and I'm ready to place an ad. I'd like to set up my account first, then create an ad. I want to start creating my ad right away. Start your search: All Chicago, Downtown Chicago, Far South Chicago, North Chicago, Northwest Chicago, South Chicago, Southwest Chicago, West Cook County, North Suburban Cook County, South Suburban Cook County, West Suburban DuPage County Grundy County Kane County Kankakee County Kendall County Lake County Lake County, Ind. McHenry County Other Areas Porter County, Ind. Will County Buy Rent Brian Dugan sentenced to death for '83 murder of Nicarico girl Juror Ronald Ford looked into Brian Dugan’s eyes today as the convicted rapist and killer’s death sentence was handed down for the 1983 murder of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico. Ford said he “wanted to see his expression. He was emotionless.’’ But Ford said “I didn’t care what Brian Dugan felt. I did what I felt was right.’’ Ford was a member of the five-man, seven woman DuPage County jury that deliberated for more than 10 hours over two days before sentencing Dugan, 53, to death. The sentence came following an unusual — and emotionally wrenching — five-week sentencing hearing that delved into virtually every detail of the Naperville girl’s notorious murder. “Brian Dugan is a vicious monster,’’ DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett said after the verdict was read. “He received the punishment that is long deserved and long overdue for him.’’ As prosecutors, including Birkett, left the courtroom, family members of the victims clapped and cheered. Jeanine was kidnapped from her home on Feb. 25, 1983, then raped and beaten to death. Indicted in 2005, Dugan pleaded guilty last July to her murder, which occurred on a day the brown-haired fifth grader stayed home sick from school. Her mother, Pat Nicarico, gasped and covered her mouth after the verdict was read today, and then later wiped tears from her face. Her father, Tom Nicarico, closed his eyes briefly. Family members are “very, very pleased with the verdict,’’ Pat Nicarico said after the sentencing. “This decision is definitely a relief for us. It does give some sort of relief and a small measure of closure.’’ “We look at this like it’s one step closer to finishing some unfinished business,” added Roger Schnorr, whose 27-year-old sister Donna was killed by Dugan in 1984. “Even though we’ll never get back Melissa, Jeanine or Donna . . . there are things that we have to take care of. The sooner the better.” Dugan already is serving life sentences for the murders of Donna Schnorr and 7-year-old Melissa Ackerman. Noting the death penalty in the state of Illinois is reserved for the worst offenders in Illinois, Birkett said, “Dugan is among the worst of the worst.’’ Dugan’s attorney, Steve Greenberg said his client “expected to get this verdict. . . . He knew what an uphill battle he was facing.’’ How did the sentence impact Dugan? It’s unclear, Greenberg said. “As a result of his mental illness, he doesn’t feel emotion like the rest of us,’’ Greenberg said. The jury’s decision reached today, however, didn’t come smoothly. The jury seemingly reached a verdict late Tuesday on Dugan’s fate, prompting Jeanine’s relatives, both legal teams and news media to reassemble in the Wheaton courtroom to learn Dugan’s fate. But Judge George Bakalis then said jurors had asked for a little more time. The jury later sent out a note that they had started deliberating again, Bakalis said in court Tuesday night. Shortly afterward, Bakalis ordered the jurors sequestered for the night. The jurors returned this morning, then quickly asked to see transcripts of testimony from former Illinois State Police investigator Ed Cisowski and Dugan’s former attorney, George Mueller. Mueller represented Dugan in 1985 when he pleaded guilty to killing 7-year-old Melissa Ackerman of Somonauk and 27-year-old Donna Schnorr of Geneva — and offered to plead guilty to killing Jeanine. Cisowski interviewed Dugan several times and was among the first investigators to believe Dugan had killed Jeanine. Before reaching their decision, jurors also appeared to be interested in statements made by defense mental health experts. On Tuesday night, they requested transcripts from two psychologists and a psychiatrist who described Dugan as a psychopath who lacks empathy and has difficulty controlling his violent actions. Judge George Bakalis agreed to provide the transcripts. During the trial, defense attorneys contended that Dugan’s troubled mental health justified a life sentence, rather than the death penalty. Mental health experts called by defense attorneys testified that Dugan is a psychopath who lacks empathy and has extreme difficulty in controlling his violent impulses. Dugan, in an interview with defense psychologist Kent Kiehl, compared himself to a famous literary villain, saying he “turned into Mr. Hyde from Dr. Jekyll’’ and couldn’t stop himself from killing Jeanine, even though he hadn’t planned to do so and knew he his actions were wrong. “I couldn’t stop,’’ Dugan told Kiehl, who testified on Dugan’s behalf. Dugan took responsibility for Jeanine’s murder by pleading guilty voluntarily. He had offered years ago to admit he killed the youngster, even though two other men already had been convicted of her murder. Those two men, Rolando Cruz and Alejandro Hernandez, spent years in prison for Jeanine’s murder before ultimately being freed. A third man, Stephen Buckley, also was charged, but was never convicted in Jeanine’s death. “There’s no chance death is appropriate, given the unique circumstances of this case,’’ Greenberg said Tuesday.
A DuPage County, Illinois jury has sentenced Brian Dugan to death for the February 25, 1983, abduction, rape, and murder of ten-year-old Jeanine Nicarico from Naperville. The jury has been empaneled for a six-week sentencing hearing to determine Dugan's eligibility for the death penalty. Closing arguments lasted for nearly six hours last Tuesday. The jury then deliberated for five hours until 10 pm, when the judge said that the jury had reached a verdict. The jurors were then called into the courtroom, but in a surprising turn of events, the judge announced that the jury would like to continue deliberations. He sequestered them overnight, and deliberations continued Wednesday morning. The jury then announced that it had sentenced Dugan to death. He is now also suspected of committing four other murders. Two men from Aurora, Alejandro Hernandez and Rolando Cruz, were first convicted of the crime on February 22, 1985. The jury deadlocked on Stephen Buckley, also from Aurora. On November 8 of that year, Dugan's lawyer revealed that his client, charged with the rape and murder of seven-year-old Melissa Ackerman of Somonauk, was also the lone murderer of Nicarico. Dugan was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders of Melissa Ackerman and Donna Schnorr, a twenty-seven-year-old woman from Geneva. Charges against Buckley were subsequently dropped in March 5, 1987. On July 14, 1994, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned Cruz's conviction and ordered a new trial. Hernandez's conviction was later overturned as well. A judge acquitted Cruz of the crime on November 3, 1995, and charges against Hernandez were later dismissed. Refinements in DNA testing allowed law enforcement officials to narrow down the list of suspects. In 2002, DuPage County State's Attorney Joe Birkett stated that DNA certainly proved that Dugan was involved in the murder. He was charged in November 29, 2005, and pleaded guilty on July 18 of this year.
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Monte Solberg appears on CTV's Mike Duffy Live Thursday night. Michel Juneau Katsuya says if the allegations were true, it would be 'a nice little coup for CSIS, because those kinds of spies are probably the most difficult ones to catch.' Ottawa moves to deport alleged Russian spy CTV.ca News Staff Ottawa is moving swiftly to deport an alleged Russian spy arrested in a Montreal airport, by issuing a rarely used national security certificate. It's the first time Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has used such a certificate. "It was a situation where we felt we had no other way to act, and we feel we've done the right thing," Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Monte Solberg told CTV's Mike Duffy Live on Thursday. The unidentified suspect was taken into custody by the Canada Border Services Agency on Tuesday. While CTV News has confirmed the man is Russian, Solberg would only say he was "reluctant to get into the particulars of the case." The man was arrested at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Melissa Leclerc, a spokesperson for Stockwell Day, Canada's public safety minister. According to unconfirmed reports, he was about to leave the country when he was nabbed. If true, former CSIS agent Michel Juneau Katsuya said that would be a significant success for Canada's intelligence agency. It would be "a nice little coup for CSIS, because those kinds of spies are probably the most difficult ones to catch," he said. Leclerc told The Canadian Press she could release few details about the case, because it is currently before the courts. However, she said more information will be released as the case progresses. Court documents made public Thursday accuse a foreign national "alleging to be Paul William Hampel" of engaging "in an act of espionage or an act of subversion." The man is expected to appear in court on Wednesday. Although not convicted, his case is already being compared to that of past Russian spies captured in Canada. "In 1945, a Russian cipher clerk actually defected to the Canadian side and revealed an extensive network of Canadian and British spies, who were helping the Russians with atomic secrets," reported CTV's Moscow Bureau Chief Ellen Pinchuk. She added that 10 years ago, security officials investigated a married couple in Toronto who went by the names Ian Mackenzie Lambert and Laurie Brodie. A CSIS investigation concluded they were actually Russian spies named Dmitriy Vladimirovoch Olshevskiy and Yelena Borisovna Olshevskaya. They had taken the identities of two dead Canadian children. And two years ago, a pair of military officials in the Russian Embassy in Ottawa were charged with spying, and later deported. Arrest not terrorism-related Barbara Campion, a spokesperson for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, confirmed the man is in custody. He allegedly arrived in Canada illicitly several years ago. "A security certificate has been issued under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act against a foreign national alleging to be a Canadian citizen named Paul William Hampel," Campion said. "He is now in custody in Montreal. This is not a counter-terrorism case. More information will become available as the Federal Court process unfolds. Any speculation about the individual's other nationality is premature at this point." The security certificate allows Canada to deport non-citizens who are suspected of posing a danger to Canada. This is the first time Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has approved a national security certificate, and the first time it has been used since 2003, when alleged al Qaeda-trained sleeper Moroccan Adil Charkaoui was taken into custody. According to reports, Hampel's methods in Canada matched the techniques used by the Russian intelligence agency's Directorate S, which runs the Russian spy network. The national security certificate system has drawn criticism from human rights activists, lawyers and scholars. The certificates have now been used in 28 cases, almost all involving terrorism or espionage, since 1991. Former chief of strategic planning at CSIS, David Harris, says it is unlikely the public will learn much more when the suspect appears before a federal court judge. "I don't think we're going to get the most intimate of details, no, not at all," he told CTV Montreal. "We'll see a public version of the allegations that will be released by the federal court judge who is going to be responsible for reviewing the basis upon which cabinet will have declared this individual subject to a security certificate. Beyond that, though, we may see things settle more quietly between governments." Dispelling the notion that espionage within Canadian borders went out of fashion with the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Harris says there are likely several countries interested in spying on Canada. They may be seeking information on conventional secrets such as military or political information, Harris told CTV Montreal. "There are also influence operations where countries might try to influence their expatriates and émigré communities in Canada. Beyond that, there is a real appetite building among many countries for technological secrets," he said. "They can be of use to industries of the sponsoring nations and these things can have values in the billions for the economies of those countries undertaking these operations." The danger lies in confidential information reaching the wrong contacts, he warned. "We shouldn't forget that it can be involved in terrorism to the extent that if you have countries like Iran involved in stealing secrets, technological ones, ones with implications for chemical, nuclear and biological weapons, then of course that can wind up being invested in nuclear programs," Harris said. "And those secrets can leak out and be used in the service of groups like Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies." With a report by CTV's Graham Richardson and files from The Canadian Press ||||| An accused spy was arrested at a Montreal airport on Tuesday night, the country's first espionage arrest in 10 years. Canada Border Services agents took the man into custody at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport as he prepared to board a plane out of the country. "A foreign national alleging to be a Canadian citizen named Paul William Hampel was arrested in Montreal after a [national] security certificate under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act was issued against him," said Melissa Leclerc, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day. The certificate must be signed by two federal cabinet ministers. Day and Immigration Minister Monte Solberg signed the document, which authorized the man's arrest for engaging in espionage, or an act of subversion against a democratic government. News reports say the man could be from Russia. He reportedly slipped into Canada years ago, and kept a low profile. A federal court judge will set a hearing date for the man, who is being held in Montreal. Canada an attractive target A former director of Canada's spy agency said the arrest likely signifies either that the person was deemed a threat to national security or that the government is sending a signal to foreign countries that Canada is watching and won't put up with espionage. "I think it does send a signal that we remain vigilant and we remain concerned and we're really not going to have people running around doing things they shouldn't do and abusing the hospitality of this country," said Reid Morden. Canada is an attractive target because of its advanced industries, including aviation and telecommunications, and its proximity to the United States, he said. Ottawa expelled two Russian military attachés in 2002 on suspicion of espionage, while two Russian spies were deported in 1996. Dmitriy Olshevsky and Yelena Olshevskaya, who went by the bogus names Ian and Laurie Lambert, were arrested and swiftly removed from Canada in 1996. 3 men detained under security certificates The last time a security certificate was issued was in 2003, when the former Liberal government approved the arrest of alleged al-Qaeda member Adil Charkaoui. He's one of five men arrested under security certificates for suspicion of terrorism. The certificates allow police to hold prisoners without charging them or giving them full access to the evidence against them. Mahmoud Jaballah, Hassan Almrei and Mohammed Majoub remain detained at the Immigration Holding Centre in Kingston, Ont. Charkaoui and another suspect, Mohamed Harkat, have been released on bail under strict conditions. Harkat, Charkaoui and Almrei have challenged the legality of the certificates, all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. In June, lawyers for the federal government argued that the certificates were necessary because the importance of national security outweighed the rights of suspects who are detained. A judgment is pending. With files from the Canadian Press ||||| The page may have moved or expired from our site. If you were trying to access a bookmarked page, please consult ourand update your links. If you are having trouble finding what you are looking for please email us at
An alleged Russian spy was arrested in Montreal, having threatened national security. The man is identified as a Russian spy and has been living under a false name. As he prepared to board a plane out of Canada, Canada Border Services agents took the man into custody at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal on Tuesday. Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day and Immigration Minister Monte Solberg signed the document that authorized the man's arrest. This document is called the national security certificate and is rarely used. The certificate alerts Ottawa about possible threats to the country. The ministers of immigration and public safety are obliged to sign the national security certificate. "The government's most important duty is to ensure the security of all Canadians. A security certificate has been issued ... against a foreign national. He is now in custody in Montreal," said Melissa Leclerc, spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day. "A foreign national alleging to be a Canadian citizen named Paul William Hampel was arrested in Montreal after a national security certificate under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act was issued against him." The man came to Canada several years ago with the name of Paul William Hampel, and is now reported to be false. Officials at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) are working on identifying the man who entered Canada years ago. "He is now in custody in Montreal. This is not a counter-terrorism case. More information will become available as the Federal Court process unfolds. Any speculation about the individual's other nationality is premature at this point," Barbara Campion, a spokesperson for CSIS. Ottawa believed the man had been "engaging in an act of espionage or an act of subversion," and "belonged to an organization that there are reasonable grounds to believe engages." "I don't think we're going to get the most intimate of details, no, not at all," he told CTV Montreal....We'll see a public version of the allegations that will be released by the federal court judge who is going to be responsible for reviewing the basis upon which cabinet will have declared this individual subject to a security certificate. beyond that, though, we may see things settle more quietly between governments," said David Harris, former chief of strategic planning at CSIS. "There are also influence operations where countries might try to influence their expatriates and émigré communities in Canada. Beyond that, there is a real appetite building among many countries for technological secrets," he said. "They can be of use to industries of the sponsoring nations and these things can have values in the billions for the economies of those countries undertaking these operations." Reports say the man's methods in Canada matched the techniques used by the Russian intelligence agency's Directorate S, which runs the Russian spy network. Twenty people since 1991 have been charged under the Security Certificate legislation in Canada. The last time it was used was in 2003. The court hearing for the man being held in Montreal will be on Wednesday. It is still unclear if the hearing will be in Ottawa, the nations capital, or in Montreal. More information will be released as the case progresses.
The attack came hours after reports that 17 bodies had been found bound and killed execution-style in the same restive province, Anbar. In Baghdad, at least three Iraqis were killed and several wounded in a car bomb attack near a busy marketplace in the mainly Shia district of Shula. In Kirkuk and Basra, police colonels were killed in drive-by shootings. "Five marines were killed in action Thursday when their vehicle hit an explosive device while conducting combat operations near Haqlaniyah," the US military said in a statement. Further west, close to the Syrian border, 17 bodies were found in two separate groups near the desert town of Qaim. Officials said 22 Iraqi soldiers were kidnapped in the area on Wednesday but it was not clear if the bodies were of some of the troops. Eleven of the bodies had been dumped in a gravel pit. Witnesses, including an Associated Press reporter, said the victims had their hands tied behind their backs and were wearing civilian clothes. Website claim The discovery came a day after six bodies were found nearby, also in civilian clothes. Some of them had been beheaded, witnesses said. The group of soldiers went missing on Wednesday after leaving their Qaim base to go to Baghdad on leave. They had been wearing civilian clothes, police said. Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the group led by Iraq's most-wanted militant, Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi, said on a website it had captured 36 Iraqi soldiers, or "infidel guards", in western Iraq on Wednesday. The blast in Baghdad happened near a busy marketplace at 2200 (1800 GMT), an hour before a night-time curfew came into the effect, an interior ministry source told the AFP news agency. At least 15 people were wounded, the AFP reported. Police in the northern city of Kirkuk said Colonel Rahim Uthman, head of the local anti-terrorist department, had been killed on Thursday. He and his assistant Major Ghanim Jihad were shot dead from a blue BMW, they said. And on Friday in the southern city of Basra, the commander of the local police academy was shot dead. Three or four gunmen in a car swerved in front of Colonel Abdelkarim Daraji's vehicle and opened fire, police said. His brother also died in the attack. ||||| Bombs kill Marines, civilians in Iraq Army conducting 'criminal probe' into soldiers' deaths BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A car bomb exploded Friday evening in a northwestern Baghdad neighborhood, killing nine Iraqi civilians and wounding 15 others, Iraqi security forces said. In another incident, five U.S. Marines died when a bomb hit their vehicle near Haqlaniya in Anbar province, the Marines said Friday. The assault happened Thursday while the troops were conducting combat operations. They were assigned to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force. In recent weeks American and Iraqi forces have responded to a surge in violence by launching a series of operations against insurgents in Baghdad and in western and northern Iraq. The Marines' deaths bring the number of U.S. troops killed in the war to 1,690. Twenty-four have been killed in the first nine days of June alone. Of those June deaths, at least 18 were combat-related. The U.S. Army disclosed that it is conducting a "criminal investigation" into the deaths of two others. Capt. Phillip T. Esposito and 1st Lt. Louis E. Allen died about 10 p.m. Tuesday at Forward Operating Base Danger, near Tikrit. "The initial investigation by responders and military police indicated that a mortar round struck the window on the side of the building where Esposito and Allen were located at the time," a military statement said. "Upon further examination of the scene by explosive ordnance personnel, it was determined the blast pattern was inconsistent with a mortar attack," the document states. The Army is looking at a number of scenarios, including accidental death, attack by an intruder or infiltrator -- and fragging, which is the killing or wounding of a fellow soldier. Both officers were "assigned to Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 42nd Infantry Division, New York Army National Guard. Esposito was the company commander; Allen served as a company operations officer," the statement reads. EU delegates visit Thursday, a group of European Union members was in Baghdad, marking the first such high-level delegation visit to the country since the ouster of dictator Saddam Hussein. Javier Solana, the EU's top foreign policy official, and Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw met with Iraqi officials to prepare for an international conference on Iraq. The EU and the United States are co-sponsors of the conference that will have "three main issues -- one that is related to politics in general. The second related to security, and the third related to what we may call rule of law," Solana said. The conference will be in Brussels, Belgium, on June 22. Solana said the delegation was meeting with "everybody," including government leaders and Sunni officials who "are not part of the mainstream of the political system." "We would like very much to see them incorporated. It will not be a successful transition without the participation of everybody," he said. Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, said, "We are pleased to have frank dialogue with them [the EU delegation]. They visited Iraq, which was liberated from dictatorship, to show their solidarity with the Iraqi people and pave the way to the conference due to be held in Brussels shortly to help the Iraqi people." The visit coincided with the announcement that the 55-member National Assembly committee chosen to write a constitution will be expanded to include 15 to 25 non-elected Sunni Arabs. A large and powerful minority group, Sunni Arabs have been alienated from Iraq's political process since the fall of Saddam Hussein, under whose regime they enjoyed power. They stayed away from the January 30 transitional assembly election, and they are believed to hold sway over members of the insurgency. The transitional government has been looking for ways to bring Sunni Arabs into the political fold. Some Shiite members of the committee have expressed their reluctance to grant voting rights to the Sunnis. Other developments In an apparent assassination, gunmen on Friday shot and killed a police academy commander in the southeastern city of Basra, an Iraqi army official said. The victim was identified as Col. Abdul Karim al-Daraji. At least 17 bodies in civilian clothes were found scattered near a town close to the Syrian border that is considered an insurgent hotbed, with 11 shot in the head and another beheaded, witnesses said Friday. The 11 had their hands tied behind their backs, according to the witnesses. (Full story) A man described as a "terror suspect" was wounded and detained by Task Force Liberty soldiers in Samarra Friday morning, the U.S. military said. ||||| The Department of Defense announced today the death of five Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lance Cpl. Dustin V. Birch, 22, of Saint Anthony, Idaho Lance Cpl. Daniel Chavez, 20, of Seattle, Wash. Lance Cpl. Thomas O. Keeling, 23, of Strongsville, Ohio Lance Cpl. Devon P. Seymour, 21, of St. Louisville, Ohio Cpl. Brad D. Squires, 26, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio All five Marines died June 9 as a result of an explosion while conducting combat operations with 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Haqlaniyah, Iraq. Keeling, Seymour, and Squires were assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Akron, Ohio. Birch was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Boise, Idaho. Chavez was assigned to 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Media with questions about Keeling, Seymour, Squires, and Birch can call the Marine Forces Reserve Public Affairs Office at (504) 678-4178. Media with questions about Chavez can call the Camp Pendleton Public Affairs Office at (760) 725-5044.
US Marine Corps Seal In a statement issued Friday evening, United States Marine officials said five Marines had been killed in a roadside blast in Western Iraq. The Marines were killed as a result of an explosion while conducting combat operations with 2nd Marine Division, Expeditionary Force, in Haqlaniyah, Iraq. The attack itself came hours after reports that up to 17 bodies had been found in the same province. Reports say that the bodies were killed "execution style" and were near Anbar. In Baghdad, up to three Iraqi civilians were killed and several others were wounded in a car bomb blast, that exploded near a busy marketplace in the mainly Shia district of Shula. Department of Defense officials identified the Marines to be Lance Cpl. Dustin V. Birch, 22, of Saint Anthony, Idaho; Lance Cpl. Daniel Chavez, 20, of Seattle, Wash; Lance Cpl. Thomas O. Keeling, 23, of Strongsville, Ohio; Lance Cpl. Devon P. Seymour, 21, of St. Louisville, Ohio; and Cpl. Brad D. Squires, 26, of Middleburg Heights, Ohio.
The suspect in the fatal shooting of eight people at day spas in and around Atlanta indicated he had issues with sexual addiction and the shootings may have not been motivated by racial hatred, law enforcement officials said. ||||| After beating the Oklahoma City Thunder for the second time in a week the Warriors are 55-5 overall, have won 44 straight at Oracle Arena dating to last season and a serious threat to go 41-0 at home this season ||||| - Investigators admit they're at a loss to explain what caused more than a dozen electronics workers to be hospitalized on Friday. Thirteen employees of the JDS Uniphase company on Rose Orchard Way were sent to the hospital complaining of burning skin and breathing problems. JDS Uniphase makes very small lasers used in the manufacturing of telecommunications equipment. They build the pump lasers in a clean room, using a couple of very poisonous gasses. And when one of their employees nearly passed out Friday morning it brought rescue crews running. At 10:00 a.m. Friday morning, 30 people inside JDSU's fabrication room were bought out and given oxygen. Then, one by one, we saw them loaded onto gurneys and taken to the hospital. Four at first, and then four more, and then the number jumped to 13, along with four firefighters who also complained of burning after they entered the building. A spokesman for the fire department said it was just precautionary. "It's all precautionary. They didn't even want to go." Forty-five company employees were evacuated from the building and told not to talk about what happened. Employee: I'm not supposed to say anything. I know I didn't say anything." The company's senior vice president said one man had trouble breathing and several reported an unusual smell. Al Etterman, JDSU senior vice president: "It was originally reported to be the smell of burning rubber but that has been disputed but it's believed to be the smell of onions but we have no evidence at this point whether there were any toxic issues related to the clean room environment." The county's hazardous materials team pulled up. The fire department suited up a team in vapor tight suits and sent them in with gas detectors. The company uses phosphine and arsine gasses. A professor of toxic materials at U.C. Santa Cruz says they are Class One poisons. Harlan Andy Anderson, Harderson Environmental Management: "I mean phosphine and arsine are two of the most deadly gasses used in the semiconductor industry." But when the guys in the chemical suits came out and got washed off they looked at their instruments and found nothing. Alberto Olmos, San Jose fire dept.: "They had no indication of any toxics, any hazardous gasses or any explosive gasses." The plan now is to have doctors check the blood of the patients who were taken to a number of local hospitals. The fire department spokesman doesn't believe it's a case of mass hysteria. Fire Department Spokesman: "There was something, obviously there was something there. The patients are at the hospital, they have shown minor burns on the face so there was something there."
right The San Jose, California fire department and Hazardous Materials crews today responded to a chemical emergency at a JDS Uniphase manufacturing facility. The incident, at 80 Rose Orchard Drive, off North First St., sent between 15 and 17 people, including two firefighters, to the hospital with symptoms and for observation. Those exposed to the hazard reported a smell of "burnt rubber", along with symptoms of eye and throat irritation. Over 48 others were held in a nearby building while the incident was assessed. Rose Orchard Way was closed for much of the day while emergency crews responded. Estimates put the incident at about 10 a.m. (1800 UTC). As of 6 p.m. television news reports, authorities still had not determined the source or nature of the chemical, but said neighboring buildings were not in danger. JDS Uniphase manufactures fiber optic communications and test equipment, and was formed from a merger of JDS FITEL and Uniphase Corporation in 1999.
ROME | Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is hoping the signing Saturday of a treaty of friendship with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi will secure the North African strongman’s cooperation in his crackdown against rising immigration from Africa and Eastern Europe. Mr. Berlusconi visited the Libyan port of Benghazi on Saturday to sign the friendship and economic-development treaty with Libya that included a formal pledge that Italian engineers will build the long-sought coastal highway in Italy’s former colony, officials said. “The accord will provide for $200 million a year over the next 25 years through investments in infrastructure projects in Libya,” Mr. Berlusconi said. “It is my duty, as a head of government, to express to you in the name of the Italian people our regret and apologies for the deep wounds that we have caused you,” he said. Mr. Berlusconi was also expected to try and persuade Col. Gadhafi to prevent thousands of men, women and children from leaving Libya’s coastline on tiny craft each year bound for Italy’s southern coast, the Foreign Ministry said. But the Tripoli government had long indicated it would only will crack down on the illegal emigration if Italy met long-standing Libyan demands for financial reparations. Col. Gadhafi maintains Rome owes Libya reparations for damages the Arab country suffered under Italian colonial rule from 1911 to 1943. The Libyan leader had long reminded Italian officials of pledges made by past Italian governments to make major infrastructure investments in Libya, Italian diplomats say. The $5 billion agreement signed Saturday will also cover cooperation on the fight against illegal immigration, which Mr. Berlusconi termed a battle “against slave traders.” The issue was highlighted Wednesday when a group of eight Sudanese and Eritreans were rescued by Maltese fishermen between Libya and Sicily. The survivors told the United Nations High Commission for Refugees that as many as 71 other people were thrown into the sea when a gale overturned a crowded boat after they set off for the small Italian island of Lampedusa, south of Sicily, from the Libyan port of Zuwarah, about 180 miles away. “If this toll is confirmed, this tragedy will have to be added to a list that is already far too long,” said Neil Fazon, the UNHCR representative on Malta. “Even though they are aware of these tragedies, these desperate people continue to try to make the voyage to Europe,” Mr. Fazon said. “This shows these people need to be helped.” Maltese and Italian rescue aircraft searched for the missing, thought to have included three pregnant women, but found no immediate trace of them, UNHCR spokeswoman Linda Boldrini said in Malta on Thursday. Later in the day, two German Puma helicopters attached to an EU mission on Malta spotted three bodies floating in the sea, the Italian news agency ANSA said. A Maltese navy motorboat recovered two of the three bodies, ANSA added. Zuwarah has become a center for human smuggling in recent years, attracting emigrants who travel to Libya from all over Africa to pay for the perilous passage to Italy on often overcrowded and dilapidated boats. Rome has offered to help the Libyan navy to curb the smuggling, but Tripoli has been reluctant to cooperate, Italian officials say. Mr. Berlusconi traveled to Tripoli in June to discuss with Col. Gadhafi the implementation of a December accord on joint maritime patrols to curtail the flow of illegal immigrants. Interior Minister Roberto Maroni earlier this month said that the number of illegal immigrants entering Italy through the first seven months of the year had doubled compared with the same time last year. Story Continues → ||||| > Use our pull-down menus to find more stories -- Regions/Countries -- Africa Central Africa East Africa North Africa Southern Africa West Africa --- Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo-Brazzaville Congo-Kinshasa Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland São Tomé and Príncipe Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Western Sahara Zambia Zimbabwe -- Topics -- AGOA AIDS Africa on the Move Agribusiness Aid and Assistance Arms and Armies Arts Athletics Banking Book Reviews Books Business Capital Flows Children Climate Commodities Company Conflict Construction Crime Currencies Debt Ecotourism Editorials Education Energy Environment Food and Agriculture From allAfrica's Reporters Game Parks Health Healthcare and Medical Human Rights ICT Infrastructure Investment Labour Land Issues Latest Legal Affairs Malaria Manufacturing Media Migration Mining Music Music Reviews NEPAD NGO Oceans Olympics Peacekeeping Petroleum Polio Pregnancy and Childbirth Privatization Refugees Religion Science Soccer Sport Stock Markets Sustainable Development Terrorism Trade Transport Travel Tuberculosis Urban Issues Water Wildlife Women World Cup --- Central Africa Business East Africa Business North Africa Business Southern Africa Business West Africa Business --- Asia, Australia, and Africa Europe and Africa International Organisations Latin America and Africa Middle East and Africa U.S., Canada and Africa --- From AllAfrica Photo Essays Special Reports web allafrica.com Enter your search terms Submit search form OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine Libya: Italy to Pay U.S. $5 Billion for Colonialism Email This Page Print This Page Comment on this article View comments Lagos Italy yesterday agreed to pay Libya US$5 billion as compensation for its 30-year occupation of the country, which ended in 1943. AP reports that the compensation agreement was sealed in Benghazi, Libya, when the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi held a discussion with Libyan Prime Minister, Baghdadi Mahmudi. Berlusconi and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi signed a memorandum pledging a US$5 billion compensation package involving construction projects, student grants and pensions for Libyan soldiers who served with the Italians during World War II. "It is a material and emotional recognition of the mistakes that our country has done to yours during the colonial era," Berlusconi told reporters at the airport on his arrival. "This agreement opens the path to further cooperation." In return, Italy wants Libya to crack down on illegal migrants turning up on Italian shores, and Italy will fund US$500 million worth of electronic monitoring devices on the Libyan coastline. Gadhafi received Berlusconi under a big tent in Benghazi where they discussed the agreement over lunch. The Italian leader said US$200 million of the package would be for infrastructure projects over the next 25 years, including a coastal highway stretching across the country from Tunisia to Egypt. The two leaders exchanged gifts, with Berlusconi giving Gadhafi a silver inkstand, sculpted in the form of a lion's head, with two pens inside to sign the agreement. The Libyan leader gave Berlusconi a linen suit. Berlusconi's office said in a statement that the premier would also hand over to Gadhafi the Venus of Cyrene, an ancient Roman statue taken in 1913 by Italian troops from the ruins of the Greek and Roman settlement of Cyrene, on the Libyan coast. Relations between the two countries have warmed over the last few years, with Italian leaders meeting Gadhafi several times. However, it has taken years of negotiations for the two sides to reach a deal on compensation for Italy's rule over Libya from 1911 to 1943. Libya named Aug. 30 Libyan-Italian Friendship Day. The Libyan success in getting monetary compensation for the exploitation of her resources by a colonial master raised the issue of whether Nigeria should also not initiate a process of demanding adequate compensation from Britain for decades of colonial subjugation spanning the period 1914 to 1960. The only co-ordinated attempt by African nations to demand compensation from European colonial masters and slave traders was initiated in 1990 by late Chief M.K.O. Abiola who initiated discussions on reparation for Africa. The initiative however died when late Abiola joined politics in 1993 and sought the presidency of Nigeria. He died in incarceration resulting from his struggle to reclaim his electoral mandate usurped by the military government of Gen. Sani Abacha. While responding to the question of whether Nigeria can equally make legitimate claim for compensation from Britain her colonial master for over 40 years of exploitation, Dr. Eyimofe Atake (SAN) said: "To be able to answer that question, one needs to know exactly why compensation was paid and the circumstances in which compensation was paid. One needs to know the fact of the case between the Italians and the Libyans and how the issue for the payment of compensation arose. No two cases are necessarily similar, so in the absence of the facts and circumstances that led to the payment of compensation, it will be totally speculative to say if Nigeria could ask for compensation or be paid compensation by Britain. "In any event, under international law, Britain and Italy are separate and distinct states. They are sovereign states. Consequently, the British government is not bound by the acts of the Italian government. The decision of the Italian government is personal to them based on their peculiar circumstance and facts, which have nothing to do with the British government and the Nigerian government," he said through a text message forwarded to THISDAY from Miami, Florida in the United States.
Silvio Berlusconi made the deal with his Libyan counterpart The government of Italy has agreed to pay Libya US$5 billion as compensation for its occupation of the country from 1911 to 1943. The agreement was reached between the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, and Baghdadi Mahmudi, Berlusconi's Libyan counterpart. "It is a material and emotional recognition of the mistakes that our country has done to yours during the colonial era," said Berlusconi after arriving in Libya. "This agreement opens the path to further cooperation." "The accord will provide for $200 million a year over the next 25 years through investments in infrastructure projects in Libya," Berlusconi continued. "It is my duty, as a head of government, to express to you in the name of the Italian people our regret and apologies for the deep wounds that we have caused you." In return for providing compensation, Italy has asked that Libya attempts to reduce the number of immigrants illegally moving from Libya to Italy. As a result of the deal, the Libyan government has named August 30 "Libyan-Italian Friendship Day". The deal has also made some people ask if the United Kingdom should provide compensation to Nigeria for it's colonisation of the country. Dr. Eyimofe Atake from the Senior Advocate of Nigeria commented on this issue: "To be able to answer that question, one needs to know exactly why compensation was paid and the circumstances in which compensation was paid. One needs to know the fact of the case between the Italians and the Libyans and how the issue for the payment of compensation arose. No two cases are necessarily similar, so in the absence of the facts and circumstances that led to the payment of compensation, it will be totally speculative to say if Nigeria could ask for compensation or be paid compensation by Britain." "In any event, under international law, Britain and Italy are separate and distinct states. They are sovereign states. Consequently, the British government is not bound by the acts of the Italian government. The decision of the Italian government is personal to them based on their peculiar circumstance and facts, which have nothing to do with the British government and the Nigerian government," Atake continued.
CONNECT New view for the Mac 15apr06 NO longer is Apple hardware v Windows hardware a valid argument. Apple hardware is Windows hardware. Let's back it up a little, in case you missed the news. Apple recently released a beta version of Boot Camp Assistant, which owners of Intel-powered Macs can use to install Windows XP on their machines. Apple says the beta version is time limited but is not saying for how long. My call is it will remain beta software until Leopard (OS 10.5) is released, presumably towards the end of the year and almost certainly before Microsoft can push Vista out the door. Boot Camp is not an emulator or some kind of virtualisation engine. It is a tool to configure a Macintosh drive so that Windows can boot into the same Intel architecture that Apple's OS X does. Here's how it works. First, an Intel Macintosh must have its operating system updated to 10.4.6 and then its firmware updated. Mac users on dial-up will want to lean on a friend to get these updates, available only as free downloads, and weighing in at about 180MB. Once this is done, Boot Camp must be downloaded and installed. On launching Boot Camp, you are prompted to burn a CD with all the device drivers Windows will need. Then a portion of the hard drive (a minimum of 10GB) is allocated as a partition on to which Windows XP will be installed. A graphical representation of hard drive space with a slider bar to adjust partition sizes makes this easy. This, incidentally, is some very swish software able to dynamically partition a drive. That is, it creates partitions on drives with existing data without compromising that data. No re-formatting of the drive necessary. Apple would do well to commercialise it. There is also a choice to be made regarding file systems – NTFS or FAT, the latter providing the best cross-platform compatibility. Then you restart with a Windows XP installer disk (which must a be single disk installer, XP Home Edition or Professional, with Service Pack 2), choose a C: drive (take care with this step or you lose the Mac partition data) and off you go. Follow the installer, complete the installation, restart the computer, run the driver installer disk that was made earlier in the process and you're good to go. XP on a Mac. Just like the "real" thing. Or almost. There is no support for the Mac's built-in web camera. The graphics card, optical drive, networking, Airport wireless, Bluetooth, Apple's keyboard eject key and brightness control, and mouse/trackpad are supported. Some users have reported Bluetooth not working. In my trial, the audio jack didn't work. When you want to boot into Mac OS X, hold the Alt key on startup to invoke a boot disk chooser. If you are concerned about the quality of Boot Camp in its beta form, you are probably respectably exercising some warranted caution, as beta software is famous for its buggy nature. Boot Camp, however, is more version one quality than many I've tried. So much so it speaks volumes not only as software in its own right but clearly flags Apple's market strategy. Users must be aware Apple is unwilling to sell or support Windows XP. For that you must rely on Microsoft. Apple also warns that Boot Camp should not be used in a commercial environment and, at its website, reminds users that Windows is susceptible to the same viruses and malware issues that would compromise it if it were installed on any other machine. Much of the initial reaction to Boot Camp has involved concerns about what it means to Macintosh software developers, not least of which is Microsoft itself. Why, for instance, would Microsoft develop Virtual PC, its Windows emulation software for Mac, when Mac users can simply boot into XP natively? A Microsoft spokesperson said Microsoft has been committed to the Mac platform for more than 20 years, and "that has not changed". "The Mac Business Unit is in the process of understanding what product development barriers need to be overcome, and continues to work with Apple to incorporate changes into the OS that would be needed for a Virtual PC solution for Intel-based Macs. While Microsoft hasn't made any final decisions on the future of Virtual PC, it is investigating as quickly and thoroughly as possible." Of more widespread concern is how Macintosh game developers will be hurt if keen gamers simply buy the Windows version of games software. This question was put to major developer Aspyr with more than a week's notice to this story's deadline. With no response forthcoming, it's a fair bet Aspyr is carefully considering its position. For users, however, the benefits of a dual-booting computer are clear. Mac users who love their games are in a very happy place, able to not only enjoy a wider range of titles but to save money in the long run due to the competitive pricing of PC games – even after the $300 needed to buy their own copy of Windows XP Home. If you are wondering about games performance when running XP, the news is mostly good. Games such as Command and Conquer Generals and SimCity 4 run at a blistering pace on a 2GHz Intel iMac, even with graphics settings maxed out. Immersive 3D games are a different story. I tried Fable, which ran OK with default graphics settings but quickly became a slideshow with anti-aliasing and shadow detail settings increased. This should come as no surprise to those who know their graphics cards. The ATI X1600 card in the Intel Macs is a capable one but it's not a high-end offering. Other users who will benefit from Boot Camp are those sitting on the fence about making the switch to Mac. Tempted as they may be by the lure of the Mac OS, they find it hard to abandon their Windows software investment. Now they can make the transition more on their own terms. Web developers are another group set to benefit, able to build websites and test their code in both Windows and Macintosh and doing so on the one machine, although like most pro users they should wait for Boot Camp's fully developed release in Leopard. Then there are those users who would buy a Mac if only they didn't have to own a Windows PC in order to run mission-critical software. Now they, too, have a compelling reason to go with their preferred platform. The release of Boot Camp also compelled the beta release of third-party software called Parallels – Windows emulation software that allows users to run XP alongside the Mac OS. Apple will likely make this kind of emulation a feature of Leopard. I'm trialling Parallel now and plan on offering an assessment in the coming weeks. There's no shortage of observer and analyst opinion on how Boot Camp changes market dynamics for Apple, Microsoft and manufacturers of PC hardware with the web buzzing with all sorts of reactions, swinging from one extreme to the other. Only time will reveal the full extent of these dynamics but two facts remain intractable. One is that if you want a computer that can boot into either the Mac OS or Windows XP, there is only one company offering that product, and that company is Apple Computer. The other is that the market size for Microsoft's operating system has just been expanded courtesy of Apple Computer. If you've been following the fortunes of either of these two companies for any length of time, then the irony of Macs running XP should be slapping you in the face right about now. ||||| Sometimes people forget what 'beta' means. What some might confuse as a fish can indeed mean a piece of software with potential bugs that isn't ready for prime time. Regardless of this beta tag, countless users took the plunge into dual-booting OS X and Windows XP when Apple released Boot Camp last week. PC World has pointed us to an Apple Knowledge Base article detailing issues some users are having with Apple's newest beta software. Apparently, after using the Boot Camp installer, some users' computers have been rendered unable to boot OS X leaving customers waiting perpetually at the OS X loading screen. The irony is of course, the machine that they purchased to run OS X can now only boot XP unless the customer does a wipe and restore. Some users are reporting some success running Disk Repair or by using some command-line voodoo but the frustration seems to be running high at the moment. Perhaps most frustrating for some of the early adopters is the fact that they have not received any acknowledgment from Apple as of yet. Of course Apple did make a point to say this was not a supported product. What about you? Any problems? ||||| Visit the Macworld Game room for complete coverage of gaming news, reviews and releases. Related Topics: The Game Room A week in Boot Camp One week after Apple released its public beta of Boot Camp, my Intel Core Duo-equipped iMac has transformed into an impressive gaming system, albeit one with a split personality. It’s also starting to show some warts—its own, as well as those of Windows XP and of Mac OS X. As much as diehard Mac gamers may hate to hear this, the game experience on an iMac-equipped Windows XP can largely be summed up in one word: Excellent. For the first time in my life, I can stroll up and down the aisles of a PC game store and have my pick of the litter. Just about every game on these store shelves works on the Mac and works well. Leveling the playing field An iMac is a well-endowed computer as far as its Intel Core Duo processor is concerned, but it’s a little light in the graphics department. While the Radeon X1600 is no slouch—certainly not compared to previous-generation iMac graphics chips—it is solidly in the middle of the pack for PC performers. What that means for gamers is that the iMac is capable of running just about any game with a decent level of special effects turned on—I was able to run most games I’ve tried with trilinear effects, full scene anti-aliasing and various other technologies turned on, without suffering huge frame-rate losses. But the middle-of-the-road performance on the Radeon X1600 chip also means that I can’t drive games in really high resolutions, for the most part. For most of the games I tried, 1,024-by-768 seemed to be the happy medium. What this comes down to is that the iMac is going to be fine for online and offline PC gaming, but don’t count on it hammering your friend’s custom-built Athlon 64 rig with a top-of-the-line Radeon or GeForce graphics card. Still, when it comes right down to it, the performance we and our sister publication PC World have measured show that the iMac is capable of holding its own against similarly equipped PCs. That’s great news. It’s the first time in a very long time that we haven't had to hide behind the “megahertz myth” or other excuses to explain why Macs are better. Getting Steamed Immediately, Boot Camp’s existence has let me play some games that haven’t come to the Macintosh and, in all likelihood, won’t—Half- Life 2 is probably the most obvious example. It’s a fantastic first-person shooter with a rich story line and absolutely stunning graphics, a great physics system, and online play. What’s more, you don’t have to go to the store to buy it—you can purchase it and download it using Steam, developer Valve Software’s online content delivery system. In many ways, Steam is like Apple’s iTunes Music Store, but for games. You can download demos, buy full versions of titles, and download them—the service even offers a game finder that helps you play with friends online. With commercial Mac games increasingly seeing a crunch for retail shelf space at Apple Stores, Comp USAs, and the scant other major retailers where Mac games can be found, maybe an online download service for Mac games is the right way to go. This is the approach offered by Deliver2Mac, a service pioneered by the founders of Virtual Programming, a UK-based Mac game publisher. Coming up short One of the most startling things I’ve discovered is just how wide the difference is between the performance of PC games and their Mac game equivalents. I don'’ have scientific results yet, but anecdotally, I’ve seen anywhere from 20 to 30 percent improvements in frame rates on the PC version compared to the Universal Binary Mac version. That’s another real kick in the pants for Mac game developers, but I don’t think it should be viewed as an indictment of their coding skills, because this drop in Mac OS X-native performance is noticeable regardless of who publishes or ports the Mac version of the game. Instead, it’s something that our friends at Apple may want to take a closer look at. The more I talk with people who make it their business to understand this technology, the more I think this has to do with two major things. The first is a significant architectural difference in the way that Mac OS X’s OpenGL works compared to Microsoft’s DirectX—the API that most game developers who write Windows games prefer. The other is that graphics chip drivers on Windows are far more thoroughly optimized for maximum performance on Windows than they are on Mac OS X. Either way, it’s high time for Apple to do something to close that gap, if it wants Mac OS X to stay competitive going forward. Now that running games in Windows XP is an alternative those of us with bleeding-edge Mac hardware can consider, it’s incumbent upon Apple to give us—and software developers—incentives to stick with Mac OS X as much as possible. To that end, I’m happy to report that, at the end of the day, I can’t wait to reboot the iMac into Mac OS X. It’s just better. Thirty-one spyware infections just inside of a week pretty much tell me everything I need to know about running Windows. One confession: I did catch myself for a short time the other day wondering why the Start menu wouldn’t appear when I kept pushing the mouse cursor to the lower left—in Mac OS X. 27 Comments on this storyEmail this story to a friend
The ''Boot Camp'' boot screen; in which the user opts for loading under Mac OS or Windows Last week, Apple Computer released a program for their Mac OS operating system called ''Boot Camp Assistant'', which will allow Macs to boot Microsoft Windows. The software was released as a beta version for Apple computers powered on the Intel architecture, which is also used by Windows. ''Assistant'' works by creating a hard drive partition to contain the Windows operating system. Unlike the current method of reformatting, the software will arrange files so that the new partition will not erase existing files. After the partition is created, the user must load a Microsoft Windows install disc. While Macs will support booting competitors' operating systems with ''Boot Camp Assistant'', Apple will not offer support for them. ''Infinite Loop'' reports that this has led to people accidentally permanently installing Windows on their computers. Another concerned party is Microsoft, who claims that their commitment to the Macintosh operating system "has not changed." One group seen to benefit is gamers, who will no longer be left waiting for delayed releases of Macintosh versions of games. Peter Cohen of ''Macworld'' notes that he has been able to play certain games with a moderate level of quality. However, he considers this to be a disadvantage for Mac developers, who are responsible for bringing software already available for Windows to the Macintosh operating system.
The 59-year-old comedian "vigorously denies" the allegations against him. He was detained at Heathrow Airport as he flew into Britain ahead of an anticipated appearance on Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother show. Davidson will now no longer be taking part and programme chiefs are believed to be rejigging the line-up at the last moment. He was arrested at around midday by detectives from Operation Yewtree, the investigation set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile child sex revelations. The allegations are not directly linked to Savile, the Metropolitan Police said. In a statement, Davidson's solicitor Henri Brandman said: "Two women have made allegations in respect of Jim that date back approximately 25 years. "The complainants were then in their mid 20s. "Jim vigorously denies the allegations. "He answered police questions as fully as he was able after this passage of time. "He has not been charged with any offence. "Neither he nor I will be making any further comment." Scotland Yard said that both men had been released on bail until March pending further inquiries. On Wednesday afternoon a uniformed police officer entered Mr Davidson’s detached home in Stockbridge, Hampshire as three other people, believed to be plain clothes detectives also went inside. One of the men answered the door at the cream coloured property and said “we cannot comment” before closing it again. Four men and a woman, believed to be police officers left the property carrying documents and a large red box at around 7pm turning all the lights off and locking up as they did so. The arrest came several hours after a 53-year-old man from Hampshire was also arrested as part of the same investigation. It is understood the man, who was questioned locally, was also an entertainer, who had worked with Mr Davidson in the past. They are the ninth and tenth people to be arrested as part of Operation Yewtree, which is investigating allegations of abuse involving Savile and others. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said the arrests were not connected to allegations involving Savile. The spokesman said: “Officers working on Operation Yewtree have today arrested two men on suspicion of sexual offences. “A 53-year-old man was arrested at approximately 8am at an address in Hampshire and taken into custody locally. “A 59-year-old man was arrested at approximately midday in west London and taken into custody at a London police station.” Other high profile names who have been arrested as part of the wide ranging investigation include the entertainer and comedian Freddie Starr, the former pop star Gary Glitter and the publicist Max Clifford. ||||| Jim Davidson, who was arrested by police investigating the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal, "vigorously denies" the claims against him, the comedian's solicitor has said. Allegations dating back 25 years have been made by two women, according to lawyer Henri Brandman. Davidson, 59, was one of two men arrested on suspicion of sexual offences as part of Operation Yewtree. Both individuals fall under the strand of the investigation termed 'others' and the Metropolitan Police said the allegations are not linked to Savile. Officers said a 53-year-old was held in Hampshire at around 8am and a 59-year-old in west London at around midday. Both men were later released on bail until March pending further inquiries. Davidson had reportedly been detained at Heathrow Airport as he returned to the UK to be a contestant on Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother. Six men and a woman were seen leaving Davidson's house in Stockbridge, Hampshire, carrying boxes. The late Sir Jimmy Savile In a statement, Mr Brandman said: "Two women have made allegations in respect of Jim that date back approximately 25 years. "The complainants were then in their mid 20s. Jim vigorously denies the allegations. "He answered police questions as fully as he was able after this passage of time. "He has not been charged with any offence. Neither he nor I will be making any further comment." Scotland Yard is leading a nationwide investigation into allegations against disgraced television presenter Savile and a number of other high profile figures. They have separated the inquiry into three strands: claims against Savile, those involving Savile and others, and those involving others. Officers have questioned a number of people including former pop star Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr and PR guru Max Clifford. Last month, police said a total of 31 allegations of rape had been made against former Top Of The Pops presenter Savile. Some 589 people have come forward with information relating to the scandal, with a total of 450 complaints against the BBC presenter and DJ, mainly alleging sexual abuse. Detectives have recorded 199 crimes in 17 force areas in which Savile is a suspect. ||||| Two new arrests in Scotland Yard sexual abuse inquiry Operation Yewtree was set up in the wake of the allegations made against Jimmy Savile Two men in their 50s have been arrested on suspicion of sexual offences, the Metropolitan Police have said. Officers from Operation Yewtree - set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal - arrested one man, aged 53, at an address in Hampshire. The second man, aged 59, was arrested in west London at and taken into custody at a London police station. Scotland Yard said the arrests were not connected to the allegations made against the late BBC presenter. The 53-year-old man was arrested at 08:00 GMT and taken into custody locally in Hampshire, the Met said. The other man was arrested at 12:00 GMT. Operation Yewtree is the Met's investigation into allegations, some dating back decades, that have arisen since Savile was accused of abuse. The operation has three strands. One is looking specifically at the actions of Savile and the second strand concerns allegations against "Savile and others". The third strand, under which the two men were arrested on Wednesday, relates to alleged complaints against other people unconnected to the Jimmy Savile investigations. These men are the ninth and tenth to be questioned as part of the police operation. Savile, who died in 2011 aged 84, was a BBC Radio 1 DJ and the presenter of the Jim'll Fix It show on BBC One. The police say 450 victims have alleged abuse by Savile alone. ||||| Gay Celebrity Big Brother host Brian Dowling says he will treat rumored contestant Jim Davidson with 'respect', despite the pair coming to blows in the past. British comedian Davidson, who is known for his anti-gay and racist jokes, is expected to go into the infamous house when the UK version of the show returns tomorrow (3 January). The disgraced star was once booted off reality series Hell's Kitchen after launching into a homophobic tirade against fellow celebrity cook and current Big Brother presenter Dowling. During the outburst, which received a flood of complaints from viewers, Davidson called Dowling a 'shirt lifter' and a 'fucking disgrace'. But the Irish presenter says he will not use his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother as an excuse to get his own back. 'When you get paid to do a job you have to be professional,' Dowling said, reported Yahoo! 'I'm there as the host of the show. If Jim [Davidson] is there I will give him the same respect as I'd give any of the housemates.' He added: 'We're not friends so I've got no personal interest.' Davidson will be joined in the Big Brother house by gay X Factor finalist Rylan Clark. The flamboyant 24-year-old from Essex was booted off the UK version of The X Factor in the quarter finals and won over the nation, if not the judges, with his over-the-top performances. Clark is hotly tipped to win Celebrity Big Brother, which starts tomorrow on Channel 5. Bisexual Hollywood actress Lindsay Lohan is also rumored to enter the house.
British comedian and presenter was arrested yesterday as part of Operation Yewtree, the sex abuse investigation started following accusations against deceased entertainer . Police said the arrest of Davidson was not directly connected to the accusations against Savile. Davidson has been released on bail until March. Henri Brandman, Davidson's solicitor, said the complaints against Davidson stem from two women who were adults when the abuse was alleged to have occurred. Brandman said: "The complainants were then in their mid-20s. Jim vigorously denies the allegations. He answered police questions as fully as he was able after this passage of time. He has not been charged with any offence. Neither he nor I will be making any further comment." As a result of the arrest, Davidson has pulled out of appearing in ''''. The host of the show, , stated before the arrest that if Davidson were to appear on the show, he would treat him with "the same respect as I'd give any of the housemates" despite Davidson previously calling the openly gay Dowling a "shirt lifter" and a "fucking disgrace" on an episode of ''''. == Sources == * * * *
Sarkozy Ends French Job Ban Related Stories During a one-day visit to Warsaw on Tuesday French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that his country would lift job restrictions on Poles and others of the EU's former communist states. He also promised a deal aimed at bringing Ukraine closer to the bloc but seemed to play down its chances of membership. France was part of a majority of EU states that imposed employment restrictions on citizens of Poland and other countries that joined the European Union in 2004. The limits, which stopped ordinary Poles from travelling to the country to look for work, will be lifted on July 1. “I am going to announce this during my speech in Parliament,” Sarkozy said when asked about media reports on the matter. “Poland is one of the six great countries of Europe. The EU is based on the free movement of people. Poland is also our strategic partner.” Of “old EU” member states, only Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Germany now maintain the ban. Norway and Liechtenstein – non-EU countries that are part of the European Economic Area – also restrict access to their job markets for citizens of the countries that joined the union in 2004. Switzerland, which has bilateral agreements with the EU on free movement of people, also restricts employment for those countries. Under EU law, these restrictions must be lifted by 2011. Sarkozy also told a joint news conference with Prime Minister Tusk on Wednesday that Ukraine would be offered closer cooperation with the European Union during a French presidency of the bloc, which starts on July 1. “When you go to Ukraine, when you visit Kyiv, you see it's a European city,” Sarkozy said. “Ukraine and Kyiv are geographically and culturally part of Europe. As president of the European Council I will organise an EU-Ukraine summit that will take place in September. “I've met with the president of Ukraine and his objective is not membership, rather closer cooperation on various levels. I will have opportunities to make such proposals,” he added. ||||| Lech Kaczynski (left) praised France's decision as "very important" French President Nicolas Sarkozy says France will open its labour market in July to migrants from eight EU members in Central and Eastern Europe. Visiting Poland, Mr Sarkozy said France would lift all the curbs it put in place when the countries joined the bloc four years ago. Polish President Lech Kaczynski praised France's decision as "very important". The eight are: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. All of them - formerly in the communist bloc - joined the EU in 2004. However, jobs in France will remain restricted for workers from Romania and Bulgaria, which joined in 2007. French presidency "I confirm that all the barriers will be lifted from July 1, so one year in advance," said Mr Sarkozy. France had previously announced it would admit the workers from 2009, but brought the move forward to coincide with France adopting the presidency of the EU, on 1 July 2008. The barriers were put in place by several countries to avoid an influx of labour from the east when the EU expanded in 2004. Of the 15 states in the EU at the time, only Britain, Ireland and Sweden granted free access to the newcomers. Economists say the estimated one million immigrants, including many Poles, who arrived in Britain after May 2004 have been a boon to the economy. Critics, however, say they have put a strain on housing, schools and other services. About half of the immigrants have since returned home. All EU states must open their labour markets to the 2004 entrants by 2011. Restrictions are still in place in several countries, including Germany, Austria, Denmark and Belgium.
Charlemagne Prize ceremony in 2008. During a one-day visit to Warsaw on Tuesday French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that his country would lift job restrictions on the citizens of some of the European Union's former communist states. He also promised a deal aimed at bringing Ukraine closer to the bloc but seemed to play down its chances of membership. France was part of a majority of EU states that imposed employment restrictions on citizens of Poland and other countries that joined the European Union in 2004. The limits now in place for workers from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia will be lifted on July 1. However, jobs in France will remain restricted for workers from Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007. "I am going to announce this during my speech in Parliament," Sarkozy said when asked about media reports on the matter. "Poland is one of the six great countries of Europe. The EU is based on the free movement of people. Poland is also our strategic partner." Of "old EU" member states, only Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Germany now maintain the ban. Norway and Liechtenstein – non-EU countries that are part of the European Economic Area – also restrict access to their job markets for citizens of the countries that joined the union in 2004. Switzerland, which has bilateral agreements with the EU on free movement of people, also restricts employment for those countries. Under EU law, these restrictions must be lifted by 2011. Sarkozy also told a joint news conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday that Ukraine would be offered closer cooperation with the European Union during a French presidency of the bloc, which starts on July 1, but said Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko told him that Ukraine did not want to join the EU outright. "I've met with the president of Ukraine and his objective is not membership, rather closer cooperation on various levels. I will have opportunities to make such proposals," he said.
Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli AFP/Getty Images U.S. commander in Iraq says reviving economy is key to lowering casualty rate WASHINGTON (AP) — The key to reducing American casualties in Iraq is getting a government in Baghdad that can revive the economy and "take the angry young men off the street, to give them an alternative" to planting roadside bombs and inflicting other violence, the No. 2-ranking U.S. general in Iraq said Friday. "I honestly believe that as this government begins work on the policies that will be required to put people to work and make use of the vast resources of Iraq that you're going to see a decrease in violence," Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, commander of Multi-national Corps Iraq, said in a video teleconference with reporters at the Pentagon. At least 126 U.S. troops have died in Iraq over the past month and a half, marking the deadliest period since last fall — even as Iraq's U.S.-trained security forces have been taking more of the lead role in fighting the insurgency. Chiarelli said the insurgents are seeking to take advantage of what he called a period of vulnerability for Iraqi leaders as they seek to establish a unity government and gain credibility in the eyes of ordinary Iraqis. "They have indicated again," Chiarelli said, referring to the insurgents and terrorists, "through these (acts of violence) that they are going to do everything they possibly can to destabilize that government." U.S. military commanders have made similar assertions virtually throughout the post-invasion period in Iraq, linking periods of increased U.S. and Iraqi casualties to a series of political milestones in the formation of a democratically elected government. That was the case, for example, in the weeks leading up to the January 2005 election, followed by the writing of a constitution last summer, followed by last October's national referendum on the constitution, and then the December election of the first full-term government. Chiarelli said this pattern can be broken if the new government succeeds in reviving the economy and reducing unemployment. "In the areas where unemployment is the highest, as I go out and talk to people in those areas they tell me the one thing you can do to lower the number of insurgents is find jobs for the people," Chiarelli said. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| (06-21) 20:27 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) -- A top U.S. general in Iraq said Tuesday that reductions in American troops there could be possible by early next year despite the recent spasm of violence, but he said he was not ready yet to recommend any significant reductions. Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, the No. 2 U.S. officer in Iraq, said creation of democratic institutions in Iraq could accomplish what American troops and Iraqi security personnel have been unable to achieve: The defeat of the insurgency. If the new Iraqi government drafts a constitution that gains wide acceptance, "My assessment is the insurgency could dwindle down very quickly," Vines told reporters at the Pentagon via teleconference from Iraq. During an ebb in violence earlier this spring, several top generals expressed confidence that the U.S. presence in Iraq could begin declining by March 2006, either through withdrawal of units or by sending fewer troops to replace those who are rotating home. Violence has increased again. Still, Vines suggested a drawdown of four or five brigades — less than a quarter of the U.S. presence of 135,000 personnel — was possible if Iraqi elections later this year are successful and Iraq's security forces continue to grow in ability and size. In recent weeks, members of Congress, including some Republicans, have been introducing resolutions urging President Bush to formulate plans to begin taking U.S. troops out of Iraq. Vines said he would oppose announcing any timeline for doing so because it would be based on arbitrary dates, not an assessment of the success of the U.S. mission. Other generals have also opposed such a move. The general said the insurgency has become static in size and capability, despite U.S. and Iraqi operations to combat it, frequent reports of mass arrests and the disposal of weapons caches. Attacks across Iraq have returned to between 50 and 60 a day, roughly the same level as much of last year, Pentagon officials say. "We don't see the insurgency contracting or expanding right now," Vines said. He said there were four classes of insurgents in Iraq, fractured by motivation. But, given their origins and ideologies, he did not explain how members of those classes would be pacified by a constitution or a representative legislative body. The group of foreigners led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who has declared allegiance to al-Qaida, is behind many of the spectacular suicide bombings on civilian targets. "Foreigners that are brought in typically do things that Iraqis won't do to each other," Vines said. Foreign fighters are chiefly Sudanese, Saudi, Yemeni and Egyptian; many enter Iraq through Syria, he said. Some Iraqis also follow a Sunni Islamic extremist ideology, he said. "Their opposition to the new government is based on religious objections," he said. "That group is quite small, but it is very violent." Another group, which Vines numbered as a "few thousand," support the regime of deposed President Saddam Hussein. A fourth is composed of Iraqi nationalists opposed to any foreign presence on Iraqi soil. Last month was the most violent for Iraqi civilians since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003 to remove Saddam from power, Vines said. Many insurgents conducting attacks in Iraq are primarily motivated by money instead of ideology, he said. Citing interviews with captured detainees, the general said some simple attacks, such as placing a bomb or mine, are performed for as little as $100 or $150. "So we believe that this insurgency is driven in large measure by money," Vines said, suggesting the insurgency's ideological supporters are funding the attacks. Some bombings cost hundreds of dollars or more, he said. ___ On the Net: Defense Department: www.defense.gov ||||| U.S. To Lay Off 500,000 In Iraq By Warren Vieth Los Angeles Times 05 June, 2003 U.S. reconstruction officials will soon hand out pink slips to nearly half a million Iraqi military and civilian personnel, exacerbating an unemployment crisis that experts say could slow the pace of postwar reconstruction. The layoffs will mean the loss of a government paycheck for roughly 1 in 10 Iraqi workers. The Bush administration hopes to soften the blow by making cash "termination payments" to members of Saddam Hussein's armed forces, Information Ministry employees and other government workers whose services are no longer wanted. The amount of the payments had not been announced. Officials of the U.S.-led reconstruction effort acknowledged that the dismissal of so many people will magnify the economic misfortune of a country where a majority of the population depends on food rations; an estimated 30% of the labor force works for the government; and unemployment, as best anyone can tell, already exceeds 20%. The layoffs will be the latest blow to the once-thriving trading nation, already reduced to Third World subsistence levels by nearly three decades of authoritarian rule, international sanctions and intermittent war. "We are fully aware of the difficulties that have been created," Iraq civilian administrator L. Paul Bremer III said Monday. "The purpose of our policy is not to punish people. We are looking for ways that those who did not have a prominent role or an active role in [Hussein's now-outlawed] Baath Party can find employment." Several economists, investors and business owners familiar with conditions in Iraq said the effect of the mass firings could be more severe than Bremer and other officials of the Pentagon-run Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance are anticipating. "It will be catastrophic for the Iraqi economy," said Humam Shamaa, senior professor of finance and economics at Baghdad University. "There will be a depression. It is a contraction to the reconstruction." "You cannot bar salaries from some sectors of the economy and expect it to function," said London economic consultant Salah Shaikhly, who used to run Iraq's central bank, Bureau of Statistics and Overseas Development Ministry. "Lay them off and you have half a million people on your back." One of those permanently losing her job is Nidaa Abaas, who was supervising 12 people in the Information Ministry's satellite broadcasting department before the war. Abaas, 45, said her husband is also out of work. A son is attending college, and three girls live at home. The family depended on her monthly salary of 30,000 dinars — about $23 at Saturday's exchange rate — as well as United Nations food supplements and the extra money she made baking flat bread at home. Abaas wants coalition authorities to reconsider their layoff decision. If they don't? "I will cry, and pray that God hurts the Americans." Saad Hamdani, who headed the foreign affairs branch of the ministry's international department, said he learned only 10 days ago that 5,200 jobs in the agency, including his, would be permanently eliminated. "Where will those people be working? Where will they go? To the grave? To the street to live?" asked Hamdani, 52. Bremer said Monday that the coalition was attempting to provide new jobs as best it could. He said thousands of former enlisted men would be hired to serve in the Iraqi Corps, which will replace Hussein's army. He cited a $70-million community action program administered by his office that is hiring Iraqis to clean up their neighborhoods and build public facilities. The goal, Bremer said, is to create "an economy that has real jobs with real wages for millions of citizens who need and deserve them. This will take time." For now, even trying to calculate the effect of the layoffs is a challenge. Iraq's economy became highly distorted under Hussein. The best available estimates suggest that Iraq, a nation of 24 million people, has a public and private work force of about 5 million. Of those, an estimated 1.5 million were receiving a paycheck from the government before the war. About 1 million were civil servants, from technocrats to teachers. The remaining 500,000 were officers and soldiers in the armed forces. Coalition officials said the number of military personnel affected by the layoffs is believed to be about 400,000, but they acknowledged that some advisors have told them the figure could be as high as 680,000. Perhaps 100,000 soldiers will be absorbed into the new army, officials said. The rest will have to fend for themselves. Iraq's defense and information ministries are being dissolved. In other agencies, varying numbers of senior Baath Party loyalists are being shown the door. Most government employees have families. The average family size is five, so more than 2 million Iraqis are expected to suffer a direct income loss as a result of the layoffs, coalition officials acknowledged. "You're talking about hundreds of thousands of people without pay," said Bathsheba Crocker, co-director of the Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. "It's just going to add to the already heavy burden of all the people who are dependent on the government for their basic resources." The amount of the severance payments is still under discussion, officials said. But the word on the street is that they will be about the same size as the $20 and $30 cash handouts dispensed to government employees in lieu of salaries in April and May. Although the affected workers represent roughly 10% of Iraq's work force, the effect of the layoffs will not be as severe as if 1 in 10 Americans lost their jobs, experts said. That's because government workers in Iraq were grossly underpaid. Most took second jobs or found other ways to supplement their incomes, and they relied on U.N. aid to help feed their families. Still, the economic fallout will be extensive, and the political recoil could be substantial, experts said. Shamaa, the Baghdad University economist, said the situation calls for the kind of fiscal pump-priming endorsed by early-20th century economist John Maynard Keynes, who argued that governments should spend public funds aggressively to ward off recessions. Instead of distributing baskets of food and $20 bills, Shamaa said, the coalition should forget about commodity handouts and boost the monthly cash payments to $50, $100 or whatever the bank account will bear, to stimulate demand for goods and services and get the economy growing again. The money should come from the confiscated assets of Hussein and his cronies and future Iraqi oil revenue, Shamaa said, not from taxpayers of the United States or other coalition countries.
Lt. General Peter Chiarelli, the No. 2 ranking US general in Iraq, has made the assertion that providing jobs for the Iraqi people is key to ending the insurgency and stabilizing the country. In a video teleconference with reporters at the Pentagon he said, "by creating jobs and opportunity, the Iraqi government would take away a major source of support for violent movements -- aimless, underemployed, young men who would otherwise rather be gainfully employed and supporting their families, but are laying IEDs, shooting RPGs and fighting Iraqi security forces and the coalition because they lack alternatives…. In areas where unemployment is the highest, as I go out and talk to people in those areas, and they tell me the one thing that you can do to lower the number of insurgencies is find jobs for the people. And we're committed to help both the Iraqi government and the PRTs as they go about the business of doing exactly that." The General also said that the insurgents were taking advantage of political disputes within the Iraqi leadership as they are attempting to form an inclusive government. Chiarelli's assertion is similar to a claim made by Lt. General John R. Vines in 2005 that insurgents often attack US forces out of a desire to earn money instead of ideology. Simple tasks, such as placing a bomb or mine, are often done in exchange for amounts as little as $100 to $150. The estimated unemployment rate in Iraq for 2005 was 25-30%. Opponents of the Bush administration's handling of the war say that Iraq's unemployment crisis is partially a result of decisions made by the Coalition Provisional Authority in 2003 to disband the Iraqi army and purge the Iraqi civil service of high-ranking members of the Baath Party. Both of these moves led to an estimated 500,000 Iraqis losing their jobs, about one out of every ten Iraqi workers at the time.
Photo LOS ANGELES — Fierce wildfires erupted in Southern California on Monday, leaving two people dead and heralding the start of the most intense period of the fire season here. The most severe fires, fanned by stiff, dry Santa Ana winds typical of the fall, were burning several thousand acres at the rim of the San Fernando Valley. A homeless man and his dog died when fire engulfed the wood-and-cardboard shack where they lived along a freeway embankment, and another person died in a collision on a freeway on-ramp attributed at least in part to thick smoke shrouding the area. With strong winds expected into Tuesday, firefighters mounted an all-out air and land assault as the flames and smoke chased residents from their homes, threatened neighborhoods, closed schools and parts of two major freeways, and led Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. “It was really quick,” said Eddie Chicasi, 23, who evacuated to a shelter in the Chatsworth neighborhood as flames threatened his home near Porter Ranch. “As we were coming down our little road, bushes and trees on the side were catching on fire.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Smaller fires broke out in San Diego and Orange Counties, while in Northern California firefighters were bringing under control a stubborn blaze on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, home to a historic immigration station. Only an abandoned water tank was destroyed there. ||||| 2004 News Releases This Quikscat satellite image shows strong winds along the Southern California coast. The fastest winds are indicated in red, then orange, then blue. NASA Satellite Finds Something Fishy About Santa Ana Winds March 11, 2004 Southern California's legendary Santa Ana winds wreak havoc every year, creating hot, dry conditions and fire hazards. Despite their often-destructive nature, a study of the "Devil Winds," conducted using data from NASA's Quick Scatterometer (Quikscat) spacecraft and its SeaWinds instrument shows the winds have some positive benefits. "These strong winds, which blow from the land out into the ocean, cause cold water to rise from the bottom of the ocean to the top, bringing with it many nutrients that ultimately benefit local fisheries," said Dr. Timothy Liu, a senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and Quikscat project scientist. Santa Ana consequences include vortices of cold water and high concentrations of chlorophyll 400 to 1,000 kilometers (248 to 621 miles) offshore. This image from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer taken Feb. 10, 2003, shows sea surface temperatures 4 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler than usual at the time of the Santa Ana winds study. Liu and Dr. Hua Hu of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, in a paper published last year in Geophysical Research Letters, revealed satellite observations of the Santa Ana effects on the ocean during three windy days in February 2003. According to the findings, Quikscat was able to identify the fine features of the coastal Santa Ana wind jets. It identified location, strength and extent, which other weather prediction products lack the resolution to consistently show, and moored ocean buoys lack sufficient coverage to fully represent. Quikscat's high-resolution images of air-sea interaction were used to measure wind forces on the ocean. Other satellites and instruments, like the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, onboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration polar orbiting weather satellite, were used to measure the temperature and biological production of the ocean surface, which respond to the wind. The latter instrument showed sea surface temperatures dropped four degrees Celsius (seven degrees Fahrenheit) during the February 2003 Santa Anas. That was a sign that upwelling had occurred, meaning, deep cold water moved up to the ocean surface bringing nutrients. Images from SeaWiFS confirmed the increased biological productivity by measuring chlorophyll concentrations in the surface water. It went from negligible, in the absence of winds, to very active biological activity (more than 1.5 milligrams per cubic meter) in the presence of the winds. "There really is no other system that can monitor Santa Ana winds over the entire oceanic region," Liu said. "Scatterometers such as Quikscat have a large enough field of view and high enough resolution to easily identify the details of coastal winds, which can affect the transportation, ecology and economy of Southern California." Red and yellow areas in this Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor image show high levels of chlorophyll off the California coast during Santa Ana winds. High pressure develops inland when cold air is trapped over the mountains, driving the dry, hot and dusty Santa Anas (also called Santanas and Devil's Breath) at high speeds toward the coast. The winds, occurring in fall, winter and spring, can reach 113 kilometers (70 miles) per hour. They happen at any time of day and usually reach peak strength in December. Telltale signs on the coast include good visibility inland, unusually low humidity and an approaching dark brown dust cloud. The Quikscat satellite, launched in June 1999, operates in a Sun- synchronous, 800-kilometer (497-mile) near-polar orbit. It circles Earth every 100 minutes and takes approximately 400,000 daily measurements over 93 percent of the planet's surface. It passes over Southern California about twice a day, skipping a day every three or four days. Quikscat is part of an integrated Earth observation system managed by NASA's Office of Earth Science. The NASA enterprise is dedicated to understanding the Earth as an integrated system and applying Earth System Science to improve prediction of climate, weather, and natural hazards using the unique vantage point of space. For information about NASA programs on the Internet, visit: http://www.nasa.gov. For information about Quikscat and SeaWinds on the Internet, visit: http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov. JPL is managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Alan Buis (818) 354-0474 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 2004-82 ||||| LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Los Angeles fire officials say they're worried that nighttime winds could push two major wildfires, which already are blamed in two deaths, closer to pricey neighborhoods on the Pacific coast. Fire draws near homes in the Los Angeles-area community of Porter Ranch, California, on Monday. "We are concerned about what will happen tonight when the winds pick up," Los Angeles Fire Chief Douglas Barry said Monday. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday declared a state of emergency Monday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties because of the fires. Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman, whose district covers the area where the fire is burning, called on President Bush to issue a federal disaster declaration for the area. At least two people have died because of the blazes, which have burned 8,000 acres in the hills and mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, fire and police officials said. One was identified as a man who died in a makeshift wood-and-cardboard shelter and appeared to be homeless. A dog's body also was found. The other victim was killed in a collision of motorists who were trying to exit a freeway that was closed because of one of the wildfires, a fire official said. No identity or age was available for either victim. "Winds are causing fire conditions to change by the hour," Schwarzenegger said in a statement released Monday. "Several thousand acres have already burned with minimal containment and more acres are threatened." iReport.com: Are wildfires affecting you? Residents downwind were warned to remain alert into the night. "It can go from here to the ocean in a matter of two to three hours," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, The Associated Press reported. Barry said investigators have not determined a cause for either blaze. Fire officials warned that strong winds, predicted to reach more than 60 mph after 11 p.m., could send fire roaring south down the Pacific coast near Highway 101. Officials have shut two freeways north of Los Angeles and authorities dispatched water-dropping helicopters and more than 200 fire engines as the blaze "started to push toward the city," said John Tripp of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. About 350 police officers are on the scene, patrolling evacuated neighborhoods and warning residents ahead of the flames. Officials shut down part of Interstate 210, also known as the Foothill Freeway, and any residents north of the freeway were under a mandatory evacuation order. The fire jumped the interstate in one spot and headed toward the Lake View Terrace area. A portion of State Route 118, known as the Ronald Reagan Freeway, also was closed. The larger of the two fires has charred more than 3,500 acres in the Angeles National Forest, officials said. See video of the Angeles National Forest fire » That fire destroyed several structures, including about 30 mobile homes in the Lopez Canyon area, said Los Angeles County fire inspector Sam Padilla. The mobile homes had been evacuated Sunday. The other fire, burning nearby, is expected to expand as the winds push the flames away from the center. In San Diego County, a wildfire that began on an explosives training range at Camp Pendleton had grown to more than 1,500 acres by nightfall and forced the evacuation of 1,400 homes, The AP reported. In northern California, a wildfire that started Sunday on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay had spread across 250 acres as of Monday morning but hadn't damaged any buildings in the historic state park, a Marin County fire official said. See video of the Angel Island fire » All About Angeles National Forest • Wildfires • Los Angeles • Santa Ana ||||| Fire consumes a structure as fighters battle the blaze early Monday morning, Oct. 13, 2008, north of Los Angeles. Intense Santa Ana winds swept into Southern California and whipped up a 3,700-acre wildfire early Monday, burning mobile homes and industrial buildings and forcing the evacuation of eight patients from a nearby hospital. (AP Photo/Mike Meadows) Wildfires burn homes, kill man in Los Angeles area LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two wildfires driven by strong Santa Ana winds threatened neighborhoods near Los Angeles on Monday, killing a man, destroying several dozen mobile homes and forcing frantic evacuations. A second person died in a head-on crash on a freeway entrance ramp in traffic snarled by smoke and flames. Firefighters were struggling with a 5,000-acre blaze in the San Fernando Valley's northeastern corner when a new blaze erupted at midmorning a few miles to the west in mountains above the Porter Ranch area and quickly grew to 2,000 acres as wind blew up to 45 mph, with gusts reaching 70 mph. "It is a blowtorch we can't get in front of," said Los Angeles County fire Inspector Frank Garrido. Fire officials could not immediately estimate how many homes in Porter Ranch were in the fire's path. Flames burned furiously at midday just across a road from one development of luxury homes. Fire officials alerted other communities as far south as Malibu, 20 miles away. The first fire was burning where neighborhoods abut rugged canyonlands below the mountainous Angeles National forest. The fatality there was an apparent transient living in a makeshift shelter, officials said. About 1,200 people were evacuated because of the Marek Fire, which was just 5 percent contained. Los Angeles County fire Capt. Mark Savage said 37 or 38 mobile homes were destroyed by that blaze early Monday. "We could have had an army there and it would not have stopped it," Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Mario Rueda said. "Wind is king here, it's dictating everything we are doing." Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, the hospital closest to the Marek Fire, evacuated eight of its most fragile patients to other hospitals. Spokeswoman Carla Nino said those patients — six newborns, a heart bypass patient and another described as "medically fragile _were all on ventilators and were the most difficult to transport. About 180 patients remained at the hospital as officials waited to determine if the fire would actually approach. The dry and warm Santa Ana winds typically blow into Southern California between October and February. As they whistle through canyons and valleys, they pick up speed, drying out vegetation and hastening the spread of any fires that break out. Because of the fires, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, an anti-pollution agency, says air quality may reach unhealthful levels in the area and urged people to avoid outdoor activities. The Marek Fire began early Sunday during the first significant Santa Ana of the season, and about 1,000 firefighters from multiple agencies were deployed. The cause was under investigation. "This is what we feared the most," said Savage. "The winds that were expected, they have arrived." The blaze diminished overnight, but authorities warned it was a sleeping giant. Fierce winds returned before dawn and sent it raging again. Flames jumped the Foothill Freeway, which was closed in both directions for about a three-mile stretch in northern Los Angeles between the 118 Freeway and Interstate 5 amid the morning rush hour, officials said. "That was quite a jump, that's an eight-lane fire break," said fire spokesman Inspector Paul Hartwell. A motorist was killed on a freeway ramp after vehicles started turning around and exiting to avoid the fire, Garrido said. The Red Cross said about 500 people registered at an evacuation center at San Fernando High School. Agency spokesman Nick Samaniego said some evacuees had seen news footage of their homes burning. "You can imagine, it's a devastating situation," he said. "A lot of people on pins and needles waiting to hear news about their communities." Jim Williams, 72, grabbed his medication, comb and toothbrush and was out of his house within five minutes. The longtime resident said the area hadn't burned since 1974. "I didn't expect it again," Williams said. "The trees there at the time burned and didn't grow back, only brush. I felt relatively safe that if the brush burned, it would only be a small fire, nothing like this." Most schools in the area were closed Monday. Also Monday, firefighters contained small blazes near Santa Clarita in northern Los Angeles County and near a Santa Paula oil facility in Ventura County. Associated Press writer Thomas Watkins contributed to this report. ||||| By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Deadly wind-driven brush fires roared out of the foothills and canyons on the northern fringe of Los Angeles on Monday, destroying about 30 mobile homes and threatening hundreds more dwellings. In Southern California's first big fires of the season, a homeless man was found dead with his dog beneath a highway overpass swept by flames, authorities said. Another person was killed in a collision on a freeway engulfed in smoke as police scrambled to shut down the road. The first of two blazes erupted early on Sunday on the edge of the Angeles National Forest and by midday on Monday had charred roughly 5,000 acres of tinder-dry brush and chaparral. Authorities ordered the evacuation of about 1,200 residents from some 450 homes threatened by flames and embers fanned by gale-force Santa Ana gusts blowing in from the high desert, as smoke billowed into the air. A separate brush fire flared on Monday in the foothills to the west and quickly consumed 2,000 acres, prompting the evacuation of hundreds more homes. "It's a very dangerous situation," said Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman as he warned residents to heed evacuation orders. "You may not even be able to outrun the fire if you're that close to it." More than 1,000 firefighters battled the flames, along with helicopters and planes dropping water and fire retardants. Continued...
Santa Ana wind conditions as seen from space. Two large wildfires burn uncontrolled north of Los Angeles, California. The blazes, known as the Marek fires, have burned over 3700 acres and caused the evacuation of more than 1200 people. Furthermore, at least 30 mobile homes were destroyed. One confirmed fatality has been reported and described as an unidentified transient who had been using a cardboard shelter beneath a freeway overpass. However, the ''Associated Press'' reports a second related death from a traffic accident. Authorities expect to order more evacuations before the fires can be brought under control. Fires started Sunday due to Santa Ana wind conditions in the San Fernando Valley and Angeles National Forest on the northern outskirts of Los Angeles. Affected communities include Porter Ranch and the Lopez Canyon area. Santa Ana winds as strong as 65 miles per hour fanned the flames, which jumped the eight-lane 210 Freeway. Both the 210 Freeway and 118 Freeway were closed during Monday morning rush hour. Firefighters have contained smaller blazes that occurred elsewhere in Southern California near the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Clarita and in neighbouring Ventura County. Local resident Glenn Bell told ''Reuters'' about his last minute evacuation. "The sparks were flying down on us," he said, recalling how a locked gate nearly trapped him and his family, "and as I'm busting the gate... I see the cypress trees that are right next to our house on fire." Los Angeles County fire inspector Frank Garrido described the problem as "a blowtorch we can’t get in front of," according to ''The New York Times''. "Wind is king here, it’s dictating everything we are doing," he continued. Scott Stephens of the Center for Fire Research & Outreach at the University of California, Berkeley calls Southern California's Santa Ana winds "some of the strongest, most severe fire winds in the world." Among the problems caused by Santa Ana winds, which blow from the nearby Mojave Desert toward the Pacific Ocean, is a tendency for hot embers to leapfrog and start new fires. Santa Ana conditions tend to occur from autumn through spring and can reach peak speeds of 70 miles per hour (113 kilometers per hour).
2 dozen motorcycles crash on I-5 in Ore. WILSONVILLE, Ore. — Oregon State Police say more than two dozen motorcycles, most of them belonging to the Brother Speed motorcycle club, crashed on Interstate 5 on Friday afternoon, blocking freeway traffic for hours. Police say the bikers were behind a car when traffic slowed in the northbound lanes near Wilsonville, south of Portland. They say the bikers and car tried to slow but collided, scattering bikes across the pavement. The Oregonian in Portland reports that two bikers with critical injuries were flown to Portland hospitals by helicopter. Rescue personnel say seven others were treated for shoulder and hip injuries and broken bones. The freeway reopened about 6 p.m., nearly four hours after the accident. Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ||||| POSTED: 4:08 pm PDT September 18, 2009 A crash involving up to 26 motorcycles and two cars resulted in critical injuries to two bikers Friday afternoon, state police said. Mike Towner, a captain with Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, described the crash scene as "ordered mayhem" when firefighters arrived at the scene. "There were almost two dozen motorcycles scattered across the freeway," Towner said. "Firefighters from Aurora and Canby were providing medical care to injured bikers as non-injured bikers tried to assist." The collision at 2:45 p.m. closed lanes of Interstate 5 near the Baldock Rest Area south of Wilsonville for several hours. A LifeFlight helicopter rushed two of the motorcyclists to a hospital to be treated. Ambulances transported eight other people. The two motorcyclists who were taken by LifeFlight, Herbert Sinclair and David Bowyer, both from Idaho, remained in critical condition Friday night, state police said. Lt. Gregg Hastings said the motorcyclists belong to the Brother Speed motorcycle club. The club's Web site says the club is "serious about brotherhood, respect, riding fast and building Choppers." According to Oregon State Police, the motorcyclists were in the left lane on I-5 near milepost 22 when traffic ahead began to slow. The motorcycles and a car in front of the group also started to slow, but collided with one another. A car in the middle I-5 north lane was struck by one of the motorcycles, police said. Tualatin Valley fire officials said the crash victims transported by ambulance suffered shoulder and hip injuries as well as broken bones. A number of agencies responded to the wreck, including firefighters and paramedics from Canby, St. Paul and Woodburn, in addition to Tualatin Valley. All lanes of I-5 northbound were closed until about 4 p.m. when one lane reopened. A police investigation kept the other lanes closed until 6 p.m. It's not known why the motorcycle group was traveling in such large numbers. Their intended destination is also unknown. ||||| WILSONVILLE, Ore. – An accident involving almost 30 motorcycles just south of Wilsonville on Interstate 5 Friday afternoon injured several people, two critically. The crash happened at about 3 p.m. near milepost 282. LifeFlight airlifted Herbert Sinclair of Heyburn, Idaho and David Bowyer of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to Oregon Health Sciences University and Legacy Emanuel Hospital, respectively. Both were motorcyclists. Representatives of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue said that it treated eight patients for shoulder and hip injuries and broken bones. They were also taken to area hospitals. The accident closed northbound lanes of Interstate 5 for over two hours. The motorcyclists were part of a local motorcycle club called Brothers Speed which was established in May 1969, according to its Web site. It has chapters in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, specifically in Portland, Ore. Camas, Wash., and Boise, Idaho. Oregon State Police said the motorcyclists were riding in standard formation – two columns – when traffic ahead slowed suddenly. The two lead motorcyclists were able to avoid a collision by maneuvering clear of the stopped traffic, but the rest of the motorcyclists could not stop in time, causing a chain-reaction of crashes with the rest of the group. A witness to the crash, Terry Scott, said he and his girlfriend were driving northbound from Salem behind the motorcycles when he witnessed an SUV, that was driving in front of the group of motorcycles, suddenly slow down or slam on its brakes. “It was a domino effect,” Scott said. “There were bikes and people and gear flying.” When Capt. Mike Towner of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue arrived on the scene with his crew from Wilsonville he said "it was ordered mayhem. There were almost two dozen motorcycles scattered across the freeway, and firefighters from Aurora and Canby providing medical care to injured bikers, as non-injured bikers tried to assist." TVF&R said there were at least two SUVs that were also involved in the crash. A club insider, who didn’t want to be identified, said the bikers were in town from all over the Northwest to celebrate an annual birthday celebration of the club. She said that a motorcycle accident like the one that happened Friday is unheard of. “Normally it’s one motorcycle, maybe two,” she said. “To see the scale of 20 to 30 bikes that are riding together have an accident of that magnitude – I’ve never seen before.” She said she grew up around these bikers and said despite perceptions, they’re cautious. “I know some people say they must be up to no good: They were racing or doing something. But anyone who’s familiar with Harley-riding knows you don’t race a Harley, you don’t do tricks on your Harley. You just ride,” she said. Members of the club declined to be interviewed for this story. They said they are focusing on taking care of their brothers. Oregon State Police are continuing to investigate the accident. Eyewitness Terry Scott said he saw the accident happen
The motorcycle club is for owners of 'choppers' such as the one in this file photo 26 motorcycles and two cars have piled up on the Interstate 5 road in Oregon, United States. Two bikers have been critically injured. The crash occurred near the Baldock Rest Area, which is just south of Wilsonville, at 2:45 p.m. Friday. The group of motorbikes, belonging to members of the Brother Speed club, was in the left (fast) lane behind one of the cars when traffic slowed down. Despite attempts to take evasive action, the bikes and car collided. The second car was hit by a motorbike that veered into the middle lane. The bikes were in a formation of two columns — standard for large motorbike parties. According to eyewitness Terry Scott, a silver SUV suddenly slammed on its brakes and while the leading two bikers managed to swerve out of the way, the rest were caught up in a chain reaction. "There were bikes and people and gear flying," said Scott, who had been driving with his girlfriend behind the bikes. The crash scene was "ordered mayhem" according to Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue's captain Mike Towner. "Firefighters from Aurora and Canby were providing medical care to injured bikers as non-injured bikers tried to assist," he said. A LifeFlight air ambulance took two bikers to hospital and eight more were taken away by ambulances. Some bikers suffered from broken bones as well as shoulder and hip injuries. KPTV quotes the club's website as saying that they are "serious about brotherhood, respect, riding fast and building Choppers." The accident was responded to by paramedics and firefighters from various locations, including Canby, St. Paul, Woodburn and those from the multi-city Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. The entire road was closed northbound until 4 p.m., when one lane was reopened. Investigators kept the other lanes closed until 6 p.m.
By Massimiliano Di Giorgio and Phil Stewart ROME (Reuters) - Police have arrested a director at Italy's military intelligence agency on suspicion of helping the CIA in the alleged kidnapping of a terrorism suspect in Milan, officials said on Wednesday. It is the first time an Italian official has been linked to the 2003 abduction of Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar. Nasr says he was flown to Egypt and tortured. The arrest of Marco Mancini, a director of a division of the Sismi military intelligence agency, was first leaked by judicial sources and later confirmed in a statement by former Italian President Francesco Cossiga. An Italian court has issued European arrest warrants for 22 suspected U.S. agents over the abduction, but no Italians had been sought until now. If an Italian role is confirmed, it would lend evidence to allegations that European countries colluded with the United States in the secret "renditions" of terrorism suspects. Italian investigators had been wiretapping Nasr before his abduction and accuse him of having ties to al Qaeda and recruiting combatants for Iraq, according to court documents. They say the kidnapping broke Italian law and ruined a promising investigation. Mancini was accused of collaborating in the kidnap, the sources said, adding that an official statement would be made later on Wednesday by the prosecutor's office. Cossiga, who is also a former interior minister with close contacts with the secret services, said in a statement that other Sismi officials were also being arrested. © Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved. ||||| SISMI director arrested, warrants issued for 4 Americans (ANSA) - Rome, July 5 - Two members of the Italian military intelligence service SISMI were arrested on Wednesday in connection with a probe into the alleged CIA kidnapping of an Egyptian Muslim cleric in Milan in 2003 . Arrest warrants were also issued for four American nationals - three CIA members and an official at the US air base at Aviano in northern Italy . One of the Italians arrested was named as Marco Mancini, a SISMI director who has been on sick leave for more than a year . Mancini, who was arrested at his home near Ravenna in northeast Italy, is accused of helping the CIA to abduct the cleric, a terrorist suspect . Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, was the imam of Milan's main mosque. He disappeared mysteriously from the northern city on February 17, 2003 . Investigating prosecutors in Milan say Nasr was snatched off the streets by a team of CIA operatives who flew him to two US military bases and then on to Egypt where he was allegedly tortured by Egyptian security agents . The 43-year-old cleric was briefly released in 2004 when he told his family he had been tortured but has since been taken back to an Egyptian jail . At the time of his abduction, Omar, an Egyptian refugee, was being probed by Milan investigators for suspected links to international terrorism . Last November, the Milan prosecutors requested the extradition from the US of 22 CIA agents accused of abducting Nasr . It was the first time that criminal charges were filed abroad against US operatives for their role in an anti-terrorism mission . Up until Wednesday's arrests, no Italian officials had been involved in the case . The previous, Silvio Berlusconi-led government repeatedly denied authorising or having any role in the alleged CIA operation . The extradition requests for the CIA agents were unsuccessful, with then justice minister Roberto Castelli refusing to pass them on to the US Justice Department . The case comes amid an international furore over allegations that the CIA has been carrying out covert operations in Europe with the possible knowledge or consent of local governments . The CIA has been accused of 'extraordinary rendition', the practice of transporting suspects to other countries for interrogation, and using European airports for refuelling stops during these secret transfers . A Council of Europe investigator reported last month that the Nasr abduction was one in a "global spider's web" of such flights . The investigator, Dick Marty, also said that it was "unlikely that the Italian authorities were not aware of this large-scale CIA operation" . The CIA is accused of running secret prisons in Eastern Europe, where aggressive interrogation techniques outlawed in the US can be used, and sending prisoners to countries like Egypt and Syria where torture is commonplace . The US government has admitted secret rendition practices but denies using torture or handing suspects over to countries that do so . ||||| Mr Hassan says he was flown to Egypt and tortured Unconfirmed Italian reports named one as Marco Mancini, a senior official at the Sismi intelligence agency. Arrest warrants for four Americans were also issued, adding to 22 earlier ones. Italy's previous government denied any role in the seizing of Egyptian Muslim cleric Osama Mustafa Hassan, who says he was taken to Egypt and tortured. The two arrested men are the first Italians to be linked to the investigation. One is said to be in custody; the other under house arrest. Mr Mancini is a former head of the anti-terrorist division of the Italian secret service. He has taken part in negotiations to free Italian hostages kidnapped in Iraq. Kidnap claims Mr Hassan, also known as Abu Omar, is believed to have been abducted from a Milan street on 17 February 2003, and flown out of the country from Aviano air base north of Venice. The cleric, who had been granted refugee status in Italy, was already under investigation by Italian officers as part of a terrorism inquiry. Milan prosecutors probing the kidnap case believe Mr Hassan was snatched by the CIA and taken to Aviano for interrogation, before being flown on to Cairo via Ramstein air base in Germany. He is still being held in a jail in Egypt, but did make contact with his family and friends during a brief release. A friend who spoke to him said he had suffered electric shocks and other severe torture. Wanted Americans The Milan prosecutors' office statement said three of the Americans involved in the fresh arrest warrants were CIA agents, while the fourth worked at the Aviano base. The US authorities have refused to co-operate with the Italian justice ministry in the 22 earlier arrest warrants, and Italy's Justice Minister Roberto Castelli has refused to pass on to the US a request to extradite them. Prosecutors tracked the suspects down using mobile phone records, hotel bills and other sources. Washington acknowledges that it has transferred terror suspects between countries as part of its policy of "extraordinary rendition" - but denies handing them over for the purpose of torture.
Marco Mancini, a director of a division of the Italian SISMI military intelligence agency has been arrested in Milan over his role in the alleged kidnapping of an Egyptian terrorist suspect by agents of the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in what is believed to be an instance of Extraordinary Rendition. Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, is an Egyptian cleric living in Italy who was abducted, allegedly by covert agents of the CIA on February 17, 2003 from Milan and flown to Egypt, where he says he was tortured. Italian investigators suspected that Nasr had links with Al Qaeda and say that they were investigating him when he was abducted. In June 2005, Italian judge Guido Salvini issued a warrant for the arrest of 22 persons said to be agents or operatives of the CIA over the kidnapping.
A DOG found with its throat cut and mouth taped shut has survived after the jagged knife used to slice its neck missed vital veins by less than a centimetre. Franky, an 18-month-old female staffy cross, was found by police last Thursday at Gordonvale’s Ross and Locke picnic area with a deep, 10cm-long cut across its throat and jaw bound shut with electrical tape. It is the second shocking case of animal cruelty in the Far North this year. A dog named Boof made national headlines in January after being beaten and left to die with a 30kg chain around its neck. The treatment of Franky has sickened animal carers. Earlville Veterinary Surgery’s Sarah Gill used 30 stitches to seal the 3cm-deep cut, which she said was less than a centimetre from jugular veins and carotid arteries. "The way they cut was almost down to the larynx, so muscles were cut but luckily they missed the jugular veins," she said. "If they had of managed to hit those veins or the carotid arteries, she would have died." Franky is recovering at Cairns Regional Council’s pound. RSPCA Far Northern inspector Cameron Buswell said it was obvious the dog’s attacker was trying to kill it. "RSPCA are very keen to speak to anyone who might have seen the dog on the day or before to try and establish what has occurred," he said. "This is a horrific case of cruelty to this poor animal that was left for dead on the day." Share this article ||||| A FAMILY'S dog's throat was slit and an elastic band placed around the wound in cruel attacks that have shocked his Queensland owners. Jack, a 14-month-old silky terrier, was found with his throat cut ear to ear at his family's Oakey home, west of Toowoomba, on Sunday. Antoinette Eather said her daughter screamed after going outside to play and finding the injured pet. "We went running out and his throat had been cut,'' Ms Eather said. ''... It's definitely been done with a very sharp knife just from ear to ear, it's very deep.'' But after taking Jack to be treated at the vet, the family was shocked to discover the dog's torturer returned the next day. "I went outside the check on the dog and I thought to myself that my son - he's only three - had put his collar back on,'' Ms Eather said. "I looked again and it was an elastic band wrapped around his neck, obviously to finish him off or something.'' She said the family was at a loss as to who would do such a thing in their close-knit neighbourhood. "I was petrified when I found him with the elastic band around his neck,'' she said. "I thought to myself, who could do this a second time around? Ms Eather said police were investigating the attack, as well as an attack on a second dog nearby. She said the family were not sure whether Jack had been attacked in their yard or elsewhere.
Staffordshire bull terrier (file photo) In what the calls a "horrific" case of animal cruelty, a dog's jaw was taped shut, and its throat cut, in , Australia. The Staffordshire mix, who was found by police in a critical condition last Thursday, was reportedly struggling to breath and bleeding heavily due to her throat being slashed and her muzzle being bound. "The way they cut was almost down to the larynx, so muscles were cut but luckily they missed the jugular veins," said Sarah Gill, the vet who stitched the 10 cm long, 3 cm deep cut. In a statement reported on Tuesday, Inspector Cameron Buswell, a law enforcement officer with the RSPCA animal welfare charity, said it is hard to comprehend that there are people in the community capable of this level of cruelty. "This would have to be up there as one of the more horrific cases we've dealt with ...The poor dog must have been petrified. How she didn't die is miraculous." he said. Named 'Franky' by rescuers, the dog is progressing well along her road to recovery, has a warm, loving and kind nature, and has begun to come out of her shell, Buswell said. "She is a really nice natured animal and she loves being with people." This has become apart of string of violent attacks on pets in Queensland. Another dog in North Queensland named 'Boof' was beaten and left to die with a 30 kg chain around his neck in January. In May, a family dog in had its throat slit and a rubber band placed around the wound, twice. The RSPCA is appealing for information from the public regarding the person or persons responsible for the latest attack.
Israel has admitted its jets attacked a Syrian target on 6 September US research group, the Institute for Science and International Security, obtained and analysed the images. The industrial-style building may have been a nuclear reactor under construction, says the ISIS. A BBC correspondent says the images are not conclusive. Nor is it certain that they show the site hit by Israeli jets. The Israeli strike has been shrouded in mystery and speculation. Originally Israel did not even admit that the 6 September raid had been carried out, and its military censor ordered a complete blackout on information. But Syria said Israeli warplanes violated its airspace in what it called a "hostile act", and Israel eventually acknowledged the mission some four weeks later. Intelligence sources hinted at a possible link with North Korea's nuclear programme. 'Resemblance' On Wednesday the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), an independent organisation, released satellite images pre-dating the attack, of a facility in northern Syria that it believes was the target. They showed both a large industrial building and a pumping station near the Euphrates river. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS 6 Sept: Syria says air defences fired at Israeli jets, which "dropped some ammunition without causing any material damage" Week one: Israel says nothing; US officials say Israel struck an unspecified target; one US source hints at links to North Korea Week two: N Korea denies any link to Syria; Israeli opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu admits Israel made strike Week three: Syrian president says a military construction site was hit and speaks of "retaliation"; Israel confirms strike on "military target" The ISIS said the building bore a resemblance to the Yongbyon nuclear facility in North Korea. "The length of the outer walls of the structures are approximately the same," the institute said in its analysis. "From the image, the Syrian building is similar in shape to the North Korean reactor building, but the Syrian building is not far enough along in its construction to make a definitive comparison," it said. The ISIS has now produced a more recent image of the same site taken on 24 October, more than six weeks after the alleged air attack. The image appears to show that the building has been completely removed and the ground scraped clean. 'Provocative' Syria has consistently denied any plans to build a nuclear reactor, and its ambassador to the UN rejected the ISIS's analysis, saying the building was "only a centre for research for the desert areas, arid and desert areas in Syria". "The main point is that is that the Israeli fighter jet violated the airspace of a member state of the United Nations. This is the only fact that we should focus on," Bashar Jaafari said. "The Israelis have undertaken a provocative action and they should assume the consequences." North Korea has adamantly denied that it was involved in helping Syria build any kind of nuclear facility. The images, says the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus, are far from conclusive. But they suggest that, for whatever reason, the Syrian authorities have gone to great lengths to remove any trace of the building apparently targeted in the strike, our correspondent adds. The ISIS argues that "dismantling and removing the building at such a rapid pace dramatically complicates any inspection of the facilities and suggests that Syria may be trying to hide what was there". The report also raises the question of whether Syria might be in breach of its safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, our correspondent says. Under that, it would have an obligation to notify the UN's nuclear watchdog of any plans to construct a new nuclear facility. ||||| Gordon D. Johndroe, a White House spokesman, declined to comment on the satellite pictures. A reactor of the size of what analysts believe Syria was building would have been able to make enough plutonium to fuel about one nuclear weapon a year. But removing the plutonium from spent fuel rods would require a reprocessing facility for which analysts have reported no evidence. Satellite images of the Syrian site were released by DigitalGlobe, in Longmont, Colo., and SPOT Image Corporation, in Chantilly, Va. They show a smooth, unfurrowed area where the large building once stood. “It’s clearly very suspicious,” said Joseph Cirincione, an expert on nuclear proliferation at the Center for American Progress in Washington. “The Syrians were up to something that they clearly didn’t want the world to know about.” Mr. Cirincione said the photographic evidence “tilts toward a nuclear program,” but did not prove that Damascus was building a reactor. Besides, he said, even if Syria was developing a nuclear program, it was still years away from being operational and thus not an imminent threat. The desolate Syrian site is situated on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River some 90 miles north of the Iraqi border and seven miles north of the desert village of At Tibnah. An airfield lies nearby. The new images, in addition to revealing the removal of the tall building, show still standing a secondary structure and what could be a pumping station on the Euphrates. Analysts suspect the pumping station was for cooling the reactor. The building was said by analysts to have been modeled on a design used by the North Koreans, whose building is a few feet larger that the Syrian building that vanished.
Satellite image of the Middle East Researchers at the (ISIS) have stated that a building that was located inside Syria at the site where Israel launched an airstrike on, has not only been completely removed, but that it was also a under construction. The researchers obtained the images from and released the satellite images of the site before the airstrike and according to them, the building is a nuclear reactor. They also state that the images show a facility much like the one in North Korea at . Another image taken on October 24, shows a site where a large building used to be, the ground being wiped clean of its existence. A water-pumping station located on the was believed to be used for cooling the reactor, claim the ISIS. "The length of the outer walls of the structures are approximately the same. From the image, the Syrian building is similar in shape to the North Korean reactor building, but the Syrian building is not far enough along in its construction to make a definitive comparison," said the institute of the study. Syria denies that they are building any kind of nuclear facility stating "the main point is that is that the Israeli fighter jet violated the airspace of a member state of the United Nations. This is the only fact that we should focus on. The Israelis have undertaken a provocative action and they should assume the consequences." Despite Syria's claims, the ISIS states that "dismantling and removing the building at such a rapid pace dramatically complicates any inspection of the facilities and suggests that Syria may be trying to hide what was there." Currently, the United States denies that the satellite photos show any site inside Syria and have not commented on the images. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also refused to release a statement.
Today's Forecast Summary Unsettled West 4:58 a.m. ET 4/10/2006 Senior Meteorologist, The Weather Channel National Forecast Video Severe Weather Outlook West Regional Video Much of the West Coast has experienced cool and showery weather conditions lately and Monday will be no exception. No heavy rain or snow is forecast, but western Washington, western Oregon and northern and central California will continue to be showery. Snow levels are expected to range from 4000 to 5000 feet in the Cascades to around 6000 feet near Lake Tahoe in the Sierras. High temperatures will range from the 30s in the Sierras and northern Rockies to the 80s in southwest Arizona and southern and far eastern New Mexico. Critical wildfire conditions due to low humidity and gusty winds will continue over southeastern Colorado and most of New Mexico. More wet weather is expected over coastal sections of California later in the week. Midwest Regional Video The Midwest will experience some fine weather on Monday. There may be a few isolates severe thunderstorms over parts of the Dakotas and northern Minnesota by evening, however. High temperatures will range from the 50s around Lake Superior and Lake Huron to the 80s in western Kansas and adjacent areas of Nebraska. Critical wildfire conditions may exist in parts of western Kansas. South Regional Video Much of the South will be sunny and a bit warmer on Monday. The only exception will be over the southern tip of Florida near a stalled front. Highs on Monday will range from the 60s in North Carolina to the low 90s here and there in western and southern Texas. Dry conditions combined with gusty winds will lead to critical wildfire conditions in the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles and West Texas. Northeast Regional Video Most of the Northwest will enjoy a sunny, but cool, Monday. The day will begin chilly with early morning temperatures in the 20s and 30s. Afternoon highs will move into the 50s across New York and Southern New England to the 60s elsewhere. Back to Weather Center Index ||||| Real Time Flight Info Soon you’ll be able to check the status of flights in the convenience of your own home or office. Coming in Spring of 2003, real-time flight information will give you access to all arrivals and departures at Port Columbus, right on your own computer. ||||| A warehouse driver who was asked to resign his job at a beer distributor goes on a shooting rampage that left nine people dead, including himself, and others wounded, officials say.
A major winter storm is dropping snow, ice, and freezing rain across the Midwestern United States. Over 12 inches (30cm) of snow is expected in parts of Ohio and Indiana. Along the Ohio River, freezing rain and sleet is expected to make driving hazardous. The precipitation is forecast to continue through the evening Tuesday and into early Wednesday morning, before moving out towards the East Coast. Blizzard warnings have been issued for much of Northwest Ohio and Northern Indiana, with very cold temperatures, considerable snowfall, and blowing and drifting snow. Many flights have been canceled or delayed at Port Columbus International Airport, especially those destined for other cities in the midwest. Schools have been canceled, and some businesses are sending employees home early. The Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati and many other colleges decided to cancel classes, sending home all non-essential staff.
The Stormont committee has failed to elect a chairperson They broke up on Wednesday after two and a half days of talks and the issue will now be referred to Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain. The SDLP blamed the DUP for the impasse claiming the party had "blocked all efforts to resolve the issue". However, the DUP said they "had made every effort to get agreement". Mr Hain said it was impossible to see the assembly moving on substantive business "if there could not be agreement on such a basic procedural issue". "Restoring devolution is not for the benefit of the British or Irish governments, it is not for the benefit of MLAs, it is for the people of Northern Ireland," he said. Blame "The very least they have a right to expect is that the MLAs they elected would do the job they elected them to do." The DUP has taken most of the blame from the other parties for the deadlock. A DUP spokesman said the party had wanted Speaker Eileen Bell to take the post, but she refused. He said they also made a number of suggestions which were rejected by the other parties. "We made every effort to get agreement and to make the committee work," the spokesman said. "However, it has become clear that there were those who not only wished to control the agenda of the committee, but they also wanted to have a guaranteed chairmanship at a guaranteed time." Obstacles Sean Farren of the SDLP said consensus had been reached among all parties except the DUP which had "obstinately held on to the politics of veto". "Yet again the DUP, instead of helping to remove obstacles to devolution, have shown themselves to be nothing but obstructive and lacking in any spirit of co-operation," Mr Farren said. Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness said the government should not wait until its November deadline to close the assembly if agreement could not be reached soon. "If the DUP is not prepared to do the business or give any substantive indication in the course of June, then the British government would be as well stopping the salaries at the end of June," he said. Alan McFarland of the UUP accused the DUP of a "lack of vision and determination for progress to be made". "The prevarication and petty wriggling by the DUP is preventing the potential for progress and holding us all up to public ridicule," he said. Alliance Party leader David Ford said no-one on the committee had a right to demand their own way. "The practical reality is that the two biggest parties have not shown they are prepared to move forward at all," he said. The committee's role is to identify obstacles to the return of devolution. Earlier on Wednesday, Sinn Fein said they would demand another vote on the posts of first and deputy first minister before the assembly broke up for the summer. The vote could take place about 19 or 20 June, the week before a scheduled visit by the two prime ministers to Stormont. On 15 May, Northern Ireland's politicians took their seats in the Stormont assembly for the first time since October 2002. A bid to elect a first minister and deputy first minister failed to gain the necessary cross-party support. While there is no immediate prospect of a power-sharing executive being formed, the government hopes recalling the politicians will help to pave the way towards a deal in the autumn, by its deadline of 24 November. Devolved government was suspended over allegations of a republican spy ring. The court case that followed collapsed. Direct rule from London was restored in October 2002 and has been in place since. ||||| For the third day in a row the all-party committee at Stormont, charged with charting the course towards the return of devolved government, has failed to elect a Chairperson. It will now be up to the Northern Secretary, Peter Hain, to rule on what happens next. Mr Hain said the failure to select a chairman for the Stormont all-party committee was deeply frustrating. He said the parties must urgently resolve the issue and a failure to do so would do the people of Northern Ireland an immense disservice. A Sinn Féin proposal for the chairperson job to be rotated between them and the DUP was rejected by Ian Paisley's party. The DUP wanted Eileen Bell to be the Speaker of the Assembly, but Ms Bell said it would be inappropriate for her to take the post. As the stalemate continued Sinn Féin's Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness blamed the DUP for the deadlock in selecting a Chairperson. Mr McGuinness said the DUP had rejected every proposal and suggestion put to them. William McCrea MP, said a chairperson could not be elected because there was a lack of trust between the parties. ||||| The Stormont committee is to help prepare a return to devolution The committee broke up after an acrimonious first meeting at Stormont without reaching agreement. Mr Hain said this "must cause those who elected them to question their commitment to getting back to work". Both Sinn Fein and the Alliance Party have accused the DUP of adopting a negative attitude to the committee. Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness said his suggestion that the body either be chaired jointly by the DUP and SF or rotated was rejected by the DUP. Identify obstacles The DUP denied allegations it was not serious about making progress. The committee, whose role is to identify obstacles to the return of devolution, will reconvene on Tuesday. Mr Hain said the assembly would also meet as planned to discuss industrial rating on Tuesday. He added: "I will want to see what progress the Preparation for Government committee makes before deciding on future assembly business." Mr Hain said he had asked Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker Eileen Bell to "talk to the parties urgently to resolve the issue of how to chair the committee". The DUP wanted Ms Bell as chairperson, but she has rejected this role and left Monday's proceedings to be handled by an assembly official. They also suggested DUP South Antrim MP William McCrea and Alliance Party leader David Ford as possible chairpersons. However, Mr Ford has said that he would only consider the role as part of a wider rotation system. Some of the parties are writing to Mr Hain to clarify whether the need for "consensus" means the committee can only move forward on the basis of unanimity. Peter Hain invited the main parties to send three representatives Earlier, Mr Paisley said he would ask the government for a two-week extension to the November 24 deadline to devolution in Northern Ireland. Mr Paisley said the politicians should get "injury time" because the government has not scheduled any business at Stormont for the past two weeks. However, Mr Hain said there was "no question of further government legislation to amend the deadline, which is set in statute". Martin McGuinness is to sit on the cross-party committee alongside senior members from other parties. Mr Hain has invited the four main parties to each send three representatives. The Alliance Party has been given two places. The DUP has insisted that the committee should not be a negotiating body, while the SDLP wants it to do precisely that. Alliance Party leader David Ford said he had reservations about the committee, but would join. 'Pave the way' On Sunday, Ulster Unionist Party leader Sir Reg Empey said he had appointed Alan McFarland, Danny Kennedy and Michael McGimpsey to represent the party on the committee. "Although we still remain concerned at the manner in which the remit for the committee has been arrived at, we will approach it in a positive manner and seek to identify the obstacles that are standing in the way of devolution and deal with them," he said. On 15 May, Northern Ireland's politicians took their seats in the Stormont assembly for the first time since October 2002. While there is no immediate prospect of a power-sharing executive being formed, the government hopes recalling the politicians will help to pave the way towards a deal in the autumn, by its deadline of 24 November. Devolved government was suspended over allegations of a republican spy ring. The court case that followed collapsed. Direct rule from London was restored in October 2002 and has been in place since. ||||| SDLP leader Mark Durkan has strongly criticised both the UK Northern Secretary Peter Hain and DUP leader Ian Paisley after politics at Stormont today descended into farce today. Durkan lambasted the minister after the inaugural meeting of Stormont’s Preparation for Government Committee meeting broke up without any agreement on who should chair it. Mr Durkan emerged from today’s meeting, accusing the DUP of refusing to engage with other parties and acting as if they had a veto. “At times during the meeting the DUP talked about their understandings from the Secretary of State and with the Secretary of State,” the Foyle MP said. “But the Secretary of State came to this process with the silly belief that we could all have confidence in the DUP. “While he has been writing positive references for the DUP saying they were willing and ready to engage, they are content that they can stop this committee even though some of their members originally canvassed the idea. “It is frustrating that they couldn’t even let the committee do its primary work. The Secretary of State needs to now finally realise that he came to this mistakenly believing the DUP were serious, even though we warned against this long ago.” Unionists and nationalists clashed today on the committee about who its chair should be. The Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists proposed Assembly Speaker Eileen Bell, but she is believed to have turned their suggestion down. Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness suggested the chairmanship should either be jointly chaired by his party and the DUP or rotated between the parties. Afterwards an exasperated David Ford, the leader of the cross community Alliance Party who at one stage was mooted as the committee chairman, said the Irish and British governments needed to reassess their approach to efforts to revive power sharing. “We in Alliance had reservations about the value of the committee but we attended to do a job for the people we represent,” the South Antrim MLA said. “But we will not take on other people’s jobs for them. There are many issues to be covered, there are genuine difficulties to recognise and all parties have a duty to take their share of responsibility. “The government strategy of trying to arrange a quick fix between the DUP and Sinn Féin has been blown out of the water. “If they cannot even agree on how to chair a meeting, what hope is there that they will agree to form an executive within the next six months?” With Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair due to travel to Belfast at the end of the month to spearhead two days of talks with the parties, Mr Hain set up the Preparation for Government Committee to identify issues which will need to be addressed if power sharing is to return. Mr Durkan reacted angrily to reports that the DUP told the Government it wants a two-week extension of the November 24 deadline set by London and Dublin for achieving power sharing at Stormont because no business had been scheduled for the Assembly over the past fortnight. The SDLP leader also criticised Mr Hain’s approach towards the Assembly. “We come to the Assembly debates to test the Government and to test other parties,” the former Stormont deputy first minister said. “But even when it comes to deciding the issues for debates the Secretary of State is dictated to by the DUP one week and Sinn Féin the next. “The only people the Secretary of State should be dictated by is the general public and the electorate who want the institutions restored. “It’s about time the Secretary of State stopped letting parties pull his strings.” Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness, who led a delegation which included fellow MPs Michelle Gildernew and Conor Murphy, accused the DUP of not being serious about re-establishing the political institutions and sending a low-level delegation to the meeting. “This is ridiculous,” the Mid Ulster MP said. “The DUP won’t make a serious effort to engage in the Preparation for Government Committee. “Peter Hain needs to make it clear that if the DUP are unwilling to engage then he is prepared to call time on the Assembly. “The DUP appear content to have debates in the Hain Assembly that will have no impact on policy. “Instead of getting on with the business of the Assembly and setting up the executive, the DUP appear happy to let British direct rule ministers remain in charge and continue with policies on rates increases, water charges, industrial de-rating and rural planning that are hugely damaging. “While the DUP run away from responsibility they have no credibility in complaining about direct rule. Participation in these sham debates merely provides a fig leaf for DUP attempt to create a Shadow Assembly.”
Logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly. After three days of talks, parties in Northern Ireland have come to a stalemate over the election of a chairperson for a committee to help setup a devolved government in Northern Ireland. It is now up to Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain to choose the next course of action. The committee, known as the Preparation for Government Committee, convened Monday to begin its first task: the election of a chairperson for the committee. Its main task however is to help set a roadmap for devolved government in Northern Ireland. The committee is made up of the two republican parties (Sinn Féin and SDLP), the two unionist parties (DUP and UUP) and the non-sectarianist Alliance Party. Sinn Féin's proposal is for the chairpersonship to revolve between them and the Democratic Unionist Party. However, the DUP refused that proposal. The DUP proposed that Speaker of the Assembly Eileen Bell should be the chairperson. However, Bell stated that it would inappropriate for her to take the post and refused. They also suggested the DUP MP for South Antrim William McCrea and Alliance Party leader David Ford as possible candidates. Peter Hain called the refusal of parties to cooperate "frustrating." Sinn Féin, SDLP and the Alliance Party have all blamed the DUP for the failure. "Yet again the DUP, instead of helping to remove obstacles to devolution, have shown themselves to be nothing but obstructive and lacking in any spirit of co-operation, "said Sean Farren of the SDLP. Mark Durkan, the leader of SDLP, has criticized both Peter Hain and the DUP and its leader, Ian Paisley on Monday. "If the DUP is not prepared to do the business or give any substantive indication in the course of June, then the British government would be as well stopping the salaries at the end of June," said Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness. "The practical reality is that the two biggest parties have not shown they are prepared to move forward at all." said David Ford, the leader of the Alliance Party. "The prevarication and petty wriggling by the DUP is preventing the potential for progress and holding us all up to public ridicule." said Ulster Unionist Party's Alan McFarland. On Monday, Ian Paisley asked for extension of the November 24 deadline fot two weeks. It was refused. This is part of plan by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Toaiseach Bertie Ahern to set up a devolved government in Northern Ireland after its assembly was suspended in October 2002 over allegations of a IRA spy ring. If a plan for devolved government is not setup by November 24, direct rule from London will continue with greater input from the Republic of Ireland.
39 HERIDOS, DOS DE ELLOS CRÍTICOS Y OTROS CINCO GRAVES AGENCIAS | ELMUNDO.ES VALENCIA.- Al menos 41 personas han muerto en el descarrilamiento de dos vagones en el metro de Valencia. El tren cubría el trayecto de la línea 1 y estaba entre las estaciones de Plaza de España y de Jesús, en el céntrico barrio de Patraix. Fuentes de la Generalitat Valenciana han fijado provisionalmente en 41 el número de fallecidos. No obstante, según ha informado su portavoz, Vicente Rambla, varios de los muertos se encuentran todavía en el interior de los vagones y hasta dentro de unas horas no se podrá conocer el número exacto de víctimas. Según ha informado el Cuerpo Nacional de Policía, entre 20 y 25 cadáveres han sido ya identificados. De ellos al menos 13 pertenecen a vecinos del municipio de Torrent (Valencia), que es a donde se dirigía el tren siniestrado, según las mismas fuentes. El conductor del convoy siniestrado es una de las víctimas mortales, según confirmaronfuentes de la Conselleria de Justicia. Policías trasladan a uno de los heridos. (Foto: EFE) Asimismo, fuentes municipales apuntaron que 10 de los heridos, entre ellos una niña de 11 años hospitalizada en La Fe, residen también en ese municipio. La pequeña es la única de los vecinos de la población que permanece ingresada. El Juzgado de Instrucción número 21 de Valencia ha decidido no hacer pública la lista de los fallecidos por respeto a sus familiares. Efectivos del Cuerpo Municipal de Bomberos siguen trabajando en el lugar del accidente para extraer los cuerpos que aún se encuentran atrapados en el convoy. A las 23.30 horas faltaba por alzar la cabeza tractora del convoy, para comprobar si hubiera alguna víctima más. Tras asistir al Pleno extraordinario convocado por el Gobierno de la Generalitat Valenciana, Vicente Rambla ha explicado en rueda de prensa que a lo largo del día han sido atendidas en diversos centros hospitalarios 47 personas. A las 20.30 horas aún permanecían ingresadas 12 de ellas, "dos en estado muy crítico". La Generalitat ha decretado tres días de luto y ha convocado para hoy cinco minutos de silencio. Asimismo ha decidido crear una Comisión interdepartamental, que se encargará de coordinar las distintas acciones. El jueves a las 19.00 horas se celebrará en la Catedral de Valencia un funeral por las víctimas, al que tiene previsto asistir el presidente del Gobierno, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, quien estaba de visita oficial en la India y ha adelantado su vuelta a España a causa del siniestro. Además, el Gobierno Valenciano ha convocado para hoy al mediodía en la plaza de Manises, junto al Palau de la Generalitat, una concentración silencionsa de cinco minutos en señal de luto por las víctimas. Mientras, continúan las labores de rescate de los cadáveres, que están siendo trasladados al Instituto de Medicina Legal, en la Ciudad de la Justicia, donde han empezado a congregarse familiares de las víctimas e incluso personas que aún no tienen la confirmación de que sus parientes hayan fallecido. Hasta allí se han desplazado también, entre otras autoridades, la alcaldesa de Valencia, Rita Barberá, y el presidente del PP, Mariano Rajoy, informa Ana Pérez. En el interior del Instituto se encuentran unos 500 familiares de posibles víctimas a la espera de que se confirme la identidad de los cadáveres. Una veintena de psicólogos les atiende. Mariano Rajoy les ha animado a "no perder la esperanza" hasta que no se confirme el nombre de los fallecidos. Vicente Rambla destacó las dificultades para identificar los restos humanos porque muchos de ellos están "irreconocibles". Accidente fortuito A la espera de investigaciones posteriores más exhaustivas, Vicente Rambla ha confirmado que el siniestro del metro ha sido el resultado de un "accidente fortuito". El portavoz de la Policía local ha descartado asimismo la posibilidad de que se trate de un atentado terrorista. El subdelegado del Gobierno en la Comunidad Valenciana, Luis Felipe Martínez, ha afirmado que el accidente se ha debido a una combinación entre un exceso de velocidad y la rotura de una de las ruedas del ferrocarril a la entrada en curva de la estación de Jesús, en un tramo subterráneo. Según las primeras investigaciones, el convoy siniestrado era una composición doble -denominada UTA 3700, de finales de los años 80-, cada una formada por varios vagones. La primera fue la que, al parecer, descarriló e hizo que volcaran dos vagones de la segunda unidad. Sin embargo, desde el sindicato CCOO acusan a las autoridades de "precipitarse" al atribuir las causas del accidente y denuncian que la línea 1 del metro de Valencia sufre un "constante deterioro" y estaba "falta de conservación". También una usuaria de la línea del metro accidentada, Amparo Reverte, aseguraba que la zona de la estación de Jesús no le daba confianza porque "era como si las vías no estuvieran seguras, bien fijadas". El pasado septiembre, 35 personas resultaron heridas, tras el choque en el que se vieron implicadas tres unidades de esta misma línea. En un primer momento, fuentes de la investigación señalaron que el accidente se pudo deber al desmoronamiento de una pared, ya que otro convoy que circulaba detrás informó de que se había producido un gran estruendo y una nube de polvo. Sin embargo, José Ramón García, consejero de Transportes, ha desmentido esta hipótesis, informa Ana Pérez. Días antes de la visita del Papa Un equipo especializado en grandes catástrofes formado por cinco personas se ha trasladado desde Madrid a Valencia para ayudar a identificar los cadáveres. El siniestro ocurrió sobre las 13.00 horas en un tramo del metro comprendido entre las estaciones de plaza de España y Jesús, en la zona suroeste de la ciudad. El descarrilamiento obligó a evacuar a 150 personas. Nueve unidades de bomberos, medios sanitarios y Policía Local y autonómica ayudan en las tareas de rescate y la Generalitat ha preparado un dispositivo de atención psicológica para los familiares de las víctimas. Además, Protección Civil y la Conselleria de Sanidad han instalado dos hospitales de campaña en las inmediaciones de la estación de metro de Jesús para atender a los heridos. Un pasajero que viajaba en el vagón siniestrado fue el que informó al Centro de Coordinación de Emergencias a las 13.03 horas y después de ésta se produjeron al menos otras 20 llamadas desde el mismo vagón informando sobre el siniestro. El siniestro ha ocurrido a pocos días de la visita del Papa a Valencia, el próximo sábado, y cuando se está celebrando el Encuentro Mundial de las Familias. Esta línea, la 1, era esencial en el plan de transporte público ininterrumpido puesto en marcha por las autoridades valencianas con motivo de la visita. Parte del servicio está interrumpido. ||||| Two carriages derailed and crashed in a tunnel near Jesus station, forcing rescuers to evacuate 150 passengers. Officials quickly ruled out terrorism as a cause of the crash. They say high speed and a collapsing train wheel are among the likely causes. Some 47 other people were injured, with 12 remaining in hospital, in one of Spain's worst accidents of its kind. Two of those in hospital were reported to be in a "very critical" condition. Earlier reports said the train driver and a pregnant woman were among those seriously injured. Painstaking work continued after sunset as forensic experts and rescuers worked at the scene of the accident. No final casualty figure was available, because recovering and identifying bodies from amid the wreckage was proving difficult, regional government spokesman Vincent Rambla said. There were people with heads bleeding, cuts and bruises quite seriously injured Graham Moore Eyewitness In pictures: Valencia crash Special units trained in disaster management were deployed in central Valencia. Those injured were taken to five hospitals around Valencia. Briton Graham Moore, who lives in Valencia, described a "chaotic and confusing" scene 15 minutes after the accident. "There were lots of police running around, kids with their parents. There were people with heads bleeding, cuts and bruises. The injuries appeared to be just head, neck and chest injuries - they were quite seriously injured." Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, was expected to cut short a visit to India to attend funerals in Valencia's cathedral on Tuesday evening, officials said. Spanish King Juan Carlos was also expected to travel to the city, which has declared three days of mourning. Investigations begin Local officials and emergency services suggested speeding and defective wheels were likely causes of the crash. Spain's national police service sent five specialist accident investigation officers from Madrid to Valencia to help establish why the train derailed. "It seems this unfortunate accident was caused by excess speed and a wheel breaking just before it entered the station," government spokesman Luis Felipe Martinez said. The four-carriage train was travelling on Valencia's Number One underground route, close to a junction with another line, and came off the rails between Plaza de Espana and Jesus stations. The train had passed a safety inspection just one week before the crash, Spain's EFE news agency reported. Carriages were busy as the accident occurred shortly after 1300 (1100 GMT) when many would have been heading home for lunch. The emergency services were alerted by a phone call from a trapped passenger, Spanish media reported. Last September three underground trains collided in Valencia on the same line, injuring 29 people. The accident comes days before Pope Benedict XVI is due to visit Valencia, with preparations being made for hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to use the city's public transport network. A Vatican spokesman said the Pope was quickly informed of the Valencia accident, and had offered prayers for the victims and their families. Have you been affected by this incident? If you have any information that you'd like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below. Send pictures and moving footage to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 07725 100 100. Name Your E-mail address Town & Country Phone number (optional): Comments
At least 43 people have died and at least 46 injured, 4 of whom are in critical condition, in a metro train crash in Spanish city of Valencia, according to the regional government. It has been reported that two of the carriages have derailed and overturned, leading to the evacuation of 150 passengers. A part of the wall in the tunnel between the Plaza de España and Jesús stations in the southwestern neighborhood of Patraix may have collapsed, causing the derailment of one of the carriages, which in turn caused the carriage behind it to overturn. Another theory put forth by subdelegate of the regional government Luis Felipe Martínez is that the wheels on one of the carriages fell off while the train was speeding. The same source has also confirmed that there are two overturned carriages. The fire department, paramedics and local police are on the scene after a passenger in the crashed train called the emergency services at about 1:03 p.m. CEST (1103 UTC). The authorities have closed the area to all road traffic and routes 1 and 2 of the Valencia metro system, which use the affected rail tracks, are shut down. The incident comes days before Pope Benedict XVI was due to visit Valencia for the World Meeting of the Families, expected to be attended by one million pilgrims.
E-Mail News Alerts Get breaking news and daily headlines. Browse all e-mail newsletters More Booze Banned After 2 Die, 83 Arrested At N.J. Concert Drinking In Parking Lot Banned POSTED: 9:25 am EDT August 17, 2007 Authorities are taking a tougher approach after a crackdown failed to stop underage drinking at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel. Effective Friday, alcohol is banned in the parking lot of the central New Jersey entertainment venue. The ban comes a day after two people died and more than 80 people were arrested Thursday night at an Ozzfest concert. Effective Friday, alcohol is banned in the parking lot of the central New Jersey entertainment venue. The ban comes a day after two people died and more than 80 people were arrested Thursday night at an Ozzfest concert. Police are investigating the deaths of two men, identified as Raymond Guarino, 26, of Forked River and Patrick Norris, 24, of Coram, N.Y. Police are investigating the deaths of two men, identified as Raymond Guarino, 26, of Forked River and Patrick Norris, 24, of Coram, N.Y. After possibly taking drugs and alcohol, both passed out in separate incidents at the concert, went into cardiac arrest and later died. State Police said the men were believed to have ingested cocaine, marijuana and alcohol prior to their deaths, and troopers who searched Guarino's vehicle found small amounts of both drugs. After possibly taking drugs and alcohol, both passed out in separate incidents at the concert, went into cardiac arrest and later died. State Police said the men were believed to have ingested cocaine, marijuana and alcohol prior to their deaths, and troopers who searched Guarino's vehicle found small amounts of both drugs. Eighty-three people were arrested during the concert; 59 were charged with underage drinking. Other charges included distribution of drugs, lewd behavior and providing alcohol to a minor. Eighty-three people were arrested during the concert; 59 were charged with underage drinking. Other charges included distribution of drugs, lewd behavior and providing alcohol to a minor. Authorities said the Ozzfest incidents were the latest in a long string of problems this season that led them to ban alcohol in the center's parking lot. Authorities said the Ozzfest incidents were the latest in a long string of problems this season that led them to ban alcohol in the center's parking lot. "This is a dramatic step to have to take, but one that is necessary given the potential consequences of such risky behavior," Gov. Jon S. Corzine said Friday. "This is a dramatic step to have to take, but one that is necessary given the potential consequences of such risky behavior," Gov. Jon S. Corzine said Friday. The first show to be affected will be a concert featuring Velvet Revolver, Alice in Chains and Kill Hannah, scheduled for Friday night. Signs on the Garden State Parkway will notify concertgoers of the alcohol ban. The first show to be affected will be a concert featuring Velvet Revolver, Alice in Chains and Kill Hannah, scheduled for Friday night. Signs on the Garden State Parkway will notify concertgoers of the alcohol ban. Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the Turnpike Authority, which owns the arts center, said the ban is effective no matter a person's age, so even those who can drink legally cannot bring alcohol onto the site; in the past, people over the legal drinking age have been allowed to bring alcohol to the center's parking lot and tailgate before and during concerts. Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the Turnpike Authority, which owns the arts center, said the ban is effective no matter a person's age, so even those who can drink legally cannot bring alcohol onto the site; in the past, people over the legal drinking age have been allowed to bring alcohol to the center's parking lot and tailgate before and during concerts. Depending on their age, violators face fines, expulsion from the premises and arrest. Depending on their age, violators face fines, expulsion from the premises and arrest. Alcohol will still be sold inside the center, which is located near the shore. Alcohol will still be sold inside the center, which is located near the shore. Kevin Coyne, of Sewell, N.J., who attended Ozzfest, said Friday that the all-day concert didn't seem particularly out of control to him, although he left around 5:30 p.m. and didn't spend much time in the parking lot. Kevin Coyne, of Sewell, N.J., who attended Ozzfest, said Friday that the all-day concert didn't seem particularly out of control to him, although he left around 5:30 p.m. and didn't spend much time in the parking lot. "To me it was just a normal concert. I didn't see anything that was out of the ordinary," said Coyne, who said the alcohol ban wouldn't keep him from going to shows in the future. "To me it was just a normal concert. I didn't see anything that was out of the ordinary," said Coyne, who said the alcohol ban wouldn't keep him from going to shows in the future. Coyne said many concertgoers seem to spend more time in the parking lot drinking than inside the venue watching the acts. Coyne said many concertgoers seem to spend more time in the parking lot drinking than inside the venue watching the acts. "People get there bright and early and get their party started," Coyne. "People get there bright and early and get their party started," Coyne. Another concertgoer said the alcohol ban might keep him from going to shows in the future. Another concertgoer said the alcohol ban might keep him from going to shows in the future. "My only chance to get drunk is in the parking lot, and they took that away from us," said Avi Miller, of Elizabeth, N.J. who said the beer prices inside the concert venue are too high. "My only chance to get drunk is in the parking lot, and they took that away from us," said Avi Miller, of Elizabeth, N.J. who said the beer prices inside the concert venue are too high. "They do go around the parking lot asking people for IDs. I don't understand why that's not enough," said Miller, who was at the Ozzfest show. "They do go around the parking lot asking people for IDs. I don't understand why that's not enough," said Miller, who was at the Ozzfest show. Miller had been planning to attend Friday night's Velvet Revolver show, but instead plans to go to Camden's Tweeter Center on the Waterfront on Monday, where the band was playing and alcohol is still allowed in the parking lot. Miller had been planning to attend Friday night's Velvet Revolver show, but instead plans to go to Camden's Tweeter Center on the Waterfront on Monday, where the band was playing and alcohol is still allowed in the parking lot. Orlando said state police have arrested more than 200 people at shows at the center in the past 10 days. Orlando said state police have arrested more than 200 people at shows at the center in the past 10 days. "We've tried to deal with it by enforcing the law, and people have thumbed their nose at it," he said. "So we're taking the only action we can." "We've tried to deal with it by enforcing the law, and people have thumbed their nose at it," he said. "So we're taking the only action we can." Some of the arrests Thursday also involved unruly behavior in the mosh pit. Concertgoers were charged with assault if they were flailing arms or legs in a way that would hurt others. Some of the arrests Thursday also involved unruly behavior in the mosh pit. Concertgoers were charged with assault if they were flailing arms or legs in a way that would hurt others. Ozzfest is a tour of heavy-metal bands started by rocker Ozzy Osbourne. Over the years it has showcased a number of up-and-coming bands, including Linkin Park and Incubus. Ozzfest is a tour of heavy-metal bands started by rocker Ozzy Osbourne. Over the years it has showcased a number of up-and-coming bands, including Linkin Park and Incubus. Authorities launched a crackdown on drinking after the season's first show in May because 13 young patrons had to be taken to hospitals with alcohol-related illnesses. The youngest was 11 years old. Authorities launched a crackdown on drinking after the season's first show in May because 13 young patrons had to be taken to hospitals with alcohol-related illnesses. The youngest was 11 years old. More than 90 patrons were arrested at the O.A.R concert on Saturday and 54 people were arrested at the Incubus show last Friday. More than 90 patrons were arrested at the O.A.R concert on Saturday and 54 people were arrested at the Incubus show last Friday. IMAGES IN THE NEWS © 2007 by WNBC.com The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| Two people died of overdoses during the day-long Ozzfest concert at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel Thursday, which also resulted in more than 80 arrests for underage drinking. Now, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is banning alcohol from the venue's parking lot. Police say they responded to a first aid call at 3:15 p.m. of a man in cardiac arrest. They reportedly performed CPR on and resuscitated 26-year-old Raymond Guarino, of Forked River. He was transported to Bayshore Medical Center, where authorities say he died at 11:25 p.m. Troopers received information that Guarino had injested cocaine, marijuana and alcohol prior to the incident. Small amounts of both drugs were reportedly fournd during a search of Guarino's vehicle. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of death, and whether the presence of drugs is detected. Around 10:00 p.m., troopers learned that another concertgoer, identified as 24-year-old Patrick Norris, of Coram, New York, had passed out at the concert and was transported to Bayshore in cardiac arrest. He was declared dead in the hospital. Police again received information that Norris had also injested cocaine, marijuana and alcohol before and during the show. Meanwhile, more than 80 people were arrested at the concert, including several for underage drinking and drug possession, as well as some for assault, resisting arrest, defiant trespass and lewd behavior. Authorities say the charges are similar to those recorded at other recent PNC concerts, including 92 arrests at an O.A.R. concert last Saturday and 54 at an Incubus show before that. Another concert, for Velvet Revolver, is scheduled for tonight. (Copyright ©2011 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more News »
Two men died and 83 were arrested at the New Jersey PNC Arts center, Holmdel the scene of this year's New Jersey Ozzfest, an annual travelling hard rock and heavy metal show. This year's Ozzfest includes Lordi, Static-X, Lamb of God and the show's namesake, Ozzy Osbourne. Raymond Guarino, 26, of Forked River, New Jersey collapsed at around 3:15 p.m. and went into cardiac arrest, following which he was resuscitated. He later died in a local hospital. It is believed his death was the result of his consumption of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol. An autopsy will be conducted to confirm the cause of death. Patrick Norris, 24 of Coram collapsed around 10:00 p.m. and was transported to the same hospital in cardiac arrest; he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police believe he too had consumed a combination of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol. In addition, New Jersey police arrested 83 people on various drugs and alcohol charges, including underage drinking, as well as charges of drug possession, assault, resisting arrest, defiant trespass and lewd behavior. The arrests are the result of a crackdown started after 13 youths were hospitalised at the venue, the youngest being 11 years-old. The crowd at today's event was too large for the 17,000 seat venue to accommodate, due mainly to the decision to make Ozzfest a free event this year. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority, who owns the venue, has imposed a permanent ban on consuming alcohol in the car park of the site. Previously, patrons had been allowed to bring their own alcohol and consume it there. Police arrested over 90 people on Saturday at an O.A.R concert, and 54 on Friday during an Incubus show. A Velvet Revolver concert is scheduled for later tonight. Over 300 people have been arrested at the site this week.
Beijing: China on Tuesday said it was still open to talks with the Dalai Lama so long as he recognised Tibet as a inalienable part of its territory even as it accused the Tibetan spiritual leader of inciting violence in Lhasa. "The door of dialogue still opens to Dalai, so long as he gives up the position for "Tibet Independence", so long as he recognises Tibet and Taiwan as inalienable parts of the Chinese territory," Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Tuesday at his maiden press conference after being elected to a second five-year term. Wen, who is the first top Chinese leader to speak on the violent protests against Chinese rule that erupted in Lahasa on Friday leaving at least 13 people dead, said the Dalai Lama's claim that China was engaged in "cultural genocide" in Tibet "is nothing but a lie". "Since the peaceful liberation and especially the democratic reform, Tibet has moved forward and become more developed," Wen told reporters after the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature. He said there was "plenty of evidence" to prove that the incident in Lhasa was "organised, premeditated, masterminded and instigated by the Dalai Lama clique". © Copyright 2008 PTI. All rights reserved. ||||| By AUDRA ANG, Associated Press Writers Tue Mar 18, 4:14 PM ET Wen Jiabao Dalai Lama Beijing Olympics BEIJING - Chinese Premieraccused supporters of theon Tuesday of organizing violent clashes in Tibet in hopes of sabotaging theand bolstering their campaign for independence in the Himalayan territory. The Dalai Lama urged his followers to remain peaceful, saying he would resign as head of the Tibetan government-in-exile if violence got out of control. But he also suggested China may have fomented unrest in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa and nearby provinces to discredit him. In striking an uncompromising line, Wen underscored the communist leadership's determination to restore order in Tibet and Tibetan areas of neighboring provinces. "There is ample fact — and we also have plenty of evidence — proving that this incident was organized, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique," he told reporters at his annual news conference at the end of China's national legislative session. "By staging that incident, they want to undermine the Beijing Olympic Games, and they also try to serve their hidden agenda by inciting such incidents," said Wen. He said Lhasa was returning to normal and "will be reopened to the rest of the world," but did not specify when. Independent reporting from the region was impossible because of China's tight control over information and a ban on trips to the area by foreign reporters. John Kenwood, a 19-year-old Canadian tourist who left Lhasa on Tuesday, said he saw street cleaners wearing orange vests emblazoned with the Beijing Olympics symbol. "When the fighting began, you saw no Chinese," said Kenwood as he arrived in Nepal. "Now you see no Tibetans on the streets. The young Tibetans are probably hiding." The Lhasa protests, led by Buddhist monks, began peacefully March 10, the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Tibet had been effectively independent for decades before Chinese communist troops imposed Beijing's control in 1950. The demonstrations took a violent turn Friday, leaving 16 people dead and dozens injured, according to the Chinese government. The Dalai Lama's government-in-exile in India contends 80 Tibetans died. The protests have focused world attention on China's human rights record ahead of the Olympics. The government had hoped the Aug. 8-24 games would burnish its image as a modernizing nation. The Dalai Lama, speaking in Dharmsala, India, seat of his government-in-exile, urged nonviolence. "I say to China and the Tibetans: Don't commit violence," he told reporters. He suggested the Chinese themselves may have had a hand in the upheaval to discredit him. "It's possible some Chinese agents are involved there," he said. "Sometimes totalitarian regimes are very clever, so it is important to investigate." If violence spirals out of control, he said his "only option is to completely resign" as head of the government-in-exile. A top aide said later the Dalai Lama would not give up his role as spiritual leader for Tibetan Buddhists. U.S. officials urged China to address Tibetans' grievances and to engage in direct talks with the Dalai Lama. "I do think that his statements point out the fact that he is not arguing for independence or separation from China. Quite the opposite, he is arguing for dialogue with the Chinese," said State Department spokesman Tom Casey. Chinese authorities pressed ahead with efforts to round up protesters in Lhasa. Witnesses said officials had been detaining people since the weekend. Duoji Zeren, vice governor of Tibet, was quoted on state television as saying authorities "would take determined methods to capture the primary suspects," but no details were given. Protests spilled over from Tibet into surrounding provinces in recent days, as police and soldiers set up checkpoints across a wide swath of western China. On Tuesday, thousands of Tibetans flooded the streets in Seda, in the southern Chinese province of Sichuan, according to the Tibet Center for Human Rights and Democracy. Activist groups also circulated graphic photographs of protesters who they said were massacred Sunday by Chinese police at Kirti monastery in Sichuan province. The images showed several men who were apparently shot and bodies covered in blood. There was no way to verify the authenticity of the photographs. ___ Associated Press writers Muneeza Naqvi in Katmandu, Nepal, and Gavin Rabinowitz in Dharmsala, India, contributed to this report. ||||| This TV grab from March 16 shows a boy being taken by force along a street in Lhasa China sees 'life or death struggle' in Tibet BEIJING (AFP) — China said Wednesday it was engaged in a "life or death struggle" over Tibet as dramatic footage emerged of Tibetan protesters rampaging on horseback and hoisting their national flag. With China deploying a massive security force to quash the uprising and sealing off the hotbed areas from foreign media, activists and a rights group warned hundreds of Tibetans believed arrested may be at risk of torture. Activist groups also released photos on Tuesday of eight dead Tibetans they said had been killed by Chinese forces at a protest in Sichuan province, saying it was proof of the brutal methods being used to quell the unrest. But amid the fierce international scrutiny and its image being tarnished ahead of the Beijing Olympics, China showed no signs of backing down in its controversial campaign to end the uprising against its 57-year rule of Tibet. "We are currently in an intensely bloody and fiery struggle with the Dalai Lama clique, a life or death struggle with the enemy," Tibet's Communist Party leader Zhang Qingli said in an editorial in the Tibet Daily on Wednesday. "As long as we... remain of one heart, turn the masses into a walled city and work together to attack the enemy, then we can safeguard social stability and achieve a full victory in this intense battle against separatism." The protests began in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa last week and escalated into deadly incidents on Friday. While blanket security of the city appeared to have stymied any further major protests there, Tibetans living in neighbouring and nearby provinces have continued to defy authorities and protest for independence of their homeland. China has tried to block foreign reporters from travelling into these regions, but Canadian TV said it was able to witness one of those protests on Tuesday in Gansu province, and showed dramatic footage of the unrest. In the broadcast, more than 1,000 ethnic Tibetans, some of them on horseback, charged into a remote town, attacking a government building, pulling down the Chinese flag at a school and hoisting the Tibetan one. Inside the town the crowd of Tibetans was repelled by about 100 heavily armed soldiers using tear gas, CTV said. CTV's story was posted on YouTube on Wednesday and could be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxm2obArsBs. China has insisted it has used no deadly force to quell the unrest, reporting that the only people who have died so far were 13 "innocent civilians" killed by rioters in Lhasa on Friday. However Tibet's parliament-in-exile said on Monday that "hundreds" of people had been killed in the Chinese crackdown. Activists also pointed to photos said to be of dead Tibetans from a protest on Sunday in Ngawa, in southwest China's Sichuan province, as proof that Chinese forces were using lethal force. The photos purportedly showed different men and at least one woman who appeared to be dead, with a bullet wound over the heart of one man. The body of another man is lying naked on a plastic sheet saturated in blood. The veracity of the photos could not be independently verified by AFP. Meanwhile on Wednesday, China's official Xinhua news agency said 105 Tibetan "rioters" in Lhasa had surrendered by late Tuesday night, following a midnight Monday deadline to turn themselves in. But exiled groups and rights activists said at least hundreds of Tibetans had been detained and were at risk of torture amid a sweep by Chinese security forces throughout Tibet and other hotspot areas. "It seems like there are many hundreds of arrests at least, possibly thousands, across the country," Lhadon Tethong, director of Students for a Free Tibet, told AFP, as other groups gave similar tallies. Human Rights Watch warned those in custody were at great risk of being tortured. "Given the long and well-documented history of torture of political activists by China's security forces there is every reason to fear for the safety of those recently detained," said Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch's Asia director. A male official with the public security bureau in Lhasa would not comment on the surrenders or reported arrests on Wednesday and told AFP not to call back. The protests began in Lhasa last week to mark the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Chinese authorities have repeatedly accused Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who fled his homeland after the 1959 uprising, of masterminding the latest unrest. But the Nobel Peace laureate, 72, has repeatedly insisted he does not want independence, but an end to what he has said is widespread repression in his homeland. China's officially annexed Tibet in 1951, a year after sending troops in to "liberate" the region. ||||| China says door still open for talks with Dalai Lama Beijing (PTI): Buckling under intense international pressure, China on Tuesday said it was still open to talks with the Dalai Lama whom it accused of "masterminding" the pro-independence protests in Lhasa and elsewhere as Tibet remained virtually cut off after Friday's widespread violence. "The door of dialogue still opens to the Dalai Lama so long as he gives up the position for 'Tibet Independence', and so long as he recognises Tibet and Taiwan as inalienable parts of the Chinese territory," Premier Wen Jiabao said at a press conference here after being elected for a second term. He was asked if China would invite the Dalai Lama for direct talks on the vexed Tibet issue. "We mean what we say. We need to watch what the Dalai Lama does. It is up to him," said Wen who is the first top Chinese leader to speak on the most violent protests against Chinese rule in two decades that erupted in Lhasa on Friday leaving at least 13 people dead. Wen said Dalai Lama's claims that he pursues peaceful dialogue and not Tibet independence were "nothing but lies". "We have ample facts and plenty of evidence to prove that the riots in Lhasa were organised, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique," Wen said, stepping up the offensive against the 1989 Nobel laureate. The International community led by US had pressed China, which has been rattled by the vicious protests ahead of the Olympic games in August, to show restrain in handling the stir and start dialogue with the Dalai Lama. "We have really urged the Chinese over several years to find a way to talk with the Dalai Lama, who is a figure of authority, who is not a separatist, and to find a way to engage him and bring his moral weight to a more sustainable and better solution of the Tibet issue," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday. ||||| A Tibetan man in Aba, Sichuan province described the atmosphere in the area on Tuesday. In our area, we believe the number of deaths has reached 17. I know one of the dead, a girl. I know who her father and mother are. She went to Tibetan Upper Middle School here. Earlier today, the whole town was teeming with police and soldiers. All the shops have been closed. There are no arrests that I know of. I also don't think anything is happening at the monastery here. But there is tension everywhere. People are anticipating that something big is going to happen. I don't know what but we are anxious. A Chinese businessman who wishes to remain anonymous described the scene in Lhasa on Monday. On Monday we were allowed to go on the street along Beijing East Road and even Jiangsu Road. Barkhor Square is still full of trucks at the moment. The army let people go in and out only if they have the temporary residential permits. The road checks are very frequent and we were requested to show our identity cards or passports at many places. You can tell from their gestures that the army might not be well-trained in checking passports. We walked down the Beijing East Road and saw for the first time the destruction of the riot. It's simply a mess - many passers-by tried to take pictures with their mobile phones but were politely requested to delete the photos, if found by the army. Most of the Chinese and Hui Muslim places were targeted, many Hui Muslim beef shops were burnt, also stationery shops, banks, a wholesale market at Tsomtsikhang (one of the most important Tibetan markets, where many shops are owned by Chinese and Hui Muslims). The foreign-owned Dunya was okay but another foreign-owned French restaurant had been smashed with stones. A Tibetan lady who run a small Indian-imported goods shop said it was really bad on the day of riots - some people went into her shop, not to destroy her shop but just to rob it. She told the rioters that she wasn't going to survive if she couldn't run this shop, then the Tibetan rioters left the place. She said she was so scared because many people were carrying long knives. Most of the Chinese and Hui Muslim places were targeted It was good to see many friends. Most of my friends' places were okay except one lady from Beijing. Her souvenir shop in Mentsikhang Road (Tibetan Hospital Road) was looted. She is still in Beijing now and is worrying about the shop. Many shops put white scarves (called Kata in Tibetan) outside to signify a respect for things Tibetan and many shops survived perhaps because of the power of Kata. We even went into two restaurants to have some real food instead of instant noodles. That was good. We came back to the hostel at around 9pm but the road was blocked again, the army said they had a special order to block the road every day after 7pm. At first they didn't want to let us in, but after seeing our identity cards and consulting their patrol leader, we were finally allowed back. Swiss tourist Claude Balsiger told the BBC's Charles Haviland in Nepal about the violence he witnessed in Lhasa and the atmosphere in the city as he left. These are a selection of his comments. We were in the centre of Lhasa when the first demonstrations happened on Monday 10 March. We saw the first civilian persons getting arrested on Tuesday on Barkhor Square right downtown. From their faces [the soldiers] looked about 16 or 17 years old, with bayonets and always with fingers on the trigger. That's what made us really nervous. There was lots of tension and heaps of soldiers, police, undercover police, secret police everywhere. They followed us back to the hotels. That was all before the riots on Friday. On Friday I was having tea in a cafe above Barkhor Square. At about 1230 I walked down across the square and popped out on Beijing East Road and there were three army trucks which dropped off about 30-40 soldiers. The soldiers were already trying to shelter in a small alleyway because there was a crowd of about 500 people throwing stones. That took about four or five minutes until they had to retreat and they ran for their lives down the alleyway. I was personally there when they [the crowd] started beating up an old Chinese man on a bicycle. They hit his head really hard with stones. And some old Tibetan people went into the crowd and made them stop. But after that it just went insane. It was mainly young people but the young people were in the action and the older ones were just supporting them with screaming. They were making a wolf sound, howling like wolves. The Tibetans I talked to were talking of over 100 Tibetans killed and 1,000 arrested. The atmosphere in the last couple of days has been really, really tense. Yesterday we were allowed out onto the streets for the first time. There were military checkpoints every 10-15m. We had to keep our passports to show everyone. I was in front of Beijing East Road. Across the street there was a Chinese couple taking pictures of soldiers. Every soldier had the bayonet on his rifle and one of the soldiers saw that, aimed his weapon at them, loaded the weapon and ran across the street to them. He brought them to his office to erase those pictures. The police and military were out in force in Lhasa after the protests There were a few police, paramilitary, heaps of army. On Beijing East Road there may have been 20 tanks with soldiers on them. The soldiers were really young and nervous. From their faces they looked about 16 or 17 years old, with bayonets and always with fingers on the trigger. That's what made us really nervous. Everyone is really, really scared. Even during the riots when there was no police around, no one would really talk to you. Everyone was trying to keep quiet because they are all really afraid. We wanted to leave because everyone was really afraid of a crackdown on Monday night after the end of the ultimatum. ||||| Dalai Lama Decries Violence, Threatens to Resign NPR.org, The Dalai Lama on Tuesday decried violent protests in China-controlled Tibet, threatening to resign as the head of the territory's government-in-exile if the bloodshed isn't brought under control. Meanwhile, China's premier Wen Jiabao denounced the Dalai Lama's supporters in Tibet as separatists and blamed them for initiating the bloodshed that has left at least 16 people — and as many as 80 — dead, according to reports from Chinese authorities and the Tibetan government in exile. Wen accused the protesters of wanting to sabotage of the upcoming Beijing-hosted Olympic games. Speaking to reporters from his base in Dharamsala, India, the Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, urged his countrymen to show restraint. He said that "if things become out of control," his "only option is to completely resign." Later, one of his top aides clarified the Dalai Lama's comments. "If the Tibetans were to choose the path of violence, he would have to resign because he is completely committed to nonviolence," Tenzin Taklha said. "He would resign as the political leader and head of state, but not as the Dalai Lama. He will always be the Dalai Lama." The recent protests in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, led by monks, began peacefully March 10 on the anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule that prompted the Dalai Lama's flight to India in 1959. But the demonstrations grew increasingly violent, culminating Friday with widespread street violence. While the situation inside Tibet remains unclear, much of the violence appears to have been committed by Tibetans attacking ethnic Han Chinese, the majority ethnicity in China. Since Friday, worries have grown that Chinese troops trying to reassert control over Lhasa were exacting retribution against the Tibetans. The Dalai Lama also called on Tibetan exiles beginning a six-month march from India to Lhasa to stop their march at the border. "Will you get independence? What's the use?" he asked. On Tuesday, the India-based Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy said thousands of Tibetans converged in the streets in Seda, a county seat in the southern province of Sichuan, and the situation was "extremely tense." Sichuan, which borders Tibet, has seen other sympathy protests in recent days. From NPR reports and The Associated Press ||||| We've noticed you're adblocking. We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. Thank you for your support. ||||| CHINESE police in central Lhasa have rounded up hundreds of Tibetans suspected of participating in anti-Chinese violence, as a deadline for protesters to surrender passed, exile groups and residents have reported. Witnesses said four open army trucks carrying dozens of handcuffed Tibetan prisoners drove in convoy along Lhasa's main road, Britain's Times reported. The large-scale arrests and official promises of tough reprisals suggest that the Chinese Government has decided to crush the protests despite calls for restraint from abroad and warnings that heavy-handed repression could taint the Beijing Olympics in August Tibet's Governor, Champa Phuntsok, said detainees who showed remorse and informed on others who had been part of the week-long unrest would be rewarded with better treatment. However, Buddhist monks and other Tibetans who set fire to Chinese-owned shops and attacked Han Chinese businessmen on Friday would be "dealt with harshly", Mr Phuntsok told a news conference in Beijing. Urgen Tenzin, the executive director of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, in India, said about 600 Tibetans had been arrested on Monday by a police sweep that lasted most of the day. One Han Chinese resident, contacted by telephone, said a squad of policemen had knocked on the door of his Lhasa home and demanded to see national identity cards and residence permits for all those inside. A bank officer said police entered his city-centre branch and required employees to show their identity cards and answer questions about their residence and activities. "We must give them tit for tat and firmly counter-attack," said an editorial in the Communist Party's official newspaper in Lhasa, the Tibet Daily. In provinces outside China's Tibet Autonomous Region, protests continued to percolate. A group of Tibetan college students, heads downcast, sat silently in the middle of a football field in Lanzhou, Gansu province, on Monday as nervous officials, teachers and plainclothes security officers watched from the sidelines. One official walked onto the field to try to press the students to return to their dormitories, and then walked off again. On Sunday about 500 students staged a sit-in at Northwest University for Nationalities in Gansu. About 50 students stayed throughout the night. "They're commemorating their family members who have been killed in Lhasa," said a student with a knapsack decorated with Tibetan embroidery. "It's not convenient to talk now," he added, before slipping a visitor his mobile phone number. The Washington Post
Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama, urges Tibetans to stop the violence. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, has vowed to step down from his position if things "get out of control" in Tibet, where violent demonstrations against China have killed anywhere from 13 to 100 people. At a news conference in Dharamsala, India, the Dalai Lama said he was opposed to the use of violence against China's rule. "Violence is almost suicide," he said. "Even if 1,000 Tibetans sacrifice their lives, it will not help." However, he acknowledges that many radical Tibetans have criticized his policy of non-violence, and says that his only option is to "completely resign" if the bloodshed continues. After making these statements, his secretary Tenzin Taklha said it would be impossible for him to resign as Tibet's spiritual leader, and that he will only be able to resign as their political leader. "If the Tibetans were to choose the path of violence, he would have to resign because he is completely committed to nonviolence," Taklha said. "He would resign as the political leader and head of state, but not as the Dalai Lama. He will always be the Dalai Lama." The Dalai Lama responded to accusations made by China's premier, Wen Jiabao, who said there was evidence proving that the riots were "organised, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique". The Dalai Lama asked Chinese officials to come to his headquarters in Dharamsala and investigate. "Check our various offices," he said. "They can examine my pulse, my urine, my stool, everything." He also suggested that the Chinese themselves may have orchestrated the protests as a way to discredit him. "It's possible some Chinese agents are involved there," the Dalai Lama said. "Sometimes totalitarian regimes are very clever, so it is important to investigate." Wen Jiabao, the Chinese Premier, says the protests were orchestrated by the "Dalai clique". Wen Jiabao's remarks came at an annual news conference at the end of China's national legislative session. He said the intent of the riots was to "undermine the Beijing Olympic Games" and "serve their hidden agenda". He added, "This has all the more revealed that the consistent claims made by the Dalai clique that they pursue not independence but peaceful dialogue are nothing but lies." Wen said China will be open to negotiation with the Dalai Lama if he recognizes Tibet and Taiwan as "inalienable parts of the Chinese territory". The Dalai Lama responded by inviting Wen to speak with him. "If the Chinese side ... accepts the reality and addresses the Tibetan problem realistically, within a few hours we can solve this problem," he said. Although China suspects the Dalai Lama and his followers wish to break away from Chinese control, Tenzin Gyatso said that "independence is out of the question" and instead advocated greater autonomy within China. "We should not develop anti-Chinese feelings," he said. "We must live together side by side." He said he plans to meet with Tibetan exiles who are currently marching from India to Lhasa, as he believes their ambitions to be futile. "Will you get independence? What's the use?" he asked, calling for them to stop at the border. Meanwhile, China continued with efforts to arrest those involved in the Lhasa demonstrations, after a midnight deadline for protesters to turn themselves in passed without any apparent surrenders. Witnesses reported 4 army trucks carrying off dozens of handcuffed prisoners. Urgen Tenzin, executive director of the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy, said about 600 Tibetans were arrested Monday. Police were seen patrolling the streets of Lhasa, carrying batons or rifles and checking for identification papers. "When the fighting began, you saw no Chinese," said John Kenwood, a Canadian tourist. "Now you see no Tibetans on the streets. The young Tibetans are probably hiding." The protests, which began in Lhasa, have since spread to neighboring provinces. In Aba, Sichuan, one witness reported 17 deaths. "Earlier today, the whole town was teeming with police and soldiers," he said. "All the shops have been closed. There are no arrests that I know of ... People are anticipating that something big is going to happen." Elsewhere in Sichuan, thousands of Tibetans turned out in the streets of Seda, according to the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy. The international community has repeatedly urged China to use restraint in dealing with protesters, and to start talks with the Dalai Lama. United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Monday, "We have really urged the Chinese over several years to find a way to talk with the Dalai Lama, who is a figure of authority, who is not a separatist, and to find a way to engage him and bring his moral weight to a more sustainable and better solution of the Tibet issue."
Published: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - Two Canadians have been killed and three injured in Afghanistan in two separate attacks, a military official says in Kandahar. Col. Mike Cessford, deputy commander of the Canadian contingent in Afghanistan, says the two roadside bomb explosions happened west of Kandahar city. He says the injured soldiers are in stable condition. He did not say where the soldiers are from, but during a service in New Brunswick, Lt.-Col. Paul Kearney says the unit involved is from Petawawa, Ont. The news comes the same day bodies of six Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan last Sunday are to arrive in Trenton, Ont. Earlier today, military officials reported 10 Afghan civilians were injured when a suicide car bomber targeted a Canadian military convoy west of Kandahar city. But Canadian military spokesman Lt. John Nethercott said no soldiers were hurt. The bomb damaged a Canadian Forces tanker truck. © The Canadian Press 2007 ||||| Two more Canadians killed in Afghanistan Canadian Press KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — As six of its war dead were solemnly returned to Canada, a pair of roadside bombs killed two more Canadian soldiers Wednesday, signalling an apparent escalation of violence in a battle-scarred corner of Afghanistan. Three Canadians were injured in the latest attacks — one was in hospital with serious injuries but in stable condition; the other two suffered minor injuries. The full text of this article has 1296 words. To continue reading this article, you will need to purchase this article. Already have a member account? Login now ||||| Two Canadian soldiers were killed and three were injured in two separate roadside bombings in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the military has confirmed. Master Cpl. Allan Stewart, 30, and Trooper Patrick James Pentland, 23, of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, were based in Petawawa, Ont. The attacks happened within hours of each other, in locations less than one kilometre apart, said Col. Mike Cessford, the deputy commander of the Canadian contingent in Afghanistan. One of the three wounded Canadian soldiers, centre, is helped into the military hospital in Kandahar after the Wednesday bombings. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press) Their injured colleagues were in stable condition. "As you can appreciate, our thoughts are with the families of the soldiers that we have lost," Cessford told reporters in Kandahar after the attacks. "All soldiers are thinking of these families." He said the bombings occurred about 38 kilometres west of Kandahar on Wednesday night. The second bomb, which exploded next to a Canadian military vehicle, took the greatest toll — killing the two soldiers and injuring two. The soldiers hit in the second bombing were attempting to help their colleagues who were struck by the first bomb, the Canadian Defence Department said in a news release. The first bombing, which also occurred next to a Canadian military vehicle, injured one soldier. Col. Mike Cessford answers reporters' questions at the Canadian military base in Kandahar. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press) Cessford said all three injured soldiers were taken by helicopter to a military hospital in Kandahar. Cessford would not elaborate on the attacks or say what type of vehicles the soldiers had been in. There was a third bomb attack on Canadian soldiers on Wednesday, at about noon, but no one was injured, said Chris Brown of CBC News, reporting from Kandahar. Canada has now lost 53 soldiers and one diplomat in Afghanistan since the mission began in 2002. Latest deaths follow Easter casualties The latest casualties came just three days after six soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the troubled country. The bodies of the six arrived at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in southeastern Ontario on Wednesday night. The six were killed Sunday when their armoured vehicle struck a roadside bomb west of the city of Kandahar, resulting in the worst single-day loss of life for the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan. On Wednesday, Brown reported that many soldiers in Afghanistan went to bed Wednesday night unaware their colleagues had been injured or killed. Brown predicted the soldiers will be devastated when they wake up Thursday morning and hear the news. "It's really going to be a body blow," Brown said. "Canada has had bad weeks [in Afghanistan], but this is really looking like the worst."
Military officials have confirmed that two Canadian soldiers were killed in two separate road-side bombings targeting the same convoy within hours of each other in southern Afghanistan Wednesday night. The bombings occurred about 38 kilometres west of Kandahar said Colonel Mike Cessford, deputy commander of Task Force Afghanistan in a late-night briefing. Another three were injured but according to reports they are in stable condition. A Canadian Forces tanker truck was damaged. All the soldiers are from CFB Petawawa in Petawawa, Ontario. A bomb also exploded at around noon but no one sustained injuries. The two road-side bombings took place in the same general area, about a kilometre apart. In the first incident a soldier was injured, while the second road-side bomb, approximately two hours later, killed the two soldiers. The names of the dead soldiers are being withheld until the families are notified. Colonel Cessford provided the details to reporters in Kandahar Thursday morning. "There was a significant separation between the two incidents," said Cessford. "These were two separate vehicles from two separate areas that were in roughly the same area." Six Canadian soldiers that were killed in southern Afghanistan last Sunday were returned to CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario today. 53 Canadian soldiers have been killed in the war-torn country since 2002.
Amy Winehouse, the beehived soul-jazz diva whose self-destructive habits overshadowed a distinctive musical talent, was found dead Saturday in her London home, police said. She was 27. "Everyone who was involved with Amy is shocked and devastated. Our thoughts are with her family and friends," said Chris Goodman, a spokesman for her publicity representatives. He said her family will issue a statement when they are ready. The British singer's record label, Universal, confirmed her death. "We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer," the statement read. "Our prayers go out to Amy's family, friends and fans at this difficult time." Her father, Mitch Winehouse, himself a musician, had just flown to New York to perform two shows at the Blue Note jazz club, but learned the news upon arrival and immediately flew back to the U.K. Singer and actress Kelly Osbourne, who helped Winehouse check into a drug addiction treatment facility in 2008, was one of many who grieved for the singer on Twitter. "I cant even breath right now im crying so hard i just lost 1 of my best friends. i love you forever Amy and will never forget the real you!" she tweeted. Winehouse shot to fame with the album "Back to Black," whose blend of jazz, soul, rock and classic pop was a global hit. It won five Grammys and made Winehouse — with her black beehive hairdo and old-fashioned sailor tattoos — one of music's most recognizable stars. Police confirmed that a 27-year-old female was pronounced dead at the home in Camden Square northern London; the cause of death was not immediately known. London Ambulance Services said Winehouse had died before the two ambulance crews it sent arrived at the scene. TMZ.com later reported that there may have been some signs of life when the crew arrived, but that Winehouse died before she could be taken to the hospital. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday, TMZ.com reports. Photographs show that her body was taken out of the home under a red blanket. "I didn't go out looking to be famous," Winehouse told the Associated Press when "Back to Black" was released. "I'm just a musician." But in the end, the music was overshadowed by fame, and by Winehouse's demons. Tabloids lapped up the erratic stage appearances, drunken fights, stints in hospital and rehab clinics. Performances became shambling, stumbling train wrecks, watched around the world on the Internet. Born in 1983 to taxi driver Mitch Winehouse and his pharmacist wife Janis, Winehouse grew up in the north London suburbs, and was set on a showbiz career from an early age. When she was 10, she and a friend formed a rap group, Sweet 'n' Sour — Winehouse was Sour — that she later described as "the little white Jewish Salt 'n' Pepa." She attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, a factory for British music and acting moppets, later went to the Brit School, a performing arts academy in the "Fame" mold, and was originally signed to "Pop Idol" svengali Simon Fuller's 19 Management. But Winehouse was never a packaged teen star, and always resisted being pigeonholed. Her jazz-influenced 2003 debut album, "Frank," was critically praised and sold well in Britain. It earned Winehouse an Ivor Novello songwriting award, two Brit nominations and a spot on the shortlist for the Mercury Music Prize. But Winehouse soon expressed dissatisfaction with the disc, saying she was "only 80 percent behind" the album. "Frank" was followed by a slump during which Winehouse broke up with her boyfriend, suffered a long period of writer's block and, she later said, smoked a lot of marijuana. Winehouse just latest musician to die at 27 "I had writer's block for so long," she said in 2007. "And as a writer, your self-worth is literally based on the last thing you wrote. .. I used to think, 'What happened to me?' "At one point it had been two years since the last record and (the record company) actually said to me, 'Do you even want to make another record?' I was like, 'I swear it's coming.' I said to them, 'Once I start writing I will write and write and write. But I just have to start it.'" 'Back to Black' led to fame The album she eventually produced was a sensation. Released in Britain in the fall of 2006, "Back to Black" brought Winehouse global fame. Working with producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi and soul-funk group the Dap-Kings, Winehouse fused soul, jazz, doo-wop and, above all, a love of the girl-groups of the early 1960s with lyrical tales of romantic obsession and emotional excess. "Back to Black" was released in the United States in March 2007 and went on to win five Grammy awards, including song and record of the year for "Rehab." ||||| LONDON -- Amy Winehouse, the beehived soul-jazz diva whose self-destructive habits overshadowed a distinctive musical talent, was found dead Saturday in her London home, police said. It is suspected that the 27-year-old died from a drug overdose, Sky News reports. Winehouse shot to fame with the album "Back to Black," whose blend of jazz, soul, rock and classic pop was a global hit. It won five Grammys and made Winehouse -- with her black beehive hairdo and old-fashioned sailor tattoos -- one of music's most recognizable stars. Police confirmed that a 27-year-old female was pronounced dead at the home in Camden Square northern London; the cause of death was not immediately known. London Ambulance Services said Winehouse had died before the two ambulance crews it sent arrived at the scene. An ambulance could be seen parked beneath the trees outside her London home, and the whole street was cordoned off by police tape. Officers kept onlookers away from the scene. Last month, Winehouse canceled her European comeback tour after she swayed and slurred her way through barely recognizable songs in her first show in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. Booed and jeered off stage, she flew home and her management said she would take time off to recover. "I didn't go out looking to be famous," Winehouse told the Associated Press when "Back to Black" was released. "I'm just a musician." But in the end, the music was overshadowed by fame, and by Winehouse's demons. Tabloids lapped up the erratic stage appearances, drunken fights, stints in hospital and rehab clinics. Performances became shambling, stumbling train wrecks, watched around the world on the Internet. Born in 1983 to taxi driver Mitch Winehouse and his pharmacist wife Janis, Winehouse grew up in the north London suburbs, and was set on a showbiz career from an early age. When she was 10, she and a friend formed a rap group, Sweet 'n' Sour -- Winehouse was Sour -- that she later described as "the little white Jewish Salt 'n' Pepa." She attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, a factory for British music and acting moppets, later went to the Brit School, a performing arts academy in the "Fame" mold, and was originally signed to "Pop Idol" svengali Simon Fuller's 19 Management. But Winehouse was never a packaged teen star, and always resisted being pigeonholed. Her jazz-influenced 2003 debut album, "Frank," was critically praised and sold well in Britain. It earned Winehouse an Ivor Novello songwriting award, two Brit nominations and a spot on the shortlist for the Mercury Music Prize. But Winehouse soon expressed dissatisfaction with the disc, saying she was "only 80 percent behind" the album. "Frank" was followed by a slump during which Winehouse broke up with her boyfriend, suffered a long period of writer's block and, she later said, smoked a lot of marijuana. "I had writer's block for so long," she said in 2007. "And as a writer, your self-worth is literally based on the last thing you wrote. .. I used to think, 'What happened to me?' "At one point it had been two years since the last record and (the record company) actually said to me, 'Do you even want to make another record?' I was like, 'I swear it's coming.' I said to them, 'Once I start writing I will write and write and write. But I just have to start it."' The album she eventually produced was a sensation. Released in Britain in the fall of 2006, "Back to Black" brought Winehouse global fame. Working with producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi and soul-funk group the Dap-Kings, Winehouse fused soul, jazz, doo-wop and, above all, a love of the girl-groups of the early 1960s with lyrical tales of romantic obsession and emotional excess. "Back to Black" was released in the United States in March 2007 and went on to win five Grammy awards, including song and record of the year for "Rehab." Music critic John Aizlewood attributed her trans-Atlantic success to a fantastic voice and a genuinely original sound. A lot of British bands fail in America because they give America something Americans do better -- that's why most British hip-hop has failed," he said. "But they won't have come across anything quite like Amy Winehouse." Winehouse's rise was helped by her distinctive look -- black beehive of hair, thickly lined cat eyes, girly tattoos -- and her tart tongue. She was famously blunt in her assessment of her peers, once describing Dido's sound as "background music -- the background to death" and saying of pop princess Kylie Minogue, "she's not an artist ... she's a pony." The songs on "Black to Black" detailed breakups and breakdowns with a similar frankness. Lyrically, as in life, Winehouse wore her heart on her sleeve. "I listen to a lot of '60s music, but society is different now," Winehouse said in 2007. "I'm a young woman and I'm going to write about what I know." Even then, Winehouse's performances were sometimes shambolic, and she admitted she is "a terrible drunk." Increasingly, her personal life began to overshadow her career. She acknowledged struggling with eating disorders and told a newspaper that she had been diagnosed as manic depressive but refused to take medication. Soon accounts of her erratic behavior, canceled concerts and drink- and drug-fueled nights began to multiply. Photographs caught her unsteady on her feet or vacant-eyed, and she appeared unhealthily thin, with scabs on her face and marks on her arms. There were embarrassing videos released to the world on the Internet. One showed an addled Winehouse and Babyshambles singer Pete Doherty playing with newborn mice. Another, for which Winehouse apologized, showed her singing a racist ditty to the tune of a children's song. Winehouse's managers went to increasingly desperate lengths to keep the wayward star on the straight and narrow. Though she was often reported to be working on new material, fans got tired of waiting for the much-promised followup to "Back to Black." Occasional bits of recording saw the light of day. Her rendition of The Zutons' "Valerie" was a highlight of producer Mark Ronson's 2007 album "Version," and she recorded the pop classic "It's My Party" for the 2010 Quincy Jones album "Q: Soul Bossa Nostra." But other recording projects with Ronson, one of the architects of the success of "Back to Black," came to nothing. She also had run-ins with the law. In April 2008, Winehouse was cautioned by police for assault after she slapped a man during a raucous night out. The same year she was investigated by police, although not charged, after a tabloid newspaper published a video that appeared to show her smoking crack cocaine. In 2010, Winehouse pleaded guilty to assaulting a theater manager who asked her to leave a family Christmas show because she'd had too much to drink. She was given a fine and a warning to stay out of trouble by a judge who praised her for trying to clean up her act. In May 2007 in Miami, she married music industry hanger-on Blake Fielder-Civil, but the honeymoon was brief. That November, Fielder-Civil was arrested for an attack on a pub manager the year before. Fielder-Civil later pleaded guilty to assaulting barman James King and then offering him $400,000 to keep quiet about it. Winehouse stood by "my Blake" throughout his trial, often blowing kisses at him from the court's public gallery and wearing a heart-shaped pin labeled "Blake" in her hair at concerts. But British newspapers reported extramarital affairs while Fielder-Civil was behind bars. They divorced in 2009. Winehouse's health often appeared fragile. In June 2008 and again in April 2010, she was taken to hospital and treated for injuries after fainting and falling at home. Her father said she had developed the lung disease emphysema from smoking cigarettes and crack, although her spokeswoman later said Winehouse only had "early signs of what could lead to emphysema." She left the hospital to perform at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday concert in Hyde Park in June 2008, and at the Glastonbury festival the next day, where she received a rousing reception but scuffled with a member of the crowd. Then it was back to a London clinic for treatment, continuing the cycle of music, excess and recuperation that marked her career. ||||| Amy Winehouse Found Dead In London Home Singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead at her home in Camden, north London, at the age of 27, police have confirmed. To view this content you need Flash and Javascript enabled in your browser. Please download Flash from the Adobe download website. Sky's home affairs correspondent Mark White says it is believed the singer died of a suspected drug overdose but officially her death is being treated as "unexplained." The London Ambulance Service was called to her flat just after 4pm but were unable to save her life. Sky sources said the singer was "beyond help" when paramedics arrived. Superintendent Raj Kohli of the Metropolitan police, said inquiries into her death were continuing: "On arrival, officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene...I can confirm that the deceased is Amy Winehouse." A section of the street on which she lived had been cordoned off by police as fans gathered. A spokesman for Amy Winehouse said: "Everyone involved with Amy is shocked and devasted. Our thoughts are with her family and friends. The family will issue a statement when ready." Singer Michelle Gayle told Sky News that Amy's father Mitch was "devastated." He is flying back to the UK from New York where he had been due to perform. The Back To Black artist had cancelled all tour dates and engagements last month after a series of erratic public appearances. Her final show was in Belgrade in June where she was jeered by fans after a shambolic performance. She had appeared briefly on stage with her goddaughter Dionne Bromfield on Wednesday night. Her record label, Universal, paid tribute to the star: "We are deeply saddened at the sudden loss of such a gifted musician, artist and performer." Amy Winehouse performing in 2006 She had been troubled by drink and drugs problems throughout her career. Producer Mark Ronson, who had worked closely with Amy Winehouse said she was "his musical soulmate." Tributes to the singer have also been posted on Twitter. Sarah Brown, the wife of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said her death was a "terrible waste of a great talent." Kelly Osbourne tweeted that she had "just lost 1 of my best friends" and fellow singer Lily Allen said Amy Winehouse's death was "beyond sad." The managers of the singer's favourite pub,the Hawley Arms in Camden, told Sky News they were "devastated, she was a great friend." ||||| NEWS RELEASE From Press Bureau at New Scotland Yard - last updated Sun 24/4/11 12:27 ( Please refresh the page to ensure you see the latest update) Telephone: 020 7230 2171 Witness appeal following assault, E1 Detectives in Tower Hamlets continue to appeal for witnesses following a serious assault leaving a man in a critical condition. Police were initially called at 01.24 hrs on Saturday 23 April to Brick Lane, E1, to reports of man being assaulted. Officers attended the scene but no victim could be located. At approximately 03.00hrs officers were subsequently contacted by the London Ambulance Service who had taken a man suffering serious head injuries to hospital. The 23-year-old man had been found unconscious in Pitfield Street, N1. He victim remains in an east London hospital with serious head injuries. His condition is described as critical. A male suspect was seen leaving the area where the assault took place and was heading south along Brick Lane. He is described as a black man, of Somali appearance, aged between 20 to 25 years-old. No arrests have been made and enquiries continue. Detectives are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information on the assault to contact them. Detective Sergeant Ian Harkes of Tower Hamlets police said: "This would appear to be an unprovoked and vicious attack on a young man who was out enjoying the friendly local atmosphere that Brick Lane normally offers and would urge anyone who was in the area to contact police." Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room at Limehouse Police Station on 020 7275 4546, or if you wish to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. IMPORTANT NOTE: This site is for the use of media organisations only. Media organisations should not publish links to this site.
Winehouse performing in in 2007 British singer died today in her London home in Camden Square, aged 27. The cause of death is not yet known and is being treated as "unexplained", according to the metropolitan police. "On arrival, officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene", said a police statement on their website. An ambulance was called to her address where paramedics reported her dead on the scene at around 16:00 local time (15:00 UTC) in London. Winehouse previously had problems with drugs and alcohol and checked herself out of rehab in June.
Nuke talks constructive: Iran IRAN'S chief nuclear negotiator said today that proposals offered to Iran from six world powers to end a nuclear stand-off had some positive points but also some "ambiguities" that had to be taken out. The incentives, which aim to defuse a stand-off over Iran's nuclear programme by persuading Tehran to halt uranium enrichment, were handed over by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. "The proposals had some positive steps in them and some ambiguities which should be removed," Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said after meeting Solana. His comments were broadcast on state television as he stood next to Solana. Television did not broadcast any remarks by the EU foreign policy chief. "We hope, after we study the proposal in detail, we will have another round of talks and negotiations to achieve a balanced and logical conclusion," Mr Larijani said. The West accuses Iran of seeking to build atomic bombs, a charge Tehran denies. Iran in the past said it would not give up uranium enrichment, a process that has both civilian and military uses. "We had constructive negotiations," Mr Larijani said. "It is a framework for co-operation." The initiative was put together by the three biggest EU states – Britain, France and Germany – and then approved by the US, China and Russia. "We view the European countries' determination for resolving the issue through issue negotiation as a correct step and we welcome it," Mr Larijani said. Have your say Print this story Also in Breaking News Vic Libs to make kindy 'free' Phone porn crackdown planned Ailing Wall Street stumbles East Timor pleads for forces More Reports Truck crash kills 48 Consumer confidence falling Hicks 'tortured' in jail Bush surprise Iraq visit Qld signs Russia trade agreement League star Johns to wed again Teens charged after stabbing World stock markets battered First wild rhino pictures captured Blackouts averted for residents Labor backs gay civil unions Indon sympathetic over Bashir Peacekeepers 'roughed up' reporter Israel accused of air strike terror Guantanamo suicides 'no surprise' Costello softens super changes Girl seriously injured on scooter Fisherman falls on own knife Call to abandon asylum seeker laws G-G to attend Queen's birthday ||||| European Union foreign relations chief Javier Solana (C) arrives at the Tehran Mehrabad airport on Monday, 05 June 2006. Solana is in Tehran to meet with Iranian Chief Nuclear Negotiator Ali Larijani and Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki and deliver the latest international proposal on the country‘s controversial nuclear programme. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH Solana will meet Tuesday with Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki and chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani to deliver the proposal, which includes incentives as well as possible sanctions if Iran chooses not to comply. Solana said that the new proposal could enable a new phase of relations between Iran and the EU based on mutual respect and trust. But Mottaki warned earlier Monday that Iran was prepared to use oil as a weapon if the confrontation escalated, while charging the West with politicising the issue and urging Western nations to consider Iran's standpoint. 'We have two options - one is cooperation, the other is confrontation,' Mottaki said. 'Considering the United States' adventurism, the trend could rather go towards the second option. If so, Iran would use all its potentials for defending its rights. 'It is quite natural that if any problems were caused to the security of Iranian energy, then Iran would not be the only side to be harmed,' Mottaki added. Last Thursday in Vienna the major countries involved in trying to resolve the dispute with Iran over its nuclear activities - Britain, the US, China, Russia, Germany and France - agreed to a proposal aimed at persuading Iran to comply with international demands to halt uranium enrichment. The two-part package includes a set of incentives to encourage Iran to comply, but also penalties that can be applied to Iran by the UN Security Council if it does not cooperate. Solana will merely convey the latest proposal and not hold any negotiations with Iranian officials, the Iranian news agency ISNA reported Monday. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Mottaki have said that Tehran would 'thoroughly' evaluate the new nuclear proposal and make no prejudgment. But both officials have also indicated that any proposal containing an ultimatum to Iran for suspending the enrichment process would not be acceptable. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan telephoned Ahmadinejad last Friday urging him 'to consider fully' the new package of incentives on offer, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York Monday. Ahmadinejad has several times said that the only rational incentive would be implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) without any discrimination. All NPT signatories have the right to pursue civil nuclear programmes and get assistance from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran, however, is suspected by the Western community of pursuing a secret nuclear programme to build atomic bombs. Tehran has regularly rejected these charges. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur ||||| David Cameron stoked Tory anger last night after he struck an eleventh-hour deal with Labour to save his divisive gay marriage plans. Even with Labour support the Government suffered a bruising evening as two Cabinet members and nine junior ministers led dozens of Tories to vote against the leadership. Rebel efforts to secure opt-outs for registrars opposed to gay marriage and extra protection for churches were defeated with the aid of Labour and Lib Dem MPs. But the sheer scale of Tory opposition to the Prime Minister, on a free vote, was a sign of how mutinous the party has become. More than 100 Conservative MPs, led by Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, and Owen Paterson, the Environment Secretary, lined up against Mr Cameron on the first amendment of the evening. But on the night’s key vote, a “wrecking amendment” that would extend civil partnerships to heterosexual couples, the Prime Minister was forced to accept Labour demands for a swift review in order to see off the threat. Senior Conservatives were infuriated by what they branded “yet another instance of utter incompetence” by the party leadership. Tim Loughton, the former Tory education minister who tabled the civil partnerships amendment, accused Mr Cameron of orchestrating a “stitch-up” between the two rival front benches. Last night’s vote continued a rocky period for the Prime Minister and his party after the record Commons split over an
The European Union's head diplomat Javier Solana has offered Iran a number of benefits to persuade the oil-rich state to drop some of its rights under Article IV.1 of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, i.e. stop an uranium enrichment program. During the two hour meeting in the Iranian capital Solana is thought to have offered help to build Iran's nuclear generators and supply fuel for the northern Persian Gulf state's energy needs. Azadi Square is currently the symbol of Tehran. This main offer may have been accompanied by a number of sweeteners such as the offer of European Airbus airplanes and United States relaxation of the trade of Boeing aircraft parts with Iran. The proposal the European emissary carried had previously been seen by Security Council powers United States, China, Britain, Russia, France and also Germany. Were Iran to reject the Solana offer the United Nations Security Council sanctions could be used to stop Iran's nuclear program. "Larijani said Iran will study the package, clause by clause, and respond," said an unnamed official who knows Ali Larjani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator. However there were also some "ambiguities" to resolve, said Larjani himself. Iran has noted several times that as party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the country can enrich uranium for peaceful needs, such as for the production of electricity. But a move to enrich uranium on a larger-scale, such as a plan for 3,000 centrifuges by the end of 2006, might lead American officials to say Iran could have the potential to get a nuclear weapon within ten years. While Iran's head of state, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently warned about the disruption of oil supplies if Iran was attacked, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is said to be considering the newest package on the table. 'We have two options - one is cooperation, the other is confrontation,' said the Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki.
NEW ORLEANS — Officials in the Obama administration began for the first time Friday to publicly chastise BP America for its handling of the spreading oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, calling the oil company’s current resources inadequate to stop what is unfolding into an environmental catastrophe. As oil edged toward the Louisiana coast, fears continued to grow that the leak from the seabed oil well could spiral out of control. One official at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in a widely distributed warning on Friday, said the oil flow could grow from the current estimate of 5,000 barrels a day to “an order of magnitude higher than that.” The increased level of concern was reflected in the sharp new criticism by federal officials of BP for not stopping the leak and cleaning up the spill before it reached land, something the company’s officials had said was possible earlier in the week. “It is clear that after several unsuccessful attempts to secure the source of the leak, it is time for BP to supplement their current mobilization as the slick of oil moves toward shore,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said pointedly, as the government announced steps to supplement its response with people and equipment from the Defense Department. Geoffrey S. Morrell, deputy assistant secretary of defense, said in a statement that the government would hold BP accountable for the cost of the department’s deployment, which as of Friday night included the Louisiana National Guard to help clean up coastal areas once the oil comes ashore. BP officials said they did everything possible, and a review of the response suggests it may be too simplistic to place all the blame on the oil company. The federal government also had opportunities to move more quickly, but did not do so while it waited for a resolution to the spreading spill from BP, which was leasing the drilling rig that exploded in flames on April 20 and sank two days later. Eleven workers are missing and presumed dead. The Department of Homeland Security waited until Thursday to declare that the incident was “a spill of national significance,” and then set up a second command center in Mobile. The actions came only after the estimate of the size of the spill was increased fivefold to 5,000 barrels a day. The delay meant that the Homeland Security Department waited until late this week to formally request a more robust response from the Department of Defense, with Ms. Napolitano acknowledging even as late as Thursday afternoon that she did not know if the Defense Department even had equipment that might be helpful. By Friday afternoon, she said, the Defense Department had agreed to send two large military transport planes to spray chemicals that can disperse the oil while it is still in the Gulf. Officials initially seemed to underestimate the threat of a leak, just as BP did last year when it told the government such an event was highly unlikely. Rear Adm. Mary E. Landry, the chief Coast Guard official in charge of the response, said on April 22, after the rig sank, that the oil that was on the surface appeared to be merely residual oil from the fire, though she said it was unclear what was going on underwater. The day after, officials said that it appeared the well’s blowout preventer had kicked in and that there did not seem to be any oil leaking from the well, though they cautioned it was not a guarantee. BP officials, even after the oil leak was confirmed by using remote-controlled robots, expressed confidence that the leak was slow enough, and steps taken out in the Gulf of Mexico aggressive enough, that the oil would never reach the coast. (The NOAA document on a potentially far larger leak, first obtained by The Press-Register in Mobile, Ala., was described by an agency spokesman as simply a possibility raised by a staff member, not an official prediction.) Some oil industry critics questioned whether the federal government is too reliant on oil companies to manage the response to major spills, leaving the government unable to evaluate if the response is robust enough. “Here you have the company that is responsible for the accident leading the response to the crisis,” said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program. “There is a problem here, and the consequence is clear.” But it is still the government, in this case the Coast Guard, that has the final say. A law passed a year after the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster makes the owner of a rig or vessel responsible for cleaning up a spill. But oversight of the cleanup is designated to the Coast Guard, with advice from other federal agencies. Rear Adm. Robert C. North, retired, who was commander of the Coast Guard’s Eighth District from 1994 to 1996, said that decisions in these situations are made collectively, but that the buck essentially stops with the federal coordinator — in this case, Admiral Landry. “The federal on-scene coordinator is kind of the one individual to say, ‘I think we need to do more’ or ‘That’s adequate,’ ” he said. If the government determines that the responsible party is not up to the job, it can federalize the spill, running the cleanup operations without the private company but billing it for the cost. This is a last resort, however. In this case, Admiral North said, the oil companies have more technology and expertise than the government. “It doesn’t appear that federalizing it would bring in any more resources,” he said. Officials from BP and the federal government have repeatedly said they had prepared for the worst, even though a plan filed last year with the government said it was highly unlikely that a spill or leak would ever result from the Deep Horizon rig. “There are not much additional available resources in the world to fight this thing offshore,” said Doug Suttles, BP’s chief operating officer for exploration and production, in an interview. “We’ve basically thrown everything we have at it.” Mr. Suttles said BP’s efforts did not change after it was disclosed Wednesday night that the leak was estimated at 5,000 barrels a day, five times larger than initial estimates had suggested. He said BP, which is spending roughly $6 million a day and will likely spend far more when oil reaches land, had already been mobilizing for a far larger spill. However, he did not deny that BP initially thought the slick could be stopped before it reached the coastline. “In the early days, the belief was that we probably could have contained it offshore,” Mr. Suttles said. “Unfortunately, since the event began we haven’t had that much good weather.” The first weekend after the sinking of the rig, choppy seas brought the cleanup to a near halt, and made more complicated tactics like controlled burns impossible. But even after the weather cleared — and just a few days before officials began acknowledging the likelihood of landfall — Tony Hayward, BP’s chief executive, expressed confidence the spill could be contained. Adm. Thad W. Allen, the commandant of the Coast Guard, said Friday that he agreed the situation was catastrophic and could continue to unfold for up to three months, but he said he remained satisfied with his team’s response, saying that even if it had initially known that the leak was 5,000 barrels a day, the response would have been the same. “While it may not have been visible to the public, from the very start, we have been working this very hard,” he said. Within a matter of hours of the report of the explosion, the Coast Guard had dispatched three cutters, four helicopters and a plane to the scene, helping to save 90 workers, including three critically injured ones who were sent by helicopter for emergency care. “We have never tried so many different methods for a large spill on the surface as we have during this, and I have been doing oil spill response for 30 years,” Admiral Allen said. ||||| Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. The US administration has banned oil drilling in new areas of the US coast while the cause of the oil spill off Louisiana is investigated. White House adviser David Axelrod told ABC TV it wanted to know exactly what led to last week's explosion on the BP-operated rig in the Gulf of Mexico. As many as 5,000 barrels of oil a day are thought to be spilling into the water, threatening US coastal areas. Florida Governor Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency on Friday. The order, which covers Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay and Gulf counties, says the oil slick "is generally moving in a northerly direction and threatens Florida's coast". ANALYSIS Paul Adams, BBC News, Washington Even as frantic efforts continue to minimise the consequences of last week's oil rig explosion, the political fallout is becoming clear. A month ago, the administration said it was willing to lift a decades-old ban on offshore drilling. It was seen as a gesture to Republican opponents of President Obama's wider energy policy and his efforts to tackle climate change. But environmentalists were aghast. Now their worst fears are being realised and so the president's senior adviser has said on TV that there will be no new drilling until there has been what he calls "an adequate review" of what's happened in the Gulf of Mexico. Whether his comments herald a complete rethink on offshore drilling, it is still too early to say. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has already declared a state of emergency. The slick from the wreck of the rig has begun to reach the Louisiana shore and on Friday the state's National Guard was mobilised. Heavy seas on Friday were pushing the slick towards the coast and over the booms meant to contain it. The US National Weather Service said strong winds, high tides and waves could push the oil into inlets, ponds and lakes in south-east Louisiana over the weekend. Rescuers poised to treat affected wildlife had their first patient on Friday - a young gannett found offshore covered in thick, black oil. It was taken to a treatment centre at Fort Jackson, south-east of New Orleans. Mr Axelrod announced the ban on drilling in new areas on ABC's Good Morning America programme. He also defended the administration's response to the 20 April explosion that destroyed the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon rig saying: "We had the coast guard in almost immediately." Last month President Barack Obama eased a moratorium on new offshore drilling. In a statement outside the White House on Friday, President Obama said he believed oil exploration was an important part of the US economy but it had to be done responsibly. "BP is ultimately responsible... for paying the costs of response and clean-up operations but we are fully prepared to meet our responsibilities in all affected communities," he said. He said five staging areas had been set up to protect sensitive shorelines and about 1,900 emergency workers and more than 300 ships and aircraft were on the scene. We're putting everything forth in plans for a worst-case scenario Cdr Mark McCadden US Coast Guard Fears of 'oil Katrina' in Louisiana Oil spill: blame game begins BP in choppy waters after spill Send us your comments Voices: Gulf coast braced In pictures: Spill threatens wildlife He added that he had ordered a "thorough review" of what might be required "to prevent accidents like this from happening again". A BP spokesman in London, Toby Odone, told the BBC his company would face up to its obligations but did not bear sole responsibility for the oil spill. "We... take responsibility for the environmental consequences of that accident and we are obviously fully committed to taking all possible steps to contain the spread of the oil spill," he said. "The rig was owned and was the responsibility of Transocean, which is a drilling company which operates all over the world." He said BP would continue to prospect for new sources of oil. "We are responsible to our shareholders to continue to do the thing which we do best, which is to explore for and to produce oil and gas," he said. The US government has designated the oil spill an "incident of national significance" which allows it to draw on resources from across the country. The wetlands off the Louisiana coast sustain hundreds of wildlife species and a big seafood and fishing industry. In maps: Oil slick spread The US Coast Guard said it had sent investigators to confirm whether crude oil had begun to wash up on parts of the Louisiana shoreline. Cdr Mark McCadden, of the coast guard, told the BBC: "We're putting everything forth in plans for a worst-case scenario. "Right now the priority is to bring as many resources as are available to attack this spill." Two US Air Force planes have been sent to Mississippi in case they are needed to spray oil-dispersing chemicals over the slick. The Louisiana coastline, with its rich shrimp and oyster beds, is the most threatened by the spill. A group of Louisiana shrimpers has already filed a lawsuit against BP and the owners of the rig, Transocean. Richard Arsenault, a lawyer for the group, told the BBC: "The harm right now to the fishing industry and to the economic sector is just almost incalculable." There are also fears of severe damage to fisheries and wildlife in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. An emergency shrimping season was opened on Thursday to allow fishermen to bring in their catch before it was fouled by the advancing oil. Navy vessels are helping to deploy booms to contain the spill. President Obama has dispatched high-level administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, to the area. At a news conference on Friday, Ms Napolitano said the US government would continue to push BP for a strong response to the spill. Eleven workers are still missing, presumed dead, after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded. Are you in the Gulf Coast area? Are you affected by the oil slick, or have you seen it spreading? Send us your comments using the form below. You can also send us your pictures and videos to +44 7725 100100 or email them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk Find out more about how to send your pictures At no time should you put yourself or others at risk. Name: Email address: Town and Country: Phone number (optional): Comments: The BBC may edit your comments and cannot guarantee that all emails will be published. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? 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Approximate oil locations from April 27, 2010 to May 1, 2010 As reports came out yesterday that the oil spill caused by the explosion and sinking of an oil rig in Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana had reached the coast, the Obama administration announced a ban on all future offshore drilling at least until the investigation into the incident is completed. Early Friday morning, the received reports that oil from the spill had washed ashore, and while officials have not confirmed the reports, winds continue to push the slick northward towards land, and conditions are deteriorating, making cleanup of the spill increasingly difficult. The Coast Guard said it was planning to conduct a flyover of the slick to determine its extent sometime on Friday. According to the National Weather Service, strong winds and thunderstorms are predicted to continue through the weekend, hindering cleanup efforts. Also early on Friday morning, a senior government official, White House advisor , said that the government was immediately banning all new offshore drilling until the investigation into the spill had been completed. His announcement came just after a month the administration relaxed restrictions of offshore drilling. The operation to clean up the spill has accelerated in recent days, with the having joined the effort, as well as resources from the Coast Guard and (BP), the lessor of the rig at the time of the explosion. The total assets deployed in the operation are estimated to be around 1,900 people and more than 300 ships and aircraft. Additionally, six remotely operated submarines are trying to stem the leaks, which now number three, at the ocean's floor. On Wednesday, the estimated amount of oil spilling from the damaged well was raised to 5,000 barrels, or around 210,000 gallons, a day, five times the original estimate of 1,000 barrels a day. This figure was later revised upwards again to 25,000 barrels (1.05 million gallons) per day. So far, the cleanup operation has laid around 210,000 feet of containment booms to protect vulnerable wildlife refuges on the Gulf Coast, and an additional 66,000 feet of boom has been provided by the US Navy. Since the beginning of the operation, more than 18,000 gallons of an oil/water mix have been recovered from the ocean, and after a successful test burn of oil, plans are being made to scale the burns up. According to a BP official, "We believe we can now scale that up and burn between 500 and 1,000 barrels at a time." The first test burned around 100 barrels of oil. Despite the efforts, many are still worried about the potential consequences of the spill, and officials said that the damage could end up being more than that caused by the Exxon Valdez oil spill 20 years ago, which spilled 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound. One analyst said that he expected "that movement is going to continue to stress and fatigue the pipe and create more leaks," adding that "this is not on a good trajectory." BP has developed two options to stop the flow of oil at the source, but both are expected to take at least weeks to complete. The first option is to lower large structures over the leak, which would allow the oil to be safely transported to the surface. BP is building one such structure, but it isn't expected to be completed for at least several weeks. The second option is to drill a second well which would then plug the leak at the source. A well for this purpose will begin to be drilled within two days, although it could be up to three months before the leak is completely plugged.
"For the next three years, we're going to see different economies work out different problems. For European economies, especially Greece, it would be through default," Mohamed El-Erian, chief executive of Pimco, said in Taipei on Wednesday in a video conference. The Greek government won a crucial vote of confidence late on Tuesday as it sought further financial aid from the European Union and the IMF to avoid the eurozone's first sovereign debt default. Mr El-Erian did not identify the other economies he referred to. He has said Europe risks wasting money for nothing by pumping billions of dollars into the ailing economy. "Nothing has been done to enhance growth," he said. "No single (Greek) indicator has shown strength. They are afraid a restructuring would hurt European banks." However, he doubted a Greek default could trigger another global financial crisis: "Ireland, Portugal, Italy and Spain would have to be involved. But Greece is too small in terms of economic impact." Horacio Valeiras, chief investment officer of fund firm Allianz Global Investors Capital (AGIC), predicted that Ireland and Portugal, countries that also received financial bailouts in the wake of the global credit crisis, will have to restructure their debts. "We are not investing in Greece, Ireland, Spain and Portugal," he said at the press briefing. He sees default in Greece as "inevitable". The real fight in Greece will come when the austerity measures face a vote by lawmakers by the end of the month. The confidence vote in Athens came after a European ultimatum requiring the state to agree to a five-year austerity package of measures within the next two weeks or miss out on a €12bn tranche of aid money. Without the loan, Athens will run out of cash next month. European officials are also considering a second bailout package worth an estimated €120bn that is meant to extend Greece's year-old €110bn deal and fund it into 2014. "These next ten days are the most crucial in the last 30 years," Deputy Finance Minister Pantelis Ekonomou said in a radio interview. The euro slipped against the dollar on Wednesday as investors who bought the single currency following the vote of confidence took profits, signalling market concerns that the eurozone debt crisis is far from over. George Papandreou, the prime minister, made a dramatic plea to parliament on Wednesday: "We have a unique opportunity (to change the country)," he said. "If we falter, if we lose heart and squander it... history will judge us very harshly." Greece's main unions plan to hold a 48-hour general strike when the new measures go to parliament. Francois Baroin , a French government spokesman, welcomed the vote of confidence on Wednesday, adding: "We will not accept any payment incident, or default." California-based Pimco (Pacific Investment Management Company), is based in California and is the world's biggest bond fund manager with nearly $1.3 trillion in assets under management. ||||| Papandreou Wins Confidence Vote Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou’s victory in a confidence vote bolsters his new government’s chances of pushing through austerity measures to secure further international financial aid for the country. A total of 155 lawmakers supported the motion in the 300- seat parliament in Athens early this morning, with 143 voting against. Papandreou reshuffled his Cabinet and sought the approval of the chamber after fending off a revolt within his socialist Pasok party last week. After the vote, police used tear gas to disperse thousands of Greeks protesting budget cuts. Papandreou now turns his attention to clinching parliamentary approval next week of a 78 billion-euro ($112 billion) package of budget cuts to stave off default. European finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund this week said they would hold back a 12 billion-euro payment due in July until passage of the plans to cut the deficit, sell state assets and impose a “crisis levy” on wages. “The pressure is now on the EU to come up with concrete assurances on financing for the next 12 months,” HSBC Holdings Plc Chief European Economist Janet Henry said in a note to investors today. “Only then is the IMF expected to agree to the next disbursement of funds.” Can’t Pay Wages Greece won’t be able to pay wages and pensions after July 15 if the government doesn’t secure the EU financing, government spokesman Elias Mossialos said in an interview with Skai Television yesterday before the vote. “If we don’t vote through the implementation law, there will be no fifth tranche and that means a halt in payments,” he said. The euro was little changed at $1.4388 at 12:29 p.m. in Athens, after reaching a one-week high of $1.4423 during trading yesterday. Greek two-year bonds gained for a third day with the yield falling 19 basis points to 27.45 percent. The yield on the 10-year bond fell 7 basis points to 16.9 percent. “This is a solid victory by Papandreou,” said Wolfango Piccoli, an analyst at the Eurasia Group in London. “The first hurdle has passed. The second -- approval of the medium-term fiscal plan -- will be more difficult but the government should manage to get it approved.” Papandreou will meet his counterparts at a summit in Brussels starting tomorrow that will discuss a new financing package to shield Greece from record borrowing costs for as many as three years. German ‘Pre-Condition’ German Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking in Berlin today to parliament’s European Affairs Committee, welcomed the vote of confidence. “This is an important step,” Merkel told the public hearing. “But the next step, in which Greece approves the additional measures it must undertake, lies ahead next week. Only under that condition can we even begin debating additional aid.” European Commission President Jose Barroso said the result of the vote “removes an element of uncertainty from an already very difficult situation.” He said in an e-mailed statement from Brussels it was “good news for Greece and for the European Union as a whole.” The IMF, contributor of a third of the bailout money for Greece and the two other euro-area countries that have received bailouts, Ireland and Portugal, has warned EU leaders that a failure to take decisive action on the debt crisis risks triggering “large global spillovers.” Restore Public Finances Acting IMF Managing Director John Lipsky said Greece’s parliament must endorse the measures to restore the country’s public finances for the fund to continue its aid. “At the heart of the Greek program is the policy adjustment,” Lipsky said at the American Academy in Berlin yesterday evening. “If they are not approved, the bedrock of the program doesn’t exist.” Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said Papandreou must use the EU summit in Brussels to “explain how and to which extent Greece intends to fulfill the conditions set by the European Union.” “Without fulfilling those conditions another tranche can’t be approved,” Faymann said in a statement sent to the OTS wire. Fallout from the debt crisis is already affecting markets outside Europe. BES Investimento do Brasil SA, the Sao Paulo unit of Portugal’s largest publicly traded bank, is posting the biggest slump in the Brazilian bond market on concern the parent may have to repatriate funds. The top U.S. prime money-market funds have about half their assets in securities issued by European banks, according to a report by Fitch Ratings. ‘Daunting Prospect’ “The adjustment itself is still a very daunting prospect but at least we have some more time,” Gilles Moec, co-chief European economist at Deutsche Bank AG in London, said by phone. “We have had such a change in mood in just a few days; in the middle of last week we were on the brink of catastrophe.” Papandreou, 59, has 155 seats in the 300-seat chamber after one Pasok deputy on June 14 resigned from the party to protest the government’s economic policies. Two days later, two socialist lawmakers quit parliament, prompting Papandreou’s party to demand an emergency meeting and stoking investor concern that his grip was slipping and the chance of default growing. “Approving the austerity measures is not going to be a problem now,” Nikos Christodoulakis, a finance minister with a previous Pasok government, said in an interview with Francine Lacqua on Bloomberg Television’s “Countdown.” Asked about the possibility of default, he said, “I don’t think so. One of the reasons why Greece has fallen into this debt trap is the lack of growth.” ‘Change the Recipe’ Papandreou’s plan wouldn’t work because it wouldn’t restore growth to the economy, opposition New Democracy party leader Antonis Samaras told lawmakers before the vote. “We want to change the recipe,” Samaras said. In an effort to shore up political support, the premier replaced finance minister George Papaconstantinou in the reshuffle on June 17 with Evangelos Venizelos, his defense minister and one-time rival for the party leadership. Papandreou will hold meetings with his ministers today to discuss the draft law for the government’s fiscal plan, his office said yesterday. That’s one of two laws that has to be passed by parliament by the end of the month to qualify for EU aid. More than 47 percent of 1,208 Greeks surveyed by Kapa Research SA for To Vima newspaper oppose the new austerity measures and want early elections. Almost 35 percent said the package should be approved. Protests outside Parliament House have been held on a daily basis. Unions have called strikes against the measures. The trade union at Public Power Corp SA (PPC) began rolling 48-hour strikes on June 20, forcing the company to conduct scheduled power cuts to prevent a blackout. Athens Protests About 3,000 mostly young people outside Parliament last night hurled water bottles, cans and fruit at police when it was learned that Papandreou won the vote at about 1 a.m. in Athens. Papandreou has promised to call a referendum later this year on changes to the country’s political system and constitution to allay demonstrators’ concerns. Elected in 2009, Papandreou first sought a financial rescue in April 2010 to avoid default as investors refused to finance a record budget deficit. The conditions attached to the aid have helped deepen a slump that has driven the economy into recession for a third year and lifted unemployment to 15.9 percent. To contact the reporters on this story: Maria Petrakis in Athens at mpetrakis@bloomberg.net; Marcus Bensasson in Athens at mbensasson@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Hertling at jhertling@bloomberg.net ||||| Athens' crisis-hit government has survived a much-anticipated vote of confidence as the country's political opposition has renewed calls for its resignation and tens of thousands of Greeks protested outside parliament. After a bravura speech in which he called on Greeks to "fight together" in overcoming their worst crisis in modern times, prime minister secured the support of his MPs, winning by 155 votes in the 300-seat House. The vote was seen as vital for Greece to press ahead with austerity measures and avoid defaulting on its colossal €355bn (£297bn) debt. The roll-call ballot took place while Greeks from all walks of life converged on central Syntagma Square to demonstrate against the government's deeply unpopular fiscal policies. Angrily punching the air as politicians debated the debt-choked state's parlous economic plight, protestors shouted "we give a vote of no confidence." As riot police looked on and tensions rose, many threw bottles of water at the parliament. The confidence vote was but one step in a long and arduous journey to putting near-bankrupt Greece back on its feet – financially, politically and increasingly socially – barely a year after it secured €110bn (£97bn) in emergency aid, the biggest bailout in western history. Next week Papandreou faces the task of persuading the Greek parliament to endorse further austerity measures — on top of a wave of wage cuts, pension cuts, tax increases and benefit losses that have already prompted thousands to take to the streets in – often violent – protest. Papandreou has described the measures as a matter of "life or death." Cash reserves are fast drying up with the economy teetering on the verge of collapse, unable even to cover payments for civil servants or pensioners beyond the end of the month. But while ever more Greeks also say they believe their country to be bankrupt — a view that few were willing to entertain when the debt crisis erupted eighteen months ago – opposition to the belt-tightening remains overwhelming. "If these measures pass, Greece will be the guinea pig of the EU," said Stathis Anestis at the General Confederation of Greek workers, the country's largest labour force. "Greek unions will not bow down. They will be present in the struggle of workers."A growing chorus of leading EU figures has added to the pressure by also demanding that Greece's squabbling political elite put aside their differences by giving the measures cross-party support. Consensus is seen as critical. "National consensus is a prerequisite for success," insisted European Council president Herman Van Rompuy after holding talks with Papandreou on Monday. However, the country remains divided and attempts at national agreement have so far fallen on stony ground.
Euro bank notes. Greek Prime Minister survived a confidence vote by the Greek parliament late Tuesday night, thus allowing Papandreou to form a new cabinet constituted to address Greece's severe financial debt crisis. The vote's outcome is viewed as a measure of confidence in the government's ability to resolve the problems of the and implement the stringent austerity measures necessary for Greece to receive future packages from the European Union (EU). Papandreou managed to face down internal dissent within his own over the extremely unpopular austerity measures (he has said the measures are an issue of "life or death") and the final vote of 155 to 143, with two abstentions, matched Papandreou's 155 seats. Meanwhile, Greeks were angrily demonstrating against the measures outside, throwing bottles at the parliament building as riot police stood by. Following the confidence vote, Greece will be in a position to look for further financial aid from the EU to avoid on its enormous debt, but help from the EU is dependent on the real work that must be done first: the Greek parliament's implementation of the hugely unpopular austerity measures. Government spokesman Elias Mossialos said in an interview with before the vote that Greece will be unable to pay wages and pensions after July 15 if the government does not secure the EU financing. The vote came in the midst weeks of widespread anti-austerity protests and strikes in major cities throughout Greece, involving clashes between police and demonstrators angry with the proposed slew of layoffs in the public sector which are to accompany the Socialist cabinet's program. On Wednesday, , the biggest bond fund in the world, said it was unimpressed with Tuesday's vote of confidence, saying it believes Greece and perhaps other European economies will ultimately default on their debts. , chief executive of Pimco, said, "Nothing has been done to enhance growth. No single (Greek) indicator has shown strength." "For the next three years, we're going to see different economies work out different problems. For European economies, especially Greece, it would be through ," said Mohamed El-Erian in a video conference. The euro fell against the dollar on Wednesday as financial markets indicated that the is far from over. George Papandreou gave an emotional speech to parliament on Wednesday, saying "We have a unique opportunity (to change the country). If we falter, if we lose heart and squander it... history will judge us very harshly." Meanwhile, when the new austerity measures move to parliament for a vote, Greece's major unions are planning to hold a 48-hour general strike.
Attacks on Pakistani Government Sites Kill 39 Pakistani police commandos rush to a police training school, stormed by terrorists in Lahore, 15 Oct 2009 Pakistani officials say five attacks on government sites across the country have killed at least 39 people. The latest attack occured late Thursday at a government residential area in Peshawar. Officials say they suspect Taliban militants in the attacks. Authorities say the situation in the eastern city of Lahore is under control, following separate attacks on the country's Federal Investigation Agency and two police training centers. Gunmen with at least one suicide jacket stormed the FIA building at mid-morning. The FIA examines matters relating to terrorism and immigration. Early last year, the building was the target of a suicide truck bomb that killed more than 20 people. Soon after the assault on the FIA began, gunmen targeted two police training centers on the outskirts of Lahore. In the suburb of Manawa, gunmen targeted a center that militants attacked earlier this year. In the other incident, attackers with suicide jackets in Bedian climbed over a wall to gain access to the Elite Force Training Center. It took several hours before security forces were able to gain control of all the sites. The attacks in Pakistan's east took place hours after a suicide car bomber targeted a police station at a garrison town about an hour's drive from the northwestern city of Peshawar. Speaking to local media, Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said intelligence agencies had expected attacks on security sites in the country and that authorities will remain on high-alert. He says the recent violence shows the militants want to bring the frontlines from Pakistan's violent northwest to Punjab province. On Saturday, militants with ties to Punjab, as well as the South Waziristan tribal region, assaulted the Pakistani army's headquarters in Rawalpindi. Pakistani intelligence officials believe the attacks are a reaction to the military's raids on South Waziristan. The military is expected to launch a full-scale assault on Taliban militants in the region bordering Afghanistan. Pakistani officials say five attacks on government sites across the country have killed at least 39 people. The latest attack occured late Thursday at a government residential area in Peshawar. Officials say they suspect Taliban militants in the attacks.Authorities say the situation in the eastern city of Lahore is under control, following separate attacks on the country's Federal Investigation Agency and two police training centers.Gunmen with at least one suicide jacket stormed the FIA building at mid-morning. The FIA examines matters relating to terrorism and immigration. Early last year, the building was the target of a suicide truck bomb that killed more than 20 people.Soon after the assault on the FIA began, gunmen targeted two police training centers on the outskirts of Lahore.In the suburb of Manawa, gunmen targeted a center that militants attacked earlier this year.In the other incident, attackers with suicide jackets in Bedian climbed over a wall to gain access to the Elite Force Training Center.It took several hours before security forces were able to gain control of all the sites.The attacks in Pakistan's east took place hours after a suicide car bomber targeted a police station at a garrison town about an hour's drive from the northwestern city of Peshawar.Speaking to local media, Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said intelligence agencies had expected attacks on security sites in the country and that authorities will remain on high-alert.He says the recent violence shows the militants want to bring the frontlines from Pakistan's violent northwest to Punjab province.On Saturday, militants with ties to Punjab, as well as the South Waziristan tribal region, assaulted the Pakistani army's headquarters in Rawalpindi.Pakistani intelligence officials believe the attacks are a reaction to the military's raids on South Waziristan. The military is expected to launch a full-scale assault on Taliban militants in the region bordering Afghanistan. E-mail Print Digg Yahoo Buzz Facebook del.icio.us StumbleUpon ||||| News CENTRAL/S. ASIA Wave of attacks rock Pakistan A string of attacks across several Pakistani cities, mostly targeting security forces, have left at least 40 people dead. The deadliest attacks on Thursday occurred around the city of Lahore as gunmen raided three separate security facilities in what seemed to be a co-ordinated assault. Separately, a car bomb devastated a police station in the northwestern region of the country while another blast hit a school in the city of Peshawar. Lahore, which is in the east of the country, resembled a war zone as security forces fought pitched battles with armed men at three different locations. Four gunmen broke into a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) building and opened fire. At least three security officials, two attackers and two civilians were killed in the gun battle that ensued. Co-ordinated attacks "Reportedly, four men attacked the FIA building and initial reports are that two of them have been killed," Nadeem Hassan Asif Punjab, the province interior secretary, said. In depth Video: Security crisis in Pakistan Video: Pakistan army HQ attacked Profile: Pakistan Taliban Witness: Pakistan in crisis Riz Khan: The battle for the soul of Pakistan Gallery: Lahore under attack In the second attack in Lahore, 10 to 15 gunmen raided the Manawan Police Academy on the outskirts of the city, resulting in the deaths of 11 police officers and four attackers. Three of the attackers blew themselves up, the police said. In the second attack in Lahore, 10 to 15 gunmen raided the Manawan Police Academy on the outskirts of the city, resulting in the deaths of 11 police officers and four attackers.Three of the attackers blew themselves up, the police said. The same academy had come under attack earlier this year, in which 12 people died after an armed standoff. More than 20 armed men also stormed the Pakistani Elite Force Headquarters. At least one policemen and five attackers were killed in the gun fight that followed. Hours after the co-ordinated attacks, police in Lahore said that they had regained control at all three places. Amjad Farooqi, representing a group often referred to as the Punjabi Taliban, claimed responsibility for the Lahore attacks. Also on Thursday, a suicide bomber in a vehicle struck outside a police station in Kohat in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 11 people. "It was a suicide attack," Dilawar Bangash, the district police chief, said. Later in the day police reported a blast near a school in the city of Peshawar. The explosion killed an 8-year-old girl and wounded five others. 'Guerrilla war' The latest attacks, coming days after an audacious attack on the Pakistani army's headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, underscored the rapidly worsening security situation in the country. Spike in violence October 5: Suicide bomber hits UN World Food Programme office in Islamabad killing five employees. October 9: Suicide car bomb attack in northwestern city Peshawar kills 52 civilians. October 10/11: Group of 10 fighters attack army headquarters in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, killing 23 people. October 12: Suicide bomber strikes a market in Shangla district, neighbouring the Swat valley, at least 45 civilians killed. October 15: Suicide bomb detonated near police station in Kohat and attack on security facilities in Lahore. In recent weeks, more than 100 people have been killed in suicide attacks, mostly claimed by the Taliban. However, Rehman Malik, Pakistan's interior minister, vowed not to let the attacks deter the government in its pursuit of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters. In recent weeks, more than 100 people have been killed in suicide attacks, mostly claimed by the Taliban.However, Rehman Malik, Pakistan's interior minister, vowed not to let the attacks deter the government in its pursuit of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters. "The enemy has started a guerrilla war," Malik told a local television station. Imtiaz Gul, a political analyst in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, told Al Jazeera: "It seems that [opposition fighters] are taking advantage of the lack of leadership in Islamabad at the moment. "The president [Asif Ali Zardari] and prime minister [Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani] do not seem to be in sync with the Pakistani military which looks embattled at the moment. And which is looking up to the political leadership to lead and consult them. Ameen Jan, an analyst on Pakistan, told Al Jazeera: "The Taliban and insurgents are trying to send a very clear message: 'we're still here, we're still going to create hell for you and we are not going away anywhere soon.'" "This is an insurgency that is here to stay for some time and it will take all of the effort of the Pakistan military and the rest of the state apparatus, and will require the support of the Pakistani people to battle it for the months and years to come." Drone attack A suspected US drone attack also killed four people in North Waziristan, on the Afghan border on Thursday. Two missiles struck a house 3km north of Miranshah, the principal town of the region, intelligence officials said. At least three of the dead were Afghan Taliban members, the officials said. Alleged US drone attacks have increased since September 2008, as frustration has grown with Islamabad failing to eliminate Taliban hideouts on Pakistan's side of the border. Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
Pakistani officials have said that five attacks on government sites across the country have killed at least forty people. The latest attack occurred late on Thursday at a government residential area in Peshawar. Officials said they suspect Taliban militants for being responsible for the attacks. North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan Authorities said that the situation in the eastern city of Lahore was under control, following separate attacks on the country's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and two police training centers. Gunmen with at least one suicide jacket stormed the FIA building at mid-morning. The FIA is an agency responsible for investigating matters relating to terrorism and immigration. Early last year, the building was the target of a suicide truck bomb that killed more than 20 people. "Reportedly, four men attacked the FIA building and initial reports are that two of them have been killed," said the provincial interior secretary, Nadeem Hassan Asif Punjab. Soon after the assault on the FIA began, gunmen targeted two police training centers on the outskirts of Lahore. In the suburb of Manawa, gunmen targeted a center that militants attacked earlier this year. In the other incident, attackers with suicide jackets in Bedian climbed over a wall to gain access to the Elite Force Training Center. It took several hours before security forces were able to gain control of all the sites. The attacks in Pakistan's east took place hours after a suicide car bomber targeted a police station at a garrison town about an hour's drive from the northwestern city of Peshawar. Speaking to local media, Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik said intelligence agencies had expected attacks on security sites in the country and that authorities will remain on high-alert. He said the recent violence shows the militants want to bring the frontlines from Pakistan's violent northwest to Punjab province. On Saturday, militants with ties to Punjab, as well as the South Waziristan tribal region, assaulted the Pakistani army's headquarters in Rawalpindi. Pakistani intelligence officials believe the attacks are a reaction to the military's raids on South Waziristan. The military is expected to launch a full-scale assault on Taliban militants in the region bordering Afghanistan.
Baby and toddler die after suffering from swine flu The Public Health Agency has urged people to take sensible precautions to help prevent the spread of the virus Continue reading the main story Related stories Two young children with swine flu have died in Northern Ireland, health officials have confirmed. The death of a 10-month-old baby boy, who had an underlying health condition, was announced just hours after it was revealed a two-year-old boy had died. The boy, from the Irish Republic, was being treated in NI but it is not known if he had been treated for anything else as details have been kept private. Eighteen people have already died in NI after suffering from the H1N1 virus. Two of those have been confirmed to have had no underlying condition. Anxiety heightened Vaccines against the virus are currently only available to people in certain at risk groups. BBC NI health correspondent, Marie-Louise Connolly, said no reason had been provided about why the two-year-old child was being treated in Northern Ireland. "One explanation is that if the child lived in a border area close to Newry or Londonderry, for example, there may have been more intensive care beds available here," she said. "The republic is coming under increasing pressure as the number of swine flu cases there doubled last week, while those admitted to intensive care units also increased." The health minister, Michael McGimpsey, said he understood the news might heighten public anxiety particularly among parents of young children. He added: "I have recently spoken to other UK health ministers about Northern Ireland's current flu picture. I have also spoken to Mary Harney, the Republic of Ireland's health minister. "In addition, I have consulted with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) about the particular circumstances here. "They do not recommend extending the vaccination programme beyond the current at risk groups." Extend vaccination The chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride also extended his sympathies to the family of the child. He added that anyone in an at risk group who has not been vaccinated should take the opportunity as soon as possible. "We continue to offer vaccinations to any child under five in an at risk group as advised by the joint committee. "The question has been posed if we should extend to healthy under-5s. "I know the JCVI is keeping this under close and active review and we will continue to be guided by their expert advice." During the pandemic last year, 19 people died from the H1N1 virus, all but one of whom had an underlying condition. The authorities were unable to establish whether the other victim, a pregnant woman, had an unknown underlying health problem which may have contributed to her death. ||||| Two children with swine flu die Two young children with swine flu have died in Northern Ireland. The death of a 10-month-old baby boy was announced just hours after the authorities said a two-year-old boy with the virus had died. The baby had underlying health problems. It is not known if the two-year-old, who was from the Republic of Ireland, was also suffering from another condition as his family have asked for those details to remain private. The death takes to 19 the confirmed number of people with the H1N1 virus who have died in Northern Ireland this flu season. Health Minister Michael McGimpsey expressed his sympathies to the family of the latest young victim, who was from Northern Ireland. "This is tragic news and my thoughts and sympathies are with the family of this baby at this very sad and difficult time," he said. The minister had earlier passed his condolences to the family of the two-year-old boy. The fatalities will put further pressure on the authorities to re-think the policy decision not to vaccinate all under-fives against the virus, something which was done last year. Only infants in 'at-risk' health categories are being vaccinated. But after the death of the two-year-old was announced, Mr McGimpsey said medical advisers remained of the opinion that the vaccination programme should not be extended. Copyright © 2011 The Press Association. All rights reserved.
In Northern Ireland, a two-year-old boy has died after contracting the H1N1 virus. Hours later, it emerged that another boy, aged ten months, had also died after contracting the virus. The second boy had underlying health difficulties. It is unknown if the first had other problems with his health. Since the start of the flu season in the United Kingdom, the total number of deaths in Northern Ireland as a result of contracting the H1N1 virus has now increased to 19. At least two of those 19 dead had other underlying health issues. , in Northern Ireland, expressed his sympathy. "This is tragic news and my thoughts and sympathies are with the family of this baby at this very sad and difficult time," he stated. Following these incidents, Dr. Michael McBride, , is attempting to reassure the parents of children that are in good health. "We continue to offer vaccinations to any child under five in an at risk group as advised by the joint committee. The question has been posed if we should extend to healthy under-5s. I know the is keeping this under close and active review and we will continue to be guided by their expert advice." Michael McGimpsey pointed out that he acknowledges the anxiety that young childrens' parents may be experiencing. "I have recently spoken to other UK health ministers about Northern Ireland's current flu picture," he explained. "I have also spoken to Mary Harney, the Republic of Ireland's health minister. In addition, I have consulted with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) about the particular circumstances here. They do not recommend extending the vaccination programme beyond the current at risk groups."
MOSCOW - A massive undersea earthquake Friday in Russia's Far East prompted a tsunami warning and unleashed tremors across Russia including in Moscow around 10,000 kilometres away, but caused no casualties or damage. The USGS estimated the quake at 8.3 magnitude and placed its epicentre in the Sea of Okhotsk off the shore of the Kamchatka Peninsula at a depth of more than 600 kilometres (370 miles). Russia issued a tsunami warning for Sakhalin island and its region, urging residents to seek higher ground. But the warning was later lifted with no reports of casualties. The huge magnitude and great depth of the quake meant that its echoes were felt across the Eurasian continent including in the Russian capital itself. "The whole plate -- on which the continent stands -- shook," Anatoly Tsygankov of the state Rosgidromet environmental monitoring service told AFP. "And this movement of the continental plate was felt all over Russia -- not just in Moscow, we received calls from Nizhny Novgorod and other cities." In the nearest city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, around 350 kilometres away, the quake was felt to a magnitude of up to 5 but there were no casualties or damage, the emergency situations ministry said. "Aftershocks of a magnitude of up to 2 were recorded in Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk and Novosibirsk regions [of Siberia] as well as several others," the emergency situations ministry said. The emergencies ministry in Moscow, which is eight time zones away from the region hit by the quake, said it had received reports of chandeliers swinging and water in aquariums shaking as a result of the quake. "In Moscow, the earthquake was felt on the top floors of high-rise buildings," the ministry said. In central Moscow, around 700 staff of an insurance company were evacuated for an hour after some saw furniture move and windows shaking, the Echo of Moscow radio station reported. Several other office buildings in central and eastern Moscow were briefly evacuated, witnesses wrote on Twitter, posting photographs of people huddled on the street. The emergency ministry even opened a hotline number to calm shaken Muscovites. "Moscow is part of the zone where possible repercussions from earthquakes can be felt. It's not dangerous but important, for example, for building standards," Arkady Tishkov of the Geography Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences told Interfax. He said however that the last time this happened in Moscow was 30 years ago. "In Moscow, underground tremors were felt for the last time in 1984 when there was an earthquake in Moldova and Romania," Yury Varakin, the head of Rosgidromet's situation centre, told AFP. A 22-storey office building in Saint Petersburg was evacuated after the people working there felt the building shaking, the local emergency situations ministry said. "People reported that they felt the building vibrating like during an earthquake and some started leaving their desks," the ministry said. "We are studying the building. The people have been evacuated." The waves from such a quake travel long distances deep beneath Earth's surface, said Alexei Lyubushin, chief researcher of the Institute of Physics of the Earth at the Russian Academy of Sciences. "If an earthquake happens at such a low depth, the waves move along low layers, practically the mantle," he told Kommersant FM radio. "The waves can even move through the Earth's core," he added. There have been four major earthquakes with a similar epicentre since 1988 but because of their great depth they have not caused damage, the USGS said. ||||| 'The whole plate - on which the continent stands - shook,' said Anatoly Tsygankov, of the Rosgidromet environmental monitoring service. Picture: gazeta.ru The warning, for Sakhalin Island, was soon withdrawn and there were no reports of casualties or damage despite the immense power of the earthquake. 'The whole plate - on which the continent stands - shook,' said Anatoly Tsygankov, of the Rosgidromet environmental monitoring service. 'And this movement of the continental plate was felt all over Russia - not just in Moscow, we received calls from Nizhny Novgorod and other cities.' In the capital of Kamchatka region, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, around 350 km away, the quake registered a magnitude of 5. Across Siberia, there were tremors - with aftershocks of 2 on the Richter Scale recorded in Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk and Novosibirsk, according to the Emergency Situations Ministry. 'In Moscow, the earthquake was felt on the top floors of high-rise buildings,' said a spokesman. It is the first time since 1984 that the capital has suffered such aftershocks. In the east, the quake was felt in Japan. Across Russia, airports, railways, schools, kindergartens, hospitals and other key sites in the affected regions were being checked for damage. More than 2,000 'operational groups' completed the work in Siberia and the Far East. Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov warned of further aftershocks. 'Seismologists are working on a concrete forecast. There will surely be aftershocks,' he said. 'We are inspecting the most dangerous sections of Siberia - the Kemerovo and Krasnoyarsk regions, Tyva and in some other regions'. 'It is unlikely that the breaks appeared on the earth's surface and despite the declared threat of tsunami, we should not await huge waves'. Picture: Alexey Yemanov via copah.info 'We can see that there is an active seismic zone to the east of the (Kamchatka) peninsula and we could expect tremors of magnitude 8.3', said Alexey Yemanov, Chief of the Regional Seismology Laboratory of the Altai-Sayani Branch of the Russian Geophysical Service, speaking to the media centre of the Siberian Branch of Russian academy of science. 'The area where the seismic shocks occurred today was unexpecteds. So we did not await any earthquakes there. 'The seismic shocks occurred at a big depth, according the preliminary estimates some 597 km. 'It is unlikely that the breaks appeared on the earth's surface and despite the declared threat of tsunami, we should not await huge waves. 'However, after this earthquake (usually such a strong shocks occur once a year), different seismic waves cover the entire globe and are registered by all the seismic stations on the planet. 'Personally I did not feel the quake being on the 4th floor of my Institute. 'Why did people feel it in different places? We should take into consideration the differences of ground and the differences in the configuration of buildings'.
Friday, an earthquake off the far east coast of Russia's was felt in the capital city of Moscow, 10,000 kilometers away. The earthquake occurred 600km below sea level in the and recorded an 8.2 magnitude on the , with the Moscow shock measured as 1.0 on the scale. No casualties or damage were reported. Citizens in Moscow said that the tremors were not "really strong" but they were enough to shake things hanging on walls. The last time such a shock was felt in Moscow was in 1984. Alexei Lyubushin, chief researcher of the Institute of Physics of the Earth at the said it is common for such quakes to have large scale but low damage, "This is a so-called earthquake, that's why it was felt at such a large territory. If an earthquake happens at such a low depth, the waves move along low layers, practically the mantle, but weaken significantly before reaching the earth surface. This is why there usually is no injuries or casualties in such cases. ... The waves can even move through the Earth's core." was under a tsunami warning on Friday, however, it was lifted soon after. The island may have to prepare for a tsunami situation again, with another under sea earthquake predicted in the next week with a magnitude of over 7.0. == Sources == *  * * * category:Disasters and accidents
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. A firefighter has died while tackling a blaze in an Edinburgh pub. More than 20 people, including a baby, had to be rescued from the multi-storey tenement block above the Balmoral in Dalry Road. Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue (LBFR) said the firefighter died after a floor collapsed on the basement bar. Another firefighter was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with non-life threatening injuries. He was later released after treatment. The fire service was alerted at 0038 BST and officers arrived to find a "severe" fire raging in the bar. Dalry Road is one of the main roads into Edinburgh city centre At a news conference LBFR's chief fire officer Brian Allaway said it was a very difficult fire to deal with. He said: "Our crews on arrival were confronted with a very severe fire, and whilst tackling that fire, a breathing apparatus crew of two firefighters were injured by the collapse of an internal floor. "Tragically and despite the best efforts of all his colleagues at the incident one of those firefighters lost his life." He added: "Our service is a very close knit community and we are all absolutely devastated by this loss. The thoughts of every single member of this service are with the firefighter's family. This is a tragic day for us." Mr Allaway also said the people who were rescued from properties above the Balmoral Pub owed their lives to the bravery of the firefighter who died and his colleagues. About 70 firefighters were involved in tackling the fatal blaze He said: "I think certainly that the people who were rescued would not have been rescued if that individual had not been there together with his colleagues." David Lithgow, who lives in the same building as the pub, said that about 0230 BST firefighters started breaking windows at the front of the pub and taking hoses through stair wells into the garden. He said: "They started to break down the back door of the pub - they went in with breathing apparatus - there was lots of action in the back garden. "The firemen used angle grinders to cut off metal grilles on windows and paramedics came through with a stretcher - then they pulled a firefighter out from a back window. They weren't treating him and covered him with a blanket, it was obvious it was a serious incident." Emily Davies, 28, and her boyfriend Andy Greenhalgh, 25, were asleep in bed when the fire broke out. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Ms Davies said: "It was about 12 o'clock. Andy woke up because of all the noise with the fire engines. We looked outside and there was all this chaos in the street. We got up and when we went into the hall there was smoke coming under the door. "That's when we started to panic. We shut ourselves in the lounge and had to open the windows just to try to get some fresh air "We were just hanging out the windows basically. The room was starting to fill up with smoke. It was pretty scary. The fire brigade had to get a ladder up to us and take us out the window. " Ms Davies, a student, said firefighters also rescued their 13-week-old puppy Alfie by taking him down a ladder. Mr Allaway said there would be a full investigation into the incident. Police said it was too early to say whether or not there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding the blaze. The building was still alight, with 16 appliances and around 70 firefighters at the scene on Sunday morning. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| A firefighter who was killed after a floor collapsed during a blaze in a pub in Edinburgh has been named. Ewan Williamson died fighting a fire at a bar in Edinburgh Ewan Williamson, 35, died after an incident at the Balmoral bar in Dalry Road, Edinburgh. Another firefighter was injured in the blaze, which broke out shortly after midnight. Mr Williamson is survived by his mother, two sisters, and his girlfriend. Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service (LBFR) released a statement from Mr Williamson's family. They said: "This has come as a horrific shock to the family. Ewan was a wonderful, kind, sporty and outgoing person who was loved by everyone. "He loved the Fire Service. We would ask that the public remember members of the service who risk their lives every day." The other firefighter was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary with non-life threatening injuries. He was later released. Blaze Eyewitness Accounts Around 70 firefighters spent hours tackling the blaze. Chief fire officer Brian Allaway said: "LBFR is a close-knit community and we are all devastated by this loss and concerned about our injured colleague. "The thoughts of every single member of the service are with the families of the firefighter and our injured colleague. "This is a tragic day for our service." Kenny Ross FBU Scotland regional secretary said: "It is devastating news that we have lost a firefighter in the line of duty and that another is injured. "Our thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues who have been stunned by these events. Firefighters at the scene of the blaze "Deaths in the line of duty touch everyone who works in the fire service. The death of this firefighter will be felt very deeply by everyone in the service in Scotland and across the UK." Twenty people had to be rescued from the multi-storey tenement block above the Balmoral, which is a basement bar. The fire service was alerted at 12.38am and officers arrived to find a "severe" fire raging in the bar. The fire service said the officers were part of a team wearing breathing equipment when a floor collapsed inside the bar. A number of other officers rushed to help. Mr Allaway said: "It was a very difficult fire to deal with - the flames were so fierce. It's been an absolute tragedy for us." He added: "We have launched a full investigation into the incident."
A Scottish firefighter has died while helping to put out a fire at a pub in Edinburgh. Ewan Williamson, 35, died when the floor collapsed of the multi-story building. The Balmoral Bar, where the fire broke out was situated in the basement of the building. A second firefighter was injured but later released from hospital. Chief fire officer Brian Allaway said two firefighters were injured by a collapse of an internal floor. He added “tragically and despite the best efforts of all his colleagues at the incident one of those firefighters lost his life” He continued to offer the thoughts of “every single firefighter” to the family. The Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service were called at 00:38 BST with reports of a severe fire at the pub. More than 20 people had to be rescued by firefighters including a baby. A full investigation is due to take place. The police commented saying it was too early to determine whether there was anything suspicious with the blaze. The fire was still alight on Sunday morning with around 70 firefighters continuing to tackle the blaze.
Ananova: Less of your sauce! Police in a Norfolk town have banned children from buying tomato ketchup in a bid to curb anti-social behaviour. Supermarkets in Caister are being asked not to sell squirty bottles of ketchup to youngsters, reports Sky News. It follows a number of complaints about sauce being sprayed over homes and cars. Eggs are also banned. Sergeant Andy Brown, of Norfolk Police, admitted the ban may sound bizarre but said it was proving effective. He said: "I know it sounds a bit daft, but it has made a difference because we've had no more reported incidents since the supermarkets came on board." He said squirting ketchup was not a criminal act but it could be possible to bring charges of criminal damage if paintwork was damaged on homes or vehicles. ||||| Analysis The mayor is dependent on the central government for most of their funds, so how much power do they really have? ||||| Police asked supermarkets to challenge youths buying ketchup Supermarkets have banned sales of eggs and tomato ketchup to young people in a bid to cut anti-social behaviour. About a dozen residents in the Charles Close area of Caister-on-Sea, near Great Yarmouth, have reported tomato sauce being squirted at cars and homes. Norfolk Police asked supermarkets in the town to challenge youths trying to buy sauces in squirty bottles or eggs. Sgt Andy Brown said no more complaints had been received in the past two weeks since the agreement came into force. 'A bit daft' Sgt Brown said squirting ketchup was not a criminal act but it could be possible to bring charges of criminal damage if paintwork was damaged on homes or vehicles. He said: "We had about a dozen complaints from residents, some of them elderly, about people squirting ketchup over doors, windows and vehicles. "One of the ways we have looked at tackling that is to speak to local schools and businesses to get them to agree to not sell tomato ketchup to young people. "I know it sounds a bit daft, but it has made a difference because we have had no more reported incidents since the supermarkets came on board with this." Martin Bailie, from Lidl supermarkets, said staff from its Caister branch became aware of a problem before police asked them for help. "Our staff were challenging youngsters who were trying to bulk buy these things. "It is anti-social behaviour and it was getting out of hand. "It wasn't that we haven't been selling eggs and ketchup to youths, but have been careful about who we have sold them to, and we are glad it has been making a difference." E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these?
Youths in the Norfolk town of Caister-on-Sea, near Great Yarmouth, England, have been banned from purchasing "squirty bottles" of ketchup, and eggs after a number of complaints from residents in the area. The move, which is backed by the Norfolk Police, is aimed at reducing the number of anti-social incidents occurring in the area. Sergeant Andy Brown, of the Norfolk Police, has said that no further complaints have been received since the ban came into force. While squirting ketchup itself is not a criminal offence, the damage that it can cause, such as removing paint from cars or houses, is often enough to bring charges of criminal damage. Sgt Brown said that there were "about a dozen complaints from residents, some of them elderly, about people squirting ketchup over doors, windows and vehicles." Martin Bailie, a spokesperson for Lidl supermarkets, has defended his staff's actions, saying "the stores' staff were already challenging youngsters who were trying to bulk buy these things. It wasn't that we haven't been selling eggs and ketchup to youths, but have been careful about who we have sold them to, and we are glad it has been making a difference."
Box > Cubs struggle in ninth, lose to Mets Dempster, Eyre unable to hold four-run lead with two outs to go Carlos Delgado hit a two-run single with one out in the ninth inning to cap a five-run rally and lift the Mets to a 6-5 victory over the Cubs, who blew a four-run lead and head home on Thursday with more questions than answers. "They have a good team. They do a good job," Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster said of the Mets. "Tip your cap to them. Unfortunately, I didn't do my job today. I didn't do a very good job at all." The Cubs led, 5-1, when Dempster was called upon in the ninth to face the bottom of the order. David Newhan singled to lead off and Ramon Castro flew out to right. The Cubs missed a potential double play as Newhan had to scramble to get back to first. Right fielder Matt Murton couldn't get the throw there in time. Carlos Gomez then singled, and advanced on indifference. That prompted Cubs manager Lou Piniella to go to the mound for an animated talk with Dempster. "I said, 'You've got a four-run lead,'" Piniella said of his conversation. "I said, 'Throw the ball.'" Dempster then walked pinch-hitter Carlos Beltran to load the bases, and said something to home-plate umpire Eric Cooper after ball four. There was an exchange between the two, but Dempster avoided saying the magic words. He then walked Endy Chavez to force in a run and gave up a single to Ruben Gotay to let the Mets close to 5-3. Dempster was pulled for Scott Eyre, who gave up a first-pitch RBI single to pinch-hitter David Wright, and Delgado followed with his game-winning single. "I made the pitches I wanted to make," Eyre said. "David Wright, a sinker down and away. I got him to ground out two nights ago on it. This time, he hit it through the infield. I got a ground ball. I'm not going to sit here and whine about it." Michael Wuertz had pitched 1 1/3 innings, giving up one walk. Will Ohman struck out four over 1 2/3 innings. Then it was Dempster's turn. The bullpen, which now has 11 losses, most in the National League, has been puzzling to Piniella. "I'll tell you the truth, these guys have to do it," Piniella said of his relievers. "I don't know what else to say. "We handed the ball over to the closer, and the last time he threw in Philadelphia, I told him it was the best I've seen him throw the ball all year." The Cubs bullpen is going through a little slump. "It's the same as hitting -- you struggle and you keep swinging," Eyre said. "You keep playing." With the loss, the Cubs dropped to 6-13 in games decided by one or two runs, and 2-5 on the East Coast road trip. They're having a tough time getting back to .500. "I just lost the game," Dempster said. "There ain't much more to say. Throw the ball over the plate and let them hit it, and when I did, they whacked it, and when I didn't, it cost us. "It's tough when you get ahead of guys and don't put them away, and then fall behind guys and it ends up hurting you," he said. "I put guys in a tough situation of having to come in and save my garbage. It's a tough loss. "We play a lot more baseball this year and a lot more games, and we just have to bounce back," he said. "They'll ask me to go out and do my job next time, and I have to be ready to go do it. It's tough, it [stinks]. It's happened before, it'll probably happen again. Hopefully, not in the near future." What contributes to the hurt is that Angel Guzman was in line for his first Major League win. Aramis Ramirez and Angel Pagan each hit a two-run homer, and Ramirez added a RBI single to back Guzman. The right-hander, who was 0-6 last season in his rookie year, gave up one run on six hits and two walks over five innings against the Mets. Guzman's outing was cut short when he had to leave the game after his at-bat in the sixth inning because of hamstring cramps in his right leg. "On the mound, I was able to figure out what to do," Guzman said about the cramps, which began when he was pitching. "When I got to home plate, when I tried to swing, I felt like it got real tight, so that's why I said something." "He was throwing the ball well and competing well, but he had cramps, and we had to get him out of the ballgame," Piniella said. Guzman, 25, is lucky his teammates were as awake as they were. First pitch on Thursday was 12 hours 17 minutes after the last pitch of their rain-delayed game that began at 10:17 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Mark DeRosa returned to the Cubs lineup after missing two games with a sprained ligament in his right hand. "It's one of those things, I'm going to have to hang in there for a couple weeks," DeRosa said. "You ask anyone, I'm sure they have some nick or bruise that's bothering them." With the game tied at 1 and one out in the sixth, Ryan Theriot reached on an infield single, and Pagan followed with his second home run off a 0-1 pitch that just clear the left-field fence. Alfonso Soriano singled, and Ramirez followed with his 10th home run, another line-drive shot to left. But it wasn't enough. "There's no words for it," Pagan said. "We're just trying to win a ballgame." On Tuesday, the Cubs scored 10 runs in a rout. On Wednesday, they managed two hits in an 8-1 loss. They were a little bleary eyed on Thursday from a lack of sleep. They were dazed after this game. "We just have to get more consistent," Piniella said. Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. ||||| Box > Delgado caps walk-off win vs. Cubs Mets rally for five runs with one out in bottom of the ninth An upcoming series against the Yankees didn't matter at that moment; for that matter, neither did the Braves or the Phillies. The identity of the opponents -- Wednesday's, Thursday's and Friday's -- had no bearing on the Mets at 3:41 p.m. ET on May 17. "All that mattered was that we'd won," David Wright said. For as long as Endy Chavez needed to score from third base and Ruben Gotay to beat the too-late, too-wide throw to the plate from right fielder Matt Murton, the Mets were focused on winning. They were a 25-man Cyclops, unaware of everything other than was happening before their very eye. And when Gotay's run turned the Mets' 40th game into walk-off wonder, they became as giddy as the school kids who had filled Shea's upper tiers on Thursday. "How cool was that? How cool was that?" Gotay would say. To them, quite. The Mets' five-run rally in the ninth inning and 6-5 victory it produced were October cool. Elvis cool. No other-side-of-the-pillow cool could compare. The grand ninth-inning comeback was the kind baseball event that has staying power, influence beyond itself. It probably won't matter on Friday night when the Yankees are in the other dugout or next week when the Mets' season returns to Atlanta. But it will be with the Mets into the summer and perhaps beyond, and it may fuel them. "That's how it works," Shawn Green said, "Once you do it, you think you can do it again. There'll be another time this season when we'll be down late, and this [game] will come up. As unlikely as it was, we'll know it can be done." How often can it happen? The last time the Mets won in the ninth inning after trailing by at least four in the inning was in May 1999 against the Phillies. Not that they hadn't had opportunities in the interim. "It's unbelievable when you think about it," Carlos Beltran said. "But when it's happening, you believe it." The eight-batter rally staggered the Cubs, who lost three of four games in their Shea Stadium series, two in the Mets' final at-bat. Delgado ended each, the first with a bases-loaded walk on Monday, this one with a bases-loaded single against left-handed reliever Scott Eyre that Theriot couldn't reach. Delgado had been booed after grounding into a double play with runners on first and third in the fifth after the Mets had scored against starter Angel Guzman, and again in the eighth when he struck out to lower his batting average to .211. By the time he batted against Eyre, the only sounds were the squeals of anticipation from the remnants of a gathering of 42,667 high-pitched school kids. They had set the stage for him in this way: David Newhan singled to center before closer Ryan Dempster retired Ramon Castro. Carlos Gomez moved Newhan to third with a single to center. After Gomez advanced to second base on defensive indifference, pinch-hitter Beltran walked to load the bases and bring Cubs manager Lou Piniella to the mound to scold his pitcher. A walk to Endy Chavez scored one run, Gotay's single to left scored another. "I thought I'd get pinch-hit for," Gotay said. "But when I didn't hear anything from Willie [Randolph], I just kept walking [to the plate]." Randolph did have options. He had used a lineup of reserves in the 1:10 p.m. ET game that followed the rain-delayed Wednesday night game that ended at 12:53 a.m. Green and Delgado were the only regulars starting. "We've got the best bench in the big leagues," Green said before the game. "I was right," he said afterward. "It worked out." Eyre replaced Dempster and threw three pitches. Wright singled on the first pitch of his first pinch-hitting appearance in the big leagues, scoring Beltran. Delgado, batting .311 against left-handed pitching, hit the third. "I was ready," he said. "Bases loaded, one out, and they were trying to throw strikes." Given the day-game-after-a-night-game order and flawed pitching of understudy starter Jason Vargas, the Mets appeared destined to lose. They had reached down into the rotation of their Triple-A affiliate for the third time in 17 games. And for the second time, the results fell short of what the club had anticipated. Vargas, summoned from the New Orleans Zephyrs, gave the Mets seven innings, but in the process, he surrendered two two-run home runs. Making his Mets debut and his 19th big-league start, Vargas allowed home runs to Angel Pagan and Aramis Ramirez in the sixth inning, offsetting his other work which more than sufficed. The Mets, hardly productive in five innings against Guzman, trailed, 5-1. Their deficit remained at four runs when Ambiorix Burgos pitched two perfect innings. "He kept us in position," Randolph said. Burgos' rewards were his first National League victory and a place in the celebration that followed. "It feels pretty good right now," Gotay said. "I've seen games like this on TV, but now I've played in one. And it feels pretty good." Marty Noble is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Carlos Delgado during a spring training game. Delgado hit in the winning runs in the bottom of the ninth. The New York Mets hosted the Chicago Cubs at Shea Stadium in Flushing, New York, and was behind by five runs going into the ninth inning, but a rally brought them ahead at the end. Cub starter Ángel Guzmán gave up six hits, but only allowed one run in his seven inning appearance, an RBI single by Endy Chávez in the fifth inning. Mets starter Jason Vargas gave up all five of the Cubs' runs: a sacrifice fly RBI in the fourth, and two two-run home runs in the sixth inning. Angel Pagán hit his second home run of the season with a two-run fly ball over the left field fence, scoring Endy Chávez. Two batters later, Aramis Ramírez picked up his tenth home run of the season with a two run line drive over the same fence, scoring Alfonso Soriano. Cub pitcher Ryan Dempster got stuck in a jam in the bottom of the ninth, filling the bases and giving up two runs. Reliever Scott Eyre came in to try and end the game, but gave up two hits, including the two-run single by Carlos Delgado that gave the Mets not only their first lead of the game, but the win. The Mets, who took the four-game series 3-1, are playing an inter-league game against the New York Yankees in a three-game "subway series" starting Friday. Meanwhile, the Cubs are preparing for their own inter-city, inter-league game at Wrigley Field against the Chicago White Sox.
Story Highlights • NEW: It's unclear if Al-Aqsa TV will make any requested changes to kids show • Official first reported show canceled; TV rep says official "misunderstood" • "Farfour," a Mickey Mouse look-alike, tells children to drink milk, take up arms • Walt Disney's daughter told newspaper the show represents "pure evil" Adjust font size: JERUSALEM (CNN) -- A Hamas-produced children's television show featuring a Mickey Mouse-like character urging children to take up arms will air as scheduled on Friday, Al-Aqsa Television said Thursday. It is not clear if the station will grant a Palestinian official's request for changes. Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti initially said the show had been shelved and that Al-Aqsa TV had agreed to do a "full revision." "We communicated with the station as soon as this was brought to our attention, and the station has informed us that they will stop it immediately," Barghouti initially said. (Watch the mouse dance as a child sings about an AK-47 ) Al-Aqsa TV said later, however, that the show will be broadcast at 4 p.m. (9 a.m. ET) Friday. According to the Web site of the Middle East Times, a Cyprus-based Egyptian newspaper, an Al-Aqsa TV representative said the station will continue to air the show and that "Barghouti misunderstood the issue." The source requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, the paper reported. Barghouti said Thursday he would not object to the broadcast if Al-Aqsa TV adhered to his requests that the show not politicize children and that it "stop the political approach to children." Barghouti, who is politically independent from the fractious Hamas and Fatah parties, said he personally requested the changes after an episode made global headlines. Barghouti said Al-Aqsa TV was cooperating. But it is unclear what, if any, revisions will be made. The station's deputy manager, Hazem Shaarawi, insisted the show is "about Palestinian kids." "They express their feeling regarding what they witness -- if it's occupation it's about that, and about the prisoners and how to lead the world," Shaarawi said. Barghouti said the Palestinian Authority licensed the Hamas-owned station last week and has been working with station managers to temper some of the programming. 'Tomorrow's Pioneers' The show, "Tomorrow's Pioneers," aired in Gaza on the Al-Aqsa TV station, which is owned by Hamas, an Islamic militant group that controls the Palestinian government and has called for the destruction of Israel. The show features a person in a giant black-and-white costume that looks like Walt Disney's cartoon character Mickey Mouse. In the episode, Farfour dances with an imaginary gun in his gloved hands and encourages kids to drink milk, study hard -- and engage in violent acts of "resistance" against their Israeli neighbors and America. The episode, concerns of which were first raised by Palestinian Media Watch and Middle East Media Research Institute, showed Farfour cheering for Islamic supremacy, saying, "We will win, Bush! We will win, Condoleezza [Rice]!" Palestinian Media Watch spokesman Itamar Marcus called the program dangerous. "The danger is its mixing of the poison with the [milk], and the child doesn't even realize that he's being poisoned," Marcus said. Although Barghouti called the show's content "very unfortunate," he also said the show is indicative of Palestinian struggles against Israeli occupation. "Fishermen are shot at when they try to fish. The passages are closed. People cannot move freely from in or out of Gaza," he said. "It's a situation of imprisonment for years. And that oppression, this apartheid system, of course drives people crazy and creates certain reactions as the one you have seen." Both Al-Aqsa TV and Hamas refused to comment. Walt Disney's sole surviving daughter, Diane Disney Miller, on Tuesday told the New York Daily News the show "is just going against the grain of humanity." "What we're dealing with here is pure evil and you can't ignore that," Miller was quoted as saying on the Daily News Web site. ||||| He looks like Mickey Mouse and sounds like Mickey Mouse, but what he's saying is hardly the fairytale stuff of Disney. A Mickey Mouse look-alike named Farfur is teaching Palestinian children the ABCs of terror on Hamas' official television station, Al-Aqsa TV. On the weekly program "Tomorrow's Pioneers," Farfur and a young girl name Saraa' tell children to pray five times each day and drink their milk, while urging the children to "resist" the "oppressive invading Zionist occupation." “Instead of being entertained, they’re being indoctrinated,” Itamar Marcus, the director of Palestinian Media Watch, told FOX News. Marcus says that "resist" is a Palestinian euphemism for terror. Click here for FOXNews.com's Middle East center. "Their message is of hatred toward Jews, hatred toward Israel, hatred to America as well," Marcus said. "They make fun of Condoleezza Rice, they make fun of Bush." (Story continues below) Advertise Here Advertisements Advertisements Related Video Hamas Mouse? Excerpts from episodes that aired last month show the squeaky voiced mouse egging on children with nationalistic fervor. "We, tomorrow’s pioneers, will restore to this nation its glory, and we will liberate Al-Aqsa, with Allah’s will, and we will liberate Iraq, with Allah’s will, and we will liberate the Muslim countries, invaded by murderers,” Farfur says in one episode that aired in April. The message seems to be working. Poems and songs submitted by young viewers contain violent imagery. "Rafah sings ‘Oh, oh,’" one caller says as Farfur mimes carrying a rifle. "Its answer is an AK-47." Click here to watch the video. FOX News' Eric Shawn contributed to this report.
Mickey Mouse-like character, gestures holding a firearm while an 11-year-old caller to the children's program ''Tomorrow's pioneers'' sings a Hamas anthem with the lyrics: "Rafah sings 'oh oh', its answer is an AK-47." The children's show 'Tomorrow's pioneers' on Al-Aqsa TV, which is controlled by Hamas, is hosted by a character resembling Mickey Mouse, who tells young viewers to drink milk, study hard and fight for Islamic world leadership and commit violence against Israel and the United States. The images date from April but have made the press earlier this week. Meanwhile the show was reported to have been put on hold, pending a "full revision", according to the Palestinian Minister of Information Mustafa Barghouti. But a representative from Al Aqsa TV called this a mistake, so the show might still be aired on Friday. At the beginning of the video ''Farfur'' (''Butterfly''), an actor in a mouse suit, calls for Islamic world leadership, starting in Palestine. He pleads for the restoration of the glory of Palestine, the liberation of Jerusalem, Iraq, and "the Muslim countries, invaded by murderers." "We will resist and protect against the Zionist occupation," co-host ''Saraa'' predicts. Saraa is only a young girl. A report by Fox News claims that children have been used before for Palestinian propaganda. The children's program is filmed in a studio with fuzzy dice and colourful letters and numbers on the wall. In this setting the shows hosts proclaim things like: "We will win, Bush. We will win, Sharon. Ah, Sharon is dead..." Another fragment shows how an 11-year-old girl calls the show and sings "Rafah sings 'oh oh', its answer is an AK47," which is a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The fake Mickey Mouse gestures holding a firearm. Meanwhile the footage has been watched over 100,000 times on YouTube. The images were edited by the Israeli organisation Palestinian Media Watch, which studies and brings to attention the role of the Palestinian authority on the media and schoolbooks. The Middle East Media Research Institute was also involved in bringing the show under the attention. Walt Disney's only living daughter, Diane Disney Miller, has already reacted to the news. She was shocked by the show, and called it "pure evil". According to the Palestinian Minister of Information Mustafa Barghouti (who is independent from both Hamas and Fatah), the show is an illustration of the struggle of the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation. "It's a situation of imprisonment for years. And that oppression, this apartheid system, of course drives people crazy and creates certain reactions as the one you have seen," Barghouti explained. He also called the shows content "very unfortunate," and a "mistaken approach" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Check out five far-out ideas on how to engineer a cooler Earth. What future sea levels could mean for some of America's favorite places Learn how the "cap and trade" scheme works and play along in a simulated market. View images of Greenland, where coastal edges of its vast ice cap are melting at an alarming rate. View images from around the world that show signs of global warming. msnbc.com staff and news service reports Declaring that greenhouse gases are a significant threat to human health, the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed listing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases as pollutants under the Clean Air Act, a policy the Bush administration rejected. The White House acknowledged that the EPA had transmitted its proposed finding on global warming to the Office of Management and Budget, but provided no details. It also cautioned that the Obama administration, which sees responding to climate change a top priority, nevertheless is ready to move cautiously when it comes to actually regulating greenhouse gases, preferring to have Congress act on the matter. The proposal, technically a "finding," concluded that six greenhouse gases should be considered pollutants under the 1970 act. But it does not spell out how or what to regulate. If the White House approves the finding, the EPA as well as lawmakers will start that discussion. Potential health impacts from warming, the finding said, include longer and more severe heat waves; increased smog in some areas; dangerous flooding caused by stronger storms; and diseases, including malaria and dengue fever, related to flooding and warmer weather. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson suggested last month that she would declare global warming a health threat, and recent agency decisions have hinted that the agency was leaning toward making greater use of the Clean Air Act, which is already used to curb emissions that cause acid rain, smog and soot. In his first week in office, President Barack Obama directed the EPA to review a decision by the Bush administration denying California and other states the right to control auto emissions, which, along with pollution from coal-fired power plants, are a major source of greenhouse gases. Shift started with Supreme Court The Bush administration refused to regulate greenhouse gases as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act, even though the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007 prodded the federal government to do so. "I think this is just the step in that process," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday, noting the Supreme Court ruling. Another White House official, speaking anonymously in deference to Gibbs, predicted "a long process" before any rules would be expected to be issued on heat-trapping emissions. Gibbs emphasized that "the president has made quite clear" that he prefers to have the climate issue addressed by Congress as part of a broad, mandatory limit on heat-trapping emissions. Jackson has said her agency would not act alone and that any new regulations at the federal level would not prevent states from taking their own steps or preclude Congress from passing legislation to limit greenhouse gas emissions, something Democratic leaders on the Hill are already working on. Supporters, critics Environmentalists were pleased with the proposed finding. Frank O'Donnell, director of Clean Air Watch, called it "a green-letter day for the environment." O'Donnell said he expected federal limits on pollution "emissions from the biggest sources, including power plants and motor vehicles. And it ought to jumpstart action on this issue in Congress." The Bush administration refused to use the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases, saying it was the wrong tool. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other industry lobbying groups agreed. "It will require a huge cascade of (new clean air) permits" and halt a wide array of projects, from building coal plants to highway construction, including many at the heart of President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan, said Bill Kovacs, a vice president for environmental and technology issues at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Other critics have noted that the Clean Air Act regulates any stationary source — from a gas station to a power plant — that emits more than 250 tons of a pollutant a year. That would place thousands of smaller sources under onerous federal rules, those critics say. Supporters of stricter regulations say the Clean Air Act could be revised to exempt smaller sources and focus on large ones like power plants. Abigail Dillen, an attorney for the environmental advocacy group Earthjustice, which is involved in a number of lawsuits challenging permits for new coal plants, dismissed the dire economic warnings from business groups about carbon dioxide regulation. "It's to their interest to say the sky is falling, but it's not. ... The truth is we've never had to sacrifice air quality to maintain a healthy economy. The EPA has discretion to do this in a reasonable way." Nations working on new treaty The United States is under pressure to take some action on global warming in advance of negotiations on a new international treaty in December in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Obama administration has vowed to step up participation, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton even has a climate envoy. The Bush administration refused to participate in the current treaty, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, citing a lack of participation by developing countries and harm to the U.S. economy. In the late 1990s, during the Clinton administration, the Senate balked at ratifying the agreement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| The Environmental Protection Agency's new leadership, in a step toward confronting global warming, submitted a finding that will force the White House to decide whether to limit greenhouse gas emissions under the nearly 40-year-old Clean Air Act. Under that law, EPA's conclusion -- that such emissions are pollutants that endanger the public's health and welfare -- could trigger a broad regulatory process affecting much of the U.S. economy as well as the nation's future environmental trajectory. The agency's finding, which was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget without fanfare on Friday, also reversed one of the Bush administration's landmark decisions on climate change, and it indicated anew that President Obama's appointees will push to address the issue of warming despite the potential political costs. In 2007, the Supreme Court instructed the Bush administration to determine whether greenhouse gases should be regulated under the Clean Air Act, but last July, then-EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson announced that the agency would instead seek months of public comment on the threat posed by global-warming pollution. Interest groups and experts across the ideological spectrum described the EPA's proposal yesterday as groundbreaking. But while environmentalists called it overdue and essential to curbing dangerous climate change, business representatives warned that it could hobble the nation's economic recovery. "This is historic news," said Frank O'Donnell, who heads the environmental watchdog group Clean Air Watch. "It will set the stage for the first-ever national limits on global-warming pollution. And it is likely to help light a fire under Congress to get moving." But William L. Kovacs, vice president of environment, technology and regulatory affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said an effort to regulate greenhouse gases based on the EPA's scientific finding "will be devastating to the economy." "By moving forward with the endangerment finding on greenhouse gases, EPA is putting in motion a set of decisions that may have far-reaching unintended consequences," he said. "Specifically, once the finding is made, no matter how limited, some environmental groups will sue to make sure it is applied to all aspects of the Clean Air Act." The White House emphasized that the administration is simply fulfilling its legal obligations and will still press for a legislative solution to the question of curbing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. "The president has made clear that to combat climate change, his strong preference is for Congress to pass energy security legislation that includes a cap on greenhouse gas emissions," said White House spokesman Ben LaBolt. "The Supreme Court ruled that the EPA must review whether greenhouse gas emissions pose a threat to public health or welfare, and this is simply the next step in what will be a long process that engages stakeholders and the public." OMB spokesman Kenneth Baer did not give a specific timeline for when the White House will decide on how to proceed. Johnson's action came in rejection of his scientific and technical staff's recommendation. In December 2007, the EPA staff wrote the White House to urge that the agency be allowed to make the finding that global warming threatens human health and welfare, but senior White House officials rejected that proposal on the grounds that the Clean Air Act was not the best way to deal with climate-change issues. Since then, however, federal officials have provided additional rationales for such a finding. Last month, Howard Frumkin, who directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Environmental Health, testified before a Senate committee that the CDC "considers climate change a serious public health concern" that could accelerate illnesses and deaths stemming from heat waves, air pollution, and food- and water-borne illnesses. But even those who support cutting greenhouse gases warn that doing so under the Clean Air Act could be complicated. "This would be a regulatory maze far exceeding anything we've seen before," said David Schoenbrod, a professor of environmental law at the New York Law School. While the EPA's finding is not final, experts steeped in the Clean Air Act began debating yesterday what it would mean for utilities, vehicles, manufacturing plants and consumers. Kovacs predicted it could halt many of the projects funded under the just-passed economic recovery package. "This will mean that all infrastructure projects, including those under the president's stimulus initiative, will be subject to environmental review for greenhouse gases," he said. EPA spokeswoman Adora Andy said in a statement that if the administration goes ahead with the proposal, it will be subject to public hearings and comment before becoming final, adding that it "does not propose any requirements on any sources of greenhouse-gas emissions" and "does not impose any new regulatory burdens on any projects, let alone those funded" under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Daniel J. Weiss, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, said the EPA's proposal would allow the administration to tackle climate change if Congress does not limit carbon emissions through legislation. He added that even if the EPA were forced to regulate greenhouse gases, it would target emissions from coal-fired power plants and then vehicles -- which combined account for about half of the nation's global-warming pollution -- before requiring smaller operations to apply for new emissions permits. "The way I see it, it's, in case of legislative gridlock, break open the Clean Air Act," Weiss said. "It's a backup option, not ideal, but it's a way to make progress on emissions reductions."
Washington, D.C. - The Environmental Protection Agency may have a new tool in its arsenal to fight global warming. The agency has submitted a proposal to the Obama administration which aims to list carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses as pollutants under the Clean Air Act. The policy had previously been proposed to and rejected by the Bush administration, which said it was the wrong tool to be using. The proposal lists the negative effects of global warming, including longer and hotter heat waves, increased flooding, and the increased spread of diseases due to warmer weather. EPA administrator Lisa Jackson has previously suggested declaring global warming a health threat, and that the agency could use the 1970 Clean Air Act to use to combat it. Environmental groups applauded the finding, with the director of Clean Air Watch, Frank O'Donnell, calling it "a green-letter day for the environment." One of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce vice presidents, William L. Kovacs, said if the the proposal is put into effect that it "will be devastating to the economy." It is unclear whether the Obama administration will go along with the proposal. White House spokesman Ben LaBolt commented that "The president has made clear that to combat climate change, his strong preference is for Congress to pass energy security legislation that includes a cap on greenhouse gas emissions." No specific timeline has been given for when a decision would be made. An upcoming conference in Copenhagen, Denmark will focus on drawing up a new international global warming treaty, which the United States plans to attend, a clear reversal from the Bush administration's non-participation in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
Jan 1, 2007 Police have arrested 58 people during New Year's Eve celebrations in Sydney, including one man who stole an officer's cap. More than a million people gathered around the Sydney Harbour foreshore and other vantage points to watch the fireworks displays. The threat of rain could not dampen the spirits of revellers who spent the day and night at waterfront locations around the harbour. The operation commander, Assistant Commissioner Dave Owens, said police were pleased with the behaviour of the majority of revellers. "The number of people arrested reinforces that police did not and will not tolerate dangerous, criminal or anti-social behaviour," Owens said. "I have instructed my officers to act in a fair but firm manner to ensure everyone has a good time but not at the expense of other people's safety." A total of 58 arrests were made and 69 charges laid for offences including offensive conduct, stealing, assaulting police, goods in custody, assault, drink driving and affray. Seven people at a Bondi Beach dance party were arrested and charged after being detected with ecstasy and cannabis during a drug-dog search. A man was also arrested after stealing an officer's cap in Sydney's CBD while police were called to a brawl. Another officer was injured while trying to subdue a man in George Street in the CBD. The man has been charged with assaulting police and affray. Ambulance officers were also kept busy, responding to 1,139 calls in Sydney through the night and another 900 in country areas. Melbourne riots Meanwhile, three police were injured, one seriously, in a New Year's Eve riot involving more than 500 people on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula on Sunday night. A fight involving 50 revellers broke out in the car park at the Rye pier, south of Melbourne, about 11.50pm (AEDT) on Sunday, police said. As police intervened and arrested a man, a crowd of about 500 people turned on the officers, some hurling bottles and plastic chairs, a Victoria Police spokesman said. Reinforcements, including mounted officers, were called in and quickly dispersed the crowd. A senior constable was taken to Rosebud Hospital with severe bruising. Two other officers were treated at the scene for minor injuries. Four people were arrested and charged with offences including public drunkenness, assaults and discharging a missile. But police praised the behaviour of New Year's Eve partygoers in central Melbourne, where up to 450,000 people defied looming grey skies to ring in 2007 with free public entertainment and the traditional fireworks display. "We had a dozen plus people arrested for drunkenness but we gave early warnings that we were going to do that," Superintendent Mick Williams told Southern Cross Radio today. "You step over the line, we will accommodate you. "Apart from that there were no serious incidents. We're very pleased with the whole result." Revellers were spared predicted rain and thunderstorms as the $145,000 pyrotechnic show exploded overhead. ||||| Hockey bombshell: Coach out, system broken One of our most-loved sporting teams is in crisis with the head coach quitting just months before the Tokyo Olympics as a report reveals the dysfunction. Real reason why Cummings covets the Slipper like no other James Cummings says the legend of the Golden Slipper grows every year, but it’s standing as the barometer of the breeding industry is what carries the real weight. V’landys code war: I saved ‘boring’ AFL from ruin The NRL v AFL code war has been reignited, with Peter V’landys taking credit for saving the AFL at the height of the pandemic last year but he’s also taken aim at the game and the fans. ||||| Cities around the world welcomed 2007 with massive fireworks over their skylines as millions of revellers hit the streets to celebrate. In New York, a record-breaking crowd of more than a million people was expected in Times Square, and an unprecedented 3.5 tonnes of confetti was dumped on the sea of people gathered from around the world at the landmark site. The crowd screamed as John Lennon's Imagine played before the flashing ball dropped to close the year that passed. Three stages were set up for more than a dozen acts performing for the city's New Year's Eve bash. Crowds packed Broadway all the way to Central Park, where hundreds of runners gathered for the park's annual midnight run. In London, about 200,000 people gathered to cheer as Big Ben rang in the new year, but in the Thai capital of Bangkok, officials cancelled the city's main event after a series of deadly bombings. Sydney, Australia, kicked off the world's first major New Year's Eve celebrations with the largest fireworks display ever over the city's signature Harbour Bridge. The city's display has become one of the most well-loved shows in the world. Known locally as 'the coat hanger,' the Sydney Harbour Bridge lit up at midnight for its diamond anniversary with this display to celebrate the new year. (Mark Baker/Associated Press) As many as a million revellers gathered near the bridge to witness the fireworks show and attend the party, estimated to have cost $4 million US. Similar parties followed in South Korea and Japan, while officials in Thailand called off festivities planned in downtown Bangkok because of a series of bomb attacks. Winds snuff several European events Pope Benedict prayed at a New Year's Eve service at the Vatican in Rome that 2007 would bring the world "peace, comfort, justice." Fireworks illuminate the ancient Parthenon atop the Acropolis Hill in Athens at the start of the new year on Monday. (Kostas Tsironis/Associated Press) But bad weather dampened celebrations in other parts of Europe. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, an outdoor concert that was to feature soul singer Beverley Knight and rock band The Thrills was called off due to the threat of gale-force winds. Glasgow officials said high winds and rain forced them to cancel traditional Hogmanay New Year's celebrations in the Scottish city. Edinburgh also cancelled its Hogmanay party, which was to be headlined by the Pet Shop Boys. Fireworks explode over the London Eye during New Year's Eve celebrations by the Thames in central London. (Lefteris Pitarakis/ Associated Press) In Japan, thousands climbed mountains, some scaling the famed Mount Fuji, to greet the first dawn of the year. Police expected crowds at the summits to reach 15,000. With files from the Associated Press ||||| The Sydney Harbour Bridge erupted with fireworks to welcome in 2007. (Reuters) Up to one million people have watched a $3 million fireworks display over Sydney Harbour to welcome in the new year. The display included a sparkling diamond and a coathanger representing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2007. Earlier in the night, families were treated to a fireworks display with a theme from The Wizard of Oz. The display ended with a massive rainbow effect. Police say crowds have generally been well behaved, despite 12 arrests being made. The arrests have been for various offences including robbery, drink driving and affray. Around the country Tens of thousands of Queenslanders have welcomed in the new year in the state's hot spots. Police say a crowd of about 30,000 at Surfer's Paradise on the Gold Coast has been generally well behaved. Meanwhile, a large crowd watched fireworks on the Brisbane River. In Melbourne, a male is in police custody after assaulting a transit officer on a train near Laverton West. Another male has been arrested for an assault on a man at North Melbourne railway station. Despite this, police say they are pleased with crowd conduct, and most arrests are for alcohol-related offences. In Tasmania, about 30,000 people have watched a midnight display of fireworks on Hobart Harbour.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge was the centrepiece of the city's New Year celebrations A crowd of approximately 1 million has welcomed the new year in Sydney overnight. Many of the crowd had camped out since 6 AM AEDT (7PM UTC) to ensure they had the best vantage point for the fireworks displays at 9 PM and 12 AM. Earlier predictions of rain failed to dampen enthusiastic revellers and fortunately did not eventuate. According to police, vantage points were Circular Quay and Sydney Opera House closed around 7 PM. This year's theme was "A diamond night in Emerald City" and celebrated the Sydney Harbour Bridge's diamond anniversary of 75 years which will fall in March. As usual, the bridge became the centre piece of Sydney's celebrations with a question mark turning into a coat hanger during the 9 PM fireworks show before a diamond appeared at 11 PM. Entertainment was held in the city throughout the day, culminating in a spectacular fireworks display at midnight. Revellers counted down the final seconds of 2006 with numbers on the side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The festivities are estimated to have cost AUD $4 million and organisers claim their fireworks display is "the largest in the world". Sydney's celebrations were broadcast on television live around the world as other countries prepared their New Year's Eve celebrations. Despite the large crowd, police made only 58 arrests for offences including offensive conduct, stealing, assaulting police, goods in custody, assault, drink driving and affray. Ambulance officers were called to 1,139 incidents in Sydney with another 900 in country areas.
Dooley scored 62 goals in 61 games for Sheffield Wednesday Dooley was a legendary football figure in the city and former sports minister Richard Caborn said: "Derek epitomised everything that was good about sport. "He was the only person I know who brought both Sheffield clubs together. He was respected by both sets of fans." Dooley played for and managed Wednesday while he worked in several jobs off the field at United. 606: DEBATE Dooley started his career with Lincoln before moving to Wednesday in 1947 where he became a prolific goalscorer. His career finished in tragic fashion in 1953 when he broke his leg in a collision with Preston goalkeeper George Thompson and he eventually had to have the leg amputated. Dooley became manager at Hillsborough in 1971 before being sacked on Christmas Eve 1973. He then moved across the city to United where he was taken on as commercial manager and then went on to perform a variety of roles including chairman before retiring in 2006 just after the club had clinched promotion back to the Premiership. He was awarded the MBE in 2003 and at the time said: "I never believed I would get this honour. I am fiercely proud of being a Sheffield lad. This honour is a bit special for me." Sheffield United have decided to honour Dooley by naming their new junior development centre after him. PLC chairman Kevin McCabe said: "I have spoken to Derek's widow Sylvia and she is overwhelmed and pleased that the academy will be named after Derek. "Derek was a special guy. He united the city in football. He never forgot the value of grassroots football so we feel this is an appropriate and fitting tribute to a man who was passionate about the game and loved the city, the Blades and the Owls." ||||| The renowned guitar player Jimmy Faulkner has died. Regarded as one of Ireland's leading guitarists, he played with, among others, Christy Moore, Dónal Lunny, Mary Coughlan and Luka Bloom. In recent times he had performed with his band Jimmy Faulkner and The Houseshakers. Advertisement In a statement, Christy Moore said Jimmy Faulkner would always be remembered with love, as a close friend and wonderful musician.
right The following deaths were reported yesterday: ===Derek Dooley=== Derek Dooley, who worked for both Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday football clubs, died yesterday at the age of 78. In 2003 Dooley was awarded an MBE for his services to football. Derek McCabe said that "Derek Dooley was a special guy. He united the city in football. He never forgot the value of grassroots football so we feel this is an appropriate and fitting tribute to a man who was passionate about the game and loved the city, the Blades and the Owls." ===Jimmy Faulkner=== Jimmy Faulkner, an Irish guitarist who was said to be one of the country's best guitarists, died yesterday. In his life he has played with many musicians including Luka Bloom, Dónal Lunny, Mary Coughlan and Christy Moore.
Microsoft is keen to better compete with Google In a blog, Google said the tie-up could unfairly limit the ability of consumers to freely access competitors' email and instant messaging services. It said Microsoft had previously sought "to establish proprietary monopolies". Microsoft made an unsolicited offer for Yahoo on Friday, and Yahoo has said it is considering the proposal. Microsoft's hostile bid for Yahoo raises troubling questions David Drummond, chief legal officer Google Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive, told analysts at a briefing on Monday the proposed takeover would create a "strong number two competitor". He argued that competition would get fiercer, particularly in the market for online advertising. "Google's clearly got a dominant position. They've got about 75% of paid search worldwide," Mr Ballmer said. 'Underlying principles' But that view is not held by the top executives at Google. "Microsoft's hostile bid for Yahoo raises troubling questions," said David Drummond, Google's senior vice president for corporate development and chief legal officer. "This is about more than simply a financial transaction, one company taking over another. It's about preserving the underlying principles of the internet: openness and innovation," he said in a company blog. This is clearly Google's opening move in a complex game of chess that will encompass ordinary users, politicians, regulators and businessmen Darren Waters, technology editor, BBC News website. Read Darren's thoughts in full Search faces huge shake-up Mr Drummond suggested Microsoft may attempt to exert an "inappropriate... influence" over the internet. "While the internet rewards competitive innovation, Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies - and then leverage its dominance into new, adjacent markets," he said. In 2004 the European Commission fined Microsoft 497m euros for abusing its market dominance, a ruling the US company finally lost on appeal in September last year. The Commission has since launched two new competition inquiries against Microsoft. Members of the US Congress Judiciary Committee will scrutinise the bid on 8 February. Borrowing to buy Despite Microsoft's deep pockets, the software giant has revealed it may have to go into debt for the first time to finance its $44.6bn combined cash and share offer for Yahoo. "If you look at the cash component, that's going to be over $20bn in cash," said Microsoft's chief finance officer, Chris Liddell. "We could fund most of that through our cash holdings, but it's likely we're actually going to borrow for the first time." Microsoft's proposed bid, unveiled in a letter to Yahoo's board on Friday, is 62% above Yahoo's closing share price on Thursday. Rebuff? Reports said Yahoo would consider an alliance with Google as one way to fend off Microsoft's bid. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that Google's chief executive Eric Schmidt called his counterpart at Yahoo, Jerry Yang, to offer his company's help in any efforts to rebuff Microsoft. Time Warner, News Corporation, AT&T; and Comcast are some of the firms that are often named prospective suitors for Yahoo. But, according to the New York Times, none of these companies have begun work on any rival bids. Microsoft shares began Monday's trading session up slightly. At 1510 GMT it was up 8 cents at $30.53. ||||| HoustonChronicle.com en Español Microsoft: Compra de Yahoo crearía fuerte competencia para Google Por MICHAEL LIEDTKE © 2008 The Associated Press TOOLS Email Get section feed Print Subscribe NOW La propuesta compra por Microsoft Corp. de Yahoo Inc. la establecería como "un fuerte competidor" contra Google Inc., dijo el lunes el jefe ejecutivo de Microsoft, Steve Ballmer. Hablando a un grupo de analistas en Nueva York, Ballmer dijo que la adquisición de Yahoo _ por 42.000 millones de dólares _ aumentaría la competencia, en lugar de eliminarla, en los mercados de anuncios comerciales y búsquedas en la internet. "Google tiene claramente una posición dominante. Ellos tienen aproximadamente 75% de las búsquedas pagadas en el mundo", dijo Ballmer. "Nosotros pensamos que esta propuesta mejorará la competencia. Cualquier otra cosa sería menos buena desde ese punto de vista". El domingo, Google Inc. advirtió que Microsoft Corp. podría usar su propuesta adquisición de Yahoo Inc. para ganar control ilegal sobre la internet, revelando su incomodidad acerca de la fusión de sus dos principales rivales. La oposición de Google al propuesto acuerdo no es sorpresiva, dado que Microsoft considera Yahoo como un arma crucial en su batalla para ganar terreno ante Google en los crecientes mercados de búsquedas y anuncios en la web. "La oferta hostil de Microsoft por Yahoo es preocupante", dijo David Drummond, principal funcionario legal de Google. "Es más que una simple transacción financiera, una compañía adquiriendo otra. Se trata de preservar los principios subyacentes de la internet: Apertura e innovación". Yahoo hasta ahora ha tenido muy poco que decir, excepto que su junta directiva examinará cuidadosamente la oferta de Microsoft por 42.000 millones de dólares_ un proceso que "puede tomar un buen tiempo", de acuerdo con un mensaje colocado en el sitio web de la compañía. Igualmente el lunes, el principal ejecutivo financiero de Microsoft, Chris Liddell, dijo que espera que el acuerdo con Yahoo sea concluido para finales del año. Las acciones de Yahoo subieron 77 centavos _ 2,7% _ hasta 29,15 dólares en las transacciones de la mañana en la Bolsa de Valores de Nueva York, mientras que las de Microsoft ganaron 5 centavos, hasta 30,50 dólares. Las acciones de Google cayeron 10,27 dólares _ 2% _ hasta 505,63 dólares. ||||| Comentarios (37) 16:09 04.FEB.08 Me parece que se mienten así mismos. Una sola. Si alguno de uds. tuviera una brillante idea, y una empresa X la valora en 44.600 millones. No la venderían ? POR FAVOR! NO me hagan reír! Enviado por Ernán Lopez ||||| The openness of the Internet is what made Google -- and Yahoo! -- possible. A good idea that users find useful spreads quickly. Businesses can be created around the idea. Users benefit from constant innovation. It's what makes the Internet such an exciting place.So Microsoft's hostile bid for Yahoo! raises troubling questions. This is about more than simply a financial transaction, one company taking over another. It's about preserving the underlying principles of the Internet: openness and innovation.Could Microsoft now attempt to exert the same sort of inappropriate and illegal influence over the Internet that it did with the PC? While the Internet rewards competitive innovation, Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies -- and then leverage its dominance into new, adjacent markets.Could the acquisition of Yahoo! allow Microsoft -- despite its legacy of serious legal and regulatory offenses -- to extend unfair practices from browsers and operating systems to the Internet? In addition, Microsoft plus Yahoo! equals an overwhelming share of instant messaging and web email accounts. And between them, the two companies operate the two most heavily trafficked portals on the Internet. Could a combination of the two take advantage of a PC software monopoly to unfairly limit the ability of consumers to freely access competitors' email, IM, and web-based services? Policymakers around the world need to ask these questions -- and consumers deserve satisfying answers.This hostile bid was announced on Friday, so there is plenty of time for these questions to be thoroughly addressed. We take Internet openness, choice and innovation seriously. They are the core of our culture. We believe that the interests of Internet users come first -- and should come first -- as the merits of this proposed acquisition are examined and alternatives explored.
Microsoft logo Google logo Google has said on its blog that it finds Microsoft’s attempt to buy Yahoo "troubling," and that Google believes "this the purchase of Yahoo is about more than simply a financial transaction, one company taking over another." "The hostile bid by Microsoft to Yahoo is worrying," said David Drummond, the chief legal officer for Google. He continued by saying the takeover is "about preserving the underlying principles of the Internet: openness and innovation." Press agency Europa Press said that Eric E. Schmidt and Jerry Yang know that the "possibility of launching a counter is not possible for Google." Yahoo said that their executives are examining the offer from Microsoft, a process that they said may take some time. The Google blog cited Microsoft’s alleged "inappropriate and illegal influence over the PC," as the reasons for their concerns. They continued by saying that “Microsoft has frequently sought to establish proprietary monopolies."
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israeli troops fired on a group of Palestinian youths in a Gaza refugee camp Saturday, killing three teenagers in the deadliest incident in the Gaza Strip since Israel and the Palestinians declared a cease-fire two months ago. The two sides offered dramatically different versions of the shooting, which shattered weeks of calm and added to tensions surrounding plans by Jewish extremists to march on a disputed holy site in Jerusalem on Sunday. The violence also came ahead of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's departure Sunday for a meeting with President Bush. Palestinian militants stopped short of calling off the cease-fire, but said they reserved the right to respond to the shooting. In the hours after the incident, militants fired at least 25 mortar shells at Jewish settlements in Gaza, but no one was injured, the army said. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said the Israeli shooting was a violation of the Feb. 8 truce. "We will not accept our children being killed in this way," said a statement issued by his office. The shooting occurred in the Rafah refugee camp, located in southern Gaza along the border with Egypt. Ali Abu Zeid, a 22-year-old Rafah resident, said the teens were playing soccer when the ball was kicked toward a border fence. "The kids ran after it, and that's when we heard gunfire," he said. Palestinian hospital officials said two of the dead youths were 15, and the third was 14. The Israeli army, however, said the youths were involved in smuggling across the border. An Israeli commander at the scene said the youths were spotted crawling on their stomachs deep inside a closed military zone. He said three of the youths got to their feet and began running toward the border. The teenagers were about 250 yards into the closed area when they were shot on a military patrol road, he said. "These kids were not playing soccer," said the commander, whose name was withheld under military regulations. "You don't get there by accident." Tawfiq Abu Khoussa, a spokesman for the Palestinian Interior Ministry, called the Israeli account "completely false." Rafah has been a frequent flashpoint of fighting, although violence has dropped sharply since Abbas and Sharon declared the cease-fire. Last month, Palestinian militant groups joined the truce. A total of 13 Palestinians have been killed since the truce went into effect. Five Israelis have also died during the period, killed in a Feb. 25 suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. Hamas, the largest Palestinian militant group, pledged to avenge the deaths of the three teens. "The Palestinian people cannot stay silent in the face of this crime and it cannot pass without punishment," said Saeed Siyam, a Hamas leader in Gaza. He would not comment on whether Hamas remained committed to the truce. Mohammed al-Hindi, leader of Islamic Jihad, said his group would continue to honor the truce, but reserved the right to retaliate. Later, Islamic Jihad militants claimed responsibility for firing the mortar shells at Jewish settlements in Gaza. Tensions were already high amid plans by Jewish extremists to rally Sunday at a disputed holy site in Jerusalem. Palestinian militants have threatened to end the cease-fire if the rally proceeds, and Israel's public security minister, Gideon Ezra, said Saturday that police would prevent the Jewish protesters from reaching the site. Police said they would restrict access to Muslims over the age of 40. The hilltop area, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is currently home to the Al Aqsa Mosque compound. Despite the warnings, Revava, the group sponsoring the march, said it planned to proceed with the event. Extremist Jewish groups opposed to Sharon's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip this summer have threatened to storm the site in hopes of sparking Muslim riots and disabling the pullout plan. David Haivri, a Revava leader, said his group was only interested in asserting its right to pray on the Temple Mount. Access has been restricted since Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. The latest tensions threatened to cloud Sharon's meeting with Bush at the president's Texas ranch Monday. The two men are expected to discuss the Gaza withdrawal plan. ||||| IDF kills 3 boys in Gaza Soldiers open fire after spotting five figures crawling toward Egyptian border, army says. Palestinians say youngsters were playing soccer, IDF says they were arms smugglers; mortar barrage hits Gaza settlements, army posts following incident By Ali Waked and Hanan Greenberg RAFAH - IDF soldiers shot and killed three Palestinian youngsters Saturday in the Gaza Strip town of Rafah, near the Egyptian border. The Palestinians were shot after approaching the border area, the army said. However, eyewitnesses said the boys were playing soccer at the time of the shooting. Following the incident, Palestinians fired more than 30 mortar shells at Gaza Strip settlements and IDF posts. No injuries were reported, but one house was damaged. IDF soldiers in Gaza (Archive photo) Photo: AP Hospital officials in Rafah said two of the youngsters killed were 15-years-old and the other one was 14. The three were identified as Khaled Ghanem, Ashraf Musa, and Hassan Abu Zaid, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA. IDF soldiers spotted five figures crawling from Rafah toward Egypt around 5 p.m. Saturday, the army said. Three of them were shot after starting to run, the IDF said. Palestinian security picked up the other two youths, who admitted to being arms smugglers, the army said. Eyewitness Ali Abu Zayid, 22, said: "A group of youths were playing in an open strech near the fence (close to the Philadelphi Route), and then the ball flew towards the fence. They raced after it and then we heard shots.” Palestinian witnesses told Ynet that the distance between the youngsters and the IDF soldiers that shot them was not great. According to them, it was impossible not to see that the children were just playing a game. “They shouted like we always do during soccer games, and the soldiers saw us playing, that we are shouting, but they opened fire anyway and the three fell to the ground,” one witness said. Following the shooting incident, Palestinians in Khan Yunis fired mortar shells at Israeli military posts. No one was hurt and there was no property damage. The IDF blamed the attack on the Popular Resistance Committees, which a few hours earlier detonated a bomb in southern Gaza. At Abu-Yusef al-Najar Hospital in Khan Yunis hundreds of relatives of the three killed boys gathered and Palestinian groups promised to avenge their deaths. Will Palestinians respond with Qassams? In response to the incident, the Islamic Jihad announced it is no longer committed to the intra-Palestinian truce. The terror group said its members were instructed to “deliver their blows and exact a heavy price from Israel.” However, a senior Islamic Jihad leader later denied the reports and said the group was still committed to the cease-fire. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said the incident marked a deliberate Israeli violation of the current truce. “The Palestinians who were killed were unarmed children and did not constitute a threat to Israel,” he said. The Palestinians are continuing their efforts to cross into Egypt and infiltrate into Israel despite Israeli protests, army sources said. Meanwhile, Palestinians are continuing their efforts to smuggle arms into the Strip, the sources added. Rocket Attack 'One Qassam will not shatter the quiet' / By Shmulik Hadad and Hanan Greenberg Negev town under fire after rocket lands in neighborhood west of the city; yet again violating fragile cease-fire Full Story Meanwhile, the IDF has recently changed its rules of engagement in Gaza in a bid to avoid hitting innocent civilians. ||||| The killings are the first violent deaths in Gaza for weeks Witnesses say they were killed trying to retrieve a football in a no-go area near the Egypt border; Israel says they were involved in smuggling weapons It is the most serious such incident since Israeli and Palestinian leaders declared a ceasefire in February. Hours later, Palestinians fired mortars at Jewish settlements in Gaza, without causing any injuries. The Palestinian Authority called the killings a "serious violation" of the truce. 'Warning shots' Witnesses said the group of boys came under fire when they tried to retrieve a football. Reports said at least two of the dead boys were 14 and 15 years old. The BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza says the youths had approached a zone along Gaza's border with Egypt, which is occupied and heavily defended by Israeli troops. Israeli military sources say the youngsters had entered an area along the frontier that is strictly forbidden to Palestinians. The sources say that warning shots were ignored and then the teenagers were fired at, our correspondent says, noting these are the first Palestinian deaths in violence in Gaza for weeks. Saeed Siyam, a Hamas leader in Gaza, said the killings would be avenged. "The Palestinian people cannot stay silent in the face of this crime and it cannot pass without punishment," AP quoted him as saying. The Unicef deputy executive director, who had been visiting Rafah on Saturday to launch a polio campaign, condemned shooting. "This sad event hits me particularly hard because I been in the area just a few hours earlier, interacting with Palestinian children," said Toshiyuki Niwa. "These kids were just being kids when their lives were cut short." Rocket attack Following the shootings, Palestinian militants from Islamic Jihad fired at least 20 mortars and rockets at Jewish settlements in Gaza. An Islamic Jihad leader, Mohammed Hindi, told a news conference the truce with Israel remained intact, but called for Palestinians factions to "re-evaluate the situation". The violence comes amid heightened tension ahead of a planned mass rally on Sunday on the disputed Jerusalem holy site known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary). The demonstration is being organised by Israelis who want to rebuild a temple on the site. Palestinian militant groups have threatened a violent response if protesters reach the al-Aqsa Mosque in the hilltop compound. ||||| GAZA (Reuters) - A top leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group said on Saturday a de facto truce with Israel was still in force despite the killing of three Palestinian youths in circumstances disputed by Israeli forces and Palestinians. "So far, the Palestinian factions have not declared an end to the calm ... but they are studying the issue anew because of continued Zionist aggression," Islamic Jihad chief Mohammed al-Hindi told a news conference. Earlier, a leader of a branch of Islamic Jihad, the Jerusalem Brigades, said militants were no longer bound by the truce. The Palestinian youths had been playing soccer in Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza when Israeli soldiers across the border, meters away, shot and killed them, Palestinian medics said. Israeli military sources said troops spotted five Palestinians inching toward the Israel-Gaza border a number of times and fired at them after they failed to heed calls and warning shots in the air to stop. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the incident a deliberate violation of a ceasefire he and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared at a summit in Egypt in February. "The Palestinian youths who were killed were unarmed children and did not pose a threat to Israel," Abbas was quoted as saying in a statement. Palestinian militant groups agreed in talks with Abbas to extend a de facto truce until the end of the year. Israeli-Palestinian violence has dropped sharply. Palestinian militants fired a rocket at a town in southern Israel on Thursday, causing no casualties. On Saturday, militants fired mortar bombs at Jewish settlements in Gaza. No casualties were reported.
'''April 9, 2005''' The two month old truce between Israel and the Palestinians is still intact after three teenagers were shot down earlier today while trying to smuggle firearms through the Egyptian border. Palestinians claim they saw the children attempting to fetch a football that had landed in a no-go zone near a refugee camp, in southern Gaza. Israeli army sources say the youths entered a forbidden area heavily guarded by Israeli forces near the border with Egypt. The teenagers were fired upon by soldiers after they ignored warning shots. Militants responded by firing mortar shells at Jewish settlements in Gaza, although no one was injured. The level of violence in the Gaza region had dropped significantly since the cease fire was agreed upon by both sides of the conflict. Islamic Jihad chief Mohammed al-Hindi said today: "So far, the Palestinian factions have not declared an end to the calm... but they are studying the issue anew because of continued Zionist aggression." Saeed Siyam, a Hamas leader in Gaza, told the ''Associated Press'': "The Palestinian people cannot stay silent in the face of this crime and it cannot pass without punishment." "These kids were not playing soccer," said an anonymous Israeli army commander today. "You don't get there by accident."
UNITED NATIONS: Iraq’s UN ambassador has accused US marines of shooting to death in cold blood his unarmed 21-year-old cousin in western Iraq and demanded an immediate investigation. Ambassador Samir Sumaidaie said marines killed his first cousin’s son, Mohamed al-Sumaidaie, an engineering student, during a June 25 raid of his home in Al-Shaikh Hadid, near a US military base at Haditha Dam. “All indications point to a killing of an unarmed innocent civilian - a cold-blooded murder,” said Sumaidaie, a Sunni and ally of the US, on Friday. “The Marines were smiling at each other as they were leaving.” Sumaidaie, in a three-page statement, called for an investigation of the killing. The US military, in its own statement from Camp Fallujah in Iraq, said the ambassador’s charges “roughly correspond to an incident involving coalition forces on that day in that general location.” “We take these allegations seriously and will thoroughly investigate this incident to determine what happened,” Maj Gen Stephen T Johnson said. On Tuesday, 100 Iraqi and 1,000 US troops launched a fresh offensive against insurgents in the Sunni Arab western province of Al-Anbar, focusing along the Euphrates River between the cities of Haditha and Hit, the US military said. Sumaidaie said insurgents who were not from the area fired mortar rounds at the US base. Then “Americans come and rough up the youths in the village demanding information which they simply do not have,” he said. His accusation was first reported in the London Times. Mohamed al-Sumaidaie was at his father’s house with his mother and other relatives on June 25 when marines knocked at the door at about 10am local time, the ambassador said, quoting the young man’s mother. Accompanied by an interpreter, the marines asked al-Sumaidaie if there were weapons in the house. Family members last saw him alive when he went to another room to get a rifle that had only blanks in it, the ambassador said. The younger brother of the dead engineering student was dragged by his hair into a corridor and beaten while the rest of the family was told to wait outside, he said. When the marines left the house about an hour later, the interpreter told the mother that her son had been shot and killed, according to Sumaidaie. He said the family found him dead with a bullet to the neck. “The mother let off a deafening cry of anguish but the marines were smiling at each other as they were leaving,” Sumaidaie said. “In the bedroom, Mohamed was found dead and laying in a clotted pool of his blood.” – Reuters ||||| The Iraqi parliament voted Tuesday to postpone its summer recess for 30 days, in a bid to finalize legislation needed to hold provincial elections in the fall. U.S. and Iraqi officials hope that the poll scheduled for Oct. 1 will settle local power disputes that threaten to undermine security gains since last summer. But parliament is divided over the procedures to be followed. U.S. officials have criticized Iraqi lawmakers for taking long summer vacations while key legislation was pending. The decision to delay the recess came as Sunni Arab lawmakers said they were nearing an agreement with Prime Minister Nouri Maliki that would bring them back into the Cabinet. Their return to a government dominated by Shiite Muslims and ethnic Kurds is considered a key part of reconciliation efforts. Advertisement United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura warned leaders of parliament at a meeting Tuesday that the country wouldn’t be ready to vote by the beginning of October because of the delay in approving a new election law. If the bill isn’t finalized this month, it might not be possible to hold the elections this year, he told reporters afterward. Legislators had been scheduled to go on holiday Tuesday, but agreed to continue meeting until July 30 to try to resolve their differences over the elections, said Jaber Habeeb of the governing Shiite alliance. Lingering disputes include whether candidates should compete individually or on party lists, and whether political groups that have militias should be able to participate. Passage of an election bill has also been held up by arguments over whether to postpone voting in Kirkuk until a decision is reached about the future of the oil-rich city and other areas claimed by Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region in the north. Advertisement Most Sunni Arabs boycotted the last provincial polls in 2005, skewing the results in ethnically and religiously mixed parts of the country. They are expected to participate in the next round of voting. But inter-Sunni disputes over who best represents predominantly Sunni areas have emerged between the traditional political parties and the tribal chieftains who helped drive out militant groups. In the overwhelmingly Shiite south, followers of populist cleric Muqtada Sadr also are angling for more influence after largely staying out of the 2005 elections. The proposal to bar parties with militias is believed to be aimed at the cleric’s movement, which sidestepped the issue by announcing that it would endorse individual candidates but would not field its own list. Separately, the largest Sunni alliance pulled its representatives out of Maliki’s government in August, accusing the main Shiite factions of refusing to share power. But members of the Iraqi Accordance Front say the government has met some of their key demands, including approving a conditional amnesty aimed at reducing the number of mostly Sunni detainees held in Iraqi jails. Advertisement The Sunni alliance has also expressed approval of recent government crackdowns against Shiite militants in Basra, Amarah and parts of Baghdad. Sunni politicians had accused Maliki of failing to go after fellow Shiites as aggressively as he pursues Sunni insurgents. Salim Abdullah Jabouri, spokesman for the Sunni alliance, said Maliki had agreed to give the Sunnis six ministries and a deputy prime minister’s slot. The ministries would be those of culture, higher education, women’s affairs, and planning; the ministry of state for foreign affairs; and one other portfolio, still to be determined, Jabouri said. Lawmakers have said before that a deal was imminent -- only for disputes to break out over the details. The most contentious position is the Planning Ministry, which is held by Ali Baban, a Sunni who broke with the alliance to stay in the job. Jabouri said Baban would remain for now but could be replaced. Advertisement In violence Tuesday, police said that at least seven people were killed in a series of attacks in Diyala province. The incidents included a roadside bombing, which injured a man and killed his three sons as they drove through farmland south of Baqubah, the provincial capital. Periodic attacks have persisted in Diyala despite U.S. offensives last year to clear the ethnically and religiously mixed province of Sunni militants loyal to Al Qaeda in Iraq and other militant groups. Maliki has promised his own offensive to finish the job. North of Diyala, a truck bomb targeting a Sunni tribal chief’s residence in Gayarah killed one person and injured at least 25 others, police said. The sheik, who was among the wounded, is one of those who turned against Al Qaeda in Iraq in the district about 45 miles south of Mosul. The number of attacks nationwide has dropped to its lowest level since 2004, according to figures compiled by the U.S. military. But U.S. officers warn that militants remain capable of deadly strikes. Advertisement -- alexandra.zavis@latimes.com Times staff writers Saif Hameed, Raheem Salman and Said Rifai and special correspondents in Baghdad and Mosul contributed to this report.
US Marine Corps Seal Mohamed al-Sumaidaie, Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations, accused U.S. marines of murdering his cousin's 21-year-old son, Mohammed Sumaidaie, who was studying engineering at the University of Technology in Baghdad. “All indications point to a killing of an unarmed innocent civilian - a cold-blooded murder,” said Sumaidaie. “The Marines were smiling at each other as they were leaving.” Sumaidaie called for an investigation of the alleged June 25 killing of the student while the US military said the charges “roughly correspond to an incident involving coalition forces on that day in that general location.” U.S.-led forces were conducting a sweep in the western portion of Anbar, in the province of Sumaidaie's ancestral villiage. Sumaidaie said the “Americans come and rough up the youths in the village demanding information which they simply do not have,” The alleged victim was at his father’s house with his mother when marines knocked at the door the ambassador said, quoting the young man's mother. According to Sumaidaie's letter, the Marines asked if there were any weapons, and Mohammed said there was a rifle, which only had blanks. He then led some of the Marines into his father's bedroom where it was kept. The younger brother of the dead student was dragged by his hair into a corridor and beaten while the rest of the family was told to wait outside, he said. After waiting for more than an hour on the porch, the marines left, and the victim's mother found her son dead with a bullet to the neck, according to Sumaidaie. "The mother let off a deafening cry of anguish but the marines were smiling at each other as they were leaving," Sumaidaie said. "In the bedroom, Mohamed was found dead and laying in a clotted pool of his blood." U.S. Maj. Gen. Stephen T. Johnson said, "We take these allegations seriously and will thoroughly investigate this incident to determine what happened."
Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan rescue workers searched for a second day for a twin-engine plane that crashed near the Los Roques islands carrying 12 passengers and two crew members. Venezuelan military and civil defense aircraft and boats, along with several private vessels, participated in the search for the Transaven Airlines plane that went down yesterday morning, said Antonio Rivero, director of the country's civil defense agency, according to a government statement. The propeller plane disappeared about 16 miles south of the Los Roques archipelago off the coast of Venezuela, after pilots reported that both engines had failed. Passengers included eight Italians, one Swiss and three Venezuelans, according to the government statement. Both pilots were Venezuelan. The plane went down at 9:43 a.m. local time while flying from Caracas to an airport on the islands, a popular Venezuelan vacation destination. To contact the reporters on this story Matthew Walter in Caracas at mwalter4@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net ||||| Plane crashes off Venezuela with 14 aboard, including 8 Italians, 1 Swiss CARACAS, Venezuela: A plane crashed into the sea off Venezuela Friday with 14 people on board, including eight Italians and a Swiss citizen. There was no immediate report on casualties. Search teams fanned out by air and sea to look for the downed twin-engine plane, which left Simon Bolivar International Airport near Caracas and hit the sea about 24 miles (39 kilometers) from Los Roques islands, said Gen. Antonio Rivero, Venezuela's emergency management director. Italy's foreign ministry said eight Italians were on board. Rivero's agency said there were five Venezuelans on board, including the pilot and co-pilot, as well as one Swiss man. The agency initially said he was American but later confirmed that he holds Swiss nationality. The Los Roques islands are a popular tourism destination, with a national park and world-class scuba diving off white sand beaches. The plane belonged to the company Transaven, a small Venezuelan airline that regularly flies to Los Roques, authorities said. Six helicopters searched through the day before being called off at sunset, while a navy frigate and two patrol boats continued searching into the night, Rivero said. ||||| Why did this happen? Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy. ||||| (Updates with new information)CARACAS, Jan 4 (Reuters) - A plane carrying 14 people, including eight Italians and one Swiss passenger, crashed into the sea close to a group of Venezuelan islands on Friday and had not yet been found, officials said.Air rescue and civil protection officials said rescue workers in speed boats and helicopters were still searching for the twin-engine aircraft nearly 10 hours after it went down.The officials said the pilot reported engine problems just before contact was lost with the Czech-made 19-seat LET L-410.The plane was flying to the Los Roques archipelago from Caracas but reported engine trouble and never arrived at its destination, an air rescue worker said.Rain and strong waves have "made the search for the plane more difficult," Gen. Antonio Rivero, who heads Venezuela's civil protection agency, said in an interview with a local television network.Rivero said earlier that four additional passengers boarded the plane at the last minute, taking the total to 18 on board, but civil protection said later that information was incorrect.A spokesman at the Italian Foreign Ministry said eight of the people on board the plane were Italians. He gave no further details.Civil protection said the plane, operated by Venezuela-based airline Transaven, fell into the sea about 24 miles (39 km) from Los Roques on Friday morning. The agency said in an evening press release that one of the passengers on board was Swiss, after having earlier identified that passenger as American.The nonprofit Aviation Safety Network reported on its Web site that in 2005 a Transaven-operated aircraft made an emergency landing after taking off from Caracas for Los Roques.In 2002, another Transaven plane made an emergency landing in the sea while flying to the same islands, according to Venezuelan media. Thirteen people on board were uninjured.Los Roques is a national park off the coast of Venezuela, renowned for white sand beaches and crystalline water popular with European and U.S. tourists. (Reporting by Frank Jack Daniel and Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Peter Cooney) ||||| CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- A plane carrying 14 people, including eight Italians, crashed into the sea off Venezuela on Friday. There was no immediate report on casualties. Search teams were fanning out by air and sea to find the downed twin-engine plane, which left Simon Bolivar International Airport near Caracas and hit the sea about 24 miles (39 kilometers) from Los Roques islands, said Gen. Antonio Rivero, Venezuela's emergency management director. Italy's foreign ministry said eight Italians were on board. Rivero's agency said there were five Venezuelans on board, including the pilot and co-pilot, and that one man's nationality was still being confirmed. The agency initially said he was an American, but later issued another statement saying he could be Swiss. E-mail to a friend Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ||||| Home » Database » 2008 Accident description languages: Preliminary ca 09:40 Let 410UVP-E3 Transaven YV2081 872015 1987 2 Walter M-601E Fatalities: / Occupants: 2 Fatalities: / Occupants: 12 Fatalities: / Occupants: 14 Written off ca 20 km S off Los Roques Airport (LRV) (Venezuela) En route Domestic Scheduled Passenger Caracas-Simon Bolivar Airport (CCS/SVMI), Venezuela Los Roques Airport (LRV/SVRS), Venezuela While descending for Los Roques, the pilot radioed that both engines had failed. At that moment he was at 3000 feet, 64 nm from Caracas on the 024 degrees radial. It seems the pilot attempted to ditch in the Los Roques archipelago. : » Rescate » Rescate Photos Map not display the exact flight path. Distance from Caracas-Simon Bolivar Airport (CCS/SVMI) to Los Roques Airport (LRV/SVRS) as the crow flies is 153 km (96 miles). This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports doesdisplay the exact flight path.Distance from Caracas-Simon Bolivar Airport (CCS/SVMI) to Los Roques Airport (LRV/SVRS) as the crow flies is 153 km (96 miles). This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Networkĺs opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time. [legend] [disclaimer]
A file photo of a Russian Let L-410MU, an earlier version somewhat comparable to the one involved. An aircraft owned and operated by Transaven Airlines is believed to have crashed into the sea off the coast of Venezuela. 14 or 18 people were on board. The dual-engined Czechoslovakian-built (in 1987) Let L-410UVP-E3 plane had departed from Simon Bolivar International Airport near Caracas on its scheduled domestic flight to Los Roques Airport and is believed to have subsequently crashed into the ocean approximately 24 miles (39 km) short of its destination in the Los Roques archipelago, according to General Antonio Rivero, emergency management director for Venezuela. Initially, ''Bloomberg'' and ''Aviation Safety Network'' had reported that the plane had left the airport at Los Roques on its way to Caracas prior to the accident. ''Reuters'' reported that the crash was initially noticed when the plane failed to arrive at the Los Roques, according to air rescue worker Caleb Castro. Rivero told ''Reuters'' that four extra passengers had boarded at the last minute, bringing the total on board to 18. The Italian foreign ministry told reporters that eight of those on board were Italian, whilst Rivero's agency said the others were five Venezuelans and an American. The United States embassy said it had no information about details of their citizen on the flight, and a subsequent release said it was possible he or she was in fact Swiss. Search and rescue teams are using a navy frigate and patrol boats and helicopters to search for any survivors. "Speed boats, a plane and a helicopter are searching for the aircraft," Castro said to reporters. A NASA satellite image of Los Roques archipelago Luis Diaz, operations director for civil protection, said that the plane had reported engine trouble shortly before contact was lost. Although weather is not presently considered a factor, as conditions were good at the time, rains and high waves have developed and are hampering search efforts. Transaven have had two previous incidents, but no accidents. In 2002 a Transaven plane performed an emergency landing on water, in which all thirteen on board escaped uninjured. The other was a standard emergency landing in 2005. Both were on the same Caracas-Los Roques route. Transaven, a small local company, regularly flies to Los Roques, a national park and a popular tourist destination boasting white sand beaches and world-class scuba-diving sites.
Australian regulator announces special investigation into Qantas SYDNEY (AFP) — Australian civil aviation officials on Sunday announced an unprecedented special review of Qantas after three mid-air dramas in the space of two weeks threatened to tarnish its safety record. The investigation by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) came as flight attendants asked top company officials for a special meeting and assurances that Qantas planes were safe. Qantas prides itself on its extremely good safety record, having never lost a jet plane to an accident, but recent incidents including a mid-air blast that ripped a large hole in the fuselage have dented its image. CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said to his knowledge the review was unprecedented. A senior authority official, Mick Quinn, would head the inquiry, which would take about two weeks, Gibson said. "We want to look at their safety systems to make sure that the systems are operating the way they should," Gibson told AFP. "All these things are stated in manuals. We want to make sure that what is in the manuals is being done." Gibson said recent audits of Qantas procedures had not shown up any problems, but following the latest incident on Saturday, the authority felt it was "prudent" to make extra checks. Qantas said it had no issue with the review and planned to cooperate with it, adding its standards remained high. "Our operations are first class and are continually subject to the scrutiny of Australian and overseas regulators as well as our own internal audits," the airline's head of engineering, David Cox, said in a statement. "We have no issue with this latest review and CASA says it has no evidence to suggest that safety standards at Qantas have fallen. We agree and are totally confident these checks will confirm the integrity of our engineering and maintenance operations and our commitment to safety." On Saturday a Qantas Boeing 767 bound for Manila was forced to turn back to Sydney after developing a leak of hydraulic fluid while in the air. It followed two other safety scares. On July 25, a Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route to Melbourne from Hong Kong made an emergency landing in Manila after a blast believed to have been caused by an exploding oxygen cylinder ripped a large hole in its fuselage. And last Monday, a Qantas 737-800 was forced to return to Adelaide after a landing gear door failed to retract. Qantas banks heavily on its image as the world's safest airline. In the movie "Rain Man", it was famously cited by the autistic central character played by Dustin Hoffman as the only airline he was prepared to travel on. However, the latest incidents have left even Qantas' own staff concerned about its record. Flight attendants made a special request at the weekend to meet senior management to discuss the problems. "We want some assurances from the company that these are isolated incidents," said Steven Reed, president of the Flight Attendants' Association of Australia. "Or are they something we should be concerned about? "We need to meet with the company at a senior level to have these assurances." A Qantas spokesman said he expected a meeting would be held within the next week. In recent years, Qantas has gone through major changes with the launch of a low-cost subsidiary, Jetstar, which is in the process of expanding into Asia. Jetstar's chief executive Alan Joyce was recently named as the new chief executive of Qantas, to replace Geoff Dixon. Engineers have criticised the airline's increased outsourcing of maintenance to centres overseas, including in Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines. One engineering union official told AFP that in one incident involving outsourcing, flight attendants received electric shocks in a galley due to faulty wiring, and on another occasion emergency lighting failed to work properly. Wayne Vasta, assistant federal secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers' Association, said it would be wrong to blame outsourcing for every problem, but that there had been a "change in culture" within the company over the last five years. Demands from management for cost-cutting were the driving factor, he said. Qantas engineers in the past had simply been driven by the need to do the best job they possibly could, Vasta said. "Now it appears we have got to do the best job we can possibly do, within a budget," he said, welcoming the CASA's investigation. ||||| Aviation watchdog orders review of Qantas Posted Updated The Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA) says it will be carrying out a thorough review of Qantas, following a series of mid-flight dramas. The latest incident occurred on Saturday, when a Qantas 767 flight to Manila carrying 200 passengers, was forced to turn around after the pilot discovered a hydraulic fluid leak. A week earlier another Qantas plane bound for Hong Kong was forced to make an emergency landing in Manila after a blast blew a hole in the fuselage. CASA spokesman Peter Gibson says there is no evidence to suggest there are operational problems, but it is important to make certain. Mr Gibson says additional checks on top of the normal routine will be carried out over the next two weeks. "We will be focusing on key areas, such as maintenance, safety systems within the airline and the way Qantas is managing recent incidents," he said. "So the Civil Aviation Safety Authority will be digging deep with a special team to make sure that everything is being done properly." "This is on top of our normal safety checks that we do on Qantas week in week out... just to make sure that safety standards remain as high as possible." Qantas engineers, who are lobbying for a pay rise, also say they are concerned about the recent incidents and argue cost cutting is putting the airline at risk.
The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has announced it will take the unprecedented step of conducting a special review of flag carrier Qantas after three separate emergencies in two weeks. In the latest incident, a Boeing 767 headed from Sydney to Manila was forced to turn back yesterday after ground staff at the airport noticed what they believed to be smoke emanating from the jet's wing as it departed. It turned out to be fine spray from a hydraulic fluid leak, and the aircraft brought its 200 passengers back down safely at around 3:00 p.m., with ARFF trucks on standby. Despite the aircraft being forced to turn around, the pilot did not request a priority landing and so Qantas refused to describe the event as an emergency landing. Qantas has a largely good safety record, having never lost a jet aircraft or had a fatality on board one. Their last fatal accident was in 1951. However, recently two other events have led to some questioning of Qantas from within the aviation industry. Last Monday, a Qantas Boeing 737-800 returned to Adelaide after experiencing pressurization problems caused by the failure of an undercarriage door to retract properly. This followed the July 25 accident on board Flight 30, a Boeing 747 headed from London to Melbourne that had just made a stopover in Hong Kong, in which an exploding oxygen cylinder caused an explosive decompression. An emergency landing was performed in Manila, with a hole blown in the aircraft's side. According to Qantas staff, the problems are not a new thing. Qantas flight attendants have asked senior management for an emergency meeting over these latest events. The Flight Attendants' Association of Australia's president Steven Reed said "We want some assurances from the company that these are isolated incidents. Or are they something we should be concerned about? We need to meet with the company at a senior level to have these assurances." Such a meeting is said to be likely within a week. Qantas engineers have been complaining for some time about maintenance issues, saying that cost-cutting and outsourcing are compromising the quality of maintenance. Much work is now being done in countries such as Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines. According to one engineering union official, recent incidents linked to outsourced maintenance include a failure of emergency lighting and flight attendants in the galley being electrocuted by faulty wiring. According to the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers' Association's assistant federal secretary, Wayne Vasta, there has been a recent "change in culture" at Qantas, although he did say it would be inappropriate to blame only outsourcing. He said that while previously Qantas engineers had simply attempted to do the best they could, "Now it appears we have got to do the best job we can possibly do, within a budget." He also expressed a welcoming of the CASA probe. Qantas' engineers are currently lobbying for a pay rise, and say the airline is risking safety with cost cuts. Peter Gibson, spokesperson for CASA, said no trouble had been spotted in recent safety audits of Qantas, but they felt it 'prudent' to investigate given the recent string of incidents. He acknowledged that the review is unprecedented in CASA's history, and announced the probe would be headed by senior official Mick Quinn. "We want to look at their safety systems to make sure that the systems are operating the way they should. All these things are stated in manuals. We want to make sure that what is in the manuals is being done," Gibson told reporters. He said the investigation should take around two weeks.
E-Mail News Alerts Get breaking news and daily headlines. Browse all e-mail newsletters Related To Story Linda Van Pool SLIDESHOW VIDEO Aunt Charged With Hiring Prostitutes For 12-Year-Old Nephew POSTED: 11:34 am EDT August 23, 2007 A Washington County woman is accused of paying two prostitutes to have sex with her 12-year-old nephew, WTAE Channel 4's Sheldon Ingram reported Thursday. "My anger is out of control," said the boy's mother, whose name is not being released in order to protect the child's identity. "My anger is out of control," said the boy's mother, whose name is not being released in order to protect the child's identity. Donora police said Linda Van Pool, 36, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, soliciting prostitution and corruption of a minor. Donora police said Linda Van Pool, 36, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, soliciting prostitution and corruption of a minor. The alleged incident occurred in November. Local police and county authorities have been investigating since that time, and details are only now beginning to surface. The alleged incident occurred in November. Local police and county authorities have been investigating since that time, and details are only now beginning to surface. The boy's mother, who works as a bartender at Ray's Place, told Ingram that her son was being watched by Van Pool on the night of the alleged sexual activity. The boy's mother, who works as a bartender at Ray's Place, told Ingram that her son was being watched by Van Pool on the night of the alleged sexual activity. Van Pool came to the bar and requested $80 that she said she needed for the child, according to the mother, who said she provided the money without knowing it would be used for sex. Van Pool came to the bar and requested $80 that she said she needed for the child, according to the mother, who said she provided the money without knowing it would be used for sex. "I just thought he would call his grandmother and wind up spending it at Wal-Mart or wherever," said the mother. "I just thought he would call his grandmother and wind up spending it at Wal-Mart or wherever," said the mother. Police said Van Pool brought her nephew to separate locations -- one on Fifth Street and one on Linden Way -- for the sexual activity. Police said Van Pool brought her nephew to separate locations -- one on Fifth Street and one on Linden Way -- for the sexual activity. "I didn't know that she would take him to those type of women. I didn't think they existed in this area. I thought you had to go to Pittsburgh for that," she said. "I didn't know that she would take him to those type of women. I didn't think they existed in this area. I thought you had to go to Pittsburgh for that," she said. The mother said the boy's aunt told her what had happened after she got home from work. She said her son confirmed the story to her the next day. The mother said the boy's aunt told her what had happened after she got home from work. She said her son confirmed the story to her the next day. The 12-year-old's father had died not long before, and the child was "acting up" at home, so the sex was bought "as a way to appease the boy," Donora police said. The 12-year-old's father had died not long before, and the child was "acting up" at home, so the sex was bought "as a way to appease the boy," Donora police said. Van Pool is in jail on $5,000 bond. The women who allegedly had sex with the boy have not been arrested, but police said they expect that to happen soon. Van Pool is in jail on $5,000 bond. The women who allegedly had sex with the boy have not been arrested, but police said they expect that to happen soon. The boy is now living with grandparents, according to his mother, who is also facing charges even though she denies any involvement. The boy is now living with grandparents, according to his mother, who is also facing charges even though she denies any involvement. "I lost my husband, he lost his father, and now he lost his family," the mother said. "I lost my husband, he lost his father, and now he lost his family," the mother said. Related Links: More County News Get RSS | E-Mail Alerts Copyright 2007 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Links We Like True Work Romance We'll help you find a balance between love and work. More You Can Refinance Your Home Online Whether you want to pay off some bills, remodel, or get a better rate, you can refinance your home online. Just enter your name and other important information and get a handful of approval values and rates in return. More A How-To Guide For Yard Sales More Don't hold a yard sale without reading our tips for success. 10 Interview Fashion Blunders These are the mistakes you don't want to make when interviewing for a new job. More Links We Like includes a selection of information, tools and resources from our partners and sponsors. Like online video? Then you'll love Now See This. Links We Like includes a selection of information, tools and resources from our partners and sponsors. Sponsored Links ||||| Friday, August 24, 2007 A Donora woman accused of taking a 12-year-old boy to two houses of prostitution was being held in the Washington County Correctional Facility, police said Thursday. Linda Van Pool, 36, is charged with endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors along with prostitution and related offenses, according to court documents. Van Pool, who was arraigned on Wednesday before District Judge Mark A. Wilson, is being held in the Washington County prison on $5,000 bond, a prison clerk said. Van Pool is accused of taking the boy to the 100 block of Fifth Street and the 700 block of McKean Avenue, both in Donora, on Nov. 2. The boy had vaginal and oral sex with at least two women at those locations, court records stated. story continues below Van Pool has a preliminary hearing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 20. She is the second person charged so far in the case. On May 10, Kathleen Waggoner, 37 of Donora, was charged with corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children. Waggoner, who worked as a bartender, is accused of giving money to Van Pool "for the purpose of providing (the boy) with sexual gratification," court documents said. The money Waggoner allegedly used to pay Van Pool came from Social Security payments made to the boy, court records stated. Charges against Waggoner were held for court July 3.
In Donora, Pennsylvania a woman is being accused of hiring two prostitutes last November to have sex with her 12-year-old nephew. Police said details began to surface just this month. The boy's mother said, "My anger is out of control." The mother's name was not released to protect the boy's identity and privacy. However, police said the boy's 36-year-old aunt, Linda Van Pool, is being charged with soliciting prostitution, corruption of a minor, and endangering the welfare of a child. The boy's mother reportedly is a bartender in Donora. She says Van Pool came to the bar asking for eighty dollars for the boy. The mother says she never thought the money would be used for prostitutes. She said, "I just thought he would call his grandmother and wind up spending it at Wal-Mart or wherever...I didn't know that she would take him to those type of women. I didn't think they existed in this area. I thought you had to go to Pittsburgh for that." Van Pool reportedly took the boy to two separate locations. Police said the 12-year-old's father had died a short time ago and that the child was "acting up", so the sex was thought to be "a way to appease the boy." Van Pool has been placed in the Washington County Correctional Facility on $5,000 bond. The two prostitutes have not been arrested, but police expect that their arrests will come shortly.
Atlantis Glides Into The History Books Greg Milam, US correspondent, in Florida Blink and you would have missed it. Atlantis swept in silently and under the cover of darkness - ushering the shuttle programme into the history books. Atlantis safely touched down bringing an end to the 30-year US shuttle programme Nasa had resisted calls to delay the landing until daylight had arrived on Florida's 'space coast'. Instead the sonic booms announced its imminent arrival at the Kennedy Space Centre. A crowd of some 2000 family members, friends and employees, bussed out to the side of the runway, cheered and applauded as Atlantis flashed past. The space shuttle has changed the way we view the world and it's changed the way we view our universe. Space Shuttle Atlantis crew When the wheels stopped, the space community and America in general began to reflect on the successes of the shuttle and where the country's space programme goes now. Atlantis will take its place in a museum at the Kennedy Space Centre. Its commander Chris Ferguson said: "I want that picture of a young 6-year-old boy looking up at a space shuttle in a museum and say, 'daddy I want to do something like that when I grow up' or 'I want our country to do fantastic things like this for the continued future' and if we set those steps right now and they continue with the next generation of space explorers than I consider our job here complete." It may be a forlorn hope - America is ambitious about landing on Mars but budget constraints continue to cause concern that the country is falling behind in the space race. With the shuttles retiring to museums, it will be another three to five years at best before Americans are launched again from US soil and private companies are gearing up to take over from Nasa. Former astronaut Tom Jones told me it was 'embarrassing' that the US would have to rely on Russian rockets to get Americans into space. But last-ditch appeals to keep shuttles flying, made by such legends as Neil Armstrong, fell on deaf ears. An American flag that flew on the first shuttle flight and returned to orbit aboard Atlantis this time is now at the space station. The first company to get astronauts there will claim the flag as a prize. Amid the uncertainty though, for today at least, pride was the over-riding emotion. "Thank you Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Endeavour, and our ship Atlantis, thank you for protecting us and bringing this program to such a fitting end," said the crew. "The space shuttle has changed the way we view the world and it's changed the way we view our universe." :: Atlantis has safely touched down in Florida, bringing America's space shuttle programme to an end after 30 years. ||||| She roared into the heavens a fortnight ago atop a column of fire, enthralling a million spectators as she set off on her final voyage. But the space shuttle Atlantis slipped quietly back to port on Thursday at the end of her five-million-mile journey, gently lowering the curtain on three extraordinary decades of adventure in human space flight. Nasa's space shuttle era officially came to a close at 5.57am (10.57am BST) when the orbiter and its crew of four astronauts touched down at a remote runway in the northern reaches of Florida's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, watched by a few hundred space agency workers and reporters who turned out before dawn to witness a moment of history. Like a ship's bell ringing a vessel safely back home, two deafening sonic booms pierced the Florida sky to signal Atlantis's otherwise silent arrival, and the last few seconds of the 135th and final mission since the first launch of Columbia in April 1981. It was day of celebration and raw emotion, with Nasa employees openly weeping on the runway in front of the newly retired shuttle, and Chris Ferguson, the Atlantis commander, paying a moving tribute to it and the rest of the spacecraft fleet. "The space shuttle has changed the way we view the world and it's changed the way we view our universe," he said moments after landing. "There are a lot of emotions today, but one thing is indisputable. America's not going to stop exploring. Thank you Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Endeavour and our ship, Atlantis. Thank you for protecting us and bringing this programme to such a fitting end." Charles Bolden, a former astronaut who is now the Nasa administrator, was keen to look ahead. "At today's final landing of the space shuttle, we had the rare opportunity to witness history," he said. "We turned the page on a remarkable era and began the next chapter in our nation's extraordinary story of exploration. This final shuttle flight marks the end of an era, but today we recommit ourselves to continuing human spaceflight and taking the necessary and difficult steps to ensure America's leadership in human spaceflight for years to come." Despite the rallying words, many feel that the moment of wheels-stop for Atlantis also marked the end of a half-century of US dominance in space. For the first time in the agency's 53-year history it has no vehicle, existing or in the works, capable of launching astronauts into orbit. The International Space Station, built almost exclusively by American astronauts flying shuttles, must now be serviced by Russia's Soviet-era Soyuz spacecraft. More humiliating is that Nasa is having to hitch rides to the space station with the Russians, paying them up to $63m (£39m) for each astronaut it wants to send. Private companies including SpaceX, Lockheed Martin and Sierra Nevada have won Nasa contracts to develop spacecraft to compete for such lower Earth orbit duties and hope to be flying humans to the ISS by 2015. Nasa, meanwhile, is charged with designing, but not yet building, a new heavy-lift rocket that might eventually take astronauts back to the moon for the first time since 1972, and perhaps later on to Mars. President Barack Obama, who cancelled the planned next-generation Constellation programme of spacecraft and rockets on cost grounds, is under pressure to announce a date when work on the so-called Space Launch System can begin. Bob Cabana, the Kennedy Space Centre director, admits the agency faces a severe challenge. Almost 10,000 workers have lost their jobs with the end of the shuttle programme and last week the influential house appropriations committee in the US Congress announced it wanted to slash Nasa's budget by $1.9bn. "We enjoy this celebration and reflection on everything the shuttles achieved, but we go straight back to work on Monday," Cabana said. "We have to put the architecture into place to support the heavy-lift rocket that will allow us to get back to exploring. It's in our DNA to explore; we need to be doing it." Nasa's retired shuttles are to go on public display. Atlantis, which travelled almost 126m miles in its 33 flights since its first launch in October 1985, will be housed at the space centre's visitor complex after a lengthy decommissioning process. Endeavour, which completed its final flight on 1 June, is heading for the California Science Museum in Los Angeles and Discovery, last flown in March, will replace the non-orbiting shuttle prototype Enterprise at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. Nasa's two other shuttles, Challenger and Columbia, were destroyed in flight during missions in 1986 and 2003 respectively, each disaster costing seven astronauts their lives. In all, the five shuttles flew 542m miles, including missions to release satellites and launch and repair the Hubble space telescope. Mike Leinbach, Nasa's launch director, remembered the sacrifices made by the crews and paid tribute to the generations of employees who worked on the shuttle programme. "There's a lot of sadness that it's over, and it's hard to say goodbye to so many people who have over the years become family," he said. "But the sun will rise again tomorrow." ||||| Shuttle Atlantis heads home for farewell Space shuttle Atlantis is ready to make one last descent to Earth. The orbiter and its crew of four are scheduled to hit the runway at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida just before sunrise on Thursday. At "wheel-stop", the ship will complete its 13-day mission to the space station; but more significantly, it will close the book on Nasa's 30-year shuttle programme. Atlantis, like Discovery and Endeavour before it, is being retired. The US space agency is turning to the private sector for future astronaut transport services, hoping that a number of commercial ventures will emerge in the coming years to ferry crews to and from the low-Earth orbit. Atlantis has two opportunities to land on Thursday, with the first timed at 0556 EDT (0956 GMT; 1056 BST). Weather forecasters expect conditions to be near perfect for the attempt. Officials have resisted calls to target the second opportunity at 0733 and the better light it would afford shuttle fans to see the ship sweep in over Florida's Space Coast. "We want to stick with what we do normally with our processes and procedures," said LeRoy Cain, the chair of the space shuttle's mission management team. "Whether it's 40 minutes before sunrise or an hour after, it will be a good landing at Kennedy Space Center. We're going to stick with our plan." Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday. It had delivered some four tonnes of supplies to the platform, including a huge load of food. Its landing is sure to be wound up with plenty of emotion - not least because it will trigger a big lay-off of contractor staff that have supported shuttle operations. More than 3,000 will be let go within days of touch-down. The programme itself does not officially end for a month, but even then it is likely to take a couple of years to close all activities, such as the archiving of decades of shuttle engineering data. For Atlantis, its retirement will be spent as a static display at the Kennedy visitors complex. Assuming the ship takes the first landing opportunity on Thursday, its career statistics will read 33 flights, 307 days in space, logging 4,848 orbits, for a total distance travelled of 202,673,974km (125,935,769 miles). Mind the gap The end of the shuttle programme will leave a gap in America's astronaut-launch capability that is unlikely to be filled for at least three or four years. In the short-term, the US will use Russian Soyuz rockets and capsules to fly its astronauts to the ISS. A number of US national commercial carriers are then expected to enter service around the middle of the decade. Nasa will buy seats in these astronaut "taxis". The vehicles are expected to be much simpler - and a lot cheaper - to operate than the shuttle. "We're not asking industry to do anything cutting-edge here; what we're asking US industry to do is replicate the capabilities that were developed in the 1960s to do the relatively simple task of carrying a few people to orbit," said Dr John Logsdon, professor emeritus of the Space Policy Institute at The George Washington University. "That doesn't require new, or emerging or breakthrough technologies," he told BBC News. This more commercial approach to low-Earth orbit activities is intended to free up resources for Nasa to build a new capsule and rocket that can take humans beyond the space station to destinations such as the Moon, asteroids and Mars. The conical ship, known as Orion, has already been defined and is in an advanced stage of development. The rocket, on the other hand, is still an unknown quantity. US Congress has told the agency what its minimum capabilities should be. However, Nasa is currently struggling to put those specifications into a concept it says can be built to the timeline and budget specified by the politicians. It promises to detail the rocket's baseline design before the summer is out.
Space Shuttle Atlantis has completed its last journey with a landing at , located in Florida, United States. Two thousand employees, including employees, families and friends, witnessed the landing of Atlantis at 0557 (0957 ) yesterday. This landing has brought mission to a close, as well as the from NASA. The program, which experienced a total of one hundred and thirty-five missions, had been in operation for thirty years, since 1981. During the landing, , the flight's commander, commented that "the space shuttle changed the way we view the world and it changed the way we view the universe". Citing "a lot of emotion" in relation to this landing, Ferguson clarified that "one thing's indisputable: America's not going to stop exploring". Amongst the aftermath of the landing, produced a speech while standing in front of the spacecraft and its crew and spoke of "the rare opportunity to witness history". Atlantis launched for the final time on July 8 this year. Bolden commented: "This final shuttle flight marks the end of an era, but today we recommit ourselves to continuing human spaceflight and taking the necessary and difficult steps to ensure America's leadership in human spaceflight for years to come." The gave the order to abandon the program, partially attributing their cancellation to the expense of vehicle maintenance. Due to the program's conclusion, in excess of three thousand space shuttle operation contributions are now anticipated to lose their occupations. Bolden spoke of how grateful NASA were to the "thousands, literally tens of thousands, of folks all around the country who made all this possible". There is now no way for individuals to travel into space from the United States. To do this, NASA will utilise the services of the Russian spacecraft .
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A powerful earthquake struck waters off eastern Indonesia early Monday, briefly generating tsunami warnings for coastlines within 600 miles of the epicenter. Thousands of people in nearby coastal towns fled homes, hotels and hospitals in panic, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 7.5 and said it struck 54 miles from the nearest city, Gorantalo, located on Sulawesi island. It was centered 13 miles beneath the sea and was followed by two strong aftershocks. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the temblor had the potential to generate a destructive tsunami along coasts within 600 miles. But even after local officials lifted the tsunami alert, frightened Sulawesi residents were refusing to return to their homes. Gusnar, the deputy governor of Gorantalo province, told el-Shinta radio he had been in touch with district chiefs and there were "no reports of serious injuries or significant damage." Like many Indonesians, he goes by only one name. Robert Bano, a Gorantalo resident, said the massive quake shook homes for more than two minutes and sent many people fleeing their homes, some, like him, with crying children. Some guests streaming from Paradiso Hotel were so afraid they fainted, the official news agency Antara reported. A witness in the city of Poso said patients from at least one hospital were evacuated. Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. In December 2004, a massive earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra island triggered a tsunami that battered much of the Indian Ocean coastline and killed more than 230,000 people — 131,000 of them in Indonesia's Aceh province alone. A tsunami off Java island last year killed nearly 5,000. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more ||||| Stuck at Home, Men in Japan Learn to Help. Will It Last? The pandemic is exposing like never before the severe disparities in how Japanese couples divide household work. ||||| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the Indonesian coast on Sunday, 86 miles northwest of Gorontalo, Sulawesi, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was 13 miles deep and took place at 12:02 p.m. EST (1702 GMT), which was 1:02 a.m. local time on Monday, the USGS said. The USGS revised its first report of 7.8 magnitude and depth of 20.5 miles. ||||| Versión en Español Earthquake Summary Earthquake Summary Poster Felt Reports At least three people killed, 20 injured, 700 houses collapsed and communications disrupted in the Buol area. One person killed, 23 injured and many buildings damaged in Gorontalo. Felt (VII) at Baolan; (VI) at Gorontalo and Tolitoli; (IV) at Manado and Poso; (III) at Luwuk. Also felt (IV) at Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei and (II) at Darwin, Australia. Felt at Kolaka, Kuta, Makasar, Palu and Ujung Bulu, Indonesia; Kunak and Sandakan, Malaysia; General Santos and Koronadal, Philippines. Tectonic Summary The magnitude 7.3 Sulawesi, Indonesia earthquake of November 16, 2008 occurred as a result of thrust faulting on a plate-boundary that is marked by the North Sulawesi trench, separating the Celebes Sea basin and the Minahassa peninsula. Eastern Indonesia is characterized by complex tectonics in which motions of numerous small plates are accommodating large-scale convergence between the Australia and Eurasia plates. At the location of today's earthquake, the Celebes Sea basin (commonly considered part of the Sunda plate) moves south with respect to the Minahassa peninsula (part of the Molucca Sea plate) at a velocity of about 30 mm/year. The lithosphere of the Celebes Sea basin is thrust beneath that of the Minahassa peninsula and is seismically active to a depth of about 250 km. The earthquake occurred approximately 25 km off the northern coast of the Minahassa peninsula of the Island of Sulawesi in an area that has seen large earthquakes in the past. For example, a damaging magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurred on April 18, 1990 approximately 85 km east of today's earthquake. The magnitude 7.6 earthquake in 1990 was followed a year later by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in approximately the same place. More recently a magnitude 7.0 occurred within 45 km of today's earthquake on November 25, 1997. The 1997 earthquake caused damage to at least 90 building in the Gorontalo area of northern Sulawesi. Earthquake Information for Asia Earthquake Information for Indonesia Tsunami Information
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) a major magnitude 7.5 earthquake has struck Sulawesi, Indonesia, causing a tsunami warning to be issued. The USGS originally reported the quake as a 7.8. Local seismologists in Indonesia put the magnitude at 7.7. Map of quake epicenter. The NOAA had issued a tsunami warning for all areas within 1,000 k.m. of the quake's epicenter, but was later lifted. Some witnesses report their homes shaking followed by scared residents running out of their homes to seek higher ground. Many buildings have collapsed in Gorontalo. The USGS states that damage could be "moderate to heavy". At least 200,000 people reside in the area. The city of Tolitoli in Central Sulawesi, also reported collapsed buildings. There are no reports of deaths, but at least one person was injured in a building collapse. The quake struck 135 kilometers (85 miles) Northwest of Gorontalo, Sulawesi, Indonesia with a depth of 21 k.m. (13.0 miles) . It struck the region just after 1:00 a.m. local time (12:02 p.m. EST). At least two aftershocks struck approximately 30 minutes and one hour later with magnitudes of 5.6 and 5.5
Washington (CNN) -- It was a brazen attack killing the most senior U.S. officer since 9/11, and authorities say they think an Afghan soldier was the gunman. Maj. Gen. Harold Greene -- a longtime officer who was leading efforts to train soldiers in Afghanistan -- was killed Tuesday at a military training facility in Kabul. Pentagon officials went out of their way to say the shooting would not change the relationship between U.S. and Afghan forces. "I've seen no indication that there's a degradation of trust between coalition members and their Afghan counterparts," Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters Tuesday. But the deadly ambush at a premier training facility for Afghan military officers raises questions about the vetting process for Afghan soldiers and also the upcoming handover of security to Afghan forces. "When something like this happens, in the least it creates a crisis of confidence for Afghans and for us," said Vali Nasr, dean of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. So far the Taliban has acknowledged the general's killing, but hasn't claimed responsibility for it. The Pentagon isn't commenting on the possibility of Taliban involvement, saying the Afghan military and international forces are in the early stages of an investigation. Nasr told CNN's "The Situation Room" that the attack raises serious concerns as the United States prepares to withdraw forces from Afghanistan and hand over security to Afghan forces. "The Taliban have proven today they can infiltrate this force at will," he said. "The discipline we are seeking or that we are claiming is not there, and I think it is very difficult for the administration to say that everything is going according to plan, as if this is just an isolated incident and we can just leave." But it's still unclear whether the gunman had Taliban ties and whether he slipped through the military's screening process, said Philip Mudd, a CNN counterterrorism analyst and a former CIA official. "I don't think we should look and make judgments about the vetting process too quickly," he said. "You would think on the surface that maybe he was recruited by the Taliban. That's not necessarily the case." Witnessing the horrors of war sometimes inspires soldiers to turn against their onetime allies, he said. "He might have seen something in the last months or years...and sometimes there is an emotional switch that turns on after their recruitment, after their vetting, that leads them to say, 'I want to do something about this. I'm going to kill someone in the U.S. military,'" Mudd said. 'Routine visit' turns deadly The attack occurred during a routine visit to the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul to look at improvements made at the school, Kirby said. The shooter was wearing an Afghan military uniform and is believed to be someone who had served for some time in a unit of the Afghan armed forces, Kirby said. "A person that we believe was an Afghan soldier opened fire and hit many with his weapon," he said. In addition to the general's slaying, up to 15 coalition troops were wounded in the shooting rampage, Kirby told reporters. He said some of them sustained serious, but not life-threatening, injuries. The Afghan Defense Ministry described the shooter as a "terrorist" and said Afghan soldiers shot him dead. General helped lead training Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno released a condolence statement confirming Greene's death. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene's family, and the families of our soldiers who were injured today in the tragic events that took place in Afghanistan," Odierno said in the statement, referring to other officers who were hurt. "These soldiers were professionals, committed to the mission. It is their service and sacrifice that define us as an Army. " Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, described the general as a very experienced officer who was a leader in the training command in Afghanistan. He was an expert in infrastructure and logistics, Kirby said. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed condolences on his official Facebook page Tuesday night. "We serve, and where we serve we are often at risk," he said. "God bless those wounded and killed in Afghanistan yesterday and their families." Insider attacks: 'A threat you can't completely eliminate' This isn't the first time people dressed in Afghan security forces uniforms have attacked coalition forces who have worked to thwart such violence. "The insider threat is one that we've been focused on for quite some time. ... It is a threat you can't completely eliminate," Kirby told CNN. But it's a threat that can be mitigated, he said. And officials stress that statistics show that the numbers of such attacks have decreased. In 2012, so-called "green on blue" insider attacks took the lives of dozens of coalition troops, and the U.S. command in Kabul halted some joint operations with Afghan security forces, CNN has previously reported. Two attackers wearing Afghan military uniforms killed two U.S. service members in February in Afghanistan, the military publication Stars and Stripes reported. In October 2013, a man in an Afghan soldier's uniform shot and killed an ISAF member in eastern Afghanistan, CNN reported. According to an April 2013 Pentagon report, insider attacks against ISAF forces declined from 48 attacks in 2012 to 15 attacks in 2013. In the first quarter of 2014, there were two insider attacks against ISAF. "Despite this sharp decline, these attacks may still have strategic effects on the campaign and could jeopardize the relationship between coalition and ANSF [Afghan National Security Forces] personnel," the report reads. Kirby called insider attacks "a pernicious threat" that are "difficult to always ascertain, to come to grips with... anywhere, particularly in a place like Afghanistan." "Afghanistan is still a war zone," he said. Numerous security protocols were instituted a few years ago to help ensure military personnel are safe, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. The United States will "review" the circumstances of Tuesday's shooting to see if any changes should be made. White House: Attack is 'painful reminder' of troops' sacrifice President Obama was briefed about the shooting and called Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, to get more information, Earnest said. "While we have made tremendous progress in disrupting, dismantling and defeating al Qaeda operations and leadership in Afghanistan and progress in winding down U.S. involvement in that conflict, this shooting, of course is a painful reminder of the service and sacrifice that our men and women in uniform make every day for this country," Earnest said. In February the Obama administration announced for the first time that it had begun planning for the possible withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of 2014 if Afghanistan did not sign a security agreement pertaining to rights of U.S. troops operating there. In May, Obama said that if the Afghan government signs a security agreement, virtually all U.S. forces would be out of the country by the end of 2016, shortly before his presidency ends. He called for 9,800 U.S. troops to stay in Afghanistan after the end of 2014, along with some allied forces. The number would get cut roughly in half by the end of 2015, and a year later the U.S. military presence would scale down to what officials described as a "normal" embassy security contingent. Kirby told reporters Tuesday that Afghan National Security Forces "continue to perform at a very strong level of competence and confidence, and warfare capability." The U.S. military feels that the Afghan military "grows stronger by the week" and noted that they are already "in the lead in combat missions" throughout the country, he said. "They'll be completely in the lead for military operations by the end of the year," Kirby said. "We see no change in that." 2 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan CNN's Jim Sciutto reported from Washington, and Ashley Fantz and Catherine E. Shoichet reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Barbara Starr, Brian Todd, Anna-Maja Rappard, Shawn Nottingham and Greg Seaby also contributed to this report. ||||| A man dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire on foreign troops at a military base on Tuesday, killing at least one U.S. soldier and wounding 15, authorities said. (AP) A man dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire on foreign troops at a military base on Tuesday, killing at least one U.S. soldier and wounding 15, authorities said. (AP) A man believed to be an Afghan soldier opened fire at an Afghan military academy in Kabul on Tuesday, killing a U.S. general and wounding up to 15 other personnel, including a German general and eight Americans, U.S. and coalition officials said. Army Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene, deputy commanding general of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan in Kabul, is the highest-ranking U.S. service member killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. U.S. officials said five of the eight wounded Americans are in serious condition; a number of British soldiers and three Afghan troops were also wounded. Greene previously served as the Army’s deputy for acquisition and systems management, a role in which he oversaw acquisition reform initiatives. He was commissioned as an engineer officer in 1980 after graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. The attack occurred about 12:23 p.m., according to an official at the German Embassy in Washington, who confirmed the wounding of a German brigadier general in the attack. The assailant was killed, said Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary. He would not say whether the shooter was killed by coalition troops or Afghans. Afghan National Army soldiers keep watch at the gate of military training academy in Kabul province Tuesday after a man in an Afghan army uniform fired on a visiting military delegation. (Omar Sobhani/Reuters) “It’s a terrible day. It’s a terrible tragedy,” said Kirby, adding that coalition officials have no reason to believe that the shooter was not a member of the Afghan National Security Forces. The attack occurred at the Marshal Fahim National Defense University, the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said. The facility, in the Qarga district of Kabul province and west of the city, was known as the Afghan National Defense University until this year. It was renamed after the Afghan vice president and former military commander who died in March of an undisclosed illness. A spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry, Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, and other Afghan officials described the attacker as a “terrorist dressed in an Afghan army uniform” who opened fire on a delegation of military visitors. Sources at the Afghan Defense Ministry said the attacker had been a member of the Afghan National Army for the past two years and was from southeastern Afghanistan. They did not identify him. They said he used a light assault rifle to fire on the foreign military delegation before he was fatally shot by Afghan personnel. President Obama received a briefing on the attack from the ISAF commander, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday. Earnest reiterated that the administration believes that while Afghanistan remains a “dangerous” place, its security needs must be met by the Afghan government. “While we have made tremendous progress in disrupting, dismantling and defeating al-Qaeda operations and leadership in Afghanistan and progress in winding down U.S. involvement in that conflict, this shooting is, of course, a painful reminder of the service and sacrifice that our men and women in uniform make every day for this country,” Earnest said. The shooting occurred as plans for the future presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, after the final withdrawal of combat forces in December, remained in limbo. Delays continued in the slow process of auditing votes from the June runoff between presidential candidates Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, who have accused each other’s campaigns of fraud. Although Obama has said that 9,800 U.S. troops will remain for training and counterterrorism missions, their presence would require the new Afghan president to sign a bilateral security agreement with the United States. Inauguration of a successor to current President Hamid Karzai, originally scheduled for last Saturday, has been indefinitely postponed. Both candidates agreed in July, in a deal brokered by Secretary of State John F. Kerry, to form a unity government after a complete recount of all 8 million votes cast. So far, only about 10 percent of the votes have been counted amid continuing controversy over which ballots should be invalidated, and the candidates themselves reportedly have made little progress in discussions on the terms of a power-sharing arrangement. Karzai said in a statement that the victims of Tuesday’s attack were visiting the academy as part of an effort “to help us build up the Afghan security forces.” He blamed the assault on “enemies who don’t want to see Afghanistan have strong institutions.” The senior United Nations official in Afghanistan issued a statement of condolence Tuesday night to the families and colleagues of “international and Afghan troops killed and wounded” in the attack. The statement from Jan Kubis, the U.N. special representative for Afghanistan, said international forces “continue to perform a critical role in Afghanistan’s security and are providing critical training for the country’s future and stability.” He called the attack a “tragedy.” The academy is a centerpiece of the coalition’s plan to train the Afghan military. U.S. military officials have described it as “the West Point of Afghanistan,” a reference to the U.S. Army’s military academy in New York state. The shooting Tuesday was one of few major incidents of so-called insider attacks against Western forces in Afghanistan in recent months. Such attacks by Afghan trainees or soldiers against their Western instructors or colleagues grew in frequency over the past several years but tapered off as a result of stricter security and screening measures at military facilities. However, the number and scope of Taliban insurgent attacks has been increasing in recent months, with dozens of deadly incidents involving unusually large numbers of insurgents. Officials have said the Taliban is testing the strength of Afghan security forces as U.S. and NATO troops continue their withdrawal and prepare to place the nation’s defense largely in Afghan hands. Insider attacks have been a core concern of coalition troops in Afghanistan for years. As of June 24, there had been 87 there since 2008, killing 142 coalition troops and wounding an additional 165, according to a tally kept by the Long War Journal. The motives for the attacks have varied. In some cases, insurgents have infiltrated the Afghan military and police and waited for the opportunity to attack coalition troops. In others, Afghan troops have attacked the coalition troops training them after feeling personally offended, military officials have said. The worst year for insider attacks in Afghanistan was 2012, when 44 attacks killed 61 coalition troops, according to the Long War Journal. The rash of attacks that year prompted significant changes in the way Western and Afghan military service members interact. They included appointing “guardian angel” service members to stand guard while coalition troops and Afghans worked together. Insider attacks have been significantly down this year, with two recorded before Tuesday. Constable reported from Kabul. Karen DeYoung and Katie Zezima contributed to this report. ||||| International U.S. Major General Killed By Insider Attack In Afghanistan (This post was last updated at 12:57 p.m. ET.) i i Massoud Hossaini / AP Massoud Hossaini / AP An attacker wearing an Afghan military uniform opened fire at service members of the NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing a U.S. major general. A United States official tells NPR's Tom Bowman that 15 others — including a German brigadier general and other coalition forces — were wounded by one shooter using a light machine gun at the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul City. The New York Times reports: "The Afghan official and a coalition official said that it appeared that the foreign casualties were high-ranking officers who were taking part in a meeting at the academy. "Lt. Gen. Afzal Aman, the director of operations at Afghanistan's Defense Ministry, said that the academy's commander, Brig. Gen. Ghulam Saki, was wounded in the shooting along with two other senior Afghan officers. "General Aman added that it was only American officers who were present during the shooting, but said that he could not provide any additional details because the entire academy was under lockdown and information remained scarce." Tom reports that this insider attack is one of the bloodiest during the Afghan war, and the major general is the highest-ranking official to be killed during the war. CNN, quoting the Afghan military, says the shooter was killed by Afghan soldiers. We'll update this post once we know more. Update at 12:47 p.m. ET. A Pernicious Threat: During his regularly scheduled press briefing, Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said while the investigation into the incident is just beginning, they have no reason to believe that the suspected shooter was anything but a part of the Afghan military. Kirby said that as terrible as today was, insider attacks have been decreasing in Afghanistan. He said that at the time of the attack, security measures intended curb insider attacks had been instituted. "The insider threat is a pernicious threat that's difficult to ascertain," Kirby said. Kirby was asked if this incident would diminish trust between coalition forces and the Afghan military. Kirby said no. He said that the Afghan military has had an otherwise very good year, helping to secure two big elections. "This is a security force that grows stronger by the week," Kirby said. Update at 11:31 p.m. ET. The Location Of The Shooting: In a statement, ISAF says they misnamed the location of the shooting. It took place at the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul City, not Camp Qargha as they originally reported. We've updated this post to reflect that information. Update at 10:50 a.m. ET. German Brigadier General: Quoting the German military, The Associated Press reports a German brigadier general was injured in the attack. The AP also has some background on the officer academy: ||||| General Officer Killed in Afghanistan Insider Attack By Claudette Roulo DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2014 – An American general was killed today in Kabul, Afghanistan, when an individual believed to be a member of the Afghan security forces fired into a group of coalition troops, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters. Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby briefs reporters at the Pentagon, Aug. 5, 2014. DoD photo by Casper Manlangit (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The coalition troops were on a routine site visit to the Marshal Fahim National Defense University, the Afghan army’s commissioned and noncommissioned officer academy, Kirby said during a news briefing today. “There are a number of casualties as a result of the shooting, perhaps up to 15, to include some Americans,” he said. “Many were seriously wounded. Others received only minor injuries. The assailant was killed.” Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel extends his heartfelt condolences to the family of the fallen general on behalf of the men and women of the department, Kirby said. The family notification process is not yet complete, the admiral said, and no further information will be released until that process finishes. “I'm sure you can understand that we want to respect the notification process and the family's privacy at this time,” he said. Hagel received an update on the incident this morning from Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the International Security Assistance Force commander, Kirby said. “And he pledged to General Dunford whatever support he and this department could provide with respect to the investigation,” he added. “The incident will be jointly investigated by Afghan and ISAF authorities,” Kirby said. “That investigation is just now getting underway. We need to let it proceed before speculating about any specific circumstances.” (Follow Claudette Roulo on Twitter: @roulododnews) ||||| A man believed to be an Afghan soldier has killed a U.S. general and wounded more than a dozen coalition troops after opening fire at a military training facility in Kabul. (Reuters) A man believed to be an Afghan soldier has killed a U.S. general and wounded more than a dozen coalition troops after opening fire at a military training facility in Kabul. (Reuters) The U.S. general who was shot and killed in an apparent insider attack in Kabul on Tuesday had served in the American military for more than three decades and was a key player in the current U.S. effort to stand up Afghan security forces. Army Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene of Falls Church, Va., was the highest-ranking member of the U.S. military to die in the line of duty since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He was the deputy commanding general for the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan and was making a routine visit to a training facility when he was fatally shot. Greene, 55, was commissioned as an engineer officer in the Army in 1980 after earning an undergraduate degree at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. In addition to serving in Afghanistan, he had deployed to Iraq. Greene’s family did not issue a statement Tuesday. But as news of his death spread to the quiet cul-de-sac where he had lived with his wife, Susan, neighbors remembered him as a fixture in the community who would go for morning runs. This past winter, the Greenes hosted the main course for the neighborhood’s holiday dinner, an annual event in which participants move from house to house for different courses. “He was a good guy,” said retired Army Col. Duane Myers. “Harry was loved.” Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene. (Courtesy of the U.S. Army) The Greenes, whose son Matthew also is in the Army, had hung a Blue Star Flag to the right of their door, like many other families with loved ones serving in the military. Their daughter, Amelia, recently graduated from Binghamton University in New York state. On Tuesday, while military officials stayed with family members inside, another neighbor, Joanne Caramanica, took a pot of yellow chrysanthemums and left it on the front porch of the Greene home. “We’re all shocked and saddened. They’re just lovely people,” she said. “This is a very close community. We all knew he was going overseas. We were hopeful he’d be safe.” Greene grew up as one of three boys in Upstate New York. During his career, he received a number of advanced degrees, including a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College and a doctorate from the University of Southern California. Before his current posting, he served as the deputy for acquisition and systems management for the assistant to the secretary of the Army. He also had worked in research and development in Aberdeen, Md., and Natick, Mass. His military awards include the Legion of Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal. While in the Army, Greene was known for being a proponent of meshing the old with the new. To prepare a new generation of soldiers, he turned to the technology young soldiers had grown up with, such as iPads and video games, to create training tools, according to a 2011 New York Times story. “We have to adapt to where they are,” Greene said at the time. “This is something we absolutely have to do.” Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Nicholas Caramanica, a Vietnam-era veteran, had tears in his eyes as he considered the death of his friend and neighbor. He lamented that, like dozens of other U.S. troops who have been fatally shot in Afghanistan, Greene apparently was killed by a member of the security forces he was committed to training. “If we’re going to fight a war, fight to win, and get out,” Caramanica said. “We have our guys walking around in uniform. The enemy is in civilian clothes, so you don’t know who is the enemy and who is not the enemy.” Julie Tate contributed to this report. ||||| Our thoughts and prayers are with Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene's family, and the families of our soldiers who were injured today in the tragic events that took place in Afghanistan. These soldiers were professionals, committed to the mission. It is their service and sacrifice that define us as an Army. Our priority right now is to take care of the families, ensuring they have all the resources they need during this critical time. We remain committed to our mission in Afghanistan and will continue to work with our Afghan partners to ensure the safety and security of all coalition soldiers and civilians.
Photo of Harold J. Greene was killed yesterday afternoon in an apparent or 'green on blue' attack at the on the outskirts of , . His death marks the first death of a United States general since the and the first on foreign soil since the . Along with the death of Major General Greene, fifteen others were wounded in the attack including a German , eight US soldiers, a number of soldiers, and three Afghan soldiers. The attack started during a routine visit, when an individual, reportedly an soldier, opened fire with a light assault rifle from inside a building, 100 (90 ) away from where Greene and others were standing. Soldiers fired back and killed the attacker. The Pentagon Press Secretary, John Kirby, said, "There are a number of casualties as a result of the shooting, perhaps up to 15, to include some Americans". Kirby added, "Many were seriously wounded. Others received only minor injuries. The assailant was killed." An spokesperson, General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, said the attacker was a "terrorist dressed in an Afghan army uniform." The acknowledged the attack and praised it, but did not claim responsibility for it. Greene was serving as deputy commanding general of the at the time of his death. He was previously Deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management in the office of the . Greene joined the Army as an officer in 1980 after graduating from . In a statement General gave his condolences, saying, "Our thoughts and prayers are with Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene's family, and the families of our soldiers who were injured today in the tragic events that took place in Afghanistan. These soldiers were professionals, committed to the mission. It is their service and sacrifice that define us as an Army." == Sources == * * * * * *
Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, April 4, 2005; Page A08 In a cost-cutting move prompted by President Bush's moon-Mars initiative, NASA could summarily put an end to Voyager, the legendary 28-year mission that has sent a spacecraft farther from Earth than any object ever made by humans. The probable October shutdown of a program that currently costs $4.2 million a year has caused consternation among scientists who have shepherded the twin Voyager probes on flybys of four planets and an epic journey to the frontier of interstellar space. "There are no other plans to reach the edge of the solar system," said Stamatios Krimigis, a lead investigator for the project since before its launch in 1977. "Now we're getting all this new information, and here comes NASA saying, 'We want to pull the plug.' " NASA officials said the possibility of cutting Voyager and several other long-running missions in the Earth-Sun Exploration Division arose in February, when the Bush administration proposed slashing the division's 2006 budget by nearly one-third -- from $75 million to $53 million. The administration is rearranging NASA's finances to fund Bush's "Vision for Space Exploration" to the moon and eventually Mars. Cuts in aeronautics funding prompted by the initiative have already provoked an uproar at some NASA centers. Some members of Congress have also criticized the aeronautics cuts, and last year several joined the public outcry over NASA's decision to cancel a servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, a move apparently unconnected -- at least initially -- to the moon-Mars proposal. "Voyager is the same [as Hubble] -- one of the classic American contributions to space," said research physicist Louis J. Lanzerotti, who last year led a Hubble study for the National Academies of Science. "Voyager's photographs are all over astronomy textbooks." Dick Fisher, NASA's deputy director for the Earth-sun division, acknowledged that Voyager's looming demise is a direct result of the new budget. He said the agency based its proposed cuts on a "senior review" by outside experts who in 2003 gave Voyager a low priority among the division's 13 "extended" missions. "If we use that set of goals, we would be looking at certain missions that would have to be terminated," Fisher said in a telephone interview. "We have to [decide] whether to sweat the rest of the budget to pay for this." An extended mission begins when a spacecraft has finished its original task but is still able to contribute new science. The best known one underway is that of the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which are exploring the Martian desert a year after the end of their 90-day "design" mission. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, destined originally for a five-year journey to Jupiter and Saturn, have been extended repeatedly ever since. Most systems are functioning well, and both spacecraft are expected to provide usable data until their plutonium power sources are used up -- probably in 2020. Fisher said NASA has made no final decision on the cuts but has notified project scientists of its intentions and asked for cost-trimming proposals. He said the agency will make final decisions this month, perhaps by April 15. The other programs on the block are Ulysses, launched in 1990 to study the sun; Geotail (1992), Wind (1994) and Polar (1996), to trace the interaction between solar events and their effects on Earth; FAST (1996), to study Earth's aurora; and TRACE (1998), to investigate the solar atmosphere and magnetic fields. ||||| Nasa scientists are preparing themselves for the worst Launched in 1977, Voyagers One and Two are now more than 14 billion and 11 billion km from Earth, respectively. They are on their final mission to locate the boundary between the Sun's domain and interstellar space. But the agency's Earth-Sun System division has had to cut its budget for next year from $74m to $53m, meaning that some projects will be abandoned. Although the Voyager probes are thought to have another 15 years of life left in them, they are very expensive to run, costing Nasa about $4.2m a year for operations and data analysis. Other missions like Ulysses, which was launched in 1990 to explore the Sun's polar regions, might also have to be abandoned after the end of the fiscal year in October. Although the decision is not yet final, some Nasa scientists are preparing themselves for the worst. Voyager project scientist Edward Stone of the California Institute of Technology told Nature magazine: "We are currently developing a plan for shutdown."
Voyager 2 space probe ''source: NASA'' Interplanetary space probes Voyager 1 and 2, after traveling 28 years and 14 billion kilometers to the edge of the solar system and the threshold of interstellar space, face a possible shutdown in October of this year. NASA's Earth-Sun System division, which runs the program, amongst others, has had to cut its budget for next year from 74 million to 53 million dollars, calling for some project abandonments. The cuts for Voyager and other missions are planned to help fund President George W. Bush's "Vision for Space Exploration", his plan to return to the moon and a manned mission to Mars. According to the Washington Post, Dick Fisher, NASA's deputy director for the Earth-Sun division, said the agency based its cuts on a "senior review" by outside experts, giving Voyager a low priority among the division's 13 "extended" missions. It costs NASA $4.2 million a year to run the Voyager science programs which have an expected operating lifetime to the year 2020. Both spacecraft function well and continue to return valuable scientific data. Most recently, information about massive solar flares that occurred in 2003 and the resulting shock waves that traveled through the solar system were detected by Voyager 2 in April of 2004. "There are no other plans to reach the edge of the solar system," said Stamatios Krimigis, on board the Voyager mission since before the launch in 1977. "Now we're getting all this new information, and here comes NASA saying, 'We want to pull the plug.' " Other missions possibly affected by the budget cuts include: Ulysses, to study the sun; Geotail, Wind, and Polar studying effects of solar events on Earth; Fast Auroral SnapshoT (FAST), studying Earth's aurora and the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), studying solar atmosphere and magnetic fields. No final decisions have been made as of yet but are expected to come sometime this month, possibly by April 15. Edward Stone of the California Institute of Technology told Nature magazine: "We are currently developing a plan for shutdown."
BEIJING, China (CNN) -- At least one monastery remained sealed off by armed troops in the Tibetan capital days after celebrations marking the awarding of the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama, reported a human rights group. In its report Tuesday, the International Campaign for Tibet, which opposes Chinese rule there, cited local sources and said that troops were surrounding Drepung monastery in Lhasa, with possibly hundreds of monks still inside. The monastery was sealed off after "police stopped an attempt by monks to peacefully mark the honor to the Dalai Lama last week," ICT reported. "Another significant monastery in the city, Nechung, is also apparently closed," the ICT added. The group described "a tense atmosphere in Lhasa (that) has been described as similar to 'martial law,' with increased numbers of troops on the streets." "Tibetan sources report a buildup of armed police in the city, checkpoints on roads out of Lhasa, and an order to Lhasa citizens not to carry out any religious or celebratory activities," the ICT reported. When asked about the report, a staff member at the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson's office told CNN he was unaware. There has been no reaction from the Chinese government in its state-run Xinhua news agency. In a separate report, the Tibet Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, which also opposes Chinese rule in Tibet, said that Chinese authorities arrested eight Tibetans, including a Drepung monk, celebrating the Dalai Lama's honor. U.S. President George W. Bush bestowed the award -- his nation's highest civilian honor -- on Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th and current Dalai Lama, on October 17 in the Capitol Rotunda. After the award, China warned that the United States "gravely undermined" relations with China, and it demanded that Washington stop supporting the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader and take steps to repair ties. Since its 1951 invasion, the People's Republic of China claims to be the rightful and legitimate government of Tibet. However, ongoing sovereignty disputes have called into question the legitimacy of that claim. The White House has said it believes the Dalai Lama is calling for more autonomy from communist China, including more freedom for Tibetans to practice their religion. China, however, sees the Dalai Lama's work as part of "separatist activities." E-mail to a friend All About Tibet ||||| Tibet monastery surrounded by military amid security crackdown after Dalai Lama award BEIJING: A major Tibetan monastery has been sealed off by armed troops following an increase in security after celebrations last week over a U.S. award for the region's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, an activist group said Wednesday. The Drepung monastery in Lhasa is still surrounded by armed troops, according to the International Campaign for Tibet, a Washington-based pro-Tibet human rights group, citing local sources and several reports. Hundreds of monks may still be inside the monastery while others may have been detained or injured, it said. Another major monastery in the capital is also closed, the group said. The awarding of the U.S. Congress' highest civilian honor — bestowed by President George W. Bush on Wednesday — to the Dalai Lama was a setback to Beijing's efforts to undermine support for the spiritual leader, who they regard as a threat to the unity of China and their continued rule over the region. He remains popular among Tibetans since fleeing into exile 48 years ago after a failed uprising, and has increased his international standing recently by meeting with world leaders. The International Campaign for Tibet said in a statement that security on roads in and out of Lhasa had been stepped up and residents had been ordered not to carry out religious activities or further celebrations. Several Tibetans were also temporarily detained after celebrations in a monastery in Gansu province, the group said. Citing eyewitness reports, it said there may have been injuries during clashes with police. A Tibetan source quoted by the group said the increased security road checkpoints and restrictions on travel was similar to March 1989 when martial law was imposed following protests against the Chinese government. "The tension in Lhasa and other areas of Tibet coinciding with the Gold Medal ceremony and the Party Congress in Beijing, takes place in the context of an intensified political campaign in Tibetan areas against the Dalai Lama," the International Campaign for Tibet said in a statement. A monk who answered the telephone at the Drepung monastery said he was not clear about the situation. The other monastery in Lhasa could not be reached. The monastery in Gansu said no protest had taken place last week. A male official at the Lhasa police office did not confirm or deny the news, but said there may be a news conference on the issue. Other government and Communist Party departments could not be reached for comment. Security around China was increased before and during the week-long 17th Chinese Communist Party Congress which ended on Monday in Beijing, but the International Campaign for Tibet said security was tighter than normal in Tibet. The congress makes a point of stressing the unity of China, especially for regions such as Tibet. ||||| A confronation between monks in Zhaibung Monastery and the police broke out on October 17. Four days after the confrontation, the largest monastery in Lhasa, Tibet is still sealed off with over 1,000 monks and dozens of pilgrims inside. Over 3,000 armed police have surrounded the monastery. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Ends Celebrations for Dalai Lama's Award According to the Central News Agency's (CAN) report, on October 16, monks in the monastery attempted to celebrate inside the monastery President Bush giving the Dalai Lama a Congressional Gold Medal on the 17th. Authorities put a halt to the celebrations. On the morning of the 17th, after the monks chanted Buddhist scriptures in the Coqen Hall, they attempted to hold another celebration. A confrontation ensued when armed officers injured a monk in the head trying to stop the celebration. About 900 monks were involved and there were about 350 armed officers inside and about 1,000 outside the monastery at the time. The monks were not allowed to leave the monastery. The military blocked traffic west of Lhasa leading into the downtown to prevent the monks going downtown to protest. It was reported that there was confrontation between civilians and police in Neqoin Monastery, an affiliate monastery outside the walls of Zhaibung Monastery. Some people said the police shot at people in the street of Lhasa but those in the Temple claimed they didn't hear any gunfire. Martial Law Enforced in Lhasa The CNA's report said martial law is being enforced in Lhasa. Many check points were set up on roads leading into the downtown. A large surveillance camera was set up on top of a building across the street from Jokhang Temple to monitor the situation around the temple and on its square. A large number of police cars stand near the square. It was believed that the martial law will last until the CCP's 17th Congress is over. Zhaibung Monastery is located in a suburb west of Lhasa and is the biggest monastery in Tibet. The number of monks in the monastery once exceeded 10,000. Galden Phobrang inside the monastery is the residence of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Dalai Lamas. The 5th Dalai Lama later established the Galden Phobrang regime and moved to the Potala Palace. This regime ruled Tibet until 1959 when the 14th Dalia Lama fled to India.
Drepung monastery. Armed Chinese police have surrounded and sealed off two monasteries in Tibet after monks began to celebrate the Dalai Lama's honor of receiving the United States Congressional Gold Medal. At least 100 monks are reported to be held inside the Drepung monastery and its not known if any have been injured or arrested. Earlier, at least 3,000 police surrounded the Zhaibung Monastery. "Chinese police stopped an attempt by monks to peacefully mark the honor to the Dalai Lama last week by sealing off the monastery. Tibetan sources report a buildup of armed police in the city, checkpoints on roads out of Lhasa, and an order to Lhasa citizens not to carry out any religious or celebratory activities," said the International Campaign for Tibet in a report. Other protesters and monks are reported to have been arrested and injured when police began to clash with the celebrations which started on October 16 inside the monastery. Beginning in the morning on October 17, police began to intervene to stop the celebrations throughout Tibet. China claims that it is not aware of any report, and has not commented on the situation in Tibet.
* U.S. importers could face $70 million in tariffs, fines * Industry hopes to persuade US Customs to reverse ruling * Some see move counterproductive to global climate goals (adds comments from tariff supporter) By Doug Palmer WASHINGTON, Oct 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. solar energy industry hopes to persuade Customs officials to reverse a decision to impose a 2.5 percent tariff on solar panel imports after more than two decades of duty-free trade in the product, an industry official said on Thursday. "We're taking it very seriously and we will be responding. ... The industry is in the process of preparing a challenge," said Rhone Resch, president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, whose members include both U.S. and foreign solar energy companies. In the worst case scenario, U.S. importers of solar panels could face some $70 million in tariffs and penalties for product already imported this year. The tariff comes at a time when concern about global climate change has prompted the United States and the European Union to push for deal with other leading developed countries and China to eliminate duties on environmental goods. As the New York Times reported on Wednesday, the U.S. Custom service ruled in January a panel made by Trina Solar (TSL.N) of China was a generator because it contains a diode that allows electric current to pass around shaded areas of the panel. That ruling was a surprise because "all solar panels contain bypass diodes and have forever. It's a safety issue not to have them," one industry official said. Although the ruling only applies to the Trina panel, it has implications for other manufacturers, he said. The industry hopes it can persuade officials at U.S. Customs and Border Protection headquarters in Washington to overturn the ruling made by the New York office. If that fails, the case could go to the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York. Mike Wessel, a commissioner on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a congressionally appointed watchdog group, said the duty should stay in place to offset Chinese government subsidies to its domestic producers. "Customs' decision is the right approach to ensure that the domestic industry we have does not get run further into the ground by China's efforts to dominate this industry," he said. INCREASINGLY GLOBAL INDUSTRY The solar power sector is increasingly a global industry, with most panels today being sold into the European market and China expected to grow as a customer for clean energy. While U.S.-based SunPower Corp SPWRA.O assembles panels at factories in China, the Philippines and Mexico, China's Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd STP.N is planning to lease or buy a facility to produce its solar panels in the United States and companies like Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd (YGE.N) are setting up distribution lines in the United States. The tariff could prompt more Chinese companies to set up some sort of U.S. operations. But it also could backfire on the United State if it encourages other countries to hike duties on climate-friendly goods. "It's unclear that the U.S. would want to enforce this policy long term ... If you move toward a protectionist stance, you also limit what your domestic companies can do abroad," said Christine Hersey, analyst at Wedbush Morgan. J.P. Morgan analyst Christopher Blansett said the tariffs could be good for First Solar Inc (FSLR.O), Energy Conversion Devices Inc (ENER.O) and Evergreen Solar Inc ESLR.O, since the companies produce some products in the United States. But the tariffs should not have a large impact, since the benefits that foreign governments give to companies to set up manufacturing in their country -- such as lower corporate tax rates and low-cost financing -- "far outweigh the penalty of a 2.5 percent tariff," Blansett said. (Additional reporting by Laura Isensee in Los Angeles, editing by Cynthia Osterman) ||||| But the duties come at a particularly difficult time for the global solar power industry. Many panel manufacturers are losing money because of fierce competition from ever-expanding production in China and a worldwide downturn that has driven down prices. Raising prices now to cover past tariffs will be hard because the market is glutted with panels; prices have fallen a fifth since early this year. The decision is legally binding on most solar panels imported into the United States. But virtually no one in the industry became aware of it until the last few weeks, Meanwhile, unpaid duties piled up, along with penalties that are likely to double the cost. The United States exported almost as much solar panel equipment as it imported in the first seven months of this year — $605 million in imports and $555 million in exports, according to Commerce Department data. The Solar Energy Industries Association, a coalition of domestic and foreign companies whose board chairman is an executive from Suntech, China’s biggest solar panel maker, argues that American tariffs on solar panels could lead other countries to impose tariffs on American exports. Photo The customs decision is dividing the industry between importers and companies that produce solar equipment in the United States. And with China accounting for a rising share of American imports, the tariff could become a sticking point in bilateral trade relations already troubled by the dispute over tires, autos and chicken parts. Some Chinese solar panel manufacturers are already planning to move final assembly of solar modules to plants in the United States, a step that could allow them to avoid the duty someday, said Rhone Resch, the chief executive and president of the industry association. The duty generally applies to solar panels that provide power to a residential, commercial or industrial electrical system; small solar panels imported with built-in light bulbs are already counted as electric lights and are subject to a tariff of 3.9 percent. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Lawyers are critical of the industry for not spotting the problem sooner. “It is somewhat unusual for an industry to take as long as eight months to become aware of a customs ruling that affects it,” said Mel Schwechter, a partner at Dewey & Leboeuf in Washington and a former president of the Customs and International Trade Bar Association. Customs decisions, even for a single importer, are made public on the agency’s Web site and on commercial Web sites, said Mr. Schwechter, who is not advising any of the participants in the dispute. Mr. Resch said the growing industry lacked the resources to constantly track tax and regulatory decisions. Duties will be doubled if customs officials determine that companies have been negligent in not paying them earlier. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. Importers might also be liable for duties on all solar panels brought into the United States in the five years before the ruling if customs officials decide that the companies were guilty of “material misstatement or omission” for failing to notice sooner that solar panels had evolved to the point that they no longer met duty-free rules. The association plans to challenge the classification of the panels as generators in court, Mr. Resch said. But before starting what could be lengthy litigation, the safest strategy for each importer, according to trade lawyers, is to pay immediately the duties and accrued penalties for shipments received since January, and to start paying the duty going forward. Photo “We’re taking this very seriously — it has a large financial impact in the United States and it has global ramifications,” Mr. Resch said. Top officials at Customs and Border Protection, the agency that succeeded the Customs Service, could overrule the technical specialists who determined that the sophisticated panels should be treated like electric generators. Such a move would extend duty-free treatment to the latest solar panels. But that would mainly benefit Chinese producers, whose share of the market has surged in the last two years. Advertisement Continue reading the main story It would also reduce the incentive for companies to manufacture panels in the United States — a politically touchy decision at a time when American cities have been vying for panel factories even as the industry is shifting production to China. Importers, a mixture of foreign and American manufacturers and distributors, are liable for duties and penalties, not consumers who bought imported panels in recent years. Imports account for almost half of the solar panels sold in the United States. Customs issued its ruling on Jan. 9, less than two weeks before President Obama took office. The ruling said that a panel from Trina Solar of China was really a generator because it was equipped with a diode that allows electric current to pass around areas of the panel that are shaded. The diodes have become standard on solar panels, and are effectively required to meet American safety standards. Javier Muniz, the chief executive of GES USA, said through a spokeswoman that GES solicited the customs opinion last winter for a project that did not end up being built. GES did not tell other companies about the ruling, he added. Even Trina Solar, the Chinese panel maker, became aware of the decision only “in recent weeks,” a Trina spokesman said. Industry leaders have stayed very quiet about the customs decision in the last few weeks while holding emergency meetings to decide on a legal strategy. Unlike many large overseas manufacturers, Trina still exports directly from China to independent distributors in the United States. Trina does not have a American subsidiary to import the panels and handle the customs paperwork. “Trina Solar is currently classified as an exporter and is not liable for the duty arising from these regulations,” said Terry Wang, the company’s chief financial officer. Suntech said that it was aware of the customs decision and was looking into it. Mr. Resch estimated that the duty would cost the industry $70 million this year, and there would be more tariffs in the years to come. That calculation assumes the industry will be found negligent for not paying the duty on panels imported since January and will be assessed the doubled duty. It assumes the industry will not be found liable for shipments in the preceding five years.
U.S.. The United States continues to implement new trade barriers; the most recent tariffs emerged on Wednesday, targeting solar panels imported from China. The new tariff is a result of a query submitted in December 2008 by GES USA, an American solar company. The resultant inquiry sought to clarify tariffs levied on solar panels imported from China, imports which, for nearly two decades, were considered a duty-free commodity. In early January, U.S. Customs officials reportedly informed the company that the solar panels contained electronic devices that place the panels in the electric generator import category which is subject to a 2.5% import tariff. Specifically, the ruling cited the presence of diodes on the solar panels as evidence of electric generation and hence they must be treated as an electric generator. Small solar panels already incur a 3.9% tariff. The January decision was made by a U.S. trade specialist whose rulings can be overturned. The tariffs will be levied on imported panels that provide electricity for all uses. Additionally, tariffs will be collected dating from the beginning of 2009. The Solar Energy Industries Association estimates that the accumulated tariffs from this year may total more than US$ 70 million. This week's tariff revelation caught many industry leaders off-guard and yesterday the Solar Industries Association moved to block the tariff. The Association president, Rhone Resch, stated "... We're taking it the tariff very seriously and we will be responding. ... The industry is in the process of preparing a challenge". The Association intends to file their appeal with senior U.S. Customs officials who have the option to overrule the decision to implement the tariff. However, if the officials do not revoke the tariff, then the case must go before the U.S. Court of International Trade. The U.S. amount spent on imported solar panels roughly matches the income from exported panels; US$ 605 million imported versus US$ 555 million exported, according to the Commerce Department figures on the first seven months of this year. Major solar panel importers have already begun to move their operations to the U.S.
Officers passed a vote of no confidence in Jacqui Smith Officers are furious at Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's decision not to backdate a 2.5% pay rise for police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Ms Smith has said she does not believe most officers want the right to strike. But at a meeting, Police Federation members passed a vote of no confidence in Ms Smith and demanded she resign. Independent tribunal Chairwoman Jan Berry said: "I don't remember such a call by the Police Federation being made previously but I also don't remember a home secretary who has betrayed the police service in the way that this home secretary has." The 2.5% pay deal was decided through the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal. It will see all police constables paid a minimum of £21,500, with those with the longest service receiving £33,800. But officers say if it is introduced this month and not backdated to September, an entry level police constable will lose £131, and a sergeant will lose £206. In Scotland, the pay rise has been backdated but Scottish officers have come out in support of colleagues in the rest of the UK. Rank-and-file police vent anger at what they see as government "betrayal" In pictures They will also be balloted on seeking the right to go on strike - police officers across the UK are currently banned from taking strike action. Scottish Police Federation chairman Norrie Flowers said the Scottish Executive had honoured its agreement to backdate the pay deal and that Ms Smith "should do the same". Critics say that without backdating, it amounts in real terms - due to inflation - to an increase of only 1.9%. 'Vital work' The retail prices index, on which many pay deals are based, puts the current level of inflation at 4.2%. But Gordon Brown told MPs that police pay had risen by 39% over the last 10 years and that Scotland had only been able to backdate its pay rise by putting plans to recruit 500 new officers on hold. POLICE PAY ROW Earnings lost if 2.5% rise not backdated to September 2007 Rank Salary Loss PC (entry level) £21,009 £131 PC (after training) £24,813 £155 Sergeant £32,985 £206 Inspector £42,264 £264 A Home Office statement said that the government was "grateful for the vital and hard work which police officers carry out every day". But it said it had to ensure that pay settlements were "affordable and consistent with wider pay policy". Some 78 MPs have signed a motion tabled by the home affairs select committee chair, Keith Vaz, urging a rethink on the issue. Officers from each of the 43 forces in England and Wales attended Wednesday's crisis summit in London. They were joined by representatives from all the police staff associations, including the Police Superintendents' Association and the Association of Chief Police Officers. PUBLIC SECTOR PAY Police constables currently start on £21,009 Teachers' starting salary is £19,161 in England and Wales. In Scotland it is £23,316 New prison officers earn £18,483 in England and Wales. In Scotland they receive £14,373 Lower grade civil servants, such as administration assistants, begin on between £11,750 and £14,083 depending on department Firefighters start on £20,396, rising to £27,185 after reaching "competent" status Source: Unison 2006 figures, Fire Brigades Union Public sector pay comparisons The BBC's Julian Joyce said the decision to call on the home secretary to resign appeared to be popular among the rank and file. Neil Cratchley, general secretary of the Police Federation's largest branch - the Metropolitan Police, said: "This is a process that has gone on for seven months and it's now crystal clear that she never had any intention of honouring the agreement. "We are dealing here with matters of trust and the home secretary has breached that trust." PC Mike Taylor from Nottinghamshire said the dispute was "not about the money at all". He said: "The money we're talking about is probably about £200 to £400 between the ranks, and that's nothing at all really. "The real problem with this is the way the Home Office have handled the negotiations from start to finish." ||||| The Police Federation's senior members have called for the immediate resignation of the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, after a vote of no confidence at an emergency meeting in central London to discuss police pay. Detention plan flawed, concedes Smith Bobbies on beat for less than one hour in seven Ministers pressure Brown over police pay deal The officers, enraged by what they describe as a "disgusting" pay deal, also intend to hold a series of meetings with ordinary, rank-and-file police, and are even considering the possibility of going on strike - which police officers are forbidden by law to do. One delegate, DI Brian Stockham of the Sussex Police Federation, said: "We have reached a zenith where anything could happen. "As a long serving officer I never thought I would be saying 'do we want to be talking about the right to strike' but it is not an empty threat. "Officers feel abhorrent about what has happened in the last two years over pay. They feel disgusted." Constable Cath Hollands, Chair of the Wiltshire Police Federation, said: "The mood in the conference is very, very positive. We have had a lot of support coming from chief officers and superintendents. advertisement "I think it is being encouraged that this time we should not take it lying down. The option to strike has been bandied about and we need to keep the momentum going. "It is more than likely that there will be a resolution to have a series of mass meetings. "Police officers are so fired up they need to channel their energy in a mass meeting. "There is also talk about a ballot of members to see whether they want us to explore the avenues of changing the law so that police officers can strike." Gordon Brown has come under pressure from within his Government to back down over the issue. Ministers are said to be deeply unhappy with a decision not to backdate a 2.5 per cent award for officers in England and Wales. Ten have passed their concerns on to the Home Office. The issue is becoming the latest test of Mr Brown's authority after a period of drift and uncertainty for Labour that has seen the party plummet in the polls. They say the Government should have honoured the pay award - agreed after arbitration - in full to recognise that the police are forbidden from taking industrial action. Labour MPs are at a loss over why the Government has decided to pick a fight with the police when the party is vulnerable after a succession of scandals and setbacks. Keith Vaz, a former Labour minister and the committee's chairman, said it had caused ''anger and frustration" among the police. He claimed he had been told by at least 10 ministers that the decision to stage the award was wrong. They had passed on their concerns to the Home Secretary, he said. "They are all very concerned," Mr Vaz added. "I hope Jacqui got the message today that it is something that ought to be looked at again." Mr Vaz has tabled a Commons motion calling on the Home Secretary to implement the pay award in full and described the savings made by staging the award as "petty and needless". Miss Smith told the committee: "I don't underestimate their concern about this pay award but I don't believe, from my experience of police officers, that they want to take the right to strike."
Police on foot patrol Police officers and officials at an emergency meeting have voted to ballot every United Kingdom police officer over the right to strike. They also called for the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, to resign over the current dispute and further passed a vote of no confidence in the home secretary's ability to deal with pay and conditions. Under current UK law, it is illegal for police officers to stage walk outs as part of protests or disputes, however some members of the force want to strike over the pay package dispute and thus are lobbying for the right to strike to be allowed once again. This has also been supported by a petition, started by Keith Vaz, chair of the home affairs select committee, which has been signed by 78 MPs. This comes after the decision by the UK government not to backdate a 2.5% pay rise to September 2007, leading to a loss of income, from £130 - £264. However the government says that this is necessary to control inflation in the UK.
Dudley Maasz worked on the railway in Oxford in the 1940s The family of a former railway worker who died from asbestos-related cancer has won a pay-out of almost £100,000. Dudley Maasz was exposed to the deadly material while working for Great Western Railways in Oxford in the 1940s, the family's solicitor said. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2005 and died in July 2006 aged 74. BRB (Residuary) Limited, formerly British Rail, agreed to settle the claim out of court and pay the family £98,000 plus costs. 'Outgoing chap' After he left Great Western Railways, Mr Maasz worked at Oxford University Press in Walton Street and then for Morris Motors in Cowley. The family's solicitor, Brigitte Chandler of Wantage law firm Charles Lucas & Marshall, brought the claim against BRB (Residuary) Limited, the name given for British Rail. "We were able to establish that Mr Maasz death was caused by asbestos during his employment at the Oxford works," said Brigitte Chandler. "Boilers of locomotives were coated with thick asbestos and asbestos was also used over the pipes and cylinders of the engines. "As a cleaner and fireman, Mr Maasz would have been exposed to this." Norman Maasz said his brother was in a lot of pain before his death Mr Maasz's older brother Norman, who lives in Kidlington, described him as an "outgoing, friendly chap". He said about four years ago his brother began complaining of pain in his side and shoulder, he was later diagnosed with mesothelioma. "He used to sleep a lot, the pain got worse and worse and eventually he was in bed most of the time," Norman said. "One day I looked at him and thought - my goodness - he was half the size, he'd been eaten away, I felt so sorry for him." No one from BRB was available for comment. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| The family of a former Oxford railway worker who died from asbestos-related cancer have received almost £100,000 compensation. Dudley Maasz died in July 2006, a year after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure from working as an engine cleaner and fireman on the railways. BRB (Residuary) Ltd, formerly British Rail, agreed to pay a £98,000 settlement.
The family of a railway worker in Oxford, United Kingdom whose death was tied to cancer caused by asbestos exposure received a payout of approximately £100,000. Asbestos fibers lodged in the lungs In 2005, Dudley Maasz was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a disease resulting from exposure to asbestos. He had been exposed to the substance during his time in the 1940s as a railway worker for Great Western Railway, where he took part in cleaning engines and serving as a fireman. Maasz died in July 2006. The company BRB (Residuary) Ltd., the successor to British Railways Board, came to an agreement to give Maasz's family a payout of £98,000 and costs as a settlement. Brigitte Chandler, the Maasz family's solicitor, told BBC News, "We were able to establish that Mr Maasz death was caused by asbestos during his employment at the Oxford works." Dudley Maasz's brother Norman described him to BBC News as outgoing, and a "friendly chap". He said that he had noticed his brother begin to complain of shoulder pain approximately four years ago, and subsequently began to sleep more and later was bedridden a majority of the time. "One day I looked at him and thought — my goodness — he was half the size, he'd been eaten away, I felt so sorry for him," said Norman Maasz. BBC News reported that no individual from BRB (Residuary) Ltd. was available to provide a comment about the payout to the Maasz family.
Alex Reid crowned winner... but will Celebrity Big Brother return to screens? By Emily Sheridan Last updated at 3:10 PM on 30th January 2010 Katie Price's boyfriend Alex Reid has been crowned the winner of Celebrity Big Brother, after securing 65.9 per cent of the public vote. His victory last night came alongside a resurgence in the popularity of the show, which is in its final series. It has proved an unexpected critical and ratings success for Channel 4, leading to speculation another channel may now commission the series. The rights to the format are owned by Endemol, whose £180million three-year deal with Channel 4 expires this year. Bosses at the channel have stuck by their decision to axe their once flagship reality show, saying they had 'no regrets'. Triumph: Alex Reid celebrates after being crowned Celebrity Big Brother winner Sky and UKTV have already ruled themselves out of taking on the show, but Channel Five's controller Richard Woolfe said: 'Of course we'd be interested.' Last night fireworks marked the last episode, as Reid emerged triumphant from the house. The 34-year-old was followed by former boy band singer Dane Bowers, 30, in second place with 34 per cent and footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones, 45, in third. Defending his woman: Alex asked the crowd to stop booing the 'woman he loved' when Katie Price was mentioned Reunited: Katie Price joined Alex on Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth The final was completed with actress Stephanie Beacham in fifth and Swedish DJ Jonas Altberg, aka Basshunter, in fourth. The closely-fought final featured men from both the past and present lovers of Katie Price - Alex has been dating the glamour model since July, while Dane had a two year relationship with her in the early Noughties. After host Davina McCall brought up his girlfriend, the crowd's cheers quickly changed to boos. Alex said: 'Come on guys, don't do that. I'm sorry guys... I'm not sorry, I really love Katie Price.' Katie's cagefighter boyfriend's win was a surprising turnaround after he was booed going into the house four weeks ago. Clearly stunned by his win, Alex said: 'I'm very overwhelmed. What an amazing, fantastic start to a new year. 'Vinnie has been very inspirational to me. He's transitioned from athletic to actor, which is what I want to do. 'I'm not getting booed now. That's amazing... I'm speechless. My whole agenda in here was to be myself.' Unlikely friends: Alex and runner-up Dane Bowers bonded in the house, despite initial awkwardness Alex admitted he has grown close to Dane in the house - despite their awkward link by having dated the same woman. He explained: 'I was surprised by what a cool dude he is. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of Dane.' Dane was equally enthusiastic about Alex, despite their alleged clash at Katie's New Year's Eve party before going into the house. Fellas in the final: Dane (left) and Vinnie Jones are evicted The ex-Another Level frontman said: 'I'm very, very happy that Alex won. The best line I've ever heard about him is he's a lovable prat. He's his own man. He's a gentleman. 'The first week I thought he's a Doris. But he's OK. He's a good lad.' More... Ronnie Wood goes back to rehab for the EIGHTH time When he went into the house, Dane admitted he 'wasn't really famous any more' and had lost his confidence. But as the weeks went by, he began to feel comfortable and impressed the housemates with his cooking skills. First out: Stephanie Beacham (left) and Jonas Altberg were in fifth and fourth place respectively in this year's Celebrity Big Brother final He said: ''Thanks to the housemates cos it did make me feel a bit better. 'I think it boosted my confidence. I'm itching to work now.' Meanwhile, Vinnie boasted how he had taught the winner 'everything he knows' and hoped he found success out of the shadow of his famous girlfriend. He said: 'I really feel for the fellow because he got the biggest boos going in and hopefully he will get the biggest cheers going out. 'I gave him a lot of banter. I've taught him everything I know so hopefully he will win his next fight and hopefully you lot will go and watch him.' The gang's all here: Alex joins his fellow housemates on the steps of the Big Brother house Celebrate: Fireworks toasted Alex's win He also insisted he had forgiven rapper Sisqo for their clash after Vinnie overheard the R&B singer complaining the Big Brother house had become 'Vinnie's playhouse'. Vinnie said: 'Sisqo had one or two beers too many that night and I forgive him immensely. 'Sisqo is my man, he was the only man in the place who made me cry with laughter. He did mean it at the time but if he kept cooler he could have gone all the way.' Speaking to Davina, former Dynasty star Beacham, 62, re-iterated previous comments that the experience had been like a holiday for her. She said: 'I've had a completely blissful time. It's been wonderful.' Loved up: Alex declared his feelings for girlfriend Katie Aged: Vinnie told host Davina McCall he believed he had grown older in the house Recalling spending the past two days in a house full of men: 'They've just treated me like one of the gang. I've been doing a little bit of boxing.' Why she thought it was a holiday: 'There's no telephone and I had to give up control and that's something I find extraordinary...It was heaven.' Describing her friendship with Ivana Trump: 'We're elegant women of a certain age. We got up at six o'clock every morning.' Admitted she was upset by receiving the bitchiest housemate trophy: 'I came in here to show everyone I was a silly person and not a big bitch.' 'Too late Baby': Jonas dismissed any future romance with Katia after she was reported to have said she wants him back She also described her good friendships with Vinnie and Nicola T. She said: 'Without Vinnie, there would have been no order. Dad was needed. 'Nic and I had a lovely time. She likes bows and girlie things.' The Swedish DJ admitted the experience was a rollercoaster for him and said 'I've never laughed so much in my life'. When asked about his romance with Katia Ivanova, he said: 'Let's just say that I'm over it. There's a lot of beautiful girls out there. I'm going to party tonight, who wants to come with me? 'I'm completely over it. It's hard to know if it's love or not especially being caught up in the house. It felt more intense in there. But I'm over it now. I'm OK. Where's Heidi?: Former housemates Katia, Sov, Stephen, Sisqo, Ivana and Nicola T outside 'But I did touch "bass" and I did do some hunting.' When shown a newspaper headline about Katia declaring she loved Jonas, he said: 'Too late baby!' He refused to apologise for his frequent flatulence in the house, which disgusted some of the more mature housemates: 'I'm 25, I'm from Sweden and I love farts.' Earlier in the show, the five housemates were seen enjoying their 'last supper' to the sounds of Frank Sinatra's My Way. Each housemate took time to reflect on their few weeks in the Big Brother house and what they had learned. Back for the final: Page 3 girl Nicola T (left) and Katia Ivanova Urban duo: R&B singer Sisqo (left) and rapper Lady Sovereign Alex said: 'This has been an emotional rollercoaster for me. I came in here with a lot of misconceptions in the press about me. 'I was quite naive. But have listened to things you (Vinnie and Stephanie) and Stephen have told me and I've taken on board things you've said to me.' Jonas added: I've grown a lot in this house and learnt a lot of lessons. Hardman Vinnie admitted he was amazed he was in the final: 'I thought I was gonna be gone after a week. It's been a wonderful experience and it's one we'll look back on.' Stephanie explained: 'Never been teased so much since I was 10. I laughed like a child, I felt like a child. You've been like teasing brothers. 'I think of the woman who walked in as a very stuck up cow rather than the very shambley figure that's going to walk out.' Emotional: Dane and Stephanie during the 'last supper' ||||| Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Cage fighter Alex Reid has been voted the winner of this year's Channel 4 series of Celebrity Big Brother. Singer Dane Bowers came second in the competition and ex-footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones came third. Reid, who was booed on the launch night of the show, said he was "overwhelmed" at winning the show. It was thought that putting Bowers in the house might cause friction as he once dated Katie Price, who Reid is now going out with. 'Shocked' "What an amazing, fantastic start to a new year," Reid said after he left the house to rapturous cheers by the crowd. When presenter Davina McCall asked him how he had turned the public's perception around, he said: "I'm speechless. My whole agenda in here was just to be myself. I know I'm a good guy." Asked by McCall, "who is Alex Reid?", he said: "He's a man, he's passionate, he's going to win a fight in three months. I'm a fighter and I'm a man in love." When the crowd booed at the mention of his girlfriend Price, who was at the studios to greet him, Reid said: "I'm sorry guys, I'm not sorry, I love Katie Price. I really love her." Bowers said he was "shocked" to have reached the final and he was glad Reid had won, calling him a "good lad". Beacham was the only female to get to the final of the show Jones, who lost favour with fans of the show because of his bossiness within the house, told McCall: "I was just trying to keep order in the house because a lot of people were selfish. "I was just trying to keep some stability in the house." Earlier Jonas Altberg - otherwise known as Basshunter - and veteran actress Stephanie Beacham were evicted. Jones, who said he had "enjoyed" his time in the house , was not nominated by anyone in the house during the 27 days. Altberg, who had a brief fling with fellow housemate Katia Ivanova during the show, came fourth. He told McCall that he had "learnt a lot of lessons" during his stay in the house. "I've never laughed so much in my life," he said. Speaking of his relationship with Ivanova, the star said: "I'm completely over it. It's really hard to know if it's love or not, especially in the house. It was emotional. There wasn't anyone else in there who caught my attention." Beacham, 62, who is best known for playing Sable Colby in US show Dynasty, said she had enjoyed a "completely blissful time" in the house. This year's series will be the last shown on Channel 4, although the regular Big Brother starring members of the public will air in the summer. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| BB champ Reid back with Katie Price Cage fighter Alex Reid said he was looking forward to spending time with girlfriend Katie Price after being crowned Celebrity Big Brother champion. The 34-year-old also said he hoped to "clear the air" with the glamour model's former husband Peter Andre. Reid charmed the public and won the last ever Celebrity Big Brother beating singer Dane Bowers, who previously dated Price, into second place. Football hardman turned Hollywood actor Vinnie Jones, 45, came third and said of winner Reid: "I taught him everything I know." Reid emerged grinning from the house wearing a jacket and jeans and punched the air while descending the stairs to the Rocky theme tune. He waved to the crowd and appeared overwhelmed by his win, repeatedly saying: "Wow". Price sensationally dumped Reid on ITV reality show I'm a Celebrity ... but the pair reconciled and the model and mother of three was at the studio on Friday night to greet him. Speaking later on E4's spin-off show Big Brother's Big Mouth, Price said: "He's the love of my life and he knows that." Reid told reporters that being apart from Price was the most difficult aspect of being on the show and revealed his fears of rejection. He said: "Missing Katie was the hardest thing. When you get all that thinking time, I was thinking is she going to be waiting for me when I come out?" Asked if he'd like to mend bridges with singer Andre - father of Junior, four, and Princess, two, and stepfather to Harvey, seven, Price's son by footballer Dwight Yorke - Reid said: "Absolutely, I'd like nothing more than to meet up with him and clear the air... because there are children involved it makes sense. I've got nothing against him, he's a good dad." Price added that having dated both Celebrity Big Brother winner Reid and runner-up Bowers proved she had good taste in men. Copyright © 2010 The Press Association. All rights reserved. ||||| The WINNER of Celebrity Big Brother 2010 is. The Reidenator. Alex Reid surprised many by winning the hearts of the British public and not only making the final of Big Brother but WINNING the series with 65.9% of the public vote. The cage fighting boyfriend of Jordon certainly entertained us in the House with his naked frolicking round the garden & his banter with Hollywood hard man Vinnie. Despite endless teasing from his fellow housemates about his cross dressing exploits Alex was well liked in the house and proved he was more than up for a laugh when he sported a mankini on Day 5 for the Hunk Off task. Putting any past feelings behind them Alex joined Dane for a hilarious rendition of the classic song Especially For You at the Big Brother Variety Show. However Alex didnt just use his time as a housemate to have a laugh, the beefcake was often seen having deep conversations with Bible-wielding Stephen. Day 23 and Alex gave the public an eyeful when with the help of Jonas he preceded to fake tan every inch of his body much to the amusement of his Housemates. The experience left Stephanie and Ivana screaming with delight. After making it all the way to the final in the Big Brother House at least Alex can add massaging Ivana Trump with his wooden balls to his list of achievements! Put your hands together for the winner of Celebrity Big Brother, hes surprised us all. Be sure to check out Alexs best bits
Mixed martial arts fighter Alex Reid, nicknamed "The Reidenator", has been voted the winner of UK Celebrity Big Brother 2010. He won what is the last series of the programme in the final on Friday night, having received 65.9% of the votes from the public. Musician Dane Bowers finished in second place, while Vinnie Jones, a former British soccer player and now a film actor, came in third place. After his departure from the Big Brother house, he commented about Alex: "I taught him everything I know." Vinnie had become unpopular with fans as he was said to have been bossy to other celebrities inside the house. Speaking to presenter Davina McCall, he stated: "I was just trying to keep order in the house because a lot of people were selfish. I was just trying to keep some stability in the house." Musician Jonas Altberg, better known by his stage name Basshunter, finished in fourth place. Actress Stephanie Beacham left the Big Brother house in fifth place. Alex Reid has been the girlfriend to former glamour model Katie Price since July 2009. Fellow housemate Dane has also previously been Katie's boyfriend. When Davina McCall mentioned Price during the interview with Alex, the crowd gave out a negative reaction of booing. In response, he said: "Come on guys, don't do that. I'm sorry guys... I'm not sorry, I really love Katie Price." During the interview with Davina McCall, Alex commented about his victory. He said: "What an amazing, fantastic start to a new year. Vinnie has been very inspirational to me. He's transitioned from athletic to actor, which is what I want to do. I'm not getting booed now. That's amazing... I'm speechless. My whole agenda in here was to be myself." Alex also spoke of contestant Dane. "I was surprised by what a cool dude he is. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of Dane," Alex said.
A combo picture shows 18-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen who killed eight people in Jokela school in Tuusula, Finland Nov. 7. Auvinen sent a video clip to YouTube the day before the shooting took place. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>> HELSINKI, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- A student who killed eight people on Wednesday in a school shooting in southern Finland and turned the gun on himself died at the hospital on the evening of the same day, the Finnish media reported. The shooting took place in Jokela High School in Tuusula, some 50 kilometers north of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Except that eight people were killed in the shooting, among them, one is headmistress of the school, and others are the school students, several more were injured. The gunman shot himself in the head. Finnish police identified 18-year-old Pekka-Eric Auvinen as the killer. As a student in Jokela High School, he had no criminal background, and comes from a very normal family of four. He received his gun permit a few weeks ago, and is a member of a shooting club. According to a recent study, Finland has one of the world's highest gun ownership rates, ranking third behind the United States and Yemen. Most of the registered weapons in Finland are hunting riffles. Death toll from Finland school shooting rises to eight Police officers are seen in Tuusula, Finland, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007 where a teenager opened fire at a school in southern Finland. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>> HELSINKI, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Eight people have been killed in a school shooting on Wednesday in Finland's southern city of Tuusula, Finnish police confirmed on Wednesday evening. Finnish police said at a press conference that the shooter was arrested after a siege. Full story Finnish PM extends condolences to school shooting victims HELSINKI, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen extended on Wednesday his government's condolences to a school shooting earlier in the day that claimed eight lives and left a few more wounded, government officials said. After a government session dedicated to the discussion of the tragedy on Wednesday evening, Vanhanen extended his government's heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of victims of the incident. Full story [1] [2] [3] [4] ||||| HELSINKI, Finland (CNN) -- An 18-year-old authorities say shot eight people inside his high school in southern Finland, before turning the gun on himself, has died, police said. An image from a video posted on YouTube by "Sturmgeist89." more photos » The shooting appeared to have been planned out in graphic videos posted on Internet file-sharing site YouTube. At a news conference this afternoon, police confirmed the dead numbered two girls, five boys and the school's headmistress at Jokela High in Tuusula, a quiet town around 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Helsinki. Ten other people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The shooter, whom police identified as Pekka Eric Auvinen, died at Toolo Hospital, authorities said. Police said he took his own life. It was the first school shooting in Finland since 1989, when a 14-year-old student shot and killed two others in the coastal town of Rauma, the Finnish news agency STT reported. Police said Auvinen is from Tuusula and who acted alone. He had no previous criminal record and had never threatened anyone from the school before, they added. Auvinen published a manifesto online demanding war on the "weak-minded masses" and pledged to die for his cause. Watch Auvinen fire weapons in video from his Web page » YouTube appeared to have removed 89 videos linked to his account, many of them featuring Nazi imagery, shortly after the incident. Finnish media reported someone posted a message two weeks ago on the Web site, warning of a bloodbath at the school. A video posted earlier Wednesday, by "Sturmgeist89," was titled "Jokela High School Massacre - 11/7/2007." "Sturmgeist89" identified himself as Auvinen, and said he chose the name "Sturmgeist" because it means "storm spirit" in German. The video showed a picture of the school, which then disintegrated to reveal two images of Auvinen against a red background, pointing a gun at the screen. The clip is accompanied by the song "Stray Bullet" from rock band KMFDM. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the students behind the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, also cited that group's lyrics. Another short video clip, called "Just Testing My Gun," showed Auvinen loading and cocking a handgun. He fired and hit several pieces of fruit in a wooded area; the camera then showed a close-up of the destroyed fruit, and then a full-screen shot of him again. He waved at the camera and then walked out of view. The site indicated that the youth appeared to be fascinated with killing. As well as video footage of the Columbine school shootings, it also included clips of the 1993 Waco siege in the United States, the 1995 sarin gas attack in Tokyo, and bombs falling on Baghdad during the 2003 invasion. Many showed victims being wheeled away or people running for their lives. Throughout all of this, the single word "DIE" constantly flashed across the screen. Other video clips included Nazi-war-criminal footage. In the rambling text posted on the site, Auvinen said that he is "a cynical existentialist, anti-human humanist, anti-social social-Darwinist, realistic idealist and god-like atheist. "I am prepared to fight and die for my cause," he wrote. "I, as a natural selector, will eliminate all who I see unfit, disgraces of human race and failures of natural selection." The police said at this afternoon's press conference that they had been fired at when they arrived at the school at 11.45 p.m. local time (9.45 a.m. GMT). They described the scene as chaotic, with some of the 460 students, ranging in age from 12 to 18, breaking windows in an attempt to escape. When the police's special SWAT unit entered the high school they found the gunman unconscious and in critical condition in the lower lobby of the building with a gunshot wound to his head. Police assume he tried to take his own life as no officers fired at him. Several bodies were also found in the same location, where the shooting is believed to have begun, they added. They could not confirm comments by some students that Auvinen was firing through doors. Police also said that the gun Auvinen used, which was fully licensed, had been purchased less than a month ago on October 19. The legal age limit to own a gun in Finland is 18, which Auvinen passed in June of this year. He had a recommendation from a shooting club when he obtained the gun, police added, and practised sharp-shooting as a hobby at a shooting range. Finland, which enjoys a strong tradition of hunting, has a high proportion of gun ownership, with two million firearms owned in a nation of only five million. The Associated Press reported comments from Kim Kiuru, one of the school's teachers, on radio station YLE. Kiuru described how the headmistress used the public address system around noon to tell pupils to stay in classrooms. He said he locked his classroom door, then waited in the corridor for more news. "After that I saw the gunman running with what appeared to be a small-caliber handgun in his hand through the doors towards me, after which I escaped to the corridor downstairs and ran in the opposite direction, " Kiuru said. The agency reported Kiuru as saying that he saw a woman's body as he fled the school, before telling his pupils to leave the building through the windows. E-mail to a friend Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
An interior window shot through by the killer Pekka-Eric Auvinen, the gunman who killed eight people in the Jokela school shooting in Finland yesterday, has died in hospital from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. "He died at 22h14 of a one-bullet injury in the head," said traumatology physician Eero Hirvensalo, chief of the Helsinki University Hospital. Auvinen, 18, murdered his headmistress, school nurse and six students, as well as wounding one other victim, before turning his gun on himself. When police special units arrived on-scene and entered the school they were initially shot at, but when they reached Auvinen he was already unconscious, and no rounds were fired by the police. Auvinen had no previous criminal convictions, and had received his gun license several weeks previously. He purchased his gun on October 19. In a text describing himself on the video sharing site YouTube, where he had posted a total of 89 videos, including some showing him firing his gun and others directly referring to the killing, he said that he was "a cynical existentialist, anti-human humanist, anti-social social-Darwinist, realistic idealist and god-like atheist." "I am prepared to fight and die for my cause," he continued. "I, as a natural selector, will eliminate all who I see unfit, disgraces of human race and failures of natural selection."
A grand mother holds a new born baby who was named Cyclone after he was born during the cyclone stands before her damaged hut in Barishal, 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Bangladesh's capital Friday, Nov. 16, 2007. A cyclone that slammed into Bangladesh's coast with 240 kph (140 mph) winds killed at least 41 people, leveled homes and forced the evacuation of 650,000 villagers before heading inland and losing power Friday, officials said. (AP Photo/Pavel Rahman) Cyclone Toll Reaches 1,100 in Bangladesh DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A cyclone that slammed into the coast with 150 mph winds killed at least 1,100 people, isolating remote towns and villages swamped by a storm surge or hemmed in by piles of debris, aid workers and a Bangladeshi news agency said Friday. Tropical Cyclone Sidr roared across the country's southwestern coast late Thursday with driving rain and high waves, leveling homes and forcing the evacuation of 650,000 villagers, officials said. The United News of Bangladesh news agency said reporters deployed across the devastated region made their own count in each affected district and reached a toll of 1,100. The government, which earlier put the death toll at 242, has acknowledged its trouble keeping count — with power and phone lines down in most remote areas — and said it expected the official number to rise significantly. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A cyclone that slammed into Bangladesh's coast with 140 mph winds killed at least 425 people before heading inland and losing strength, a local news agency said Friday. The government, which has acknowledged problems accounting for the dead, has a far lower toll from Tropical Cyclone Sidr. The storm roared across the country's southwestern coast late Thursday with driving rain and high waves, leveling homes and forcing the evacuation of 650,000 villagers, officials said. Downpours and staggering winds also spawned a water surge 4 feet high that swept through low-lying areas and some offshore islands, leaving them under water, according to Nahid Sultana, an official at a cyclone control room in the capital, Dhaka. Relief workers struggled Friday to bring aid to areas devastated by the initial impact of storm, even though Sidr had weakened into a tropical storm and was moving across the country to the northeast, with wind speed falling to 37 mph. The cyclone flattened thousands of flimsy huts, uprooted trees, electricity and telephone poles, and destroyed crops and fish farms in 15 coastal districts, local government officials and witnesses said. While government estimates had earlier put the death toll at 242, the news agency — which has reporters deployed across the devastated region — said they had made their own count in each affected district. The government has acknowledged its trouble keeping count. The official disaster control room in Dhaka, the capital, is struggling to collect information with power and phone lines down in most remote areas. But Dalil Uddin, an official with the Ministry of Disaster Management, said Friday evening that the official toll also would go much higher than 242. "There has been lot of damage to houses made of mud and bamboo and about 60 to 80 percent of the trees have been uprooted," said Vince Edwards, the Bangladesh director of the U.S.-based Christian aid group World Vision. Edwards said debris from the storm has blocked roads and rivers, making it difficult to reach all the areas that had been hit. Government teams also fanned out to deliver food and medicine, said Hasanul Amin of the cyclone preparedness program, supported by the government and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. Power and communications in the capital, Dhaka, were also down. Strong winds uprooted trees, snapped power and telecommunication lines and sent billboards flying through the air, injuring several people, said Ashraful Zaman, another official at the cyclone control room. At least 650,000 coastal villagers moved Thursday to cyclone shelters where they were given emergency rations, Ali Imam Majumder, a senior government official, told reporters in Dhaka. Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation, is prone to seasonal cyclones and floods that cause huge losses of life and property. The coastal area borders eastern India and is famous for the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, a world heritage site that is home to rare Royal Bengal Tigers. Associated Press writers Parveen Ahmed in Dhaka, Sheikh Didarul Alam in Khulna and Akhter Faruk in Barisal contributed to this report. ||||| An elephant pushes a stranded bus as it is employed to clear a road in Barishal, 120 kilometers, (75 miles) south of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, Friday, Nov. 16, 2007. A cyclone slammed into Bangladesh's coast with 240 kph (150 mph) winds, killing at least 242 people, leveling homes and forcing the evacuation of 650,000 villagers before heading inland and losing power Friday, officials said. (AP Photo/Pavel Rahman Report: Bangladesh Cyclone Kills 425 DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A cyclone that slammed into Bangladesh's coast with 140 mph winds killed at least 425 people before heading inland and losing strength, a local news agency said Friday. The government, which has acknowledged problems accounting for the dead, has a far lower toll from Tropical Cyclone Sidr. The storm roared across the country's southwestern coast late Thursday with driving rain and high waves, leveling homes and forcing the evacuation of 650,000 villagers, officials said. Downpours and staggering winds also spawned a water surge 4 feet high that swept through low-lying areas and some offshore islands, leaving them under water, according to Nahid Sultana, an official at a cyclone control room in the capital, Dhaka. Relief workers struggled Friday to bring aid to areas devastated by the initial impact of storm, even though Sidr had weakened into a tropical storm and was moving across the country to the northeast, with wind speed falling to 37 mph. The cyclone flattened thousands of flimsy huts, uprooted trees, electricity and telephone poles, and destroyed crops and fish farms in 15 coastal districts, local government officials and witnesses said. While government estimates had earlier put the death toll at 242, the news agency — which has reporters deployed across the devastated region — said they had made their own count in each affected district. The government has acknowledged its trouble keeping count. The official disaster control room in Dhaka, the capital, is struggling to collect information with power and phone lines down in most remote areas. But Dalil Uddin, an official with the Ministry of Disaster Management, said Friday evening that the official toll also would go much higher than 242. "There has been lot of damage to houses made of mud and bamboo and about 60 to 80 percent of the trees have been uprooted," said Vince Edwards, the Bangladesh director of the U.S.-based Christian aid group World Vision. Edwards said debris from the storm has blocked roads and rivers, making it difficult to reach all the areas that had been hit. Government teams also fanned out to deliver food and medicine, said Hasanul Amin of the cyclone preparedness program, supported by the government and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. Power and communications in the capital, Dhaka, were also down. Strong winds uprooted trees, snapped power and telecommunication lines and sent billboards flying through the air, injuring several people, said Ashraful Zaman, another official at the cyclone control room. At least 650,000 coastal villagers moved Thursday to cyclone shelters where they were given emergency rations, Ali Imam Majumder, a senior government official, told reporters in Dhaka. Bangladesh, a low-lying delta nation, is prone to seasonal cyclones and floods that cause huge losses of life and property. The coastal area borders eastern India and is famous for the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, a world heritage site that is home to rare Royal Bengal Tigers. Associated Press writers Parveen Ahmed in Dhaka, Sheikh Didarul Alam in Khulna and Akhter Faruk in Barisal contributed to this report. ||||| Why did this happen? Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy. ||||| A powerful cyclone has battered Bangladesh, causing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands. Local media reports say as many as 1,100 people were killed. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, officials say advance preparation saved many lives, in a country accustomed to natural disasters. Officials say the cyclone crashed into the country's southern coast Thursday night with winds of up to 240 kilometers an hour, triggering huge waves. Grandmother holds newborn baby named after Cyclone as she stands in front of her damaged hut in Barishal, 16 Nov 2007 Many villages were devastated as the winds uprooted trees and flattened homes. Torrential rain and waves washed away crops. Officials say many of the victims were killed by falling trees or debris from collapsing homes. Shail Shrestha, program coordinator for the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Dhaka, said preliminary reports indicate that the devastation is widespread. "Phone lines are cut and communication system is very much disrupted, said Shrestha. "Agriculture products are badly damaged and livestock are also badly damaged." The worst of the storm was over by early Friday. This made it possible for government and volunteer teams to dispatch relief teams carrying food, water, medicines, and tents for the people in the affected districts. Although the storm has caused considerable destruction, officials say a mass evacuation ordered in advance helped save many lives. Hundreds of thousands of coastal villagers were evacuated into government-built cyclone shelters and other buildings as the storm approached. The shelters were built after the low-lying country suffered massive casualties in previous cyclones. A storm that hit the country in 1970 killed about half a million people. Another cyclone in 1991 killed more than 130,000. Chittagong is one of the districts that lay in the path of the storm. A senior district official, Mokhlesur Rahman, says the region was spared large-scale casualties. "We did evacuate a lot of people into different cyclone shelters, some in educational institutions," said Rahman. "It was of much help, evacuation…. Now they are going back home." India's east coast was also bracing for the cyclone, but so far it has escaped the storm's fury. Authorities reported that several areas were hit by heavy rain, but there was little damage.
Location of Bangladesh. Powerful battered Bangladesh, killing hundreds of people, though reports vary. Citing the local ''United News of Bangladesh'', the ''Associated Press'' is reporting a death toll of 1,100. An evacuation of some 3 million was attempted before the storm made landfall. Anjana Pasricha reported from for that, officials say advance preparation saved many lives, in a country accustomed to natural disasters. Officials say the cyclone crashed into the country's southern coast Thursday night with winds of up to 240 kilometers an hour, triggering huge waves. Many villages were devastated as the winds uprooted trees and flattened homes. Torrential rain and waves washed away crops. Officials say many of the victims were killed by falling trees or debris from collapsing homes. Shail Shrestha, program coordinator for the in Dhaka, said preliminary reports indicate that the devastation is widespread. "Phone lines are cut and communication system is very much disrupted, said Shrestha. "Agriculture products are badly damaged and livestock are also badly damaged." Tropical Cyclone Sidr as it continued its northward progress over the Bay of Bengal on November 15, 2007. The worst of the storm was over by early Friday. This made it possible for government and volunteer teams to dispatch relief teams carrying food, water, medicines, and tents for the people in the affected districts. Although the storm has caused considerable destruction, officials say a mass evacuation ordered in advance helped save many lives. Hundreds of thousands of coastal villagers were evacuated into government-built cyclone shelters and other buildings as the storm approached. The shelters were built after the low-lying country suffered massive casualties in previous cyclones. A storm that hit the country in 1970 killed about half a million people. Another cyclone in 1991 killed more than 130,000. is one of the districts that lay in the path of the storm. A senior district official, Mokhlesur Rahman, says the region was spared large-scale casualties. "We did evacuate a lot of people into different cyclone shelters, some in educational institutions," said Rahman. "It was of much help, evacuation…. Now they are going back home." India's east coast was also bracing for the cyclone, but so far it has escaped the storm's fury. Authorities reported that several areas were hit by heavy rain, but there was little damage.
PA A British holiday jet had to divert en route to the Caribbean after an allegedly drunken women passenger attacked cabin crew, it was revealed today. Staff on the Thomson Airways Boeing 767 flight from Manchester had to put restraints on the woman. The plane, which was heading to the Dominican Republic with 260 passengers aboard, had to divert to Bermuda where police met the flight and removed the woman. According to The Sun, the middle-aged woman was thought to have been drinking from a secret alcohol stash. One of the passengers, Brett Kenyon, 27, from Manchester, told The Sun that the woman stood up and begun "shouting incoherently" and lashing out at staff. He went on: "She went for them and hit one of the male stewards. He had a big shiner. Even when police took her she was struggling and tried to run off." Thomson Airways said the incident took place last Friday. The carrier added that it operated "a zero tolerance policy with regards to any disruptive behaviour onboard our flights". It said the plane had diverted "following an incident involving a female passenger". It went on: "The local authorities were notified of this incident and, in accordance with our procedures, the aircraft was met by the police upon landing at Bermuda airport where the passenger was removed from the flight. "Thomson Airways would like to reassure customers that incidents of this type are extremely rare and that their safety is our first priority at all times." The flight had already been delayed 24 hours and passengers finally arrived at Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic 27 hours and 44 minutes late. ||||| ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. View our online Press Pack. For other inquiries, Contact Us. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click here. ||||| Last Friday evening, a Thomson Airways flight from Manchester to the Dominican Republic landed in Bermuda as a result of the female passenger’s behavior. According to a police press statement, the woman was said to have been involved in a loud argument with her husband and later became abusive to other passengers and crew who were trying to calm her down. While crew members were trying to restrain her, she allegedly assaulted one of them and was restrained for the rest of the flight. When the plane landed in Bermuda, officers arrested the 45-year-old and she was taken to Southside Police Station, where she was interviewed. A police spokesman said a file was prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, who then referred the matter to U.K. police. The passenger was flown back to Manchester yesterday afternoon via the U.S. Two Bermuda Police Service officers escorted her.
The plane was forced to land at Bermuda airport An international holiday flight was diverted after a British passenger allegedly became abusive to cabin crew. The , owned by , landed in Bermuda; the woman is said to have attacked crewmembers. The flight was carrying 260 passengers to in the Dominican Republic from . According to '''', the 45-year-old women was drinking alcohol from a secret stash. Cabin crew restrained her over disruption; she was handcuffed to her seat over the alleged assault. Brett Kenyon, 27, a passenger, said she was "shouting incoherently... She went for them crew and hit one of the male stewards. He had a big shiner. Even when police took her she was struggling and tried to run off." Thomson Airways released a statement saying the flight had diverted "following an incident involving a female passenger. The local authorities were notified of this incident and, in accordance with our procedures, the aircraft was met by the police upon landing at Bermuda airport where the passenger was removed from the flight". The women has since returned to the UK after she was escorted by two Bermudian police officers to Manchester Airport.
Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, September 29, 2007 Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1 Kyra Evans, left, hugs her daughter Olivia, 15, on Friday after she was was evacuated from Las Plumas High School in Oroville after an armed youth took several classmates hostage for nearly two hours. Three shots were fired, but no one on the 1,420-student campus was injured, authorities say. Sacramento Bee/Brian Baer OROVILLE -- An agonizing standoff at rural Las Plumas High School ended without bloodshed Friday after an armed youth freed the three classmates he held hostage for nearly two hours -- and then surrendered peacefully. Butte County sheriff's deputies took the 17-year-old gunman into custody and quickly determined that no one on the 1,420-student campus had been injured. The three shots fired during the incident were all aimed at the ceiling, said sheriff's Capt. Jerry Smith. About 30 students and a teacher were in the Las Plumas band room where the incident began at 9:14 a.m., Smith said. All but five students were allowed to leave or escaped. Two of them were released by the barricaded suspect during the first hour. The last three hostages, all girls, were released around 11 a.m. He surrendered at 11:16 a.m. The suspect was armed with a .22-caliber revolver, Smith said. The Bee is not naming the suspect because he is a juvenile. Authorities did not comment on what might have triggered the standoff. But Las Plumas students were buzzing that a romantic breakup was the catalyst. Student Ricky Scurby, 16, said he was in class with the suspected gunman's girlfriend during the ordeal. Scurby said the hostage-taker called the girl from the band room on his cell phone. The girlfriend had broken up with him the night before, she told classmates. According to Scurby, the girl talked to her boyfriend, trying to calm him down and telling him: "I love you. I still love you." The girlfriend, crying hysterically, said that the boy told her he didn't "want to live anymore." The school went into immediate lockdown when fleeing students told teachers that an armed student was in the band room. As soon as the lockdown began, Las Plumas Principal Sandy Dovell and another school administrator began walking the halls to determine what was going on. Dovell said she could see kids standing around inside the band room -- which was not proper procedure for a lockdown. They were supposed to be under their desks. Dovell opened the band room door. "Here's this young man with a gun, and he points it right at us," the principal said. "We raised our hands and backed up and said, 'Just calm down.' " The two administrators left the room and immediately called police to confirm that the student did have a gun. Dovell said she didn't remember much about the chaotic scene inside the room. "I just remember the gun," she said. The principal wouldn't comment on the student's academic history, but she said there was nothing to indicate he would take such extreme measures. The young suspect faces a variety of possible charges: kidnapping, bringing a gun to school grounds, assault and making terrorist threats, authorities said. Smith said Deputy Will Brewton, assigned to Las Plumas as its school resource officer, led negotiations with the gunman and eventually talked him into surrendering. "We are very fortunate that the SRO was also a trained hostage negotiator," Smith said of Brewton, who has been with the department only three or four years. Once negotiations began, Smith said, "it didn't take very long to convince him to release the three hostages he had." During the standoff, the suspect spoke to Brewton via cell phone. He did make one demand -- for cigarettes. He didn't get them. Two of the hostages were permitted to phone their families during the ordeal. At one point, the suspect himself spoke to a hostage's family, but authorities did not reveal what was said. As the tense situation unfolded, frantic parents were instructed to go to the Church of the Nazarene on Monte Vista Avenue, where students were sent. At noon, more than a dozen school buses pulled into the church parking lot, where students slowly filed into a meeting room to be reunited with their families. Las Plumas had an out-of-town football game scheduled Friday night, and several girls were dressed in cheerleader outfits and boys were wearing football jerseys. The game against West Valley High in Cottonwood has been rescheduled for tonight. Continue reading on next page About the writer: The Bee's Ryan Lillis can be reached at (916) 321-1085 or rlillis@sacbee.com. Lillis and Enkoji reported from Oroville, Korber and Lofing from Sacramento. A student waits on a school bus after being evacuated from the Oroville high school. Sacramento Bee/Brian Baer ||||| Click photo to enlarge « 1 2 3 4 5 » OROVILLE — The student who held hostages for more than an hour at Las Plumas High School will face attempted murder and other charges, District Attorney Mike Ramsey told the Enterprise-Record this afternoon. Ramsey said the investigation into the incident revealed 17-year-old Greg Wright brought a pistol to school to kill a romantic rival. When the other boy couldn't be found, Wright went to the band room — expecting to find it empty — with the intent to kill himself, Ramsey continued. When he instead found some 26 people, including at least one teacher, the hostage drama ensued. Wright reportedly fired one or two shots into the ceiling upon entering the room at about 9:15 a. Advertisement m. The campus was quickly placed in lockdown, and lawmen from several agencies converged. The Butte County Sheriff's Office SWAT team was assembled at the scene. School resource officer Will Brewton, a trained hostage negotiator, began talking with Wright via a cell phone. Over time, all but three of the students in the room were allowed to leave. They also were released at about 10:40 a.m., and Wright was taken into custody. As the drama unfolded, Nazarene Church, across a field from Las Plumas, was used as a gathering place for parents to reunite with their kids, as well as an incident command center for media, law enforcement and crisis volunteers. One parent, Robert Roberts, was extremely close to the situation as the alleged gunman is Roberts' stepson, the tearful parent said. Wright's involvement had not been confirmed by law enforcement by 1:30 p.m., but he had also been identified by parents of students who were in the bandroom. "The school called me," Roberts said, as he milled about in front of the church along with scores of other parents at about 10:30 a.m. "They told me to come down in case there was anything I could do to help. I heard he had a gun" Roberts had yet to speak to Wright at the time, but believed his wife and stepdaughter were called in to help the negotiation team. The stepdaughter, Tasha Wright, is a year younger than Greg, and also goes to Las Plumas, Roberts said. "I know he had been in a little trouble in school, but I've never seen anything like this," Roberts said. Roberts said the boy spent a few years in Oklahoma before returning to this area last year. He said it was his understanding Wright broke up with his girlfriend a few days ago and that he was upset about it, though he couldn't speculate that this incident was connected to the breakup. A cheer went up from the parents at the Nazarene Church when word was passed to them the crisis had ended. Sheriff's officials reported all of the hostages had been accounted for and there were no injuries. After hearing news that Wright was in custody, Roberts said, "Well, they got him. Everybody's safe and he's safe." Ramsey said in addition to attempted murder charges, he will be seeking charges of false imprisonment and bringing a gun onto campus. A decision on whether to try Wright as a juvenile or and adult will be made next week. Besides LP, both the Oroville Elementary School District and the Palermo School District were also in lockdown, even though there were no specific threats in those locations. ||||| Advertisement Search CBS News The Web • » Gunman Charged After H.S. Hostage Incident Student Fired Shots, Took Hostages, Then Released Them At Northern Calif. School Butte County SWAT Team members take a suspected student gunman into custody at Las Plumas High School in Oroville Calif., on Friday, Sept. 28, 2007. (AP/Oroville Mercury Register) Related Interactive School Shootings A look at major incidents at U.S. schools in the last decade. Interactive Guns In America State-by-state gun laws and death rates, maps of recent school and workplace shootings and facts on who's at risk. Stories Hundreds Gather To Open Columbine Memorial (CBS/AP) A student gunman held a high school drama class hostage Friday, firing shots and holding three of the students for more than an hour before police persuaded him to surrender, authorities said. No one was hurt. The 17-year-old has been charged with the intent to shoot another student, reports CBS News affiliate KOVR-TV. Police would not say what the student's motive might have been, but several students said he was distraught over a breakup with his girlfriend the night before. The gunman initially took about 25 students and a substitute teacher hostage in a band room at Las Plumas High School. He eventually released all of them except for three girls, Capt. Jerry Smith of the Butte County Sheriff's Department said. Turbo Her, an 18-year-old senior who was in the class, said other students initially thought it was a joke. “I said, 'Oh no, this is a real gun,”' Her said. “The girls were crying and hysterical. He wanted to scare them, to let them know it's real.” One shot was fired into the ceiling, Her said. Authorities said at least two shots were fired from the .22-caliber handgun the boy was carrying. Her said the boy told students he did not want to hurt them and just needed to hide out for a bit. At least two students talked with family members by cell phone while they were being held hostage, Lt. Al Smith said. Her said that after about 30 minutes, the gunman said that “anyone who's scared can leave,” and about 25 students and the teacher left. Sheriff's officials said three remaining hostages did not stay there voluntarily, but they did not know why the gunman chose them to remain. Smith said the gunman's only demand to deputies during the standoff was that they “back off.” He asked for cigarettes, but Smith said he did not know whether the boy was given any. Six schools in the Oroville Union High School District were locked down while a deputy talked to the hostile student on a cell phone. “We made him realize that the best thing for him and everyone concerned was to release the remaining three hostages,” Smith said. Another student, Candace Carey, 18, said she was in algebra class next door to the drama classroom where students were taken hostage. She said she and her classmates crawled out a window to flee. The boy's name was not released because of his age. Smith said he was a student at the school. Deputies took the boy for questioning after he gave up and placed him in custody at Butte County juvenile hall, where he would remain at least until his first court appearance, authorities said. Parents were directed to an Oroville church to be reunited with their children, and cars were backed up for half a mile leading to the church. Friday night's high school football game was canceled. Oroville is 80 miles north of Sacramento. A student gunman held a high school drama class hostage Friday, firing shots and holding three of the students for more than an hour before police persuaded him to surrender, authorities said. No one was hurt.The 17-year-old has been charged with the intent to shoot another student, reportsPolice would not say what the student's motive might have been, but several students said he was distraught over a breakup with his girlfriend the night before.The gunman initially took about 25 students and a substitute teacher hostage in a band room at Las Plumas High School. He eventually released all of them except for three girls, Capt. Jerry Smith of the Butte County Sheriff's Department said.Turbo Her, an 18-year-old senior who was in the class, said other students initially thought it was a joke. “I said, 'Oh no, this is a real gun,”' Her said. “The girls were crying and hysterical. He wanted to scare them, to let them know it's real.”One shot was fired into the ceiling, Her said. Authorities said at least two shots were fired from the .22-caliber handgun the boy was carrying.Her said the boy told students he did not want to hurt them and just needed to hide out for a bit. At least two students talked with family members by cell phone while they were being held hostage, Lt. Al Smith said.Her said that after about 30 minutes, the gunman said that “anyone who's scared can leave,” and about 25 students and the teacher left. Sheriff's officials said three remaining hostages did not stay there voluntarily, but they did not know why the gunman chose them to remain.Smith said the gunman's only demand to deputies during the standoff was that they “back off.” He asked for cigarettes, but Smith said he did not know whether the boy was given any.Six schools in the Oroville Union High School District were locked down while a deputy talked to the hostile student on a cell phone.“We made him realize that the best thing for him and everyone concerned was to release the remaining three hostages,” Smith said.Another student, Candace Carey, 18, said she was in algebra class next door to the drama classroom where students were taken hostage. She said she and her classmates crawled out a window to flee.The boy's name was not released because of his age. Smith said he was a student at the school.Deputies took the boy for questioning after he gave up and placed him in custody at Butte County juvenile hall, where he would remain at least until his first court appearance, authorities said.Parents were directed to an Oroville church to be reunited with their children, and cars were backed up for half a mile leading to the church. Friday night's high school football game was canceled.Oroville is 80 miles north of Sacramento. © MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A 17-year-old high school student was arrested after holding a high school class hostage in Oroville, California. The gunman had reportedly planned to shoot a romantic rival, but been stymied when he couldn't find the other youth. Entering a classroom he expected to find empty, intending to commit suicide, the student discovered a class in progress - and instead fired several shots in to the air and decided to instigate a hostage situation, seizing the 25 students and their substitute teacher. Thirty minutes into the crisis, speaking by cellphone with a hostage negotiator, the student had agreed to release nearly all the hostages, except three students and the teacher. After about an hour, the student surrendered and the situation ended peacefully. The student has been charged with attempted murder, forcible confinement and bringing a gun to school. The situation occurred exactly one year and one day after another hostage situation in Colorado.
SL Security Forces victorious; "Vakarai Town liberated" SL security forces claimed victorious as Vakarai town was liberated a few hours ago in the eastern Batticaloa, on Friday the 19th of January. The LTTE terrorists had fled the Vakarai Town area unable to withstand the intrusive thrust of the armed forces. Following an hours long effort the SL army troops finally liberated the Vakarai town and hospital which was used as an artillery launching pad by the terrorists keeping civilians as human shields. According to military sources, the ground troops are presently consolidating their defences in the Vakarai town area. More information will follow. Related News : Exodus of IDPs soars as "Liberation Forces" reach Vakarai Terrorists take over government hospital Vakarai amid heavy losses Liberation of Panichchankeni ||||| SL Security Forces victorious; "Vakarai Town liberated" SL security forces claimed victorious as Vakarai town was liberated a few hours ago in the eastern Batticaloa, on Friday the 19th of January. The LTTE terrorists had fled the Vakarai Town area unable to withstand the intrusive thrust of the armed forces. Following an hours long effort the SL army troops finally liberated the Vakarai town and hospital which was used as an artillery launching pad by the terrorists keeping civilians as human shields. According to military sources, the ground troops are presently consolidating their defences in the Vakarai town area. More information will follow. Related News : Exodus of IDPs soars as "Liberation Forces" reach Vakarai Terrorists take over government hospital Vakarai amid heavy losses Liberation of Panichchankeni ||||| The army is seeking to disrupt Tamil Tiger supplies Thousands of Tamil civilians are fleeing the town of Vakarai, which has been the focus of heavy fighting for several weeks. Aid agencies say they are worried about the fate of the civilians, many of whom were taking shelter in a hospital in Vakarai affected by the fighting. The fall of Vakarai would badly disrupt Tamil Tiger supplies to the north. There has been no comment from the Tigers on the military's claim. Fled "The troops are in control of the town of Vakarai," military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe told the BBC's Sinhala service. "Thousands of civilians are coming across to government-controlled areas." The defence ministry said at least 45 members of the security forces and 331 rebels had been killed in the battle for Vakarai, which began in October. The BBC's Roland Buerk in Colombo says Tamil Tiger fighters fled into the jungle and by boat as government forces moved in. The pro-Tamil Tiger website Tamilnet says that earlier the military stepped up shelling of the hospital in Vakarai, "forcing 15,000 civilians to flee... the hospital area". The military has accused the Tigers of using civilians in the hospital as human shields and using the hospital as "an artillery launching pad". Before Friday's developments, more than 30,000 civilians had already left Vakarai in recent weeks to escape the conflict. The government says thousands more moved into areas under its control on Friday. The Tigers want an independent homeland for Tamils The United Nations Refugee agency, UNHCR, says more may remain in Vakarai and it is extremely concerned for their safety. The UNHCR is calling on all sides to respect human rights. Our correspondent says Vakarai was a key stronghold of the Tigers, used as a transit point between Sri Lanka's east and the north. The Tigers had their own police force and civil administration in the area. Homeland In recent months the government has been stepping up military activity in the east, aiming to seize pockets of territory held by the Tigers. About 65,000 people have been killed in Sri Lanka's civil war. The Tigers are fighting for a separate homeland for the country's 3.1m minority Tamils, who say they have suffered decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. Although both sides say they are adhering to a Norwegian-brokered 2002 cease-fire, violence has escalated since late 2005, with more than 3,600 people killed last year alone.
Sri Lankan troops liberated a key town in Eastern Sri Lanka as they continued their offensive to evict the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, also called the Tamil Tigers) from the Eastern Province of the country. The town of Vakarai, which has been under the control of the LTTE since 1996, was a key stronghold for the LTTE and one of their last major bases in the East. Sri Lankan troops met little resistance as they moved into the town at around noon local time, as the Tamil Tigers were believed to have fled further North. A Sri Lankan defense ministry statement on its website said the LTTE had fled the town area "unable to withstand the intrusive thrust of the armed forces". A statement from the Media Center for National Security said "triumphant troops are presently consolidating their positions and clearing the terrain to resettle displace civilians." The Tigers have so far failed to comment on the fighting. Leading up to the capture of the town, around 12,000 civilians, whom the government claimed the LTTE were using as Human Shields, were reported to have fled to the safety of government controlled areas. This added to the 20,000 who had already fled to government controlled areas since heavy fighting began in December 2006. Basic necessities for them were provided by the security forces. The government stated that it would make all efforts to resettle the civilians as soon as normalcy is restored in the town. The fall of Vakarai is expected to badly disrupt Tamil Tiger activities in the East, an also seriously dent their supplies to the North.
A China-bound Afghan passenger flight was sent back to Afghanistan because it lacked the proper documents required to land, not because of a bomb or hijack threat, Afghan officials said. China's Xinhua news agency had reported that Chinese authorities suspected the flight had been threatened by a bomb. But an air traffic official in Kabul and an airport police source in Kandahar said there was no such threat. The plane, from Afghanistan's Kam Air airline, had departed from Kabul but landed in the southern city of Kandahar on its return because of high winds in Kabul, they said. "It can go back to Kabul whenever it wants," the Kandahar airport police source said. The sources said the flight was the first the airline had made on that route, and the airport in China's Xinjiang province denied it permission to land. A press officer for NATO-led and US forces in Kabul, Chief Petty Officer Brian Naranjo, said a plane had made a precautionary landing in Kandahar, but that there was no hijacking or bomb threat involved. World News Video ||||| URUMQI, China (BNO NEWS) — A spokesman for the NATO-led ISAF alliance has denied reports that a plane made an emergency landing in Afghan’s Kandahar as was reported by Chinese state media on Sunday evening. According to the Xinhua-news agency, a plane flew into Chinese airspace and was threatened with a bomb. The report added that the plane was denied a landing in China’s Urumqi, where emergency services had responded to the airport to prepare for an emergency. The agency then reported that the plane safely landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Initially, the news agency said the plane was hijacked but an hour later, it retracted the report saying only: “The sources previously told Xinhua the plane was hijacked.” A spokesman for the NATO-led ISAF alliance in Kabul, however, told BNO News that they had no reports of any incident involving a plane, adding significant doubts to the credibility of the media reports in China. “We are aware of the reports. [..] We have no evidence that this is true,” he said. “We would know immediately,” he said earlier. The Chinese news agency has not reported the airliner, if it was a passenger plane, or how many people would have been on board. Related Topics on NewsChurner ||||| REUTERS - A China-bound Afghan passenger flight was sent back to Afghanistan because it lacked the proper documents required to land, not because of a bomb or hijack threat, Afghan officials said. China’s Xinhua news agency had reported that Chinese authorities suspected the flight had been threatened by a bomb. But an air traffic official in Kabul and an airport police source in Kandahar said there was no such threat. The plane, from Afghanistan’s Kam Air airline, had departed from Kabul but landed in the southern city of Kandahar on its return because of high winds in Kabul, they said. “It can go back to Kabul whenever it wants,” the Kandahar airport police source said. The sources said the flight was the first the airline had made on that route, and the airport in China’s Xinjiang province denied it permission to land. A press officer for NATO-led and U.S. forces in Kabul, Chief Petty Officer Brian Naranjo, said a plane had made a “precautionary landing” in Kandahar, but that there was no hijacking or bomb threat involved. ||||| An Afghan aircraft bound for Urumqi in China's restive Xinjiang region has been turned back, reports from both countries say. Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported first that the plane had been hijacked, then that it had been the subject of a bomb threat. An Afghan diplomat said the plane's operators had not been told about a threat, just ordered to turn it back. Xinhua said the plane later landed in Kandahar, quoting diplomatic sources. China's state news agency did not give any details of the reported threat to the plane. But it said that armed police and emergency vehicles had rushed to Urumqi airport just in case. However a press officer for Nato forces in Afghanistan - which control Kandahar airport - told the Associated Press news agency that he had received no report of a plane forced to land. "That's a significant activity. If something that significant happens we would know about it," Brian Naranjo said. Reuters news agency quoted an Afghan air traffic official and a police source as saying that there was no threat to the plane - and that it had been denied permission to land over paperwork. The incident comes a month after about 200 people died in ethnic violence in Xinjiang's regional capital, Urumqi. Deadly clashes erupted between Han Chinese and the region's Muslim Uighurs, some of whom want greater autonomy from China. Since then China has maintained a heavy security presence in the region. ||||| Sarah Telford United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) In a world awash with data, aid workers contend with gaps With nearly 168 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2020 -- the highest figure in decades -- there is no time, or data, to lose
China's Xinjiang region A Kam Air plane from Afghanistan, traveling in China's Xinjiang region was not hijacked and did not receive a bomb threat, according to Afghan officials. Earlier the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported a plane to be hijacked. Later reports then stated the plane received a bomb threat and was diverted back to Afghanistan, landing in Kandahar. The early reports say the plane was diverted back to Afghanistan after being denied an emergency landing in Ürümqi. The plane was traveling to China and had been ordered to turn around after the proper paperwork was not in place. Subsequently it was denied a landing in Ürümqi. Upon its return, the plane landed in Kabul after it encountered high winds. It is not known how many people were on board the plane, but no injuries are reported. A NATO official denied there was an emergency landing due to a threat and says the Chinese media reports are untrue. "We are aware of the reports. We have no evidence that this is true. We would know immediately," said the unnamed official. The Xinjiang region was the scene of a violent uprising by its Uyghur population last month.
LOS ANGELES — Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing "Ben-Hur" and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the '50s and '60s, has died. He was 84. The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said. Powers declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details. "Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played," Heston's family said in a statement. "No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country." Heston revealed in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease, saying, "I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure." With his large, muscular build, well-boned face and sonorous voice, Heston proved the ideal star during the period when Hollywood was filling movie screens with panoramas depicting the religious and historical past. "I have a face that belongs in another century," he often remarked. The actor assumed the role of leader offscreen as well. He served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and chairman of the American Film Institute and marched in the civil rights movement of the 1950s. With age, he grew more conservative and campaigned for conservative candidates. In June 1998, Heston was elected president of the National Rifle Association, for which he had posed for ads holding a rifle. He delivered a jab at then-President Clinton, saying, "America doesn't trust you with our 21-year-old daughters, and we sure, Lord, don't trust you with our guns." Heston stepped down as NRA president in April 2003, telling members his five years in office were "quite a ride. ... I loved every minute of it." Later that year, Heston was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. "The largeness of character that comes across the screen has also been seen throughout his life," President Bush said at the time. He engaged in a lengthy feud with liberal Ed Asner during the latter's tenure as president of the Screen Actors Guild. His latter-day activism almost overshadowed his achievements as an actor, which were considerable. Heston lent his strong presence to some of the most acclaimed and successful films of the midcentury. "Ben-Hur" won 11 Academy Awards, tying it for the record with the more recent "Titanic" (1997) and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003). Heston's other hits include: "The Ten Commandments," "El Cid," "55 Days at Peking," "Planet of the Apes" and "Earthquake." He liked to the cite the number of historical figures he had portrayed: Andrew Jackson ("The President's Lady," "The Buccaneer"), Moses ("The Ten Commandments"), title role of "El Cid," John the Baptist ("The Greatest Story Ever Told"), Michelangelo ("The Agony and the Ecstasy"), General Gordon ("Khartoum"), Marc Antony ("Julius Caesar," "Antony and Cleopatra"), Cardinal Richelieu ("The Three Musketeers"), Henry VIII ("The Prince and the Pauper"). Heston made his movie debut in the 1940s in two independent films by a college classmate, David Bradley, who later became a noted film archivist. He had the title role in "Peer Gynt" in 1942 and was Marc Antony in Bradley's 1949 version of "Julius Caesar," for which Heston was paid $50 a week. Film producer Hal B. Wallis ("Casablanca") spotted Heston in a 1950 television production of "Wuthering Heights" and offered him a contract. When his wife reminded him that they had decided to pursue theater and television, he replied, "Well, maybe just for one film to see what it's like." Heston earned star billing from his first Hollywood movie, "Dark City," a 1950 film noir. Cecil B. DeMille next cast him as the circus manager in the all-star "The Greatest Show On Earth," named by the Motion Picture Academy as the best picture of 1952. More movies followed: "The Savage," "Ruby Gentry," "The President's Lady," "Pony Express" (as Buffalo Bill Cody), "Arrowhead," "Bad for Each Other," "The Naked Jungle," "Secret of the Incas," "The Far Horizons" (as Clark of the Lewis and Clark trek), "The Private War of Major Benson," "Lucy Gallant." Most were forgettable low-budget films, and Heston seemed destined to remain an undistinguished action star. His old boss DeMille rescued him. The director had long planned a new version of "The Ten Commandments," which he had made as a silent in 1923 with a radically different approach that combined biblical and modern stories. He was struck by Heston's facial resemblance to Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses, especially the similar broken nose, and put the actor through a long series of tests before giving him the role. The Hestons' newborn, Fraser Clarke Heston, played the role of the infant Moses in the film. More films followed: the eccentric thriller "Touch of Evil," directed by Orson Welles; William Wyler's "The Big Country," costarring with Gregory Peck; a sea saga, "The Wreck of the Mary Deare" with Gary Cooper. Then his greatest role: "Ben-Hur." Heston wasn't the first to be considered for the remake of 1925 biblical epic. Marlon Brando, Burt Lancaster and Rock Hudson had declined the film. Heston plunged into the role, rehearsing two months for the furious chariot race. He railed at suggestions the race had been shot with a double: "I couldn't drive it well, but that wasn't necessary. All I had to do was stay on board so they could shoot me there. I didn't have to worry; MGM guaranteed I would win the race." The huge success of "Ben-Hur" and Heston's Oscar made him one of the highest-paid stars in Hollywood. He combined big-screen epics like "El Cid" and "55 Days at Peking" with lesser ones such as "Diamond Head," "Will Penny" and "Airport 1975." In his later years he played cameos in such films as "Wayne's World 2" and "Tombstone." He often returned to the theater, appearing in such plays as "A Long Day's Journey into Night" and "A Man for All Seasons." He starred as a tycoon in the prime-time soap opera, "The Colbys," a two-season spinoff of "Dynasty." At his birth in a Chicago suburb on Oct. 4, 1923, his name was Charles Carter. His parents moved to St. Helen, Mich., where his father, Russell Carter, operated a lumber mill. Growing up in the Michigan woods with almost no playmates, young Charles read books of adventure and devised his own games while wandering the countryside with his rifle. Charles's parents divorced, and she married Chester Heston, a factory plant superintendent in Wilmette, Ill., an upscale north Chicago suburb. Shy and feeling displaced in the big city, the boy had trouble adjusting to the new high school. He took refuge in the drama department. "What acting offered me was the chance to be many other people," he said in a 1986 interview. "In those days I wasn't satisfied with being me." Calling himself Charlton Heston from his mother's maiden name and his stepfather's last name, he won an acting scholarship to Northwestern University in 1941. He excelled in campus plays and appeared on Chicago radio. In 1943, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and served as a radio-gunner in the Aleutians. In 1944 he married another Northwestern drama student, Lydia Clarke, and after his army discharge in 1947, they moved to New York to seek acting jobs. Finding none, they hired on as codirectors and principal actors at a summer theater in Asheville, N.C. Back in New York, both Hestons began finding work. With his strong 6-feet-2 build and craggily handsome face, Heston won roles in TV soap operas, plays ("Antony and Cleopatra" with Katherine Cornell) and live TV dramas such as "Julius Caesar," "Macbeth," "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Of Human Bondage." Heston wrote several books: "The Actor's Life: Journals 1956-1976," published in 1978; "Beijing Diary: 1990," concerning his direction of the play "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial" in Chinese; "In the Arena: An Autobiography," 1995; and "Charlton Heston's Hollywood: 50 Years of American Filmmaking," 1998. Besides Fraser, who directed his father in an adventure film, "Mother Lode," the Hestons had a daughter, Holly Ann, born Aug. 2, 1961. The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1994 at a party with Hollywood and political friends. They had been married 64 years when he died. In late years, Heston drew as much publicity for his crusades as for his performances. In addition to his NRA work, he campaigned for Republican presidential and congressional candidates and against affirmative action. He resigned from Actors Equity, claiming the union's refusal to allow a white actor to play a Eurasian role in "Miss Saigon" was "obscenely racist." He attacked CNN's telecasts from Baghdad as "sowing doubts" about the allied effort in the 1990-91 Gulf War. At a Time Warner stockholders meeting, he castigated the company for releasing an Ice-T album that purportedly encouraged cop killing. Heston wrote in "In the Arena" that he was proud of what he did "though now I'll surely never be offered another film by Warners, nor get a good review in Time. On the other hand, I doubt I'll get a traffic ticket very soon." ||||| Heston won an Oscar for his starring role in Ben-Hur Clips from his films Charlton Heston, who won a best actor Oscar for his starring role in the epic Ben-Hur, has died aged 84, a spokesman for his family has said. Heston died on Saturday at his home in Beverly Hills. His wife Lydia, whom he married in 1944, was at his side. Heston also portrayed Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in Hollywood films of the 1950s and 1960s. He stepped down as president of US gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, in 2003, citing ill-health. The previous year, he had revealed he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease. Defining roles Heston was born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Illinois. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country Heston family statement Obituary: Charlton Heston In pictures: Life of epic star Your tributes He studied acting before serving for three years in the US Air Force. But back in civilian life, Heston went through hard times, while waiting for his first break. In 1952, after working on Broadway, Heston starred as the ringmaster in the movie The Greatest Show on Earth. Four years later, he appeared as Moses in The Ten Commandments, one of the roles which would define his career. After the success of the science fiction film Planet of the Apes in the late 1960s, Heston turned his attention to working in the theatre. 'Larger than life' Although later identified with traditionally conservative causes, Charlton Heston had been a vocal supporter of Martin Luther King and the 1960s Civil Rights movement. He also served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and was chairman of the American Film Institute. In a statement, his family said: "To his loving friends, colleagues and fans, we appreciate your heartfelt prayers and support. "Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. "No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country. "In his own words, 'I have lived such a wonderful life. I've lived enough for two people'." His former publicist Michael Levine, who worked with Heston for 20 years, told Associated Press the actor's passing represented the end of an iconic era for cinema. "If Hollywood had a Mount Rushmore, Heston's face would be on it. He was a heroic figure that I don't think exists to the same degree in Hollywood today." 'Big screen hero' Heston was better known for his political career in later years Former first lady Nancy Reagan, a Hollywood actress in the 1950s, said she was heartbroken to hear of Heston's death. "I will never forget Chuck as a hero on the big screen in the roles he played, but more importantly I considered him a hero in life for the many times that he stepped up to support Ronnie in whatever he was doing," she said. British director Mike Leigh told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that Heston's greatest role was in 1958's Touch of Evil, directed by Orson Welles. "To me, his greatest single achievement, was not only that he did probably his best performance in Touch of Evil, is that he suggested Orson Welles," he said. "And they decided to turn his character, who was a regular guy, into a Mexican. I think it was his most interesting and off-beat performance." Heston's family said a private memorial service would be held. E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? ||||| Heston struggled in his early years as an actor Whether starring as Judah Ben-Hur, Michelangelo or Moses, Charlton Heston personified the larger-than-life heroes of the Hollywood epic. Charlton Heston's life story reads like a film script. From the backwoods of Michigan, he became one of the world's most famous faces, a high-profile campaigner for Civil Rights and an unapologetic president of America's National Rifle Association. He was born John Charles Carter in Evanston, Illinois. By his own admission "shy, skinny, short and pimply", he studied acting before serving for three years in the US Air Force. Big screen presence Back in civilian life, Heston and his wife, Lydia, went through hard times, while waiting for his first break as an actor. Living in a single room in Chicago, at one time they posed for artists, at $1.25 an hour, before Heston finally attracted Hollywood's attention. Ben Hur won Heston an Oscar and made him a global superstar In 1952, after working on Broadway, Heston starred as the ringmaster in the movie, The Greatest Show on Earth. Four years later, he appeared as Moses in The Ten Commandments, the role which would define his career. Physically imposing at six foot four, with granite-hewn features and a deep, sonorous voice, he radiated screen presence. No role was too big for Heston. In The Greatest Story Ever Told, he was John the Baptist; he played El Cid, along with Michelangelo in The Agony and the Ecstasy and General Gordon in Khartoum. And, in 1959, he won an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Ben-Hur. Civil Rights supporter On stage, he was Sir Thomas More in A Man for all Seasons, Macbeth and Antony in Antony and Cleopatra. Although later identified with traditionally conservative causes, Charlton Heston was a vocal supporter of Martin Luther King and the 1960s Civil Rights movement. After King's assassination, and the murder of Robert Kennedy, Heston called for gun controls. He later said that he was "misguided". The science fiction film, Planet of the Apes, proved a big commercial success in the late 1960s, and Heston almost became a fixture in 1970s disaster movies like Earthquake and Skyjacked. Heston served as president of the Screen Actors Guild And his big-screen performance in the environmentally-tinged sci-fi thriller, Soylent Green, brought him cult status among a younger audience. Traditional heroes The 1980s saw a rare foray onto television, as Jason Colby in The Colbys. But, later in his career, Heston turned increasingly back to the stage, and to fighting for his political beliefs. During his six years as president of the Screen Actors Guild , he decried the trend for undermining traditional American heroes. And, having grown up in the Michigan woods where poor people sometimes shot their next meal, Heston became embroiled in a passionate national debate over gun laws. Heston's political activism dominated his later life A high-profile president of the National Rifle Association, he once vowed that the only way the government would take away his gun was from his "cold, dead hands". On 9 August 2002, he issued a statement, announcing that his doctors had diagnosed "a neurological disorder whose symptoms are consistent with Alzheimer's disease". A self-avowed Anglophile, he was a hugely enthusiastic reader of the Aubrey/Maturin novels of the late Patrick O'Brian and was co-chairman of the American Air Museum in Britain. Heston once said of himself, "I have played three presidents, three saints and two geniuses in my career. If that doesn't create an ego problem, nothing does." But, while his screen giants gave him the stature to champion his causes, Charlton Heston, along with many critics, felt his best film performance was as the shy, awkward ranch hand in Will Penny. And while Charlton Heston will always be identified with heroes who lived before the birth of his country, it was perhaps the American pioneer who was closest to his heart. E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these?
Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, and Charlton Heston at a civil rights march in Washington, D.C. in 1963. Screen legend and conservative icon Charlton Heston, twice winner of an Academy Award during his 50 year film career, died Saturday, April 5 in Beverly Hills, California. "To his loving friends, colleagues and fans, we appreciate your heartfelt prayers and support. Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. No one could ask for a fuller life than his. No man could have given more to his family, to his profession, and to his country. In his own words, 'I have lived such a wonderful life. I've lived enough for two people,'" said his family in a statement released to the press. Heston starred in the 1959 film ''Ben Hur'' which won 11 Academy Awards. He also starred in the 1968 film ''The Planet of The Apes''. Near the end of his life, he primarily did cameo roles, including two in the films ''Tombstone'' with Kurt Russell, and ''True Lies'' with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Heston's family did not state the cause of death, but in 2002, he revealed that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Heston was 84. In his early career, Heston spoke out against racism and was active in the civil rights movement. He played in films such as ''The Omega Man'' and ''Soylent Green'' (which ends with Heston saying "''Soylent Green is people!''"), which contain a strong environmental message. Heston was also president of the National Rifle Association from 1998 to 2003. In 2000, he declared at the NRA convention that Presidential candidate Al Gore could only take away his Second Amendment rights "From my cold, dead hands," raising a presentation rifle over his head.
At least 24 people were killed and more than 60 were injured when a suicide bomber struck outside a courthouse in the Pakistani city, Lahore. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins reports from Islamabad. Pakistani policemen carry injured colleague from site of suicide bomb attack in Lahore, 10 Jan 2008 Lahore Police Chief Malik Iqbal says the bomber was aiming at police, who were deployed outside the Lahore courthouse Thursday, preparing for an anti-government protest by lawyers. "This was a suicide attack and the police on duty were the target," he said. Local television footage showed a chaotic scene outside the courthouse, with the road littered with the dead and injured. Pakistan has suffered from a wave of bomb attacks in recent months, mostly against the security forces. Hundreds of people have been killed. The government blames Islamic militants linked to al-Qaida for the attacks. Two weeks ago, opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a bomb and gunfire attack, as she left an election rally in Rawalpindi. Police Chief Iqbal says security has been tightened, throughout Lahore, following the latest attack. "A large number of police are deployed…and the entire police (are) under high security alert and a large number of policemen are spread out around Lahore…. And, we are enhancing the security of important personalities," he said. However, Ayaz Amir, a political analyst, says the continuing violence, coupled with a deepening power crisis, is plunging the nation into chaos. "It really means a greater slide into chaos. The government is loosing its grip," Amir said. "It doesn't have its grip on anything…They don't have a grip on energy, the power cuts and they don't certainly have a grip on the suicide bombers or whoever is causing mayhem across the country. They don't have a grip on that." President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency, last November, and suspended the constitution. He says the extreme measures were necessary to curb rising violence by Islamic militants. But opponents say his real motive was to dismiss judges who were getting ready to rule that his re-election as president had been illegal. Since then, the nation's lawyers have been among Mr. Musharraf's strongest critics. The emergency was lifted in December and elections were scheduled for this month. But the three days of rioting that followed the Bhutto assassination prompted Mr. Musharraf to postpone the elections to February 18. ||||| The bomber targeted a group of police gathered outside the High Court building ahead of an anti-government protest, officials said. He blew himself up after being approached by police. The attack comes amid extreme political tension following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Parliamentary elections which had been scheduled for 8 January were subsequently postponed until 18 February. Bodies on ground The blast happened just before noon local time (0700 GMT), when the courts are at their busiest. Television footage showed a scene of devastation in the area in front of the High Court. "The explosion was horrible and a number of people, including police officers, were lying dead on ground," a passer-by, Tariq Javed, told the BBC. Mohammad Arshad, a clerk in a lawyer's office across the road from the blast, said he saw blood and bits of flesh sticking to the broken windows of his building. "The whole building shook and when I ran out I saw bodies lying all around. There was flesh and blood everywhere and people were crying for help," he told the Reuters news agency. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Police said the attacker was a young man who had arrived outside the court on a motorbike. RECENT ATTACKS 27 Dec: Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and 20 people killed in suicide attack in Rawalpindi 21 Dec: At least 50 dead in a suicide attack on a mosque in north-western Pakistan 24 Nov: Twin suicide car bombings kill at least 30 in Rawalpindi 19 July: More than 40 killed in three separate bomb attacks across the country 14 July: 24 soldiers killed in suicide attack on a military convoy in north-western Pakistan 28 April: Suicide bomber kills at least 22 people at a rally in North-West Frontier Province "He parked his bike and walked to the police and blew himself up," police official Jameel Ahmed told Reuters. Police said the explosion was timed to cause maximum damage. City police chief Malik Mohammad Iqbal said that all but one of the victims were policemen. The officers were gathering outside the court building ahead of a protest by lawyers against the rule of President Pervez Musharraf. Pakistan has seen a massive rise in suicide bombings since 2007. According to the Interior Ministry, the country was hit by over 50 suicide attacks last year, which claimed at least 3,000 lives. Government officials had warned of an increased risk of attacks in Lahore ahead of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar, which starts on Friday. Muharram is often marred by sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni Muslims. Did you witness the attack or were you in the area? Use the form below to send us your accounts, some of which may be published. Name Your E-mail address Town & Country Phone number (optional): Comments ||||| At least 24 people were killed and more than 60 were injured when a suicide bomber struck outside a courthouse in the Pakistani city, Lahore. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins reports from Islamabad. Pakistani policemen carry injured colleague from site of suicide bomb attack in Lahore, 10 Jan 2008 Lahore Police Chief Malik Iqbal says the bomber was aiming at police, who were deployed outside the Lahore courthouse Thursday, preparing for an anti-government protest by lawyers. "This was a suicide attack and the police on duty were the target," he said. Local television footage showed a chaotic scene outside the courthouse, with the road littered with the dead and injured. Pakistan has suffered from a wave of bomb attacks in recent months, mostly against the security forces. Hundreds of people have been killed. The government blames Islamic militants linked to al-Qaida for the attacks. Two weeks ago, opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a bomb and gunfire attack, as she left an election rally in Rawalpindi. Police Chief Iqbal says security has been tightened, throughout Lahore, following the latest attack. "A large number of police are deployed…and the entire police (are) under high security alert and a large number of policemen are spread out around Lahore…. And, we are enhancing the security of important personalities," he said. However, Ayaz Amir, a political analyst, says the continuing violence, coupled with a deepening power crisis, is plunging the nation into chaos. "It really means a greater slide into chaos. The government is loosing its grip," Amir said. "It doesn't have its grip on anything…They don't have a grip on energy, the power cuts and they don't certainly have a grip on the suicide bombers or whoever is causing mayhem across the country. They don't have a grip on that." President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency, last November, and suspended the constitution. He says the extreme measures were necessary to curb rising violence by Islamic militants. But opponents say his real motive was to dismiss judges who were getting ready to rule that his re-election as president had been illegal. Since then, the nation's lawyers have been among Mr. Musharraf's strongest critics. The emergency was lifted in December and elections were scheduled for this month. But the three days of rioting that followed the Bhutto assassination prompted Mr. Musharraf to postpone the elections to February 18.
At least 24 people were killed and more than 60 were injured when a suicide bomber struck outside a courthouse in the Pakistani city Lahore. The bombing took place at approximately 0700 UTC (1200 local time) Lahore Police Chief Malik Iqbal says the bombing was aiming at police deployed outside the Lahore courthouse Thursday preparing for an anti-government protest by lawyers. "This was a suicide attack and the police on duty were the target," he said. Local television footage showed a chaotic scene outside the courthouse, with the road littered with the dead and injured. Pakistan has suffered from a wave of bomb attacks in recent months, mostly against the security forces. Hundreds of people have been killed. The government blames Islamic militants linked to al-Qaeda for the attacks. Two weeks ago opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a bomb and gunfire attack as she left an election rally in Rawalpindi. Police Chief Iqbal says security has been tightened, throughout Lahore, following the latest attack. "A large number of police are deployed...and the entire police (are) under high security alert and a large number of policemen are spread out around Lahore…. And, we are enhancing the security of important personalities," he said. However, Ayaz Amir, a political analyst, says the continuing violence, coupled with a deepening power crisis, is plunging the nation into chaos. "It really means a greater slide into chaos. The government is loosing its grip," Amir said. "It doesn't have its grip on anything…They don't have a grip on energy, the power cuts and they don't certainly have a grip on the suicide bombers or whoever is causing mayhem across the country. They don't have a grip on that." President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency last November and suspended the constitution. He says the extreme measures were necessary to curb rising violence by Islamic militants. But opponents say his real motive was to dismiss judges who were getting ready to rule that his re-election as president had been illegal. Since then, the nation's lawyers have been among Mr. Musharraf's strongest critics. The emergency was lifted in December and elections were scheduled for this month. But the three days of rioting that followed the Bhutto assassination prompted Mr. Musharraf to postpone the elections to February 18.
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered a mandatory evacuation of the city beginning 8 a.m. Sunday but urged residents to consider escaping "the mother of all storms" before then. New Orleans residents leave Friday via Interstate 10 westbound ahead of Hurricane Gustav. more photos » "You need to be scared," Nagin said of the Category 4 hurricane tearing along Cuba's western coast. "You need to be concerned, and you need to get your butts moving out of New Orleans right now. This is the storm of the century." The city's west bank is to evacuate at 8 a.m. Nagin said the city had evacuated roughly 10,000 people Saturday on buses, trains and planes, in addition to the thousands who left on their own. Buses from collection points would continue running until midnight and resume at 6 a.m. Sunday, he said. Watch CNN's Don Lemon report on evacuations » "This storm is so powerful and growing more powerful every day," Nagin said. "I'm not sure we've seen anything like this." At 8 p.m. ET, Gustav's eye was over western Cuba near Los Palacios, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) west-southwest of Havana, with sustained winds near 150 mph. Hurricanes are ranked 1 to 5 in intensity on the Saffir-Simpson scale. A Category 4 has winds of 131 to 155 mph and can cause extreme damage. Watch a report on the hurricane watch » "This storm could be as bad as it gets," Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Saturday afternoon. "We could see flooding even worse than we saw in Hurricane Katrina." New Orleans joined the growing list of local governments in south Louisiana ordering mandatory evacuations on Saturday and Sunday as Gustav roared past Cuba and into the Gulf of Mexico. iReport.com: Leaving home? Share your story Many parishes also were imposing tough dusk-to-dawn curfews, hoping to assure residents that they could evacuate without fear of their vacant homes being looted. Jindal did not order mandatory evacuations at a state level, but he urged residents to take the evacuations seriously. "I wouldn't worry about whether the evacuation in your parish begins at 4 p.m. today or 8 a.m. tomorrow," he said. "When it comes to evacuation, do it sooner rather than later." Jindal said the state planned to begin "contraflow" procedures, opening both sides of interstates to outgoing traffic only, at 4 a.m. Sunday. Thousands of people had begun fleeing the coast by the time a hurricane watch was issued Saturday afternoon for southeastern Texas to the Alabama-Florida border. The watch, which means hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours, was announced the day after many in the region marked the third anniversary of Katrina's landfall. In New Orleans, anxiety was high Saturday as residents fled, leaving behind a ghost town of boarded-up homes and empty streets. Watch Nagin urge people to leave » Hundreds of people lined up for buses and trains to take them out of New Orleans and thousands of other Gulf Coast residents drove inland, clogging major highways. At the Union Passenger Terminal in downtown New Orleans, people began arriving as early as 5:30 a.m., forming a line that snaked behind the main Amtrak terminal. Humvees circled the crowds of people, many who waited as long as 2½ hours, enduring the heat and relentless sun, unsure of their destination. New Orleans officials designated 17 sites for people without transportation to board buses to take them to the terminal, where they will be moved to shelters outside New Orleans. However, scores of residents went directly to the terminal, prompting confusion, as did a glitch in the computer system being used to register people. Watch people flee New Orleans in buses » Jindal suspended registration at the terminal and instructed people to register when they arrive at shelters. By Saturday afternoon, 1,100 to 1,200 people had left the city on those buses, Nagin said. "I'm not sure where I'm going," Margie Hawkins of New Orleans said. "My last 24 hours have been somewhat worrisome and very, very prayerful, because this is a very serious threat, and it's a lot of people to get to safe ground or be safe where they are." The city also arranged with Amtrak for more than 7,000 seats to evacuate the elderly by train. About 1,500 people left for Memphis, Tennessee, Nagin said. There were also crowds at New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport, which the city plans to keep open through 6 p.m. CT Sunday. Both Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways said they planned to continue flights in and out of New Orleans until the airport is closed. Watch residents prepare to leave the city » Vehicles jammed Interstate 10 headed west toward Texas. Cars also clogged Interstates 55 and 59 heading north out of eastern Louisiana. Heavy volume was also reported on Interstates 65 and 59 as Mississippi evacuees streamed north. The hurricane is projected to pass over western Cuba and to move into the southern Gulf of Mexico early Sunday and into the central Gulf by early Monday, according to forecasters. Gustav could make landfall as a Category 3 or 4 on the U.S. Gulf Coast late Monday or Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center said. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour announced Friday that Hurricane Katrina victims living in government-issued trailers or mobile homes along his state's coast would begin evacuating Saturday. The storm called up uneasy memories Friday of the deadly 2005 hurricane season, particularly of Katrina. When Katrina hit, more than 1,800 people died in five states, 1,577 of them in Louisiana. Unlike the situation during Katrina, there will be no "shelter of last resort," the city said. In 2005, the city's Louisiana Superdome housed thousands of New Orleanians who couldn't, or didn't, heed the mandatory evacuation order. Watch FEMA administrator talk about being proactive » Nagin warned that all but a "skeleton crew" of city workers would be leaving the city and said local authorities could not promise help for those who choose to stay behind. "This is very, very serious, and we need you to heed this warning," he said. "We really don't have the resources to rescue you after this." CNN's Chris Lawrence and Sean Callebs contributed to this report. All About National Hurricane Center • Hurricane Katrina • Natural Disasters • New Orleans • Mississippi ||||| Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement The mayor of New Orleans has issued a mandatory evacuation order for the entire city, as Hurricane Gustav bears down on the US Gulf Coast. Ray Nagin said residents of the city's West Bank should begin moving out at 0800 (1300 GMT) on Sunday, with the East Bank leaving at midday (1700 GMT). He called it "the storm of the century" and added: "You need to be scared". Gustav, which is forecast to strengthen to a Category 5 storm over the Gulf, powered through western Cuba overnight. Anyone who's thinking of staying - rethink it, get out of town Ray Nagin New Orleans mayor Gustav ploughed through Cuba's Isla de la Juventud, or Isle of Youth, overnight on Saturday before hitting the mainland in Pinar del Rio province, home to Cuba's lucrative tobacco plantations. The storm, which has now moved into the Gulf of Mexico, currently has maximum sustained winds of nearly 240km/h (150mph), with even stronger gusts. At least 300,000 people have been evacuated in Cuba, says the BBC's correspondent there, Michael Voss. There has been extensive flooding and reports of severe damage where the storm has hit, but no reports of fatalities. Officials on Isla de la Juventud said that nearly all the island's roads were washed out and many areas were underwater. No help Hours before Mr Nagin spoke, a hurricane watch was put in place along America's North Gulf coast, from Texas along to the Alabama-Florida border. HURRICANE CATEGORIES FIVE: Winds over 155mph (249km/h). Storm surge more than 18ft (5.4m) above normal. Only three such US landfall hurricanes - Labour Day 1935, Camille 1969 and Andrew 1992 FOUR: Winds 131-155mph. Storm surge 13-18ft THREE: Winds 111-130mph. Storm surge 9-12ft. Katrina hit New Orleans as a three. TWO: Winds 96-110mph. Storm surge 6-8ft ONE: Winds 74-95mph. Storm surge 4-5ft Source: Saffir-Simpson Scale/US National Hurricane Centre In pictures: Hurricane Gustav Preparing for Gustav The BBC's Kevin Connolly, in New Orleans, says Mr Nagin spoke in "passionate and desperate" terms, telling a televised news conference the storm was "so powerful" and growing more powerful every day. "I'm not sure we've seen anything like it," he told reporters at City Hall. Mr Nagin said Gustav - expected to make landfall on Monday or Tuesday - was more powerful than Hurricane Katrina. That storm, which hit New Orleans in 2005, killed some 1,800 people and caused hundreds of billions of dollars worth of damage. Addressing anyone considering riding out Gustav, Mr Nagin said: "I have news for you - that would be one of the biggest mistakes of your life". The mayor said he was aiming for a 100% evacuation, which extends to members of the emergency services - fewer than 50 city workers will remain in the city. Mr Nagin described the threat facing New Orleans in stark terms, calling Gustav "the mother of all storms" and urging people to follow the evacuation order. Mr Nagin said that there would be no emergency services to help anyone who chose to remain in the city. "If you are stubborn enough, if you are not taking this as seriously as we need you to take it, and if you decide to stay; you are on your own." The mayor, who was in office when New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said those who stayed would almost certainly be stranded in a flooded city. Predicted route of Hurricane Gustav (30 August 2008) Enlarge Image "Anyone who decides to stay, I'll say it like I said it before Katrina: make sure you have an axe, because you will be carving your way, or busting your way out of your attic to get on your roof with waters that you will be surrounded with in this event," he said. "So anyone who's thinking of staying, rethink it, get out of town." Our correspondent says that thousands of people were already beginning to leave the city before the evacuation order was announced, joining a continuous stream of vehicles heading north. State governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal was in New Orleans to observe the evacuation taking place. "We're pleased to see so many people taking the evacuation order seriously, you're literally seeing tens of thousands of people being evacuated from this Union passenger station right here. You know it just wouldn't be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a natural disaster John McCain, on the Republican National Convention "You're seeing people go by bus, by train, they are being taken by bus to the airport to be flown out of harms way as well. We can fly 700 people per hour out." Meanwhile, Republican party presidential candidate John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin announced they would travel to Mississippi on Sunday to observe storm preparations there. Republican officials are considering what to do about the party's National Convention (due to open on Monday) depending on when and where the storm hits. Mr McCain hinted there might be changes to the tone of the gathering, rather than a cancellation of the event. He told Fox News: "You know it just wouldn't be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a natural disaster, so we're monitoring it from day to day and I'm saying a few prayers, too." The hurricane has already claimed the lives of more than 80 people in the Caribbean. It has swept through Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica over the past week, causing widespread damage. It has strengthened rapidly from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane, and is expected to grow to a Category 5 storm - the maximum on the scale - as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico. Have you been affected by Gustav? Are you preparing for its arrival? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. You can send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. 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Map highlighting location of New Orleans within Louisiana. Ray Nagin, the mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana has ordered a mandatory evacuation of the city ahead of Hurricane Gustav. Nagin states that residents "need to be scared" in what he calls "the mother of all storms". Residents are to be out of the city by Sunday evening. Even before the announcement, tens of thousands of people had already began to flee the city on Saturday. Nagin also stated that as many as 10,000 people were taken out of the city by buses they provided, trains and planes. "This storm is so powerful and growing more powerful every day. I'm not sure we've seen anything like this," said Nagin to reporters during a press conference Saturday. "If you are stubborn enough, if you are not taking this as seriously as we need you to take it, and if you decide to stay; you are on your own. Anyone who decides to stay, I'll say it like I said it before Katrina: make sure you have an axe, because you will be carving your way, or busting your way out of your attic to get on your roof with waters that you will be surrounded with in this event," said Nagin during a press conference yesterday. Members of the Louisiana National Guard prepare for operations Along with the issuing of the mandatory evacuation order, Nagin detailed a dawn-till-dusk curfew and said that emergency services would be unavailable after 4am Monday, south of Highway 22. He continued, explaining evacuation plans for the 500,000 residents of the New Orleans area, including the use of contraflow lanes on major highways and the use of over 1000 buses to aid the evacuation effort. He also detailed the relief preparations including over 1500 National Guard personnel being deployed in the area and the medical care provisions. In 2005, New Orleans was devastated when levees broke during Hurricane Katrina. Nearly 2,000 people were killed when the storm made landfall along Louisiana's coast.
John Seigenthaler criticised Wikipedia's reliability The British journal Nature examined a range of scientific entries on both works of reference and found few differences in accuracy. Wikipedia is produced by volunteers, who add entries and edit any page. But it has been criticised for the correctness of entries, most recently over the biography of prominent US journalist John Seigenthaler. Open approach Wikipedia was founded in 2001 and has since grown to more than 1.8 million articles in 200 languages. Some 800,000 entries are in English. It is based on wikis, open-source software which lets anyone fiddle with a webpage, anyone reading a subject entry can disagree, edit, add, delete, or replace the entry. We're very pleased with the results and we're hoping it will focus people's attention on the overall level of our work, which is pretty good Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia founder In order to test its reliability, Nature conducted a peer review of scientific entries on Wikipedia and the well-established Encyclopedia Britannica. The reviewers were asked to check for errors, but were not told about the source of the information. "Only eight serious errors, such as misinterpretations of important concepts, were detected in the pairs of articles reviewed, four from each encyclopedia," reported Nature. "But reviewers also found many factual errors, omissions or misleading statements: 162 and 123 in Wikipedia and Britannica, respectively." Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales welcomed the study. "We're hoping it will focus people's attention on the overall level of our work, which is pretty good," he said. Writing style Nature said its reviewers found that Wikipedia entries were often poorly structured and confused. The Encyclopedia Britannica declined to comment directly on the findings; but a spokesman highlighted the quality of the entries on the free resource. "But it is not the case that errors creep in on an occasional basis or that a couple of articles are poorly written," Tom Panelas, director of corporate communications is quoted as saying in Nature. "There are lots of articles in that condition. They need a good editor." Wikipedia came under fire earlier this month from prominent US journalist John Seigenthaler. The founding editorial director of USA Today attacked a Wikipedia entry that incorrectly named him as a suspect in the assassinations of president John F Kennedy and his brother, Robert. The false information was the work of Tennessean Brian Chase, who said he was trying to trick a co-worker. Wikipedia has responded to the criticisms by tightening up procedures. Next month it plans to begin testing a new mechanism for reviewing the accuracy of its articles. ||||| Nature Published online: 14 December 2005; | doi:10.1038/438900a Internet encyclopaedias go head to head Jimmy Wales' Wikipedia comes close to Britannica in terms of the accuracy of its science entries, a Nature investigation finds. Jim Giles Jimmy Wales started the Internet-based Wikipedia. Click here to hear him talk about our article, and click here to see our list of peer-reviewed encyclopedia entries. AP PHOTO/M. PROBST One of the extraordinary stories of the Internet age is that of Wikipedia, a free online encyclopaedia that anyone can edit. This radical and rapidly growing publication, which includes close to 4 million entries, is now a much-used resource. But it is also controversial: if anyone can edit entries, how do users know if Wikipedia is as accurate as established sources such as Encyclopaedia Britannica? Several recent cases have highlighted the potential problems. One article was revealed as falsely suggesting that a former assistant to US Senator Robert Kennedy may have been involved in his assassination. And podcasting pioneer Adam Curry has been accused of editing the entry on podcasting to remove references to competitors' work. Curry says he merely thought he was making the entry more accurate. However, an expert-led investigation carried out by Nature — the first to use peer review to compare Wikipedia and Britannica's coverage of science — suggests that such high-profile examples are the exception rather than the rule. The exercise revealed numerous errors in both encyclopaedias, but among 42 entries tested, the difference in accuracy was not particularly great: the average science entry in Wikipedia contained around four inaccuracies; Britannica, about three. Considering how Wikipedia articles are written, that result might seem surprising. A solar physicist could, for example, work on the entry on the Sun, but would have the same status as a contributor without an academic background. Disputes about content are usually resolved by discussion among users. But Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia and president of the encyclopaedia's parent organization, the Wikimedia Foundation of St Petersburg, Florida, says the finding shows the potential of Wikipedia. "I'm pleased," he says. "Our goal is to get to Britannica quality, or better." Wikipedia is growing fast. The encyclopaedia has added 3.7 million articles in 200 languages since it was founded in 2001. The English version has more than 45,000 registered users, and added about 1,500 new articles every day of October 2005. Wikipedia has become the 37th most visited website, according to Alexa, a web ranking service. But critics have raised concerns about the site's increasing influence, questioning whether multiple, unpaid editors can match paid professionals for accuracy. Writing in the online magazine TCS last year, former Britannica editor Robert McHenry declared one Wikipedia entry — on US founding father Alexander Hamilton — as "what might be expected of a high-school student". Opening up the editing process to all, regardless of expertise, means that reliability can never be ensured, he concluded. Yet Nature's investigation suggests that Britannica's advantage may not be great, at least when it comes to science entries. In the study, entries were chosen from the websites of Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica on a broad range of scientific disciplines and sent to a relevant expert for peer review. Each reviewer examined the entry on a single subject from the two encyclopaedias; they were not told which article came from which encyclopaedia. A total of 42 usable reviews were returned out of 50 sent out, and were then examined by Nature's news team. Only eight serious errors, such as misinterpretations of important concepts, were detected in the pairs of articles reviewed, four from each encyclopaedia. But reviewers also found many factual errors, omissions or misleading statements: 162 and 123 in Wikipedia and Britannica, respectively. Kurt Jansson (left), president of Wikimedia Deutschland, displays a list of 10,000 Wikipedia authors; Wikipedia's entry on global warming has been a source of contention for its contributors. D. I. FRANKE/WIKIMEDIA FDN Editors at Britannica would not discuss the findings, but say their own studies of Wikipedia have uncovered numerous flaws. "We have nothing against Wikipedia," says Tom Panelas, director of corporate communications at the company's headquarters in Chicago. "But it is not the case that errors creep in on an occasional basis or that a couple of articles are poorly written. There are lots of articles in that condition. They need a good editor." Several Nature reviewers agreed with Panelas' point on readability, commenting that the Wikipedia article they reviewed was poorly structured and confusing. This criticism is common among information scientists, who also point to other problems with article quality, such as undue prominence given to controversial scientific theories. But Michael Twidale, an information scientist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, says that Wikipedia's strongest suit is the speed at which it can updated, a factor not considered by Nature's reviewers. "People will find it shocking to see how many errors there are in Britannica," Twidale adds. "Print encyclopaedias are often set up as the gold standards of information quality against which the failings of faster or cheaper resources can be compared. These findings remind us that we have an 18-carat standard, not a 24-carat one." The most error-strewn article, that on Dmitry Mendeleev, co-creator of the periodic table, illustrates this. Michael Gordin, a science historian at Princeton University who wrote a 2004 book on Mendeleev, identified 19 errors in Wikipedia and 8 in Britannica. These range from minor mistakes, such as describing Mendeleev as the 14th child in his family when he was the 13th, to more significant inaccuracies. Wikipedia, for example, incorrectly describes how Mendeleev's work relates to that of British chemist John Dalton. "Who wrote this stuff?" asked another reviewer. "Do they bother to check with experts?" But to improve Wikipedia, Wales is not so much interested in checking articles with experts as getting them to write the articles in the first place. Nature surveyed more than 1,000 Nature authors and found that although more than 70% had heard of Wikipedia and 17% of those consulted it on a weekly basis, less than 10% help to update it. The steady trickle of scientists who have contributed to articles describe the experience as rewarding, if occasionally frustrating (see As well as comparing the two encyclopaedias,surveyed more than 1,000authors and found that although more than 70% had heard of Wikipedia and 17% of those consulted it on a weekly basis, less than 10% help to update it. The steady trickle of scientists who have contributed to articles describe the experience as rewarding, if occasionally frustrating (see 'Challenges of being a Wikipedian' ). Greater involvement by scientists would lead to a "multiplier effect", says Wales. Most entries are edited by enthusiasts, and the addition of a researcher can boost article quality hugely. "Experts can help write specifics in a nuanced way," he says. Wales also plans to introduce a 'stable' version of each entry. Once an article reaches a specific quality threshold it will be tagged as stable. Further edits will be made to a separate 'live' version that would replace the stable version when deemed to be a significant improvement. One method for determining that threshold, where users rate article quality, will be trialled early next year. To see a list of the peer-reviewed encyclopedia articles, click here. Additional research by Declan Butler, Jenny Hogan, Michael Hopkin, Mark Peplow and Tom Simonite. Article brought to you by: Nature Top For full access to the site and the archive, subscribe here: To receive all the daily news in your inbox each week, sign up for our email alert here: To see the latest news visit our homepage Top ||||| Journal: Wikipedia as accurate as Britannica Nature study covered side-by-side comparison of scientific topics RELATED QUICKVOTE Which source is more reliable? Encyclopedia Britannica Wikipedia or View Results YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Newspaper and Magazines Media or or Create Your Own SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Wikipedia, the encyclopedia that relies on volunteers to pen nearly 4 million articles, is about as accurate in covering scientific topics as Encyclopedia Britannica, the journal Nature wrote in an online article published Wednesday. The finding, based on a side-by-side comparison of articles covering a broad swath of the scientific spectrum, comes as Wikipedia faces criticism over the accuracy of some of its entries. Two weeks ago prominent journalist John Seigenthaler, the former publisher of the Tennessean newspaper and founding editorial director of USA Today, revealed that a Wikipedia entry that ran for four months had incorrectly named him as a longtime suspect in the assassinations of president John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert. Such errors appear to be the exception rather than the rule, Nature said in Wednesday's article, which the scientific journal said was the first to use peer review to compare Wikipedia to Britannica. Based on 42 articles reviewed by experts, the average scientific entry in Wikipedia contained four errors or omissions, while Britannica had three. Of eight "serious errors" the reviewers found -- including misinterpretations of important concepts -- four came from each source, the journal reported. "We're very pleased with the results and we're hoping it will focus people's attention on the overall level of our work, which is pretty good," said Jimmy Wales, who founded St. Petersburg, Florida-based Wikipedia in 2001. Wales said the accuracy of his project varies by topic, with strong suits including pop culture and contemporary technology. That's because Wikipedia's stable of dedicated volunteers tend to have more collective expertise in such areas, he said. The site tends to lag when it comes to topics touching on the humanities, such as the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature for a particular year, Wales said. Next month, Wikipedia plans to begin testing a new mechanism for reviewing the accuracy of its articles. The group also is working on ways to make its review process easier to use by people who have less familiarity with computers and the Internet. Encyclopedia Britannica officials declined to comment on the findings because they haven't seen the data. But spokesman Tom Panelas said such comparisons, assuming they're conducted correctly, are valuable "because they tell us things you wouldn't know otherwise." While some Britannica officials have publicly criticized Wikipedia's quality in the past, Panelas praised the free service for having the speed and breadth to keep up on topics such as "extreme ironing." The sport, in which competitors iron clothing in remote locations, is not covered in Britannica. Britannica researchers plan to review the Nature study and correct any errors discovered, Panelas said. Unlike Britannica, which charges for its content and pays a staff of experts to research and write its articles, Wikipedia gives away its content for free and allows anyone -- amateur or professional, expert or novice -- to submit and edit entries. Wikipedia, which boasts 3.7 million articles in 200 languages, is the 37th most visited Web site on the Internet, according to the research service Alexa. ||||| Digital Culture Assessing Wikipedia's Accuracy All Things Considered, In the wake of questions of accuracy, a survey by the science journal Nature finds that science entries in the volunteer-driven, online encyclopedia Wikipedia are "not markedly less accurate" than those found in Encyclopaedia Britannica. Nature reporter Mark Peplow discusses the survey. Wikipedia's credibility was dealt a blow this month when John Seigenthaler -- the founding editorial director of USA Today -- pointed out that he is not a longtime suspect in the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy, as Wikipedia said.
Wikipedia logo An investigation performed by the scientific review, ''Nature'', on Wikipedia and Britannica science entries, found that the two encyclopedias have similar degrees of accuracy in their content. ''Nature'' used peer reviewing to compare Wikipedia and Britannica's coverage of science. In this study, entries were chosen from the websites of Wikipedia and Encyclopaedia Britannica on a broad range of scientific disciplines and sent to a relevant expert for peer review. Each reviewer examined the entry on a single subject from the two encyclopedias without being told which article came from which encyclopaedia. The reviewers were asked to check for errors, but were not told where the information came from. Among 42 entries tested, the difference in accuracy was not significant: the average science entry in Wikipedia contained around four inaccuracies; Britannica, about three. In the pairs of articles reviewed, eight serious errors such as misinterpretations of important concepts were detected, four from each encyclopaedia. Reviewers also found many factual errors, omissions or misleading statements: 162 in Wikipedia and 123 in Britannica. Additionally, it was found that Wikipedia articles are 2.6 times as long as Britannica articles, meaning that there is a lower error/ommision per word ratio in Wikipedia. The main criticism about Wikipedia was on its readability, with several reviewers commenting that the articles they read were poorly structured and confusing. As well as comparing the two encyclopedias, ''Nature'' surveyed more than 1,000 Nature authors and found that although more than 70% had heard of Wikipedia and 17% of those consulted it on a weekly basis, less than 10% help to update it. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales welcomed the study. "We're hoping it will focus people's attention on the overall level of our work, which is pretty good," he told BBC News.
When Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team reached the South Pole on Dec. 14, 1911, they had every reason to believe they were in a place untouched by mankind. A new study led by a researcher from Nevada’s Desert Research Institute proves they were wrong. Air pollution from industrial activity thousands of miles away beat Amundsen to the South Pole by roughly two decades, seeding the snow and ice at the farthest reaches of the globe with traces of lead that continue to collect today. Using ice core samples from 16 different sites in Antarctica, DRI snow hydrologist Joe McConnell and an international team of scientists have assembled the most complete picture yet of lead pollution across the continent. They also confirmed for the first time the presence of the toxic heavy metal from industrial activity in ice collected at the South Pole itself. Their detailed record, described in an article published online this week in the research journal Scientific Reports, spans more than four centuries, from 1600 to 2010. For the first 289 years studied, lead concentrations in the ice mostly bounced along at levels considered below average. They suddenly spiked in 1889. “It’s literally like turning on a light switch,” McConnell said. The abrupt rise in pollution perfectly coincides with development of a large lead mine in South Australia. McConnell said the mine at Port Pirie opened in 1883, and a smelter added in 1889 continues to operate today. That was one of the most surprising results of their analysis. “A single industrial complex was enough to contaminate the entire continent of Antarctica thousands of kilometers away,” he said. Researchers estimate some 660 metric tons of lead — or 1.5 million pounds of the stuff — has fallen on the southern continent in the past 130 years. “That’s a lot,” McConnell said. LEGACY OF LEAD Lead levels declined noticeably during World War II, when industrial production in Australia and elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere ground to a halt. Then the levels “came roaring back in the leaded gasoline era” after the war, McConnell said. The amount of lead McConnell and company found in the ice cores peaks at six to seven times normal background concentration. The levels began to decline in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as the health risks associated with lead gained wide attention and its use in gasoline and other products slowed worldwide. Interestingly, McConnell said, record-high levels occurred around 1910, making the South Pole Amundsen trekked to as polluted as it has been in the past 410 years. But despite improved emissions technology and a reduction in lead use, contamination continues. Even the most recent samples collected from 2010 show several times as much lead as there was before that initial spike in the late 19th century. “We’re still polluting Antarctica today,” said McConnell, who is also director of the special laboratory on DRI’s campus in Reno, where the samples were analyzed. So why does an organization called the Desert Research Institute have an ice core lab in Nevada and researchers at the South Pole? Because the research arm for the state’s system of higher education doesn’t just study deserts any more, DRI spokesman Justin Broglio said. The institute now conducts a wide range of applied research across the globe. But if you want to get technical about it, McConnell said, “Antarctica is the driest continent on Earth,” with some places that see far less precipitation in a year than Las Vegas does. In other words, much of the southern continent is considered a desert, albeit a very cold one. REACHING THE POLE McDonnell said he has now made “four or five” trips to Antarctica, the most recent of which had him ringing in the arrival of 2014 at the bottom of the world. He hopes to go back for an upcoming French-Italian expedition to the pole because “they serve the best food,” he said with a laugh. McConnell also has plans for a similar analysis of lead in ice from the North Pole and elsewhere in the Arctic. He said the South Pole is about how you would expect: cold, occasionally very windy and not much to look at. “I tell people it’s like Kansas (in winter). It’s completely flat and white,” he said. “It’s half an inch of powder on a two-mile base.” There’s also an inescapable sense of history. You can’t be there without thinking of those first explorers and what they had to endure to survive. “We think we’re tough when we ride around in our heated vehicles. They were tough,” McConnell said. It took Amundsen and four fellow explorers more than three months to trek to the South Pole and return to base camp with about 40 fewer sled dogs than they had at the start. By contrast, one of McConnell’s trips to Antarctica took 14 days, including 11 at the pole in a heated research station that accommodates dozens of researchers. He took a flight from the United States to New Zealand, where he hopped a military transport to Antarctica’s famed McMurdo Station. And from there he took a 2½-hour flight to the pole on an LC-130 cargo plane equipped with skis so it can land on snow and ice. On one of his days there, the temperature outside the domed research station hit 100 below zero, with the wind chill. Instead of freezing to death, he and his colleagues poured themselves more coffee and waited for the weather outside to warm up. “By most people’s standards, it’s still pretty adventurous,” he said. “But I’ve still got my fingers and my nose.” IMPORTED ICE Getting ice cores back to Reno isn’t easy. The samples drilled from the ice pack are about 4 inches in diameter and 100 to 500 feet long. They were divided into 3-foot sections that were placed six at a time in boxes that each weighed more than 100 pounds when full. McConnell said the cores were flown from the collection sites to the Antarctic coast and loaded onto ships bound for California. There they were placed in a refrigerated truck. A second, empty truck followed the ice all the way to Reno, just in case of a breakdown. That might seem like a ridiculous expense, he said, but “it’s cheap compared to the cost of getting the cores in the first place.” DRI keeps the core samples at a commercial frozen storage facility in downtown Reno, stacked alongside the frozen shrimp and French fries served at restaurants in the area. Sections are cut from the cores and melted so chemicals trapped in the ice can be measured and analyzed. If researchers are careful, they can use a single ice core in numerous experiments over several years. If there is one thing people should take away from the pollution findings, it’s this, McConnell said: “What we do matters,” even at the ends of the Earth. Contact Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @RefriedBrean on Twitter. ||||| Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first man to reach the South Pole in December 1911. More than 100 years later, an international team of scientists that includes a NASA researcher has proven that air pollution from industrial activities arrived to the planet’s southern pole long before any human. [image-51]Using data from 16 ice cores collected from widely spaced locations around the Antarctic continent, including the South Pole, a group led by Joe McConnell of the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, Nevada, created the most accurate and precise reconstruction to date of lead pollution over Earth’s southernmost continent. The new record, described in an article published today in the online edition of the Nature Publishing Group’s journal Scientific Reports, spans a 410-year period from 1600 to 2010. "Our new record shows the dramatic impact of industrial activities such as smelting, mining and fossil fuel burning on even the most remote parts of the world," McConnell said. "It is very clear that industrial lead contamination was pervasive throughout Antarctica by the late 19th century, more than two decades before the first explorers made it to the South Pole," he added. "The idea that Amundsen and Scott were traveling over snow that clearly was contaminated by lead from smelting and mining in Australia, and that lead pollution at that time was nearly as high as any time ever since, is surprising to say the least." This study included ice cores collected as part of projects funded by the National Science Foundation. Additional ice cores were contributed to the study by international collaborators including the British Antarctic Survey, the Australian Antarctic Division and the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany. "The ice cores obtained through international collaborations were critical to the success of this study in that they allowed us to develop records from parts of Antarctica not often visited by U.S.-based scientists," said co-author Tom Neumann of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who participated in a Norway-U.S. traverse that collected several of the cores used in this study. "This included the Law Dome region of East Antarctica and a big section of East Antarctica visited by the Norwegian-United States Scientific Traverse of East Antarctica." [image-36] All measurements of lead and other chemicals used in this study were made using DRI’s continuous ice core analytical system. Low background atmospheric concentrations, together with well-known and often distinct isotopic characteristics (variants of lead with different atomic weights) of industrial sources make lead an ideal tracer of industrial pollution. "Lead is a toxic heavy metal with strong potential to harm ecosystems," said co-author Paul Vallelonga of the University of Copenhagen. "While concentrations measured in Antarctic ice cores are very low, the records show that atmospheric concentrations and deposition rates increased approximately six-fold in the late 1880s, coincident with the start of mining at Broken Hill in southern Australia and smelting at nearby Port Pirie." [image-78]The similar timing and magnitude of changes in lead deposition across Antarctica, as well as the characteristic isotopic signature of Broken Hill lead found throughout the continent, suggest that this single emission source in southern Australia was responsible for the introduction of lead pollution into Antarctica at the end of the 19th century and remains a significant source today, the authors report. Data from the new ice core array illustrates that Antarctic lead concentrations reached a peak in 1900 and remained high until the late 1920s, with brief declines during the Great Depression and the end of World War II. Concentrations then increased rapidly until 1975 and remained elevated until the 1990s. Concentrations across the Antarctic continent have since declined, but still are about four-fold higher than before industrialization, despite the phase out of leaded gasoline and other mitigation efforts in many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, the report states. "Our measurements indicate that approximately 660 tonnes [1.5 million pounds] of industrial lead have been deposited on the snow-covered surface of Antarctic during the past 130 years," McConnell said. "While recent contamination levels are lower, clearly detectable industrial contamination of the Antarctic continent persists today, so we still have a ways to go." ||||| Lead pollution from Australia reached Antarctica in 1889 – long before the frozen continent’s golden age of exploration – and has remained there ever since, new research shows. In our study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, my colleagues and I used ice core samples from West and East Antarctica to reveal the continent’s long and persistent history of heavy metal pollution. The Antarctic remains the most remote and pristine place on Earth. Yet despite its isolation, our findings show that it has not escaped contamination from traces of industrial lead, a serious pollutant and neurotoxin. The levels of lead pollution found in the ice cores is too low to impact Antarctic ecosystems, but higher levels would be expected closer to sources. Isolated outpost Antarctica’s isolation gives us a unique vantage point to investigate large-scale changes in the Earth system, and the influence of humanity. The new study, led by Dr Joe McConnell of the Desert Research Institute in Nevada, used an array of Antarctic ice cores to reveal a detailed record of where and when pollution can be found. The first trace of lead pollution arrived in Antarctica around 1889, 22 years before the Amundsen and Scott expeditions to the South Pole. We also discovered that lead pollution in the Antarctic peaked twice, and that in both cases Australia was the primary source. After an initial peak in the late 1920s, lead levels dropped in sync with the Great Depression and Second World War. The pollution peaked again in about 1975. Today, although levels are lower than at the 1975 peak, they remain at roughly three times the pre-industrial level. Straight from source How do we know where this pollution came from? Lead ore deposits contain a unique combination of lead isotopes (atoms with the same number of protons, but different number of neutrons) that can be used like a fingerprint to determine the original sources and how different sources are mixed. Lead from the Antarctic samples has the same fingerprint as lead from Broken Hill, New South Wales – an old mining town with significant lead deposits. Earlier studies (see here, here, here and here) have implicated Broken Hill in polluting the Antarctic, but our study gives this conclusion far more evidence. We used ice cores from many locations, spanning several thousand kilometres, where previously only a handful of records were available, with long periods missing from the historical record. The cores had to be shipped to the United States to be analysed, although future studies can be carried out in Australia, at the new Trace Research Advanced Clean Environment (TRACE) facility, which will allow us to detect the presence of miniscule amounts of contamination. More analysis will help us unlock more of Antarctica’s secrets. If you’ll excuse the pun, our latest results are just the tip of the iceberg with regard to information stored in the Antarctic ice sheet. For example, fires in the Southern Hemisphere have left traces in the ice and a history of climate. The history of persistent organic pollutants and mercury in the remote south are still poorly known. Colleagues at CSIRO and the Australian Nuclear Science Technology Organisation are using ice cores to understand the past variability of greenhouse gases and the Sun. Combined with records from tree rings, sediments and caves, ice cores help to recreate a large-scale reconstruction of past sea level pressure. Meanwhile, Antarctica continues to serve as a sentinel for unintended consequences of human activities – in this case, the pollution of a pristine frozen wasteland by an Australian mining product.
File photo of the Antarctic, 2006. Researchers from , , , , , and the conducted concentration measurements of sixteen samples, and found that industrial has persisted since its arrival there in 1889 and remains significant in the current century. Their study was published in '''' on July 28, and covered in 's '''' this Saturday. Lead was chosen to trace the industrial pollution of atmosphere because of its low natural concentrations in , as well as unique '' of different sources. Each lead deposit has its own distinct mixture of . Analysis of such characteristic isotopic signatures traced , Australia as the pioneering source of lead pollution in Antarctica, and even today its contribution remains significant. Coauthor Paul Vallelonga detailed, "Lead is a toxic with strong potential to harm ecosystems ... While concentrations measured in Antarctic ice cores are very low, the records show that atmospheric concentrations and rates increased approximately six-fold in the late 1880s, coincident with the start of mining at Broken Hill in southern Australia and smelting at nearby ". Lead author Joe McConnell noted, in '''', "A single industrial complex was enough to contaminate the entire continent of Antarctica thousands of kilometers away ... We're still polluting Antarctica today". McConnell said in getting the cores he traveled to Antarctica "four or five" times. Each of the drilled samples is about 4 (10 ) across and 100–500 (30–150 ) long. They were cut for storage in boxes, six three-foot sections per box weighing over 100 (450 ). A single ice core can be used by researchers in many experiments during the next several years. Concentrations of lead on the Antarctic continent have declined after the 1990s, but remain around three times higher than before industrialization, despite and similar . As McConnell said, "Our measurements indicate that approximately 660 tonnes 1.5 million pounds of industrial lead have been deposited on the snow-covered surface of Antarctic during the past 130 years ... While recent contamination levels are lower, clearly detectable industrial contamination of the Antarctic continent persists today, so we still have a ways to go." Support for the study came from, amongst others, the U.S. , WAIS Divide Science Coordination Office, Ice Drilling and Design and Operations, the , , and the . == Sources == * * * *
Mayors back global warming pact Coalition supports Kyoto treaty opposed by White House SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- Despite the Bush administration's resistance to the Kyoto global warming pact, more than 130 U.S. mayors have applied the agreement's standards in a bid to reduce America's carbon dioxide emissions, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said Monday. Concerned by several warm winter days in his own city, Nickels said he appealed to mayors across the country in February when the global treaty was enacted without the participation of the United States -- the largest emitter of heat-trapping gases. Since then, Nickels said, 136 mayors representing more than 30 million people have signed an agreement to meet the goals spelled out in the treaty and are urging the federal government to do the same. "We've seen what the potential effect might have been in Florida, with the hurricanes, and in California, with the record rainfall that usually belongs to us," Nickels, a Democrat, said. "Those are warning signs. They may or may not be related to global climate change, but they are a sign of what might happen." Participating mayors include Michael Bloomberg of New York and James Hahn of Los Angeles, Nickels said. The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in the Japanese city in 1997, imposes requirements on 35 industrialized nations to cut emissions of "greenhouse gases" blamed for rising world temperatures to an average of 5 percent below 1990 levels. The treaty has been ratified by at least 140 nations, but the United States has said the restrictions are flawed and could hurt its economy. The mayors involved pledge to meet or beat Kyoto targets such as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 7 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. Recommended actions range from anti-sprawl land-use policies to public information campaigns. Seattle aims to meet its 7 percent commitment in part by encouraging cruise lines to turn off their diesel engines when they dock at its port and hook up to the city's electrical power grid. ||||| Mayor joins global warming coalition The Maui News and The Associated Press WAILUKU – Mayor Alan Arakawa has joined a coalition of more than 130 U.S. mayors agreeing to live by the standards of the Kyoto global warming treaty. ||||| PROVINCIALS AT PLAY What planet are the mayoral candidates living on? By Aaron Naparstek naparstek@nypress.com news-nap 20 Last Thursday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. The pact, organized by Seattle mayor Greg Nickels, aims to meet or beat the emissions-reduction targets spelled out in the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. (That is, a reduction of seven percent from 1990 levels by 2012.) In a clear rebuke to the Bush administration, which refuses to sign on to Kyoto or even acknowledge the science of global warming, 137 mayors representing 30 million Americans have joined the pact. For its part, the Bloomberg administration has committed New York City to reducing emissions by transforming its municipal car fleet to hybrid gasoline-electric powered vehicles. While it's nice to see the city getting on board with Kyoto—and what could be better than forcing Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz to trade in his SUV for a Prius?—most scientists believe that, at this late date, the measures spelled out in the Kyoto Protocol don't reduce emissions fast enough to significantly arrest global warming. And New York City's municipal fleet, huge though it is, contributes only a minuscule percentage of the city's total greenhouse gases. Look at the far-reaching traffic-reduction strategies being implemented by the mayors of London and Paris, and it's obvious that New York City could, with just a little bit of effort, do vastly more to cut down on harmful emissions while improving quality of life, boosting the economy and maintaining New York City's edge as a global leader. If the Democratic primary campaign underway is any indicator, it doesn't look like we're going to get that effort anytime soon. Facing up to the big challenges of the 21st century isn't up for discussion this election season. Environmental issues aren't even on the radar. Rather than looking forward and leading, the city's Democrats seem to be much more interested in looking back and settling old scores. For two months, the candidates, their base supporters and the media conflict-mongers who frame the public debate, have been talking about Amadou Diallo. If you had just woken up from deep hibernation and dropped in on the campaign, you would probably think it was 2001. But it's 2005. And other cities around the U.S. are getting serious about tackling global issues on the local level. Seeing the mayor of Seattle organize a national coalition to support a global treaty, you get a sense of what we're missing here in New York with our Democratic machine so utterly frozen in the past, still fighting the Crown Heights riots. It's no wonder that their message isn't sticking or appealing. There is no progressive vision. There is really nothing to get excited about. Living in a man-made world of concrete, it's easy to forget about the environment. The environment is something they have in Alaska or Antarctica, not here. But New York City has a major role to play in the environmental movement. One of the most destructive forces at work on the planet today is American-style, car-based, suburban sprawl. Sprawl is the most wasteful, inefficient and unsustainable pattern of living human society has ever conceived. Livable cities are, in many ways, the antidote to sprawl. It may come as a shock, but New Yorkers are some of the "greenest" Americans there are. Living piled on top of each other, commuting by foot, bike and transit, we consume far less land and energy than other Americans. This is why urban quality of life is not just a bourgeois issue. It's no longer simply about police actions to get rid of squeegee men and graffiti artists. Creating a high quality of life for all New Yorkers is an environmental issue of global significance. Yet quality of life simply doesn't get framed in broader environmental terms in New York City. There's no language for it. And other than a few special interest groups, there's no constituency for it, either. To the old-fashioned, liberal, Democratic machine, the only issues worth talking about are education, jobs and affordable housing. And these issues are all viewed through the thick, highly charged haze of identity politics. Ultimately, this makes it seem like the only thing New York City Democrats are truly capable of talking about is race. And that may very well be the reason why in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans by at least 4 to 1, Republicans have won the mayoralty three times in a row, going on four. ||||| When the chief climate negotiator for the United States went on British TV last week to say there was insufficient evidence of global warming to require action from the world's most flagrant producer of greenhouse gases, the rest of the world probably thought he represented the views of all Americans. In fact, Harlon Watson's statements only confirm how out of touch Congress and the Bush administration are. As the polls document their spiraling decline in popularity, a powerful insurgency is mobilizing to start doing what the federal government refuses to do. You see, while Watson was dissing the Kyoto Protocol as being anti-business, corporate behemoths such as General Electric, Xerox and Exelon were announcing plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions and invest in alternative energy technologies. U.S. car buyers were flooding automakers with orders for hybrids. Voters across the nation were passing measures requiring utilities to switch to clean, green energy sources. The mayors of 146 cities, representing more than 30 million Americans in 36 states, were signing on to the Kyoto goal of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 7 percent below 1990 levels. Never mind the red-blue divide. After a year of almost biblical floods, hurricanes and gas prices, the country is rapidly going very green. The mayors of Denver, Boulder and Aspen have signed on to the Kyoto agreement along with those of such cities as Los Angeles; New York; Miami; New Orleans; Topeka, Kan.; Little Rock, Ark.; Missoula, Mont.; and even Hurst, Texas. The idea was born in Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels' State of the City speech in January. The Northwest has been experiencing unusually warm weather and low snowpacks for several years, said Marianne Bichsel, the mayor's communications director, and Nickels was concerned that not enough was being done to address the problem. "He said, 'If the federal government is not going to sign on to the Kyoto Protocol, why can't we just do it at the local level?' " Bichsel said. Nickels sent a letter to the nation's mayors in February. Signatures immediately started pouring in. "We were amazed at how easy it was to get them to sign on," Bichsel said. "We haven't done any lobbying at all." The Democratic mayor of New Orleans spoke of rising sea levels Advertisement In Aspen, the plan is to convene the best minds to find solutions. "Because we have the Aspen Institute and the Rocky Mountain Institute, we can pool our resources and collaborate with other entities to develop climate policy," said Dan Richardson, who was named Aspen's new global warming czar last week. "We're here to prove we can make progress in reducing greenhouse gases." As part of Denver's effort, Mayor John Hickenlooper launched his Sustainable Development Initiative last month. "More and more evidence shows that climate change could affect our water supply, our tourism industry and the whole economy on the Western Slope," said Beth Conover, director of the initiative. The city signed on to the Kyoto Protocol, she said, because the impacts of global warming are "local and very relevant." Clearly impatient with the likes of Harlon Watson, cities across the nation are creating incentives for more energy-efficient buildings, expanding mass transit options, making land-use decisions that reduce the need for long commutes, implementing "green-fleets" programs for city vehicles and investing in alternative energy sources. "The time for debate is over," Richardson said. From Aspen to Duluth, Minn., and Macon, Ga., people are thinking globally, acting locally. And ignoring Washington altogether. Diane Carman's column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached at 303-820-1489 or dcarman@denverpost.com.
Going against the Bush administration's opposition to the Kyoto Protocol, more than 130 U.S. mayors have pledged to meet or beat certain Kyoto targets by 2012. Examples include anti-sprawl land-use policies or encouraging cruise lines to turn off their engines while docked. Critics of the Kyoto Protocol claim it is unnecessary, due to an alleged or perceived lack of clear evidence that global warming is due to human activities.
Former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Homi Nusserwanji Sethna, an important figure in India's nuclear programme, passed away at his home here on Sunday night. He was 86. Homi Mehta, a long-time associate, told The Hindu Dr. Sethna was suffering from lung fibrosis. “For the past two years, he was on oxygen for 24 hours. Because of that he was on a wheelchair and could not go out. However, despite the debility, he worked from home.” He played a key role in India's first peaceful nuclear explosion of May 18, 1974, called the Smiling Buddha, or Pokhran-I He developed an interest in “the greening of the Kutch belt in the 1980s or 1990s,” Mr. Mehta recalled. “He formed cooperatives with the local people and horticulturists for planting Jojoba seeds.” Mr. Mehta described him as “a strong personality with straightforward” manners. “He loved the opera. [Luciano] Pavarotti was his favourite.” Dr. Sethna lost his wife Gooloo Sethna this July. The funeral will be held on Tuesday at the Doongerwadi Tower of Silence. He is survived by daughter Meher Dadabhoy and son Rustam Sethna. Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan, in a condolence message, said: “Dr. Homi Sethna was one of India's pioneering nuclear scientists, who had played a crucial role in the successful conduct of India's first peaceful nuclear test in 1974. Even after his retirement, he held many important positions and continued to contribute to the task of nation building. I pay my respects to the memory of Dr. Sethna… and convey my heartfelt condolences to his family members.” ||||| Renowned nuclear technocrat and scientist Homi N. Sethna died at his home here late Sunday, official sources said Monday. A former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), Sethna was 86. He is survived by a daughter Meher Dadabhoy and son Rustam. Sethna, ailing for some time, breathed his last at his Malabar Hill residence. His funeral will take place Tuesday at the Doongerwadi Tower of Silence. An eminent chemical engineer, Sethna made vital contributions to nuclear materials development and production over the entire nuclear fuel cycle. After obtaining his B.SC (Tech) from the Department of Chemical Technology of Bombay University in 1944, he did his masters from University of Michigan in 1946. He returned to India in 1949 and joined the AEC after working with Imperial Chemical Industries in the United Kingdom. His first assignment was the construction of a plant for the extraction of rare earths from Kerala in 1952, followed by a plant for producing pure thorium nitrate at Trombay in 1955. The commissioning of the uranium metal plant in 1959 and plutonium plant in 1964 at Trombay and Jaduguda uranium mill in 1966 were very creditable achievements that followed in quick succession. Sethna was the director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) during 1966-72, when the plan for the construction of India's largest research reactor, Dhruva was conceived. During his tenure as the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (1972-83), the nuclear experiment at Pokhran was successful carried out May 1974 in the Rajasthan desert. Sethna steered the country's atomic energy programme through the difficult period of late 1970s and early 1980s. Decorated with the second highest civilian honour, Padma Vibhushan, Sethna later served the corporate world as director with several companies including the Tata Group.
Sethna was the former director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Indian nuclear scientist has died at the age 86. His death was announced by , a long time associate of Sethna. The cause of death was announced as . During his career Sethna held several posts including director of the and chairman of the . During his time with the AEC Sethna presided over India's nuclear experiment at in 1974. , governor of , said in a condolence message “Dr. Homi Sethna was one of India's pioneering nuclear scientists, who had played a crucial role in the successful conduct of India's first peaceful nuclear test in 1974. Even after his retirement, he held many important positions and continued to contribute to the task of nation building. I pay my respects to the memory of Dr. Sethna… and convey my heartfelt condolences to his family members.”
By James Standley Jerry Collins enjoyed the chance to get his hands on the ball in space New Zealand: (52) 108 Tries: Rokocoko 2, Toeava, Williams, Mauger 2, Collins, Masoe, Hore, Leonard, Evans, Ellis, MacDonald, Smith 2, Hayman Cons: Evans 14 Rokocoko 2, Toeava, Williams, Mauger 2, Collins, Masoe, Hore, Leonard, Evans, Ellis, MacDonald, Smith 2, HaymanEvans 14 Portugal: (3) 13 Tries: Cordeiro Cons: D Pinto Pens: D Pinto Drop-goals: Malheiro New Zealand ran in 16 tries as they brushed aside Portugal in Lyon. Joe Rokocoko (2), Isaia Toeava, Ali Williams, Aaron Mauger, Jerry Collins, Chris Masoe and Andrew Hore went over for the All Blacks in the first half. They then added further scores through Nick Evans, Brendon Leonard, Andrew Ellis, Mauger, Leon MacDonald, Conrad Smith (2) and Carl Hayman. Portugal managed a converted Rui Cordeiro try to add to Goncalo Malheiro's earlier drop goal. The Portuguese, 22nd in the world, had eagerly awaited their opportunity to meet the world's top ranked team and they visibly relished the chance to face the haka. Italy had spurned the challenge when they met the All Blacks and conceded a try within two minutes, but Portugal held out twice as long before Rokocoko scythed through to score. The winger soon added a second try, but the next score went to Portugal as Malheiro, their all-time record points scorer, drilled over a fine drop-goal. The All Blacks, the tournament favourites, said they would be "sensitive" up against a largely amateur team, but conceding points was not part of the deal and the drop-goal had the same effect as poking a wasps' nest. New Zealand started to swarm over Os Lobos and, in the last 18 minutes of the first half, added further tries by Toeava, Williams, Mauger, Collins, Masoe and Hore. Amazingly, the first score of the second half went to Portugal as Cordeiro finished off a series of close-range drives. Duarte Pinto duly kicked the conversion to put the minnows within 42 points. But Leonard rapidly hit back for the All Blacks and, although Portugal defended bravely, Evans, Ellis, Mauger, MacDonald, Smith, who grabbed a double, and Hayman all crossed as the floodgates opened once more. Evans converted 14 tries and claimed a personal haul of 33 points as New Zealand finished well short of the record 145 points they ran up against Japan in 1995. "We started a little slower than last week and that was credit to the Portuguese but we got into a rhythm. "I'm delighted the way the guys handled this particular game. They didn't get over-physical, they showed their skills and treated the opposition with a lot of dignity. "I think it was a pretty good game all round and I hope the Portuguese are pleased. They seemed to be happy after the game." "Rugby has to evolve and only by playing the best can teams like Portugal do that. I don't think it was a disappointing game, it was a good spectacle and there was a great atmosphere in the stadium. "Our goals for the game were very clear we knew we were playing against New Zealand, the greatest team in the world in recent years. "They have beaten good teams by 70 or 80 points, but we scored a try and played very well. All the players that came back today came as survivors, we couldn't resist their physicality but we played rugby from the first to last." New Zealand: Muliaina; Toeava, Smith, Mauger, Rokocoko; Evans, Leonard; Tialata, Hore, Somerville, Jack, Williams, Collins (capt), Masoe, Lauaki. Replacements: Oliver, Woodcock, Hayman, So'oialo, Mealamu, Ellis, MacDonald. Portugal: Leal; Aguilar, Portela, Mateus, Carvalho; Malheiro, Pissarra; Silva, Correia, Spachuck, d'Orey, G Uva, Murinello, Coutinho, V Uva (capt). Replacements: Cordeiro, Ferreira, Penalva, Girao, J Uva, J Pinto, D Pinto. ||||| By Sean Davies Matt Giteau celebrates the opening try at the Millennium Stadium Wales 20 (3) Tries: J Thomas, S Williams Cons: J Hook (2) Pens: S Jones, Hook Australia 32 (25) Tries: Giteau, Mortlock, Latham (2) Cons: Mortlock (2), Giteau Pens: Mortlock DG: Barnes Australia seized control of Pool B as they put Wales to the sword with a physical and dynamic show in Cardiff. Their greater power told in a ruthless first half, Stirling Mortlock, Matt Giteau and Chris Latham scoring tries. Gareth Thomas and Sonny Parker had been taken off following heavy tackles, but Wales fought back from their 25-3 half time deficit with a Jon Thomas try. Hopes of a recovery were ended by Latham's second try from a garryowen, Shane Williams scoring a consolation. SCRUM V DEBATE ON 606 Send your thoughts on Wales v Australia Scrum V's Gareth Lewis The result means that the Wallabies are likely to face a quarter-final in Marseille against either Samoa or England. If Wales can secure second spot in the group, they will expect to meet likely Pool A winners South Africa, also in Marseille. Wales had an awful start, failing to control ruck ball from the kick off and conceding a first-minute penalty, kicked by Mortlock. Thomas felt the force of the Wallabies' power in midfield But the visitors were also nervous, and a mistake from Drew Mitchell on the slippy Millennium Stadium turf set up the position for Stephen Jones to equalise following a penalty at the scrum. Jones missed a second chance, and a woeful kicking game again cost Wales when Gareth Thomas' poor clearance put the Wallabies on the offensive on the home 22. Berrick Barnes - the rookie fly-half brought in for his first Test start at the last minute in place of knee injury victim Stephen Larkham - threw a delightful inside dummy and found Giteau supporting inside him, the number 12 crossing under the posts. PLAYER RATINGS What do you think of my player ratings? Bruce Pope's World Cup blog Australia's greater physicality made its mark, Parker taken off after a heavy tackle. Thomas, who had earlier put in a late tackle on Barnes, moved to centre in place of Parker, and was immediately hammered by a shuddering Mortlock challenge. The Wales skipper was helped from the field, the changes bringing Kevin Morgan on at full-back and James Hook at inside centre. Jones missed a penalty, before the Wallabies ruthlessly seized on another Wales mistake. We have to learn to play for 80 minutes Wales fly-half Stephen Jones More Wales reaction A strong Lote Tuqiri tackle on Mark Jones knocked the ball loose from the Wales winger, prop Matt Dunning quickly gathering possession and feeding George Gregan. The veteran scrum-half chipped over the defence, Mortlock powering onto the bouncing ball, gathering, and crashing over in the corner. Gareth Jenkins' disheartened side were desperate for the interval, but Wycliff Palu allowed them no respite, powering off the base of the scrum with the last move of the half. The ball came to Giteau, whose pin-point pass gave Mitchell a run to the corner. We're still warming up in this tournament Man-of-the-match Chris Latham More Australia reaction The winger ran out of space, but fed inside to man-of-the-match Latham, who crossed for the third try. Mortlock went off at half-time, and the home side gained extra hope as they mounted a sustained attack straight after the break. Hook and Colin Charvis went close as Wales battered at the Wallabies' line, before Jonathan Thomas worked his way over from close range for a try, converted by Hook. Giteau missed another kick, Wales then eating into the Wallabies' lead with a Hook penalty. Williams' late try was mere consolation But the Ospreys star fell short with another from 47m, and hopes of a fightback were extinguished by Latham. The full-back put in a monstrous up-and-under that Stephen Jones made a hash of catching, Latham following up quickly to regather the loose ball and enjoy a clear run to the line. With the clock ticking down and Mitchell in the sin bin for a dangerous tackle on Matthew Rees, Wales at last began to put together their favoured brand of attacking rugby. Charvis was held up over the line as Nathan Sharpe was yellow-carded for killing attacking ball. From the resultant scrum Wales stretched the 13-man Wallabies, Shane Williams able to scramble over in the corner to maintain Welsh spirits. The victory was Australia's third over Wales at World Cups in Cardiff, having triumphed in 1999 and 1991, while Wales beat the Wallabies in Rotorua in 1987. Wales: G. Thomas, M. Jones, Shanklin, Parker, S. Williams, S. Jones, Peel, Jenkins, Rees, A. Jones, Gough, A. Jones, Charvis, M. Williams, J. Thomas. Replacements: Hook for G. Thomas (22), Morgan for Parker (18), Phillips for Peel (70), R. Thomas for Rees (66), D. Jones for A. Jones (66), Owen for Gough (66). Blood replacement: Popham. Australia: Latham, Mitchell, Mortlock, Giteau, Tuqiri, Barnes, Gregan, Dunning, Moore, Shepherdson, Sharpe, Vickerman, Elsom, Smith, Palu. Replacements: Staniforth for Mortlock (41), Huxley for Barnes (78), Freier for Moore (68), Baxter for Shepherdson (73), Chisholm for Elsom (76), Waugh for Smith (64), Hoiles for Palu (66). Sin Bin: Mitchell (66), Sharpe (75). Att: 72,000 Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
125px In the 2007 Rugby World Cup, New Zealand overwhelmed tournament newcomers Portugal. The All Blacks scored more than 100 points and 16 tries in their 108-13 victory to hold their position at the top of Pool C. A dominant first half display from Australia saw them defeat Wales in Cardiff. A strong finish by Wales was not enough to prevent the Wallabies, who lead Pool B, winning 32-20 and picking up a bonus point. Ireland came from behind to defeat a strong Georgian team 14-10 in Pool D. Georgia led early in the second half and were threatening to score late in the match but Ireland's defence held to secure the four point victory. ---- New Zealand, one of the tournament favourites, defeated Portugal by 95 points. Joe Rokocoko scored two tries to open the scoring for New Zealand. Isaia Toeava, Ali Williams, Aaron Mauger, Jerry Collins, Chris Masoe and Andrew Hore each added tries as New Zealand ended the half with a 52-3 lead. Gonçalo Malheiro kicked a drop goal in the 22nd minute to give Portugal, making their first appearance in the world cup, their only points of the half. Rui Cordeiro scored Portugal's only try of the match shortly after the restart, which was converted by Duarte Cardoso Pinto. However tries from Brendon Leonard, Nick Evans, Andrew Ellis, Leon MacDonald, Carl Hayman and two from Conrad Smith completed New Zealand's victory. Duarte Cardoso Pinto added a penalty for Portugal in the 75th minute. Nicky Evans scored 33 points in total for New Zealand, converting 14 tries and scoring one of his own. New Zealand are top of Pool C with ten points, ahead of Scotland with 5 and Italy with 4. Portugal are bottom, behind Romania, with four points. ---- Australia took the lead immediately after a second minute penalty from Stirling Mortlock, but Wales equalised five minutes later through Stephen Jones. Australia dominated the first half, and led 25-3 at half time after tries from Matt Giteau, Stirling Mortlock and Chris Latham and a drop goal from Berrick Barnes. Wales improved in the second half. Jonathan Thomas scored a try and James Hook added the conversion and a penalty to cut the deficit to twelve points. However Chris Latham scored his second try of the match, and Australia's fourth, to restore their hold of the game and secure a bonus point. Shane Williams scored a try for Wales in the 76th minute after a strong finish, but it came too late and Australia won by twelve points. Australia lead Pool B with ten points. Wales are second with five points, ahead of Fiji on points difference, while Japan have one point and Canada are bottom of the group with no points. ---- Ireland struggled to defeat a strong Georgian side. Rory Best scored the only try of the first half in the 17th minute, which Ronan O'Gara converted. Merab Kvirikashvili scored a penalty late in the first half for Georgia, taking the score to just 7-3 at half time. Georgia took a shock lead early in the second half, when Georgi Shkinin scored a try in the 45th minute. Merab Kvirikashvili converted, and Georgia led 10-7. Girvan Dempsey regained the lead for Ireland and another Ronan O'Gara conversion made the score 14-10. Georgia kept up the pressure on Ireland in the late stages of the game, twice reaching Ireland's try line, but they could not get through and Ireland managed to scrape through with a four point lead. Ireland are second in Pool D with eight points, behind Argentina on nine. France are third with one point from their single match, while Georgia have one point from two defeats.
AAP Queensland's Sunshine Coast is fighting to protect its lifestyle, which it says is under threat from population increases due to state government planning. As part of its South-East Queensland Regional Plan, the state government says almost 100,000 more homes need to be built on the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane, by 2031 to cater for population growth. This includes 37,000 new homes to be built as "infill" development in existing urban areas and 61,000 new homes built on greenfield sites. The regional council plans to oppose what it says is a state government-imposed population increase, arguing it will damage lifestyles and create unsustainable communities. Sunshine Coast Regional Council mayor Bob Abbot said that it is "top-down" planning forced on the existing community on the whim of property developers, and the forced expansion may not be sustainable. He said there were doubts whether the council could provide the necessary water and infrastructure in the long-term. "We don't know whether ... that long term it's not going to destroy our lifestyle," Mr Abbot said. He said the council preferred a "bottom-up planning process", gathering community input into what the region should look like in 30 years time. "We'll apply those values and work out what the population will be, rather than going the other way and just blandly state a population level on a whim, with no justification other than some application that have been brought forward by the development industry," Mr Abbot said. The mayor has faced this debate before. As the mayor of Noosa Shire, which was amalgamated into the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Mr Abbot inherited a policy first developed in the 1980s which sought to cap the popular sea change shire's population. Mr Abbott said there were similar attitudes across Queensland, asking when rampant development was going to stop and locals be given a voice to protect their lifestyles. Treasurer Andrew Fraser told AAP that any debate about population needs to include proposals to stop population growth. "What the council's not proposing is a limit on the number of kids families can have - they're not proposing we set up Checkpoint Charlie at the Tweed River which I think frankly is un-Australian," Mr Fraser said. "Population growth isn't governed by government policy, and to stop it would be an incredible infringement and an un-Australian infringement on the rights of Australians to have children and move freely about the nation. "The challenge is to plan for that population growth that's occurring." A man at the centre of southeast Queensland's protracted and unprecedented growth, Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale, says the state government is trying to share the load as the region's population booms over the next 20 years. "By the (Sunshine) Coast making statements like that, all they're doing is imposing more load on other parts of southeast Queensland," Mr Pisasale said. "I'd rather be dealing with the problem of growth than the opposite." ||||| SUNSHINE Coast councillors will stand firm in not accepting state government population numbers for new green field developments. They want the government to back the community’s position on growth but are ready for an expected showdown on the issue. Many say a bigger threat than green field development to existing communities is the push for massive population increases to existing communities. The infill development, or “densification” as it is also called, would add 37,000 homes to existing urban areas. The government also wants more than 61,000 new dwellings to be built in green field developments here by 2031. Letters signed by community groups, sent to all councillors this week, have urged them to reject those numbers and to determine future population on the basis of proper planning. The letters said planning should take into account sustainable carrying capacity, existing character and scale of an area, biophysical constraints and the provision of infrastructure. Councillors will attend a special meeting today to consider their response to the state government’s draft master plan for Caloundra South, Palmview and central Maroochydore. The government wants more than 70,000 people to be accommodated in those areas. Each councillor has received a letter signed by the heads of OSCAR and Sunshine Coast Environment Council as well as Development Watch calling on them to represent the strong community view that future population should be controlled by council and not “forced on us by the state”. It said that councillors rejecting that position would not only be rubbing out Mayor Bob Abbot’s “line in the sand” on growth but also their credibility with the community. OSCAR is the peak body for 24 community associations across the region, while SCEC represents 10,000 members and member groups on environmental issues. The organisations are concerned that detailed planning assessments on residential growth capacity and the rate of that growth within the urban footprint have not been done. Cr Abbot said there was no wavering of council’s opposition. “There is an overall logic of councils being in control of their communities’ destinies,” he said. “If that is to be tested it will be tested here.” A Daily survey of all eight councillors yesterday found universal support for planning from the ground up rather than on the basis of mandated numbers. Councillors said they were well aware of the overwhelming authority the state possessed. But equally they would not be part of a planning process which did not limit growth to the region’s carrying capacity and the delivery of services. Concern that council would not stick to its guns was not evident with all councillors expressing frustration and disappointment at the government’s threats to take over the planning process if the council did not do what the minister wanted. “The community wants us to toughen up and stick to our guns,” councillor Ted Hungerford said. “If the minister is going to come in over the top of us that’s up to him.” The letter to council said the community was developing an impression that councillors were being railroaded by the state and by its own bureaucrats. “The stance that you and your fellow councillors take at this special meeting will be evident to all the community when the structure plans are publicly notified. We trust the result will reinforce the community mandate and council’s previously adopted policy,” it said. “Your policy of determining residential growth capacity and rate as part of the new planning scheme was reiterated in council’s submission on the draft South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031. “The community applauded this stance, which reflected voters’ expectations, when you were elected to the new Sunshine Coast council. Understandably, there is a continuing expectation that the community’s voice will not only be heard but also acted upon.” Councillor Lew Brennan took offence at the implication that the council needed to be pressured to stand up for its policies. “That’s disappointing,” Cr Brennan said. “They should have more faith in the council.”
The Sunshine Coast Regional Council (SCRC) has vowed to fight a Queensland, Australia state government development plan that would see almost 100,000 more homes built. Mayor Bob Abbot said that it was an example of "top-down" development at the whim of developers. "We don't know whether ... that long term it's not going to destroy our lifestyle," Mr Abbot said. He also stated that the SCRC preferred a "bottom-up planing process", where the community had a say in what the region should look like in the future. "We'll apply those values and work out what the population will be, rather than going the other way and just blandly state a population level on a whim, with no justification other than some application that have been brought forward by the development industry." State treasurer Andrew Fraser told Australian Associated Press that there would need to be proposals made to limit population growth. "Population growth isn't governed by government policy, and to stop it would be an incredible infringement and an un-Australian infringement on the rights of Australians to have children and move freely about the nation. The challenge is to plan for that population growth that's occurring." Of the near 100,000 homes to be built, 31,000 would be built in existing urban areas. 61,000 new homes would be built on what is being referred to as "greenfield sites". "The community wants us to toughen up and stick to our guns," councillor Ted Hungerford said. "If the minister is going to come in over the top of us that's up to him."
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Pakistan's navy has successfully test-fired missiles and torpedoes from ships, submarines and aircraft in the Arabian sea, officials say. The tests were followed by a statement saying they sent a "clear message to forces having nefarious designs". India and Pakistan regularly test their missile systems and they normally notify one another ahead of such tests. Last month the two sides held their first formal talks since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. India says the attacks, which left 174 people dead - including nine gunmen - were partly planned on Pakistani soil. It is not clear if the missiles tested on Friday were capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The tests included anti-surface missiles, air-to-surface missiles, and surface-to-surface missiles, the AP news agency reported. Last month India successfully tested a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface missile. ||||| The Pakistan Navy on Friday fired a variety of missiles and torpedoes from warships, submarines and aircraft in an intensive firepower drill in the north Arabian Sea. It said the exercise was a message to “nefarious” forces, an apparent reference to India. “While [giving a reassurance about the] Pakistan Navy's commitment to defending the motherland, this strike capability would also send a message of deterrence to anyone harbouring nefarious designs against Pakistan,” a Navy statement said after the manoeuvres. The manoeuvres were aimed at assessing the lethality, precision and efficacy of weapon systems, the statement said. Newly-inducted weapons systems, including anti-surface missiles on Chinese-made F-22 P frigates and air-to-surface missiles of the P3C maritime surveillance aircraft were among those tested. An important feature of the drill was the firing of subsurface-to-surface missiles by Agosta 90B submarines. “The target set was successfully engaged,” the statement said. Naval Chief Admiral Noman Bashir, who witnessed the event, expressed satisfaction at the operational readiness of the Pakistan Navy fleet, and commended officers and men for their commitment and professionalism. Area cleared The weapon firing zone, spread over hundreds of miles, was cleared of all merchant ships and fishing craft during a special operation to ensure the safe conduct of the drill. The missiles fired included the French-acquired SM 39 surface-to-surface missiles, and the AM 39 air launched version of the same missile. The naval exercise comes after Pakistan reportedly recently acquired 120 Chinese C802 long-range anti-ship cruise missiles to counter the Indian Navy's BrahMos missiles.
The Pakistan Navy has announced the firing of test missiles from ships, submarines, and aircraft during operations in the Arabian Sea. Pakistani officials said that the tests were a display of commitment to the protection of Pakistan and sent "a message of deterrence to anyone harbouring nefarious designs against Pakistan". The statement, released shortly after the operation, also said that the tests were designed to measure the "lethality, precision and efficacy" of the weapons. Pakistan's Naval Chief, Admiral Noman Bashir, was a witness to the event, and said that he was pleased with the tests, saying that he was satisfied with the state of the Pakistani Navy. He also commended the performance of the Navy personnel involved with the tests. The maneuvers included tests of newly acquired missiles of a Chinese design, and came just a month after India tested a missile of similar design to some of the Pakistani weapons. India's test involved a missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons, although it was unclear if Pakistan's test included weapons capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
IAF chopper crashes in J&K Print Email Discuss Bookmark/Share Save Comment Text Size: | JAMMU: An Indian Air Force chopper today crashed and plunged into Chenab river in Doda district. Casualties are feared in the mishap, Deputy Commissioner Sharifudeen said. The IAF chopper, which was on a regular sortie, was flying low over the river Chenab when it got caught in a cable fire of a bridge and crashed into the water reservoir of the Baglihar hydro-electric power project at Tringel in Doda district. It was returning from Nawapachi area of Kishtawar district. The exact number on board the chopper is not known as the chopper has sunk in the water body. A rescue operation has been launched by the army and police, he said. IAF carries regular sorties to mountain-locked Nawapachi area to transport ration, arms and ammunition for the troops stationed there. ||||| An MI-17 helicopter crashed into Chenab river near Assar in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. At least one person died in the crash. An MI-17 helicopter crashed into Chenab river near Assar in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. At least one person died in the crash. It was still not clear how many people were there on board the air force helicopter, but one body was already recovered while rescue operation was on jointly by the army and the local police in search of other personnel on the aircraft. The incident took place as an air force exercise in Jammu went awry. The exercise was being conducted using two MI-17 helicopters. The crashed chopper was reportedly flying low over the river when it got caught in a cable wire of a bridge. It crashed into Baglihar reservoir and sunk. ||||| Jammu, Oct 30 (IANS) A helicopter of the Indian Army crashed into the waters of Chenab river in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir Friday afternoon, police said. “The wreckage of the crashed chopper has been sighted, but there is no sign of its occupants,” a police officer who reached the spot told IANS over the phone from Assar - close to the accident site - about 150 km northeast of Jammu. There was no immediate information on the occupants of the chopper. The police officer said there were two choppers flying in the area. “One of them apparently developed a technical snag and crashed into the waters of Chenab,” he said. The second helicopter is still hovering in the area. “We are going to launch rescue operations, and army teams also are on the way,” the officer said. An army officer said about the incident: “We are finding out the details.”
Baglihar Dam on Chenab river. An Indian Air Force (IAF) MI-17 helicopter crashed into the Chenab river in the Doda district on Friday, after it got caught into a cable fire of a bridge. The occupants of the chopper are not yet known. The chopper was returning from the Nawapachi of Kishtawar district after supplying ammunition, food and arms for the troops there. The IAF regularly carries such duties to the area. The chopper was hovering low over the water body when it got caught in a cable fire and crashed into the Baglihar hydro-electric power project at Tringel. The chopper went deep into the water, and the exact number of people on board is not known, although police officers said that at least one of them died. There were two helicopters, as said by a police officer, and the second one was still hovering over the area when the first one crashed. Rescue teams were soon dispatched, and Pakistani troops are also on the way to assist with rescue efforts.
Microsoft's Research and Development Center in China » Science, Technology and Internet [Feb 01, 2007] Shanghai is the next target of Microsoft. The largest city in the Peoples Republic of China will house Microsoft's new center for research and development. The center is to work on the company's MSN service. It is to be the first center of this kind to work outside the United States. Microsoft's decision is explained with the fact that the corporation saw setbacks in some of its services working in China. One of its main issues concerns the resignation of the company's top executive Luo Chuan, who was responsible for the Windows Live unit. Now he is tipped to become first chief executive at a Chinese department of MySpace, which is a MSN look-alike website. The Zizhu Science Park, in Shanghai, is the place where Microsoft is to establish its center and it is also the place where Intel Corp. has already set its own research office. Microsoft's center will develop there Internet software. The cost of the R&D; center is about $ 20 million. A special technical support team will be working on the company's MSN Messenger. The company hopes that this on-line communication tool will play a significant role in life of Chinese teenagers. Currently in China the communication program is used by more than 20 million people. The analyst at Media Partners Asia, Doug Crets, stated that Microsoft's plan to establish a research and development center in Shanghai may indicate the fact that the software giant is keen to take advantage of the Chinese somewhat flexible environment. He also mentioned that Microsoft looks forward to benefit from the pool of engineering talent, which Chinese market represents. The huge market, where various global players look forward to take their piece of profitable cake, is quite advantageous for Microsoft. The company's investment might help consolidate its prominent position in Peoples Republic of China. Although the corporation has a development center in Beijing, set back in 1995, it lacks an R&D; facility for MSN service. Later MSN China looks forward to establish a partnership with Shanghai Media Group. Microsoft's new center is to develop software for one of China's biggest media companies. Shanghai Media Group works with online video and shopping business and Microsoft's goal in the partnership is to provide technical support. Related Articles: ||||| Knife found at O.J. Simpson's former L.A. home studied by police LOS ANGELES Police said on Friday they were examining a knife purportedly found at the former home of O.J. Simpson, the onetime football star acquitted of stabbing to death his ex-wife and her friend in the "Trial of the Century" two decades ago. | Supreme Court temporarily blocks Louisiana abortion law WASHINGTON The Supreme Court, two days after hearing a major abortion case from Texas, on Friday temporarily blocked a Louisiana law imposing regulations on doctors who perform abortions in a move that would allow two recently closed clinics to reopen. Exclusive: U.S. watchdog to probe Fed's lax oversight of Wall Street NEW YORK A U.S. watchdog agency is preparing to investigate whether the Federal Reserve and other regulators are too soft on the banks they are meant to police, after a written request from Democratic lawmakers that marks the latest sign of distrust between Congress and the central bank. Brazil's Lula detained in corruption probe; Rousseff objects SAO PAULO/BRASILIA Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was briefly detained for questioning on Friday in a federal investigation of a vast corruption scheme, fanning a political crisis that threatens to topple his successor, President Dilma Rousseff. |
Microsoft Corp. is establishing, in Shanghai, China, a center for research and development. The center will work on the company's MSN service. It will be Microsoft's first research and development center of this kind outside the U.S. Microsoft decided to take this step because of several setbacks that occurred in its online services working in China. One of the company's setbacks concerns the resignation of Luo Chuan, who was Microsoft's top executive responsible for the Chinese Windows Live unit. The company's new research and development center is to be established in Shanghai's Zizhu Science Park. At this location, where another giant, Intel Corp, already has its research office, Microsoft plans to develop Internet software. The center is estimated to cost $ 20 million. It will have a special technical support team that will work on Microsoft's MSN Messenger. The company hopes to make its online communication tool popular among Chinese teenagers and young professionals. Microsoft already has an R&D center in Beijing. However, the software giant lacks a facility to work with its well-known MSN service. Investing in its communication tool may strengthen the company's leading position on the Chinese market. Setting up the MSN research and development center in Peoples Republic of China implies that Microsoft looks forward to taking advantage of the Chinese market, which represents a quite flexible environment. This statement was made by Doug Crets, who works at Media Partners Asia as a Hong-Kong-based analyst.
MUMBAI: After the Panna-Mukta explosion, there is another accident at Reliance Industries (RIL’s) petrochemical plant at Nagothane. The explosion killed at least three people and left several injured. The company is in the process of assessing the damage and reason of the fire. In a release, the country’s largest private sector company said the fire on Friday was brought under control and extinguished within minutes, but affected one of its linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) plants with a capacity of 60,000 tpa. There are two LLDPE plants at Nagothane. The other LLDPE plant, with capacity of 1,00,000 tpa, is fully operational. “At around 11.20 am on Friday, a fire broke out in a section of the LLDPE plant no 2 at the company’s Nagothane manufacturing division. The plant was shut down on June 5 for routine maintenance when the unfortunate incident took place. Customer supplies will not be affected,” said an RIL statement on Friday. “A thorough investigation has been ordered and is underway to establish the exact cause of the incident. The rest of the Nagothane complex is operating normally,” it added. Shares of RIL on BSE dipped marginally by 0.37% to close at Rs 2,239. RIL shares were down 7% in the last one week and 16% in the past one month. ||||| Our Bureau Mumbai July 6 A fire broke out at one of the production units of Reliance Industries Ltd’s sprawling petrochemical complex at Nagothane in Maharashtra on Friday, claiming three lives and injuring a few. The fire broke out at a little after 11 a.m. at a section of the plant No. 2 that produces 60,000 tones a year annum of LLDPE (linear low density poly-ethylene). In fact, the fire occurred after the plant was shut down for routine maintenance about 24 hours earlier. A RIL spokesman said investigations were on as to the precise cause of the fire. He, however, said there was no material loss or stoppage in supplies to customers. “The fire did not disrupt production at the other units. The plant No. 2 (where the fire broke out) was in anyway shut down state for routine maintenance,” he said. The Nagothane complex has five production units, with a total production capacity of four lakh tonnes per annum, including another one lakh TPA LLDPE plant. RIL stocks closed at Rs 2,239.35 on BSE today, down 0.37 per cent over the previous close.
Three workers have died after an explosion and fire at a Reliance Industries petrochemical plant in Nagothana, Maharashtra, India. The fire broke out shortly after 11 a.m. in one of the facility's two linear low density poly-ethylene (LLDPE) units. The unit, which has a 60,000 tonne per anum (TPA) capacity, had been shut down 24 hours before the accident for maintenance. Several people were injured as well as the three who were killed. There are four production units at the plant, including another LLDPE unit with a 100,000 TPA capacity. None of these were affected by the fire, which was extuinguished within minutes without material loss, and production and supply of goods will not be affected. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident.
3/18/02 - Gov. Jesse Ventura announced Mar. 15 he would allow the biodiesel mandate to become law without his signature. In a letter to the president of the Senate, Ventura said he supports SF1495's outcomes, but disagrees with the idea of any mandate from the government. The letter notified Senate President Don Samuelson of Ventura's intention to allow SF1495 to become law without signing it and gave three reasons for his course of action. "Agriculture plays a critical role in our state's economy," Ventura wrote. "We need to actively support agriculture in our Minnesota. SF1495 clearly benefits our farmers by creating a new market for soy oil and it benefits Greater Minnesota by creating economic development opportunities related to the biodiesel industry. I fully support both of these outcomes. "However, I have serious reservations about any mandate from the government. I have reservations about legislation with elaborate conditions for future action. I am also troubled by the fact that the legislature can pass SF1495, increase future fuel costs and add to inflation while they ignore inflation in their proposed budget solutions. If this bill did not present such a clear opportunity for our farmers and our state, I would veto the bill on these grounds alone. "After balancing the statewide benefits of SF1495 against my concerns about the process used to gain those benefits, I have decided that I cannot sign the bill but I also will not stand in the way of its implementation." SF1495 will require all diesel fuel sold in Minnesota to contain a 2 percent blend of vegetable oil or animal fat by June 2005. The bill, which has been opposed by the trucking industry, passed the 2002 legislative session, after being tabled at the end of the 2001 session when the House and Senate could not agree on its content. 3-14-2002 -- Although the Minnesota legislature passed its biodiesel bill, it looks as if Governor Jesse Ventura might veto the bill. Governor Jesse Ventura has until Saturday to make his decision final on Minnesota's biodiesel bill. Since the legislature sent the bill to the governor March 13, Minnesota's Star Tribune and Environment & Energy Publishing's GreenWire indicated Ventura's intends to veto the bill because it could raise prices, but his press office would not confirm his intentions. He has until Saturday to approve or veto SF1495, which would require all diesel fuel sold in Minnesota contain a 2 percent blend of vegetable oil or animal fat by June 2005. The bill, which has been opposed by the trucking industry, passed the 2002 legislative session, after being tabled at the end of the 2001 session when the House and Senate could not agree on its content. OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer recommends that all Minnesota truckers contact Gov. Ventura's office urging him to veto the legislation. "While we think there may very well be merits in alternative fuels and biodiesel, dual quality fuel standards cannot be adopted on a per state or per community basis without creating severe economic hardships with no benefit to anyone else," Spencer said. To contact Gov. Ventura's office before Saturday, call (651) 296-3391 or 1-800-657-3717 within Minnesota; fax your letter to (651) 296-2089; or leave feedback on the governor's web site by visiting http://www.governor.state.mn.us/feedback_from_constituents.html. 8-2-01 -- The session ended May 21, 2001, but unresolved bills will carry over into the next session, which begins Jan. 29, 2002. For bill status information, call (651) 296-0504. 7/01/2001 -- The agricultural bill was stalled in a conference committee when the session closed May 21. Apparently, the Senate and House could not agree on the bill's provisions. S1495 would have required all diesel fuel sold in the state to contain 2 percent biodiesel, a blend of petroleum-based diesel fuel and an additive made from vegetable oil, by July 1, 2003. Although the session ended without passing the bill, it could carry over into the 2002 session. 5/14/2001 - On May 7, the Senate passed its agriculture policy bill with a provision requiring all diesel fuel sold in the state to contain 2 percent biodiesel, a blend of petroleum-based diesel fuel and an additive made from vegetable oil, by July 1, 2003. Proponents of biodiesel have been trying to raise the requirement to 5 percent, but this provision did not make it into the amended bill. Trucking industry officials and railroads have raised concerns that the blend could damage engines, gel in cold temperatures, degrade gaskets and seals, and add at least 5 cents per gallon to the price if the 5 percent requirement was added. After passing the Senate, the bill was sent to the House, who has its own agriculture policy bill, HF1547. After the House compared the two bills, the House indefinitely postponed its own bill and substituted it with the Senate's bill. At press time, the bill was awaiting its third reading and a vote in the House. If it doesn't pass before the session ends May 21, it could be carried over into the 2002 session. The general information number for the Minnesota Legislature is (651) 296-0504. 2/23/01 - Minnesota legislators could require that soybean oil be added to diesel fuel. Farmers faced with full storage tanks of soybean oil are trying to persuade legislators to mandate that it be mixed with diesel fuel. The issue pits soybean farmers and agri-businesses that stand to gain financially from biodiesel against trucking companies and railroads that believe biodiesel blends could damage engines. According to published reports, farmers are filling hearing rooms hoping to persuade legislators to mandate mixing soybean oil, or other plant oil, with diesel as the federal government issues orders to lower sulfur content of the fuel. Senate and House agricultural committees each approved bills HF 362 and SF326, which require a 2 percent mix of vegetable-derived biodiesel in most diesel fuel pumped in the state by July 2002, and 5 percent by July 2006. Each bill was forwarded to environmental committees. Trucking industry officials and railroads have raised concerns that the blend could damage engines, gel in cold temperatures, degrade gaskets and seals, and add at least 5 cents per gallon to the price once the 5 percent requirement takes effect. Meanwhile, a bill (HF379) has been introduced by Rep. Ted Winter of Fulda, which would accelerate the biodiesel mandates while offering tax breaks for truckers and state aid to spark biodiesel production. "I don't believe we can pass a mandate this year if we don't deal with the issues in front of us," Congressman Winter told Land Line, referring to trucking industry concerns. The general information number for the Minnesota Legislature is (651) 296-0504. ||||| Released August 2002 Minnesota is the only state that uses oxygenated gasoline statewide. Several pipelines serve the state's two refineries while several other pipelines traverse the state, carrying crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied petroleum gas from Canada to markets in other Midwest states. Nearly 68 percent of the homes in Minnesota use natural gas as their primary heating fuel, while 12 percent use electricity. General Overview Population: 4,972,294 (2001) ranked 21th Per Capita Income: $32,791 (2001) ranked 9th Total Energy Consumption: 1.7 quadrillion Btu (1999), ranked 21st Per Capita Energy Consumption: 351 million Btu (1999), ranked 26th Total Petroleum Consumption: 14.0 million gallons per day (1999), ranked 20th Gasoline Consumption: 6.9 million gallons per day (1999), ranked 18th Distillate Fuel Consumption: 2.7 million gallons per day (1999), ranked 21st Liquefied Petroleum Gas Consumption: 1.0 million gallons per day (1999), ranked 14th Jet Fuel Consumption: 1.4 million gallons per day (1999), ranked 13th Petroleum Supply (Upstream) Crude Oil Proved Reserves: None Crude Oil Production: None Total Producing Oil Wells: None Rotary Rigs in Operation: None Transportation Major Pipelines: Crude Oil - Lakehead, Minnesota, Portal, Koch. - Lakehead, Minnesota, Portal, Koch. Product - BP Amoco, Williams. - BP Amoco, Williams. Liquefied Petroleum Gas - Alliance, Cochin, Lakehead, MAPCO. Ports & Waterway Systems: Upper Mississippi River System; Minnesota River. Refining & Marketing (Downstream) Refineries: Distillation capacity of 335,000 Barrels Per Calendar Day (BCD) (2002) Flint Hills resources LP (Saint Paul @ 265,000 BCD) Marathon Ashland Petro LLC (Saint Paul Park @ 70,000 BCD) Gasoline Stations: 3,609 outlets (2002), or about 2.1 percent of U.S. total. Sources and notes: Energy Information Administration, Bureau of Census, and National Petroleum News "Market Facts 2001." Rankings include the District of Columbia. Email Notification: If you liked this product or any of our many other petroleum analysis products, you can be automatically notified via e-mail of updates. The sign-up page will ask you to provide your email address and then you would click the "Save" button. You will then be automatically notified when we have released a new petroleum analysis product on our web site. 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A Sample of Biodiesel. On September 29, Minnesota will become the first U.S. state to require diesel fuel sold at filling stations in the state to be blended with 2% biodiesel. This follows the statewide mandate requiring ethanol to be mixed into gasoline—also a first by Minnesota—which took effect in 1997. The biodiesel mandate was approved by the 2002 state legislature, and was sent to then-Governor Jesse Ventura. Ventura allowed the bill to become law without his signature, stating his concern that the increased cost of fuel would affect the trucking industry—potentially spurring inflation—though he felt that this was nearly balanced by the positive impact the mandate would have on agriculture in the state. The law had an initial target date of July 1, 2005, but would only go into effect once production capacity exceeded 8 million gallons (30 millon liters) per year. At the beginning of 2005, the state was only capable of producing three million gallons each year, but two new facilities in Albert Lea and Brewster increased state capacity twentyfold when they opened this summer. Each of the two new plants can produce 30 million gallons (113 ML) annually. Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson verified production levels in the August 29 edition of the Minnesota State Register, meaning that the law will become effective following a month-long notification period. The prices of diesel and biodiesel have equalized, so the negative economic impact initially feared by Ventura are not expected to come to pass and the effect should be pennies more or less per gallon. Despite the dramatic increase in capacity, biodiesel production is not yet a broad solution to shortages or high prices—in 2001, the state used 14.3 million gallons of petroleum every day.
By now, rotated on countless television broadcasts, the image is indelible: Jesse Jackson, once the most influential African-American leader in the US, angrily jabbing his right arm and muttering about Barack Obama across a television microphone that he thought was turned off. "I want to cut his nuts out," Jackson said to his fellow guest during a broadcasting break. "Barack, he is talking down to black people." After being rebuked by his son, Jesse Jackson Jr, who is a co-chairman of the Obama campaign, the chastened clergyman spent a second day apologising for his remarks yesterday. Obama, the clergyman told reporters in Chicago, "represents the redemption of our country". But for all Jackson's efforts to make amends, his remarks seemed to usher in broader questions. What has happened to Obama since he won the Democratic nomination? Has the candidate who promised change, a new kind of politics, turned into a politician like any other? How much will race be a factor for his campaign? Jackson's comments come at a time when Obama is accused of reversing his stand on the Iraq war, campaign finance, gun control, the death penalty, abortion and wiretapping without court oversight, as he tries to position himself for the election against the Republican candidate, Senator John McCain. Such rows are potentially damaging to any candidate claiming to have broken with the divisive politics of the past, but Obama has the additional challenge of trying to avoid divisions about race in his quest to become the first African-American in the White House. "There is no benefit to him of reviving the race issue," said one Democratic strategist. Jackson's outburst did exactly that, revisiting the issue of Obama's place in the African-American community and his views on race only weeks after the controversy surrounding his former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Jackson's remarks also exposed the divisions in the African-American leadership about how Obama is conducting his campaign. "His comments were a combination of personal ego and ideological dispute," said Clarence Page, a prominent columnist for the Chicago Tribune who has been covering Jackson for nearly 40 years. The substance of the argument between Obama and Jackson involves the apportionment of responsibility for the breakdown of some African-American families. Obama in a speech last month on Father's Day suggested that African-American fathers needed to take more responsibility for their children - a point made by the entertainer Bill Cosby and others. That line of argument has rankled those on the left, including Jackson, who want to more strongly hold government policies to account for the impoverishment of African-American families. Some commentators said Obama made matters worse by delivering his speech on fatherhood from a church, only days after breaking with his own church of nearly 20 years and repudiating Wright for making controversial remarks. "By choosing that moment to castigate black fathers, some worry that Obama gave public voice to what white people whisper about blacks in their living rooms and cemented his image as a post-racial saviour at the expense of black men," wrote one blogger, Eric Easter, at EbonyJet.com. It remains unclear how the divide between Jackson and Obama will more broadly affect his campaign - especially among African-American voters. Obama is counting on high African-American turnout in battleground states. Michael Feldman, an adviser to the former vice-president Al Gore during his run for the White House, said Obama had limited the potential damage to his campaign by his response to Jackson. "We all try to script and manage campaigns, but they are inherently unmanageable. You end up talking about X when want to talk about Y," said Feldman. "The question is how gracefully do you do that and I think he has been very graceful." Larry Sabato, an expert on politics at the University of Virginia, believes the rift is unlikely to diminish enthusiasm about Obama's candidacy in the African-American community. "They [African Americans] sense history in the making and they understand that Obama has to do what he has to do," said Sabato. A similar calculation by the Obama campaign is under way regarding his shift to the centre. Jackson's outburst on Wednesday were mirrored on the blogosphere in an outpouring of anger against the campaign's moves to the right - most recently with Obama voting in favour of a bill sought by the White House that would expand the government's powers to spy on US citizens - which he had previously opposed. Commentators point out that Obama has to occupy the middle ground if he is to win in November against McCain. If he has lost some of the shine he enjoyed during the primaries, that is just part of the normal process of politics. "For months Obama was put on a pedestal as a symbol, while now he is just a [politician], which is what he really is," said Sabato. "That is actually healthy." 'Is this microphone live?' In 1984 while Ronald Reagan ran for re-election, as a sound check for his weekly address on National Public Radio, he joked to technicians: "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes." In George Bush's 2000 election he and Dick Cheney were caught on microphone: "There's Adam Clymer, major league asshole from the New York Times," Bush said. Cheney responded: 'Oh yeah, he is; big time.' Prime minister John Major was caught on video calling three cabinet members "bastards". ITN was about to tape silent shots to cover gaps in an edited interview at No 10 , and Major had not realised he could still be heard. At St Petersburg in 2006 microphones famously heard Bush address the then prime minister with: "Yo, Blair. How're you doin?" Bush was also heard saying, regarding the Middle East, "What they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit, and it's over'. At a banquet to mark Nicolas Sarkozy's UK visit this year, the Queen, looking bemused as Gordon Brown failed to appear, could clearly be heard saying: "Has the prime minister got lost?" Her remarks were picked up by a microphone positioned for a speech. ||||| Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. US civil rights leader the Rev Jesse Jackson has apologised for "regretfully crude" remarks he made about Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. In a reference to Mr Obama, Mr Jackson had said on US Fox News: "I want to cut his nuts off", not knowing his comments were picked up by a live microphone. Mr Jackson had said he thought Mr Obama was "speaking down to black people". The reverend said he was "very sorry for any harm" and that he had "deep and wide" support for the Obama campaign. Mr Jackson has been a key civil rights campaigner and was unsuccessful when running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984. 'Moral content' Mr Jackson was talking to a guest ahead of a live interview on Fox on Sunday in Chicago when he made the remarks. He was discussing the question of Mr Obama's speeches on morality that the presidential candidate had made in black churches. He of course accepts Reverend Jackson's apology Bill Burton, Obama campaign He said he thought there were other key issues facing the black community, such as unemployment and crime. The reverend added: "See, Barack been, um, talking down to black people on this faith based... I want to cut his nuts off... Barack... he's talking down to black people." Mr Jackson said he had called the Obama campaign to apologise "for any harm or hurt that this hot mic private conversation may have caused". "My support for Senator Obama's campaign is wide, deep and unequivocal." Mr Jackson said he was trying to appeal to Mr Obama for "the moral content of his message to not only deal with the personal and moral responsibility of black males, but to deal with the collective moral responsibility of government and the public policy". A spokesman for the Obama campaign, Bill Burton, said the presidential candidate would "continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Reverend Jackson's apology". Mr Obama has had a number of problems with clergymen during his election campaign. In May he said he was "deeply disappointed" with a sermon by supporter Father Michael Pfleger, who suggested presidential rival Hillary Clinton had felt "entitled" to beat Mr Obama because she was white. Earlier, Mr Obama denounced the claim by Rev Jeremiah Wright, who officiated at his wedding and baptised his daughters, that the 9/11 attacks were an example of "America's chickens coming home to roost". E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? ||||| Bob Diamond has rejected growing calls to resign as Barclays boss and blamed a “small number of people” for the rates-rigging scandal which has engulfed the bank. Mr Diamond attempted to play down the extent of the dishonesty at the bank when he claimed, in a letter to the Commons Treasury Select Committee, that a handful of individual traders were responsible for part of the scandal and that it had been stopped swiftly. Agreeing to give evidence before the committee, he told chairman Andrew Tyrie: “We are now completing a review of employee conduct for all of those involved. “That process is rigorous and all appropriate options will be pursued for those who have a case to answer, ranging from the clawback or withholding of remuneration to being asked to leave the bank.” He added: “I am determined that Barclays plays its role as a full corporate citizen, acting properly and fairly always, and contributing positively to society in everything that we do.” Late last night he told a meeting of analysts at Morgan Stanley that he had no intention of standing down as the bank’s chief executive. Shares in Barclays were down 0.7p at 164.5p in morning trading after falling 15 per cent yesterday. Mr Diamond’s defiance emerged after The Times revealed that RBS is set to be fined about £150 million for offences of market manipulation similar to those which inflicted huge damage on Barclays. Informed sources said RB ||||| by FOXNews.com Jesse Jackson speaks to reporters at a press conference Wednesday in Chicago, where he apologized for comments he made about Barack Obama. (AP Photo) The Rev. Jesse Jackson has vocally championed black causes since the days of “say it loud” and “say it proud” — but this time the outspoken civil rights activist courted controversy with a whisper. His claim, caught on camera Sunday by FOX News, that Barack Obama is “talking down to black people” not only triggered a media firestorm and a procession of public apologies from Jackson. It also prompted scrutiny of a divide in the black community — between leaders like Jackson who emphasize what they see as the failure of government to fund programs that would help black families, and leaders like Obama who urge black Americans to take more personal responsibility. What stoked Jackson’s ire specifically was Obama’s Father’s Day address in Chicago, where the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee talked about the obligations of fatherhood in the black community. “Any fool can have a child. That doesn’t make you a father,” Obama said in June. “It’s the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.” Comedian Bill Cosby famously weighed in with a call for black self-sufficiency similar to Obama’s, before the Illinois senator even hit the campaign trail. “You can blame anybody you want but it is a simple feat to claim your child,” Cosby said in August 2006. “You could recognize the fact that it is your child, and you walked out on your child and you left a young human being to try to figure out what it ever did to a mysterious person; and where is that person and what does he look like and why hasn’t he called and talked?” The two perspectives in the black community offer starkly different prescriptions for the same troubling set of symptoms. Roughly seven in 10 black children are born out of wedlock, according to government statistics. About 35 percent of blacks under 18 years old live below the poverty line, and 24 percent of blacks over 65 die below the poverty line. The question of why such conditions have persisted through decades of social spending is the subject of vast academic research and is the veritable third rail of social debate. It is what the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, in 1965, termed a “tangle of pathologies.” John McWhorter, a Manhattan Institute senior fellow and author of “All About the Beat: Why Hip Hop Can’t Save Black America,” believes most black audiences connect with the message of figures like Obama and Cosby. McWhorter, who is among those prominent black leaders who emphasize individual responsibility, told FOX News that the era when racism drove debate in black communities is over. “Mainstream black thought no longer listens to something like Obama’s Father’s Day speech and cringes. … The criticisms now are from the sidelines,” he said. “Any culture has its problems. The ones that are in black culture, just like the ones that are in any other culture, are not necessarily due to what white people are doing, or what society is doing,” he said. “Sometimes we just need to talk among ourselves about some bad habits that we, like all human beings in the world, may have fallen into.” But a different emphasis comes from those with experience dating back to the civil rights movement, when activists sought parity by pressuring the federal government to take belated action against the South’s discriminatory Jim Crow laws. Jackson said Sunday, during what he thought was a private conversation between him and a fellow FOX News guest, that “Barack … he’s talking down to black people.” He also crudely threatened to castrate Obama. Jackson apologized, and Obama’s campaign said the apology was accepted. But Jackson explained — in a written statement, a press conference and several media appearances — that while he is devoted to Obama’s candidacy the Illinois senator’s moral message should also “deal with the collective moral responsibility of government and the public policy.” Rev. Al Sharpton told FOX News Thursday morning that government still shares the burden. “If you still have double unemployment, if you still have problems in terms of education equity and health care equity, and the disparity by race, you still have to close that gap,” Sharpton said. FOX News’ James Rosen contributed to this report.
Jesse Jackson in 1983. On Wednesday evening, Jesse Jackson went on television to say that he had apologized to Barack Obama for remarks made about the presidential candidate on the previous Sunday. On Sunday, July 6, Jackson, a United States civil rights proponent, minister, and former presidential candidate, was in a television studio for a live interview. While the broadcast went off-air for a commercial, Jackson leaned toward a fellow panelist and uttered a few comments. Though not broadcast live, the cameras were still recording. The video footage shows Jackson saying that he felt that presidential candidate and presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama, is "talking down to black people." In the recording, Jackson then added "I want to cut his nuts out," and reiterated "Barack ... he's talking down to black people." In Jackson's follow-up statement on Wednesday he said he had called the Obama campaign to apologize "for any harm or hurt that this hot mic private conversation may have caused." "My support for Senator Obama's campaign is wide, deep and unequivocal," Jackson said. Bill Burton, a spokesperson for Obama, said that Barack Obama would "continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Reverend Jackson's apology." "His comments were a combination of personal ego and ideological dispute," said Clarence Page of the ''Chicago Tribune'', who has covered Jackson for many years. Many, including Page, have suggested that Jackson's comment was in response to a speech delivered by Obama on Father's Day. "Any fool can have a child. That doesn’t make you a father," Obama said on June 15. "It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."
The following is a letter to NBC29 from Mike Stark, the man who was tackled for a comment he made at Senator Allen's campaign stop in Charlottesville on Tuesday. My name is Mike Stark. I am a law student at the University of Virginia, a marine, and a citizen journalist. Earlier today at a public event, I was attempting to ask Senator Allen a question about his sealed divorce record and his arrest in the 1970s, both of which are in the public domain. His people assaulted me, put me in a headlock, and wrestled me to the ground. Video footage is available here, from an NBC affiliate. I demand that Senator Allen fire the staffers who beat up a constituent attempting to use his constitutional right to petition his government. I also want to know why Senator Allen would want his staffers to assault someone asking questions about matters of public record in the heat of a political campaign. Why are his divorce records sealed? Why was he arrested in the 1970s? And why did his campaign batter me when I asked him about these questions. George Allen defends his support of the Iraq war by saying that our troops are defending the ideals America stands for. Indeed, he says our troops are defending our very freedom. What kind of country is it when a Senator's constituent is assaulted for asking difficult and uncomfortable questions? What freedoms do we have left? Maybe we need to bring the troops home so that they can fight for freedom at George Allen's campaign events. Demanding accountability should not be an offense worthy of assault. I will be pressing charges against George Allen and his surrogates later today. George Allen, at any time, could have stopped the fray. All he had to do was say, "This is not how my campaign is run. Take your hands off that man." He could have ignored my questions. Instead he and his thugs chose violence. I spent four years in the Marine Corps. I'll be damned if I'll let my country be taken from me by thugs that are afraid of taking responsibility for themselves. It just isn't the America I know and love. Somebody needs to take a stand against those that would bully and intimidate their fellow citizens. That stand begins right here, right now. ||||| So I just had a longer interview with Mike Stark, the man who was thrown to the ground today by staffers for Senator George Allen for asking their boss a couple of questions. He said he was acting out of frustration that the media is refusing to press Allen for answers about his two unexplained appearances in court records in the seventies and his refusal to unseal his divorce records. And while the Allen campaign today attacked Stark for "screaming" and "pushing" an Allen staffer, Stark claimed that the first physical contact was initiated by Allen staffers. More from Stark after the jump. Today the Allen campaign sent out a press release slamming Stark for "screaming" at Allen, and charging that "Stark has a history of violent outbursts." The Allen release also noted that Stark's blog, "Calling all Wingnuts," is subtitled "Kickin' ass on the lyin' side: A never-ending battle against stupid, ugly, deceitful and corrupt right-wing water carriers." The Allen release charged that Stark "pushed" an Allen staffer. But Stark claimed that the altercation was initiated entirely by the Allen staffers. He says the first physical behavior came after he approached Allen, and, standing a few feet away, asked Allen a question about the court records. At this point, he claims, Allen's staffers started pushing and shoving him. Stark says that at this point, all he did was "stand my ground," without retaliating. "I didn't obey their physical coersion" is how he describes what he did. "I never raised my hands...They were actually physically pushing me away when I shouted to him, `is it true that you spat on your wife'? That's when they said, `now you're getting personal' and tackled me." Stark described what he did as a legit effort to engage his elected representative. "I got involved in the civic process," Stark said. "This Senator, true to form, had his people bully me. And this time it got physical." So did Stark heckle Allen? That's what the Washington Post reported in its news coverage of the scuffle. The paper called Stark a "heckler." "Not once have I heckled him," Stark said. "Hecklers interrupt speeches. I waited till he was done. I wait respectfully until the end of his speeches." Stark, who says he moved to Virginia to go to University of Virginia law school and intends to live there for three years, has confronted Allen in the past, particularly over his racially-charged remarks. He says he started confronting Allen because he felt the press wasn't pressing Allen hard enough on various questions, most recently on the court records and on rumors about what's in his divorce file. Stark compared this media reticence with the constant media chatter about Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky before all the facts were known. "Everybody was talking about that on all the news when that was a rumor," he says. "Why aren't they talking about these rumors?" So that's where we are now. ||||| For Immediate Release: October 31, 2006 Contact: Press Office 703.845.3689 Democrat Activist Verbally Attacks Allen Allen Campaign Demands Webb Restrain Out of Control Supporter ARLINGTON, VA - At the conclusion of a well attended event in Charlottesville, a Webb supporter wearing an Allen sticker aggressively went after Senator Allen, who was at an event with his wife Susan and Senator Elizabeth Dole, screaming that he answer inappropriate questions. As the Senator was trying to exit the room with a campaign staffer, the Democrat activist, identified as Mike Stark, pushed the Allen staffer. Later, volunteers restrained him and asked to leave the building when he approached the Senator a second time, asking inappropriate questions. This was not the first time that Stark, a frequent Daily Kos blogger, has aggressively confronted Senator Allen in front of TV cameras and been removed from the premises by event security. In August, Stark was asked to leave a Holiday Inn by management "after he became combative" while interrupting a press conference with Senator Allen. (Chris Graham, "Webb Supporter Asked to Leave Allen Event after N-Word Question," Augusta Free Press; August 25, 2006). Stark has a history of violent outbursts on the Daily Kos, an extreme left-wing website, such as his post "The F*****g Way...Take These RNC F*****s Down". Daily Kos Link < " target=_blank>http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/12/02847/6131BY> He also posted his intention last night on his blog, Calling All Wingnuts, which is subtitled "Kickin' a*s on the lyin' side: A never-ending battle against stupid, ugly, deceitful and corrupt right-wing water carriers..." in which he wrote in reference to stalking Senator Allen,"So yeah... I miss doing this stuff - it seemed that at least once a month, something would happen that really got the adrenaline flowing... I miss those tasty morsels of victory." ( www.callingallwingnuts.com < " target=_blank>http://www.callingallwingnuts.com/> ; Accessed October 31, 2006) - # # # -
A mid-term re-election campaign rally held Tuesday morning by Virginia Senator George Allen at the Charlottesville Omni Hotel turned ugly after a University of Virginia law student, Daily Kos contributor and blogger, Mike Stark, was man-handled by Allen staffers in the hotel lobby after he asked the Senator about his 1970's divorce and arrest record. Three Allen campaign staffers wrestled Stark to the ground, ending what ''Friends of George Allen'' said in a press release were "inappropriate questions" by Stark. Allen was approached by Stark as he tried to exit the conference room following his speech at "a well attended event". Stark is accused by the Allen campaign of stalking Allen, by ''The Washington Post'' of heckling him, and by Stark's own admission on his blog page of doing something that "got the adrenaline flowing". Stark said he attempted to "stand my ground" after his question about Allen's sealed divorce records was met by pushing and shoving by Allen staffers, according to an interview by blogger Greg Sargent. "I never raised my hands...They were actually physically pushing me away when I shouted to him, 'is it true that you spat on your wife'? That's when they said, 'now you're getting personal' and tackled me." The slim polling lead once held by the Republican incumbent Allen has for the first time shifted to Webb, who now leads by a 50 – 46% margin, where the 4-point spread is within the 'margin of error percentage' of those surveyed by the Opinion Research Corporation.
RTBF reporters kept up the spoof for nearly two hours The Belgian public television station RTBF ran a bogus report saying the Dutch-speaking half of the nation had declared independence. Later it said Wednesday night's programme was meant to stir up debate. It appears to have succeeded. Thousands of people made panicked calls to the station and politicians complained. "It's very bad Orson Welles, in very poor taste," said a spokesman for Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, referring to the famous director's 1938 radio adaptation of War of the Worlds. That spoof fooled many Americans into believing Martians had invaded. We obviously scared many people - maybe more than we expected Yves Thiran RTBF head of news "In the current context, it's irresponsible for a public television channel to announce the end of Belgium as a reality presented by genuine journalists," he added. The French-language TV channel interrupted regular programming with an apparent news report, announcing that Dutch-speaking Flanders had unilaterally declared independence and that Belgium as a nation had ceased to exist. It showed "live" pictures of cheering crowds holding the Flemish flag, huge traffic jams leading to Brussels airport, and trams stuck at the new "border". Monarchists rallied outside the Royal Palace after the report The broadcast came amid an apparent growth of separatist sentiment in Flanders. Recent regional elections have shown strong support for the far-right, nationalist Vlaams Belang party, which advocates Flemish independence. The station's website crashed briefly as alarmed viewers sought more information, and 2,600 calls were made to a telephone number given out during the spoof. "Our intention was to show Belgian viewers the intensity of the issue of the future of Belgium and the real possibility of Belgium no longer being a country in a few months," Yves Thiran, head of news at RTBF, told the BBC. He said it introduced people to the debate who would otherwise have ignored it, but he admitted some may have taken it the wrong way. "We obviously scared many people - maybe more than we expected," he said. Diplomatic reaction Some politicians were in on the joke, contributing interviews to the programme with their reactions to the "news". But others were not amused. The minister for audiovisual affairs for the French-speaking community, Fadila Laanan, said the words "this is fiction" appeared on screen half an hour into the broadcast - at her insistence. "I find it questionable to use such a tactic, which frightened people unbelievably," she said, adding that a number of people had called her in panic when the "news" broke. The AFP news agency reported that even some foreign ambassadors in Brussels were taken in, and sent urgent messages back to their respective capitals. ||||| BELGIANS reacted with shock and disbelief when a state television channel announced that the Flemish part of the country had declared independence and that Belgium was no more. To back up the report during prime time evening viewing, the channel RTBF showed "live" footage of trams blocked at the new "border" and interviewed real-life politicians welcoming or denouncing the unilateral move of independence by the Flemish Parliament. In fact, the whole exercise was a spoof, intended only as a thought-provoking introduction to a television debate on the question which has long divided the two halves of Belgium, French-speaking Walloon and Dutch-speaking Flanders. "Belgium Died Last Night" screamed Le Soir newspaper today, while the daily Libre Belgique headlined: "The Fiction that Shook Belgium". The overwhelming majority of viewers were completely taken in and the television's switchboard was jammed by panicking callers, while political leaders used the same word - irresponsible - to slam the stunt. "It's very bad Orson Welles, in very poor taste," Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt's spokesman told the national news agency Belga, recalling the 1938 radio adaptation by Welles of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds, which caused widespread chaos, with thousands of Americans believing the Martians had invaded. "In the current context, it's irresponsible for a public television channel to announce the end of Belgium as a reality presented by genuine journalists," he added. Francophone socialist party leader Elio Di Rupo told Le Soir: "At a time when our country is rocked by separatist leanings, it is irresponsible and anti-social to make people believe that the Flemish have voted for independence." The fact that the programme was on state-funded television also rankled. "This programme is irresponsible. It totally discredits an institution that the French community has put a lot of investment into," said Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders. At the beginning of the broadcast, RTBF displayed a message at the bottom of the screen "this is perhaps not a fiction". That too was an echo from the past, recalling "Ceci n'est pas une pipe", or this is not a pipe, the title of the painting by Belgian surrealist master Rene Magritte. But half an hour in, at the demand of the minister for audiovisual affairs for the French-speaking community, Fadila Laanan, the message "this is a fiction" appeared. "I find it questionable to use such a tactic, which frightened people unbelievably," Laanan declared. She said that she herself had received a number of panicky calls and text messages. The channel invited viewers to text message to say whether they had been fooled, and according to early results, 89 per cent said they had believed the programme in the beginning - and six percent continued to believe it even after the message saying it was a hoax. The special number given out at the beginning of the programme was flooded with over 2600 calls during the nearly two-hour spoof and the television's website crashed. Even some ambassadors in Brussels admitted to being taken in and sending back messages to their respective capitals, according to the president of the Belgian Senate. ||||| a RTBF, chaîne publique de télévision belge, a interrompu ses programmes, mercredi soir 13 décembre, pour annoncer que les Flamands avaient proclamé leur indépendance. "La Flandre a proclamé son indépendance !", "le roi a quitté le pays !", "la Belgique n'existe plus !". En fait d'annonce, il s'agissait d'un exercice de politique-fiction qui a fait exploser son standard téléphonique et scandalisé les dirigeants belges. Car il a fallu attendre de longues minutes avant que la RTBF le précise. UNE ATTITUDE "IRRESPONSABLE" a RTBF, chaîne publique de télévision belge, a interrompu ses programmes, mercredi soir 13 décembre, pour annoncer que les Flamands avaient proclamé leur indépendance.. En fait d'annonce, il s'agissait d'un exercice de politique-fiction qui a fait exploser son standard téléphonique et scandalisé les dirigeants belges. Car il a fallu attendre de longues minutes avant que la RTBF le précise. Beaucoup ont visiblement été convaincus par les plateaux en direct, les reportages à chaud sur les trams bloqués à la nouvelle "frontière" et les réactions de véritables personnalités politiques belges se réjouissant ou dénonçant la proclamation unilatérale de cette indépendance par le Parlement flamand. Dès le début de l'émission qui voulait lancer un débat public sur la question, les réactions outrées de la classe politique ont commencé à pleuvoir. "Dans le contexte actuel, il est irresponsable pour une chaîne publique de télévision de diffuser une telle émission dans laquelle on annonce la fin de la Belgique comme une réalité présentée par de vrais journalistes", a dénoncé le porte-parole du premier ministre, Guy Verhofstadt. "C'est du très mauvais Orson Welles. C'est de mauvais goût", a-t-il encore ajouté. Après la fin de cette émission, la RTBF a enchaîné avec un débat et appelé les téléspectateurs à dire par SMS s'ils avaient cru au canular. Selon le premier résultat annoncé, 5 % n'y ont pas cru du tout, 89 % y ont cru au début et 6 % y ont cru jusqu'au bout malgré l'affichage, au bout d'environ trente minutes, d'une mention demandé par la ministre de l'audiovisuel de la communauté francophone, Fadila Laanan, précisant : "Ceci est une fiction." "NOUS VOULONS OUVRIR UN DÉBAT PUBLIC" Beaucoup ont visiblement été convaincus par les plateaux en direct, les reportages à chaud sur les trams bloqués à la nouvelleet les réactions de véritables personnalités politiques belges se réjouissant ou dénonçant la proclamation unilatérale de cette indépendance par le Parlement flamand. Dès le début de l'émission qui voulait lancer un débat public sur la question, les réactions outrées de la classe politique ont commencé à pleuvoir., a dénoncé le porte-parole du premier ministre, Guy Verhofstadt., a-t-il encore ajouté.Après la fin de cette émission, la RTBF a enchaîné avec un débat et appelé les téléspectateurs à dire par SMS s'ils avaient cru au canular. Selon le premier résultat annoncé, 5 % n'y ont pas cru du tout, 89 % y ont cru au début et 6 % y ont cru jusqu'au bout malgré l'affichage, au bout d'environ trente minutes, d'une mention demandé par la ministre de l'audiovisuel de la communauté francophone, Fadila Laanan, précisant : "Jusqu'à présent, le débat a été confiné aux cercles universitaires et politiques. Nous voulons un débat plus public", a expliqué Yves Thiran, directeur de l'information de la RTBF. Le canular touche à une question particulièrement sensible dans un pays profondément divisé entre Flamands et Wallons. Le Vlaams Belang (VB), parti nationaliste flamand qui prône l'indépendance, a obtenu un quart des voix aux élections régionales de 2004. Son slogan – "België barst !" ("Belgique, crève !") – trouve un écho grandissant dans une Flandre prospère qui considère la Wallonie, beaucoup moins riche, comme un frein au développement et un gouffre pour les finances publiques. Un porte-parole du VB a estimé que le sujet était trop grave pour être ridiculisé de la sorte. La RTBF, qui devrait poursuivre le canular sur son antenne radio jeudi matin, préparait cette émission depuis plus d'un an. Ses concepteurs se sont inspirés de l'adaptation à la radio par Orson Welles du roman La Guerre des mondes, ce canular historique qui, en octobre 1938, avait annoncé à la radio américaine l'invasion de la Terre par des Martiens et déclenché un mouvement de panique. '); --> '); --> ||||| Neem een abonnement of dagkaart Elke dag de krant, on line of op papier Toegang tot het archief van 350.000 artikels Extra regionieuws Speciale online dossiers. Neem een krantenabonnement Neem een digitaal abonnement Neem een dagkaart Aanmelden als abonnee e-mailadres: paswoord: bewaar paswoord ( help Paswoord vergeten? Bent u krantenabonnee en hebt u nog geen paswoord? Bent u krantenabonnee en hebt u noggeen paswoord? Klik hier Aanmelden met dagkaart Code: ||||| REACTIES. Wallonië BRUSSEL - ,,Het was verkeerd om de kijkers niet meteen, duidelijk en doorlopend te signaleren dat de uitzending pure fictie was. Daardoor werd het doel, de bevolking doen nadenken over de toekomst van België, volledig gemist omdat ze te geëmotioneerd, overdonderd of verward bezig waren met de vraag of het echt was'', zo reageerde de Brusselse minister-president Charles Picqué donderdag op de RTBF-nepuitzending. ||||| Docufictie haalt het buitenland Woensdagavond, 20.22 uur. De Franstalige openbare omroep onderbreekt zijn uitzending voor een extra journaal. ,,Het Vlaams Parlement heeft eenzijdig de onafhankelijkheid van Vlaanderen uitgeroepen'', klinkt het. Het fictieve bericht veroorzaakt opschudding, niet alleen in eigen land maar ook in het buitenland. Premier Verhofstadt krijgt een telefoontje van de Franse krant Le Monde en de Amerikaanse zender CNBC neemt de informatie over als een feit. ||||| Neem een abonnement of dagkaart Elke dag de krant, on line of op papier Toegang tot het archief van 350.000 artikels Extra regionieuws Speciale online dossiers. Neem een krantenabonnement Neem een digitaal abonnement Neem een dagkaart Aanmelden als abonnee e-mailadres: paswoord: bewaar paswoord ( help Paswoord vergeten? Bent u krantenabonnee en hebt u nog geen paswoord? Bent u krantenabonnee en hebt u noggeen paswoord? Klik hier Aanmelden met dagkaart Code: ||||| Politik Home Politik 1 2 vor Belgien Wirbel um angebliche Teilung des Landes Ein Fernsehsender strahlt eine realistisch wirkende Sondersendung aus, in der die Abtrennung der flämischen Gebiete berichtet wird. Das Königspaar sei bereits geflohen. Die Mehrheit der Zuschauer glaubt die Inszenierung – ausländische Botschafter melden die Sensationsnachricht sogar nach Hause. Dramatisch: Ein Bild aus der fiktiven Sendung Foto: AFP Brüssel - Es klang überzeugend: „Das flämische Parlament hat einseitig die Unabhängigkeit Flanderns erklärt“, teilte ein belgischer Nachrichtensprecher den Zuschauern im französischsprachigen Teil des Landes am Mittwochabend mit. König Albert und seine Gattin Paola hätten in einem Flugzeug der Luftwaffe das Land verlassen, meldete der öffentlich-rechtliche Fernsehsender RTBF weiter, der für diese exklusive Nachricht eigens das laufende Programm unterbrach. Dazu wurden unscharfe Bilder von einem Militärflugplatz und eine Gruppe Monarchietreuer Demonstranten vor dem Palast gezeigt. Erst nach einer guten halben Stunde klärte der französischsprachige RTBF darüber auf, dass das Drama nur inszeniert war. Bis dahin hatte der Sender schon einige Aufregung ausgelöst: So häufig ist in der Vergangenheit über einen Zerfall der zweisprachigen Nation Belgien spekuliert worden, dass die Falschmeldung auf einige Zuschauer durchaus realistisch wirkte. Sie legten zeitweilig die RTBF-Zentrale mit einer Flut von Anrufen lahm. Belgische Politiker verurteilten die Fernseh-Fiktion scharf. Gefühlte Spaltung vorhanden In Flandern, dem niederländischsprachigen Nordteil Belgiens, treten rechte Politiker seit Jahrzehnten für eine Unabhängigkeit ihrer wirtschaftlich starken Region ein. Das einst besser entwickelte französischsprachige Wallonien hängt seit dem Niedergang der Kohl- und Stahlindustrie am finanziellen Tropf. Während der Sendung schalteten RTBF-Moderatoren unter anderem zu Interviews mit - echten - Politikern, die den angeblichen Zerfall des Landes begrüßten oder kritisierten. Fernsehbilder zeigten Straßenbahnen, die an den neuen „Grenzen“ zwischen beiden Landesteilen - Flandern und der frankophonen Wallonie - gestoppt wurden. Zu sehen waren zudem Tausende feiernde Flamen, die die Unabhängigkeit angeblich in einen Freudentaumel versetzt hatte. Fast alle Zuschauer glaubten an die Fiktion Einer RTBF-Umfrage zufolge glaubten zunächst 89 Prozent der Zuschauer die Nachricht vom Zerfall des Landes - und sechs Prozent waren selbst dann noch davon überzeugt, als klargestellt war, dass es sich um einen fiktiven Bericht handelt. Zu Beginn der Ausstrahlung hatte der Sender die Worte „dies ist vielleicht keine Fiktion“ eingeblendet - es dauerte eine halbe Stunde, bis auf Betreiben der zuständigen wallonischen Medien-Ministerin statt dessen die Zeile „dies ist eine Fiktion“ erschien. Dem belgischen Senat zufolge meldeten sogar ausländische Botschafter in Brüssel die angebliche Sensation in ihre Heimatländer. Am Donnerstag beherrschte das Thema die belgische Presse: „Belgien ist gestern Nacht gestorben“, titelte der französischsprachige „Soir“, „La Libre Belgique“ schrieb von einer „Fiktion, die Belgien erschütterte“. „Ein schlechter Witz“ Politiker sowohl der flämischen als auch der wallonischen Seite kritisierten die Sendung. „Ein schlechter Witz, der für schlechten Geschmack spricht“, urteilte Didier Seeuws, der Sprecher des belgischen Ministerpräsidenten Guy Verhofstadt. Der französischsprachige Verteidigungsminister André Flahaut bezeichnete den gefälschten Bericht als „widerwärtig, inakzeptabel und skandalös“ und forderte eine Abmahnung der verantwortlichen Journalisten. 1 2 vor Alle Artikel vom 14.12.2006 oben ||||| Neem een abonnement of dagkaart Elke dag de krant, on line of op papier Toegang tot het archief van 350.000 artikels Extra regionieuws Speciale online dossiers. Neem een krantenabonnement Neem een digitaal abonnement Neem een dagkaart Aanmelden als abonnee e-mailadres: paswoord: bewaar paswoord ( help Paswoord vergeten? Bent u krantenabonnee en hebt u nog geen paswoord? Bent u krantenabonnee en hebt u noggeen paswoord? Klik hier Aanmelden met dagkaart Code:
RTBF anchorman asking clarification from a reporter standing in front of the Royal Palace in Brussels. Belgium is a federal state consisting of a three regions: Flanders is the Dutch-speaking northern part (yellow), Brussels-Capital Region is the central part where both Dutch and French are spoken, and Wallonia is the southern French-speaking part. There is also a small German-speaking community in Wallonia (blue striped). The Belgian French-speaking public television channel RTBF interrupted its programming last night for a special news bulletin reporting that the Flemish Parliament had suddenly created an independent Flemish state separate from Belgium. However, during the broadcast it became clear that the report was actually a documentary meant to stir up the debate on the position of the states and regions in the federal country Belgium. Walloon Minister of Media Fadila Laanan said that the message "this is fiction" appeared only at her request, after she had received several "panic" calls and text messages. During the report, King Albert II of Belgium was alleged to have left the country to show his disagreement with the unilateral Flemish decision. Several politicians (Jean-Marie Dedecker, Jean-Marie Happart, Herman De Croo etc.) contributed in the making of the program, giving their reaction to the news and explaining some of their views on Flemish independence. There were images of thousands celebrating in Antwerp and flag-waving independence supporters in front of the Royal Palace in Laken, but also trams stuck at the "new border", and traffic jams in the direction of Brussels Airport. After a while more comedy entered the report; two Flemish policemen where shown to be called into action to patrol the border, and Guy Vanhengel (VLD) was interviewed inside the Atomium, the monument symbolic of Belgium, where he spoke of a "monumental" mistake. The report was followed by a debate on the subject of the Flemish independence movement. The head of news at RTBF reacted: "We obviously scared many people - maybe more than we expected," and this was indeed the case. A spokesman of Belgian Prime Minister Verhofstadt stated late last night that the newspaper ''Le Monde'' had already called them, and that CNBC already thought it was not fictional. Several embassies reported the news to their countries, and a Belgian representative in the European Parliament reported "consternation". A survey by the RTBF shows that 89% of spectators admit being fooled by the report, with even 6% continuing to believe it after the fiction notice appeared. Leaders on both sides of the country spelled out their appall: Elio Di Rupo said it is "...unacceptable to play with the institutions and the stability of the country.", while Yves Leterme, Minister-President of the Flemish government, regretted that some of the Flemish demands were caricatured. Pro-independence politicians such as Filip Dewinter and Bart De Wever didn't hide their approval of the fake news report. Several politicians have criticized the method used by the RTBF, and expect that this will reflect badly on the credibility and reputation of the channel. The usual RTBF news studio and anchorman were used to make the fictional report. The incident is headline news in Belgium. The report comes at a time of a growing discussion on the topic of granting Flanders more independence from Belgium, one year before the elections in Belgium. Only last week, the pro-Flemish political parties CD&V and NVA announced that they would demand a major constitutional change during the next federal negotiations.
The mystery patient is described as tall and thin The man has not said a word since police picked him up wandering the streets of Sheerness, Kent, in a soaking wet suit and tie on 7 April. His social worker Michael Camp said the man, in his 20s or 30s, is usually very anxious but "comes alive" at the piano. Orchestras around Europe are being contacted to see if they know him. The National Missing Persons Helpline is appealing to anyone who recognises the man to come forward. Mr Camp said there had been a "fantastic" response. "We have had one definite lead, but I haven't had time to follow it up yet. The first time we took him down to the piano he played for several hours, non-stop Michael Camp Social worker "A name has been given of a possible person from the Sussex area. "We had one of these before, from the local area, and it sounded promising but... we'll just have to wait and see." The man's talent came to light after staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital gave him a pen and paper in the hope he would write his name. Instead the patient, dubbed The Piano Man, drew very detailed pictures of a grand piano. The man shocked staff with a performance of classical music after Mr Camp showed him the piano in the hospital's chapel. Mr Camp said: "When we took him to the chapel piano it really was amazing. He has not spoken since the day we picked him up. "He does not make any sounds but I think I can communicate with him through tiny nods." The man has since written music, which has been verified as genuine. Mr Camp added: "It is extraordinary. The first time we took him down to the piano he played for several hours, non-stop." Several lines of inquiry have been followed, and the hospital brought in interpreters to see if the mystery patient was from Eastern Europe. He is now being held in a secure mental health unit in north Kent while an assessment is carried out. Mr Camp said he was "extremely distressed" and may have suffered a trauma. 'Very frightened' Karen Dorey-Rees, adult mental health manager for the West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust, said the mystery man was very vulnerable. "He is not talking at all, he is very frightened," she said. "We are aware that he is a very vulnerable man and we would be putting him in a dangerous situation if we let him go." She said that the labels had been removed from every item of clothing the man was wearing when he was found on The Broadway in Minster, Sheerness. The case has drawn comparisons with the 1996 film Shine which depicts the story of acclaimed pianist David Helfgott who suffered a nervous breakdown. Ms Dorey-Rees was unable to say what music he had played. "Nobody was skilled enough to recognise the music, they just knew it was classical music and he played very well." Anyone who has information about The Piano Man is urged to call the National Missing Persons Helpline on 0500 700700. ||||| ABC News Mystery Briton Doesn't Speak, Plays Piano Doctors in England Try to Identify Mystery Man Who Won't Speak but Plays Piano The unidentified man known as "Piano-man" is picture in the grounds of Medway Maritime Hospital, Gillingham, England, Friday, April 29, 2005. The man was found wandering aimlessly in a coastal town in southeast England on April 7 and he has refused to communicate ever since, except through music. "I cannot get within a yard of him without him becoming very anxious," said Michael Camp, the social worker assigned to the tall blond man. "Yet at the piano he comes alive." Staff at Medway Maritime Hospital launched a search Monday, May 16, 2005, for anyone who knows the man, who is in his 20s or early 30s. When found his suit and tie were dripping wet and he wouldn't say a word despite his agitation. But when hospital staff showed the mysterious man a piano, he started playing _ and wouldn't stop for two hours. (AP Photo/Mike Gunnill) By SUE LEEMAN Associated Press Writer The Associated Press LONDON May 17, 2005 — Hospital authorities caring for a patient who refuses to talk but willingly plays the piano for hours said Tuesday they were investigating a number of new leads about his identity. The tall, blond-haired man, who is in his 20s or early 30s, has not said a word since he was found, distressed and dressed in a dripping wet suit, on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent county, southeast England, on April 7. When staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham gave him writing materials, he drew detailed pictures of a grand piano and, when shown the piano in the hospital chapel, sat down and played for two hours, causing staff to nickname him "Piano Man." Baffled staff said their problems have been compounded by the fact that all the labels were cut off the man's clothes. "That is a real twist and it's enough of a mystery without that," said Adrian Lowther, spokesman for the West Kent National Health Service Trust, which is caring for the man at a psychiatric unit in Dartford in north Kent. "Apart from mentally, the man is healthy, and he is washing himself. But he does not communicate at all, so he cannot receive counseling." Lowther said a tabloid newspaper has provided the man with a piano, and playing calms him down noticeably. Lowther said the National Missing Persons Helpline has received 320 calls and 70 e-mails after releasing a picture of the man and one of his piano drawings Monday. The health trust also has received numerous telephone calls. "We are wading through those with the police we just hope that in among the calls may be someone who knows him," Lowther said. "But it will take some time." The British press has likened his case to the Oscar-winning 1996 movie "Shine," about acclaimed pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a nervous breakdown while playing. It also is similar to the movie "Ladies in Lavender," which was recently released in the United States and is about a violinist who washes up ashore in Cornwall after a shipwreck, speaks only Polish and is nursed back to health by elderly sisters portrayed by Dames Maggie Smith and Judi Dench. He goes on to a triumphant concert. ||||| Leads, twists in 'piano man' case LONDON, England (AP) -- Hospital authorities caring for a patient who refuses to talk but willingly plays the piano for hours said Tuesday they are investigating a number of new leads on his identity. The tall, blond-haired man, who is in his 20s or early 30s, has not said a word since he was found, distressed and dressed in a dripping wet suit, on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent county, southeast England, on April 7. When staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham gave him writing materials, he drew detailed pictures of a grand piano and, when shown the piano in the hospital chapel, sat down and played for two hours, causing staff to nickname him "Piano Man." Baffled staff said their problems have been compounded by the fact that all the labels have been cut off the man's clothes. "That is a real twist -- and it's enough of a mystery without that," said Adrian Lowther, spokesman for the West Kent National Health Service Trust, which is caring for the man at a psychiatric unit in Dartford in north Kent. "Apart from mentally, the man is healthy, and he is washing himself. But he does not communicate at all, so he cannot receive counseling," Lowther said. He said a tabloid newspaper has provided the man with a piano; playing noticeably calms him down. Lowther said the National Missing Persons Helpline has received 320 calls and 70 e-mails after releasing a picture of the man and one of his piano drawings on Monday. The health trust has also received a number of telephone calls. "We are wading through those with the police -- we just hope that in among the calls may be someone who knows him," said Lowther. "But it will take some time." The British press has likened his case to the Oscar-winning 1996 movie "Shine," about acclaimed pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a nervous breakdown while playing. But the man does not seem to be more than an accomplished amateur. Michael Camp, the man's social worker, has said that when he is not playing the piano, he remains very anxious. "Someone, somewhere must be missing him," said Camp. "At the moment we only have six weeks' of history of this man to work on, which makes it very hard." Hospital chaplain the Rev. Steve Spencer said the man "is not the virtuoso that he has been portrayed in the press. He knows a small number of tunes and plays them over and over -- I recognized some John Lennon and a snippet from Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake.' "When he plays, he is totally focused -- he cuts out everything else and it makes him calmer." Hospital staff have already ruled out reports that he recently attended a funeral locally. Interpreters from Poland, Latvia and Lithuania were brought in to see if he was from Eastern Europe, and possibly an asylum seeker, but no one was able to get through to him. ||||| LONDON - Hospital authorities caring for a patient who refuses to talk but willingly plays the piano for hours said Tuesday they were investigating a number of new leads about his identity. advertisement When staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham gave him writing materials, he drew detailed pictures of a grand piano and, when shown the piano in the hospital chapel, sat down and played for two hours, causing staff to nickname him “Piano Man.” Baffled staff said their problems have been compounded by the fact that all the labels were cut off the man’s clothes. “That is a real twist — and it’s enough of a mystery without that,” said Adrian Lowther, spokesman for the West Kent National Health Service Trust, which is caring for the man at a psychiatric unit in Dartford in north Kent. “Apart from mentally, the man is healthy, and he is washing himself. But he does not communicate at all, so he cannot receive counseling.” Lowther said a tabloid newspaper has provided the man with a piano, and playing calms him down noticeably. Lowther said the National Missing Persons Helpline’s Web site has received 320 calls and 70 e-mails after releasing a picture of the man and one of his piano drawings Monday. The health trust also has received numerous telephone calls. “We are wading through those with the police — we just hope that in among the calls may be someone who knows him,” Lowther said. “But it will take some time.” Only an accomplished amateur The British press has likened his case to the Oscar-winning 1996 movie “Shine,” about acclaimed pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a nervous breakdown while playing. But the man does not seem to be more than an accomplished amateur. Michael Camp, the man’s social worker, said that when he is not playing the piano, he remains very anxious. “Someone, somewhere must be missing him,” Camp said. “At the moment we only have six weeks’ of history of this man to work on, which makes it very hard.” Hospital chaplain the Rev. Steve Spencer said the man “is not the virtuoso that he has been portrayed in the press. He knows a small number of tunes and plays them over and over — I recognized some John Lennon and a snippet from Tchaikovsky’s ’Swan Lake.’ “When he plays, he is totally focused — he cuts out everything else and it makes him calmer.” Hospital staff have already ruled out reports that he recently attended a funeral locally. Interpreters from Poland, Latvia and Lithuania were brought in to see if the man was from Eastern Europe and possibly seeking asylum, but no one was able to get through to him. © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| Does this man strike a chord with you? By David Sapsted (Filed: 16/05/2005) The identity of a man found wandering on a beach in an evening suit and who will not talk but who expertly plays piano concertos for hours is baffling police. The six-foot tall man, believed to be in his 20s or 30s, has been dubbed the 'Piano Man' since being found, soaked to the skin, on a beach on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, five weeks ago. Now in a psychiatric unit at Medway Maritime Hospital, in Gillingham, he will not speak but, when left a pen and paper, drew a Swedish flag and a picture of a piano. When staff sat him at a piano in the hospital chapel, he played expertly for two hours and, since, has staged recitals lasting up to four hours. However, despite his picture being posted on the website of the National Missing Persons Helpline, nobody has identified him yet, though people have come forward to say that they believe they have seen him play at concert halls throughout Europe. Orchestras are now being contacted to see if they can identify him. "We have had a lot of calls from members of the public telling us they have seen him performing in various parts of Europe," said Ramanah Venkiah, manager of the psychiatric unit. "He has been playing the piano to a very high quality for up to four hours at a time and staff say it is a real pleasure to hear it. But we still have no idea who he is because he is not speaking." The man was found by two police officers in the early hours on the front at Sheerness. It was raining hard and officers have been unable to ascertain if the man had been in the water. He is physically fit and has no health problems. Despite the fact that he drew a Swedish flag, police believe that the man is probably English. He has short brown hair, is of slim build, and is believed to have suffered a mental breakdown. Michael Camp, a care worker, said: "He may have had a traumatic experience. He appears to be a professional pianist of exceptional ability and has amazed everyone who has heard him. "When he plays, all his anxiety disappears. Away from the piano, he starts to breathe very quickly and nervously shies away from people." The plight of the man has echoes in the story of David Helfgott, the Australian pianist, who overcame a nervous breakdown to return to performing. His experience formed the basis of the 1996 film Shine starring Geoffrey Rush. Anyone who recognises the "Piano Man" is asked to contact the National Missing Persons Helpline on 020 8392 4509. Previous story: Gangland bosses face 10-year sentences under shake-up of law Next story: Classroom voters back the Lib Dems
Wikinews reported on May 17 that several weeks earlier British police had picked up an unidentified man wandering the streets of Sheerness, United Kingdom. The man who has thus far refused to talk, has demonstrated himself to be an excellent pianist—earning him the nickname ''Piano Man''. Since publication of our first article, we have been contacted by a fellow wiki contributor informing us that the ''Piano Man'' may be a British actor named Geoffrey Betts. Although our contact strongly believed he knew the identity of the man and contacted the relevant authorities in regard to his belief, this has turned out to be false. While Betts was not reachable by phone or e-mail, his website was recently updated to the effect that he is ''not'' the man in question. In the meantime, the search for the identity has been narrowed down to three leads by authorities. The original interview between Wikinews editor CGorman and contributor Steve Magruder is reproduced below.
Motorists crossing over the Kansas Turnpike on S.W. Auburn Road on Monday morning had an unusual view of the traffic below — straight down. Crews from several agencies responded quickly to reports of a two-by-three-foot hole in the bridge where only the steel reinforcing bars remained between people on the bridge and the turnpike below. Anthony S. Bush / The Capital-Journal A maintenance crew from the Kansas Turnpike Authority patches a hole Monday in the bridge on S.W. Auburn Road that crosses over the turnpike. Steel reinforcing bars were exposed on the bridge when some concrete fell to the interstate below. HOW TO REPORT A POTHOLE Officials with several road and street maintenance agencies are urging citizens to call and report potholes that need to be filled. • Kansas Department of Transportation: (785) 296-2291 (Topeka district) • Kansas Turnpike Authority: (785) 266-9414 • Shawnee County: (785) 233-7702 • Topeka: (785) 368-3111 Kansas Turnpike Authority crews arrived on the scene quickly and placed steel plates over the hole within two hours. That allowed traffic to resume using both lanes of the bridge until a more permanent repair can be made. Bill Balusek, bridge supervisor for the Shawnee County Public Works Department, said that as of 9:30 a.m. Monday he had talked with two people who had driven over the bridge two hours earlier and didn't notice the hole. He is guessing that the hole appeared during that two-hour period. Lisa Callahan, public information officer for the KTA, said the "freeze-thaw cycle" of the past month is the likely cause of the hole. Water seeps into cracks and crevices in the roadway. When the water freezes, it expands. That makes the crack even wider, allowing it to collect more water from the next storm and expand even farther during the following freeze. Callahan said the Auburn Road Bridge was original with the initial construction of the turnpike in 1956. KTA records show the bridge received an asphalt overlay 10 years ago. Randy May, structures foreman of the seven-man KTA crew at the site Monday morning, said he had seen worse in his 25 years of experience. The crew jackhammered more pavement around the perimeter of the hole to make sure they had removed all the damaged concrete and asphalt. New rebar was put in place, and eventually new concrete will be poured. "That's the first one we've had this season," Callahan said. Tom Vlach, Shawnee County public works director, said he is stepping up his pothole program beginning today because of the failure on the KTA bridge. He is assigning workers to patrol county roads and bridges more frequently, looking for possible problems so they can be repaired quickly. He said the problem doesn't appear to be any worse this year than last year. The worst he had seen before Monday's incident was a pothole on the S.E. 29th Street bridge over the turnpike, he said. That pothole, while large enough to be of concern, didn't break through the bottom of the bridge as happened near Auburn. Vlach and Kim Qualls, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Transportation, agreed that no one's life is in danger from a failure like the one on the KTA bridge Monday. Vlach said the rebar is strong enough to support a wheel if one should fall into the hole. However, if not repaired quickly, repeated incidents would weaken the rebar to the point of being unsafe. Qualls said KDOT crews are out on the highways filling potholes, which has been a frustrating experience this year with "back-to-back storms." For one thing, pothole patching works best when pavement is dry, she said. David Bevens, spokesman for the city of Topeka, said the city is experiencing pothole problems earlier than normal this winter, but is having fewer repeat problems than in past years. He said the city is using something called cold mix asphalt that stays in the pothole better than the old style asphalt. He said in past years, a city crew would fill a pothole with asphalt and it would pop back out the next day. He said the city has three crews on the streets filling potholes. They have used 50 tons of the new cold mix asphalt so far. Another 50 tons is on order. Mike Hall can be reached at (785) 295-1209 or mike.hall@cjonline.com. ||||| Ten years after the infamous ice storm, the Montreal region's current weather might provoke fear in those who remember how quickly a little rain can turn into a frozen blanket. But worry not, as meteorologists aren't forecasting freezing rain or extreme cold in the next couple of days. The warm temperatures observed yesterday and expected today in the Montreal area aren't another omen of global warming, they add. "A winter thaw is totally typical," Environment Canada meteorologist René Héroux said, crediting warm winds from the southwest for the mild spell. Hydro-Québec also quashed any ice storm-era fears that yesterday's power failure that affected Outremont and Nôtre Dame de Grâce were weather related. About 9,000 customers in the two neighbourhoods lost power approximately 7:30 a.m. yesterday when tree branches came into contact with power lines. Electricity was restored by 10:30 a.m. "It was a coincidence," Hydro-Québec spokesperson Jean-Philippe Rousseau said of the two power outages. By midafternoon yesterday, the temperature in Montreal had reached 5C. It is expected to climb to 8C today and 10C tomorrow, with rain lasting until tomorrow evening, according to Environment Canada. The Weather Network, the service used by The Gazette, predicts a high temperature of 9C today and tomorrow, with light rain. About 10-15 millimetres of rain is expected to fall on Montreal by tomorrow night. The most pressing concern is in the Laurentians, where Environment Canada has issued a warning of up to 40 millimetres of rain for the same period. Given the wallop of snow that fell on the Montreal region in the past month and the rain that's in the forecast, fears of flooding aren't unsubstantiated. The Quebec Public Security Department is watching the rivers surrounding Montreal. So far, the ice hasn't budged and water levels are within the normal range, Marc Lavallée, director in charge of Montreal, Laval, Lanaudière and the Laurentians, said yesterday. A cold front expected Thursday will slow the thaw, he added. Nevertheless, the city of Châteauguay yesterday asked residents to keep a close eye on water levels of the Châteauguay River, and to ensure sump pumps in their homes or businesses are working properly. Residents of the Châteauguay Valley are no strangers to the threat of flooding, as high water levels have been recorded almost every spring since the beginning of this decade. jlegatos@thegazette.canwest.com ||||| Be the first to know! Sign-up for this newsletter to get breaking news alerts sent right to your inbox and to get a heads-up on special programming, exclusive interviews and live conferences. Choose at least one of these Newsletters Choose at least one of these Newsletters ||||| POSTED: 5:38 pm EST January 7, 2008 With more potholes appearing on area roads each day, it's been a bumpy ride for drivers. But what can drivers do if a pothole damages their cars? NewsCenter 5's Rhondella Richardson reported that tire repair shops said their business is booming as pothole season in Massachusetts gets into full swing. "Those four (wheels) came in today from pothole damage," said Barry Steinberg, CEO of Direct Tire. Steinberg said another car's wheel was so damaged by potholes on Storrow Drive that it had to be towed to the repair shop. More than a half-dozen Public Works crews are patching up problem areas everyday that they are not plowing or preparing to plow snow, the city said. "It was so terribly cold and then we got this immediate warm up, and these frost heaves happen and the roads just open up," Steinberg said. Copyright 2008 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Drivers can call 617-635-4500 to report a pothole. Residents can file a claim with the city by clicking on this link:. Drivers must provide a picture of the pothole and estimate of the repair costs within 30 days of the incident. ||||| We're sorry, but Newspapers.com doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. You will need to enable Javascript by changing your browser settings. Learn how to enable it.
A pothole in Montréal, Canada last year. Major city roads across North America are suffering from an early surge in potholes due to the dramatic freezes and thaws this month, some several feet across and inches deep. The potholes are caused by water seeping into cracks during warm weather, and pushing concrete apart when it freezes. Traffic erodes chunks of concrete from the cracks to form holes that continuously grow larger. While car repair shops are experiencing a boom in business, city budgets are being hit with the costs of patching potholes. Thierry Larivée, an infrastructure spokesman in Montréal, Canada, says about 20 pothole patrols are working throughout the city. They are expected to continue work until at least Friday. Craig Bryson, spokesman for the Road Commission for Oakland County in Michigan, United States, reports problems on unpaved roads as well. "The warmer weather is also playing havoc with gravel roads; the top layer of dirt thaws, but remains frozen about 10 inches below the surface. Surface water has no place to go. This creates a rutted, soupy road, especially in low-lying areas." Environment Canada meteorologist René Héroux attributes the unseasonable thaw to warm winds from the southwest. Environment Canada predicts a new cold front on Thursday.
Angola's state radio announced the arrest of two suspects, but gave no further details [AFP] Angola's state radio announced the arrest of two suspects, but gave no further details [AFP] According to a brief statement broadcast on state radio on Monday, the two unidentified suspects were arrested on Sunday. No other details were given. Angolan police have arrested two people in the country's Cabinda region, charging them with responsibility for a deadly attack on the Togolese football team. The Angolan government, based in Luanda, has blamed the ambush on a separatist movement in the northern exclave of Cabinda - where the attack took place. A separatist leader reportedly in exile in France said on Monday that his group had been targeting Angolan troops escorting the Togolese team. "In war, anything can happen, this is only the beginning," Rodrigues Mingas, who calls himself the group's leader, told France-Info radio. Attack details The Togolese team was driving to Angola to take part in the African Cup of Nations tournament when gunmen opened fire on the bus Friday. Togo's assistant coach and team spokesman were killed, as was the Angolan bus driver. Eight were wounded, including a goalkeeper flown to South Africa for treatment. Players reluctantly left Angola late on Sunday. They had said they wanted to compete to honour the dead, but their government dispatched the presidential plane after saying it was not safe to stay. Gilbert Houngbo, Togo's prime minister, said Angola had not done enough to protect the team after the attack in Cabinda, an oil-rich region that has seen occasional separatist violence. Separatist divisions Mingas, who calls himself the leader of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda forces, or FLEC, said Monday his group was behind the attack. Three people were killed and eight wounded in the attack in Cabinda on Friday [REUTERS] But another official in Cabinda has denied that FLEC forces were behind the ambush. In a telephone interview with the AP on Sunday, Tiburcio Tati Tchingobo said his group had no objection to the tournament, even with play in Cabinda. "The tournament can go on, but we are worried about security. We don't have any problem with our fellow African brothers," said Tchingobo, minister of defence in the self-declared Federal State of Cabinda, when reached on a satellite phone number. The conflicting reports could stem from divisions among pro-independence groups in Cabinda. Several claim the name FLEC. Cabinda's armed groups have been weakened by the factional fighting. New image failure But periodic announcements from the Angolan government that the Cabinda uprising has been quelled - either by force or negotiations - have been followed by new outbreaks of violence. The Angolan government has denied charges from international human rights groups that its military has committed atrocities in Cabinda. In Sunday's exclusive interview with the AP, Tchingobo said he feared the attack on the Togolese team would spark a crackdown by Angolan forces in Cabinda after the tournament ends. Angola has been struggling to climb back from decades of violence, and its government was banking on the tournament as a chance to show the world it was on the way to recovery. Cabinda's unrest is unrelated to - and often overshadowed by - a broader civil war that lasted nearly three decades and ended in 2002. ||||| Second separatist group claims Togo team attack LUANDA — A second separatist group on Tuesday claimed it was behind last week's deadly shooting on the Togolese football team in Angola's oil-rich enclave of Cabinda. The attack has already been claimed by Rodrigues Mingas, head of the Forces for the Liberation of the State of Cabinda-Military Position (FLEC-PM), one of the many guerrilla groups battling for independence in the northern province. But a larger group known as the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda-Armed Forces of Cabinda (FLEC-FAC) on Tuesday said they had opened fire on Togo's convoy on Friday, killing two of the squad. "We are not terrorists, the attack did not target our Togolese brothers," said Jean-Claude N'Zita, who leads FLEC-FAC, adding the intended target was the team's Angolan military escorts. "Every time the Armed Forces of Cabinda sees an Angolan convoy, they open fire," he said. N'Zita dismissed Mingas's faction as "opportunists". Related article: Rebels fight for independence from Angola Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
Angolan police arrested two people earlier today, on charges of attacking the football team from Togo that was travelling by bus en route to a tournament, which left two of the Togolese team's support staff and their Angolan bus driver dead. Macario Lembe, the deputy governor of Angola's Cabinda province, commented on the incident. "Two assailants were captured on Friday, one a few minutes after the attack and the second at the border while crossing into Congo-Brazzaville. The first suspect was injured in his left thigh by police who responded when he opened fire from a tree at the Togolese bus." The two arrested suspects were reportedly part of a team of five that ambushed the Togolese bus with gunfire on Friday as it passed through Cabinda, a province of Angola. The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) group claimed responsibility for the attack. The Togolese team pulled out of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, which opened yesterday, due to the ambush.
The principal of Bathurst's St Stanislaus College says he is not aware of any current paedophile activity at the school. John Edwards says he received information several years ago about alleged sexual misbehaviour at St Stanislaus during the 1980s, and forwarded it to police. In May, police charged a 65-year-old former priest with 33 counts of sexual assault and gross acts of indecency against five boys. Another eight men are now alleging similar abuse. Mr Edwards says the allegations are "gravely concerning" and he hopes they are properly dealt with by the courts. "It is absolutely a requirement for this matter to be open, for this matter to be addressed and this matter to be resolved," he said. "This school is very concerned to ensure that children are treated well and that their interests are protected." The commander of the Bathurst-based Chifley Command, Superintendent Michael Goodwin, says the investigation is ongoing. "If there's anyone out there that is currently concerned they may be the subject of this particular investigation they are urged to come forward in the strictest confidence and contact CrimeStoppers," he said. "These allegations happened some 20-odd years ago, there is absolutely no suggestion whatsoever that the college involved is/has been looking to anything in the current day. "The college involved has been cooperating with the police completely with this inquiry." Meanwhile the lawyer for the former priest accused of sexually abusing students says he has not seen any new claims against his client. Lawyer Greg Walsh says he learned about the new claims through the media. "I don't know anything about eight alleged other victims, I've not been served with any witness statements so I really can't comment about it," he said. "I would be looking forward to being extended the basic courtesy of being served with some witness statements." ||||| A POLICE investigation into claims of sexual abuse at a NSW catholic school involves a number of former staff. St Stanislaus College principal John Edwards today said he was served with a search warrant last month which listed the names of three former staff members."There were three former staff members who were listed on the search warrant that was served on me in early July, and we facilitated the gathering of material for police," Mr Edwards told Fairfax Radio Network."I'm not able to comment any further."A 65-year-old former priest at the private school in Bathurst, in central-western NSW, is facing 33 charges, following allegations of a paedophile ring comprising priests and teachers at the private school during the 1980s.Mr Edwards said he became aware of the allegations "several years ago" when, he said, he referred the claims to police.Detective Mick Goodwin of Chiefly Local Area Command told reporters the allegations related to 13 victims, but said he could not say how many former staff members were under investigation.There was no suggestion any alleged offenders still remained at the school."The allegations centre around the period of 1970 to the early 1980s so at this stage all the enquiries are at least over 20 years old," Detective Goodwin said.He urged other potential victims to contact police."I'd imagine it would be very hard for anyone that's subject to these sort of things to come forward," he said."All I can say is the NSW Police Force will be providing every form of support we possibly can to make the process for them as trouble-free as possible.with AAP ||||| A 65-YEAR-old former priest is facing 33 charges, following allegations a pedophile ring of priests and teachers had operated at an lusive private school in central west New South Wales. Shocking allegations have surfaced about years of sex abuse at St Stanislaus' College in Bathurst from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. At least 13 alleged victims have come forward since local police were first alerted last year by men claiming to have been abused while they were students at the private school. Police are now urging all victims of the alleged pedophile ring to come forward. Police have released scant information but have asked anyone else who fell victim to the alleged abuse to contact police. "I would imagine it would be very hard for anyone subject to these sort of things to come forward," Detective Superintendent Michael Goodwin said. "All I can say is that NSW police force will be providing every form of support we possibly can to make the process for them as trouble-free as possible. Supt Goodwin would not reveal how many suspects are being investigated but said police inquiries had not led officers to any other schools where former St Stanislaus staff may have also been employed. "All of the lines of inquiry that have been presented to us have been explored and are being investigated," he said. "There's no loose ends being let go at this stage. "I can confirm that there's no one at the school at the moment that is subject to that inquiry." On May 23, the former priest was charged with offences relating to sexual assault and gross acts of indecency of boys aged between 10 and 18 years old. "At this stage we're looking at 13 victims and we're following up those lines of inquiry at the moment," Supt Goodwin said. St Stanislaus principal John Edwards said he had been served with a search warrant last month which listed the names of three former staff members. "There were three former staff member who were listed on the search warrant that was served on me in early July, and we facilitated the gathering of material for police," Mr Edwards told Fairfax Radio Network today. "I'm not able to comment any further." Mr Edwards also said he first became aware of the allegations "several years ago" when, he said, he referred the claims to police. "The college received some internet material which contained allegations that I think are linked to the ones that are currently taking place," he said. "Those matters were referred to the police some years ago." He said the material included claims of late night prayer and chanting sessions in which boys were sexually abused. "Those circumstances where people have betrayed trust, it is a matter of grave concern and shame, and it needs to be addressed comprehensively in order to protect children in the future," Mr Edwards said. "I can assure parents that this school is committed to the most thorough child protection measures, that we have been implementing for some considerable period of time. "We work closely with authorities in the area of child protection, we are committed to protecting children wherever we can." Supt Goodwin would not specify how many suspects are being investigated or reveal their whereabouts. "We're pursuing those lines of inquiry and to anticipate when charges will be laid at this stage is a little bit presumptuous," he said. ||||| Police are investigating claims that at least 13 students at a prestigious Catholic boys boarding college in Bathurst were habitually sexually abused by a priest during the 1970s and 1980s. Superintendent Mike Goodwin, from Bathurst police, said a former student of St Stanislaus Catholic College had come forward with allegations in August last year, and police formed Strike Force Heador to investigate. Five former students were immediately identified as victims and a further eight former students have been identified since then as possible victims. -------------- Do you know more? Message 0424 SMS SMH (+61 424 767 764) or email us with information. -------------- Brian Joseph Spillane, 65, a former priest, was arrested over the case in May. He faced Bathurst Local Court in July, charged with 33 separate offences. The charges included six counts of sexual intercourse with pupils aged 11, 12 and 13. He is facing 18 counts alleging he engaged in acts of gross indecency with the pupils he allegedly solicited and incited to commit gross acts of indecency. Other allegations against Spillane relate to male-to-male sexual intercourse with persons from 10 to 16 years of age under authority. Superintendent Goodwin said investigations were continuing. Police also believe there are other alleged victims who have yet to come forward, and are appealing for their help. Last night St Stanislaus headmaster John Edwards said he had not been informed by authorities of any further investigation beyond the case already before the courts. He believed he would have been informed by authorities if there was any investigation involving current students. "I have not been informed of any subsequent allegations by a proper authority," he told the Herald last night. "We view allegations of any sexual misconduct towards children with grave concern. We are concerned for the wellbeing of any child - whether they now be adult or not - who may have been subject to abuse. "We strongly support the process of thoroughly investigating allegations of sexual misconduct towards children." Superintendent Goodwin appealed for anyone with information or concerns to come forward. "During our inquiries we have obtained comprehensive statements from a number of people who have assisted with the investigation," he said. "I can understand it would be very difficult to come forward and discuss such matters, but I would reassure anyone with information that a phone call to police would be dealt with in the strictest confidence." A prestigious day and boarding school for boys, St Stanislaus was founded in 1867. A priest who worked at the school in the 1970s was charged in 1994 over alleged sexual abuse of two students. The priest was acquitted of all charges but the Vincentian order, which runs the school, made a cash payment of about $40,000 to one of the students. Bishop Michael Malone, who later employed the priest in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, said: "I understand the reason for that was that the Vincentians could have fought the matter in civil court and it would have been very costly with regard to legal costs to them even if they had won, unless costs were awarded against the alleged victim." - with Dylan Welch ||||| The principal of Bathurst's St Stanislaus College says he is not aware of any current paedophile activity at the school. John Edwards says he received information several years ago about alleged sexual misbehaviour at St Stanislaus during the 1980s, and forwarded it to police. In May, police charged a 65-year-old former priest with 33 counts of sexual assault and gross acts of indecency against five boys. Another eight men are now alleging similar abuse. Mr Edwards says the allegations are "gravely concerning" and he hopes they are properly dealt with by the courts. "It is absolutely a requirement for this matter to be open, for this matter to be addressed and this matter to be resolved," he said. "This school is very concerned to ensure that children are treated well and that their interests are protected." The commander of the Bathurst-based Chifley Command, Superintendent Michael Goodwin, says the investigation is ongoing. "If there's anyone out there that is currently concerned they may be the subject of this particular investigation they are urged to come forward in the strictest confidence and contact CrimeStoppers," he said. "These allegations happened some 20-odd years ago, there is absolutely no suggestion whatsoever that the college involved is/has been looking to anything in the current day. "The college involved has been cooperating with the police completely with this inquiry." Meanwhile the lawyer for the former priest accused of sexually abusing students says he has not seen any new claims against his client. Lawyer Greg Walsh says he learned about the new claims through the media. "I don't know anything about eight alleged other victims, I've not been served with any witness statements so I really can't comment about it," he said. "I would be looking forward to being extended the basic courtesy of being served with some witness statements." ||||| Police in New South Wales have broadened their investigation into alleged sexual assaults at a Catholic boarding school in Bathurst around 30 years ago. Earlier this year police charged a 65-year-old Sydney man with 33 counts of sexual assault and gross acts of indecency on five juveniles aged between 10 and 18. The offences allegedly occurred at St Stanislaus College in the 1970s and 80s. The man has faced court and is scheduled to reappear next month. Since then, a further eight people have come forward alleging similar assaults. The commander of the Bathurst-based Chifley Command, Superintendent Michael Goodwin, says the investigation is ongoing. "If there's anyone out there that is currently concerned they may be the subject of this particular investigation they are urged to come forward in the strictest confidence and contact CrimeStoppers," he said. "These allegations happened some 20 odd years ago, there is absolutely no suggestion whatsoever that the college involved is/has been looking to anything in the current day. "The college involved has been cooperating with the police completely with this inquiry." The school's principal says he is not aware of any current paedophile activity at the school. John Edwards says the allegations are "gravely concerning" and he hopes they are properly dealt with by the courts. "It is absolutely a requirement for this matter to be open, for this matter to be addressed and this matter to be resolved," he said. "This school is very concerned to ensure that children are treated well and that their interests are protected." ||||| Sexual abuse victim fights for justice 'I couldn't relax, it completely ruined my life.' 'Chanting, spells and abuse' HIS life ruined by alleged sexual abuse, a former student of St Stanislaus college went to Bathurst armed with leaflets and a hope justice would be served. He put his leaflets, which detailed abuse allegations and his website address, in letter boxes and handed them out on the street "to everyone" he could. Many people had written the now 35-year-old off as crazy but his brave quest to Bathurst in September last year prompted the school to call in police. "The police rang me up and said 'What is going on, do you want to make a complaint'. By Friday they said people were going to make statements. Going to Bathurst to hand out leaflets was my last recourse," he told The Daily Telegraph. He said he tried to escape his pain by doing a tai chi course in China but found he had to come home and go straight to the central west NSW town. "I couldn't relax, this completely ruined my life. I jumped on a plane and came home, I was climbing the walls," he said. "I started writing a document for a solicitor, I went up to the solicitor and he just wasn't interested, then I put it on the internet and took the leaflet to Bathurst." After a year-long investigation by detectives, one former priest has been charged with 33 child sex offences and at least two others are under investigation. Some of the man's memories of horrendous abuse came flooding back after a former teacher was convicted of sexually assaulting him about five years ago. He said his claims were discounted until others came forward with allegations relating to other former staff at the school. He was willing to put his name to his claims to attract police attention to the case - but he is one of five alleged victims of the priest and a court order prevents his name being used. Before going off to board at the school the man once posed happily as a 13-year-old in his first St Stanislaus uniform which he said "cost my family a fortune". He saw his former school featured in a movie about 15 years ago and he said "it felt like a huge black cloud just came over me". "As soon as I thought about the school I got really depressed for weeks," he said. Detective Inspector Joel Fawkner yesterday urged anyone with information to contact police: "I would reassure anyone with information that a phone call to police would be dealt with in strictest confidence." Share this article NEWS.com.au is not responsible for the content of external sites. ||||| Cowboys star sidelined after training mishap North Queensland’s horror start to the season has suffered another major blow with star forward Jason Taumalolo facing a stint on the sidelines with a hand injury. NRL Late Mail: Eels lose centre to calf injury Keep up to date with late team changes and gossip heading into the second round of the 2021 NRL season. Hockey bombshell: Coach out, system broken One of our most-loved sporting teams is in crisis with the head coach quitting just months before the Tokyo Olympics as a report reveals the dysfunction.
New South Wales Police have broadened investigations into Australia's oldest Catholic boarding school, St Stanislaus College in Bathurst, New South Wales, following claims that at least 13 men were sexually abused while children at the school in the 1970s and 1980s. The claims have surfaced following police being alerted in August last year. Police have appealed for victims to come forward, but acknowledged it may be difficult for some. "I would imagine it would be very hard for anyone subject to these sort of things to come forward," Detective Superintendent Michael Goodwin said. "All I can say is that NSW police force will be providing every form of support we possibly can to make the process for them as trouble-free as possible." St Stanislaus College is at the centre of an on-going child-sex abuse investigation. Superintendent Goodwin reassured the community that the allegations date back two decades and there is "absolutely no suggestion whatsoever that the college involved is/has been looking to anything in the current day." "The college involved has been cooperating with the police completely with this inquiry," Goodwin added. The police would not release how many suspects were being investigated but said their inquiries had not led them to any other locations where former staff may have been employed. Superintendent Goodwin said Police were exploring all lines of enquiry and that "no loose ends are being let go at this stage." The school's principal, John Edwards, said the police had served him with a search warrant last month which listed the names of three former staff members. "There were three former staff member who were listed on the search warrant that was served on me in early July, and we facilitated the gathering of material for police," Mr Edwards told Fairfax Radio Network. Mr Edwards called for the matter to be transparent and described the complaints as "gravely concerning" and he hopes they are properly dealt with by the courts. Front of St Stanislaus College in Bathurst, facing Brilliant Street. "It is absolutely a requirement for this matter to be open, for this matter to be addressed and this matter to be resolved," he said. "This school is very concerned to ensure that children are treated well and that their interests are protected." A former priest, Brian Joseph Spillane, aged 65 was arrested over the case in May. He faced Bathurst Local Court in July, facing 33 separate charges including six counts of sexual intercourse with pupils aged 10 and 18. Spillane's lawyer, Greg Walsh, says media reports alerted him to the new claims. "I don't know anything about eight alleged other victims, I've not been served with any witness statements so I really can't comment about it," said Walsh. One former student described the alleged abuse as "an orgy", claiming that boys were herded into a prayer room by a priest chanting "hypnotic" spells in tongues. It is alleged that boys were subject to sexual abuse or forced to assault each other once in the prayer room. A former border told ''The Daily Telegraph'' that priests "got a group between eight and 12 of us together and they'd just start chanting and I would wake up during these sessions and see what was going on." The allegations came to light after one of the alleged victims made a visit to Bathurst last year to hand out fliers documenting the abuse and providing a link to his website address. The school called in police, who the victim claims contacted him and asked him to make a complaint.
By Alexia Vlahos SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Scientists searching for a planet like Earth said on Tuesday they have found the smallest planet ever detected outside the solar system, less than twice the size of our own. The exoplanet, a planet that orbits a star beyond the solar system, is called Gliese 581e after the star it circles. Because of its relatively small size it is likely rocky, like Earth, as opposed to gas giants such as Jupiter or Saturn, the astronomers said. "It is the lightest planet detected outside the solar system so far," Dr. Gaspare Lo Curto, an astronomer at the European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, told a news conference. "We are not too far away from finding a planet like Earth," he added. Gliese 581e orbits its star in just 3.15 days, but lies outside a so-called "habitable zone" and could not sustain life, Lo Curto said. Its mass is just 1.9 times that of Earth, and it is 20.5 light years away. But while the small planet is outside the habitable zone, the biggest of three other previously discovered planets in the same system appears to be inside this just-right zone. "The most outlying planet is inside what is defined as a habitable zone, which is a zone where there could be water in a liquid state on the surface of the planet," Lo Curto said. The international team of researchers used a 3.6 meter telescope at the Paranal Observatory in La Silla, 370 miles north of Chile's capital Santiago. Their findings are also being presented to an astronomical meeting this week in Britain. Around 340 exoplanets have so far been found orbiting other stars besides the Earth's sun, most of them gas giants with characteristics similar to Jupiter and Neptune. (Editing by Simon Gardner and Vicki Allen) ||||| It probably wouldn't feel exactly like home. But the planet known as Gliese 581d has a lot more in common with Earth than astronomers first thought. New measurements of the planet's orbit place it firmly in a region where conditions would be right for liquid water, and thus life as we know it, astronomer Michel Mayor, from Geneva University in Switzerland, announced today. "It lies in the [life-supporting] habitable zone, and it could have an ocean at its surface," Mayor said during the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science conference, being held this week at the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K. First discovered in 2007, Gliese 581d was originally calculated to be too far away from its host star—and therefore too cold—to support an ocean. But Mayor and colleagues now show that the extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, orbits its host in 66.8 days, putting it just inside the cool star's habitable zone. At the same time, Mayor and colleagues announced that they have spotted a fourth planet orbiting in the Gliese 581 star system—and it's the lightest exoplanet found so far. The planet, dubbed Gliese 581e, is only about twice the mass of Earth and is the closest planet to the star, completing its orbit in about 3.15 days. "It brings down the mass [of the lightest known exoplanet] by more than a factor of two. The previous smallest was around five Earth masses," said Andrew Collier Cameron, an astronomer at the University of Saint Andrews in the U.K. who was not involved in the find. (Related: "Mysterious 'Super Earth' Is Smallest Known Exoplanet?") Near Neighbor Gliese 581, a red dwarf star in the constellation Libra, lies around 20.5 light-years from Earth. "In astronomical terms it is one of our near neighbors, the 87th closest known star system to the sun," said Carole Haswell, an astronomer at the Open University in Milton Keynes, U.K. Since planets orbiting Gliese 581 are too far away to be seen directly, Mayor and colleagues originally spotted Gliese 581d by searching for tiny wobbles in the host star's motion using the European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescope at La Silla in Chile. Weighing in at around seven Earth masses, Gliese 581d is unlikely to be made of rocks alone, the team believes. "We can only speculate at this stage, but it may have a rocky core, encased in an icy layer, with a liquid ocean at the surface and an atmosphere," Mayor said. Meanwhile, the much smaller and lighter Gliese 581e "probably doesn't look too different to Earth, except that it will be very hot, because it is so close to its host star," said Andrew Norton, an astronomer also at the Open University. Norton's colleague Haswell added: "It is very exciting that such a promising candidate for an Earthlike planet has been found so close to us. It means there are likely to be many more when we search further." And the more Earthlike planets there are, the greater the chance of discovering one that harbors life. "I think it is only a matter of time," Norton said. "If life really does exist elsewhere in the universe, then within the next 10 to 15 years I expect we may see the first signs of life, via spectroscopic signals from exoplanets." ||||| HATFIELD, England – In the search for Earth-like planets, astronomers zeroed in Tuesday on two places that look awfully familiar to home. One is close to the right size. The other is in the right place. European researchers said they not only found the smallest exoplanet ever, called Gliese 581 e, but realized that a neighboring planet discovered earlier, Gliese 581 d, was in the prime habitable zone for potential life. "The Holy Grail of current exoplanet research is the detection of a rocky, Earth-like planet in the 'habitable zone,'" said Michel Mayor, an astrophysicist at Geneva University in Switzerland. An American expert called the discovery of the tiny planet "extraordinary." Gliese 581 e is only 1.9 times the size of Earth — while previous planets found outside our solar system are closer to the size of massive Jupiter, which NASA says could swallow more than 1,000 Earths. Gliese 581 e sits close to the nearest star, making it too hot to support life. Still, Mayor said its discovery in a solar system 20 1/2 light years away from Earth is a "good example that we are progressing in the detection of Earth-like planets." Scientists also discovered that the orbit of planet Gliese 581 d, which was found in 2007, was located within the "habitable zone" — a region around a sun-like star that would allow water to be liquid on the planet's surface, Mayor said. He spoke at a news conference Tuesday at the University of Hertfordshire during the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science. Gliese 581 d is probably too large to be made only of rocky material, fellow astronomer and team member Stephane Udry said, adding it was possible the planet had a "large and deep" ocean. "It is the first serious 'water-world' candidate," Udry said. Mayor's main planet-hunting competitor, Geoff Marcy of the University of California, Berkeley, praised the find of Gliese 581 e as "the most exciting discovery" so far of exoplanets — planets outside our solar system. "This discovery is absolutely extraordinary," Marcy told The Associated Press by e-mail, calling the discoveries a significant step in the search for Earth-like planets. While Gliese 581 e is too hot for life "it shows that nature makes such small planets, probably in large numbers," Marcy commented. "Surely the galaxy contains tens of billions of planets like the small, Earth-mass one announced here." Nearly 350 planets have been found outside our solar system, but so far nearly every one of them was found to be extremely unlikely to harbor life. Most were too close or too far from their sun, making them too hot or too cold for life. Others were too big and likely to be uninhabitable gas giants like Jupiter. Those that are too small are highly difficult to detect in the first place. Both Gliese 581 d and Gliese 581 e are located in constellation Libra and orbit around Gliese 581. Like other planets circling that star — scientists have discovered four so far — Gliese 581 e was found using the European Southern Observatory's telescope in La Silla, Chile. The telescope has a special instrument which splits light to find wobbles in different wavelengths. Those wobbles can reveal the existence of other worlds. "It is great work and shows the potential of this detection method," said Lisa Kaltenegger, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. ___ Associated Press Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report from Washington.
Scientists have made two major discoveries in the search for other Earth-like planets. British astronomers say they have discovered the smallest known Earth-like exoplanet orbiting a living star called Gliese 581 e and also discovered that a nearby planet called Gliese 581 d, discovered in 2007, is in the much sought after 'habitable zone'. Astronomers also believe there is a possibility that 581 d could have liquid oceans on its surface, calling the find "extraordinary." Artist's impression of the planetary system around the red dwarf Gliese 581. "The Holy Grail of current exoplanet research is the detection of a rocky, Earth-like planet in the 'habitable zone'," said astrophysicist at Switzerland's Geneva University, Michel Mayor. Astronomers say 581 e is 20.5 light years away from Earth and that it's roughly 1.9 times larger than Earth, making it the smallest exoplanet discovered to date. It was found using the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS). It orbits too close to its parent star, Gliese 581, which would make it too hot, unable to support life as we know it. It takes just over 3 days for it to orbit the star. Exoplanet 581 d, however, is another story. Astronomers say this makes it possible to not only support life, but have liquid water in the forms of oceans. 581 d is approximately 7.7 times larger than Earth. Astronomers originally thought it was too cold to have liquid water thus would not be able to host Earth-like life. "It is very exciting that such a promising candidate for an Earthlike planet has been found so close to us. It means there are likely to be many more when we search further," added Mayor.
News 05.03.2007 Intel Former Contractor is Free from Charge A former contractor who worked for Intel is free from a charge after he was convicted for hacking the systems of the company. The court investigation lasted for more than a decade. After bypassing the security system of the company, Randal L. Schwarz was arrested and convicted. However, in February he was offered an opportunity to start over without prejudice. He was arrested in 1993, when he used "Crack", program able to identify passwords of several former colleagues in Intel SSD (Supercomputer Systems Division). Mr. Schwartz left the division under suspicion and later decided to crack several Intel passwords so, according to Schwartz, to prove that the security within the company has worsened since he left. Another argument is that he wanted to reestablish respect that he lost after quiting Intel. More than a decade ago the hacker was convicted for three computer crimes. The court decided that he must pay Intel $ 68,000 restitution. Besides restitution payment Schwartz was sentenced to five years of probation, as well as 480 community service hours and ninety days of deferred jail time. By the end of the year hacker's legal bill surpassed $ 170,000. Nevertheless Schwartz refused to accept the fairness of the conviction. He stated that there was no intention to cause malicious damage. In 1999, after an appeal, the court dropped its restitution. Later, in 2006, the hacker asked for mercy. He appealed for grant of pardon from a Democratic governor, who was already famous for "granting pardons". Starting with February 2007, an order from a court in Oregon was given to expunge Schwartz's conviction. Former Intel contractor outlined that it will take a while to comprehend the result. He said that he is still in a shock to reach a certain point after more than 13 years of journey. ||||| Intel 'hacker' sentence expunged By Tom Espiner, ZDNet UK 05 March 2007 10:02 AM A former Intel contractor has seen his conviction for hacking into the company's systems expunged, after a battle lasting more than a decade. Randal L. Schwartz had his arrest and conviction for bypassing Intel security systems "set aside" at the beginning of February, legally giving him a clean slate. Schwartz was arrested in 1993 after using a program called "Crack" to find out the passwords of various former colleagues in the Intel Supercomputer Systems Division (SSD). Schwartz had left SSD under a cloud, and told the court he decided to crack the Intel passwords to show that SSD's security had gone downhill since he had left, and to reestablish respect he said he had lost when he left SSD. In late 1995, Schwartz was convicted of three counts of computer crime and ordered to pay Intel US$68,000 restitution. His sentence also included five years of probation, 480 hours of community service and 90 days of deferred jail time. His legal bill exceeded US$170,000 by the end of 1995. Schwartz has argued that his conviction was unfair, as he had not intended to cause any malicious damage. After an appeal, the restitution was dropped in 1999. In October 2006, Schwartz appealed for clemency from a Democratic governor who "had already granted a few pardons," Schwartz explained on the Yahoo Tech Groups site. At the beginning of February 2007, an Oregon court ordered an expungement of his conviction. Schwartz said that it will take a while for him to absorb the result. "Even a few weeks later, I'm still in a bit of shock that I've reached this point in this over-13-year journey," Schwartz said. "It probably won't fully sink in until the first time I travel freely into Canada, or fill out a contractor form that asks the question about criminal history, or apply for a Small Business Administration program that was formerly unavailable to me."
Intel logo A former contractor of Intel, who was convicted more than a decade ago for bypassing the security systems of the semiconductor company in 1993, is now free from charge. The hacker used a special program, named "Crack", that was able to detect the passwords of his former colleagues. He worked at Intel Supercomputer Systems Division and afterwards he suspiciously left the company. When Randal L. Schwartz was accused, the court sentenced him to pay Intel a restitution, estimated at US$68,000. Then the hacker was imposed to spend five years of probation and 480 hours of community service. In addition, the court sentenced Schwartz to 90 days of deferred jail time. All in all, the legal bills of the former Intel contractor exceeded US$170,000. Randal Schwartz told the court that the reason he used "Crack" is that he wanted to show the disadvantages of Intel's security system, especially when he left the company. He also mentioned about reestablishment of his respect, which, according to Schwartz, was lost. After more than a decade, he appealed to a Democratic governor. In February 2007 a court in Oregon expunged his conviction. Schwartz stated that it will take some time for him to absorb the result. The 13-year journey still keeps him in shock.
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian president Vladimir Putin has thrown his support behind deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev to replace him when he steps down as the country's leader next year. First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev pictured on the left of President Vladimir Putin. Following a meeting of four pro-Kremlin parties Monday, Putin said he "fully backs the candidature" of Medvedev in comments broadcast on Russian state television. Medvedev, who is also chairman of the state energy giant Gazprom, was officially nominated as the candidate for Putin's United Russia party. During a televised address, three other political parties -- Fair Russia, the Agrarian party and the Civil Force party - also declared their support for his candidature. Putin backed the current deputy prime minister and said that he "knows Medvedev and 1/8that he3/8 worked fruitfully with him for over 17 years." Medvedev was present for the nomination, which was announced by the leader of United Russia and the speaker of the Russian parliament Boris Gryzlov. A former lawyer who hails from Putin's native St Petersburg, Medvedev, 42, managed the president's election campaign in 2000 and is considered part of Putin's inner circle of advisers. He is widely expected to win presidential elections scheduled for next March due to the huge popular support that Putin and his party enjoy in Russia. United Russia swept up in elections earlier this month, winning nearly two-thirds of the national vote. The party now holds 315 seats in the 450-seat parliament while Fair Russia has 38 seats. The Russian leader, who has already made clear he wants to continue to have a political role in Russia, is tipped to be appointed the country's prime minister. Putin, whom critics accuse of undermining political and media freedoms while president, has already said he would consider taking on the post. Opposition groups were skeptical about Monday's announcement, claiming that the heavy influence of the president in the selection process made the choice of candidate "immaterial." "The name is immaterial to us, as we do not accept the very notion of a successor. People will vote for him the same as they voted for United Russia. What's the point in discussing his personal qualities?" Nikita Belykh, leader of the Union of Right Forces told Interfax, the state news agency. E-mail to a friend ||||| Mr Medvedev describes himself as pragmatic and business-friendly "I fully support this candidacy," Mr Putin was quoted as saying. Mr Medvedev was nominated by Mr Putin's United Russia Party and three other pro-Kremlin parties on Monday. Mr Medvedev was previously Mr Putin's chief of staff and is chairman of the gas giant Gazprom. He hails from Mr Putin's native St Petersburg. The 42-year-old former lawyer managed Mr Putin's election campaign in 2000. As first deputy prime minister he has overseen national programmes in the areas of health, housing and education. HAVE YOUR SAY He seems like a solid individual who will appeal to the next generation of Russians Christopher, Moscow Send us your comments He has long been a significant player in Mr Putin's group of close associates from St Petersburg. His name was put forward by United Russia, A Just Russia, the Agrarian Party and Civil Force, at a meeting with President Putin. Commenting on the choice, Mr Putin said: "I have known him for more than 17 years, I have worked with him very closely all these years, and I fully and completely support this candidacy". Likely winner The BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow says the overwhelming support for Mr Putin in Russia puts Mr Medvedev in a strong position to win the presidential election next March. He will be officially nominated by a special congress next week as the United Russia candidate. Fellow First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov had also been seen as a strong potential presidential candidate. Under Russia's political system the president enjoys far-reaching powers, including the appointment of regional governors. Earlier this month United Russia won the parliamentary election by a wide margin, and Putin supporters will dominate the new parliament. Mr Putin has made it clear he will retain a significant national leadership role after he leaves office at the end of his second term. Mr Putin voiced confidence that Mr Medvedev would provide continuity. "We have the chance to form a stable government after the elections in March 2008. And not just a stable government, but one that will carry out the course that has brought results for all of the past eight years," Mr Putin said. United Russia leader Boris Gryzlov highlighted Mr Medvedev's role in managing national projects aimed at raising Russian living standards. "Dmitry Anatolyevich (Medvedev) oversees national projects. He oversees the demographic programme and we believe that it is precisely the issues to do with raising standards of living that are the most important issues for the upcoming four-year period."
Dmitry Medvedev on July 27, 2007. Today, Dmitry Medvedev was named the candidate for of Russia by the ruling party , which holds majority in the newly-elected State Duma, the lower parliament of Russia. Medvedev, who is the current deputy prime minister of the and the chairman in the board of directors of , was also backed by three other parties and by the current president Vladimir Putin. This means the highly anticipated decision about the supposed successor has been announced. "I have known him for more than 17 years, I have worked with him very closely all these years, and I fully and completely support this candidacy," Putin said. "We have the chance to form a stable government after the elections in March 2008. And not just a stable government, but one that will carry out the course that has brought results for all of the past eight years." The declaration was unofficial: the formal nomination is expected on December 17, during United Russia's party conference. The is scheduled to be held on March 2, 2008.
Register for NYTimes.com. • Complete New York Times articles • Up-to-the-minute breaking news • In-depth multimedia presentations It's free and it only takes a minute! Member ID: Password: Forgot Your ID or Password? Remember my Member ID and password on this computer. ||||| BOSTON (MarketWatch) - Apparent confusion over a drug approval for diabetes triggered a minor sell-off in shares of Amylin Pharmaceuticals on Friday, even pressuring shares of partner Eli Lilly at one point. Shares of Amylin AMLN were down 5% at $17.34 Friday. Amylin's development partner, Eli Lilly LLY saw its stock rise marginally by late afternoon to $58.03. Early Friday, Amylin and Lilly announced that the Food and Drug Administration had approved their drug Byetta, also known as exenatide, for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes in patients whose blood sugars are not being adequately controlled by other medications. Byetta was approved to be used in conjunction with the popular diabetes medications metformin and sulfonylurea. Amylin and Lilly also said that the FDA had given the drug an approvable letter as a single agent therapy. With the approvable letter, the FDA would be obliged to make a decision on whether to approve the drug within six months of receiving its completed application, rather than the standard ten-month period. But investors apparently had expected Byetta to be approved initially as a single agent, prompting a minor sell-off in the stocks. Executives from both companies later told reporters that they had only sought approval for the drug as a combination therapy. "Confusion is the right word," said Lilly executive Brian Cooley. "Byetta got approval for the primary indication we were look for." Cooley added that the data the companies submitted to get the approvable letter as a single agent therapy "was just to explore a label expansion later." Lilly executives said that while they were interested in pursuing eventual approval for Byetta as a single agent therapy, but were unsure when that application could be made. The executives added that such an approval would likely need an additional Phase III study. They said the company planned to talk to the FDA about what type of studies would be needed for such an approval. Byetta is scheduled to be launched on June 1. The drug, which is injected, is administered twice a day around meal-time. Lilly said it was also exploring more convenient ways of administering the drug. Lilly estimated that there are approximately 18 million diabetics in the U.S., up to 8 million of which use oral medications to control their conditions. ||||| April 30, 2005 A new diabetes drug by Amylin Pharmaceuticals derived from the saliva of a Gila monster lizard has received government approval in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Byetta for people with Type 2 diabetes who have not achieved adequate control of their disease with oral medications. Byetta or exenatide, which is injected prior to morning and evening meals, was approved to be used in combination with popular oral diabetes medications. The FDA said Byetta could be approved as a stand-alone treatment if Amylin and its development partner Eli Lilly & Co. send regulators data to support it. "With Byetta's demonstrated effects on blood sugar and its safety profile, physicians and patients now have a new approach to fight the growing diabetes epidemic," said Sidney Taurel, CEO of Lilly. The new drug should be available in pharmacies by June 1 in the U.S.
A chemical part of the saliva of a poisonous lizard, the Gila monster, has become an integral partner in the control of Type 2 diabetes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its use for people who have not achieved adequate control of their diabetes with oral medications. Byetta, or exenatide, is produced by Amylin Pharmaceuticals. It is injected before eating morning and evening meals as part of a combination treatment with oral drugs. The FDA said it could be approved as a stand-alone treatment if the drug companies can support such use with data. Eli Lilly & Co. was the development partner in creation of the drug. "With Byetta's demonstrated effects on blood sugar and its safety profile, physicians and patients now have a new approach to fight the growing diabetes epidemic," said Sidney Taurel, CEO of Lilly.
Daniele Mastrogiacomo, 52, thought he would be killed Daniele's ordeal Daniele Mastrogiacomo, who works for the La Repubblica daily, was seized two weeks ago in southern Helmand province. Mr Mastrogiacomo was said to be in good health in hospital. His driver's body has yet to be handed over, while his translator has still not been freed. The men were kept in chains and moved 15 times while in captivity, he said. 'Horrific' Mr Mastrogiacomo was abducted while trying to interview senior Taleban officials. I saw him be decapitated... Then they wiped the knife on his clothes Daniele Mastrogiacomo "I'm very happy, I thank you all. I knew you wouldn't abandon me, and that gave me strength and courage," he said on Monday via La Repubblica's online television station. He said his Afghan driver had been decapitated in front of him by their Taleban guards. "I saw him being decapitated, it was horrific," he told Italian TG3 television. "I was shaking. Obviously I thought 'it's my turn now." Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said the release had not been "simple" and that more details would be released later. Italian officials say the journalist will arrive in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Tuesday and then fly home to Italy. Fears Fears for Mr Mastrogiacomo's safety grew last week when reports first emerged that his Afghan driver, a father of four, had been killed. Shortly afterwards, a tape was released in which the journalist said he had just two days to live. Contacts to negotiate his freedom intensified, culminating in his handover to Italian representatives on Monday. One Taleban leader, military commander Mullah Dadullah, told Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location that Mr Mastrogiacomo had been freed after Afghan authorities released five senior Taliban officials, including his own brother. There has been no official confirmation of this. ||||| La Repubblica newspaper reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo (L) speaks on a telephone after his release, while accompanied by Emergency aid agency doctor Gino Strada in Kandahar, Afghanistan March 19, 2007. Hundreds of family and friends of Mastrogiacomo's executed driver blockaded his hospital on Tuesday, demanding to know what happened to the dead man. LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Security forces arrested an Afghan hospital head on Tuesday after hundreds of people protested to demand information about the executed driver of kidnapped Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo. Rahamatullah Hanafi was arrested outside the Italian charity hospital in the southern town of Lashkar Gah, where the journalist was housed for the night after his release by the Taliban who had kidnapped him two weeks ago. Reasons for his arrest were not immediately known. But it came hours after hundreds of family and friends of the executed driver, Syed Agha, blockaded the emergency hospital, demanding to know what happened to the dead man. They chanted "Death to Rahamatullah!", and said they would not let Mastrogiacomo be driven away for a flight to Kabul until he met them to say what had happened to his driver. Mastrogiacomo spent the night in the hospital after being freed by the Taliban following almost two weeks in captivity, accused of spying and threatened with execution himself. Agha's throat was slit on Thursday after a Taliban court convicted him of spying, rebel officials said. His body had not been recovered. Mastrogiacomo, a Pakistani-born La Repubblica newspaper reporter, was due in Kabul on Tuesday, according to Italian ambassador Ettore Francesco Sequi. "(He is in) very good health," Sequi told reporters late on Monday night. "He's in very good physical condition." The Taliban say he was freed after the Afghan government handed over four of five insurgent leaders, including the brother of military commander Mullah Dadullah. Another Italian journalist, Gabriele Torsello, was kidnapped in Helmand in October and held for three weeks before being released unharmed. Helmand, the country's opium centre, and neighbouring Kandahar province, are considered the most dangerous places in Afghanistan. "My head is still spinning but I am happy. I managed to get out of the situation and I thank everybody who helped me," the freed Italian journalist told a TV channel owned by La Repubblica soon after his release on Monday. "This is the most wonderful moment of my life." The journalist said he had been "bound hand and foot" by his captors and moved to 15 different locations "as small as sheep pens, in the middle of the desert". He did not explain why he was travelling in an area regarded as unsafe for foreigners. Sequi refused to say if a ransom had been paid. NATO this month launched a major offensive in Helmand to take on the Taliban, as well as druglords. ||||| Enthusiasm and relief in Italy greeted the release of La Repubblica journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, released by his Afghan kidnappers after holding him hostage for two weeks. Italian authorities said Mastrogiacomo is in good health and is expected to return home on Tuesday. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome. Luisella Maria Longo Orhiuela, wife of Daniele Mastrogiacomo reacts to news of his release, 19 Mar 2007 Italy was overjoyed at the news of the release of Daniele Mastrogiacomo, the 52-year-old reporter of Italian daily La Repubblica, kidnapped in southern Afghanistan March 5. Mastrogiacomo was immediately taken to a hospital in Lashkar Gah where the aid group Emergency, which helped negotiate his freedom, is based. Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi expressed relief and happiness at the release of the journalist. He said it had not been simple to obtain his freedom. "I am beginning to relax," said Prodi. "These were truly dramatic days and I cannot hide that today I can breathe, with serenity and happiness, because we had some bad moments." The prime minister said Mastrogiacomo's release was obtained through the collective effort of Italian authorities, humanitarian officials and the Afghan government. Taleban rebels kidnapped the Italian journalist in southern Helmand province, along with his Afghan driver and interpreter. They accused Mastrogiacomo of spying for British forces. The Afghan driver was killed last week. The interpreter is believed to have been freed along with the journalist but no details were immediately available. Italian authorities were involved in intense negotiations to obtain the freedom of Mastrogiacomo. The Taleban's military commander, Mullah Dadullah, said the journalist was freed after Afghan authorities released five senior Taleban officials, including his own brother. No information was available on whether a ransom was also paid. After his release, Mastrogiacomo spoke by telephone to his family and colleagues. He described his captivity saying that his hands and feet were kept chained at all times. He said he feared he would be killed. He also said that during the day he was made to walk for miles in the desert and that he slept in 15 different prisons that were as tiny as sheep pens. Speaking by telephone he said: "I felt I had not been abandoned and that there was hope that I would stay alive. This gave me courage especially at night that was a time of great desperation." Mastrogiacomo thanked everyone in Italy for their support. ||||| Adjust font size: KABUL, Afghansitan (CNN) -- Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo has been released two weeks after he was reportedly taken captive by the Taliban, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry and the reporter's employer, La Repubblica newspaper. He was taken to an Italian-run hospital and has been in touch with Italy's ambassador to Afghanistan, according to the ministry and the newspaper. Mastrogiacomo, a reporter for the Rome-based newspaper, was kidnapped March 5 along with two Afghan colleagues in the southern province of Helmand. The government of Prime Minister Romano Prodi said it had been working day and night to free Mastrogiacomo since his abduction. Over the weekend, Prodi's private jet was flown to Kabul's airport in hopes of transporting the journalist back to Italy. Mastrogiacomo appeared Wednesday in a video in which he called for the Italian government to "do anything possible" to obtain his release, as well as that of his colleagues.
Helmand Province within Afganistan Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo was released by his Taliban captors in Afghanistan, Monday, after having been kidnapped and held hostage since March 5, 2007. Mastrogiacomo's intrepreter is believed to have been released as well, though no details are reported. Mastrogiacomo, a reporter with Italian newspaper '''', was taken captive in Helmand Province along with his Afghan interpreter and his driver, while attempting to obtain interviews with members of the Taliban. In a television interview after his release, Mastrogiacomo expressed his gratitude to those that worked for his release. "I'm very happy, I thank you all. I knew you wouldn't abandon me", said Mastrogiacomo. He also described some horrors that he witnessed while in captivity. Syed Agha had been killed in front of him by their captors. "I saw him being decapitated, it was horrific", Mastrogiacomo recalled. The driver, Syed Agha was reportedly decapitated by his captors for "spying" in the presence of Mastrogiacomo. Agha's family blockaded the hospital in Lashkar Gah where Mastrogiacomo was being treated, demanding to know what happened to Agha. For reasons still unclear, security forces arrested the head of that hospital, Rahamatullah Hanafi. Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah told that the release of Mastrogiacomo and his interpreter was secured through the exchange of five senior Taliban members. Romano Prodi suggested it was not a simple task to secure Mastrogiacomo's release, which was obtained with the help of Italian authorities, humanitarian officials and the Afghan government. According to Italian officials, Mastrogiacomo is to travel to on Tuesday and then secure a flight to Italy. '''This story has ''new developments''.''' ''Updated information can be found here''
QB Carr agrees to deal with Panthers NFL.com wire reports (April 6, 2007) -- A month after he was released by the Houston Texans, David Carr agreed to a two-year deal to play for the Carolina Panthers. Carr, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft, will serve as Jake Delhomme's backup. "It's a case where we were obviously looking for someone to come in back up Jake and the opportunity to get a quarterback the caliber of David in free agency is unique," Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said. "We thought it was a good situation and a good opportunity for us." Carr was a five-year starter for the expansion Texans. He completed 60 percent of his passes, but threw 65 interceptions and was sacked 249 times. Carr completed a career-high 68.3 percent of his passes last season, but was released by the Texans after they obtained Matt Schaub in a trade from Atlanta and anointed him as their starting quarterback. The Panthers believe Carr's troubles stemmed from Houston's poor offensive line, and tried to sign him during his visit with the team early in the week. Carr left without a contract and visited Seattle, while Carolina brought in former Miami quarterback Joey Harrington for a visit. But on Thursday Carr decided he wanted to sign with Carolina, and the two sides reached a deal over the phone early Friday morning, ending a nervous period for Hurney. "He met everybody and met Jake and I think he felt comfortable," Hurney said. "You never know what happens when he leaves without a contract. But we felt good about him I think he felt good about us and he made the decision to come here." The Panthers were looking for an experienced quarterback to back up Delhomme after releasing Chris Weinke last month. Weinke struggled in a relief role in three games last season when Delhomme had a sprained thumb, throwing two touchdown passes and four interceptions. The Panthers went 1-2 in those three games and the lone game they won came with Weinke throwing only seven passes. The 6-foot-3 Carr may have had other opportunities to start with other teams, but Hurney insisted Carr will back up Delhomme, who struggled last season as the Panthers finished disappointing 8-8. "We made it clear and he knows that Jake Delhomme is our starting quarterback," Hurney said. "I think it was important for him to come to a winning organization and a place where he thinks has a chance to win. He knows that Jake is our starter. Every player wants to play, but he knows the role he's coming into." The move means the Panthers now have the top two picks from the 2002 draft. Carolina selected defensive end Julius Peppers with No. 2 pick. Carr's signing is the biggest move the Panthers have made so far in free agency. Hurney has said they were content with 21 of 22 starters returning next season. 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Get information about upcoming Panthers features and live chat events, special sale offers in the NFL Shop and exciting NFL programs in your area! ||||| The Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms with free agent quarterback David Carr, the team announced Friday. Carr, 27, started all 16 games for the Houston Texans last year and completed a career-best 68.3 percent of his passes on 302-of-442 passing for 2,767 yards and 11 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He was released by Houston last month. Carr (6-3, 216 pounds) spent his first five NFL seasons with the Texans. He has played in 76 career games with 75 starts and completed 1,243-of-2,070 passes for 13,391 yards and 59 touchdowns with 65 interceptions to compile a passer rating of 75.5. "Jake's (Delhomme) our starter, but we wanted to get the quarterback position as deep as possible and we feel David Carr is a talented quarterback," said Carolina Panthers General Manager Marty Hurney. "We want someone who can come in and give us the best chance to win. David felt comfortable with the situation and the people he met, and we're pleased he did." The first overall pick of the 2002 NFL Draft by Houston ahead of Carolina's selection of defensive end Julius Peppers, Carr started all 16 games as a rookie and passed for 2,592 yards, the second-most for a rookie quarterback on an expansion team in NFL history. He set an NFL record in 2003 for consecutive starts by a quarterback on an expansion team with 23. In both the 2004 and 2005 campaigns, Carr completed more than 60 percent of his pass attempts and threw more touchdowns than interceptions. A product of Fresno State, Carr completed 587-of-934 passes for 7,849 yards and 70 touchdowns with 23 interceptions to generate a 141.4 quarterback rating in 37 career contests. As a senior in 2001, he led the nation in passing yards with 4,308 and touchdown passes with 42, becoming just the sixth quarterback in NCAA history to amass 4,000 passing yards and 40 touchdown passes in the same season.
David Carr, the first pick in Houston Texans history, and the first overall pick of the 2002 NFL Draft was signed Friday by the Carolina Panthers. Carr will serve as backup to current starter Jake Delhomme. Carr, a five-year starting quarterback for the Texans, completed 60 percent of his passes, but threw 65 interceptions and was sacked 249 times. He completed 68.3 percent of his passes last season, a career high. Carr was sacked 249 times in the past five seasons with the Texans, and was released by the organization after they made a trade with the Atlanta Falcons to acquire Matt Schaub, who had served as the backup quarterback to Michael Vick. The Panthers were in need of a quality backup quarterback after releasing seven-year veteran Chris Weinke in March. Weinke had struggled last season, leading the team to a 1-2 record during an injury to Delhomme. The move means the Panthers now have the top two picks from the 2002 draft. Carolina selected defensive end Julius Peppers with No. 2 pick. The Panthers have not done much outside of the Carr deal this off-season, with 21 of last season's 22 starting players returning to the team.
Click here for terms and conditions All prices carried by BBC News Online enjoy indicative status only. The BBC accepts no responsibility for their accuracy or for any use to which they may be put. All share prices and market indexes delayed at least 15 minutes, NYSE 20 minutes. ||||| Update The US Senate has passed a revised $US700 billion ($890 billion) financial bail-out bill, bringing the rescue plan one step closer to final passage. The vote was expected to send a positive signal to global markets that there may be some systemic relief to the crisis that has ensnared global banking, threatening the world's economy. The initial response in Australia, though, was weak, with the benchmark S&P/ASX-200 share index sliding more than 0.5%, before eventually seesawing back into the black in afternoon trade. The Australian dollar also slumped to below 79 US cents as investors ignored the biggest monthly trade surplus in more than 11 years. Final passage of the US plan, however, needs support in the US House of Representatives, which sent shockwaves through global markets this week by rejecting an earlier version of the bail-out proposal. A House vote may come as early as Friday, US time. President George Bush, along with Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Fed Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, is anxious for the bail-out to be passed, to avert further corporate failures and restore some calm to financial markets. The plan for the US Treasury to buy up billions of dollars in bad debts has run into a popular revolt by US voters who pressured the Congress to reject the bill just weeks ahead of presidential and congressional elections. The bill today passed easily through the Senate after it was strongly backed by the leadership of both the Republican and Democratic parties. The vote was 74 to 25 against. The Senate vote comes after the global banking system has been plunged into crisis with a string of corporate failures claiming some of the largest US financial firms including Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and American International Group. Market view Traders in Australia were divided over the impact of the Senate's vote. "I don't think it's enough to fix to the system," Rick Klusman, head of institutional trading at Aequs Securities. "I don't think the bill is enough to fix the problem." The string of corporate failures has created a loss of confidence in the market, which will take years to repair, he said. Stockbroker Alex Moffatt, of Joseph Palmer & Sons expressed guarded optimism for the effect of the bill's passage. The legislation today would encourage investors, however, the fate of the bail-out was far from clear. "It's a good thing but it still has to go through Congress," he said. Regarding the local market, Mr Moffatt noted the thin volumes: "This is one step along the way. And it's no guarantee it's going to fix it." US market futures were also less than cheered by the Senate vote. The Dow Jones futures were pointing to a fall of about 0.7% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average when the markets reopen in the US later today, according to Bloomberg. Australian trade figures for August, though, delivered some positive news. Rising prices and volumes for exports commodities including coal delivered a trade surplus of $1.36 billion for the month, the second surplus for the year, and the best result since June 1997. Analysts had been predicting a surplus of $200 million for the month, according to Bloomberg data. Imports, though, fell 2%, an indication of cooling demand in the domestic economy. Senate adds sweeteners The Senate vote is likely to add momentum to the push to pass the plan into law before the weekend. The package had been enhanced with several sweeteners including extending tax cuts for business and for the renewable energy industry and an increase in the insurance limits on bank deposits from $US100,000 to $US250,000. Stockbroker Alex Moffatt, of Joseph Palmer & Sons expressed guarded optimism for the effect of the bill's passage.The legislation today would encourage investors, however, the fate of the bail-out was far from clear."It's a good thing but it still has to go through Congress," he said.Regarding the local market, Mr Moffatt noted the thin volumes: "This is one step along the way. And it's no guarantee it's going to fix it."US market futures were also less than cheered by the Senate vote. The Dow Jones futures were pointing to a fall of about 0.7% for the Dow Jones Industrial Average when the markets reopen in the US later today, according to Bloomberg.Australian trade figures for August, though, delivered some positive news. Rising prices and volumes for exports commodities including coal delivered a trade surplus of $1.36 billion for the month, the second surplus for the year, and the best result since June 1997.Analysts had been predicting a surplus of $200 million for the month, according to Bloomberg data. Imports, though, fell 2%, an indication of cooling demand in the domestic economy.The Senate vote is likely to add momentum to the push to pass the plan into law before the weekend.The package had been enhanced with several sweeteners including extending tax cuts for business and for the renewable energy industry and an increase in the insurance limits on bank deposits from $US100,000 to $US250,000. Senators also retained the limits of "golden parachute'' severance payments to disgraced Wall Street executives, which were not in the original Bush administration plan. Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell said he was hopeful the Senate vote would prompt the House to follow suit. "I think a good vote coming out of the Senate will certainly be helpful over in the House side," he said. But it is still uncertain whether the bill has the numbers in the House of Representatives. It is now not expected to vote until Friday US time (Saturday Australian time), a sign that the leaders are still struggling to persuade 12 lawmakers to change their minds. On Monday, the House stunned the markets by rejecting the package 228-205. Unlike the Senate, where only one third of the 100 senators are facing re-election, the entire House must face the electorate in November.
} Dana Perino, White House spokesperson, speaking on the financial situation Stock markets around the world continued to fall dramatically today. This is following the ongoing events in the financial world, including the US Government's $700 billion bail out of the financial sector. As of 18:00 UTC, the primary UK index, the FTSE 100, was one of the few indexes to increase in value. It went up by 0.16% (16.03 points), but stayed below 5000 mark at 4605.22. Some shares in this index, however, fared very poorly, with shares in HBOS falling by an incredible 41.54% to end the day on 94 points. The Dow Jones index continued to fall today, and, as of 18:00 UTC, it had fallen 260.77 points, or 2.62% to 9694.73, continuing its run below 10,000. Bank of America fared worse, with a fall of 17.38%. The Nasdaq index also fell dramatically today, down 2.95% (54.97 points) to 1807.99 points. YRC Worldwide, Inc. was the biggest faller in this index, with its loss of 27.30% that took the company's share price down to 5.13. Dana Perino, a spokesperson for the White House, commented today on the recent falls in the stock market that are described above. "One of the things that the President can do is to remind them what this rescue package would do. One of the most important things that it would do is to make sure that everybody knows that their bank deposit is safe, insured by the FDIC, and the legislation allowed for a temporary increase from $100,000 to $250,000. This reassures people that their bank accounts are safe, and that's an important message," she stated, trying to reassure citizens. "But remember, with this rescue package, we asked the American people to do a really big thing and commit a lot of money in order to help prevent the credit freeze from affecting everybody lower on down the food chain. And to that extent, yes, the President thinks that it's important that they hear from the President of the United States about how he understands that nobody wanted to do this legislation, however, it was the right thing to do. And now that we've done it, the most important thing is that Treasury move in the most expeditious way possible, to be efficient and to be effective, to make sure that the plan will do what it's supposed to do and un-freeze these credit markets."
Two national groups say Kansas can't use their copyrighted material in proposed science standards that critics contend promote creationism. A specific gene mutation may be a marker for an increased risk of breast cancer in women with a family history of the disease, researchers report. Scientists say they've found areas with coastal forests, such as mangroves, were substantially less damaged by the 2004 tsunami than other areas. European scientists say they've identified the gene responsible for controlling a first key step in the creation of life. ||||| Printer-friendly format E-mail this story March 28, 2005, 7:57PM U.S. reacts quickly to provide aid, assistance Associated Press WASHINGTON — American diplomatic, geological and oceanic officials moved swiftly today to provide aid and planning assistance when a great earthquake struck near Indonesia. President Bush, on Air Force One returning from Texas to the White House, was briefed on the major earthquake off the west coast of Indonesia's Sumatra Island. The quake hit less than an hour before his plane lifted off from Texas, where he had celebrated Easter with his family. Just three months after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami that killed thousands, the new tremor struck in the same general area and raised fears of another great wave. Following the December 26 tsunami officials were critical of U.S. preparedness for such an event, calling for better warning systems. "The president has been briefed on the earthquake and we are monitoring the situation," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters on Bush's plane. When today's quake struck, the U.S. Geological Survey moved quickly to provide details via the Internet and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a warning that the quake has the potential to threaten a devastating wave. People within about 600 miles of the epicenter of today's earthquake near Indonesia should consider evacuating to higher ground, NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin. The center does not have tide gauges in the Indian Ocean and said it does not know whether a wave was generated, but said the quake "has the potential to generate a widely destructive tsunami in the ocean or seas." The State Department said that it had alerted all of its posts in the region. "Where we are right now is having alerted all our posts, been in contact with all our posts, putting ourselves in battle mode to be in a position where we can know what's going on and act appropriately if and when it's necessary," State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters. He said embassy officials in the area have been asking host governments to inquire about any casualties to permit an early U.S. response if the situation calls for it. Ereli also said there had been no reports of casualties as of this afternoon, Washington time. Pat McCrummen, a spokesman for the American Red Cross in Washington, said the agency confirmed that its workers involved in the relief effort in Indonesia were OK following the latest earthquake. He said Red Cross officials are awaiting further developments before initiating any new relief effort. "We still have people over there assisting from the first one, and they will be our first line of defense, once we know what kind of damage there is," he said. Bush recently sent his father, former President George H.W. Bush, and former President Clinton on a mission to visit areas hardest hit by the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami that killed at least 175,000 people in 12 Indian Ocean nations. The elder Bush and Clinton are heading up an effort, lead by Bush, to raise funds from private sources to assist the victims of the December tsunami. ADVERTISEMENT Return to top The newly designed Chronicle is now half-price for new subscribers! Houston Chronicle e-Edition Free 3-day sample
After facing criticism for being slow to act and initially giving too little after the December 26 Indonesian earthquake and tsunami, the United States government was quick to act when a massive earthquake hit Indonesia again March 28. U.S. State Department Adam Ereli said under orders of President George W. Bush, American embassy officials have been in contact with both Indonesia officials and the International Red Cross to coordinate international relief efforts and other foreign aid. The two former U.S. presidents, Bill Clinton and the current president's father, George H.W. Bush, already are heading up U.S. aid efforts in the region as the result of the last major temblor. "We still have people over there assisting from the first one, and they will be our first line of defense, once we know what kind of damage there is," Pat McCrummen, spokesman for the American Red Cross told the Associated Press. Although relief officials have been in contact with various governments, no specific pledge amount has been announced (as of 20:51, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC)).
A domestic worker in India at the early stages of preparing rice for consumption. She will be paid 100 rupees after drying 80 kilograms of rice grain. Photo: ILO/Mohammad S. J. 5 September 2012 – A United Nations treaty which provides a set of international standards to improve the lives of millions of domestic workers worldwide has now been ratified by a second Member State, the Philippines, allowing it to come into force next year, the world body announced today. The Convention on Domestic Workers, which states that workers around the world who care for families and households must have the same basic labour rights as other employees, was adopted at the annual conference of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) last year in Geneva. To enter into force, however, the Convention required ratification by two countries. In June, Uruguay became the first country to ratify it. “Today’s ratification by the Philippines sends a powerful signal to the millions of domestic workers who will be protected when the Convention comes into force,” said ILO’s Director-General, Juan Somavia. “I hope it will also send a signal to other Member States and that we will soon see more and more countries committing to protect the rights of domestic workers.” Recent ILO estimates based on national surveys or censuses in 117 countries place the number of domestic workers at a minimum of 53 million, but experts say there could be as many as 100 million across the world. In developing countries, they make up at least four to 12 per cent of those in wage employment, and around 83 per cent of them are women or girls, many of whom are migrant workers. “The new standard covers all domestic workers and provides for special measures to protect those workers who, because of their young age or nationality or live-in status, may be exposed to additional risks,” ILO said in a news release. The Convention also states that domestic workers must have the right to reasonable working hours, weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, a limit on in-kind payments and clear information on terms and conditions of their employment, as well as the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. ||||| Landmark treaty for domestic workers to take effect next year MANILA, Philippines – The ILO Convention 189, aimed at providing better protection for migrant domestic workers, is set to take effect next year as the Philippines finalized its ratification for the treaty. In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Ambassador Evan Garcia had turned over the country’s Instrument for Ratification of ILO Convention 189 to International Labor Organization (ILO) Director General (DG) Juan Somavia at the ILO Headquarters in Geneva Wednesday. “Today’s ratification by the Philippines sends a powerful signal to the millions of domestic workers who will be protected when the Convention comes into force. I hope it will also send a signal to other member States and that we will soon see more and more countries committing to protect the rights of domestic workers,” said Somavia in a separate statement. ILO Convention 109, also known as Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers, had been described by the ILO as a move that would “extend the ILO standards to a sector which continues to be poorly regulated and remains largely part of the informal economy.” It said the convention would give househelp the same rights as other regular workers. “The new standard covers all domestic workers and provides for special measures to protect those workers who, because of their young age or nationality or live-in status, may be exposed to additional risks,” the ILO said. The ILO also noted that in developing countries like the Philippines, domestic workers made up at least four to 12 per cent of wage employment. It said that around 83 per cent of these workers were women or girls, and many were migrant workers. The Philippines is the second country to ratify the ILO Convention after it was adopted by the 100th ILO Conference in June 2011. Uruguay ratified the said convention on June 14, 2012 Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines.
left The (also known as the Convention 189) is to take effect next year after the ratified it earlier this month, according to the United Nations. It follows the lead taken by which ratified it earlier this year. Only two countries are needed in order for it to take effect. Upon taking effect, the convention is intended to protect the rights of around 53 to 100 million around the world. Based on UN estimates, many of them are and . The ILO has noted that these workers work in a sector that lacks regulation and is informal. According to the UN, the convention intends to grant the workers several rights. These include and , protection from , , and . Also included are chapters that entitles domestic workers to a that specifies the type of work, , the , , and days off. == Sources == * * * *
Jordan's parliament has been dissolved by the monarch twice within ten years [AFP] Jordan's parliament has been dissolved by the monarch twice within ten years [AFP] King Abdullah of Jordan has dissolved parliament and ordered a general election to be held two years ahead of schedule. The decision on Tuesday to send home the country's 110 parliamentarians followed reports in the media accusing politicians of incompetently handling legislation and, in some cases, corruption. The royal decree instructed the civil service to organise a snap election that will replace the two-year old parliament, which dominated by independent and tribal MPs loyal to the king. Within 30 minutes of the dissolution being announced, websites were awash with postings applauding the decision. One popular website, Ammon, carried more than 200 messages. "The best news I heard in two years - our political life was in a coma and this measure was necessary," a man calling himself Irbidaoui wrote. Dozens of readers said the royal decree was the "best gift for Eid" - the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice which starts on Thursday in Jordan. Time for change? Jordanian media have reported increasing political wrangling between pro-government MPs and the Islamist and leftist opposition over an electoral law and constituency boundaries. But it is not clear now if any changes can be made before the early election. Only six of the 22 candidates fielded by the Islamic Action Front (IAF) were victorious in the last general election on November 20, 2007, a tally sharply down on the 17 seats it won in the previous polls in 2003. After that vote, the IAF - the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood - claimed there had been widespread vote-buying in some constituencies despite pledges of transparency from the government. Even in their traditional stronghold of Zarqa, an impoverished city east of the capital Amman, the Islamists failed to win a single seat. The IAF withdrew all of its candidates from municipal polls in July 2007, complaining that there were insufficient safeguards against electoral fraud. It is the second time the king has dissolved parliament early since he acceded to the throne in 1999. ||||| King Abdullah's decree called for early elections, but did not name a date Jordan's King Abdullah has dissolved the country's parliament halfway through its four-year term and called for early elections, state TV has said. No reason was given in the royal edict, but the lower house had been accused of handling legislation ineptly. Critics say that, since being elected in 2007, MPs have failed to address key issues like unemployment and poverty. But opposition MPs said the government had dissolved parliament so it could pass legislation under emergency laws. The Chamber of Deputies has the power to dismiss prime ministers and cabinets appointed by the king, and can veto government bills. The cabinet recently failed to get approval for changes to the election law that would have further reduced the influence in parliament of the opposition Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood. Unknown date "Clearly the government wants things its own way," Hamza Mansour, whose Islamic Action Front is the political arm of the Brotherhood and holds six seats in parliament, told the Associated Press. Constitutionally, the new chamber must convene within four months In the last election in November 2007, the Islamic Action Front saw its number of seats in parliament fall from 17 to 6 as a result of the current election law, which reduced the representation of urban areas - traditional Islamist strongholds - in favour of rural areas, which subsequently elected independents loyal to the king. In many tribal areas, each MP represents only 2,000-3,000 voters, compared with more than 90,000 voters per MP in the capital, Amman. The royal decree, issued on Monday evening, told the government to organise early parliamentary elections, but did not name a date. According to the constitution, the new chamber must convene within four months. However, MPs say the king could delay elections. This was the second time King Abdullah has dissolved parliament since he acceded to the throne in 1999. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version
King Abdullah at the Pentagon in 2001The King of Jordan, King Abdullah, dissolved the country's parliament on Tuesday, half-way through its four year term, and called for early general elections to be held, up to two years ahead of schedule. The monarch did not immediately provide a reason for the move; however, there have recently been reports accusing the parliament of handling legislation ineptly, and even of being corrupt. The king's decree ordered the civil service to host new elections to replace the 110-member parliament, although an exact date for the polls hasn't yet been named. Critics of the parliament have said that its members didn't properly address issues such as unemployment and poverty. The opposition, however, asserted that the house had been disbanded so that the government could use emergency laws to pass legislation. King Abdullah has now disbanded the parliament two times since he came to power in 1999.
N.J. Police and citizens help save trucker's life after Turnpike crash by Brian T. Murray/The Star-Ledger Tuesday March 31, 2009, 7:17 PM Good fortune, good police work and good Samaritans helped save the life of a trucker who suffered an apparent heart attack and crashed his rig near the entrance to the New Jersey Turnpike in Edison today, State Police said. Robert R. Harrington, 44, of Fitchburg, Mass., remains in critical condition at JFK Medical Center in Edison where he was taken after he was resuscitated at the scene by a State Trooper and a New York fireman who witnessed the accident. The crash occurred at about 10 a.m. near the toll plaza leading from Route 287 to the Turnpike, police said. Harrington's rig passed through the toll booth, but then suddenly veered across eight lanes of traffic, jackknifed and crashed into a guardrail. Miraculously, no other vehicles were struck, police said. "He wasn't breathing when the trooper got to him," said Sgt. Steven Jones, a State Police spokesman. "Trooper Sean Fitzgerald, with the help of Tom Brennan, a New York firefighter, resuscitated him and kept him going until medics arrived. He's still in critical conditions, but still alive." State Police are crediting Fitzgerald and Brennan with saving Harrington's life. But Fitzgerald credited others at the scene. Attempts by other motorists to help was inspiring, he said. "I got there in four minutes or less. I was on the other side of the Turnpike when I got the call. ... His tractor trailer had cut across the toll plaza and ended up perpendicular to the ramp, blocking it," said Fitzgerald, 29, a four-year State Police veteran who is stationed at the Cranbury baracks. "Bystanders were carrying (Harrington) out of the truck when I got there." Brennan, of Pearl River, N.Y., called in the accident and started performing CPR on Harrington. Fitzgerald grabbed a defibrillator from his patrol car, and both men gave the unconscious trucker two jolts, hoping to revive him. "We performed CPR and attached the defibrillator to his chest and provided two shocks because he was not breathing," Fitzgerald said. "We just continued ... until paramedics arrived and advised us he was breathing again. The defibrillator was a big help." Fitzgerald said this is the first time he has had to use the defibrillator, which he carries in his cruiser. "As a trooper, you see more negative than positive out there," he said. "It feels good when you can help someone and it feels good knowing that all those people had stopped to help before I got there." ||||| Billy Joel Billy Joel's 32 Coliseum shows Explore the Piano Man's Coliseum history, 1977-now. Long Island Taxpayer cash for felon's nonprofit Elected officials have steered $1.38M in taxpayer dollars and other assistance to the organization, a Business Does your grocer have violations? Check to see if your supermarket or grocery store received any violations using our interactive Long Island LI battling 'zombie house' epidemic Long Island is being called the 'epicenter' of the 'zombie house' problem. Newsday Long Island through the years A collection of nostalgic photos from LI's rich history.
A New Jersey state trooper and off-duty firefighter saved the life of a trucker who crashed on the New Jersey Turnpike. Middlesex County in New Jesey. A tractor-trailer veered across eight traffic lanes and jackknifed into a guardrail Tuesday morning near a turnpike entrance ramp in Edison just off route 287. Robert Harrison, the 44-year-old driver, suffered an apparent heart attack following the crash. Trooper Sean Fitzgerald applied a defibrillator and began CPR when he realized Harrington wasn't breathing. Firefighter Tom Brennan assisted with CPR until an ambulance arrived. Harrington, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, was taken to an area hospital and is listed in critical condition. No other vehicles were struck during the crash. Authorities said others at the scene also assisted, including a turnpike employee and two motorists who carried Harrington out of the truck as police arrived. Fitzgerald said he had never used the defibrillator before Tuesday. "As a trooper, you see more negative than positive out there," Fitzgerald said. "It feels good when you can help someone and it feels good knowing that all those people had stopped to help before I got there." State Police Sergeant Stephen Jones said the crash was likely caused by a medical issue, but they are still investigating.
David Cameron met President Karzai at the PM's country residence David Cameron has held a meeting with the Afghan President Hamid Karzai, his first with a foreign leader since becoming UK prime minister. Both leaders agreed they wanted to "further strengthen" relations between their countries. The talks were held at Chequers, the prime minister's country residence. President Karzai stopped over in the UK on his way back from Washington, where he discussed issues with US President Barack Obama. Downing Street said President Karzai's stopover was "an opportunity for early discussions" following on from previous meetings when Mr Cameron was leader of the opposition. Officials also said it was President Karzai who had requested the meeting with the new prime minister. 'Crucial year' A Downing Street spokesman said the pair discussed President Karzai's "very successful" visit to Washington and the prospects for the peace gathering - or jirga - in Afghanistan at the end of May. In the last few days Mr Cameron has been swift to reaffirm Britain's commitment to the mission to build a secure and stable future for Afghanistan Bridget Kendall BBC diplomatic correspondent "Both the president and prime minister agreed that the relationship between Afghanistan and Britain should be further strengthened," he said. "The president and the prime minister expressed their admiration for the courage and skill of the British military in Afghanistan, and the sacrifices that British forces have made." BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall said President Karzai would be keen to establish for himself what relations with the new British leader and new coalition government might be. "His relations with the previous Labour government were on occasion strained. And in earlier interviews, David Cameron's enthusiasm for President Karzai has sometimes been less than fulsome," she said. "But in the last few days Mr Cameron has already been swift to reaffirm Britain's commitment to the mission to build a secure and stable future for Afghanistan." Mr Hague says the UK and US should "take stock" on Afghanistan Afghanistan was top of the agenda on Friday when Foreign Secretary William Hague met his US counterpart Hillary Clinton in Washington. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was going to be a "crucial year" for Afghanistan. "Progress is being made but now we have to see an effective political process as well," he said. "And that's what the United States has been working so hard on this week and that's where our efforts in our British relations with President Karzai and his government will come in over the coming weeks in a strongly co-ordinated way." 'Burden sharing' Mr Cameron will hold further discussions at Chequers with Defence Secretary Liam Fox, national security adviser Sir Peter Ricketts and service chiefs. Mr Fox has indicated he will put additional pressure on some of Britain's EU partners to make greater contributions to the Nato effort in Afghanistan. Mr Fox said the UK was in Afghanistan for "national security reasons" Britain has about 9,500 troops deployed in Afghanistan, engaged in fighting the Taliban on the frontline in Helmand province and training the Afghan army and police. In comparison, Germany's troop contribution is 4,665 personnel, France's is 3,750 and Italy's is 3,300. Mr Fox told the Sun: "It is unreasonable to expect Britain to carry such a full burden inside the Nato alliance. We need to find better ways of burden sharing." The new defence secretary declined to set a date for the completion of Britain's mission in Afghanistan. "We are in Afghanistan for reasons of our national security," he said. "We need to succeed if we are to deal with the terrorist threat. There are lots of other things to do in Afghanistan on democracy, human rights. But they are in addition to our military mission. "We have to be clear that success in our military mission means the Afghan security forces need to contain the threats. Our job has to be to train Afghan forces so that can happen." Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| Afghan President Hamid Karzai has become the first foreign leader to meet the new UK Prime Minister David Cameron. Karzai stopped off in London on his way back from Washington, after a high-profile visit to soothe ties with US President Barack Obama. Observers say the trip shows just how important NATO’s Afghan operation is to Karzai. His administration has been criticised for failing to tackle corruption. Many say this is hurting U.S.- led efforts to fight the Taliban. Hurting is something British troops and their families back home are all too familiar with. Almost 300 soldiers have been killed in action since the Afghan conflict began in 2001. Britain is the second-largest contributor of troops to the NATO-led Afghan force, with 9,500 based mainly in the southern province of Helmand. The previous Labour government was criticised for failing to provide adequate equipment for its soldiers. Copyright © 2011 euronews Tags: Afghanistan, David Cameron, Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai speaking at the Munich Security Conference in 2009 Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday visited the UK for talks with newly-elected Prime Minister David Cameron. The meeting took place at , the prime minister's official country residence, and is Cameron's first since last week's general election. Karzai was en route back to Afghanistan from a visit to the United States where he held talks with President Barack Obama. Downing Street called the meeting "an opportunity for early discussions" between the Afghan president and the new prime minister, pointing out that Karzai himself had requested the meeting to follow up on conversations the two leaders had had while Cameron was leader of the opposition. David Cameron giving a speech to the World Economic Forum earlier in 2010 According to a spokesman, the discussions had centred around Karzai's visit to the US, which he called "very successful", and "both the president and prime minister agreed that the relationship between Afghanistan and Britain should be further strengthened ... The president and the prime minister expressed their admiration for the courage and skill of the British military in Afghanistan, and the sacrifices that British forces have made". After the meeting with Karzai, Cameron held further discussions with his Defence Secretary along with senior civil servants and service chiefs. The UK's contingent of the NATO force in Afghanistan currently numbers around 9,500— the second largest contingent after the United States.
Former Brazilian President Itamar Franco dies Franco was seen as an unassuming politician Former Brazilian President Itamar Franco has died in Sao Paulo aged 81 from complications from leukaemia. Mr Franco, who had been vice-president, took over the presidential role in October 1992, when then-president Fernando Collor de Mello was facing impeachment proceedings. He remained in the post until January 1995, at a time of hyper-inflation. His choice as finance minister, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, is widely credited with stabilising the economy. Mr Franco was elected in 1990 as the running mate of Fernando Collor de Mello. He was obliged to step in as corruption charges swirled around Mr Collor. He officially assumed the presidency in December 1992 when Mr Collor resigned. Mr Franco himself was seen as a modest, unassuming politician and he left office with high approval ratings. He also served as governor of his home state of Minas Gerais. But he hit the headlines in a dramatic way in 1994 when he was watching the Carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro alongside model Lilian Ramos. As she danced next to the president, photographers took pictures that revealed she was not wearing any underwear. Mr Franco will also be remembered for the Plan Real, a set of economic measures devised to end Brazil's high inflation rate by raising interest rates and controlling government spending. After his spell as president, he served as ambassador to Portugal and as Brazil's representative to the Organization of American States. He was still serving as a senator for Minas Gerais at the time of his death. On Sunday, Mr Itamar's body will be taken to Juiz de Fora in Minas Gerais, where he grew up and started his political career. There, his body will lie in state before the cremation in the state capital Belo Horizonte on Monday. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has declared seven days of mourning. ||||| HOME | Brazil (Click here for more) Former Brazilian President Itamar Franco Dies The former head of state died Saturday morning, a little more than a month after he was diagnosed with leukemia, according to Albert Einstein Hospital SAO PAULO – Former Brazilian President Itamar Franco died Saturday at a hospital in the city of Sao Paulo, where for the past six weeks he was in treatment for leukemia and severe pneumonia, his doctors said. He was 81. The former head of state died Saturday morning, a little more than a month after he was diagnosed with leukemia, according to Albert Einstein Hospital. Franco, elected last October as senator for the Socialist Popular Party for the state of Minas Gerais, had requested a leave of absence from the Senate in May to undergo cancer treatment at the Sao Paulo hospital where he had several sessions of chemotherapy. His health continued to deteriorate and on June 27 he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia that decided his doctors to have him admitted to an intensive care unit. On Friday the hospital said that his physical state was even worse and that the one-time president could only breathe with the aid of a respirator. The current Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, acclaimed in a communique the political career of Itamar Franco and declared seven days of official mourning in his honor. “It was with great sadness that I received the news about the death of Senator and ex-President Itamar Franco. The nation’s leader at a crucial moment in our recent history, President Itamar will be remembered for an exemplary career of political honesty,” she said. Franco, who was elected vice president in 1989 as the running mate of Fernando Collor de Mello, ended up assuming the highest office in 1992 after his predecessor as head of state was caught in a corruption scandal and forced to resign. His rise to power guaranteed the constitutional transition of power in Brazil after several months of political crisis and a battle between Collor, abandoned by most political parties and by his former allies, and Congress, which had launched impeachment proceedings. Besides guaranteeing political stability, Franco, whose government received the support of several parties, also guaranteed Brazil’s economic stability. The ex-president, senator and former governor of Minas Gerais state named to his Cabinet then-Sen. Fernando Henrique Cardoso – first as foreign minister and then as finance minister – the latter position serving as a platform for his successful presidential run in 1994. Itamar Franco as head of state and Cardoso as finance minister were the leaders of an economic overhaul – including the introduction of a new currency, the real, in 1994 – that guaranteed the stability of the Brazilian economy and tamed hyperinflation. Franco, who turned 81 on Tuesday, governed Brazil until June 1, 1995, when he was succeeded by Cardoso. SAO PAULO – Former Brazilian President Itamar Franco died Saturday at a hospital in the city of Sao Paulo, where for the past six weeks he was in treatment for leukemia and severe pneumonia, his doctors said. He was 81.The former head of state died Saturday morning, a little more than a month after he was diagnosed with leukemia, according to Albert Einstein Hospital.Franco, elected last October as senator for the Socialist Popular Party for the state of Minas Gerais, had requested a leave of absence from the Senate in May to undergo cancer treatment at the Sao Paulo hospital where he had several sessions of chemotherapy.His health continued to deteriorate and on June 27 he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia that decided his doctors to have him admitted to an intensive care unit. On Friday the hospital said that his physical state was even worse and that the one-time president could only breathe with the aid of a respirator.The current Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, acclaimed in a communique the political career of Itamar Franco and declared seven days of official mourning in his honor.“It was with great sadness that I received the news about the death of Senator and ex-President Itamar Franco. The nation’s leader at a crucial moment in our recent history, President Itamar will be remembered for an exemplary career of political honesty,” she said.Franco, who was elected vice president in 1989 as the running mate of Fernando Collor de Mello, ended up assuming the highest office in 1992 after his predecessor as head of state was caught in a corruption scandal and forced to resign.His rise to power guaranteed the constitutional transition of power in Brazil after several months of political crisis and a battle between Collor, abandoned by most political parties and by his former allies, and Congress, which had launched impeachment proceedings.Besides guaranteeing political stability, Franco, whose government received the support of several parties, also guaranteed Brazil’s economic stability.The ex-president, senator and former governor of Minas Gerais state named to his Cabinet then-Sen. Fernando Henrique Cardoso – first as foreign minister and then as finance minister – the latter position serving as a platform for his successful presidential run in 1994.Itamar Franco as head of state and Cardoso as finance minister were the leaders of an economic overhaul – including the introduction of a new currency, the real, in 1994 – that guaranteed the stability of the Brazilian economy and tamed hyperinflation.Franco, who turned 81 on Tuesday, governed Brazil until June 1, 1995, when he was succeeded by Cardoso.
Itamar Franco was President between 1992 and 1995 The former of Brazil, , has died at the age of 81. Franco died at the Albert Einstein Hospital in . The cause of death was announced as complications from . Franco officially became President of Brazil in December 1992 and held the role until January 1995. , the current President of Brazil has announced seven days of mourning in honour of Franco. She said in a statement that "it was with great sadness that I received the news about the death of Senator and ex-President Itamar Franco. The nation’s leader at a crucial moment in our recent history, President Itamar will be remembered for an exemplary career of political honesty.” Franco was elected as the vice president for in 1990 and took over the presidential office in October 1992 when Collor faced impeachment proceedings over corruption. He officially became President in December. During his time in office he faced a financial crisis with hyper-inflation. His choice of finance minister, , was credited with stabilising the country's economy. At the time of his death Franco was still serving as a senator in .
Last Modified: 27 Apr 2007 Source: PA News The BBC Trust has approved the launch of a free-to-air satellite service with ITV. article continues below... The decision, which will provide digital TV to viewers who have been unable to access Freeview, has been welcomed by campaigners for lower income and elderly households. Currently Freeview, which is broadcast through terrestrial transmitters and aerials, is unavailable to 25% of TV viewers. Like Freeview, Freesat will require a one-off payment for the reception equipment. It would also provide an alternative to BSkyB and cable as a way of receiving digital channels. The BBC Trust made the decision following research showing 93% of respondents said the BBC should take action to improve access to its digital services in the lead up to digital switchover in 2012. The high definition-enabled service is expected to launch in spring next year. BBC director-general Mark Thompson said: "The BBC's objective in launching Freesat is to support digital switchover by providing another way for licence payers to receive digital television channels and radio services, subscription free from the BBC and ITV. "Its primary purpose is to drive digital take-up in analogue homes, particularly in those areas which are out of digital terrestrial coverage." ITV executive chairman Michael Grade said: "Freesat will build on the success of Freeview by offering viewers a simple and cost effective way of upgrading to digital TV. "By filling in the current gaps in Freeview coverage, Freesat will ensure that a free-to-air, no strings attached option for accessing digital TV is available to the whole of the UK ahead of digital switchover. "By offering HD capability we will future proof Freesat if, as expected, high definition television continues to capture the imagination of UK viewers." These news feeds are provided by an independent third party and Channel 4 is not responsible or liable to you for the same. Share this article Send this article to a friend ||||| The Trust said Freesat would not harm the digital market It will allow viewers to receive free-to-air channels through a satellite dish. Currently Freeview - which is broadcast via terrestrial transmitters and aerials - is not available to about 25% of television viewers. The project, a joint venture between the BBC and ITV, would also provide an alternative to BSkyB and cable as a way of receiving digital channels. Conditions imposed Freesat will, like Freeview, require a one-off payment for reception equipment. The Trust, which oversees the BBC's work, said it had been pleased at the response to a public consultation, which had backed the project. It said the feedback has supported the idea Freesat represented good value for money, was in the public interest and would not adversely affect the broadcasting market. A number of conditions were imposed on the move, including that partners were in no way subsidised by the licence fee and sufficient control was retained by the BBC to guarantee public service objectives are retained. Acting Chairman of the BBC Trust, Chitra Bharucha, said: "Envisaged as a joint venture, Freesat will ensure the public remain in control of how they access the BBC's television channels and radio networks for which they have already paid. "It is guaranteed to remain subscription free, ensuring that the benefits of digital television do not equal 'pay television'." The switch from analogue to digital television is due to take place, region-by-region, starting next year and concluding in 2012.
Approval has been given to the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) by the BBC Trust to go ahead with a proposal that would allow satellite TV to be "subscription free." ''Freesat'' will have no monthly subscription fee, and according to the BBC, the new system would "require a one-off payment for reception equipment." "Envisaged as a joint venture, Freesat will ensure the public remain in control of how they access the BBC's television channels and radio networks for which they have already paid. It is guaranteed to remain subscription free, ensuring that the benefits of digital television do not equal 'pay television'," said Chitra Bharucha, the acting Chairman of the BBC Trust. The service will be offered to anyone who is unable to watch digital TV from the current provider, ''Freeview,'' which is not available to at least 25% of people in the United Kingdom who watch or have a TV. "Its Freesat's primary purpose is to drive digital take-up in analogue homes, particularly in those areas which are out of digital terrestrial coverage," said Mark Thompson, the Director-General of the BBC. ''Freesat'' will also be jointly operated by ITV. It is expected to launch in 2008 and is scheduled to be completed in 2012. The service will be installed "region by region," according to the BBC.
(Adds police saying there only one gunman)By Alastair MacdonaldJERUSALEM, March 6 (Reuters) - A Palestinian gunman opened fire in a Jewish religious school in Jerusalem on Thursday, killing at least eight people and wounding about 10 in the most lethal attack in Israel in two years, emergency services said."It was a slaughterhouse," said Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, head of the Zaka emergency service after surveying the scene at the Merkaz Harav seminary, one of the most prominent Jewish educational centres in Jerusalem.Jerusalem police chief Aharon Franco said a lone gunman carried out the attack and was killed by an Israeli army officer who lives nearby and ran to the school after hearing gunfire. Police had said earlier there were two gunmen.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which was greeted with celebrations in the Gaza Strip, where a recent Israeli offensive killed more than 120 Palestinians, about half of whom were identified as civilians.An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said "terrorists are trying to destroy the chances of peace but we will certainly continue peace talks" with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Palestinian leader condemned the Jerusalem attack.Witnesses said the gunman entered the crowded seminary and fired an automatic weapon at students in its library. Franco said the attacker killed eight people, and emergency services said about 10 were wounded.Police said it appeared most of the dead were in their 20's."He hid the weapon in a cardboard box," Franco said.It was the highest Israeli death toll since April 17, 2006, when 11 people were killed and over 60 wounded in a suicide bombing during the Passover holiday in Tel Aviv.Yitzhak Dadon, who told reporters that he shot the gunman, said the attacker, wearing torn jeans, fired at the students with a Kalashnikov assault rifle."I saw the gunman and he fired a long burst in the air. But then he disappeared. I saw him again when he approached the door of the library. I shot him twice in the head. He started to sway and then someone else with a rifle fired at him, and he died," Dadon said.Some 50 ambulances raced to the area and police held back worried parents searching for children who had been attending a study session marking the start of Adar, the most festive month of the Jewish calendar.Outside the school, a crowd shouted "Death to the Arabs".In the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, gunmen fired in the air to celebrate the attack, three days after Israel ended a ground offensive it said was aimed at curbing cross-border rocket fire.Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas official, said the group "blesses the heroic operation in Jerusalem, which was a natural reaction to the Zionist massacre".A loudspeaker in Gaza City blared the message: "This is God's vengeance." (Additional reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; writing by Jeffrey Heller; editing by Tim Pearce) ||||| RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday conditioned a resumption of peace talks with Israel on reaching a ceasefire in fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants. "Certainly the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations must be resumed, but after reaching calm," he told reporters, a day after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who urged him to resume the negotiations. Abbas froze statehood talks with Israel on Sunday in protest at an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip that killed more than 120 Palestinians. Medical workers said about half of those killed were civilians. Israel ended the five-day offensive on Monday but threatened to send troops back into the Hamas-controlled territory if cross-border rocket attacks continued. It mounted air strikes and a brief ground raid on Tuesday. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Wednesday that Israel would not have to carry out military action if the shooting stopped. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Mohammed Assadi, Writing by Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem, Editing by Janet Lawrence)
A building at Mercaz HaRav On Thursday night, a Palestinian gunman entered the library at the Mercaz HaRav, an orthodox religious seminary, in Jerusalem, Israel. He opened fire with an automatic weapon, killing eight people and wounding another ten. This is the most lethal attack on Israeli civilians in two years and the first attack in Jerusalem in more than three years. "A terrorist infiltrated the Mercaz HaRav seminary and opened fire. He was killed in an exchange of fire and apparently had an explosives belt," said police spokesperson Shmuel Ben Ruby. Police chief Aharon Franco said the attack was carried out by a lone gunman who "hid the weapon in a cardboard box." He said the gunman was subsequently killed by an Israeli army officer who, living nearby, ran to the school after hearing gunfire. Seminary student Yitzhak Dadon, however, claims that he shot the gunman. "He came out of the library spraying automatic fire. ... The terrorist came to the entrance and I shot him twice in the head," Dadon told reporters. "I saw the gunman and he fired a long burst in the air. But then he disappeared. I saw him again when he approached the door of the library. I shot him twice in the head. He started to sway and then someone else with a rifle fired at him, and he died," Dadon said. Hamas sent a text message to reporters, stating, "We bless the (Jerusalem) operation. It will not be the last," but it did not claim responsibility. Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior spokesperson for Hamas, said the group "blesses the heroic operation in Jerusalem, which was a natural reaction to the Zionist massacre," referring to the recent Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip which killed at least 58 Palestinian civilians. "It's very sad tonight in Jerusalem. Many people were killed in the heart of Jerusalem," said Jerusalem mayor Uri Lupolianski. A spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel said, "terrorists are trying to destroy the chances of peace but we will certainly continue peace talks." President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas, who recently froze peace talks with Israel, condemned the attack in Jerusalem.
A bomb hoax forced an Aeroflot plane to return Monday to Athens International Airport, Greek authorities said. The Russian airline's Flight 296 to Moscow returned to Athens and landed at 2:18 p.m. (1218GMT), a little over an hour after takeoff, following a threat by an anonymous telephone caller. But police said nothing was found on the aircraft or in the passengers' luggage. ||||| ATHENS (Reuters) - An Aeroflot flight from Athens to Moscow turned back in mid-air on Monday after receiving an anonymous bomb warning, but the plane landed safely and all the passengers were disembarked, airport officials said. The Airbus A-319 with 49 passengers onboard had been flying for around an hour when it received news of the bomb threat, said Aeroflot spokeswoman Irina Dannenberg in Moscow. Greek aviation officials said the plane was being thoroughly checked for explosives. "An unknown man called and said there was a bomb on the Aeroflot plane headed from Athens to Moscow," a Greek civil aviation official told Reuters. "We told the pilot to return to Athens for the appropriate checks. The plane was near the border with Turkey at the time." (Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas and Tatiana Fragou) ||||| Bomb scare sees Aeroflot plane re-routed over Greece ATHENS (AFP) — An Aeroflot flight from Athens to Moscow was re-routed over Greece on Monday after an anonymous call to Athens airport warning that a bomb was on board, an airport source said. "The plane has landed safely," the source told AFP, declining to give further details. No information was immediately available on the number of passengers aboard.
A file photo of an Aeroflot A319 Aeroflot Flight 296 has returned to Greece after a bomb threat was received during a flight from Athens to Moscow, Russia. Greek authorities told the Airbus A319's flight crew to return the jet to Athens International Airport after the airport was told by an anonymous telephone caller that a bomb was on the flight. The airliner reached an area close to the Turkish border when word was received and the aircraft turned around. At 12:18 GMT, the aircraft performed a safe landing at Athens, and all 49 passengers were evacuated safely. Local authorities then searched the aircraft, but no bomb was found.
Hundreds in Hong Kong complain Bible too sexual in apparent protest of obscenity ruling HONG KONG: More than 1,700 people have complained to Hong Kong regulators that the Bible is overly sexual and violent, apparently to mock a recent ruling condemning a sex survey in a student newspaper. The Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority said Thursday it had received 1,766 complaints since the launch of an anonymous Web site detailing sexual and violent content in the Bible. The site and the deluge of complaints were sparked by last week's decision by regulatory authorities to classify a university student journal as "indecent." "Student Press," published by students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, was condemned by the Obscene Articles Tribunal for including a sex survey that asked readers whether they had fantasized about incest and bestiality. The anonymous Web site — which claims to be authored by "a Hong Kong student" — says the holy book contains passages far more disturbing than the sex survey. The Chinese-language Web site quotes lengthy Biblical passages containing scenes of rape, incest and cannibalism. It also includes a sample of a complaint letter, which it encourages readers to copy and submit to authorities. "The Bible not only has incest, its obscenity far exceeds the university journal," the Web site said, after referencing last weeks regulatory decision. The Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority referred the journal to the obscenity tribunal last week, after receiving more than 20 complaints. The authority said Thursday that a total of 184 complaints were lodged against the paper. Editors at the student journal insisted they did nothing wrong. They also staged protests, saying the "indecent" label violated academic freedom. Publications deemed "indecent" must be sealed in a wrapper with a warning, and people who publish or distribute such items without doing so may be fined up to HK$400,000 (US$51,152; €37,795) and jailed for one year. The Bible should also be "wrapped in a plastic bag with a warning notice before it is sold to people over 18 years old," the anonymous Web site said. So far no major Christian groups have publicly responded to the complaints against the Bible. Hong Kong's Christian community, largely Protestant and Roman Catholic, is estimated at about 660,000, including 105,000 Filipino Catholics, many of whom work as domestic helpers in this wealthy city. ________________ On the Net: Web site alleging Bible is obscene: http://www.truthbible.net/ ||||| HONG KONG (Reuters) - More than 800 Hong Kong residents have called on authorities to reclassify the Bible as "indecent" due to its sexual and violent content, following an uproar over a sex column in a university student journal. A spokesperson for Hong Kong's Television and Entertainment Licensing authority (TELA) said it had received 838 complaints about the Bible by noon Wednesday. The complaints follow the launch of an anonymous Web site -- www.truthbible.net -- which said the holy book "made one tremble" given its sexual and violent content, including rape and incest. The Web site said the Bible's sexual content "far exceeds" that of a recent sex column published in the Chinese University's "Student Press" magazine, which had asked readers whether they'd ever fantasized about incest or bestiality. That column was later deemed "indecent" by the Obscene Articles Tribunal, sparking a storm of debate about social morality and freedom of speech. Student editors of the journal defended it, saying open sexual debate was a basic right. If the Bible is similarly classified as "indecent" by authorities, only those over 18 could buy the holy book and it would need to be sealed in a wrapper with a statutory warning notice. TELA said it was still undecided on whether the Bible had violated Hong Kong's obscene and indecent articles laws. But a local protestant minister shrugged off this possibility. "If there is rape mentioned in the Bible, it doesn't mean it encourages those activities," said Reverend Wu Chi-wai. "It's just common sense ... I don't think that criticism will have strong support from the public," he added. ||||| Statement by TELA on complaints against the Bible************************************************* The Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA) today (May 17) issued the following statement regarding complaints against the contents of the Bible by some members of the public: "The Bible is a religious text which is part of civilisation. It has been passed on from generation to generation. TELA considers that such longstanding religious texts or literature have not violated standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable members of the community. Therefore, TELA will not submit the Bible to the Obscene Articles Tribunal for classification." Ends/Thursday, May 17, 2007 Issued at HKT 19:10 NNNN
The Hong Kong Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA) has received 2,041 complaints within 3 days, calling for the to be reclassified as "indecent", following a heated controversy sparked by the sex column of an university student newspaper, which was classified by the government's publication tribunal as "indecent". By 17 May, TELA decided not to submit the Bible to the tribunal. Two weeks ago, the 's student newspaper sparked a public debate when it was found that they had asked readers if they fantasised about incest or bestiality, along with some soft sex stories and an unrelated abstract drawing about sex. Although there is no explicit description or pornographic photos, the paper was classified as "Category II: Indecent" by Obscene Articles Tribunal (OAT) on 14 May because it asked the question— "Have you fantasised about incest or bestiality?". This classification means that the student editors have breached the law by distributing the paper to the public, will have a criminal record, and risk a jail sentence. Since then, OAT's decision has been hotly contested among teachers, activists, commentators and scholars. Complaints about the Bible then immediately flooded in to the authorities, claiming that the Bible is "indecent" due to its textual descriptions of rape and incest. The accusation was first made by a web site truthbible.net which said the holy book is full of sexual and violent content and its "indecency" far exceeds that of the recent sex column published in the Chinese University's student newspaper. A webmaster of truthbible.net, who wishes to remain anonymous, said if the sex column of the student's newspaper is indecent because of public complaints, "there's no reasons not to judge the Bible as indecent" because of its sexual content. By May 17 (UTC+8), TELA had received 2,041 complaints on the indecency of the Bible, up from 200 in three days. By the same day, TELA announced it will not submit the Bible to the Obscene Articles Tribunal for classification. "The Bible is a religious text which is part of civilisation. It has been passed on from generation to generation. TELA considers that such longstanding religious texts or literature have not violated standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable members of the community." According to the regulations in Hong Kong, any books classified as "indecent" by the OAT can only be sold or distributed to people over 18. All such publications must be sealed in a wrapper with a statutory warning notice. The ''CUHK Student Journal''s editorial board stated that the Bible complaints are not related to them, and they had no prior knowledge of such a movement.
29/12/2007 20:34 Motherwell Captain O'Donnell, 35, Collapses & Dies Phil O'Donnell, the Motherwell captain, has died tonight after collapsing during his team's 5-3 victory over Dundee United. Motherwell chairman Bill Dickie confirmed the tragic news that O'Donnell, 35, who was taken off the Fir Park pitch on a stretcher in the closing stages of the thrilling SPL clash. O'Donnell had been about to be substituted by Marc Fitzpatrick, but collapsed onto the turf as the change was being made. He was treated for around five minutes on the pitch before being carried off on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. O'Donnell's nephew, David Clarkson, was also playing in the match, but was clearly distressed by the incident and was quickly taken off. O'Donnell began his career with Motherwell and rejoined the club in 2004 after having also played for Celtic, whom he joined in 1994 for a £1.75million fee, and Sheffield Wednesday. He also played once for Scotland. Dickie said: "Unfortunately I can confirm very, very sad news that Phil O'Donnell has lost his life. "We don't know what it was but there will be a post-mortem. "This is a tragic happening and that's all I can say." Motherwell manager Mark McGhee said: "I don't want to say anything more than how devastated everyone at the club is for his wife and his young children. "That's what we are all feeling tonight, nothing else matters. "Obviously from the club's point of view we'll gather round to give his family as much support as they need." Peter Lawwell, the Celtic chief executive, spoke for the Parkhead club, expressing their great sadness at the death of a former player. "When the news came through, everyone at the club was obviously shocked," said Lawwell. "Obviously our thoughts are with his family to whom we offer extreme condolences for a tragic loss of a young life. "Everyone at Celtic Park will mourn him." Gordon Smith, chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, said: "This is absolutely devastating news. "Phil was not just a wonderful footballer, he was a great human being. My thoughts are with his family at this tragic time." Phil O'Donnell's Career Milestones 1972: Born on March 25, in Hamilton. 1990: Made his Motherwell debut as a 17-year-old. 1991: Scored in Scottish Cup final for Motherwell as they beat Dundee United 4-3 to lift the trophy. 1993: Earned his one Scotland cap - as a substitute in the World Cup qualifier against Switzerland. 1994: Joined Celtic for £1.75million. 1999: Transferred to Sheffield Wednesday. 2003: Released by Wednesday after an injury-plagued four years. 2004: Given the chance to train with Motherwell by then manager Terry Butcher, and awarded an 18-month contract, making his second debut against Dundee United in January of that year, when his nephew David Clarkson scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 win. 2005: Played for Motherwell in Scottish League Cup final, but Rangers won 5-1. 2006: Appointed captain of Motherwell, but was injured for most of the season. 2007: April - Signed a new one-year contract as player-coach. 2007: December 29 - Dies, aged 35, after collapsing during Motherwell's 5-3 home win against Dundee United in the Scottish Premier League. Ian McLoughlin ||||| GLASGOW, Scotland -- Scottish footballer Phil O'Donnell died after collapsing during his team Motherwell's match against Dundee United on Saturday. Phil O'Donnell pictured during his spell with English club Sheffield Wednesday. The 35-year-old club captain was taken off the pitch at Fir Park on a stretcher in the closing stages of the Scottish Premier League match, which his side won 5-3. Motherwell's next two matches, against Hibernian on Wednesday, and Celtic at the weekend, have been postponed. "The players, the supporters, every one inside the executive are devastated and absolutely dumbfounded by the event of Phil's death," manager Mark McGhee said on Sunday. "We had a meeting this morning with the players and obviously they have taken it very, very badly and we are going to have to help them through that." O'Donnell, who started his career at Motherwell before stints with Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday, was about to be substituted at Fir Park against Dundee United but collapsed before he could leave the field. He was set to be replaced by substitute Marc Fitzpatrick, but fell to the pitch as the change was taking place. After been treated for about five minutes on the field, O'Donnell was carried off on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. Medical staff from both clubs said that they thought he suffered a seizure, and efforts were made to revive him en route to hospital. However, he did not regain consciousness and was pronounced dead at 1718 GMT (1218 EST). O'Donnell's nephew, David Clarkson, who scored twice in the match, was also taken off after being alarmed by the incident. Club chairman Bill Dickie said: "Unfortunately I can confirm very, very sad news that Phil O'Donnell has lost his life. We don't know what it was but there will be a post-mortem. "This is a tragic happening and that's all I can say." Motherwell owner John Boyle said: "Everyone here is shocked to the core, and we are sure that everyone involved in Scottish football will feel the same. "Phil was not only an inspirational player for Motherwell and club captain, but was an inspirational person. All of us at Motherwell are thinking of his wife Eileen and their four children." McGhee added: "I don't want to say anything more than how devastated everyone at the club is for his wife and his young children. Obviously from the club's point of view, we'll gather round to give his family as much support as they need." O'Donnell, who won one Scotland international cap, began his career with Motherwell and rejoined the club in 2004 following spells with Celtic -- who he joined in a $3.5 million transfer in 1994 -- and English side Sheffield Wednesday. Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith said: "This is absolutely devastating news. Phil was not just a wonderful footballer, he was a great human being. My thoughts are with his family at this tragic time." Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell added: "When the news came through, everyone at the club was obviously shocked. "Our thoughts are with his family to whom we offer extreme condolences for a tragic loss of a young life. Everyone at Celtic Park will mourn him." O'Donnell is the second Motherwell player to pass away unexpectedly in the past 20 years. Club legend winger Davie Cooper died at the age of 39 in 1995 after suffering a brain haemorrhage when filming a training video. Cooper had been a Motherwell team-mate of O'Donnell, who made his debut as a 17-year-old. He went on to score, as a 19-year-old, in the 4-3 victory over Dundee United in the 1991 Scottish Cup final, and won his sole Scotland cap in 1993 as a substitute in the World Cup qualifier against Switzerland. Former Scotland manager Craig Brown gave O'Donnell his only international outing, and had coached him in the Under-21 side. "But for injury, I'm sure he would have had many, many more caps," Brown said. "It's very, very sad news, I just can't get over it. You would not get a more ideal role model for a young footballer than Phil O'Donnell. "I think in his first spell at Motherwell he was probably the best box-to-box midfield player -- maybe not just in Scotland but in the UK." Injuries affected O'Donnell's spells with Celtic and Sheffield Wednesday and he returned to Motherwell after being released by Wednesday in early 2004. He played in the 2005 Scottish League Cup final, and was appointed captain in 2006 after former skipper Scott Leitch left the club. Football has suffered several other deaths in recent years. Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe collapsed and died at the 2003 Confederations Cup in France, prompting world ruling body FIFA to demand stricter physical testing on players. Sevilla midfielder Antonio Puerta died in August after he collapsed on the field during a Spanish league game due to heart problems. Striker Chaswe Nsofwa died of heart failure while training in Israel, and 16-year-old English player Anton Reid died after collapsing while training with his club Walsall. E-mail to a friend All About Scotland ||||| O'Donnell collapsed during the game against Dundee United The 35-year-old midfielder fell to the ground just as he was about to be replaced with Marc Fitzpatrick near the end of Motherwell's 5-3 victory. O'Donnell was treated for around five minutes on the field before being taken to a waiting ambulance. But his death was later confirmed by the Fir Park club. Motherwell chief executive Ian Stillie said: "The management, directors, players and fans are all stunned and having great difficulty in comprehending what has happened over the last few hours. "At this stage, we do not have all the facts surrounding the tragic death of Phil O'Donnell. Phil was a great professional and gave everything when he played the game Motherwell manager Mark McGhee "We have been in contact with Phil's wife, Eileen, and his family and they have given us their blessing to speak to the media. "Phil collapsed during the second-half of the game. He was standing alone at the time. "He was immediately attended to by Motherwell's club doctor and assisted by Dundee United's club doctor. "He was transferred almost immediately to an awaiting ambulance and taken to Wishaw General. "It is believed Phil suffered some form of seizure and was pronounced dead at 1718." PHIL O'DONNELL'S CAREER 1972 - born in Hamilton 1991 - joins Motherwell 1991 - scores in Scottish Cup final victory over Dundee United 1993 - earns only Scotland cap against Switzerland 1994 - sold to Celtic for a club record £1.75m 1999 - signs for Sheffield Wednesday 2003 - released after injury-hit spell at Wednesday 2004 - returns to Motherwell, becoming club captain O'Donnell, who earned one cap for Scotland, was lauded as one of the country's brightest talents when he broke into the Motherwell first team as a teenager. He moved on to Celtic for a club record £1.75m fee, but injury problems were to blight his time there and at his next destination, Sheffield Wednesday. O'Donnell returned to Motherwell in 2004 and became club captain, playing alongside his nephew, David Clarkson. Motherwell owner John Boyle said: "Everyone at Motherwell is shocked to the core and we are sure that everyone involved in Scottish football will feel the same. "Phil was not only an inspirational player for Motherwell and club captain but was an inspirational person." Motherwell manager Mark McGhee had said immediately after the game that O'Donnell's substitution had been "an absolute coincidence" before his sudden seizure. The manager had simply been looking to give his captain a rest ahead of Wednesday's game against Hibernian, which has been postponed in light of the player's death. Clarkson, who had scored two of Motherwell's goals, was substituted moments after O'Donnell's collapse. MY SPORT: DEBATE Phil, you were a great lad and a great player TOTT "We took Clarkson off because he got a fright from the nature of the collapse," said McGhee. "We are all totally devastated. This is a shocking tragedy." Motherwell striker Chris Porter added: "His number had come up for him to go off and he literally just passed out. "He went down and no-one really knew what had happened. "Doctors and physios ran on, he was unconscious on the floor and it was clear he was in a bad way, but personally I never thought anything would happen. "Everyone thought he would be okay and he had just fainted, so it was a real shock to find out he had passed away."
Scottish football player Phil O'Donnell has died today after collapsing during a game in which his team Motherwell F.C., of which he was captain, were playing Dundee United in a Scottish Premier League match. O'Donnell collapsed as his substitution for Marc Fitzpatrick was being arranged. He received treatment for around five minutes before being stretchered off and transferred to a waiting ambulance. David Clarkson, O'Donnell's nephew, was also playing at the time and had scored twice but was taken off due to being visibly distressed by O'Donnel's collapse. Medics from both teams believed he had suffered a seizure. Attempts were made in the ambulance to revive him, but these failed and he was pronounced dead at 17:18 GMT, having been taken to Wishaw General Hospital. Born on March 25, 1972 O'Donnell made his debut for Motherwell in 1990, and scored the following year in the final of the Scottish Cup, which Motherwell defeated Dundee United 4-3 in. In 1993 he earned his only international cap for Scotland as a substitute in a World Cup qualification match against Switzerland. The following year he was bought by Celtic for £1.75 million ($3.5 million). He stayed with them for five years, after which he was transferred to Sheffield Wednesday. A high number of injuries caused Sheffield Wednesday to release him after four years, and the next year, 2004, then Motherwell manager Terry Butcher awarded him an 18-month contract. In 2006 he was appointed captain, and in April the following year, upon the expiration of his original contract, signed a new one as a player-coach. Motherwell chairman Bill Dickie said "Unfortunately I can confirm very, very sad news that Phil O'Donnell has lost his life. We don't know what it was, but there will be a post-mortem. This is a tragic happening and that's all I can say." Motherwell owner John Boyle told the press "Everyone at Motherwell is shocked to the core, and we are sure that everyone involved in Scottish football will feel the same. Phil was not only an inspirational player for Motherwell and club captain, but was an inspirational person. All of us at Motherwell are thinking of his wife Eileen and their four children." Mark McGhee, manager of the team, said "I don't want to say anything more than how devastated everyone at the club is for his wife and his young children. That's what we are all feeling tonight, nothing else matters. Obviously from the club's point of view, we'll gather round to give his family as much support as they need." In a press conference given at the hospital, Motherwell chief executive Ian Stillie said "The management, directors, players and fans are all stunned and having great difficulty in comprehending what has happened over the last few hours. At this stage we do not have all the facts surrounding the tragic death of Phil O'Donnell. We have been in contact with Phil's wife Eileen and his family and they have given us their blessing to speak to the media tonight. Phil collapsed during the second half of the game today. He was standing alone at the time. He was immediately attended to by Motherwell's club doctor and assisted by Dundee United's club doctor. He was transferred almost immediately to an awaiting ambulance and taken to Wishaw General. It is believed Phil suffered some form of seizure and was pronounced dead at 1718." Gordon Smith, Scottish Football Association chief executive, told reporters "This is absolutely devastating news. Phil was not just a wonderful footballer, he was a great human being. My thoughts are with his family at this tragic time." Meanwhile, Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said "When the news came through, everyone at the club was obviously shocked. Our thoughts are with his family to whom we offer extreme condolences for a tragic loss of a young life. Everyone at Celtic Park will mourn him."
Adam Ndlovu Adam and his bother were on their away to Victoria Falls for a social soccer match when Peter’s BMW X5 vehicle burst a tyre and veered off the road near the Victoria Falls Airport along the Bulawayo –Victoria Falls Highway before hitting a tree. Speaking to The Zimbabwean this morning in Bulawayo Adam’s friend George Bhebhe said the soccer legend died on arrival at Victoria Falls hospital. Peter is in a critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit at Victoria Falls hospital, said Bhebhe. “Adam died early this morning when their vehicle veered off the road after a tyre burst and hit a tree 20 km from Victoria Falls. He died on arrival at hospital .Peter is in critical condition and he is at Victoria Falls hospital in Intensive Care Unit. But arrangements still being made to transfer from there to a hospital in Bulawayo or Harare,” said Bhebhe. Adam, a former Highlanders player was also a member of the popular Zimbabwe Dream Team coached by the late Reinhard Fabisch in the 1990S. He was now the coach of Bulawayo-based premier league soccer team Chicken Inn,. He is survived by his two daughters. ||||| Coventry legend Ndlovu fighting for his life after horror car crash kills his brother By David Kent | Former Coventry star Peter Ndlovu is in a critical condition in hospital after a horror car crash which claimed the life of his brother. Ndlovu, who also played for Birmingham, Sheffield United and Huddersfield during a 13-year career in England, is in a coma after his sports car crashed in Zimbabwe. Adam Ndlovu, also a former footballer who played for Zimbabwe, died in the incident near Victoria Falls. Horror: The smashed-up BMW X5 on the side of the road that was reportedly driven by Adam Ndlovu Pictures from the scene of the crash show the smashed-up front of the BMW X5 by the side of the road. According to reports in Zimbabwe, Adam was driving the car as they returned from watching a local match. Peter Ndlovu was a favourite among Coventry fans during the 90s. He scored 39 goals in 176 matches before leaving for Birmingham. He had a short loan spell at Huddersfield before joining Sheffield United. Coventry wrote on Twitter: 'All our thoughts and wishes go out to former Sky Blue Peter Ndlovu and his family. Keep strong Nuddy.' A tweet from the Blades read: 'Our thoughts are with former player Peter Ndlovu, who has been critically injured in a car accident in his native Zimbabwe.' Hero: Peter Ndlovu starred for Coventry (left) in the Premier League before joining Birmingham Tragedy: Adam Ndlovu - who played for Zimbabwe - died in the car crash Birmingham's own statement read: 'The thoughts of everyone associated with Birmingham City Football Club are with Peter Ndlovu and his family following news of a serious car crash in Zimbabwe. Peter was a very popular player during his time at St Andrew's and we hope he pulls through this difficult time.' Former Coventry team-mate Darren Huckerby wrote: 'Terrible news about Peter Ndlovu and his brother, hope he pulls through.' Mick Quinn added: 'Sad news about my former team-mate Peter Ndlovu involved in a car crash. He is in a coma, sadly brother Adam dead, thoughts and prayers to them.' Peter has been working as a coach for the Zimbabwe Young Warriors Under 23 team. VIDEO: A classic Peter Ndlovu goal from 1995 - a contender for MOTD goal of the season... ||||| PETER NDLOVU is off the critical list after a horror car crash killed his brother. The former Coventry star, 39, was rushed to hospital following the accident in Zimbabwe. But his ex-manager and close friend Winston Makamure has confirmed that he is now out of danger. Makamure said: “He is now conscious and is communicating. He has internal injuries, head injuries, broken ribs and a broken leg.” Adam Ndlovu, himself a former Zimbabwe international, died in the incident which is believed to have also killed an unidentified female passenger. A statement from Coventry realeased earlier today said: "The club is saddened to hear of a tragic road accident in Zimbabwe that has left Peter in a critical condition and claimed the life of his brother Adam. “It has been reported that both were travelling from an away match between Chicken Inn FC and a local side when Ndlovu’s car suffered a tyre blow-out which caused the car to veer off the road 20 kilometres outside Victoria Falls. CRASH ... the smashed-up BMW X5 on the side of the road in Zimbabwe Picture: WWW.ZIMDIASPORA.COM “Ndlovu achieved iconic status during his six years with the Sky Blues where he netted 39 goals in 176 league appearances for the club. “Coventry City sends its best wishes and condolences to the Ndlovu family who will be in our thoughts.” Peter’s former Sky Blues team-mates have also been tweeting their support and best wishes. Darren Huckerby wrote: “Terrible news about Peter Ndlovu and his brother, hope he pulls through.” Peter is Zimbabwe’s leading scorer of all time and also played for Birmingham and Sheffield United during 13 years in England. ||||| Add a location to your Tweets When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location history. Learn more
Former Zimbabwean professional footballer has died in a car accident that also left his brother critically injured. Adam and his brother , also a former professional footballer, were in the accident after failure of a tire on the Adam was reportedly driving. Reports also suggest an unidentified female passenger may have died in the accident. George Bhebhe, a friend of Adam, spoke to ''The Zimbabwean'' about the circumstances of the accident. He said "Adam died early this morning when their vehicle veered off the road after a tyre burst and hit a tree 20 from . He died on arrival at hospital. Peter is in critical condition and he is at Victoria Falls hospital in Intensive Care Unit. But arrangements still being made to transfer from there to a hospital in or ". Both Adam and Peter played for the Zimbabwe national football team and Peter is their all time top goalscorer. During his career Peter played in the and played for , , , and . Sheffield United tweeted "Our thoughts are with former player Peter Ndlovu, who has been critically injured in a car accident in his native Zimbabwe. #sufc" Adam formerly played for the Zimbabwean team and at the time of his death coached team Chicken Inn, based in Bulawayo.
'Dilbert' Cartoonist's Voice Cure Attracts Attention By E&P Staff Published: October 26, 2006 5:35 PM ET ||||| As regular readers of my blog know, I lost my voice about 18 months ago. Permanently. It’s something exotic called Spasmodic Dysphonia. Essentially a part of the brain that controls speech just shuts down in some people, usually after you strain your voice during a bout with allergies (in my case) or some other sort of normal laryngitis. It happens to people in my age bracket. I asked my doctor – a specialist for this condition – how many people have ever gotten better. Answer: zero. While there’s no cure, painful Botox injections through the front of the neck and into the vocal cords can stop the spasms for a few months. That weakens the muscles that otherwise spasm, but your voice is breathy and weak. The weirdest part of this phenomenon is that speech is processed in different parts of the brain depending on the context. So people with this problem can often sing but they can’t talk. In my case I could do my normal professional speaking to large crowds but I could barely whisper and grunt off stage. And most people with this condition report they have the most trouble talking on the telephone or when there is background noise. I can speak normally alone, but not around others. That makes it sound like a social anxiety problem, but it’s really just a different context, because I could easily sing to those same people. I stopped getting the Botox shots because although they allowed me to talk for a few weeks, my voice was too weak for public speaking. So at least until the fall speaking season ended, I chose to maximize my onstage voice at the expense of being able to speak in person. My family and friends have been great. They read my lips as best they can. They lean in to hear the whispers. They guess. They put up with my six tries to say one word. And my personality is completely altered. My normal wittiness becomes slow and deliberate. And often, when it takes effort to speak a word intelligibly, the wrong word comes out because too much of my focus is on the effort of talking instead of the thinking of what to say. So a lot of the things that came out of my mouth frankly made no sense. To state the obvious, much of life’s pleasure is diminished when you can’t speak. It has been tough. But have I mentioned I’m an optimist? Just because no one has ever gotten better from Spasmodic Dysphonia before doesn’t mean I can’t be the first. So every day for months and months I tried new tricks to regain my voice. I visualized speaking correctly and repeatedly told myself I could (affirmations). I used self hypnosis. I used voice therapy exercises. I spoke in higher pitches, or changing pitches. I observed when my voice worked best and when it was worst and looked for patterns. I tried speaking in foreign accents. I tried “singing” some words that were especially hard. My theory was that the part of my brain responsible for normal speech was still intact, but for some reason had become disconnected from the neural pathways to my vocal cords. (That’s consistent with any expert’s best guess of what’s happening with Spasmodic Dysphonia. It’s somewhat mysterious.) And so I reasoned that there was some way to remap that connection. All I needed to do was find the type of speaking or context most similar – but still different enough – from normal speech that still worked. Once I could speak in that slightly different context, I would continue to close the gap between the different-context speech and normal speech until my neural pathways remapped. Well, that was my theory. But I’m no brain surgeon. The day before yesterday, while helping on a homework assignment, I noticed I could speak perfectly in rhyme. Rhyme was a context I hadn’t considered. A poem isn’t singing and it isn’t regular talking. But for some reason the context is just different enough from normal speech that my brain handled it fine. Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. Jack jumped over the candlestick. I repeated it dozens of times, partly because I could. It was effortless, even though it was similar to regular speech. I enjoyed repeating it, hearing the sound of my own voice working almost flawlessly. I longed for that sound, and the memory of normal speech. Perhaps the rhyme took me back to my own childhood too. Or maybe it’s just plain catchy. I enjoyed repeating it more than I should have. Then something happened. My brain remapped. My speech returned. Not 100%, but close, like a car starting up on a cold winter night. And so I talked that night. A lot. And all the next day. A few times I felt my voice slipping away, so I repeated the nursery rhyme and tuned it back in. By the following night my voice was almost completely normal. When I say my brain remapped, that’s the best description I have. During the worst of my voice problems, I would know in advance that I couldn’t get a word out. It was if I could feel the lack of connection between my brain and my vocal cords. But suddenly, yesterday, I felt the connection again. It wasn’t just being able to speak, it was KNOWING how. The knowing returned. I still don’t know if this is permanent. But I do know that for one day I got to speak normally. And this is one of the happiest days of my life. But enough about me. Leave me a comment telling me the happiest moment of YOUR life. Keep it brief. Only good news today. I don’t want to hear anything else.
Scott Adams, creator of the popular U.S comic strip ''Dilbert'', posted Tuesday in his blog that he spontaneously recovered from Spasmodic Dysphonia, a voice disorder that rendered him incapable of speech. His blog post, titled ''Good News Day'', describes various efforts he had undergone to self-treat the disorder and "re-map" his brain connections to normal speech. According to Adams, the condition was described to him by a specialist who diagnosed it as incurable. Hundreds of well wishers have commented with support on his blog page after what Adams said was an 18-month-long battle with the affliction. "My theory was that the part of my brain responsible for normal speech was still intact, but for some reason had become disconnected from the neural pathways to my vocal cords," Adams wrote. In what Adams wrote was the "weirdest part of this phenomenon", is a person's ability with the disorder to sing, or to speak in public, or in other contexts of vocal interaction, but not in normal conversation. For him, the breakthrough to recovery came with the rhyming found in poetry. By reciting ''"Jack be nimble, Jack be quick. Jack jumped over the candlestick."'' he was able to find the reinforcement to talk again.
Manchester City closed the gap on leaders Manchester United to three points and doomed Wolves to relegation with victory in the Barclays Premier League clash at Molineux. Roberto Mancini's side capitalised on the title life-line handed to them via United's shock 4-4 home draw with Everton earlier in the afternoon, while Terry Connor's side became the first side to drop out of the top flight this season. Goals from Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri sealed victory for the visitors who now have their fate back in their own hands ahead of next Monday's derby with United. City have a superior goal difference to United and, if they win their last three games, they will claim the title. There was little doubt about the outcome at Molineux once Aguero had broken the deadlock just before the half-hour mark. Wolves showed plenty of spirit but defeat has brought an end to their three-year tenure in the top flight after a dreadful campaign. They briefly led the division after collecting seven points from the opening three games but since then have picked up just 16 out of a possible 96. Connor was handed the responsibility of keeping Wolves up after replacing the sacked Mick McCarthy in February but two points from 10 games under him have sealed their fate. Carlos Tevez, fresh from his hat-trick against Norwich, had the first attempt on goal and was only just too high with a dipping 25 yard drive. Wolves retaliated and Sebastien Bassong had a shot deflected wide after Michael Kightly's corner had been half cleared. Aguero beat the offside trap and drilled a low shot inches wide of the far post. City keeper Joe Hart had to be alert to parry aside a 20-yard drive from David Davis. Samir Nasri spurned a good chance to put City ahead after 16 minutes when he shot wide after being found in space by Pablo Zabaleta. City started to enjoy the bulk of possession and a mis-placed headed back pass from Richard Stearman played in Aguero, who opted for a first time flick which went wide. Aguero was then just off target from 15 yards as gaps started to appear in the Wolves back four. But after 27 minutes Aguero put City ahead with his 29th goal of the campaign. Gael Clichy made good ground down the left before picking out the run of Aguero with a pinpoint cross. He had time to bring the ball down before slotting his shot past Dorus De Vries into the corner of the net. City were now in total control and Aguero teed up Tevez but his curling effort flew straight at De Vries. Bassong blocked a shot from Tevez, while Nasri flashed a dangerous ball across the box. Yaya Toure became the first player to be booked after 55 minutes for chopping down Kightly. Wolves were showing plenty of spirit and Hart was called into action to turn aside a Fletcher header after Bassong had won the initial aerial battle. Tevez twisted and turned before sending a dangerous ball across the six yard box but no-one was on hand to apply the finishing touch. City kept searching for the second goal but Stearman did well to block a low shot from Tevez. After 74 minutes Nasri put the outcome beyond doubt. Tevez was fouled by Davis, took the free-kick himself and exchanged passes with Clichy before finding Nasri in space. He had time to drill a low shot into the opposite corner of the net. City substitute Adam Johnson quickly made his presence felt, forcing a low save out of De Vries as City ended on top. PA ||||| Goals from Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri saw Manchester City relegate Wolves and move to within three points of leaders Manchester United. Both sides had early chances before City took control and Aguero slid them ahead from Gael Clichy's superb cross. Joe Hart made an excellent save to deny Steven Fletcher as Wolves worked hard to level, but Nasri slotted in to earn his side a vital win in the title race. If City beat United at home on 30 April they will be top with two games left. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Their goal difference is six superior to that of their local rivals and all eyes will now be on that meeting at Etihad Stadium. City spent much of the season in top spot but their defeat at Arsenal on 8 April left them eight points behind United with six games remaining. Suddenly, though, they are very much back in contention and it promises to be a thrilling end to the campaign. The same can not be said for Wolves, who drop into the Championship after three years in the top flight. Terry Connor's side have lost a club-record nine successive home games and are without a win of any description since 4 February. They needed little motivating for a match of this magnitude and produced a spirited display but City, buoyed by news of United's 4-4 draw against Everton earlier on Sunday, ground out a professional win. Carlos Tevez fired just over the bar after only 17 seconds and at the other end Sebastien Bassong's shot was deflected narrowly wide. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Aguero then drilled across the face of goal before David Davis forced Hart into a fine save with a powerful effort from 18 yards. City seemed intent on moving the ball wide, letting full-backs Pablo Zabaleta and Clichy stretch Wolves and create space for Aguero and Tevez. Zabaleta and David Silva combined well on the right to slip Nasri through on goal, but the Frenchman dragged wide of the far post. Aguero was again off-target on 20 minutes but there would be no mistake at the end of his side's next foray forward. Clichy nutmegged Michael Kightly before curling a delightful low pass to Aguero, who kept his footing to stab a finish past Dorus de Vries. Wolves deserve credit for their positive response and it took a superb diving save from Hart to repel Fletcher's header shortly after half-time. Man City run-in 30 Apr Man Utd (h) 6 May Newcastle (a) 13 May QPR (h) City had now lost their earlier rhythm, they were misplacing passes and Mancini introduced Nigel de Jong for Silva. It may not have been an attacking move but City actually looked more composed with De Jong on the field, and they duly ended the contest. Tevez took a quick free-kick, squared for Nasri and he benefited from Bassong pulling a hamstring to coolly slot past De Vries. Wolves were furious with referee Lee Probert's decision to penalise Davis for his challenge on Tevez, but their protests were in vain. City celebrated as Wolves commiserated. The full-time whistle sounded as torrential rain arrived, an apt conclusion to their Premier League stay. Lineup, Bookings (1) & Substitutions (6) Wolverhampton Wanderers 31 De Vries 05 Stearman 11 Ward 21 Bassong (Berra - 75' ) (Berra - 75' ) 32 Foley 04 Edwards (Doyle - 61' ) (Doyle - 61' ) 07 Kightly 08 Henry 17 Jarvis 26 Davis 10 Fletcher (Ebanks-Blake - 77' ) Substitutes 13 Ikeme 14 Johnson 16 Berra 23 Zubar 20 Milijas 09 Ebanks-Blake 29 Doyle Manchester City 25 Hart 04 Kompany 05 Zabaleta 06 Lescott 22 Clichy 18 Barry 19 Nasri (K Toure - 86' ) (K Toure - 86' ) 21 Silva (De Jong - 59' ) (De Jong - 59' ) 42 Y Toure Booked 16 Aguero 32 Tevez (Johnson - 75' ) Substitutes 30 Pantilimon 13 Kolarov 28 K Toure 07 Milner 11 Johnson 34 De Jong 10 Dzeko Ref: Probert Att: 24,576 ||||| We were not good enough! Upset Connor concedes relegated Wolves lacked quality A distraught Terry Connor admitted Wolves were not good enough for the Barclays Premier League after suffering relegation as a result of their 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City. Connor was clearly upset and holding back the tears in his post-match interview. He replaced Mick McCarthy at the helm at Molineux but in his time in charge the team have failed to win and relegation was confirmed on Sunday. Down: Terry Connor could not keep Wolves afloat He told Sky Sports 1: 'It’s tough - a raw day. 'We knew coming in we had to try and win it - it is raw for the players, staff, supporters and everyone connected to Wolves. It probably will be for a few days.' Of the fans, he added: 'They were superb today and for the majority of the season they’ve been great. 'Today is a raw, emotional day. I understand they’ll be hurting over the next weeks to come.' Connor praised the side’s commitment today but he was honest in his assessment of Wolves over the season. 'The lads gave everything over the course of the season,” he said. “It’s obvious we haven’t been good enough. Not good enough: Connor admitted Wolves lacked quality over the season 'But we need to be competitive in the final three games. We have to show absolute integrity. 'Over 35 games we were not good enough to stay in the league.' Connor insisted he had no regrets and added: “I’ve been very honest in what I’ve tried to do with players and the club. 'I have nothing to reproach myself from over the last 10 games. The reason we’ve failed today is over 35. ||||| Season 2011/12 2010/11 2009/10 2008/09 2007/08 2006/07 2005/06 2004/05 2003/04 2002/03 2001/02 2000/01 1999/00 1998/99 1997/98 1996/97 1995/96 1994/95 1993/94 1992/93 Month August September October November December Match Days Matches Played View Table Current standings Home v Away Next three fixtures
Wolves lost 2-0 at the Molineux Ground to Manchester City English football club have been relegated from the after a 2-0 defeat to . Goals from and confirmed the fate of Wolves, ending their three year spell in the top division of English football. Wolves are currently at the bottom of the table with 23 points. Manager said to Sky Sports "It’s tough - a raw day. We knew coming in we had to try and win it - it is raw for the players, staff, supporters and everyone connected to Wolves. It probably will be for a few days". He also commented about fans in attendance at the Molineux saying "They were superb today and for the majority of the season they’ve been great. Today is a raw, emotional day. I understand they’ll be hurting over the next weeks to come." The result also left Manchester City three points behind top of the table Manchester United. Should they defeat Manchester United on April 30 they will top the table on goal difference only. At the other end of the table sit and with 30 and 31 points respectively. Just outside of the relegation zone is and both on 34 points. == Sources == * * * *
Lift Fall Man Hits Woman A MAN who plunged 25ft down a lift shaft had his fall broken by a woman who had fallen down the day before. Jens Wilhelms, 27, managed to free himself from the shaft at the apartment block in Frankfurt, Germany, where he lived. But the 57-year-old woman he landed on was badly injured and is critical in hospital. ||||| Fill out this form to email this article to a friend Your name Your email Recipient email You may enter up to 20 multiple email addresses, separated by commas. Your message Click here to try again. We were unable to send your email. For her score, she gets a ring By Times Wires Published Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:39 PM High score His Video game prowess earns him an extra life Bernie Peng of Jersey City, N.J., needed to find a unique way to propose to his beloved Tammy Li. He is a computer programmer. She loves the video game Bejeweled. So he hacked — er, reprogrammed — it so that a ring and a marriage proposal would pop up on the screen. "I thought it was pretty cool, in a nerdy way," Peng told the Star-Ledger of Newark. But she had to earn it: The proposal would only come up if she hit a certain score. Luckily, she's good, and did. The company that makes the game loves the story. "Most video game companies would frown on people manipulating their games, but it won him a woman" said Garth Chouteau, a spokesman for PopCap. "As a bunch of geeks we have to say, 'Bernie, hats off to you.' " Whoops License suspended, but not hers Anne Medeiros of Toronto was very surprised when she got a letter from the Ministry of Transportation saying that her driver's license was being suspended due to "evidence of a medical condition that would affect your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle," the Toronto Sun reports. This surprised Medeiros, 40, mainly because she doesn't have a license to suspend. The letter included enough accurate information about Medeiros that she wants to know who's going around driving with her identity. "Obviously, they're trying to suspend someone's license," she said. "And it isn't mine, that's for sure." Man falls on woman, saves her Jens Wilhelms, 27, fell 25 feet down the elevator shaft of the apartment building in Frankfurt, Germany, where he lived. He probably would have been seriously hurt, too, if it had not been for the fact that he landed on a woman who had fallen down the shaft a day earlier. The woman, 57, was unconscious, and rescue workers say that although she sustained further injuries when Wilhelms landed on her, it probably also saved her life, because there is no telling how long it might have been before she was found. No backup plan Without proper ID, no cash for robber Police in Honolulu are looking for a man who tried to rob a bank on Friday. He didn't actually get around to robbing the bank. For some reason, after handing the teller a note saying "This is a robbery," he handed her a filled-out withdrawal slip for a specific amount. Well, tellers can't fill withdrawal requests without proper ID, so the teller asked to see his, reports KITV-TV. The robber got flustered and left. Correction Not that much meat Uruguay set a barbecue record with 12 tons of meat over the weekend. A different, much larger, number was given in an item Tuesday. Compiled from Times wire services and other sources by staff writer Jim Webster, who can be reached at jwebster@sptimes.com. ||||| Ananova: Fancy meeting you here! A German man survived a 25ft plunge down a lift shaft when he landed on a woman who had fallen down it a day before. Jens Wilhelms, 27, was unhurt after landing on the 57-year-old woman and managed to free himself from the shaft at the apartment block in Frankfurt am Main where he lived. He called out rescue services who took the woman to hospital. Doctors said she is in a critical condition after sustaining injuries in her original fall - and then again when Wilhelms landed on her. Police spokesman Manfred Vonhausen said: "The woman had been lying unconscious in the shaft for some time already. "Although it made her injuries worse it also probably saved her life that he fell on her as it meant he knew she was there and managed to get help." Rescue workers said that without Wilhelm's plunge the woman would have died from internal bleeding. "It sounds really bizarre," one rescue worker said afterwards, "When Wilhelms fell down on her his weight caused additional damage to her body, but without that she could have laid there for days." Wilhelms said he had slipped as he walked past the lift shaft which had been left open as it was undergoing repairs. "I live on one the top floor and it was quite a nuisance to always climb the stairs," he said. "I saw the door open and I just wanted to check whether somebody was finally working on the elevator. "I took a closer look inside the shaft as it was pitch black, and must have slipped off the edge somehow."
Location of Frankfurt in dark blue. Police reported on Monday, that a man in Frankfurt, Germany is recovering after he fell 25 feet down an elevator shaft early Sunday morning at 6:30 a.m. CEST (UTC+2), and survived. According to authorities, the only reason why the man is alive is because he landed on top of a woman who had fallen down the same shaft just one day earlier. 27-year-old Jens Wilhelms, who was not injured in the fall, was walking up a dark stairwell, passing by the elevator shaft which was undergoing repairs. When he peeked inside the open doors to see what was going on, he slipped off the edge. "I saw the door open and I just wanted to check whether somebody was finally working on the elevator. I took a closer look inside the shaft as it was pitch black, and must have slipped off the edge somehow," said Wilhelms to the media. Approximately 24 hours prior to Wilhelms' fall, an unidentified 57-year-old woman fell down the same shaft and was laying unconscious on the shaft's floor, bleeding internally. Authorities say that although the woman sustained additional injuries from Wilhelms' fall, he likely saved her life. "When Wilhelms fell down on her his weight caused additional damage to her body, but without that she could have laid there for days. The woman had been lying unconscious in the shaft for some time already," said Manfred Vonhausen, a spokesman for the Frankfurt Police Department. The woman remains in a hospital where she is in critical condition.